Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[Shade]

It wouldn't hurt.

Mentioned.

Did we have anything queued up, or shall I go a-hunting?

 

[freyar]

Hunt away.

 

[Cleon]

Mentioned.

Did we have anything queued up, or shall I go a-hunting?

I don't think there's anything waiting.

We were talking about the Jaguar on the Lycanthrope thread.

Any interest in doing the missing Great Cats?

 

[Shade]

I don't think there's anything waiting.

We were talking about the Jaguar on the Lycanthrope thread.

Any interest in doing the missing Great Cats?

Only if they are different enough to not be able to use comparable stats. Is a leopard statistically different from a jaguar?

EDIT: Now that I've actually checked the latest update to the lycanthrope thread, I am convinced to convert the jaguar.

 

[Cleon]

Only if they are different enough to not be able to use comparable stats. Is a leopard statistically different from a jaguar?

EDIT: Now that I've actually checked the latest update to the lycanthrope thread, I am convinced to convert the jaguar.

Fine by me. The Monstrous Manual 2E AD&D Great Cats are the Cheetah, Jaguar, Leopard, Common Lion, Mountain Lion, Spotted Lion, Giant Lynx, Wild Tiger* and Smilodon.

*Presumably to distinguish it from the Tame Tiger.

We've got official 3E stats for many of them:

The Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Tiger are in the SRD.

The Smilodon is in Frostburn.

According to Echohawk's list there's a Lynx in WotC's Races of Faerûn but it's just a regular Lynx (a Small-sized Animal), not the very-intelligent Medium-sized creature that is a Giant Lynx.

That leaves the Jaguar, Mountain Lion, Spotted Lion and Giant Lynx.

Might as well start with the Jaguar.

 

[Shade]

Sounds good. Wanna finish up the jaguar here, or in the lycanthrope thread where you started it?

 

[Cleon]

Sounds good. Wanna finish up the jaguar here, or in the lycanthrope thread where you started it?

If we're doing all the missing Great Cats I think it'd be easier keeping them all in the same thread, so let's do it here.

 

[Shade]

Sounds like a plan. Care to port over what you've got so far?

 

[Cleon]

Sounds like a plan. Care to port over what you've got so far?

You mean...

In real-life, Jaguars are usually larger and sturdier than leopards. The 3E SRD Leopard says to use its stats for Jaguars, but in AD&D a Jaguar is tougher than a leopard - 4+1 HD & damage 1-3/1-3/1-8 & 2-5/2-5 versus 3+2 HD & damage 1-3/1-3/1-6 & 1-4/1-4.

So, I'm thinking we should average a Lion and a Leopard's physical stats:

Lion Str 21, Dex 17, Con 15
Leopard Str 16, Dex 19, Con 15
=> Jaguar Str 19, Dex 18, Con 15?
=> Jagwere Str 21, Dex 18, Con 17?

Should we put up the original AD&D stats?

As written, it's just a matter of taking the SRD Leopard and adding +1 HD, +3 Str and -1 Dex, then figuring out the extra skill rank and what it's Advancement is - I'd go for 5-6 HD (Medium).

I'd like a little more than that to distinguish it from a Leopard. For example, Jaguars are good swimmers, so I'd go for a racial bonus to Swim.

Maybe cut something down, like 5 ft. off the Climb speed, so it's not universally better than a Leopard.

 

[Shade]

I'd be fine with that advancement and the racial bonus to swim.

Is there real-world justification for cutting its climb speed? I'm OK with it being universally better than the leopard if it actually is so in real life.