Converting prehistoric creatures

[Shade]

Is this worthy of conversion?

PROTOCERATID
These deerlike animals were noted for their multiplicity of horns. Protoceras of the Oligocene had six spike horns: two on the nose, two above the eyes, and two back of the ears. Syndyoceras of the Miocene had four spike horns: two on the nose and two above the eyes. Synthetoceras, the oddest of all, had two spike horns above the eyes and one long Y-shaped horn on the nose. Treat all these creatures as stags, except that each may make two separate horn attacks. The damage done is as follows:

Protoceratid Damage
Protoceras 2-5/2-5
Syndyoceras 1-4/1-4
Synthetoceras 2-5/1-6

 

[freyar]

Do we have a deer to start with? Maybe make them dire and add extra attacks?

 

[Shade]

Well, let's see...

There's a deer and elk in Silver Marches. An alternative elk appears in Dragon #333.

We did a dire stag and Eucladoceros as well.

 

[freyar]

Well, if we do these, let's just take the dire stag, add an extra gore or two, and fiddle around the margins. Is that worth it?

 

[Cleon]

Well, if we do these, let's just take the dire stag, add an extra gore or two, and fiddle around the margins. Is that worth it?

I didn't think you liked giving animals multiple horn/gore attacks, considering the fuss you make about not taking that approach for that prehistoric warthog conversion we did.

Anyhow, it seems no less deserving of a conversion than most of the Wild Canids we did.

I'm not fussed either way, so I'll leave it to you two to fight it out.

 

[freyar]

Hmm, can't even remember the warthog. Did the original creature mention multiple attacks? Anyway, I'm at the point of just looking for differentiation. We could boost the damage or something instead.

 

[Cleon]

Hmm, can't even remember the warthog. Did the original creature mention multiple attacks? Anyway, I'm at the point of just looking for differentiation. We could boost the damage or something instead.

It was the Enworld conversion of the Metridiochoerus 'Giant Warthog' from Dragon #167. The original AD&D creature had a 2-12/2-12 attack with a pair of tusks, which became a single 2d6 gore when we converted it.

Incidentally, normal-sized Warthogs also get two attacks (2-8/2-8) in AD&D.

Anyhow, getting back to the Protoceratids. It says to use the stats of a Stag, except for damage. An AD&D Wild Stag does 1-3/1-3 with its hooves and 2-8 with its horns, so Protoceras and Synthetoceras do 2 points more damage with their horns (average 7 vs 5) but Syndyoceras does the same (except with two 1d4 attacks instead of one 2d4 attack).

I think it'd be easier just giving the first two a one-step damage boost and using regular Stag stats for Syndyoceras.

 

[Shade]

I think it'd be easier just giving the first two a one-step damage boost and using regular Stag stats for Syndyoceras.

Agreed. 1e had some weird facing concepts for some monsters, where if they possessed more than one long stabbing/slashing implement, they often had multiple attacks (despite the fact that they originated from the same body part). I guess someone just really liked the idea of a critter goring a separate foe on each tusk, although that would generally be pretty difficult to pull off.

 

[freyar]

Sounds like a plan, in that case. Is there anything else to change, other than telling people to use Imp Nat Attack as a substitute feat?

 

[Cleon]

Sounds like a plan, in that case. Is there anything else to change, other than telling people to use Imp Nat Attack as a substitute feat?

Probably not.

These stats are probably way exaggerated. Protoceras wasn't that big (about fallow deer size) and its horns were probably blunt and skin-covered like a giraffe's. In real life they were probably less dangerous than a male red deer (which is pretty much what a D&D Stag is).

Well I suppose it could be a Dire Protoceras...