Dire animal template? or help making a Dire Riding Dog [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dire animal template? or help making a Dire Riding Dog [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Prub
10-31-06, 12:36 AM Ok my ultimate goal is making a Horrid Riding dog to have as a druid Animal Companion. Now there is a template telling how to take a dire animal and make it Horrid, but I can not find a listing for a Dire Riding Dog or even a template on how to make a dire animal.. if I have overlooked it please can someone point me to one. For books that I have I dont have alot .

MM
DGM 1 and 2
PHB 1 and 2
ECS

those are the main ones

Thanks for the help.
Raptorial
10-31-06, 01:28 AM There isn't any template for dire animals anymore. They're just trumped-up versions of the normal animal. To quote the SRD:
Dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of ordinary animals. Each kind tends to have a feral, prehistoric, or even demonic appearance.
There you go, I help that helps you understand. :D
Prub
10-31-06, 02:06 AM There isn't any template for dire animals anymore. They're just trumped-up versions of the normal animal. To quote the SRD:

There you go, I help that helps you understand. :D

No that doesnt help me understand as that is the same thing I read from the MM lol.

So I am still looking for some kind of help on this.

My thoughts were.. Take a normal wolf and a dire wolf and see what the changes are between them. Take a look at the differences in stats and all that fun stuff.. then take the differences and add them to a Riding dog. the only problem I can see is the skills for riding dog and wolf are different so I would have to fiddle with those I guess..
Heahengel
10-31-06, 02:21 AM My thoughts were.. Take a normal wolf and a dire wolf and see what the changes are between them. Take a look at the differences in stats and all that fun stuff.. then take the differences and add them to a Riding dog. the only problem I can see is the skills for riding dog and wolf are different so I would have to fiddle with those I guess..
Thats what I was about to advise. Riding dogs are pretty much wolves that are just slightly better.
Armoracia Rusticana
10-31-06, 02:23 PM I would say there are no dire riding dogs for a reason. They are either riding, or dire, you know. It seems to me that you are heading to a horrid version, aren't you?
The Vorpal Tribble
10-31-06, 03:53 PM Ermmm, wouldn't a dire riding dog be a dire wolf by definition? Dogs came from wolves, wolves came from dire wolves, etc...
Gabriel Knight52
10-31-06, 06:07 PM I'm pretty sure I saw the template for Dire animals in MM2 (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/882680000). 90% certain.
Bawitda
10-31-06, 06:38 PM Nope. It has titanic, monster of legend, and warbeast, but not a dire template.
Gabriel Knight52
10-31-06, 08:49 PM Okay. If that's true.. according to World of Sulerin (http://www.sulerin.com/creatures/creatures.asp?op=showletter&letter=d) ,Necromancer Games (http://www.necromancergames.com/prod_support.html) has a dire creature template in their Tome of Horrors I (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3019)

If that's not available maybe try the Gelatinous Template (for the Horrid Acid Damage) and/or the MageBred Template (for the Horrid's Improved Natural Attack).
Prub
11-01-06, 03:08 PM ok thanks. I thought about just using dire wolves but the skills are not the same as the riding dogs. nor are base STRs, so I would have to fiddle a bit with it.. will work on it some this weekend and post my outcomes to see if they seem ok.
Prub
11-01-06, 03:09 PM oh and yes the final step is to make it a horrid Riding dog. hence why I needed the dire template since there is a horrid template but it uses a dire creature as base creature.
Prub
11-01-06, 08:37 PM ok here we go ..

Riding dog stats are here..
http://srd.plush.org/monstersAnimal.html#riding-dog

Dire riding dog
LARGE

Hit Dice: 6d8+18

Initiative: +2

Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)

Armor Class: 16 (-1 size+2 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14

Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+16

Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d8+12)

Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d8+12)

Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: TRIP (trained for war)

Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent

Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6

Abilities: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6

Skills: Jump +10, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +5, Survival +2*

Feats: Alertness, Track +2 more

Hows that look?

This of course would be the horrid Riding Dog.
LARGE

Hit Dice: 6d8+30

Initiative: +2

Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)

Armor Class: 21 (-1 size+2 Dex, +10 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 19

Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+16

Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d10+12)+1d6 Acid DMG

Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d10+12)+1d6 Acid DMG

Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: TRIP (trained for war) Acidic attack (Primary atk does 1d6 Acid dmg per 4hd of animal max 5d6

Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, Immunity to Acid, Improved Nat healing (Recovers 3 HPs per HD each night)

Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +6

Abilities: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6

Skills: Jump +10, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +5, Survival +2*

Feats: Alertness, Track, Improved Nat attack +2 more

Think I did this right LOL
primemover003
11-01-06, 09:10 PM Tribble has it right, there would never have been a Dire riding dog because riding dogs were bred by humanoids over time from wolves to have skill sets different than wolves.

Dog breeding is indicative of civilized man, not D&D style druidic traditions.
Prub
11-03-06, 12:19 AM I disagree, there are such things as feral dogs, and the whole idea of a summoned companion is a wild animal that travels and becomes partners with the druid. but that is my opinion, others will have thier own
Vaalingrade Ashland
11-03-06, 12:32 AM Add the warbeast template (MMII) to a Dire Wolf, then make it Horrid.

You get a battle trained, riding canine in horrid mode.

BAM
Insane Pixie
11-03-06, 12:45 AM I'd have to agree with Tribble and Ash. A horrid dire wolf would make a lot more mechanical sense, and so would a horrid riding dog warbeast. The dire wolf version would be bigger and badder, but both of those options are a lot easier than writing up your own (also harder to balance as a companion).

If my memory serves me (although my knowledge of Eberron is quite unexpansive, and I'm probably wrong), horrid animals are somewhat magical. Wouldn't that mean they couldn't serve as animal companions?
Vaalingrade Ashland
11-03-06, 01:21 AM Nope. The ECS even specifically mentions them being animal companions of the Gatekeepers.
Prub
11-03-06, 01:54 AM warbeast template.. hmm will have to look that one up . dont have MM2 tho .. wonder if I can find it on the boards.. well thanks will look it up.
CroBob
11-03-06, 02:48 AM Just increase an animal's HD and make them bigger. Voila.
Gabriel Knight52
11-04-06, 01:57 AM Warbeast Template? You might try Crystal Keep. (http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/)

In regards to your Dire Riding Dog, I think it's nearly perfect.I'd recommend you add two more points to abilities and put its saves back to 5,5,1 before you add the Horrid template.
Prub
11-04-06, 11:42 AM thanks! I forgot about Crystal keep too , its in my favorites lol thanks for reminding me.
Gabriel Knight52
11-05-06, 05:23 PM also:

Don't forget to let us know which version of Dire/Horrid Riding Dog you went with. And how it play tested. :)
Prub
11-05-06, 07:37 PM well she cant take a dire dog till she levels .. then she will have a few more lvls before she can take the horrid version. so it will probably be a few weeks till she levels. I will draw it up for her and see which one she takes. and then it will probably be play tested in RHoD hehe.
Prub
11-22-06, 11:20 PM UPDATE

She leveled and went out and got her Dire Riding dog, then took 2 months to train it for Warbeast, quite the impressive animal it is!! We start RHoD this monday and she gets to see how she likes it. Here are the stats

Hit Points 77 (7d8 +35)

Initiative: +4

Speed: 55 ft.

Armor Class: 19 (-1 size+2 Dex, +5 natural +3 from barding), touch 11, flat-footed 17

Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+16

Attack: Bite +14 melee (1d8+13)

Full Attack: Bite +14 melee (1d8+13)

Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: TRIP

Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent

Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +7

Abilities: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6

Skills: Jump +18, Listen +12, Spot +12, Swim +13, Survival +4, Hide 7 (from barding studded leather barding of shadow)

Feats: Alertness, Track, Weapon Focus (bite), Run, and Dash

Quite the beast for a 2foot 8 inch Gnome to be riding into battle!!!
Gabriel Knight52
11-26-06, 07:18 PM I noticed you left out the creature size. According to this (http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/view_t.php?TemplateID=22)(finally found the dire template from Tome of Horrors) It should probably stay medium sized.

Should it really have Trip under special attacks? If the original Horrid Riding-Dog was trained for war already (and hence had a Trip attack) you couldn't apply the Warbeast Template to it.

What would you call this creature? A Horrid Riding-Wardog would be my guess.

:)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Prub 10-31-06, 12:36 AM	Ok my ultimate goal is making a Horrid Riding dog to have as a druid Animal Companion. Now there is a template telling how to take a dire animal and make it Horrid, but I can not find a listing for a Dire Riding Dog or even a template on how to make a dire animal.. if I have overlooked it please can someone point me to one. For books that I have I dont have alot . MM DGM 1 and 2 PHB 1 and 2 ECS those are the main ones Thanks for the help.
Raptorial 10-31-06, 01:28 AM	There isn't any template for dire animals anymore. They're just trumped-up versions of the normal animal. To quote the SRD: Dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of ordinary animals. Each kind tends to have a feral, prehistoric, or even demonic appearance. There you go, I help that helps you understand. :D
Prub 10-31-06, 02:06 AM	There isn't any template for dire animals anymore. They're just trumped-up versions of the normal animal. To quote the SRD: There you go, I help that helps you understand. :D No that doesnt help me understand as that is the same thing I read from the MM lol. So I am still looking for some kind of help on this. My thoughts were.. Take a normal wolf and a dire wolf and see what the changes are between them. Take a look at the differences in stats and all that fun stuff.. then take the differences and add them to a Riding dog. the only problem I can see is the skills for riding dog and wolf are different so I would have to fiddle with those I guess..
Heahengel 10-31-06, 02:21 AM	My thoughts were.. Take a normal wolf and a dire wolf and see what the changes are between them. Take a look at the differences in stats and all that fun stuff.. then take the differences and add them to a Riding dog. the only problem I can see is the skills for riding dog and wolf are different so I would have to fiddle with those I guess.. Thats what I was about to advise. Riding dogs are pretty much wolves that are just slightly better.
Armoracia Rusticana 10-31-06, 02:23 PM	I would say there are no dire riding dogs for a reason. They are either riding, or dire, you know. It seems to me that you are heading to a horrid version, aren't you?
The Vorpal Tribble 10-31-06, 03:53 PM	Ermmm, wouldn't a dire riding dog be a dire wolf by definition? Dogs came from wolves, wolves came from dire wolves, etc...
Gabriel Knight52 10-31-06, 06:07 PM	I'm pretty sure I saw the template for Dire animals in MM2 (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/882680000). 90% certain.
Bawitda 10-31-06, 06:38 PM	Nope. It has titanic, monster of legend, and warbeast, but not a dire template.
Gabriel Knight52 10-31-06, 08:49 PM	Okay. If that's true.. according to World of Sulerin (http://www.sulerin.com/creatures/creatures.asp?op=showletter&letter=d) ,Necromancer Games (http://www.necromancergames.com/prod_support.html) has a dire creature template in their Tome of Horrors I (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3019) If that's not available maybe try the Gelatinous Template (for the Horrid Acid Damage) and/or the MageBred Template (for the Horrid's Improved Natural Attack).
Prub 11-01-06, 03:08 PM	ok thanks. I thought about just using dire wolves but the skills are not the same as the riding dogs. nor are base STRs, so I would have to fiddle a bit with it.. will work on it some this weekend and post my outcomes to see if they seem ok.
Prub 11-01-06, 03:09 PM	oh and yes the final step is to make it a horrid Riding dog. hence why I needed the dire template since there is a horrid template but it uses a dire creature as base creature.
Prub 11-01-06, 08:37 PM	ok here we go .. Riding dog stats are here.. http://srd.plush.org/monstersAnimal.html#riding-dog Dire riding dog LARGE Hit Dice: 6d8+18 Initiative: +2 Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares) Armor Class: 16 (-1 size+2 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14 Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+16 Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d8+12) Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d8+12) Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: TRIP (trained for war) Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6 Abilities: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6 Skills: Jump +10, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +5, Survival +2* Feats: Alertness, Track +2 more Hows that look? This of course would be the horrid Riding Dog. LARGE Hit Dice: 6d8+30 Initiative: +2 Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares) Armor Class: 21 (-1 size+2 Dex, +10 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 19 Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+16 Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d10+12)+1d6 Acid DMG Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d10+12)+1d6 Acid DMG Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: TRIP (trained for war) Acidic attack (Primary atk does 1d6 Acid dmg per 4hd of animal max 5d6 Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, Immunity to Acid, Improved Nat healing (Recovers 3 HPs per HD each night) Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +6 Abilities: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6 Skills: Jump +10, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +5, Survival +2* Feats: Alertness, Track, Improved Nat attack +2 more Think I did this right LOL
primemover003 11-01-06, 09:10 PM	Tribble has it right, there would never have been a Dire riding dog because riding dogs were bred by humanoids over time from wolves to have skill sets different than wolves. Dog breeding is indicative of civilized man, not D&D style druidic traditions.
Prub 11-03-06, 12:19 AM	I disagree, there are such things as feral dogs, and the whole idea of a summoned companion is a wild animal that travels and becomes partners with the druid. but that is my opinion, others will have thier own
Vaalingrade Ashland 11-03-06, 12:32 AM	Add the warbeast template (MMII) to a Dire Wolf, then make it Horrid. You get a battle trained, riding canine in horrid mode. BAM
Insane Pixie 11-03-06, 12:45 AM	I'd have to agree with Tribble and Ash. A horrid dire wolf would make a lot more mechanical sense, and so would a horrid riding dog warbeast. The dire wolf version would be bigger and badder, but both of those options are a lot easier than writing up your own (also harder to balance as a companion). If my memory serves me (although my knowledge of Eberron is quite unexpansive, and I'm probably wrong), horrid animals are somewhat magical. Wouldn't that mean they couldn't serve as animal companions?
Vaalingrade Ashland 11-03-06, 01:21 AM	Nope. The ECS even specifically mentions them being animal companions of the Gatekeepers.
Prub 11-03-06, 01:54 AM	warbeast template.. hmm will have to look that one up . dont have MM2 tho .. wonder if I can find it on the boards.. well thanks will look it up.
CroBob 11-03-06, 02:48 AM	Just increase an animal's HD and make them bigger. Voila.
Gabriel Knight52 11-04-06, 01:57 AM	Warbeast Template? You might try Crystal Keep. (http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/) In regards to your Dire Riding Dog, I think it's nearly perfect.I'd recommend you add two more points to abilities and put its saves back to 5,5,1 before you add the Horrid template.
Prub 11-04-06, 11:42 AM	thanks! I forgot about Crystal keep too , its in my favorites lol thanks for reminding me.
Gabriel Knight52 11-05-06, 05:23 PM	also: Don't forget to let us know which version of Dire/Horrid Riding Dog you went with. And how it play tested. :)
Prub 11-05-06, 07:37 PM	well she cant take a dire dog till she levels .. then she will have a few more lvls before she can take the horrid version. so it will probably be a few weeks till she levels. I will draw it up for her and see which one she takes. and then it will probably be play tested in RHoD hehe.
Prub 11-22-06, 11:20 PM	UPDATE She leveled and went out and got her Dire Riding dog, then took 2 months to train it for Warbeast, quite the impressive animal it is!! We start RHoD this monday and she gets to see how she likes it. Here are the stats Hit Points 77 (7d8 +35) Initiative: +4 Speed: 55 ft. Armor Class: 19 (-1 size+2 Dex, +5 natural +3 from barding), touch 11, flat-footed 17 Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+16 Attack: Bite +14 melee (1d8+13) Full Attack: Bite +14 melee (1d8+13) Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: TRIP Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +7 Abilities: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6 Skills: Jump +18, Listen +12, Spot +12, Swim +13, Survival +4, Hide 7 (from barding studded leather barding of shadow) Feats: Alertness, Track, Weapon Focus (bite), Run, and Dash Quite the beast for a 2foot 8 inch Gnome to be riding into battle!!!
Gabriel Knight52 11-26-06, 07:18 PM	I noticed you left out the creature size. According to this (http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/view_t.php?TemplateID=22)(finally found the dire template from Tome of Horrors) It should probably stay medium sized. Should it really have Trip under special attacks? If the original Horrid Riding-Dog was trained for war already (and hence had a Trip attack) you couldn't apply the Warbeast Template to it. What would you call this creature? A Horrid Riding-Wardog would be my guess. :)