Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[Shade]

This thread continues BOZ's idea of “cooperative conversions”, converting a series of monsters from similar sources. For this thread, we will be focusing on animals and vermin from various D&D sources that either exist in the real world, are giant versions thereof, or are slight variants of real world creatures. This does not cover dinosaurs or prehistoric animals, as they are covered in this thread.

What I will do is first post the creature’s original stats and flavor text. Then, I will post a basic outline of the things I think it needs, and then I will give you an opportunity to suggest stats and ideas on how powers and abilities should work. Then, I will add more to it and we will continue to discuss it until I feel it’s done and time to move on to the next. As we work on these creatures, they will be posted in this thread, and after 10 conversions are complete they will be added to the Creature Catalog. You may comment on monsters already finished, of course.

The following is a list of prehistoric animals from various that haven’t yet appeared in official WotC products, the Tome of Horrors, or the Creature Catalog. You may feel free to make suggestions, but ultimately I will pick what to convert and when. If I’m missing any monsters from this list or if any of these have appeared elsewhere already, feel free to inform me. (With thanks to Echohawk for the lists).

From Monster Manual II:

• Crane, Giant
• Swordfish

From Adventure Pack I (I13):

• Ape, Giant
• Caterpillar, Giant
• Mouse, Giant
• Rat, Gigantic
• Walking Stick

From Monstrous Compendium Volume One (MC1):

• Boar, Warthog
• Hornet
• Rat, Giant

From Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (MC2):

• Hawk, Small (Falcon)
• Lamprey, Normal
• Lamprey, Giant
• Mammal, Small, Beaver
• Mammal, Small, Gopher
• Mammal, Small, Muskrat
• Mammal, Small, Opossum
• Mammal, Small, Squirrel (Giant Black)
• Mammal, Small, Woodchuck
• Porcupine, Black
• Porcupine, Brown

From Monstrous Manual:

• Bat, Large
• Bird, Kingfisher
• Dog, War Dog
• Dog, Wild Dog
• Horse, Riding
• Horse, Wild
• Insect, Bumblebee
• Insect, Fly, Bluebottle
• Insect, Fly, Horsefly
• Mammal, Gorilla
• Mammal, Herd, Antelope
• Snake, Sea, Giant
• Urchin, Land
• Whale, Giant

From Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One:

• Dog, Saluqi
• Snake, Giant Cobra

From Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two:

• Cat, Crypt, Large
• Dog, Bog Hound
• Dog, Bog Hound, Moor Hound
• Fish, Subterranean, Irridescent Plecoe
• Fish, Subterranean, Lemon Fish
• Fish, Subterranean, Wattley
• Mammal, Giant, Badger, Giant
• Mammal, Giant, Beaver, Giant
• Mammal, Giant, Otter, Giant
• Mammal, Giant, Wolverine, Giant
• Mammal, Herd, Ram, Giant
• Mammal, Herd, Stag, Giant
• Mammal, Herd, Stag, Wild
• Snake, Serpent, Herald
• Snake, Serpent, Teak
• Turtle, Sea, Giant

From Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three:

• Beetle, Stink, Giant

From Wizard's Spell Compendium, Volume Four:

• Hunting Hawk

From Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four:

• Anemone, Giant Sea
• Clam, Giant, Carnivorous Scallop
• Fish, Ascallion, Adult Female
• Fish, Ascallion, Adult Male (Shadow)
• Fish, Ascallion, Young
• Fish, Deep Ocean, Angler Fish
• Fish, Deep Ocean, Death Minnow
• Fish, Deep Ocean, Gulper
• Fish, Deep Ocean, Viperfish
• Fish, Deep Ocean, Porcupine Fish
• Fish, Deep Ocean, Ray, Electric
• Fish, Deep Ocean, Grouper, Giant
• Fish, Deep Ocean, Morena
• Fish, Vurgens (Giant Gulper Eel)
• Octopus, Octo-jelly
• Octopus, Octo-jelly, Octo-hide
• Octopus, Sea Demon, Greater
• Octopus, Sea Demon, Lesser
• Snake, Mahogany Constrictor
• Starfish, Giant, Giant Sunstar

From Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Appendix:

• Iguana, Giant
• Raven (Crow), Huge

From Return to White Plume Mountain:

• Crab Swarm

From Supplement II: Blackmoor:

• Giant Sea Spider

From Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia:

• Locust, Giant
• Robber Fly
• Termite, Water, Swamp

From Creature Catalog (DMR2):

• Scorpion, Normal
• Spider, Giant, Hunting

Dragon Magazine:

• Dragon #67: Barrel spider; Boleadore spider; Crab spider; Daddy Longlegs; Net-throwing/fishing spider; Jumping spider; Net-throwing/fishing spider; Raft/Swamp spider; Spitting spider; Wolf spider
• Dragon #89: Horseshoe Crab, Giant; Shrike, Giant;
• Dragon #94: Betta, Giant;
• Dragon #95: Orangutan
• Dragon #102: Dhole; Dingo; Bushdog; Dog, Feral; Cave Hyena; Short-Faced Hyena; Spotted Hyena; Striped Hyena
• Dragon #111: Amoeba; Ceratium; Dictyostelium, Amoeba; Dictyostelium, Slug; Dictyostelium, Sporocarp; Dictyostelium, Spore; Elphidium; Euglena; Globigerina; Gonyaulax; Noctiluca; Paramecium; Peridinium, Small; Peridinium, Medium; Peridinium, Large
• Dragon #115: Anaconda; Ram Python; Ringed Snake; Saw-Edged Scaled
• Dragon #116: Sawfish/Sawshark
• Dragon #165: Giant Archerfish; Giant Damselfish
• Dragon #176: Agnath, electric; Armored Predatory Fish; Cacops; Cyclotosaurus; Eogyrinus; Eryops; Erythrosuchus; Estemennosuchus; Eurypterid (water scorpion); Opabinia, Giant; Platyhystrix, giant; Therapsid, early; Therapsid, giant
• Dragon #190: Octopus, deep-dwelling; Super otter; Tube worm, giant, Carnivorous; Tube worm, giant, Common;
• Dragon #237: Lizard, Poisonous, Gila Monster; Lizard, Poisonous, Rough-skinned Newt; Snake, Poisonous, Boomslang; Snake, Poisonous, Bushmaster; Snake, Poisonous, Cobra; Snake, Poisonous, Fer-De-Lance; Snake, Poisonous, Black Mamba; Snake, Poisonous, Gaboon; Amphibian, Poisonous, Neotropical Toad
• Dragon #250: Diving Beetle, Giant, Larva; Diving Beetle, Giant, Adult; Clownfish, Giant; Sea Cow
• Dragon #269: Riding Pony; War Pony

Dungeon Magazine:

• Giant Fanged Python (Dungeon #15, p63)
• Giant Raccoon (Dungeon #66, p13)
• Giant Sheep (Dungeon #69, p55)
• Jumping Spiders, Large (Dungeon #46, p15)
• Mammal, Tropical, Chimpanzee (Dungeon #56, p68)
• Mammal, Tropical, Giant Hippo (Dungeon #56, p68)
• Mammal, Tropical, Pygmy Hippo (Dungeon #56, p68)
• Pigeons, Giant (Dungeon #16, p16)
• Sea Gulls, Huge (Dungeon #48, p24)
• White Boar (Dungeon #37, p47)

 

[Shade]

I can't pass up the opportunity to update something from the 1E MMII.

Crane, Giant
Freq: Rare
# Appearing: 1-20
AC: 5
Move: 9"/18" (MC:C)
Hit Dice: 3
% in Lair: Nil
Treasure Type: Nil
# Attacks: 1
Damage: 1-10
SA: Nil
SD: Nil
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Animal
Alignment: Neutral
Size M (7' tall)
Level/XP Value: II/35 + 3/hp

Giant cranes are found in the same habitats as are ordinary cranes, herons, bitterns, and similar wading birds. They hunt large fish in marshes and swamps, along the banks of watercourses, or on lake verges. Although generally nonaggressive, giant cranes are protective of their mates, young, and nesting areas. If more than 10 are encountered, it is 50% likely that each additional bird will be an immature specimen. If 20 are encountered, there is a 50% chance that they are part of a great flock of 31-50 (1d20+30). From 3-12 of the flock will be half-grown fledgelings.

 

[JiCi]

The crane appears in the Books of Familiars, and here's the stats:

Crane
Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 50 ft. (poor)
Armor Class: 13 (+3 Dex), touch 13, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-1
Attack: Bite –1 melee (1d4-1)
Full Attack: Bite –1 melee (1d4-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —-
Special Qualities: —-
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +7, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness
Environment: Any temperate aquatic
Organization: Solitary, pair or flock (4-16)
Challenge Rating: 1/6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —-
Level Adjustment: —-
A large, wading waterfowl, the crane is a stately bird which perches
upon long legs. They are known for their loud, trumpeting call –
which can be heard for miles in any direction.

 

[Shade]

There's also the ibis from Races of Faerun to work from.

Advancing an ibis from Tiny to Medium and 3 HD results in the following:

Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 3d8+3 (16 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 50 ft. (poor)
Armor Class: 16 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +1 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, wading
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 16, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +12
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse, 1 more
Environment: Any marsh
Organization: x
Challenge Rating: x
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: x
Level Adjustment: -

Combat

Wading (Ex): Although it does not have a swim speed, a giant crane suffers no movement penalty when walking through water less deep than the length of its legs.

Skills: Giant cranes receive a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks.

 

[Shade]

Giant eagles, giant owls, and terror birds all have Dex 17, so we should probably bump the giant crane's to around that score.

 

[Mortis]

From Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two:

• Mammal, Giant, Badger, Giant
• Mammal, Giant, Beaver, Giant
• Cat, Crypt, Large
• Dog, Bog Hound
• Dog, Bog Hound, Moor Hound
• Fish, Subterranean, Irridescent Plecoe
• Fish, Subterranean, Lemon Fish
• Fish, Subterranean, Wattley
• Mammal, Giant, Badger, Giant
• Mammal, Giant, Beaver, Giant
• Mammal, Giant, Otter, Giant
• Mammal, Giant, Wolverine, Giant
• Mammal, Herd, Ram, Giant
• Mammal, Herd, Stag, Giant
• Mammal, Herd, Stag, Wild
• Snake, Serpent, Herald
• Snake, Serpent, Teak
• Turtle, Sea, Giant

You've got the giant badger and beaver listed twice.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

You've got the giant badger and beaver listed twice.

They're really, really gigantic.

I'll fix it.

 

[Mortis]

They're really, really gigantic.

Titanic even.

I think advancing the ibis works - you get get rid of weapon finesse as it's Str is now greater than it's Dex. It's a bonus feat so it doesn't actually affect anything.

How about Stealthy as the second feat. I can see the crane quietly stalking its prey before lunging with its beak.

I'm slightly concerned with the wading quality - we should probably state either how long the legs are or the depth of water the crane can wade through.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Note that I proposed a Dex boost to 17, so its Dex would once again be better than its Str, making Weapon Finesse useful once more.

Stealthy sounds fine.

I share your concerns about the wading ability. I've found that whooping cranes are 5 feet tall, so they are probably the best normal crane to build from. Unfortunately, I've Googled like mad and can't find any indication of leg length other than that they are long. Maybe we can just go with "half their height"?

 

[Mortis]

Note that I proposed a Dex boost to 17, so its Dex would once again be better than its Str, making Weapon Finesse useful once more.

Missed that

Stealthy sounds fine.

Good

I share your concerns about the wading ability. I've found that whooping cranes are 5 feet tall, so they are probably the best normal crane to build from. Unfortunately, I've Googled like mad and can't find any indication of leg length other than that they are long. Maybe we can just go with "half their height"?

I guess that should do.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

 

[Mortis]

CR: 1?

Looks done - unless you want to expand on the flavour text.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

CR 1 seems right. I'll add a little more flavor text based on standard cranes, and then we can move on.

 

[Shade]

Flavor text added. I'll start the next one soon.

 

[Mortis]

Shade

The Combat line for the giant stork in homebrews refers to the whooping crane rather than the giant crane.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Fixed. Thanks for the catch. I had whooping cranes on the mind when doing the writeup.

 

[Mortis]

The Combat line for the giant stork in homebrews refers to the whooping crane rather than the giant crane.

Where did stork come from?

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Where did stork come from?

I'm a bit of a bird brain at times.

 

[Shade]

Fish, Deep Ocean, Angler Fish
Climate/Terrain: Ocean depths
Freq: Uncommon
Org: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Carnivor
Int: Animal (1)
Treasure: Nil
Align: Neutral
# App: 1
AC: 8
Move: Sw 12
HD: 8
THAC0: 13
# Att: 1
Dmg/Att: 2d8 (some species 1d4)
SA: Swallows whole
SD: Nil
MR: Nil
Size: L (8' long)
Morale: Elite (13)
XP: 1,400

The angler fish is, as its name implies, a fish that hunts the lightless depths by means of a natural "fishing line," sometimes even with a hook (not in the real-world creatures). These bloated-looking things are clumsy swimmers, relying on their lures to cause prey to come to them. Surface-dwellers have an illicium (the "fishing line," actually the modified first ray of the dorsal fin) that looks like a worm or similar creature; with deep-sea anglers, the illicium is luminous. Some anglers don't have an illicium, relying instead on a luminous growth protruding from the roof or palate of the mouth. These growths, in some fantastic species, might resemble anything from mounds of sunken treasure to a beautiful mermaid, both lying in a "cavern" chock full of "stalctites" and "stalagmites." Most anglers are no bigger than a man's fist, though one surface-dwelling type is large enough to swallow ducks and geese and does so.

Combat for the angler fish generally consists of decoying the victim close enough to be attacked, with the teeth getting in one good bite (2d8 damage) and then simply holding the victim in place to be digested (1d8 damage per round). Some anglers actually have one or more hooks at the end of the illicium. With some fatanstic species of these fish, these hooks are functional and can be used to snare prey (1d4 points of damage), drawing it down to the mouth to be bitten automatically in the same round. The angler fish's poor Armor Clas allows stabbing weapons to penetrate it relatively easily. A swallowed prey takes as much damage from the attack as the fish. The fish's teeth curve inward, so it can't even think about letting go, no matter how much opponents with tridents and daggers might make it wish it could. Swallowing prey is the ultimate act of commitment.

In most species of angler fish, only the females do the hunting. The male, only a fraction of the female's size, clings like a lamprey to her body, living off her as a parasite. This works well for the angler fish; despite the darkness of the ocean depths and the fact that angler fish are few and far between, this system ensures that every fish always has a mate on hand when breeding season comes around. What happens to the young is not known.

The angler fish is a typical predator, like nearly all hunters of the deep. Its flesh is edible, though not a gourmet's delight by human standards.

Source: Monstrous Compendium Annual 4.

 

[Shade]

Getting started...

Large Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 8d8+x (x hp)
Initiative: +x
Speed: Swim 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 12? (-1 size, +x Dex, +x natural), touch x, flat-footed x
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+x
Attack: Bite +x melee (1d8+x)
Full Attack: Bite +x melee (1d8+x)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str x, Dex x, Con x, Int 1, Wis x, Cha x
Skills: 11 ranks (Swim +8 from swim speed)
Feats: 3
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: x
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Large); 17-24 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -



Ability scores of other Large and bigger fish:

Dire Barracuda: Str 19, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Ramfish (magical beast): Str 21, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 5
Giant Catfish: Str 17, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Masher (Huge): Str 27, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 8
Giant Gar (Huge): Str 24, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 1

So...

Str 17-20, Dex 14-16, Con 13-16, Int 1, Wis 10-12, Cha 1-2