Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin
Cleon
Legend
That'd all be fine by me. Possibly give it a big(ger) Listen and Spot bonus as well.
How about applying a "half size" -4 Str and -2 Con to the SRD Leopard's Str 16, Con 15?
It's got the same AC as an AD&D Leopard, so I'd rather leave the Dex the same.
The mental stats ought to be pretty impressive - we've got Int 12 already, so how much Wis and Cha shall we go for?
Cleon
Legend
That Wisdom's lower than the 12 that the SRD big cats get. The flavour text says they're smart, observant creatures, so I'd prefer Wis 14-15.
Still, I think we've got enough to begin a Working Draft...
Cleon
Legend
Giant Lynx Working Draft
Lynx, Giant
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d10+2 (13 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), Climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+4 Dex, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+3
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d2+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +6 melee (1d2+1) and bite +1 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, pounce, rake 1d3
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, snaresensing
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Hide +12* [+16 in undergrowth], Jump +5, Listen +10, Move Silently +12, Search +9, Spot +9, Survival +6, Swim +8
Feats: Track, Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment: Cold forest and plains
Organization: Solitary or family (2-4)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Challenge Rating: 1
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
A silvery-brown cat with small, dark brown spots. It has long legs with big paws, a short bobbed tail, and large ears that end in pointed tufts.
The giant lynx is a larger, slightly magical relative of a normal lynx. They are nocturnal and prefer to live in boreal forests and cold scrublands. Giant lynx hunt most of the smaller animals that live in the taiga forests, stalking everything from lemmings to the smaller deer. They are fast and stealthy enough to catch birds. A giant lynx is as intelligent as most humanoids, but has little or no interest in "civilization". It uses its intelligence for survival, adapting its behavior to fit its habitat rather than trying to change the habitat to suit them like civilized humanoids might. These great cats are renowned for being extraordinarily perceptive, and can easily spot snares and tracks.
A giant lynx is about 4 feet long and weighs around 80 pounds. They typically stand 2¼ feet tall at the shoulder, due to their long legs.
Giant lynx speak a dialect of Slyvan. They rarely know any other language.
Combat
The giant lynx almost never attacks humanoids, except in self defense. Like other felines, a giant lynx prefers to pounce on prey and opponents from stealth, then quickly make use of its rake attacks. Their native intelligence also allows them to orchestrate elaborate ambushes, while their snaresensing ability allows them to avoid traps very well themselves.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a giant lynx must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can rake.
Pounce (Ex): If a giant lynx charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.
Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +6 melee, damage 1d3.
Snaresensing (Ex): A giant lynx can sense simple pits, deadfalls, and snares as well as mechanical traps concealed in natural objects, such as an arrow trap hidden in a tree. Snaresensing also detects natural hazards that exist in the lynx's wilderness environment, such as quicksand, a sinkhole, or unsafe walls of natural rock. Snaresensing cannot detect magical traps. It cannot sense mechanical traps that are part of a larger artificial object, such as a secret trapdoor in a building's floor, or a poison needle trap hidden in lock.
The giant lynx must make at a Search check to locate a snare. A giant lynx who merely passes within 5 feet of a snare is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if they were actively looking for it. Snaresensing can locate traps with a Search DC higher than 20.
Skills: Giant lynx have a +6 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently and Search checks and a +4 racial bonus on Jump, Spot and Swim checks. Giant lynx have a +8 racial bonus to Balance and Climb checks and can use their Dexterity or Strength for Climb and Swim checks. A giant lynx can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.
*In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +10.
Lynx, Giant
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d10+2 (13 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), Climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+4 Dex, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+3
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d2+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +6 melee (1d2+1) and bite +1 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, pounce, rake 1d3
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, snaresensing
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Hide +12* [+16 in undergrowth], Jump +5, Listen +10, Move Silently +12, Search +9, Spot +9, Survival +6, Swim +8
Feats: Track, Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment: Cold forest and plains
Organization: Solitary or family (2-4)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Challenge Rating: 1
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
A silvery-brown cat with small, dark brown spots. It has long legs with big paws, a short bobbed tail, and large ears that end in pointed tufts.
The giant lynx is a larger, slightly magical relative of a normal lynx. They are nocturnal and prefer to live in boreal forests and cold scrublands. Giant lynx hunt most of the smaller animals that live in the taiga forests, stalking everything from lemmings to the smaller deer. They are fast and stealthy enough to catch birds. A giant lynx is as intelligent as most humanoids, but has little or no interest in "civilization". It uses its intelligence for survival, adapting its behavior to fit its habitat rather than trying to change the habitat to suit them like civilized humanoids might. These great cats are renowned for being extraordinarily perceptive, and can easily spot snares and tracks.
A giant lynx is about 4 feet long and weighs around 80 pounds. They typically stand 2¼ feet tall at the shoulder, due to their long legs.
Giant lynx speak a dialect of Slyvan. They rarely know any other language.
Combat
The giant lynx almost never attacks humanoids, except in self defense. Like other felines, a giant lynx prefers to pounce on prey and opponents from stealth, then quickly make use of its rake attacks. Their native intelligence also allows them to orchestrate elaborate ambushes, while their snaresensing ability allows them to avoid traps very well themselves.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a giant lynx must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can rake.
Pounce (Ex): If a giant lynx charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.
Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +6 melee, damage 1d3.
Snaresensing (Ex): A giant lynx can sense simple pits, deadfalls, and snares as well as mechanical traps concealed in natural objects, such as an arrow trap hidden in a tree. Snaresensing also detects natural hazards that exist in the lynx's wilderness environment, such as quicksand, a sinkhole, or unsafe walls of natural rock. Snaresensing cannot detect magical traps. It cannot sense mechanical traps that are part of a larger artificial object, such as a secret trapdoor in a building's floor, or a poison needle trap hidden in lock.
The giant lynx must make at a Search check to locate a snare. A giant lynx who merely passes within 5 feet of a snare is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if they were actively looking for it. Snaresensing can locate traps with a Search DC higher than 20.
Skills: Giant lynx have a +6 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently and Search checks and a +4 racial bonus on Jump, Spot and Swim checks. Giant lynx have a +8 racial bonus to Balance and Climb checks and can use their Dexterity or Strength for Climb and Swim checks. A giant lynx can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.
*In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +10.
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Cleon
Legend
Multiattack for the regular feat?
Sure, but are they any better than, say, a Brown Bear or a Tiger, which are also good swimmers?
The AD&D stats don't give them a Swim speed, so I'd rather cut it out, although I'd entertain a racial bonus to Swim checks.
The darkvision was just Magical Beast boilerplate, although I did think it was appropriate.
Agreed.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
I always forget: do we allow Multiattack when the "3 natural attacks" includes 2 of the same thing but not 3 distinct types of attack?
The bear and tiger make a good point. (They tend to with claws and teeth.
) Let's drop the swim speed, like you suggest, and maybe give a small bonus on checks. Or let them use Dex instead of Str.
For the trap-sensing, I'd definitely give them a Search bonus, at least when looking for traps. I'm a bit unsure about giving them the ability to find magical traps, but a barbarian-style Trap Sense might work.
The bear and tiger make a good point. (They tend to with claws and teeth.
) Let's drop the swim speed, like you suggest, and maybe give a small bonus on checks. Or let them use Dex instead of Str.For the trap-sensing, I'd definitely give them a Search bonus, at least when looking for traps. I'm a bit unsure about giving them the ability to find magical traps, but a barbarian-style Trap Sense might work.
Cleon
Legend
Yes you can. As in the SRD Ghoul.
The bear and tiger make a good point. (They tend to with claws and teeth.
Why not both!
Something like this, maybe...
Skills: Giant lynxes have a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Move Silently, Search, Spot and Swim checks. Giant lynxes have a +8 racial bonus to Balance and Climb checks. A giant lynx can use its Dexterity or Strength for Climb and Swim checks. A giant lynx can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.
*In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +8.
I'd happily give them something like Trapfinding, but restrict it to extraordinary outdoor traps - basically the stuff that a detect snares and pits spell can register.
How about:
Snaresensing (Ex): A giant lynx can sense simple pits, deadfalls, and snares as well as mechanical traps constructed of natural materials. Snaresensing also detects certain natural hazards—quicksand (a snare), a sinkhole (a pit), or unsafe walls of natural rock (a deadfall). However, it does not reveal other potentially dangerous conditions. Snaresensing cannot detect magical traps, or mechanical traps that are part of a building or larger artificial object, For example, a giant lynx could not sense a secret trapdoor or a poison needle trap hidden in lock, but it could sense an arrow trap concealed in a tree.
The giant lynx must make at a Search check to locate a snare. A giant lynx who merely passes within 5 feet of a snare is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if they were actively looking for it. Snaresensing can locate traps with a Search DC higher than 20.
We could give them Trap Sense as well, but I suspect that would be gilding the lily.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
That skill solution works for me.
It seems to me that the mechanical statement of snaresensing is all in the second paragraph; anyone can detect the snares you describe up to Search DC 20 with a Search check. I like the idea, but why not cut the extra words?
I do agree that trap sense seems like too much on top of that.
It seems to me that the mechanical statement of snaresensing is all in the second paragraph; anyone can detect the snares you describe up to Search DC 20 with a Search check. I like the idea, but why not cut the extra words?
I do agree that trap sense seems like too much on top of that.
