Converting prehistoric creatures

[Leopold]

Will,
If you want to, bring your friends and forum buddies over here to help out on the conversions of the next batches of dinosaurs. we go through them pretty quickly and any input is helpful .

New monster:

Elasmotherium ("Thin Plate Beast") was a genus of giant rhinoceros which stood, on average, 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) high and 6 metres (20 ft) long, with a single two-meter-long horn in the forehead. The animal may have weighed up to 5 tonnes (5.5 short tons). Its legs were longer than those of other rhinos and were designed for galloping, giving it a horse-like gait. It was probably a fast runner, in spite of its size. Its teeth were similar to those of horses, and it probably grazed low herbs.

This is a longer and taller version of the rhino, more like a buffalo or a bison with one huge horn on it's forehead.

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Bison

I'd say give it the HD of the rhino or bigger: 10 HD
Speed of the bison: 40'
less natural armor than the rhino: +5
Stats of bison but bigger:

Str 24, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 4

 

[demiurge1138]

Elasmotherium was converted as the "dire rhino" in the Fiend Folio.

 

[Leopold]

Elasmotherium was converted as the "dire rhino" in the Fiend Folio.

how oppropriate.

 

[Echohawk]

Elasmotherium was converted as the "dire rhino" in the Fiend Folio.

So does Elasmotherium = Dire Rhino = Woolly Rhino? (At least for D&D purposes.)

 

[RavinRay]

So does Elasmotherium = Dire Rhino = Woolly Rhino? (At least for D&D purposes.)

I couldn't find any rhino, woolly or otherwise, in Frostburn, so I suppose the Fiend Folio dire rhino can stand in for Elasmotherium.

BTW, Elasmotherium is regarded by some paleontologists as the real-world prehistoric unicorn. Think of it as a unicorn on steroids.

 

[Shade]

Well, that was easy.

Deinotherium
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-8
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 15.
HIT DICE: 10
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 tusks and 2 forefeet
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-12/3-12/4-16/4-16

This Miocene creature was a distant relative of the elephant. Deinotherium had a short proboscis, short downward-curving tusks, small ears, and a sloping back. It is a more likely relative of the oliphant (Monster Manual II) than the mastodon in AD&D game worlds. Deinotherium attacked with its tusks and forefeet, the trunk being too small for combat. The tusks are worth 100-400 gp each.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #137 (1988).

Deinotherium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[RavinRay]

This odd-looking proboscidean was a forest browser, since it's comparatively long legs and short trunk meant it couldn't reach grass in a standing position. The teeth were likewise ill-equipped for grinding grass (do you know that grass actually incorporates tiny crystals of silica to make itself tough?), and the downward-pointing tusks could have been used for hooking branches and pulling them lower. Their downward orientation might force us to re-think the mechanics of a tusk attack.

 

[Leopold]

The tusk attacks i'd argue for use on goring only if in base to base contact. No charging with these things and gettign the tusks for bonus attacks.

Found a conversion of the oliphant for reference:

R: Oliphant: CR 7; Huge Animal; HD 10d8+50; hp 95; Init +0 (Dex); Spd 40 ft.; AC 18 (-2 size, +8 natural, +2 leather); Atk Slam +14 melee (2d6+9), 2 stamps +9 melee (2d6+5); or gore +14 melee (2d8+13); Face 10 ft. by 20 ft.; Reach 10 ft.; SA Trample 2d8+13; SQ Scent; SR 16; AL N; SV Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +5; Str 28, Dex 11, Con 21, Int 4, Wis 15, Cha 11.
Skills— Listen +7, Spot +7
SA— Trample (Ex): Can trample Medium-size or smaller opponents for 2d8+13 damage unless the opponent makes a Reflex save (DC 23).

 

[demiurge1138]

Well, elephants don't have powerful charge, so I see no reason that Deinotherium would, even if its tusks were straighter. In order to reflect their odd orientation, they could only have five feet of reach (as opposed to the usual 10 for being a Huge quadruped).

 

[Shade]

That sounds like a reasonable solution, or even give it a space/reach of 15 ft./10 ft. (5 ft. w/gore).