Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ront Iron-Roar 04-26-06, 07:34 PM	I was inspired to make this monster a while back when I watched an episode of the Most Extreme dealing with the fastest animals. Surprisingly enough, the Tiger Beetle was up there in speed relative to its size. As well, studies have shown that Tiger Beetles can move so fast that they literally go blind temporarily from how fast they travel. Giant Tiger Beetle Medium Vermin Hit Dice: 5d8+ 10 ( 36) Initiative: +4 Speed: 60 ft. Fly 30 ft (Average.) Armor Class: 20 ( +4 Dex, +6 natural) Touch: 14 Flat-Footed: 16 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/ +6 Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d8+4) Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d8+4 or Powerful Charge 1d8+4 plus 1d8) Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft. Special Attacks: Blinding Charge, Improved Grab, Powerful Charge. Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 feet, Scent, vermin traits. Saves: Fort +6 Ref +5 Will +2 Abilities: Str 16 Dex 18 Con 14 Int – Wis 13 Cha 8 Feats: Mobility* Skills: -- Environment: Any temperate coast or plain. Organization: Solitary, Pair, or Raid (3-8) Challenge Rating: 4 Treasure: -- Alignment: Always Neutral Advancement: 6-10 HD (Medium) 11-15 HD (Large) Level Adjustment: -- The increasingly loud sound of dozens of feet digging into the sand and grit heralds the approach of an enormous man-sized beetle with metallic green chitin and large black eyes. Its serrated mandibles held open wide and ready to ensnare a target in their lethal grip. Its dark and blank eyes seem to stare straight through the party members as it closes the distance between it and a party member with incredible speed. Then as soon as it had appeared it clamps its jaws around its victim and proceeds to pin it to the ground all of this happening in a blur of movement. Giant Tiger Beetles are fast and ravenous predators who are not very picky about what they attack and kill. Their great size and speed even allowing them to hunt down fast moving creatures such as horses. An adult specimen tends to stand about 4 feet tall and is generally 6 feet in length from the tip of its pronounced mandibles all the way down to the tip of its abdomen. Larger specimens have been found, their larger size granted them a longer stride and an even greater hunger. Giant Tiger Beetles have become particular nuisances for merchants and on the rare occassion large groups of these fast-moving vermin can devour entire wagon trains over a span of a couple of days. Combat Giant Tiger Beetles hardly discriminate between prey. Preferring to charge in with a Blinding Charge (or a normal charge when there isn't adequate room for a Blinding Charge) to take advantage of the amount of damage they can deal before using their Improved Grab to pin and finish off their victims. When able to they will carry off their dead victim if not they fight until either they or their opponents have died. Blinding Charge (Ex): When Charging a Giant Tiger Beetle can elect to turn their charge into a Blinding Charge. Treat this ability as a normal charge in all respects except that a Giant Tiger Beetle can move up to to 4 times it speed during the charge instead of the normal 2 times the speed. For each 10 feet a Giant Tiger Beetle moves during a Blinding Charge it gains an additional +1 on attack rolls do to its incredible speed. In addition, upon a successful hit it deals double damage with its bite attack. After using Blinding Charge a Giant Tiger Beetle is blind for 1 round. Improved Grab(Ex): To use this ability, an Giant Tiger Beetle must hit an opponent of up to Large size or smaller with a bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and automatically deals bite damage each round the grapple is maintained. Powerful Charge (Ex): When a Giant Tiger Beetle charges or uses a Blinding Charge, if its bite attack hits, it deals an additional 1d8 damage. * Bonus Feat.
savant_warlord13 04-26-06, 08:01 PM	Tiger beetles are purely crash predators. They run in and bite you. I would remove the dodge feat Also, Tiger Beetles are only effectively blind from running while doing so because they cannot process images fast enough. Once they stop they are fine.
Ront Iron-Roar 04-26-06, 08:45 PM	Tiger beetles are purely crash predators. They run in and bite you. I would remove the dodge feat Also, Tiger Beetles are only effectively blind from running while doing so because they cannot process images fast enough. Once they stop they are fine. More or less I gave them the Dodge feat because its a prerequisite to the Mobility. I guess I should change the Blindness thing...though how would it affect thier CR?
dengarbountyhunter 04-26-06, 09:06 PM	the problem with a Medium-sized superfast creature is that you can be SURE your halfling PC will want one as a mount...
Ront Iron-Roar 04-26-06, 09:18 PM	the problem with a Medium-sized superfast creature is that you can be SURE your halfling PC will want one as a mount... Actually, in my origional thoughts on the description I was going to put in how they were terrors to halfling society. There was also thought of an Ebberon reference where Halflings on the Talenta plains ride them occassionally. Now, what would be fun is a Vermin Keeper/ Druid Halfling with a Tiger Beetle.
savant_warlord13 04-27-06, 04:15 PM	Vermin cannot be trained for riding
OamuTheMonk 04-27-06, 10:10 PM	One, since Mobility is already a bonus feat, there is no need to meet the prerequisites. Two, you should drop Blind-fight, but reduce the post-charge blindness to a flat 1 round. This will not affect CR in any meaningful way. Powerful charge can simply be a SA (which I think it started life as), rather than a feat. Two to five seems pretty light for a swarm. Besides, a swarm in D&D has very specific characteristics. You should change the group name to smething more evocative, like a Clique, a Pounce, or a Gnash. I like it. A good, solid creature well-suited to it's niche and environment.
Ront Iron-Roar 04-27-06, 11:12 PM	One, since Mobility is already a bonus feat, there is no need to meet the prerequisites. Two, you should drop Blind-fight, but reduce the post-charge blindness to a flat 1 round. This will not affect CR in any meaningful way. Powerful charge can simply be a SA (which I think it started life as), rather than a feat. Two to five seems pretty light for a swarm. Besides, a swarm in D&D has very specific characteristics. You should change the group name to smething more evocative, like a Clique, a Pounce, or a Gnash. I like it. A good, solid creature well-suited to it's niche and environment. Very well then. I changed the name to Raid (3-8) I didn't want them to have anymore. Simply, because of how voracious they are and considering the amount of prey they need. Being that thier larger size and thier metabolism would need to be higher to support such a larger body and thier bursts of speed.
Morka 04-28-06, 08:27 AM	Blinding Charge (Ex): (...) In addition, upon a successful hit it deals double damage with its bite attack. Powerful Charge (Ex): When a Giant Tiger Beetle charges or uses a Blinding Charge, if its bite attack hits, it deals an additional 1d8 damage. Can they use Powerful Charge in addition to Blinding Charge? Does dudes would deal 3d8+8 damage on a charge? (1d8+4 x2) + (1d8)? Perhaps should you drop Powerful Charge?
dengarbountyhunter 04-28-06, 11:25 PM	sorry guys, the latter doesn't have ANY link with this thread, but I am so noob that I do not know how to send a personal message, so... hey morka, are you from Montreal or something? t'écoutes tu les séries ces temps-ci?
Ront Iron-Roar 04-29-06, 02:35 AM	Can they use Powerful Charge in addition to Blinding Charge? Does dudes would deal 3d8+8 damage on a charge? (1d8+4 x2) + (1d8)? Perhaps should you drop Powerful Charge? Nah, I wanted them to be devastating upon thier first strike. So yes Powerful Charge and Blinding Charge work together and yes the roll of the extra 1d8 is added in before the damage is double and then it and the bite damage are both doubled. As stated above Tiger beetles are crash predators. I really wanted these guys to be a menace.