Killer Kangaroos!

[Snoweel]

Jack jumpers may not hunt you down, but they will certainly chase you!

A Hoppy Joe!!!

Don't those bastards frickin hurt!

octopuses

Octopi.

 

[green slime]

I was wondering who the first person to mention drop bears was going to be. My personal favorite incredibly deadly Australian animal is, though, the blue-ringed octopus. When a country's octopuses can kill you (it has a very deadly venomous bite), you know there's something either very wrong or very right.

There's more than one thing wrong about the blue-ringed octopus...

Having heard so much about them growing up in Oz, when I finally saw one I couldn't believe it.

The feared blue-ringed octopus could easily fit in your palm. They are miniscule. And they don't have blue rings on them. At least, until it is pissed off, and then it is too late!

Sort of cute killer-rabbit of Caerbannog syndrome going there.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

You can't see them, and if you could you couldn't identify them, and if you could they've probably already killed you.

Hurrah.

The story, by the way, that "kangaroo" is an Aboriginal phrase meaning "I don't understand" is, in fact, a myth.

 

[Krieg]

A Hoppy Joe!!!

Don't those bastards frickin hurt!

I have no idea and don't really want to find out.

On my first trip to Australia many years ago the girl I had made the trip to visit took me out into her back yard to show me what ants were like down under.

Having ants jumping knee high while chasing me wasn't my idea of a good time.

Made me miss black widows, brown recluses, tarantulas & fire ants real quick.

 

[Ironclad]

I remember flying back to Sydney from the States a while back. I was sitting with this guy who was a rancher from Montana who also played college football. In short, he was huge (6'4" and about twice my width).

And he was terrified of our native animals.... you'd think they had eye lasers or something.

Some things make me very proud to be an Aussie.

 

[Saeviomagy]

On my first trip to Australia many years ago the girl I had made the trip to visit took me out into her back yard to show me what ants were like down under.

I think she was taking the piss out of you. Jumping ants isn't something I've ever seen over here.

Roos, however, can be dangerous. Don't feed them if you intend to later stop feeding them.

And if they get sniffy at you, stay as close as you can - their arms are relatively small and weak - its their legs that are the killers.

 

[Krieg]

I think she was taking the piss out of you. Jumping ants isn't something I've ever seen over here.

I think you misunderstood...she wasn't feeding me an urban legend. She physically took me into her back yard & showed them to me. I was speaking from a first person stand point...watched the little monsters with my own eyes.
Yes they can jump 12"-18" off the ground & are agressive. Nasty little buggers.

 

[cidak]

Anyone want to stat out a killer Kangaroo?

Like this?

Grey Kangaroo

Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+6
Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: Claw +6 1d4+5, Bite +1 melee (1d4+5)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Kick
Special Qualities: low light vision, jump
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +0
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: Jump + 16, Listen +3, Spot +2
Feats: Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun
Environment: Grasslands
Organization: Solitary, Mob (10-100)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3–4 HD (Medium); 5–6 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —
Kangaroo’s live on grassy plains and in light forest. Primarily grazers, they move in Mobs of about 10 to 20, though when food is plentiful they can get up as high as 100. Lone males can often be found moving form Mob to Mob trying to attract mates.
COMBAT
Kangaroos are aggressive in protecting their territory and young otherwise tend to let creatures pass. In combat they tend to use their claws and constantly stand tall on their tails to kick combatants.
Kick (ex): A Kangaroo can stand on its tail and deliver a kick to a creature using both feet. The kick deals 2d6+7 damage and on a successful Overrun attempt, knocks the defender prone. Because the Kangaroo is standing on its tail and putting its full weight behind the Kick treat the Kangaroo as if it was one size category larger for the Overrun roll.
Jump (ex): Kangaroos are not restricted by their height for determining their jump distances.
Skills: Kangaroos have a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks and +10 on Jump checks.

 

[devoblue]

I was thinking 3d8 hit dice, and reduce the bite and claw damages to 1d3 or even 1d2. The real danger is the kick.


Tasmanian Devil : Use badger, or a wolverine if you are feeling really imaginative.
Tasmanian Tiger: Use Wolf, but they don't howl and the packs are smaller.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

Some things make me very proud to be an Aussie.

You mean, other than the fact we have the best beaches in the world, the best weather in the world, the best food in the world, and we punch so far above our weight in any field of human endeavour we deign to engage in we'd make any eugenicist proud (but we're too modest to boast about it)?

The thing about dangerous Australian animals is that you learn from a very early age the simple rules of avoiding them - like I assume Canadians learn the rules of how to behave around bears, for example. Maybe I'm atypical, but I was taught to identify native fauna quite young, and how to handle them so's to avoid being bitten/stung etc.. Even in Australia's largest cities you're only ever a few hundred metres from a bit of parkland/reserve/beach complete with spiders, snakes and poisonous octopi. There are also some really simple rules, like don't stick your hand anywhere you haven't looked before, unless you're wearing leather gloves, and don't surf where the seagulls are swarming or next to the colony of breeding seals... I can also identify, from 50 metres away, any of the three species of eucalypt in which drop bears can be found, and am usually quite happy to take photos of tourists standing under said trees.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar