D&D 3E/3.5 Creature Catalog 3.5 Overhaul Project

[demiurge1138]

I agree that a treant-style note that they deal double damage to objects would work. Maybe adding greatclub to their attack line would work as well, but I do think that the slams and bite would deal more damage...

Yes to stamp and trample, and I think that, despite the wording of the original's trample, that the automatic bite attack should be incorporated into the improved grab and not the trample.

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

I know I saw a creature recently that could move faster on all fours. I'll keep looking.

do so.

Yeah to Jump bonus. He will get a +8 to Jump due to his 50 ft. speed as well.

should we give him anything beyond the speed bonus? “When charging, he can leap 60 feet upward (total upward reach) or across.”

Trample makes sense, as does the caveat sometimes added to Improved Grab that says it can automatically hit a grappled foe with its bite attack.

Yes to stamp and trample, and I think that, despite the wording of the original's trample, that the automatic bite attack should be incorporated into the improved grab and not the trample.

the original attack sounds like a combination of trample and overrun/bull rush. In my mind, I picture the ape sweeping low while he is running, which allows him to grab you and bite. still, we may as well change that to trample to make it simpler.

something like…
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a APE must hit with its slam 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 constrict. On a successful grapple check, a APE deals automatic bite damage.

Don't listen to Shade. He doesn't know crush from constrict.

good point. I think this would work better as a Crush-type attack than the goristro’s stamp: “Against small (man-sized or shorter – 8 feet or less) foes, the gargantuan ape will also use a stamping attack, each huge foot inflicting 5-20 points of crushing damage against separate opponents.”

Yeah, treant's ability sounds good. We can also give it a greatclub attack to represent the tree club.

I agree that a treant-style note that they deal double damage to objects would work. Maybe adding greatclub to their attack line would work as well, but I do think that the slams and bite would deal more damage...

you do know that a Huge greatclub deals 3d8 damage right? with double Str bonus to damage as a 2-handed weapon. I don’t know that we need to add greatclub to the attack line, but more like saying that when the ape uproots a tree (could be flavor text?) it functions as a Huge greatclub.

Double Damage against Objects (Ex): A APE that makes a full attack against an object or structure deals double damage.

Sure do. The Snatch feat.

good god, that is perfect.

We can either reduce it to normal rock throwing, or modify this ability of the hulking hurler prestige class from Complete Warrior:

Area Attack: The character makes an attack roll against a square the target creature occupies (AC 10) rather than the creature itself. Any creature in the square must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 10 + the hulking hurler's ranged attack bonus) or take full damage. This ability may only be used with a Huge or larger weapon.

I don’t know if that fits so well… it still only affects one square, and requires that a Huge or larger weapon be used.

I think if we give it stamp, the treant's ability and the Improved Sunder feat, it can do enough damage to objects already.

fair enough.

 

[Shade]

do so.

Found it! It's a bit obscure, too. From the gruwaar race in Dragon #317:

Gruwaar base land speed is 20 feet. Gruwaars weaing light armor or no armor, with light or no encumbrance, and without items in their hands, may drop to all fours and move at a speed of 30 feet.

should we give him anything beyond the speed bonus? “When charging, he can leap 60 feet upward (total upward reach) or across.”

We could modify the following ability of some of the snakes in Serpent Kingdoms:

Spring (Ex): A tree python can gather its coils and then launch itself in a jump. The jump DCs for both long jumps and high jumps are halved, and no running start is required. Furthermore, when jumping down, the tree python takes damage as if it had dropped 90 fewer feet than it actually did.

Maybe something like:

Leap (Ex): When running on all fours, an APE can launch itself in a jump. The jump DCs for both long jumps and high jumps are halved.

the original attack sounds like a combination of trample and overrun/bull rush. In my mind, I picture the ape sweeping low while he is running, which allows him to grab you and bite. still, we may as well change that to trample to make it simpler.

We can always give him Improved Bull Rush and Improved Overrun as feats. Besides, IBR is a prereq for Awesome Blow, which would seem to be a given for these fellas. (I picture King Kong batting away planes).

something like…
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a APE must hit with its slam 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 constrict. On a successful grapple check, a APE deals automatic bite damage.

Looks good.

good point. I think this would work better as a Crush-type attack than the goristro’s stamp: “Against small (man-sized or shorter – 8 feet or less) foes, the gargantuan ape will also use a stamping attack, each huge foot inflicting 5-20 points of crushing damage against separate opponents.”

Looking at this again, this actually seems like trample. Also, we can give him 2 stamp attacks like most pachyderms have.

you do know that a Huge greatclub deals 3d8 damage right? with double Str bonus to damage as a 2-handed weapon. I don’t know that we need to add greatclub to the attack line, but more like saying that when the ape uproots a tree (could be flavor text?) it functions as a Huge greatclub.

Yeah, and if he's got 2-for-1 Power Attack.

Double Damage against Objects (Ex): A APE that makes a full attack against an object or structure deals double damage.

Looks good.

good god, that is perfect.

It is, isn't it? Snatch is one of the most overlooked feats for non-fliers.

I don’t know if that fits so well… it still only affects one square, and requires that a Huge or larger weapon be used.

OK...how about modifying the caber from Masters of the Wild instead:

Caber: A caber is a heavy pole that you can throw at one or more targets grouped closely together. To throw a caber, you must target a 10-foot-square area and hit AC 15. A success means that everyone in the target area must make a Reflex save (DC = your attack roll) or move 5 feet backward. If a creature or object in the target area is incapable of movement, it takes 2d6 points of damage. The caber is normally used for breaking up military formations.

Giving us something like...

Boulder Smash (Ex); In addition to its normal rock throwing ability, an APE can throw a Large boulder (10 ft. by 10 ft.), potentially hitting or dispersing multiple targets. To throw a boulder, an APE must target a 10-foot-square area and hit AC 15. A success means that everyone in the target area must make a Reflex save (DC = APE's attack roll) or move 5 feet backward. If a creature or object in the target area is incapable of movement, it takes X points of damage.

 

[BOZ]

Found it! It's a bit obscure, too. From the gruwaar race in Dragon #317:

which can work something like this (and a bigger increase on Oonga himself):

“Run on All Fours” (Ex): An APE with light or no encumbrance, and without items in its hands, may drop to all fours and move at a speed of 50 feet.

Leap (Ex): When running on all fours, an APE can launch itself in a jump. The jump DCs for both long jumps and high jumps are halved.

cool – or, we could combine it with the above ability?

We can always give him Improved Bull Rush and Improved Overrun as feats. Besides, IBR is a prereq for Awesome Blow, which would seem to be a given for these fellas. (I picture King Kong batting away planes).

I’d be surprised if Mr. Gygax was not thinking of King Kong as he wrote this module… very surprised.

Also, we can give him 2 stamp attacks like most pachyderms have.

you know, the stamps were actually figured into the original stat blocks – they had five attacks per round. hello – simple answer!

Full Attack: 2 slams +46 melee (1d8+12) and bite +41 melee (2d6+6) and 2 stamps +41 melee (2d8+6)

Boulder Smash (Ex); In addition to its normal rock throwing ability, an APE can throw a Large boulder (10 ft. by 10 ft.), potentially hitting or dispersing multiple targets. To throw a boulder, an APE must target a 10-foot-square area and hit AC 15. A success means that everyone in the target area must make a Reflex save (DC = APE's attack roll) or move 5 feet backward. If a creature or object in the target area is incapable of movement, it takes X points of damage.

now that I like. a lot, in fact. I don’t think it needs the Giant rock catching and throwing abilities if we give it this one though.

 

[Shade]

which can work something like this (and a bigger increase on Oonga himself):

“Run on All Fours” (Ex): An APE with light or no encumbrance, and without items in its hands, may drop to all fours and move at a speed of 50 feet.

Looks good. Since the caber was 3E, I might change the verbiage "when carrying no more than a light load" instead of "light or no encumbrance".

cool – or, we could combine it with the above ability?

We could combine 'em.

you know, the stamps were actually figured into the original stat blocks – they had five attacks per round. hello – simple answer!

Full Attack: 2 slams +46 melee (1d8+12) and bite +41 melee (2d6+6) and 2 stamps +41 melee (2d8+6)

Sweetrock.

now that I like. a lot, in fact. I don’t think it needs the Giant rock catching and throwing abilities if we give it this one though.

Probably not. We should probably add a range increment to the ability, though.

 

[Filby]

Re: running on all fours, here's a precedent:

Gallop (Ex): A desmodu can get down on all fours and gallop along like an ape at a speed of 40 feet, provided that its hands are free.

By the way, what's the jor's bonus languages? It doesn't have any listed.

 

[Shade]

Sweet! I thought I'd seen that elsewhere. You'd think I'd remember the much-maligned "batman".

 

[BOZ]

Since the caber was 3E, I might change the verbiage "when carrying no more than a light load" instead of "light or no encumbrance".

actually, since the original description assumed a PC who could be wearing a backpack, scabbard, or other container for his items as opposed to a gigantic, naked ape, we should probably ditch the whole encumbrance thing.

Re: running on all fours, here's a precedent:

Gallop (Ex): A APE can get down on all fours and gallop along at a speed of 50 feet, provided that its hands are free. When running on all fours, an APE can launch itself into a jump. The jump DCs for both long jumps and high jumps are halved while galloping.

We should probably add a range increment to the ability, though.

thoughts? For damage, the original text gives 5d4+Str bonus.

Boulder Smash (Ex): An APE can throw a Large boulder (10 ft. by 10 ft.), potentially hitting or dispersing multiple targets. To throw a boulder, an APE must target a 10-foot-square area and hit AC 15. A success means that everyone in the target area must make a Reflex save (DC = APE's attack roll) or move 5 feet backward. If a creature or object in the target area is incapable of movement, it takes X points of damage.

By the way, what's the jor's bonus languages? It doesn't have any listed.

don’t know – as orcs? Plus Draconic for their (hostile) dealings with lizardfolk?

 

[Shade]

actually, since the original description assumed a PC who could be wearing a backpack, scabbard, or other container for his items as opposed to a gigantic, naked ape, we should probably ditch the whole encumbrance thing.

Probably so, although it is (barely) smart enough to take class levels.

Gallop (Ex): A APE can get down on all fours and gallop along at a speed of 50 feet, provided that its hands are free. When running on all fours, an APE can launch itself into a jump. The jump DCs for both long jumps and high jumps are halved while galloping.

Looking good.

thoughts? For damage, the original text gives 5d4+Str bonus.

The geriviar from the MMIII (size Huge) deals 2d8 + Str and a half, and can hurl rocks of 60 to 80 pounds (Medium objects) up to 160 feet. APE needs to be able to throw Large objects (100-150 pounds?) to get the 10x10 effect.

 

[BOZ]

not sure how that affects the damage or range increment?