Dire Tortoise [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dire Tortoise [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
obrysii
05-06-04, 09:28 PM It still needs work . . . any suggestions would be wonderful.

Dire Tortoise
Huge Animal
Hit Dice: 20d8+120 (200hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20ft
AC: 28 (-2 size,+20 natural)
Attacks: Bite +16, 2 Stamps +11 Melee
Damage: Bite 3d6+15; 2 Stamps 2d6+7
Face/Reach: 10ft by 20ft/10ft
Special Attacks: N.A.
Special Qualities: Retract, Susceptible to Diseases, Hardy Liver, Ageless
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +5, Will +6
Abilities: Str 40, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 8
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Improved Toughness
Advancement: 21-25 (Huge); 26-30 (Gargantuan)
Challenge Rating: 15 (acid test it to see)

Dire Tortoises are much like their smaller cousins: heavy, thickly armored, and slow. They look just like them, except they are about the size of an elephant.

Retract (Ex): A Dire Tortoise may as a standard action retract fully into it’s hard, heavy shell. This effectively drops it’s dexterity to zero (thereby reducing it’s AC by -5), but it gains Hardness 10, as it’s shell is thick and strong.

Susceptible to Diseases(Ex): A Dire Tortoise, as is it’s smaller cousin, lacks as powerful immune system as a normal animal, and as such they are more susceptible to diseases then an ordinary animal. They take a -4 penalty to saves against diseases.

Hardy Liver (Ex): A Dire Tortoise consists mostly on plants that a normal animal would consider toxic, and as such have developed a resistance to most poisons, since their livers are able to metabolize them. Dire Tortoises have a +4 racial bonus to fort saves against poisons.

Ageless (Ex): Dire Tortoises do not die of age, though their populations remain in check due to hunting and their weaker immune system.

Training a Dire Tortoise

A Dire Tortoise may be raised as a mount, though it requires a successful handle animal check (DC 30 for young). Young are worth 6,000 gold.
Carrrying Capacity: A Dire Tortoise can carry up to 12,768 pounds as a light load, 25,536 pounds as a medium load, and up to 38,400 pounds for a heavy load. A Dire Tortoise can drag up to 192,000 pounds.

I think, due to their amazing carrying capacity, that they would be fitted in heavy armor and marched as front line 'tanks'.... I put the Ageless into it because Tortoises in real life tend to die of illness. I don't think there's ever been a recording of a tortoise dying of age.

Edit: Fixed the format and finally applied the feats to the stats! Also changed Toughness to Improved Toughness, giving it an extra 20hp. If people think it should revert back to just Toughness, I will.
moosekickedmysisterstoof
05-06-04, 10:26 PM I love it! It just needs some skills (probably just listen and spot) and feats (maybe toughness, endurance, great fortitude,....). I'm not too sure about the CR, though.
obrysii
05-06-04, 10:35 PM Yes, I did not put any skills or feats because I am not very good at it, and was wondering what others would put.

In my campaign I think I'm going to have them used as walking seige engines, since they can hold such an enormous amount (plus the shell would make a fairly stable platform to build up on).
NightScreamer20
05-07-04, 07:46 AM Pretty awesome, surprised this hasn't been posted before.

Mmm...An Armada of Lizard men mounted on Deinonychus, Warbeast Monitor Lizards, and with the back line an army of Dire Tortoises mounted with their own Catapult, Ballistae, and Mortars.

I'd reduce land speed by 10 ft. and their Dex should be reduced to like 8. I don't understand why their Training CR is so high...though...maybe it could be because it's hard to keep a tortoise concetrated on something :D I'd definatly give it DR 10/- or so. Ever hit a Tortoise with something? Neither have I but I doubt it would care.
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Toughness
Advancement: 21-25 (Huge); 26-30 (Gargantuan)
Challenge Rating: 15 (acid test it to see)
headlessfriar
05-07-04, 12:22 PM Hmm... I don't see a problem with the weakness to disease, but in real life, tortoises and testudines in general have a great ability to handle poisons. Land turtles munch on all sorts of mushrooms that would be deadly to most any other animal, but the turtle's liver handles the toxins easily. And sea turtles eat jellyfish, without fear of being stung. If anything, I would give them a bonus to fort saves vs. poisons.

If you wanted to give them another weakness, it might be that a tortoise knocked prone by a trip attack (how you trip a huge, str 40 quadraped isn't easy, but hey) it should definately need help getting up.
-ZoMBiE-X-
05-07-04, 02:27 PM what happens if sumone crawls up inside the shell with the big fella!?!?!?!?!?

I MUST KNOW!!

Make it sumthing like..if they go in....the big guy could pop his head back out, and perhaps trap and crush anything that was inside the shell with its neck/head/feet?
obrysii
05-07-04, 04:34 PM I don't understand why their Training CR is so high...though...maybe it could be because it's hard to keep a tortoise concetrated on something

I put their training DC so high due to the sheer amount of weight they can carry. Do you think it should be lower?

I'd definatly give it DR 10/- or so

When in their shells, they are granted Hardness 10, which is like 10/- DR for all things except Adamantine and Sonic....and it does even less damage against things like fire.

Hmm... I don't see a problem with the weakness to disease, but in real life, tortoises and testudines in general have a great ability to handle poisons. Land turtles munch on all sorts of mushrooms that would be deadly to most any other animal, but the turtle's liver handles the toxins easily. And sea turtles eat jellyfish, without fear of being stung. If anything, I would give them a bonus to fort saves vs. poisons.

Really? I never knew that. Noted, and I will change it.

Nightscreamer, I like the feat selection and all of that fun stuff. Mind if I put that into the stats block?
NightScreamer20
05-07-04, 06:37 PM That's why it's there :D
obrysii
05-07-04, 09:08 PM Hehe okay :)
Flame_Drake
05-15-04, 07:15 PM Any ideas for its use as an animal compainion?
eonblueapocalypse
05-16-04, 05:24 PM Mmm...An Armada of Lizard men mounted on Deinonychus, Warbeast Monitor Lizards, and with the back line an army of Dire Tortoises mounted with their own Catapult, Ballistae, and Mortars.

Ok now thats a cool idea. I think im gonna make a whole campaign around this idea. Thanks...
obrysii
05-16-04, 10:35 PM Originally posted by Flame_Drake
Any ideas for its use as an animal compainion?

Well, you could....it's got 20 HD though, so you'll need to use the Animal Friendship ring. Plus it's rather slow...
Flame_Drake
05-16-04, 10:46 PM It could be epic, there are a few good examples in the new Dragon of Dino compainions for epic druids
Arae'Kol Da'Ato
03-12-05, 12:12 AM WotC is making their own rendition of the Dire Tortoise in Sandstorm.Though theirs is more like a turtle than a tortoise.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sand_gallery/87618.jpg

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ag/20050311a&page=3
JiCi
03-12-05, 07:31 AM Too bad I can't apply the anthropomorphic template on a dire animal. I could have made 4 anthropomorphic turtles ninjas :D :P

Just kidding, couldn't resist.
Arnkel
03-18-05, 10:48 PM Um, I have a question about their ecology. What keeps larger animals from preying on them? Galapagos tortises only evolved from lack of large fast moving predators to take down adult specimens(then humans came and thoroughly whacked most of them). I can already hear goblinoid tribes yelling "soup's on" in unison as they attempt to harry the beast, poking it with spears after driving it into its shell. After, perhaps a few weeks of struggle(or hours with magical help), the goblinoids would eventually kill the poor beast and the tribe would have all that useful stuff(the shell, bones, and meat). Eventually the little buggers(the goblinoids) would hunt the Dire tortise to extinction. Is the meat of the Dire Tortise poisonous? Do they live on isolated islands where no predation occurs? Do other races consider them sacred totemic beasts and rabidly defend dire tortises to the last of the tribe? Or do the Tortises breed so rapidly and create so MANY offspring that a few are just bound to survive in seclusion(at which point I have to wonder how the animal finds food, or another of its kind to mate with).
Chazmon
03-19-05, 08:23 AM i think the speed should be increased to 40ft. It is a common misconception that tortoises are slow they just prefer not to do it. however the dexterity should be reduced as they just dont have reflexes
On the note of getting inside the shell you er cant it just dont work like that

other than that sweet idea
obrysii
03-19-05, 09:43 AM Ah. The Dire Tortoise in Sandstorm is, well, fairly weak. I don't really like it ;)

The ecology? Well, probably the same way the Dire Hippo came to exist...just happened.

As for the shell, I think it fits more with the myth of turtles and tortoises hiding in their shells, to be able to completely hide.
Quarterstaff
03-19-05, 10:27 AM Brilliant!!!!!!
oracleofbargth
03-19-05, 11:54 AM I've been working on my own rendition of stats for the Sea Turtle, and the Dire Sea Turtle, since I had a character that got polymorphed into one.

One of the books from Bastion Press had stats for a Half-Fiend Dire Turtle (more along the lines of a snapping turtle than a tortoise or sea turtle) as part of a special figurine of power.

They list the stats for it somewhere on their web page as part of the sample text for the book, but I can't find the link now.
I don't have the book myself, I've just been looking everywhere online for turtle stats.
moosekickedmysisterstoof
03-20-05, 03:21 PM There's a dire tortoise in Sandstorm. The picture of it...kinda sux.
Afarian
03-20-05, 03:40 PM Wow this must be one HUGE tortoise not to mention a well-thought out design and brilliant stat's and abilities. The only thing I might change is the Hardness for his shell--I would say 15 or 20. That would also explain why not many creature go through the trouble to hunt and kill them.
I'm wondering though, What does "Dire" mean? Does it mean it's big,evil and powerful? Or just a lot bigger and more powerful than the standard creature but not nessecarily evil?
As for the "dire turtle" of Sandstorm...well, I think this thing would kick it's butt. I mean, I didn't see the stats but that art sucked! The head was way too big, it looked like it is standing on it's claws with no weight on it's feet and the shell is some odd square shape!
obrysii
03-20-05, 10:07 PM Wow this must be one HUGE tortoise not to mention a well-thought out design and brilliant stat's and abilities. The only thing I might change is the Hardness for his shell--I would say 15 or 20. That would also explain why not many creature go through the trouble to hunt and kill them.

Thank you for your compliments :)

I think, considering 90% of a normal campaign's population is between levels 1 to 3, that one of these things would have no problem surviving.

I'm wondering though, What does "Dire" mean? Does it mean it's big,evil and powerful? Or just a lot bigger and more powerful than the standard creature but not nessecarily evil?

I think in Myth it just meant bigger. In DnD, it seems to mean bigger, stronger, more powerful, and oddly placed bones jutting out of places ;)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
obrysii 05-06-04, 09:28 PM	It still needs work . . . any suggestions would be wonderful. Dire Tortoise Huge Animal Hit Dice: 20d8+120 (200hp) Initiative: +0 Speed: 20ft AC: 28 (-2 size,+20 natural) Attacks: Bite +16, 2 Stamps +11 Melee Damage: Bite 3d6+15; 2 Stamps 2d6+7 Face/Reach: 10ft by 20ft/10ft Special Attacks: N.A. Special Qualities: Retract, Susceptible to Diseases, Hardy Liver, Ageless Saves: Fort +17, Ref +5, Will +6 Abilities: Str 40, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 8 Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Improved Toughness Advancement: 21-25 (Huge); 26-30 (Gargantuan) Challenge Rating: 15 (acid test it to see) Dire Tortoises are much like their smaller cousins: heavy, thickly armored, and slow. They look just like them, except they are about the size of an elephant. Retract (Ex): A Dire Tortoise may as a standard action retract fully into it’s hard, heavy shell. This effectively drops it’s dexterity to zero (thereby reducing it’s AC by -5), but it gains Hardness 10, as it’s shell is thick and strong. Susceptible to Diseases(Ex): A Dire Tortoise, as is it’s smaller cousin, lacks as powerful immune system as a normal animal, and as such they are more susceptible to diseases then an ordinary animal. They take a -4 penalty to saves against diseases. Hardy Liver (Ex): A Dire Tortoise consists mostly on plants that a normal animal would consider toxic, and as such have developed a resistance to most poisons, since their livers are able to metabolize them. Dire Tortoises have a +4 racial bonus to fort saves against poisons. Ageless (Ex): Dire Tortoises do not die of age, though their populations remain in check due to hunting and their weaker immune system. Training a Dire Tortoise A Dire Tortoise may be raised as a mount, though it requires a successful handle animal check (DC 30 for young). Young are worth 6,000 gold. Carrrying Capacity: A Dire Tortoise can carry up to 12,768 pounds as a light load, 25,536 pounds as a medium load, and up to 38,400 pounds for a heavy load. A Dire Tortoise can drag up to 192,000 pounds. I think, due to their amazing carrying capacity, that they would be fitted in heavy armor and marched as front line 'tanks'.... I put the Ageless into it because Tortoises in real life tend to die of illness. I don't think there's ever been a recording of a tortoise dying of age. Edit: Fixed the format and finally applied the feats to the stats! Also changed Toughness to Improved Toughness, giving it an extra 20hp. If people think it should revert back to just Toughness, I will.
moosekickedmysisterstoof 05-06-04, 10:26 PM	I love it! It just needs some skills (probably just listen and spot) and feats (maybe toughness, endurance, great fortitude,....). I'm not too sure about the CR, though.
obrysii 05-06-04, 10:35 PM	Yes, I did not put any skills or feats because I am not very good at it, and was wondering what others would put. In my campaign I think I'm going to have them used as walking seige engines, since they can hold such an enormous amount (plus the shell would make a fairly stable platform to build up on).
NightScreamer20 05-07-04, 07:46 AM	Pretty awesome, surprised this hasn't been posted before. Mmm...An Armada of Lizard men mounted on Deinonychus, Warbeast Monitor Lizards, and with the back line an army of Dire Tortoises mounted with their own Catapult, Ballistae, and Mortars. I'd reduce land speed by 10 ft. and their Dex should be reduced to like 8. I don't understand why their Training CR is so high...though...maybe it could be because it's hard to keep a tortoise concetrated on something :D I'd definatly give it DR 10/- or so. Ever hit a Tortoise with something? Neither have I but I doubt it would care. Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Toughness Advancement: 21-25 (Huge); 26-30 (Gargantuan) Challenge Rating: 15 (acid test it to see)
headlessfriar 05-07-04, 12:22 PM	Hmm... I don't see a problem with the weakness to disease, but in real life, tortoises and testudines in general have a great ability to handle poisons. Land turtles munch on all sorts of mushrooms that would be deadly to most any other animal, but the turtle's liver handles the toxins easily. And sea turtles eat jellyfish, without fear of being stung. If anything, I would give them a bonus to fort saves vs. poisons. If you wanted to give them another weakness, it might be that a tortoise knocked prone by a trip attack (how you trip a huge, str 40 quadraped isn't easy, but hey) it should definately need help getting up.
-ZoMBiE-X- 05-07-04, 02:27 PM	what happens if sumone crawls up inside the shell with the big fella!?!?!?!?!? I MUST KNOW!! Make it sumthing like..if they go in....the big guy could pop his head back out, and perhaps trap and crush anything that was inside the shell with its neck/head/feet?
obrysii 05-07-04, 04:34 PM	I don't understand why their Training CR is so high...though...maybe it could be because it's hard to keep a tortoise concetrated on something I put their training DC so high due to the sheer amount of weight they can carry. Do you think it should be lower? I'd definatly give it DR 10/- or so When in their shells, they are granted Hardness 10, which is like 10/- DR for all things except Adamantine and Sonic....and it does even less damage against things like fire. Hmm... I don't see a problem with the weakness to disease, but in real life, tortoises and testudines in general have a great ability to handle poisons. Land turtles munch on all sorts of mushrooms that would be deadly to most any other animal, but the turtle's liver handles the toxins easily. And sea turtles eat jellyfish, without fear of being stung. If anything, I would give them a bonus to fort saves vs. poisons. Really? I never knew that. Noted, and I will change it. Nightscreamer, I like the feat selection and all of that fun stuff. Mind if I put that into the stats block?
NightScreamer20 05-07-04, 06:37 PM	That's why it's there :D
obrysii 05-07-04, 09:08 PM	Hehe okay :)
Flame_Drake 05-15-04, 07:15 PM	Any ideas for its use as an animal compainion?
eonblueapocalypse 05-16-04, 05:24 PM	Mmm...An Armada of Lizard men mounted on Deinonychus, Warbeast Monitor Lizards, and with the back line an army of Dire Tortoises mounted with their own Catapult, Ballistae, and Mortars. Ok now thats a cool idea. I think im gonna make a whole campaign around this idea. Thanks...
obrysii 05-16-04, 10:35 PM	Originally posted by Flame_Drake Any ideas for its use as an animal compainion? Well, you could....it's got 20 HD though, so you'll need to use the Animal Friendship ring. Plus it's rather slow...
Flame_Drake 05-16-04, 10:46 PM	It could be epic, there are a few good examples in the new Dragon of Dino compainions for epic druids
Arae'Kol Da'Ato 03-12-05, 12:12 AM	WotC is making their own rendition of the Dire Tortoise in Sandstorm.Though theirs is more like a turtle than a tortoise. http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sand_gallery/87618.jpg http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ag/20050311a&page=3
JiCi 03-12-05, 07:31 AM	Too bad I can't apply the anthropomorphic template on a dire animal. I could have made 4 anthropomorphic turtles ninjas :D :P Just kidding, couldn't resist.
Arnkel 03-18-05, 10:48 PM	Um, I have a question about their ecology. What keeps larger animals from preying on them? Galapagos tortises only evolved from lack of large fast moving predators to take down adult specimens(then humans came and thoroughly whacked most of them). I can already hear goblinoid tribes yelling "soup's on" in unison as they attempt to harry the beast, poking it with spears after driving it into its shell. After, perhaps a few weeks of struggle(or hours with magical help), the goblinoids would eventually kill the poor beast and the tribe would have all that useful stuff(the shell, bones, and meat). Eventually the little buggers(the goblinoids) would hunt the Dire tortise to extinction. Is the meat of the Dire Tortise poisonous? Do they live on isolated islands where no predation occurs? Do other races consider them sacred totemic beasts and rabidly defend dire tortises to the last of the tribe? Or do the Tortises breed so rapidly and create so MANY offspring that a few are just bound to survive in seclusion(at which point I have to wonder how the animal finds food, or another of its kind to mate with).
Chazmon 03-19-05, 08:23 AM	i think the speed should be increased to 40ft. It is a common misconception that tortoises are slow they just prefer not to do it. however the dexterity should be reduced as they just dont have reflexes On the note of getting inside the shell you er cant it just dont work like that other than that sweet idea
obrysii 03-19-05, 09:43 AM	Ah. The Dire Tortoise in Sandstorm is, well, fairly weak. I don't really like it ;) The ecology? Well, probably the same way the Dire Hippo came to exist...just happened. As for the shell, I think it fits more with the myth of turtles and tortoises hiding in their shells, to be able to completely hide.
Quarterstaff 03-19-05, 10:27 AM	Brilliant!!!!!!
oracleofbargth 03-19-05, 11:54 AM	I've been working on my own rendition of stats for the Sea Turtle, and the Dire Sea Turtle, since I had a character that got polymorphed into one. One of the books from Bastion Press had stats for a Half-Fiend Dire Turtle (more along the lines of a snapping turtle than a tortoise or sea turtle) as part of a special figurine of power. They list the stats for it somewhere on their web page as part of the sample text for the book, but I can't find the link now. I don't have the book myself, I've just been looking everywhere online for turtle stats.
moosekickedmysisterstoof 03-20-05, 03:21 PM	There's a dire tortoise in Sandstorm. The picture of it...kinda sux.
Afarian 03-20-05, 03:40 PM	Wow this must be one HUGE tortoise not to mention a well-thought out design and brilliant stat's and abilities. The only thing I might change is the Hardness for his shell--I would say 15 or 20. That would also explain why not many creature go through the trouble to hunt and kill them. I'm wondering though, What does "Dire" mean? Does it mean it's big,evil and powerful? Or just a lot bigger and more powerful than the standard creature but not nessecarily evil? As for the "dire turtle" of Sandstorm...well, I think this thing would kick it's butt. I mean, I didn't see the stats but that art sucked! The head was way too big, it looked like it is standing on it's claws with no weight on it's feet and the shell is some odd square shape!
obrysii 03-20-05, 10:07 PM	Wow this must be one HUGE tortoise not to mention a well-thought out design and brilliant stat's and abilities. The only thing I might change is the Hardness for his shell--I would say 15 or 20. That would also explain why not many creature go through the trouble to hunt and kill them. Thank you for your compliments :) I think, considering 90% of a normal campaign's population is between levels 1 to 3, that one of these things would have no problem surviving. I'm wondering though, What does "Dire" mean? Does it mean it's big,evil and powerful? Or just a lot bigger and more powerful than the standard creature but not nessecarily evil? I think in Myth it just meant bigger. In DnD, it seems to mean bigger, stronger, more powerful, and oddly placed bones jutting out of places ;)