Converting prehistoric creatures

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

I'm supporting Swallow Whole on the basis that a snake could swallow something much smaller than it (2 size categories) rather quickly. I know it takes my Tiny corn snake to a long time to swallow a Diminutive mouse, but a Small young boa constrictor might make quicker work of one.

(I think about the real world in terms of D&D. I'm weird.)

 

[Cleon]

Since we've wrapped up the "bears", lets tackle Titanoboa.

This isn't a conversion, per se, but we can easily tie it to any of the giant snakes.

By its listed size, it should start at Gargantuan, and probably advance to Colossal.

We can probably upsize the giant constrictor snake and make some modifications. The dire snake probably won't work, as it combines traits of vipers with constrictors.

Here's a giant constrictor snake upsized to Gargantuan and 25 HD (the mid-range of its usual Gargantuan advancement)....

Just to play devil's advocate, I'd just use the regular giant constrictor snake stats, maybe with an extra HD or two if I was feeling mean/generous. Making it a Gargantuan 25 HD monster seems far too much for a realistic interpretation of Titanoboa. Going by the stats the snake (Grapple +41) could easily strangle an elephant (Grapple +26) or a Tyrannosaurus rex (Grapple +30)!

I wouldn't base the size category on length alone, since that's for an "average" range of builds, not something as slender as a snake. The SRD purple worm is 80' long and Gargantuan, a Titanoboa is half as long so could be Huge like a regular giant constrictor.

Furthermore, Titanoboa is estimated to weigh 2500 pounds. That would put it in a Large creature's weight range.

 

[demiurge1138]

Fair enough. D&D size categories are weird to things that aren't roughly square, like snakes.

Perhaps we should say "inspired by Titanoboa" for our mammoth constrictor?

 

[freyar]

Hmm, good question. If we're going to do this, maybe it makes more sense to go Huge but a bunch of HD. Or maybe I could go for "giant titanoboa."

 

[Cleon]

Fair enough. D&D size categories are weird to things that aren't roughly square, like snakes.

Perhaps we should say "inspired by Titanoboa" for our mammoth constrictor?

No disagreement there, it was a bit easier to match real-world beasties size categories back in 3.0 when they separated space into Long and Tall, but that still caused confusion, and still didn't quite fit very long light critters like snakes into the right weight ranges.

Hmm, good question. If we're going to do this, maybe it makes more sense to go Huge but a bunch of HD. Or maybe I could go for "giant titanoboa."

I'd stick to the current size & HD and just say its an unreasonably oversized constrictor, an example of the legendary 80-100 foot anacondas that yarn spinners say swim about the darkest reaches of the Amazon. There are plenty such creatures in fantasy entertainment, we could use it as is for the stats of the snake that King Kong fights in the 1976 remake.

Call it "Titanic Constrictor Snake" or something.

I fancy adding stats for a Behemoth Snake version suitable for epic campaigns (make it an Outsider; increase speed by 50% to 30 ft. in all categories; add 10 to its natural armour, Dex, Con and Cha; bump up its Int to 5; change its saves to all good; double its natural weapon damage; add spell resistance 30 or 34; give it more skills & skills points for being an Outsider; improve Challenge Rating to 18 or so)

 

[Cleon]

OK, so no Improved Toughness. We could give it Epic Toughness, however.

Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Endurance, Power Attack, Skill Focus (hide), Stealthy, Weapon Focus (bite)

Epic Feats: Epic Prowess, Epic Toughness

Since it's so huge, we may want to consider giving it swallow whole.

I'm a bit dubious about Weapon Focus (it's got a high enough attack it doesn't really need it) and Cleave (rarely used in play). I'd prefer Improved Natural Attack (bite) [or Constrict, but I'm not sure that's legal](for a reliable extra d6 damage) and Iron Will to help its weakest save.

Rather than Epic Toughness I'd suggest Great Constitution to bump its Con up to 18. That gives it an extra 25 hit points and +1 on Con saves, plus it scales with advancement. Far more useful in the long run.

Similarly Epic Strength for Str 34 gives it the same attack bonus nudge as Epic Prowess and improves its damage and Grapple too boot. Although I'm tempted to give my proposed Behemoth Epic Speed instead, since there's just something about a snake with 60 ft. movement which makes me chuckle malevolently. I'd have to swap one of its other feats [probably Cleave] for Run for that to be legal, though.

EDIT: Oh, and I'll throw in a vote for giving it Swallow Whole against creature two or more size categories smaller than itself.

 

[Cleon]

Snake, Giant Constrictor
Gargantuan Animal
Hit Dice: 25d8+75 (187 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 17 (–4 size, +3 Dex, +8 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +18/+41
Attack: Bite +25 melee (2d6+16)
Full Attack: Bite +25 melee (2d6+16)

As is traditional, some of these numbers don't seem to add up.

I make it that Grapple should be +46 (+18 base +16 Strength +12 size) and melee attack should be +30 (+18 base +16 Strength -4 size).

The rest of the stats looks fine.

EDIT: Gah! The strength bonus is +11 not +16, I got confused by the +16 damage bonuses including the 50% extra for it being the snake's sole attack. Better belay this post, the stats are fine as is.

 

[demiurge1138]

I strongly opposed giving Improved Natural Attack to any base creature--we're designing the thing, we can give it whatever base damage we want! The suggestion for Iron Will, though, is a pretty good one.

 

[Cleon]

I strongly opposed giving Improved Natural Attack to any base creature--we're designing the thing, we can give it whatever base damage we want! The suggestion for Iron Will, though, is a pretty good one.

That's reasonable. What do you think about Epic Strength and Epic Constitution?

EDIT: I'm guessing you think the same rule applies since we can just tweak the raw stat up one if designing the beastie from scratch. I was approaching the monster as an advancement or modification of a giant constrictor snake base, in which case applying ability-modifying feats makes a bit more sense.

 

[freyar]

That's reasonable. What do you think about Epic Strength and Epic Constitution?

My feeling about Great Str and Great Con is the same as about Imp Nat Attack: they're for customizing individuals (hence why I don't really like the Fast Healing feat for designing epic monsters, either). I generally agree with demiurge that we should just design the base monster as desired.