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Special Conversion Thread: Unicorns

No, the feat is closed content, so would have to simply serve as inspiration for an ability.

I agree, though, that the standard dive attack will suffice.

Updated.

Finished?

They look done to me.

They're a fair bit more powerful than the CR3 Pegasus, so I wondered whether they should be CR4, but as they don't have any ranged attacks there isn't much they can do from a distance.

That does make them more useful mounts than a regular unicorn though, so maybe we should increase the LA by one to +5 (cohort)?
 

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Agreed. And let's boost 'em to CR 4, as I remember Demiurge convincing me awhile back that unicorns are under-CRed. Updated.

Here's the last one!

Zebracorn
CLIMATE: Tropical
TERRAIN: Savannah
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Herd
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day
DIET: Herbiv.
INTELLIGENCE: Average
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: N
NO. APPEARING: 1-10
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVEMENT: 24
HIT DICE: 4+4
THAC0: 17
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: l-6/1-6/1-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See text
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See text
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: L
MORALE: Elite
XP VALUE: 975

Zebracorns are tropical unicorns with the black striping of zebras, though they are sleeker and not as stocky. They usually have doe-brown eyes.

Combat: A zebracorn can cast a color spray from its horns three times per day. It can also polymorph itself into any creature three times a day at will; this power is treated as if it were a polymorph self spell cast at the 11th-level of ability.

Habitat/Society: Zebracorns live in equatorial savannahs. Each herd generally contains one stallion and several mares. Being nomadic, they roam the savannah so that no one area becomes overgrazed. A zebracorn can be ridden by any being who proves itself friendly, though they can detect evil by touch and will immediately attack evil beings. They are unpredictable and willful (some say pig-headed).

Ecology: Zebracorns eat the coarse dry grass of the savannah. They generally stay out of fights that don.t concern them, but one never knows what a zebracorn will do. The horn of a zebracorn can be used to brew potions of polymorph self. When in polymorphed form, a zebracorn generally takes the form of a muscular, hairless, black human with a warrior’s bearing. Though the human-zebracorn carries no weapons, he or she can easily use any weapon it has ever seen a human use.
 

Agreed. And let's boost 'em to CR 4, as I remember Demiurge convincing me awhile back that unicorns are under-CRed. Updated.

Here's the last one!

So, it's got colour spray 3/day and polymorph 3/day.

I fancy changing the polymorph to either Change Shape or Alternate Form into its favourite shape of "a muscular, hairless, black human"?

Its stats look like they're basically identical to a regular unicorn apart from environment (warm plains) and organisation (1-10).
 

I fancy changing the polymorph to either Change Shape or Alternate Form into its favourite shape of "a muscular, hairless, black human"?

Absolutely. And I'd like to cap the size range from one size smaller to one size larger. I don't want these things becoming Colossal dragons.
 

Absolutely. And I'd like to cap the size range from one size smaller to one size larger. I don't want these things becoming Colossal dragons.

I'd rather not have them grow to Huge. Just Medium or Large should cover plenty of possibilities.

Upon reflection, I do like the idea of it taking on animal form as well as humanoid. How about:
Change Shape (Su): Three times a day, a zebracorn can take on the form of any Medium or Large-sized animal or humanoid. Its favourite form is a handsome, black-skinned human.
Here's a thought. If it turns into a human it will lose its horn, which means it can not use its cure wounds or neutralize poison SLAs. I fancy having it be able to deploy its horn in its changed shape. Something like:
Change Shape (Su): Three times a day, a zebracorn can take on the form of any Medium or Large-sized animal or humanoid. Its favourite form is a handsome, black-skinned human.

A zebracorn retains its horn while shapechanged. It can use its horn as a primary or secondary attack if it wields weapons when in humanoid shape. A shapechanged zebracorn can hide its horn by retracting it into its forehead, leaving behind a star-shaped mark or "blaze". Retracting or deploying its horn is a swift action.
I just like the idea of it zipping a horn out from its forehead while it wails away with a battleaxe. There's also something gonzo-ly folklorish about a shapechanging creature with a retractile horn.

Finally, there's the question of weapon proficiency. We've got "Though the human-zebracorn carries no weapons, he or she can easily use any weapon it has ever seen a human use." I would interpret that as:
A zerbacorn is proficient in all shields as well as all simple and martial weapons, but it must change shape into humanoid form to wield them. It has no proficiency in armour.
We can add it to the description.
 

I must be really tired or satisfied from lunch, but I'll actually agree to all that.

(Actually, except for limiting change shape to 3/day. The ability is almost always unlimited use).
 

I must be really tired or satisfied from lunch, but I'll actually agree to all that.

(Actually, except for limiting change shape to 3/day. The ability is almost always unlimited use).

It was a carrying over from the original's 3/day polymorph self, but I'm happy to drop it.

Revising...

Change Shape (Su): A zebracorn can take on the form of any Medium or Large-sized animal or humanoid. Its favourite form is a handsome, black-skinned human.

A zebracorn retains its horn while shapechanged. It can use its horn as a primary or secondary attack if it wields weapons when in humanoid shape. A shapechanged zebracorn can hide its horn by retracting it into its forehead, leaving behind a star-shaped mark or "blaze". Retracting or deploying its horn is a swift action.
 

Added to Homebrews.

We'll need an org name, as usual.

Should we give it a racial bonus in plains terrain? IIRC, zebra patterns make them difficult to spot by predators.
 

Back on the unisus for a sec.

I finally found the dive attack in the SRD (under movement modes in monster special abilities), and dives only allow talon or claw attacks. Let's just add an ability

Impaling Dive (Ex): A unisus may make dive attacks using its horn; successful attacks do 2d8+16 hp of damage.
 

Zebracorns are looking solid so far, though I think the original description sounds a little more CN than N. Anyone else agree with that?

Yes to the plains hide bonus. Probably +4.

One website lists "zeal" as a possible group name for zebras. How's that sound?
 

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