Converting prehistoric animals

freyar · Aug 7, 2008

Anyone have an opinion on the size?

Based on the "great damage" from the bite, I'd suggest bumping Str a little. We could probably also decrease Dex and Wis a little to compensate since these feel more like brute strength hunters rather than stealthy or quick ones.

demiurge1138 · Aug 8, 2008

Let's go for Colossal.

Shade · Aug 8, 2008

So, Colossal and Str 40, Dex 15, Con 26, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 9?

freyar · Aug 8, 2008

Looks good to me.

RavinRay · Aug 9, 2008

It's ok with me as well. Ichthyosaurs with barrel-shaped bodies and lunate tails were better adapted as open ocean pursuit predators (like tuna) than as ambush predators, which had a more elongated, sea-serpent body plan.

demiurge1138 · Aug 9, 2008

Yeah, but this is a pursuit predator the size of a boat. What would it eat? Entire clouds of fish or squid? I suspect that the niche of Shonisaurus was something more like a humpback whale. Which means we should give it some sort of ability to suck up large quantities of water, and its attendant lifeforms, in one gulp. Fortunately, we've already gotten a suction feeding mechanic hammered out for Dunkleosteus. We just need to make it bigger.

Shade · Aug 18, 2008

Added to Homebrews.

Its speed converts to 40 feet, but the smaller ichthyosaur has 50 feet. Should we increase its speed?

Here's the vortex maw we came up with earlier.

Vortex Maw (Ex): A dinicthys can open its mouth so quickly that it creates a powerful suction. All creatures within 30 feet must make Strength checks opposed by the dinicthys's Strength check (+16 for a standard dinicthys), with the same modifiers as a bull rush. If the dinicthys beats a creature's Strength check result, it pulls the victim 5 feet closer to its jaws. For each 5 points by which its check result is greater than a victim's check result, the dinicthys pulls the victim an additional 5 feet closer. The victim provokes attacks of opportunity if it is moved.