Gamecocks: Beware the chicken! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Gamecocks: Beware the chicken! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The Vorpal Tribble
11-17-04, 01:00 AM Gamecock

http://www.judburkett.com/Cockblr.jpg

Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: 1/2d8 (2 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy)
Armor Class: 16 (+3 dex,+1 natural, +2 size), touch 15, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12
Attacks: Flurry +5 melee (1d2 -4)
Damage: Flurry +5 melee (1d2 -4)
Special Attacks: Crow, pounce
Special Qualities: Ferocity, limited flight
Face/Reach: 1 ft./1 ft.
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 16, Con 10, Wis 12, Int 2, Cha 12
Skills: Balance +9, Bluff +3, Escape Artist +7, Hide +9, Intimidate +3, Listen +3, Spot +5, Survival +7
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Climate/Terrain: Any temperate or warm land
Organization: Solitary, 2-4 Clutch, 5-20 Flock
Challenge Rating: 1/4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 1-2 HD (Tiny)
Level Adjustment: --

A gamecock is a lithe, agile fowl bred for their quickness and ornery temperment for use in fights. Their heads are small and narrow to a curved beak, and their wattles and combs are very unpronounced, having mostly been bred out of the stock as to remove an object for the rooster's opponent to grab onto. Its legs are thickly scaled, and its talons sharpened. From the inner sides of the leg grow two vicious, several inch long spurs that have had razor-sharp bits of metal fitted over to inflict more cruel damage.

Combat:
Gamecocks are naturally bluffers, pretending to peck the ground and search for food, sometimes even walking off, before suddenly flying into the air to strike its opponent with its flurry of beak, claws and spurs. They lift their feathers high and appear to increase in size to further intimidate.

Ferocity (Ex): A gamecock is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.

Crow (Ex): As a full-round action, a gamecock can utter a piercing crow that will awaken those that slumber naturally within 100 feet and can be heard out to a mile or two.

Limited Flight (Ex): A chicken is a poor flyer and generally can "fly" for short distances. It can use its flight ability to prevent taking falling damage or to fly upwards up to 20 feet. The chicken must always land at the end of its flight each round.

Pounce (Ex): When a gamecock makes a charge, it can follow with a full attack, including a spur attack (+5 melee, 1d2 damage).

Skills:
Gamecocks have a +2 racial bonus on intimidate and bluff checks, a +4 bonus to balance, escape artist, hide and spot checks, and a +6 bonus to survival checks. While in tall undergrowth this hide bonus increases to +6.

---

Now no one laugh. These guys have killed their handlers before. I raise the very breed that were traditionally used to fight, which are simply Old English Game and they are the king's of the barnyard. None of the other breeds I raise can approach them in utter bull-dogged mean-ness.

Take a look at this link to see a new story of one such incident:
Fighting **** kills handler (http://www.mindanews.com/2003/01/3rd/arn14****.html)
The Vorpal Tribble
11-17-04, 01:08 AM Ermmm... could someone turn off the censor for my link? It seems that the word 'c-o-c-k' is instantly removed and now can't link to the article :(

It is a perfectly acceptable word in this case!
m00
11-17-04, 01:33 AM Might I offer some helpful criticism? More on details than design, really.

Hit Dice: He's got 1/2 of (1d8-1), so he either has 2 hp (if you divide before you round down) or 1 hp (if you divide after you round down). Not sure if there's anything official about this sort of thing. I'd go with 1 hp or bump this guy's Con up to 10.

Armor Class: +3 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size (tiny) for a total AC of 16. Not bad for a chicken. Touch 16, flat-footed 13.

Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12

Attack: Claw +5 (+3 Dex, +2 size) melee (1d2-4)

Full Attack: 2 claws +5 melee (1d2-4) plus peck of doom! +0 melee (1d3-4)

Saves: Should be +1 Fort (+2 base, -1 Con), +5 Reflex (+2 base, +3 Dex), Will +0 (+0 base, +0 Wis).

Skills: This might be tricky. A 1 HD animal gets 2 + Int mod (in this case, 1) times 4 at first level = 4 skill points to go around. I would go: +5 Balance (no skill points), +5 Bluff (2 skill points), Intimidate +3 (no skill points), Listen +4 (no skill points), Spot +2 (2 skill points).

Oddly enough, this is very similar to the cat.
The Vorpal Tribble
11-17-04, 01:47 AM Ah, thanks, but some of what you posted has confused me:

"Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12"

By being tiny does this not make them harder to grapple?

-

"Skills: This might be tricky. A 1 HD animal gets 2 + Int mod (in this case, 1) times 4 at first level = 4 skill points to go around. I would go: +5 Balance (no skill points), +5 Bluff (2 skill points), Intimidate +3 (no skill points), Listen +4 (no skill points), Spot +2 (2 skill points)."

2+1x4 = 12 points to go around plus 12 racial points together, giving it 24 total like I have it.

-

"Full Attack: 2 claws +5 melee (1d2-4) plus peck of doom! +0 melee (1d3-4)"

Ermmm, if this is their attack then how in the world do they do 'any' damage to 'anyone'? Much less kill their handlers?
m00
11-17-04, 01:55 AM By being tiny does this not make them harder to grapple?
Yep, it makes them harder to hit with a touch attack. However, because it's small it's bad at wrestling once it does get grappled. Tiny creatures get -8 on grapple checks, combined with a -4 Str mod = -12.

"Skills: This might be tricky. A 1 HD animal gets 2 + Int mod (in this case, 1) times 4 at first level = 4 skill points to go around. I would go: +5 Balance (no skill points), +5 Bluff (2 skill points), Intimidate +3 (no skill points), Listen +4 (no skill points), Spot +2 (2 skill points)."
2+1x4 = 12 points to go around plus 12 racial points together, giving it 24 total like I have it.

2-5=1x4=4. My parenthetical note was after I did the math, not the chicken's Int modifier. Sorry for the confusion. If a chicken had a 12 Intelligence, it would indeed have 12 skill points. However, it has a measly 1 Intelligence, so he gets the minimum (1 per hit die, 4 times that for first hit die).

Ermmm, if this is their attack then how in the world do they do 'any' damage to 'anyone'? Much less kill their handlers?
Successful attacks always cause at least 1 point of damage. One full attack from this sucker and his Commoner 1 handler is chicken food. If this wasn't the case, the way you have them statted right now would also make it impossible to deal any damage.

One additional technicality: Tiny creatures have a space/reach of 2.5 ft/0 ft. Since the map is measured in 5' squares, it's impossible to have anything less than a 5' reach and more than a 0' reach.

[edit v2.0] Also, touch AC is 15 not 16... stupid me [/edit v2.0]
The Vorpal Tribble
11-17-04, 02:26 AM Many thanks, adjusted :D
The Vorpal Tribble
11-17-04, 02:28 AM Btw, do any of you guys ever see dog fights or ****-fights in your games? Seeing as how both have been a very popular entertainment since time immemorable in just about every place with chickens and/or dogs it'd probably have been quite common.

Its illegal now of course in most if not all countries because its a brutal, cruel sport, but in olden times, naw, guards probably made wagers themselves.
ermedic
11-17-04, 10:29 AM Interesting...maybe they were first tamed by a ranger named Lou Holtz. :rimshot:

Sorry for the college football reference but hey, somebody had to.

http://store.fansonly.com/marketplace/store/Vendor141/fullscale/0866507147Helmet-c.jpg
"I love living in South Carolina...Its the only place in the world where you could walk into church wearing a t-shirt that says, 'Go Cocks' and nobody would be offended." -Deuce Staley (former RB for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks)

On a more serious note, I really like the concept. Is there any chance I could borrow it (onced you've finished flushing it out) for my game. I think that my players would enjoy the idea.
The Vorpal Tribble
11-17-04, 12:46 PM I love living in South Carolina...Its the only place in the world where you could walk into church wearing a t-shirt that says, "Go Cocks" and nobody would be offended.

:twitch:

On a more serious note, I like realy like the concept. Is there any chance I could borrow it (onced you've finished flushing it out) for my game. I think that my players would enjoy the idea.

More than welcome :tiphat:
The Vorpal Tribble
11-17-04, 01:26 PM Updated it a bit. Enjoy :D
R.M.G.C.L.F.
11-17-04, 05:25 PM Make them tougher. Right now it's no more deadly than a ***** cat.
I'd up the hit die to 1, boost the con to 13 (they be nasty lil' hand and a halfs), and give them the special quality ferocity (remains concious and fights with full vigor even when reduced to zero or negative hp, still dies at -10hp)
The Vorpal Tribble
11-17-04, 09:43 PM Ferocity... hrmm, that'd work. They do generally fight till one dies, even if their combs and wattles are torn off and one of their eyes gone.

(found this out the hard way once. Two of our roosters decided to battle to the death and the loser was missing his wattles, most of his comb, a toe, and his eye was mangled. He's still alive and back to health, but he's blind on that side. Oddly enough, roosters get even more cocky when they get a deformity from fighting.)
moosekickedmysisterstoof
11-19-04, 11:12 AM I like the stats, but a rooster should have a higher Constitution score than 8. I would say atleast boost it to 10.
VorpalSledgeHammer
11-19-04, 06:04 PM Kudos to you on your efforts, and your contribution has made the D&D animal kingdom that much more complete!

Scary sidenote: Does anyone remember in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time where if you accidently killed on of the chickens, it would crow and summon a HORDE of chickens that would attack you until you were dead??? I have a player that likes to kill animals in my game. He's lost a character already in a "Cats of Ulthar"-type manner because he killed a cat for no reason. Three words: SWARM OF CHICKENS!
The Vorpal Tribble
11-19-04, 06:57 PM I like the stats, but a rooster should have a higher Constitution score than 8. I would say atleast boost it to 10.

10 would be commoner constitution. Chickens are great sprinters, and can go nuts for a few minutes, but they wear out pretty quick. I can chase a chicken for five minutes to try to get it back into its main area and it'll be panting and collapsing by then.

Also, within only about ten minutes as well into their fights they are both breathing heavy and can barely leap over the other.

Now, if this were guineafowl, I'd give them a constitution of 18 easy. Those little boogers will fight and chase at breakneck speeds for hours.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
11-19-04, 08:08 PM Constitution is not judged soley by how long you can run. You also have to take into account that the bird has to move a much greater relative speed. You've got great big towering hind legs and it's just pumping its pathetic little drumsticks. The creature has a lower movement speed by size, so it's using the run action more than you to travel the same distance in the same amount of time.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
11-19-04, 08:10 PM Also, you still need serious measures to toughen these up. Right now you've probably got the stats for a normal chicken, sans the other claw. Boost the hit die to at least 1 full hit die! Add ferocity! Up the con! Give them in increased critical threat range! Do something to toughen them up! Right now they are no more deadly than a common housecat!
The Vorpal Tribble
11-19-04, 08:17 PM I did add ferocity... however, 1 full hit die, c'mon! That'd make them tougher than the average HUMAN who only gets 1d6! :P
Edymnion
11-19-04, 09:05 PM Um, as is, one of these things still stands a very real chance of killing a lvl 1 wizard in straight up melee combat...
Raymond_Luxury_Yacht
11-19-04, 11:01 PM Um, as is, one of these things still stands a very real chance of killing a lvl 1 wizard in straight up melee combat...
So does a kitty. In fact, so does everything.
The Vorpal Tribble
11-19-04, 11:23 PM :rofl:
dengarbountyhunter
05-14-06, 03:31 PM why not make a weapon for 'em? roosterfight trainers to putting blades on their talons is not unheard of!

talon blades
light simple weapon (for roosters, raptorans and such; creatures without talon-like legs can't wear them)
1d6 (Tiny would be 1d3) slashing, critical 20/x2

The talon blades are basically metal blades that are strapped to the legs of creatures with birdlike legs.

--
and what would a wizard with a rooster familiar look like :D ?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The Vorpal Tribble 11-17-04, 01:00 AM	Gamecock http://www.judburkett.com/Cockblr.jpg Tiny Animal Hit Dice: 1/2d8 (2 hp) Initiative: +3 Speed: 20 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy) Armor Class: 16 (+3 dex,+1 natural, +2 size), touch 15, flat-footed 13 Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12 Attacks: Flurry +5 melee (1d2 -4) Damage: Flurry +5 melee (1d2 -4) Special Attacks: Crow, pounce Special Qualities: Ferocity, limited flight Face/Reach: 1 ft./1 ft. Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +1 Abilities: Str 3, Dex 16, Con 10, Wis 12, Int 2, Cha 12 Skills: Balance +9, Bluff +3, Escape Artist +7, Hide +9, Intimidate +3, Listen +3, Spot +5, Survival +7 Feats: Weapon Finesse Climate/Terrain: Any temperate or warm land Organization: Solitary, 2-4 Clutch, 5-20 Flock Challenge Rating: 1/4 Treasure: None Alignment: Always Neutral Advancement: 1-2 HD (Tiny) Level Adjustment: -- A gamecock is a lithe, agile fowl bred for their quickness and ornery temperment for use in fights. Their heads are small and narrow to a curved beak, and their wattles and combs are very unpronounced, having mostly been bred out of the stock as to remove an object for the rooster's opponent to grab onto. Its legs are thickly scaled, and its talons sharpened. From the inner sides of the leg grow two vicious, several inch long spurs that have had razor-sharp bits of metal fitted over to inflict more cruel damage. Combat: Gamecocks are naturally bluffers, pretending to peck the ground and search for food, sometimes even walking off, before suddenly flying into the air to strike its opponent with its flurry of beak, claws and spurs. They lift their feathers high and appear to increase in size to further intimidate. Ferocity (Ex): A gamecock is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying. Crow (Ex): As a full-round action, a gamecock can utter a piercing crow that will awaken those that slumber naturally within 100 feet and can be heard out to a mile or two. Limited Flight (Ex): A chicken is a poor flyer and generally can "fly" for short distances. It can use its flight ability to prevent taking falling damage or to fly upwards up to 20 feet. The chicken must always land at the end of its flight each round. Pounce (Ex): When a gamecock makes a charge, it can follow with a full attack, including a spur attack (+5 melee, 1d2 damage). Skills: Gamecocks have a +2 racial bonus on intimidate and bluff checks, a +4 bonus to balance, escape artist, hide and spot checks, and a +6 bonus to survival checks. While in tall undergrowth this hide bonus increases to +6. --- Now no one laugh. These guys have killed their handlers before. I raise the very breed that were traditionally used to fight, which are simply Old English Game and they are the king's of the barnyard. None of the other breeds I raise can approach them in utter bull-dogged mean-ness. Take a look at this link to see a new story of one such incident: Fighting ** kills handler (http://www.mindanews.com/2003/01/3rd/arn14**.html)
The Vorpal Tribble 11-17-04, 01:08 AM	Ermmm... could someone turn off the censor for my link? It seems that the word 'c-o-c-k' is instantly removed and now can't link to the article :( It is a perfectly acceptable word in this case!
m00 11-17-04, 01:33 AM	Might I offer some helpful criticism? More on details than design, really. Hit Dice: He's got 1/2 of (1d8-1), so he either has 2 hp (if you divide before you round down) or 1 hp (if you divide after you round down). Not sure if there's anything official about this sort of thing. I'd go with 1 hp or bump this guy's Con up to 10. Armor Class: +3 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size (tiny) for a total AC of 16. Not bad for a chicken. Touch 16, flat-footed 13. Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12 Attack: Claw +5 (+3 Dex, +2 size) melee (1d2-4) Full Attack: 2 claws +5 melee (1d2-4) plus peck of doom! +0 melee (1d3-4) Saves: Should be +1 Fort (+2 base, -1 Con), +5 Reflex (+2 base, +3 Dex), Will +0 (+0 base, +0 Wis). Skills: This might be tricky. A 1 HD animal gets 2 + Int mod (in this case, 1) times 4 at first level = 4 skill points to go around. I would go: +5 Balance (no skill points), +5 Bluff (2 skill points), Intimidate +3 (no skill points), Listen +4 (no skill points), Spot +2 (2 skill points). Oddly enough, this is very similar to the cat.
The Vorpal Tribble 11-17-04, 01:47 AM	Ah, thanks, but some of what you posted has confused me: "Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12" By being tiny does this not make them harder to grapple? - "Skills: This might be tricky. A 1 HD animal gets 2 + Int mod (in this case, 1) times 4 at first level = 4 skill points to go around. I would go: +5 Balance (no skill points), +5 Bluff (2 skill points), Intimidate +3 (no skill points), Listen +4 (no skill points), Spot +2 (2 skill points)." 2+1x4 = 12 points to go around plus 12 racial points together, giving it 24 total like I have it. - "Full Attack: 2 claws +5 melee (1d2-4) plus peck of doom! +0 melee (1d3-4)" Ermmm, if this is their attack then how in the world do they do 'any' damage to 'anyone'? Much less kill their handlers?
m00 11-17-04, 01:55 AM	By being tiny does this not make them harder to grapple? Yep, it makes them harder to hit with a touch attack. However, because it's small it's bad at wrestling once it does get grappled. Tiny creatures get -8 on grapple checks, combined with a -4 Str mod = -12. "Skills: This might be tricky. A 1 HD animal gets 2 + Int mod (in this case, 1) times 4 at first level = 4 skill points to go around. I would go: +5 Balance (no skill points), +5 Bluff (2 skill points), Intimidate +3 (no skill points), Listen +4 (no skill points), Spot +2 (2 skill points)." 2+1x4 = 12 points to go around plus 12 racial points together, giving it 24 total like I have it. 2-5=1x4=4. My parenthetical note was after I did the math, not the chicken's Int modifier. Sorry for the confusion. If a chicken had a 12 Intelligence, it would indeed have 12 skill points. However, it has a measly 1 Intelligence, so he gets the minimum (1 per hit die, 4 times that for first hit die). Ermmm, if this is their attack then how in the world do they do 'any' damage to 'anyone'? Much less kill their handlers? Successful attacks always cause at least 1 point of damage. One full attack from this sucker and his Commoner 1 handler is chicken food. If this wasn't the case, the way you have them statted right now would also make it impossible to deal any damage. One additional technicality: Tiny creatures have a space/reach of 2.5 ft/0 ft. Since the map is measured in 5' squares, it's impossible to have anything less than a 5' reach and more than a 0' reach. [edit v2.0] Also, touch AC is 15 not 16... stupid me [/edit v2.0]
The Vorpal Tribble 11-17-04, 02:26 AM	Many thanks, adjusted :D
The Vorpal Tribble 11-17-04, 02:28 AM	Btw, do any of you guys ever see dog fights or ****-fights in your games? Seeing as how both have been a very popular entertainment since time immemorable in just about every place with chickens and/or dogs it'd probably have been quite common. Its illegal now of course in most if not all countries because its a brutal, cruel sport, but in olden times, naw, guards probably made wagers themselves.
ermedic 11-17-04, 10:29 AM	Interesting...maybe they were first tamed by a ranger named Lou Holtz. :rimshot: Sorry for the college football reference but hey, somebody had to. http://store.fansonly.com/marketplace/store/Vendor141/fullscale/0866507147Helmet-c.jpg "I love living in South Carolina...Its the only place in the world where you could walk into church wearing a t-shirt that says, 'Go Cocks' and nobody would be offended." -Deuce Staley (former RB for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks) On a more serious note, I really like the concept. Is there any chance I could borrow it (onced you've finished flushing it out) for my game. I think that my players would enjoy the idea.
The Vorpal Tribble 11-17-04, 12:46 PM	I love living in South Carolina...Its the only place in the world where you could walk into church wearing a t-shirt that says, "Go Cocks" and nobody would be offended. :twitch: On a more serious note, I like realy like the concept. Is there any chance I could borrow it (onced you've finished flushing it out) for my game. I think that my players would enjoy the idea. More than welcome :tiphat:
The Vorpal Tribble 11-17-04, 01:26 PM	Updated it a bit. Enjoy :D
R.M.G.C.L.F. 11-17-04, 05:25 PM	Make them tougher. Right now it's no more deadly than a ***** cat. I'd up the hit die to 1, boost the con to 13 (they be nasty lil' hand and a halfs), and give them the special quality ferocity (remains concious and fights with full vigor even when reduced to zero or negative hp, still dies at -10hp)
The Vorpal Tribble 11-17-04, 09:43 PM	Ferocity... hrmm, that'd work. They do generally fight till one dies, even if their combs and wattles are torn off and one of their eyes gone. (found this out the hard way once. Two of our roosters decided to battle to the death and the loser was missing his wattles, most of his comb, a toe, and his eye was mangled. He's still alive and back to health, but he's blind on that side. Oddly enough, roosters get even more cocky when they get a deformity from fighting.)
moosekickedmysisterstoof 11-19-04, 11:12 AM	I like the stats, but a rooster should have a higher Constitution score than 8. I would say atleast boost it to 10.
VorpalSledgeHammer 11-19-04, 06:04 PM	Kudos to you on your efforts, and your contribution has made the D&D animal kingdom that much more complete! Scary sidenote: Does anyone remember in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time where if you accidently killed on of the chickens, it would crow and summon a HORDE of chickens that would attack you until you were dead??? I have a player that likes to kill animals in my game. He's lost a character already in a "Cats of Ulthar"-type manner because he killed a cat for no reason. Three words: SWARM OF CHICKENS!
The Vorpal Tribble 11-19-04, 06:57 PM	I like the stats, but a rooster should have a higher Constitution score than 8. I would say atleast boost it to 10. 10 would be commoner constitution. Chickens are great sprinters, and can go nuts for a few minutes, but they wear out pretty quick. I can chase a chicken for five minutes to try to get it back into its main area and it'll be panting and collapsing by then. Also, within only about ten minutes as well into their fights they are both breathing heavy and can barely leap over the other. Now, if this were guineafowl, I'd give them a constitution of 18 easy. Those little boogers will fight and chase at breakneck speeds for hours.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 11-19-04, 08:08 PM	Constitution is not judged soley by how long you can run. You also have to take into account that the bird has to move a much greater relative speed. You've got great big towering hind legs and it's just pumping its pathetic little drumsticks. The creature has a lower movement speed by size, so it's using the run action more than you to travel the same distance in the same amount of time.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 11-19-04, 08:10 PM	Also, you still need serious measures to toughen these up. Right now you've probably got the stats for a normal chicken, sans the other claw. Boost the hit die to at least 1 full hit die! Add ferocity! Up the con! Give them in increased critical threat range! Do something to toughen them up! Right now they are no more deadly than a common housecat!
The Vorpal Tribble 11-19-04, 08:17 PM	I did add ferocity... however, 1 full hit die, c'mon! That'd make them tougher than the average HUMAN who only gets 1d6! :P
Edymnion 11-19-04, 09:05 PM	Um, as is, one of these things still stands a very real chance of killing a lvl 1 wizard in straight up melee combat...
Raymond_Luxury_Yacht 11-19-04, 11:01 PM	Um, as is, one of these things still stands a very real chance of killing a lvl 1 wizard in straight up melee combat... So does a kitty. In fact, so does everything.
The Vorpal Tribble 11-19-04, 11:23 PM	:rofl:
dengarbountyhunter 05-14-06, 03:31 PM	why not make a weapon for 'em? roosterfight trainers to putting blades on their talons is not unheard of! talon blades light simple weapon (for roosters, raptorans and such; creatures without talon-like legs can't wear them) 1d6 (Tiny would be 1d3) slashing, critical 20/x2 The talon blades are basically metal blades that are strapped to the legs of creatures with birdlike legs. -- and what would a wizard with a rooster familiar look like :D ?