Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Miashin 05-25-07, 06:53 PM	I'm curious as to where I can find the stats for a Dire Hyena. If there are no 'official' stats present anywhere, how should I go about calculating them from the basic Hyena stats given in Monster Manual I?
Darth Sephiroth 05-25-07, 07:08 PM	I think it's in Sandstorm, but I'm not 100% on that
cwslyclgh 05-25-07, 07:14 PM	it is not, alas. since a hyena's stats are nearly identicale to a wolf's, I would think that a dire hyena's stats would be very close to a dire wolf's.
Miashin 05-25-07, 08:15 PM	Well I compared the hyena to the wolf, noted the differences, and then applied those differences to the dire wolf stats and came up with this: Dire Hyena Large Animal Hit Dice: 6d8+18 (45) Initiative: +2 Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares) Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+16 Attack: Bite +11 melee (2d6+12) Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (2d6+12) Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Trip Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6 Abilities: Str 26, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 10 Skills: Hide +1*, Listen +10, Spot +8, Feats: Alertness, Run, Improved Natural Attack (Bite) Evnironment: Warm desert Organization: Solitary or pack (5-8) Challenge Rating: 3 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Avancement: 7-17 HD (Large) Level Adjustment: -- This immense spotted hyena seems as big as ahorse. It has fiery eyes and a thick coat of fur. Dire hyenas are pack hunters infamouse for their cunning and their unnevering vocalizaions. Dire hyenas are tan to brown with dark spots, about 9 feet long and weighing some 800 pounds. Combat Dire hyenas prefer to attack in packs, surrounding and flanking a foe when they can. Trip (Ex): A dire hyena that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip its opponent (+12 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the dire hyena. Skills: A dire hyena has a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks. *It also has a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in area of tall grass or heavy undergrowth.
Darth Sephiroth 05-26-07, 12:16 AM	Perhaps you could ditch the Trip ability and increase Bite damage by 1 step. Hyenas are known for being able to leave marks in steel if I remember right. They have some powerful jaws.
Miashin 05-26-07, 12:24 AM	Perhaps; if a hyena bites hard enough to take your foot off you end up tripping anyway. For the most part I wanted to keep it as close to the official monsters as possible. The regular wolf, regular hyena, and dire wolf all have the trip ability. The bite damage of this dire hyena is already greater then that of the dire wolf (1d8+12 over 1d8+10) and its Str is one point greater. Those same stats on a regular hyena are stronger then the refular wolf's, by the same degrees.
cwslyclgh 05-26-07, 12:52 PM	I noticed that you only gave it 2 feats, but at 6 HD it should have 3, perhaps you could give it Improved Natural Attack as its third feat, which woukd increase the bite damage to 2d6+12.
Miashin 06-04-07, 02:14 AM	Advice taken and post edited. Should I increase the challenge rating as well?
cwslyclgh 06-04-07, 02:31 AM	I think it is still in the CR 3 range, even with the upped bite damage.
InsanePsychoRabbit 06-11-07, 03:28 PM	Deities and Demigods states that the dire wolf's statistics should be used for a dire hyena. I like your take on such a creature better, however.