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Hybrids

DnDChick

Demon Queen of Templates
The Hybrid Template will allow you to fuse two Animals into a single Beast, such as the owlbear and the gorilla bear.

And yes, I have worked it up in such a way that you CAN reverse-engineer the owlbear using the stat blocks for the brown bear and the owl as given in the Monster Manual! WOOHOO!

These rules can be used to make the Owlbear and the Hippogriff, but not the Griffon. The griffon as too many hit dice as compared to a lion for this template, unless you dont mind griffons having only 4HD.

One solution would be to call the Griffon in the Monster Manual the Greater Griffon, and the hybrid created with this template the Lesser Griffon. Since the Lesser Griffon would only have 4HD, the 7HD Greater Griffon is easily within the advancement range for hit dice! :)


HYBRID (Template)
HYBRID (Template)
Hybrids are fusions of normal animals that are just as often intelligent, tamable creatures as they are rampaging beasts. No one knows how hybrids come to be: perhaps the result of experimentation by a mad wizard or druid, a wish spell gone awry, or the wrath of an angry god. The result of the magic that fuses two animals into one sometimes destroys the mind of the hapless animals, forcing them to madness and evil. Druids almost universally view evil hybrids as abominations, profane violations of nature that must be eliminated wherever they are found. The most well known example of a hybrids are hippogriffs, griffons, gorilla-bears, and the terrible owlbear.

CREATING A HYBRID
“Hybrid” is a template that can be applied to any animal (hereafter referred to as the ‘base animal.’) The ‘base animal’ is usually assumed to be the larger of the two animals to be hybridized. Its type changes to beast. It uses the statistics and special abilities of the base animals.

Size: Same as the larger of the two animals.

Hit Dice: If both animals are the same size, average the hit dice of both animals and increase to 1d10. Otherwise, use the higher of the two hit dice totals -1, increase to d10.

Initiative: Recalculate based on new Dexterity score.

Speed: Average the speeds of the animals to be hybridized (round up); if the smaller animal can fly, there is a 75% chance that the ability to fly is lost if the Size of the hybrid is more than 1 level above that of the smaller animal.

AC: Natural armor bonus, if any, is equal to the higher of the two animals.

Attacks: If both animals in the hybrid have the same attack forms, the hybrid has them as well. For attacks possessed only by one of the animals, there is a 50% the hybrid will have it. If both animals have two different attack forms on the same limb, such as a claw and a slam, the hybrid has a 50% chance of having either attack form, but never both.

Damage: The highest damage die of the two animas, modified for possible change in strength. The attack forms of a smaller animal are increased in die type using the size increase rules in Core Rulebook III®.

Face/Reach: Equal to that of the larger animal.

Special Attacks: If both animals in the hybrid have the same special attacks, the hybrid has them as well. For special attacks possessed only by one of the animals, there is a 50% chance the hybrid will have it.

Special Qualities: If both animals in the hybrid have the same special qualities, the hybrid has them as well. For special qualities possessed only by one of the animals, there is a 50% chance the hybrid will have it.

Saves: Recalculate using new ability scores, Fortitude and Reflexes are high.

Abilities: Strength: average the strength score of two like-sized animals, but if one animal is smaller, subtract 2 from the strength of the larger animal if the smaller animal is within 1 to 2 sizes, 4 if the smaller animal is within 3 to 4 sizes, and 6 if the smaller animal is within 5 to 8 sizes. Dexterity: average the dexterity of two like-sized animals, but if one animal is smaller, subtract 2 from the dexterity if the smaller animal if the larger animal is within 1 to 2 sizes, 4 if the larger animal is within 3 to 4 sizes, and 6 if the larger animal is within 5 to 8 sizes; Con: average the constitution of two like-sized animals, or take the highest constitution score if the animals are of different sizes; Int roll using 1d4+2, Wis roll using 2d6, Cha roll using 2d6.

Skills: Recalculate using Beast skill points: a base of Int×2 skill points, +1 per extra hit die.

Climate/Terrain: 50% to be that of either animal.

Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (5-8).

Challenge Rating: Equal to the higher of the two animals, +1.

Treasure: None.

Alignment: Usually neutral.

Advancement: Same as base animal.

OWLEPHANT
Huge Beast
Hit Dice: 10d10+50 (105 hp)
Initiative: +1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 15 (-2 size, +7 natural)
Attacks: Slam +13 melee, 2 claws +8 melee, or gore +13 melee
Damage: Slam 2d6+8, claw 1d8+4, gore 2d8+12
Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 20 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Trample 2d8+12
Special Qualities: Scent
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +4
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Listen +9, Spot +9
Climate/Terrain: Warm forest and plains
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 11-20HD (Huge)

TIGRILLA
Large Beast
Hit Dice: 5d10+15 (42 hp)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft, climb 20 ft.
AC: 14 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural)
Attacks: 2 claws +7 melee, bite +2 melee
Damage: Claw 1d8+6, bite 2d6+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, rake1d8+3
Special Qualities: Scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +6, Climb +16, Hide +4, Listen +3, Move Silently +8, Spot +3
Climate/Terrain: Any forest, hill, mountains, and plains
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 6-10HD (Large), 11-15HD (Huge)

Skills: Tigrillas receive a +4 racial bonus to Balance, Hide, and Move Silently checks. *In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +8. Tigrillas receive a +8 racial bonus to Climb checks.
 
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Arg! I knew there would be a snag. Hmm...well I was basing the Hybrid template only on the Owlbear...thats why they are chaotic evil. I didnt think to make it reverse-engineerable with griffons and hippogriffs.

Hmm...this will take some tinkerin' and thinkin'. The alignment issue is the smallest one youve brought up.

I think if I work with the template I have above just a little, I can make it so that you can get hybrids that are close to those in the book.

Give me some time on it, and Ill get back to you. Thanks!
 

there are other creatures to consider too, such as the hippocampus. and IIRC, there was a not-too-long-ago Dragon article with creatures such as the armadillephant, and the ever popular duckbunny. ;)
 

Ah yes, the duckbunny! I have to claim responsibility for that one; I still like it (it makes perfect sense to me that wizards would practice on something small and relatively harmless before moving on to owlbears), even though it didn't seem to be too popular with the Dragon readers.

The issue you're looking for is #243, from January 1998.

Johnathan
 


also, another, much older Dragon article occurs to me. there was one which concerned actually crossbreeding animals with humanoids! don't remember exactly how it went, but i beleive there was an orc mixed with a scorpion, and somehow a kobold mixed with an asp, as well as a few others.
 

Im working on my template. Its going to be better and easier to use than before!

However, it will not be 100% reverse-engineerable with hybrids in the Monster Manual, but it WILL let you get pretty close! :)
 

Your playing God DnDChick! This is an Obomination against the Lord!!!
The Horror!
The Horror!!! :)

Anyway, I think it pretty cool, I wonder if it could be adapted to more then just animals, so you could make a Humanophant, or the Orcipotomus.
Oh No! Now I'm playing God!
The Horror!
The Horror!!!
 

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