Creature Catalogue Overhaul Project Revisited

[Cleon]

Let's start with the hawk.

Since this is going to be a big conversion, I'd like to keep the updates in Homebrews. I get too lost keeping track of Working Drafts upthread for complicated critters.

We might as well start with ability scores.

Based on her writeup, I'm thinking low Str, high Dex, average Con. Int (which I for some reason didn't copy into the posts), is Exceptional (15-16) for all animal lords. We could probably just borrow the Cat Lord's mental scores (Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 25) for the others. Comparing a hawk to a cat, it is slightly stronger (3 higher) and more dexterous (2 higher) and the same Constitution wise. Since she was clearly described as not particularly strong, I'll recommend lesser Str than Cat Lord.

So maybe Str 14, Dex 31, Con 18, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 25?

That Strength seems very low. I suppose it fits with the "Of the four animal lords detailed here, the hawk lord fights most weakly in human form". Her Hawk form is presumably a lot tougher.

We could also use a Giant Eagle (Str 18, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10) and Lion (Str 21, Dex 17, Con 15) for the comparison. That's -3 Str & Con, the same Dex, and +2 Wisdom.

How about -2 Str and +2 Wis, resulting in Str 16, Dex 29, Con 18, Int 19, Wis 19, Cha 25?

 

[Shade]

How about -2 Str and +2 Wis, resulting in Str 16, Dex 29, Con 18, Int 19, Wis 19, Cha 25?

Make the Dex 30 (and please the "3 odd/3 even" continent in the process) and I'm happy with it.

Shall I add it to Homebrews with those scores?

 

[Cleon]

Make the Dex 30 (and please the "3 odd/3 even" continent in the process) and I'm happy with it.

Shall I add it to Homebrews with those scores?

I'd rather make the Wisdom 18 and keep the Dex 29.

 

[Shade]

I'd rather make the Wisdom 18 and keep the Dex 29.

Well, my main point was to keep it higher than Cat Lord, not to appease the even/odd ratio fans. This runs counter to my desire.

 

[Cleon]

Well, my main point was to keep it higher than Cat Lord, not to appease the even/odd ratio fans. This runs counter to my desire.

I'm not in favour of giving the Hawk a higher Dex than the Cat.

The SRD has already got an unfounded anti-housecat bias, with the Dog having a higher Dexterity. Noone complains about how many Commoners the canines can kill! I refuse to extend that to our homebrews.

 

[freyar]

Uggh, forgetting about the dog, hawks should have pretty good Dex, right? How to compare them to cats?

Look, since we're reducing the Str, why don't we just let Shade bump the Dex by just 1 measly point? Keep the peace, ya'know?

 

[Cleon]

Uggh, forgetting about the dog, hawks should have pretty good Dex, right? How to compare them to cats?

Look, since we're reducing the Str, why don't we just let Shade bump the Dex by just 1 measly point? Keep the peace, ya'know?

Well if it means such a great deal to you I suppose I could go along with Dexterity 30, purely for the sake of harmony. Although that'd give it a higher total ability modifiers than the Cat Lord, which I don't like so much.

So, how about cutting a couple of points off Con to balance out the higher Dex?

Str 16, Dex 30, Con 16, Int 19, Wis 19, Cha 25?

 

[Shade]

Well if it means such a great deal to you I suppose I could go along with Dexterity 30, purely for the sake of harmony. Although that'd give it a higher total ability modifiers than the Cat Lord, which I don't like so much.

So, how about cutting a couple of points off Con to balance out the higher Dex?

Str 16, Dex 30, Con 16, Int 19, Wis 19, Cha 25?

SOLD! <slams down gavel>

I'll try to get these started in Homebrews today.

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

The Alternate Form ability is in red because we need to "3.5ize" it.

 

[freyar]

Agreed to that.

Can we drop the perfect shape control bit, since it's not going to be a lycanthrope?