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The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-04, 08:24 PM
Racing Snail

Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10+16 (38 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (+7 natural, -1 size), touch 9, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+12
Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+6)
Full Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Trample
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., shell, scent, steady tread, tally ho
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 11, Con 18, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 9
Skills: Climb +13, Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: Endurance, Run
Environment: Temperate Forest
Organization: Solitary or Rout (3-6 racing snails)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually true neutral
Advancement: 5-10 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -

Racing snails appear much as normal snails though several thousand times larger so that a tall man's head would just meet the arch of its spiraled shell. At the base, directly behind the head, the shell curls into itself, giving sufficient space for a medium-sized creature to sit. The skin is leathery and coated in a clear, sticky slime. Unlike normal snails it has a true head, with mild eyes on the end of long stalks that reveal a spark of true intelligence.

Racing snails are strange and wonderous creatures that have been bred for centuries to increase their already impressive rate of locomotion. Generating enormous qualities of incredibly slick slime they are able to further increase their speed.

A racing snail's demeanors are anything but hostile, combining a natural docility with a propensity for skittishness. Thus a handler's jump is more an exercise in teaching bravery and restraint than actual domestication.
Natural racing snails exist in the wilds, though most are descended from an escaped domesticated snail.

Racing snails can speak very simple words in the language of their rider. They weigh nearly a ton and are nearly 10 feet long from head to tail. A racing snail's shell reaches just over 6 feet in height.

Combat
Racing snails are flighty creatures who prefer speed to battle. If cornered or wielding a trusted rider however it gains courage enough to attempt to run down any opponent, crushing it below its considerable weight.

Shell (Ex): As a full-round action a racing snail can curl into its own shell. It can take no actions but gains complete concealment. Its shell may be sundered however. The shell is three inches thick and has 10 hit points per inch, with a hardness of 8. A damaged shell is considered a second entity for the purpose of repairing itself, healing at half the speed as the rest of the snail (minimum 1 hp per day).

Tally Ho (Ex): Once per hour, a racing snail can move eight times its normal speed (400 feet) for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round). A racing snail cannot sprint while carrying a medium or heavier load or while fatigued or exhausted. They can exert themselves to sprint for up to twice as long, but then they are fatigued at the of their race.

Steady Tread (Ex):
A racing snail spends its entire life on its slick slime. As a result it is unaffected by slippery surfaces such as ice or a Grease spell. Because of its shape it is also incapable of being tripped.

Trample (Ex): A racing snail can trample creatures one or more sizes smaller than itself, dealing damage equal to its slam attack. Opponents who do not make attacks of opportunity against the snail can attempt Reflex saves (DC 16) to halve the damage. The save DC is Strength-based.

Skills: Racing snails have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Training a Racing Snail

Although marginally intelligent, a racing snail requires training before it can bear a rider in combat. To be trained, a racing snail must have a friendly attitude toward the trainer (this can be achieved through a successful Diplomacy check). Training a friendly racing snail requires six weeks of work and a DC 25 Handle Animal check. Riding a racing snail requires an exotic saddle. A racing snail can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.

Racing snail eggs are worth 3,000 gp apiece on the open market, while their young are worth 4,500 gp each. Professional trainers charge 1,500 gp to rear or train a racing snail.

Carrying Capacity: A light load for a racing snail is up to 348 pounds; a medium load, 349–699 pounds; and a heavy load, 700–1050 pounds. A racing snail can drag 5,250 pounds.

Fax Celestis
2006-08-04, 08:31 PM
...what on earth...

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-04, 08:32 PM
...what on earth...
*harumphs*

You telling me you never seen the Neverending Story movie or read the book? :o

Fax Celestis
2006-08-04, 08:37 PM
*harumphs*

You telling me you never seen the Neverending Story movie or read the book? :o
I have. the "what on earth"-ing wasn't about the snail. It was about what you were smoking when you thought this one up. I mean, it's barely lethal! Come on, VT, you're losing your ooky "lookit the cute thing that'll eat your face" mojo. ;)

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-04, 08:43 PM
I have. the "what on earth"-ing wasn't about the snail. It was about what you were smoking when you thought this one up. I mean, it's barely lethal! Come on, VT, you're losing your ooky "lookit the cute thing that'll eat your face" mojo. ;)
Actually, I'm aiming for that. I like it to be shown I'm not limited to the maniacal and slavering.

I can actually make helpful and beneficial beasts for a world to y'know ;)

Fax Celestis
2006-08-04, 08:48 PM
Actually, I'm aiming for that. I like it to be shown I'm not limited to the maniacal and slavering.

I can actually make helpful and beneficial beasts for a world to y'know ;)
Alright, then I have a task for you. Create the following: An ooze that heals people; a celestial that protects nature but destroys civilization (and remains CG at worst); a pacifist undead; and a plant that tends to the creatures of the forest (but is a total slouch in combat).

Go!

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-04, 09:57 PM
Alright, then I have a task for you. Create the following: An ooze that heals people

Go!

*tries to hide a huge grin at the delicious evil you've inspired*

Golden Miasma (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=homebrew;action=display;num=11547429 51)

Fax Celestis
2006-08-04, 10:02 PM
*tries to hide his evil grin at the delicious evil you've inspired*

Golden Miasma (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=homebrew;action=display;num=11547429 51)
I like being inspirational.

Delcan
2006-08-04, 10:49 PM
YES. Racing Snail FTW.

I'm stealing these instantly.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-05, 10:45 AM
YES. Racing Snail FTW.

I'm stealing these instantly.
Let me know how it goes, yes? ;)

chaiyo
2006-08-05, 05:35 PM
:o Vorpal Tribble, you have inspired me to make Monstrous Snails.

No one steal my idea.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-05, 05:39 PM
:o Vorpal Tribble, you have inspired me to make Monstrous Snails.

No one steal my idea.
Just out of curiosity, what would a giant snail be able to do? The only reason these guys aren't laughed at is that they can run right over you.

TheThan
2006-08-05, 05:47 PM
They can creep out all kinds of little girls… or some kind of weird elvish delicacy. Anyway I applaud your genius VT.

endoperez
2006-08-05, 05:50 PM
Just out of curiosity, what would a giant snail be able to do? The only reason these guys aren't laughed at is that they can run right over you.

IIRC, snails have some kind of teeth for devouring plant matter. A Monstrous Snail would be carnivorous, use some kind of acid or paralyzing poison/slime to catch its prey, then swallow the corpse or the creature as with Swallow Whole, and hide in its shell. If it had Climb speed and climbed, say, up a cliffside, then curled inside its shell...

chaiyo
2006-08-05, 06:11 PM
IIRC, snails have some kind of teeth for devouring plant matter. A Monstrous Snail would be carnivorous, use some kind of acid or paralyzing poison/slime to catch its prey, then swallow the corpse or the creature as with Swallow Whole, and hide in its shell. If it had Climb speed and climbed, say, up a cliffside, then curled inside its shell...

...What he said. Also, they'd probably get trample too.

Mike_Lemmer
2006-08-06, 01:15 AM
If I were a giant snail, I would hide in my shell until the first naive adventurer pokes his head in to see if it's vacant.

Then I'd bite his head off.

For kicks, I'd give the shell hardness and magical reflection too.

ghost_warlock
2006-08-06, 06:25 AM
Eye rays, each a free attack each round. One disintegrate, the other dominate monster. If it focuses both eye rays on a single creature at the same time, it instead grants a heal effect. ;D

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-06, 08:39 AM
...What he said. Also, they'd probably get trample too.
Well, I assumed if one was to make a giant snail it would be mainly a larger version of the little one, which would mean all the slime and acid producing in the world still isn't going to work if it can't get near you ;)

Aez
2006-08-06, 09:59 AM
Racing snails appear much as normal snails though several thousand times larger so that a tall man's head would just meet the arch of its spiraled shell.


Hate to be nitpicking but a 2000/1 or a 3000/1 snail would probably start an era of massive global instinction. It would block the rays of the sun, tip the axe of the planet, eat all the vegetation in a couple of days and crush everything in the process.

For a reference, look at the scale of those mini car models :
http://dwki.en.alibaba.com/product/0/50472813/1_52_R_C_Racers.html

Peregrine
2006-08-06, 10:56 AM
Hate to be nitpicking but a 2000/1 or a 3000/1 snail would probably start an era of massive global instinction. It would block the rays of the sun, tip the axe of the planet, eat all the vegetation in a couple of days and crush everything in the process.

For a reference, look at the scale of those mini car models :
http://dwki.en.alibaba.com/product/0/50472813/1_52_R_C_Racers.html
That depends on whether we're talking scales of length (as with cars) or scales with volume when talking about the big snails being several thousand times "larger". Personally I suspect it's volume, which makes sense. A 1:52 scale model car is 1:523, or 1:140608, in terms of volume. A giant snail that's larger by a factor of 3000 (by volume) is merely 14:1 or so.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-30, 11:12 PM
*ponders why so many of his creatures ends up with a debate on mathematics*

;)

LordOfNarf
2006-08-31, 01:59 AM
VT, you truly deprive us by not being in MitP, you do some of the best work on these boards, both in creation and presentation and concept. (ok, so there feilds, I don't belive that bad grammar is illegal.

(Noone flame me, I said among it's not like i'm assigning a top ten list or anything

Winged One
2006-08-31, 02:40 AM
VT, you truly deprive us by not being in MitP, you do some of the best work on these boards, both in creation and presentation and concept.
Quoted For Truth.

LordOfNarf
2006-08-31, 11:59 AM
*ponders why so many of his creatures ends up with a debate on mathematics*

;)

its probably because the thype who is attracted to DnD is smarter than average, and the people on these boards have waaaaaay too much free time, you fill it with making monsters, they fill it by bickering over anotimocal and physical mathematics of such monsters in an escapist fantasy role playing game.