Dire Man

[Sledge]

I prefer using the template in the Immortals Handbook Bestiary Volume I. Quick easy and effective.

 

[Nyaricus]

For the record, I'll say that I'm quite surprised "Dire" didn't make it to a template in 3.5.

NO KIDDING! Dammit, if i want a Dire animal of any sort, I am forced to just go by-the-books, and/or update stuff from 3.0. Do you know what a Dire Tyrannosaurus Rex looks like, 'cause I'd like to know!

Oh well, luckily 4.0 is out next Tuesday. It's true - WotC is just being sneaky about it

 

[Frostmarrow]

Stat wise, a "Dire man" would effectively be a NPC with higher HD.

To compare the Tiger with the Dire Tiger, the only main differences seem to be that the Dire Tiger has higher HD, and a strength score 4 higher. The Dire Tiger is the same size, but other Dire animals may be a size category or two larger, with the resultant stat changes.

The Dire Ape's got Str +1, Natural Armor +1, Rend special attack, and Move Silently 2 ranks; compared to the Ape. This equates CR +1 according to the SRD.

Using the Dire Ape/Ape as the closest thing to a Dire Man/Human there is, what would this translate into?

I mean, you can't go giving a PC race Str +1, and Rend is right out. Is it possible to keep the ECL to 0?

(Make it resemble Mr Hyde of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Van Helsing for extra credit )

 

[Evilhalfling]

The Dire Ape's got Str +1, Natural Armor +1, Rend special attack, and Move Silently 2 ranks; compared to the Ape. This equates CR +1 according to the SRD.

and +1 HD !
wow what a gyp for dire apes

When I needed a Real Dire ape, I used a hill gaint, with claws instead of itererative attacks.
In the last campiagn I used Ogres as 'Dire Men' saying that they had existed longer than humanoid races, and perhaps longer than men. In my new campaign Giant lizardmen are filling in for Ogres, at least on the current continent. The living ones they didn't mind but the zombie GLM has given them a lot of trouble (and once saved their lives after a command undead was used)

 

[Eloi]

The Dire template is just too good to not be worth some kind of level / CR adjustment.. sorry.

You could homebrew a Dire Man, - to Int, Wis and Chr though. Want this one?

[+1 Str, +1 Con, +1 initiative, Weapon Focus (Unarmed), Improved Natural Attack (1d4), Improved Trip, Improved Grab, Skill Focus: Survival (+3), Unarmed Rake for 2d4 + (1.5 x Str mod) after successful grapple (using an illegal wrestling hold that maims). -2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Chr. No bonus feat for being human, no bonus skill points. Bad temper. Eats everything, loves children. Free to loving home.]

Otherwise we start looking at +1 level adjustments. (Apply a +1 level adjustment to the example, and the -2 to Int, Wis, Chr transforms into -2 Wis, Illiterate. Still no Human bonus feat or bonus skill points.)

If you wanted to take a primitive Goliath and file off the serial numbers (now renaming it a "Dire Man", fabricate a new story to explain) that would work - if you are ok with that +1 level.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Frankly I just want the looks. A huge hulking man with bony plates and protrusions along the spine. Something like this, perhaps:

As human with
+2 Str, +1d12 hp, Natural armor +1, +1 ECL.

 

[Eloi]

Frankly I just want the looks. A huge hulking man with bony plates and protrusions along the spine. Something like this, perhaps:

As human with
+2 Str, +1d12 hp, Natural armor +1, +1 ECL.

Nice! I might use that for a mutation-result.