My Nymean Lion... what CR is it?

[SidusLupus]

So after a particularly boring evening I deceided to go about creating a Nymean Lion. I think I made something pretty good but I have no idea what CR it is. I wasn't aiming for anything in particular with the CR, I made it and now I'm stuck.

After checking on the jump from Dire to Legendary animals I took the stats of a legendary tiger and gave it 18 hd and proceeded to tinker from there. So without further ado, here it is




P.s. if you're a player of mine you have no business looking here.





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Nymean Lion
Huge Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 18d10+126 (225)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 50ft
Armor Class: 27 (-2 Size, +4 Dex, +15 Natural), 12 touch, 23 flat footed
Base Attack/ Grapple: +18/ +26
Attack: Claw +29 melee (2d6+ 11)
Full Attack: 2 claws +29 melee (2d6+11), Bite +24 melee (2d8+5)
Space/ Reach: 15ft/ 15ft
Special Attacks: Deafening Roar, Burning Breath, Frightful Presence, Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake +28 (2d6+ 5), Wicked Attacks
Special Qualities: Dark Vision (60ft), DR 10/ Adamantine, Fast healing 5, Low-light vision, Resistance to cold 10, fire 10, sonic 10, Scent, SR 23,
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +15, Will +11
Abilities: STR 33, DEX 18, CON 24, INT 12, WIS 16, CHA 12
Skills: Jump +41 (+45 running), Listen +24, Spot +24
Feats: Awesome Blow, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Iron Will, Power Attack, Run, Snatch
Environment:
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating:
Treasure: Nymean hide, Nymean claws
Alignment: N
Advancement:
Level Adjustment: -

The Nymean lion is one of the fiercest creatures in legend. When enraged it is a terror to behold, and it brings destruction wherever it goes. Roughly the size of a house, it has wickedly sharp claws and teeth which it has used to kill and capture many a man. The body of the lion is a sandy color, and it has a deep black mane. Its eyes are burning red, which give an indication that it is not merely an animal (if the size didn’t already). The danger is of the lion is compounded due to the strength of its hide. The hide is what grants the lion its many protections, and theory speculates that if it were made into armor some of the properties would be passed on… but that's only what old men whisper around the fire. The hide of the Nymean lion would be a great prize if anyone could ever manage to kill it.

Combat

Burning Breath: The Nymean lion can as a standard action breathe a cone of burning fire. It is immune to its own breath weapon and enjoys incinerating foes that dare to come into range. The breath weapon deals 10d6 damage, and a Ref save DC 26 is required for half damage. The lion can use its breath weapon every d6 rounds. Its breath is also tied to roar in reuse, so it can only ever alternate between the two every d6 rounds.

Deafening Roar: The Nymean lion can as a standard action let loose a deafening cone of sonic energy energy. It is immune to its own roar and uses it to stop particularly nimble foes in their tracks. The roar deals 10d4 damage, and a Fort save DC 26 is required for half damage. On a failed save the target(s) are also dazed for 1 round. The lion can use its roar every d6 rounds. The roar is tied to the breath in reuse, so it can only ever alternate between the two every d6 rounds.

Frightful Presence: The Nymean lion is a terror to behold on the battle field which manifests itself as an frightening aura which emenates from the creature. Whenever the lion attacks, or charges or does anything in an aggressive manner, creatures within 100ft with less HD than the lion are affected. A DC 20 will save keeps an affected target immune from the effect for 24 hours. Those who fail the save are panicked for 3d6 rounds, and on a success are shaken for 3d6 rounds.

Improved Grab (Ex): When the Nymean lion hits on its bite attack, it may attempt to start a grapple as a free action which does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check it can establish a hold and use its rake attacks.

Pounce (Ex): When the Nymean lion charges, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.

Rake (Ex): +28 Melee attack, 2d6+5 damage.

Wicked Attacks: The Nymean lion's natural weapons are extreemly sharp and deadly. Wounds that it inflicts continue to bleed for 3 rounds and deal 2 damage per round. In addition the lions claws and teeth are so hard that they count as adamantine for bypassing damage reduction and attacking objects.
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So, my questions are
1) did I do anything wrong on the statting?
2) what CR is this thing?
3) any suggestions on improvment?

 

[demiurge1138]

I like this one. Fairly simple, very legendary (although I don't remember the Nemean Lion breathing fire...). I'd say the CR's somewhere around 14.

The problem in the statting comes from the attack lines. For one thing, the creature's bite should only be on the full attack, not in the standard attack line (it gets only a claw when it takes an action other than attacking in a round, not counting when it pounces). For another thing, the bite does 2d8+Strength-and-a-half damage. If it's a normal secondary attack, it should only deal 2d8+half-Strength.

Demiurge out.

 

[SidusLupus]

Ah right, I messed up on the bite. Shouldn't have looked at primary bite attacks when figuring the damage for a secondary attack.


I could have sworn I that I read somewhere that it breathes fire.. but if not I think it can stay. Nasty surprise for would be heroes.

I was thinking it would clock in around 12- 15.. 14 seems about right.

Any others on what CR it might be?

And thanks, I think it came out fairly well on the mark. I can't wait to spring it on my players eventually (bad pun!). I believe they may be properly terrified of it.

 

[Ferret]

I'd go with 14 as well, Very nice creature by the way.

I hadn't heard it could breathe fire, but I haven't heard the proper legend.

 

[CCamfield]

Um.

The Nemean (not Nymean) lion was a full-sized lion - maybe a large lion, maybe you could make it oversized, but hardly house sized. And it didn't breathe fire!!!

If you want a size reference, keep in mind that Heracles wore the skin of the lion as a cloak, including the head. This would be difficult if the lion was house sized. Check out this ancient image here as an example: http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~perlman/myth/images/Hercattrb.jpg where the jaws of the lion effectively act as the face opening of the cloak.

However, aside from gimping it in those respects ... with a big sword and a lot of strength you can easily do more than 10 points of damage, so I think it should have more DR. In the myth, the creature was invulnerable, so Heracles strangled it, then skinned it with its own claws.

 

[SidusLupus]

Blah I shoulda checked how to properly spell it. But! folks knew what I was talking about, so that's a plus.

The Nemean lion may not have breathed fire or been house size.. but perhaps we could say the Nymean is the Nemean's his bigger cousin?

Lions are already large so I only really bumped it one size category.

And to be honest (and to my embarrassment) the inspiration for this came from while I was flipping channels and happened to land on the disney herculese where the lion was in the "huge" size category, and from what I remembered about the one from myth.

I did contemplate giving it more dr, but iron golems have dr 15/ adamantine, and those are the standards by which nigh unpassable dr is usually gauged in D&D as far as I can guess. Advancing it pehaps would yield higher DR, but 15 seems huge, and 20 seems nigh unreasonable, considering this isnt an epic mob. Were it an epic mob it would most definately have DR 20/ magic, adamantine or more. Perhaps with some Regen thrown in with no way to deal regular damage to it.