Review Crocodile mummies

[Casimir Liber]

Hey Cleon (or anyone)
was gonna make some crocodile mummies after seeing a youtube video on Kom-Ombo (temple of Sobek). Found normal and giant croc mummies - seem o check out on calculator...do they look internally consistent?

Also tempted to make Fasolasuchus (large ambulatory hunting croc) into a dnd monster to complement the croc theme. Has anyone made other mesozoic croc variants for dnd before?

 

[Cleon]

Looks pretty straightforward, but I have a few suggestions.

Surely they should have darkvision 60 ft. in Senses like a Mummy. How can they see their way around an unlit pyramid without it?

I'd have the Giant Croc Mummy's Tail and Bite do the same necrotic damage. Why would the tail inflict a less virulent rotting curse than its bite?

For that matter, I'd have the Crocs do slightly less necrotic damage with their Rotting melee attacks - maybe 4d6 for the Croc and 6d6 for the Giant Croc?

Finally, I'd consider adding another Proficiency Bonus or just a +2 bonus to the Croc Mummy's Dreadful Glare so it's DC 11 like a regular Mummy.

Which reminds me, the Giant Croc should have DC 11 Glare (8 -1 +4). If we give it the Plus Two or Double Prof modifier too that'd become DC 13 or DC 15.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Ok - good point - I'll redo them - also start on fasolasuchus for a croc-themed ancient lizard settlement devoted to Sobek (or Semanuaya)

 

[Cleon]

Ok - good point - I'll redo them - also start on fasolasuchus for a croc-themed ancient lizard settlement devoted to Sobek (or Semanuaya)

There are some unusual species among the extinct terrestrial "crocodiles" such as the Notosuchia. Not only fast-running predatory ones like you'd expect, but probable omnivores and herbivores too, some of which looked more like an ankylosaur or armadillo than a crocodile.

Don't really need to ask why you went for Fasolasuchus, as it's one of the largest of the predatory land crocs so is the most dangerous to PCs.

 

[Casimir Liber]

So looking for things of comparable size to start off with and find Allosaurus ...aaand, wait, what??? Allosaurus is large and not huge??

 

[Cleon]

So looking for things of comparable size to start off with and find Allosaurus ...aaand, wait, what??? Allosaurus is large and not huge??

Yes, that's about right.

While the largest Allosaurs probably reached around 40 feet and two tons, but the average size of Allosaurus fragilis was probably a lot smaller, somewhere in the range 1,500 to 3,000 pounds.

That's a weight ranging from a big draft horse like a Shire Horse (~2,000 pounds) to a Rhinoceros of unexceptional size (~4,000 pounds), both of which are Large in 5E D&D.

It's near the border of being a Huge creature like an Elephant, but those tend to be over 2 tons in weight like a Tyrannosaurus rex (maybe about 10,000 pounds average adult weight?). An Allosaurus has a fairly lightweight build compared to an adult T rex, so even if it's of a similar length it'd be a lot lighter.

Incidentally, I did a 3E homebrew for an Allosaurus as a 10 HD Large animal with a Greater Allosaurus that was a 15 HD Huge animal.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Sounds like 5e followed your lead in shrinking it a little anyway. Is funny both official 5e and SRD seem to have fewer dinosaurs than 1e. Do you want to convert the Greater Allosaurus to 5e? That might be fun (like a rogue bull allo or Saurophaganax or whatever). Musing...SRD has spinosaurus as sacred to lizardfolk but I like keeping a crocodile them come to think of it.....

 

[Casimir Liber]

Okay - have started on it - trying to think of combat tactics to make it interesting - buffed the HD by 1 as an active predator (used giant croc as template - does teh grapple really do no damage on subsequent rounds?)

 

[Cleon]

Sounds like 5e followed your lead in shrinking it a little anyway. Is funny both official 5e and SRD seem to have fewer dinosaurs than 1e. Do you want to convert the Greater Allosaurus to 5e? That might be fun (like a rogue bull allo or Saurophaganax or whatever). Musing...SRD has spinosaurus as sacred to lizardfolk but I like keeping a crocodile them come to think of it.....

Sure, why not.

It'd be a fairly straightforward job. Just increase the 5E Allosaurus to Challenge 4 or so.

 

[Cleon]

Okay - have started on it - trying to think of combat tactics to make it interesting - buffed the HD by 1 as an active predator (used giant croc as template - does teh grapple really do no damage on subsequent rounds?)

Maybe give it another attack it can only use against a grappled foe?

Say it shakes its head from side to side, worrying the victim like a dog with a rat in its mouth.

Maybe a "does half damage on a miss" attack that does more damage than a straight bite?

Maybe one of the following:

Death Shake #1. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target grappled by its bite. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 16 (2d10 + 5) slashing damage. If it misses the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or takes half damage.​

Death Shake #2. If the Fasolasuchus has grappled a target smaller than itself with its jaws it can savagely shake its head. The grappled creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 16 (2d10 + 5) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.​

 

[Casimir Liber]

I like #2 - as the target is already grappled, hence it is the target who must attempt the opportunity to get out or take the damage.

 

[Cleon]

I like #2 - as the target is already grappled, hence it is the target who must attempt the opportunity to get out or take the damage.

Yes, that's the one I favour too.

 

[Casimir Liber]

The other thing is was it 3e or 4e that had an algorithm for changing a critter statblock (to say undead/elemental/celestial etc.). For the mummies.

Other than that, reasonably ok with numbers of the fasalosuchus?

 

[Cleon]

The other thing is was it 3e or 4e that had an algorithm for changing a critter statblock (to say undead/elemental/celestial etc.). For the mummies.

Templates you mean. Those kind of existed in AD&D too, but don't seem to be a thing in 5E.

Other than that, reasonably ok with numbers of the fasalosuchus?

Hmm…

Just noticed you've increased its DEX, INT and WIS from a Giant Crocodile, which requires changes to its derived stats:

Skills Stealth +4 [from DEX +1 and +3 Proficiency Bonus]
Senses passive Perception 11 [from WIS +1]

I wouldn't give it Swim 40 ft. since Rauisuchia are pretty terrestrial. I'd either cut that out or give it a token swim speed of, I don't know, 20 ft. like a Giant Constrictor snake?

Finally, these terrestrial Pseudosuchia had shorter tails that weren't built for powerfully sculling from side to side like a crocodile, so I'm not convinced the actual prehistoric animal would have routinely struck at opponents with its tail.

But what the heck, it gives it a way to defend itself while chewing on an opponent, so I'd leave the Tail attack in.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Now for a fasolasuchus description..
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[Cleon]

If the mechanical elements are done I might as well whip up an Enworld version.

Now for a fasolasuchus description..
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How about:

Description

This terrestrial prehistoric cousin of the crocodile is about five times longer than a human is tall, including a tail more than 12 feet long. A Fasolasuchus has a head resembling an Allosaurus more than an alligator; deep and narrow rather than wide and flat. While generally crocodile-like in appearance, its four legs do not sprawl to the sides like a crocodile but are upright pillars tucker under its body. Its skin is thick and scaly, with a single row of scutes down the back.
 Opportunistic Predator. While some of its smaller Pseudosuchian relatives are omnivores and herbivores, a Fasolasuchus is a meat-eater. They hunt on land, preying upon any animal they can catch and scavenging carcasses. The fully erect stance of this quadrupedal beast allows it to walk and run efficiently and it can move startlingly fast over short distances. It prefers to ambush or sneak up on prey, since it is somewhat slow and unlikely to catch a victim with a protracted pursuit.

EDIT: I've used taxonomically proper Capitalized Italics for the genera names in the above, the actual entry follows the 5E formatting standard of fasolasuchus and allosaurus, although it always irks me to be so unscientific!

So the "published version" would use:

This terrestrial prehistoric cousin of the crocodile is about five times longer than a human is tall, including a tail more than 12 feet long. A fasolasuchus has a head resembling an allosaurus more than an alligator; deep and narrow rather than wide and flat. While generally crocodile-like in appearance, its four legs do not sprawl to the sides like a crocodile but are upright pillars tucker under its body. Its skin is thick and scaly, with a single row of scutes down the back.
 Opportunistic Predator. While some of its smaller Pseudosuchian relatives are omnivores and herbivores, a fasolasuchus is a meat-eater. They hunt on land, preying upon any animal they can catch and scavenging carcasses. The fully erect stance of this quadrupedal beast allows it to walk and run efficiently and it can move startlingly fast over short distances. It prefers to ambush or sneak up on prey, since it is somewhat slow and unlikely to catch a victim with a protracted pursuit.

 

[Cleon]

Fasolasuchus
Huge beast, unaligned
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 95 (10d12 + 30)
Speed 40 ft., swim 20 ft.

STR​	DEX​	CON​	INT​	WIS​	CHA​
21 (+5)​	12 (+1)​	17 (+3)​	3 (–4)​	12 (+1)​	7 (–2)​

Skills Stealth +4
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages —
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

Aggressive. As a bonus action, the fasolasuchus can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see.

Keen Senses. The fasolasuchus has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.

Actions

Multiattack. The fasolasuchus makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the fasolasuchus can't bite another target.

Death Shake. If the fasolasuchus has grappled a target smaller than itself with its jaws it can savagely shake its head. The grappled creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 16 (2d10 + 5) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target not grappled by the crocodile. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.


Description

This terrestrial prehistoric cousin of the crocodile is about five times longer than a human is tall, including a tail more than 12 feet long. A fasolasuchus has a head resembling an allosaurus more than an alligator; deep and narrow rather than wide and flat. While generally crocodile-like in appearance, its four legs do not sprawl to the sides like a crocodile but are upright pillars tucker under its body. Its skin is thick and scaly, with a single row of scutes down the back.
 Opportunistic Predator. While some of its smaller Pseudosuchian relatives are omnivores and herbivores, a fasolasuchus is a meat-eater. They hunt on land, preying upon any animal they can catch and scavenging carcasses. The fully erect stance of this quadrupedal beast allows it to walk and run efficiently and it can move startlingly fast over short distances. It prefers to ambush or sneak up on prey, since it is somewhat slow and unlikely to catch a victim with a protracted pursuit.

(Original monster designed by Casimir Liber and Cleon on the Creature Catalog Monster Homebrews forum)

 

[Cleon]

Speed 40 ft. [or Speed 40 ft., swim 20 ft. ?]

So did you want to cut out the Swim speed or give it a slow Swim speed?

 

[Casimir Liber]

Slow - so aligned like this:

 

[Cleon]

Slow - so aligned like this:

The passive Perception should be 11, remember, but apart from that it looks good to go.

Updating the Fasolasuchus with Swim 20 ft.

How far have you got with the Croc Mummies? Should I do Enworld versions of those too?

Guess we could start on a Greater Allosaurus too.

Oh, and should you rename this thread, since it's no longer only about Crocodile Mummies.