Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Nanohund 05-02-04, 07:33 PM	Hi! I'd appreciate any comment on my home made monster. It is based on the picture of the tayellah monster from Epic Level Handbook www.wizards.com/dnd/images/EPIC_Gallery/Gallery5a/44164_C5_tayellah.jpg I haven't read this handbook, but was just inspired by the great picture. I call it "cerberus cat", because of its three heads like Cerberus - the watchdog of Hades. (Suggestions for a new name are welcome!) I can't decide which alignment it should have, or if it should have some special attacks. Cerberus Cat Large Magical Beast Hit Dice: 12d10+48 (114 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares) Armor Class: 18 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 18 Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+23 Attack: Claw +18 melee (2d6+7) Full Attack: 2 claws +18 melee (2d6+7) and 3 bites +13 melee (3d6+4) Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Special Qualities: Darkvision, low-light vision, uncanny dodge, frightful presence, Saves: Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +10 Abilities: Str 25, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 12 Skills: Hide +7, Jump +11, Listen +10, Move Silently +11, Spot +11, Swim +9 Feats: Alertness, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Improved Natural Attack (bite), Environment: Temperate and warm forests and plains Organization: Solitary or pair Challenge Rating: 9 Alignment: Cerberus cats grow to be over 10 feet long and can weigh up to 4,000 pounds. Basically they look like very big pathers with three heads. Their fur is black with a deep blue hue, and their keen eyes are yellow. ”Eyes in the neck” (Ex): Because a cerberus cat has three heads, it is extremely aware of its immediate surroundings, and is therefore never flat-footed; neither can it be flanked. It can also make up to three attacks of opportunity per round – one for each head. Frightful presence (Ex): When a cerberus cat attacks, all within 30 feet of it must make a Will save DC 17 or be shaken for 2d8 rounds from its unsettling presence. Creatures with 5 HD or less are frightened, instead of shaken. Skills: The cerberus cat’s three heads gives it a +4 racial bonus to listen and spot checks.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-02-04, 08:50 PM	A few critiques: 1. The challenge rating is too high. 6 (maybe 7) would be more appropriate. 2. Assuming you are using the standard form of frightful presence, creatures of 6hd or less should be frightened, and those of 13 or more hit dice unaffected.
Nanohund 05-03-04, 08:34 AM	CR 6 or 7 will be too little. A hill giant is CR 7 and the cerberus cat is much more powerful than a hill giant. A dire tiger is CR 8. A vrock is CR 9. I would like to hear more opinions, please :-) Is the cerberus cat exciting, colorless, or something in between?
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-03-04, 05:54 PM	I still think the challenge rating is too high, but maybe you should get a second opinion. As for the creature, it seems a little bland. There isn't really a description paragraph, just a physical imagery blurb.
Blasphemus 05-04-04, 02:47 AM	Yes, with an intelligence of 5 it should have some sort of personality traits. And when you come up with those you could base their alignment of them. If they're just supposed to be big creatures with no intentions other than instict, then I'd say drop the int to 2 and include their animalistic habits in the flavor text.
nevick 05-04-04, 08:02 AM	For some reason i think the Bite should be the primary weapon. and the regular attack being 3 bites for having 3 independant heads, the hydra works that way. that makes it a little bit more frightening =P Attack: 3 Bites +18 (3d6+7) or Claw +13 melee (2d6+3) Full Attack: 3 Bites +18 melee (3d6+7) and 2 Claws +13 melee (2d6+3) what do you think?
dRaXy 05-04-04, 08:54 AM	I think you should increase the dexterity a little, its looks really agile after all and AC 18 is pretty low i think CR 9 is not too high, with increased AC you could even consider 10
varder_kiften 05-04-04, 10:52 AM	If it had a supernatural ability it would be much more interesting. Not anything that would throw off the CR by more than one point, but just something that makes it different from every other creature. The fear makes it nicer, but it needs something more. Face it, if you boosted it's dexterity by one point and gave it combat reflexes, it would get three bonus attacks just like your description that was wrongly put into eyes in neck.
cwslyclgh 05-04-04, 11:04 AM	I would probably drop the CR to 8, or else give it some sort of (relativly minor) special attack besides frightful presence (possibly Pounce, going with the cat theme).
Nanohund 05-04-04, 12:32 PM	Originally posted by nevick For some reason i think the Bite should be the primary weapon. and the regular attack being 3 bites for having 3 independant heads, the hydra works that way. that makes it a little bit more frightening =P Attack: 3 Bites +18 (3d6+7) or Claw +13 melee (2d6+3) Full Attack: 3 Bites +18 melee (3d6+7) and 2 Claws +13 melee (2d6+3) what do you think? I see the logic in its bite attacks being its primary weapon. Maybe it will too powerful - but then one could delete the Improved Natural Feats to lower the damage a bit.
Nanohund 05-04-04, 12:36 PM	Originally posted by dRaXy I think you should increase the dexterity a little, its looks really agile after all and AC 18 is pretty low i think CR 9 is not too high, with increased AC you could even consider 10 Originally I modelled the Cerberus Cat after the Dire Tiger - therefore giving it Dex 15. I don't really think that it looks that agile - on the contrary, I think its three heads makes it look a little clumsy. Of course there are other ways to raise its AC. I added the Frightening Presence ability to make it harder to hit. A similar way could enhance its AC even higher. Any suggestions?
Nanohund 05-04-04, 12:54 PM	Originally posted by cwslyclgh I would probably drop the CR to 8, or else give it some sort of (relativly minor) special attack besides frightful presence (possibly Pounce, going with the cat theme). Any suggestions for a special attack? I'm not sure that Pounce will suit it. I briefly thought giving it a special ability produced with its spooky yellow eyes.
Nanohund 05-05-04, 06:44 AM	Hi guys. Thanks for all the critique. Here is an update. Cerberus Cat Large Magical Beast Hit Dice: 12d10+60 (126 hp) Initiative: +8 Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares) Armor Class: 21 (–1 size, +4 Dex, +8 natural), touch 13 Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+24 Attack: 3 bites +19 melee (2d6+8) or claw +19 (1d8+4) Full Attack: 3 bites +19 melee (2d6+8), 2 claws +17 melee (1d8+4), Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Special Qualities: Darkvision, low-light vision, scent, uncanny dodge, frightful presence, Saves: Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +10 Abilities: Str 27, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 14 Skills: Hide +9, Jump +12, Listen +10, Move Silently +13, Spot +11, Swim +10 Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved initiative, Multiattack, Run Environment: Temperate and warm forests and plains Organization: Solitary or pair Challenge Rating: 9 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: HD 13-16 (Large) Cerberus cats grow to be over 12 feet long and can weigh up to 6,000 pounds. Their fur is black with a deep blue hue, and they have keen yellow eyes. These cats are merciless predators when determined to stalk a pray, feeding on anything made of flesh, but they only kill when hungry or feeling threatened. Unfortunately for its victims, it takes a lot of flesh of to satisfy a Cerberus cat (it does have three mouths to feed). It dislikes the taste of gnome flesh, and avoids eating (and biting) members of that race. Scholars, rangers and druids have compared the mentality of the Cerberus Cat with griffons, but no one has ever heard of a domesticated Cerberus Cat. ”Eyes in the neck” (Ex): Because a cerberus cat has three heads, it is extremely aware of its immediate surroundings, and is therefore never flat-footed; neither can it be flanked. Frightful presence (Ex): When a cerberus cat attacks, all within 30 feet of it must make a Will save DC 18 or be shaken for 2d8 rounds from its unsettling presence. Creatures with 6 HD or less are frightened, instead of shaken. Combat Skills: The cerberus cat’s three heads gives it a +4 racial bonus to listen and spot checks.