Converting prehistoric animals

[demiurge1138]

I say use Wikipedia for the size estimates. Awesome Blow, Imp Bull's Rush and Power Attack are great places to go, feats wise. For the other three, how about Alertness, Endurance and Great Fortitude? Great Fortitude makes sense to me, as it's a hardy omnivore. Since it's not really optimal at using its bite aggressively, I think we should skip Multiattack.

Another possibility, borrowing from my World of Kong project for similar hardy omnivore dinosaurs, is that we give it all three good saves, like a dire animal.

Demiurge out.

 

[freyar]

I'm fine to drop Multiattack. Regarding saves, I think I'd prefer Great Fort over changing the base saves.

 

[demiurge1138]

Well, really, what changing the base saves would do would be give it a good Will (animals already get Fort and Reflex, with some pack animals and dire animals also getting Will). I'd be content with either Great Fort or Iron Will, or both and drop Alertness. It doesn't have to be too observant--it only eats stuff that isn't moving, and if any predators try to fight it, they'll probably end up ripped in half.

Demiurge out.

 

[freyar]

Let's go with the standard saves for dinos and add GF and IW. Why not?

 

[Shade]

Updated. All done?

 

[freyar]

I think so!

 

[demiurge1138]

I think so too.

Demiurge out.

 

[RavinRay]

I'm happy with it.

 

[Shade]

Kronosaurus
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subtropical/tropical, any water
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVEMENT: SW15
HIT DICE: 17
THAC0: 5
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 7d8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Swallow whole
SPECIAL DEFENCE: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: G (42')
MORALE: Champion (16)
XP VALUE: 11,000

This was the largest of the plesiosaur family, but it looked little like its relatives. Kronosaurus had a short, thick neck and a huge flat skull similar to that of a crocodile. At 9’ long, Kronosaurus’s skull was larger than that of Tyrannosaurus rex. The total length of Kronosaurus was 42’, but the body was massive and thick, not elongated as in Plesiosaurus. This beast looked much like a crocodile with flippers. It fed on large fish and squid. Creatures up to man-size will be swallowed whole on a roll of four or more over what it needs to hit.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #187 (1992).

Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kronosaurus

 

[RavinRay]

Quick take: with such a gaping maw it must have Swallow Whole, and as the jaws in all likelihood applied a tremendous amount of force it could have Ability Focus (bite), increased damage, or Improved Grab.

Here's a video of it's close relative Liopleurodon attacking, from Walking With Dinosaurs.