Converting prehistoric creatures

[demiurge1138]

Unfortunately, your Sarkastodon does not actually resemble the real beast--neither does the 1e statblock. It's a creodont, which means that it has very hoof-like claws and flat feet. In addition, the placement of the carnassial teeth meant that creodonts couldn't tear up plant matter as effectively as a true Carnivora, making it exclusively a meat-eater (so we should cut those references to it eating the occasional plant matter).

So, as a creodont, Sarkastodon should be slower (say, back down to 30ft) and should have poor claw attacks, if any at all. I would prefer no claws. We should reflect its status as a bone-crusher by making its bite primary and with an SA (and note that I am all for more interesting mundane animals). Something like...

Bonecrushing Bite (Ex): Sarkastodon's jaws are immensely powerful, and can crush bone to pulp. On a successful critical hit, a Sarkastodon also deals 1d4 points of Str damage.

In addition, I am morally opposed to the use of the Improved Natural Attack feat in basic creatures--we're building the thing from the ground up, we should be able to set the damage wherever we damn well please! Improved Critical (bite) strikes me as a good feat for Sarkastodon, especially if we give it bonecrushing bite.

I'm at work at the moment so I can't check my books--are the dire animals in Frostburn (mammoth, glyptodon, smilodon et al) given good Will saves?

 

[freyar]

I like the Bonecrushing Bite, though I don't know a thing about creodonts.

I also look down on Improved Natural Attack.

 

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

Bears are plantigrades too.

Wikipedia claims that "The fossilized teeth of Sarkastodon show that it ate a variety of foods, and probably led a lifestyle in some ways like that of modern brown bears."

All the pictures of Sarkastodon that I can find show it with bear-like claws, but I can't find any pictures of its skeleton.

Yes, the dire animals in Frostburn get good Will saves. All dire animals get good Will saves.

 

[demiurge1138]

That Wikipedia entry also doesn't cite its sources, and goes on to say (as any accurate report on creodonts would, including the Wikipedia entry on creodontia, which does cite) that its teeth would limit its dietary options.

Fair enough on bears being plantigrade. I still prefer a slower speed, though.

Sarkastodon is only known from a skull. Other creodonts known from more complete fossils show stubby little claws.

 

[demiurge1138]

Let's think about Sarkastodon from a behavioral perspective, in addition to an anatomical one, for insights into statting it.

Despite its superficially bear-like appearance, it had bone-crushing jaws more like a hyena and was big enough to tackle the megafauna of its time, like brontotheres and giant rhinos. Now, there's a population of lions in Savuti, Botswana, that specializes in eating elephants. They're on film, in the Planet Earth series. What the Savuti lions do is they crowd around watering holes in the dark. Elephants have poor low-light vision, so the lions spook them with roaring--if an elephant bolts, the lions pile onto it, bring it to the ground, and start eating it while it's still alive.

What does that say for Sarkastodon? Well, I like the trip suggestion. Since it's not very fast (regardless of whether we settle for 30 or 40 feet), we should give it a racial bonus to Hide and Move Silenty checks, and/or the Stealthy feat. We could leave the spooking the herd as mere flavor-text, or we could give it a roar that induces fear.

 

[Shade]

I like the Bonecrushing Bite, though I don't know a thing about creodonts.

I also look down on Improved Natural Attack.

Ditto here, on both counts.

 

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

OK, well then, this is a stupid thing to be arguing about. Feel free to make any of those changes you mentioned.

 

[demiurge1138]

Thoughts on racial bonuses to Hide and Move Silently and/or the roar ability?

 

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

A +2 bonus is reasonable, +4 at the absolute most. Not too sure about the roar ability, though - the point of Move Silently is not to spook your target.

 

[demiurge1138]

Well, the idea being get close enough stealthily, spook, make them panic and lose control, strike. Pretty common among modern carnivores, with both cats and wolves panicking the herd to pick off choice prey.