Making an Animal with "Jaws Syndrome" [3.5]

[Tokuhara]

I have to make an encounter that will truly give my players some fear.

For definition: "Jaws Syndrome" is a seemingly normal animal with slightly above normal intelligence, increased ferosity, and seemingly impossible physique and possibly unrealistic size. Animals with "Jaws Syndrome" are capable of normally impossible feats, such as dragging barrels underwater, ect.

What I want is a scary animal (as in a legitemate animal) that has a Jaws-like quality

[Thurbane]

Problem is, any template (or spell, or anything else) that boosts it's INT will mean it's not technically an animal any more (often becoming a magical beast).

I'm sure there are some templates that would make an animal more scary in combat without increasing INT, though...

[iDM]

A giant, intelligent, extra-powerful hyena would be scary.

[Thurbane]

If you don't mind the type changing to Aberration, Spellwarped is a good template for scary "animals".

Horrid Creature and Voidmind are options, too.

[Sindri]

There are a wide variety of good templates for that in the Silverthorne Games Book of Templates...

Bloodrager from the Bestiary of Krynn is good; it's basically super-rabies, with good bonuses to most stats, increased natural weapon damage, Rage, etc.

For something similar to Jaws you probably don't want to actually increase Int (which would also change the creature type). The shark in question never wrote poetry or built anything; if it had been intelligent in the same way as a human was then it would have been easy to outsmart. Rather it used pure animal cunning, which was something the heroes never expected. That's not stats, it's roleplaying and it's hard to do right when the monster needs to think differently from how you do.

[Xuc Xac]

The Monsternomicon volume 1 for Iron Kingdoms has "quickplates" for making boosts to creatures in various ways. For example, "alpha hunter", "bloodthirsty", "stealthy", and "tough". The book is out of print, but I think it's available as a PDF now.

[Thurbane]

ADVANCED SPELLWARPED DIRE BEAR
Huge Aberration

Hit Dice: 18d8+165 (246 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (–2 size, +1 Dex, +12 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+37
Attack: Claw +30 melee (3d6+16)
Full Attack: 2 claws +30 melee (3d6+16) and bite +24 melee (3d8+8)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, spell absorption, spell resistance 29
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +12, Will +12
Abilities: Str 43, Dex 13, Con 28, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Listen +12, Spot +12, Swim +21
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Power Attack, Run, Toughness, Weapon Focus (claw)
Challenge Rating: 12
Alignment: Neutral evil

[Vangor]

Magebred, Horrid (both templates from Eberron Campaign Setting) Dire Crocodile (Giant Crocodile, but add a couple of HD and natural armor to consider "dire") should give you a menacing, intelligent enough animal. Makes the animal more heavily armored with much better health and an ability to replenish more health day to day, plus a little more dangerous. Add this to a crocodile which is a patient hunter which drags people to drown in murky waters, and you have a threat for a low party.

[arrowhen]

You don't need a template. For "bigger and stronger", just give it more hit dice. For "more ferocious", just have it act more ferocious.

[ShadowsGrnEyes]

many animals have advancment. . . advance somthing scary. . . like a bear. to the next size larger in its advancment. you therfor have a normal bear that is bigger better and scarier than the average bear. give it some fun cosmetics like a crazy scar or weird fur coloring or a crazy broken fang and POOF the "jaws" bear if born

[Keld Denar]

Dewd Thurbane...your bear...it qualifies for Rapid Strike (Draconomnomnomnomnomnomnomicon). DOOOOO ITTTT!!!! Nothing scarier than a flurry of huggy claws...

[Xefas]

In my mind, being something normal that is bigger, angrier, and more intelligent is only part of the reason the monster from Jaws was scary.

The other part was that it was aquatic. It lives in a domain that is naturally hostile for humans (they can't breathe and have to continually expend large amounts of energy just to keep from drowning), were a human to enter, their abilities of perception and movement would be greatly reduced, leaving them that much more vulnerable.

To top it off, you can't lure the beast *out* of that hostile environment. It's not an option. Of course, the beast can't get to you if you just stay on land. That's part of the dread. The characters have to make a conscious choice to put their lives in danger whenever they go out on the water, when it would be so much easier to just give up, forget about it, and take the easy way out (leave). They have to re-evaluate what is so important to them that they would risk their lives every time they hop in a boat to go after the beast.

A big angry bear is scary, sure. But not really all that much more scary than a guy with a sword, or a maybe two gnomes stacked on top of each other with a sword.

[Enguhl]

Add dire. Problem solved. Though the animal must also develop a taste for boats...

[averagejoe]

A deinonychus or bloodstriker in a jungle, capable of setting up ambushes.

[hamishspence]

many animals have advancment. . . advance somthing scary. . . like a bear. to the next size larger in its advancment. you therfor have a normal bear that is bigger better and scarier than the average bear. give it some fun cosmetics like a crazy scar or weird fur coloring or a crazy broken fang and POOF the "jaws" bear if born

Shardik might be a good name for it- after the bear in the Richard Adams book.

[Bharg]

Where is thar Jaws Syndrom from?

Or use an alien monster like in outlander.

[Prime32]

I believe there was a debate over what happens when an animal uses the ability boost every 4 levels to increase its Int. Or someone casts fox's cunning on an animal.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Add dire. Problem solved. Though the animal must also develop a taste for boats...

Agreed Jaws syndrome is easily explained via Dire Animals.

[JaronK]

Dire is pretty much made for this, but Legendary works too.

JaronK

[Lord Loss]

Dire is good for this, but If you want a little more pow, you throw on spellwarped.

[Thurbane]

Dewd Thurbane...your bear...it qualifies for Rapid Strike (Draconomnomnomnomnomnomnomicon). DOOOOO ITTTT!!!! Nothing scarier than a flurry of huggy claws...
I like it! :smallbiggrin:

http://i36.tinypic.com/i23bpt.gif

[Tokuhara]

For the record, "Jaws Syndrome" or "The Jaws Effect" was a term my buddy and I coined after Jurassic Park 3, when we looked back on the seemingly human-like intellect of the Veloceraptors, and then to all movies with animals as the "BBEGs" and saw that those that were kind of the "bad guys" (Raptors, Jaws, Piranhas, ect.) showed above-average size, strength, endurance, cunning, and ferosity.

Also, this is intended to face down my currently 3rd level Gestalt party, who's antics have actually destroyed my story, killing the NPCs I needed to keep the story rolling.

Here's the party I have to contend with (builds told to me by players)

- Elf Mystic Ranger 10/Scout 10//Non-Wildshape Druid 20
- Gnome Diviner 20//Warblade 20
- Elan Cleric 20//Ardent 20
- Neraph SA Fighter 20//Rogue 20
- Hellbred (Spirit) Bard 10/Sublime Chord 10//Paladin of Freedom 5/Holy Liberator 10/Pious Templar 5 (only char I allowed PrCs, due to the sheer crappyness of his original class combo)

[subject42]

I'm going to echo Vangor and Xephas here. The root of fear for most of these creatures isn't that they're big, tough, and intelligent, but rather that they are more at home in the environment than humans, utterly implacable, and have suddenly developed a distinct interest in you.

Outside of the velociraptors in Jurassic Park, most horror-movie animals act with uncanny cunning, rather than intelligence. Don't forget that animals tend to have extremely high wisdom scores, as well as different methods of perceiving the world. Play that up as much as possible. Just through reading body language and involuntary muscular twitches, they can sense your actions almost as quickly as you can formulate them.

Also, don't forget that animals have senses that are considerably better than humans. A deer, for example, can freaking hear you blink.

If you want to make a high-level animal encounter feel scary, you're going to need to do more than just make a monster. You're going to need to make your mightily-powerful PCs feel powerless. Not only that, but they have to feel like intruders in a world that isn't theirs.

As a quick example, I would sketch up something like the following:


The players need to explore a deep cave. Due to an underground river there is a continuous breeze blowing through it that plays havoc with torches, leaving magical light as the only option.

When the first PC casts Light, have dozens (maybe swarms) of forearm-long venomous insects swarm the light source, recognizing easy meat.

The fight between the PCs and the insectile swarm should stir up man-sized bats that have lived in the cave long enough to be perfectly adapted to it. They can fly without difficulty while the PCs have to fight with difficult, bug-corpse-slicked terrain. They can perfectly see in the dark out to immense distances with echolocation, while the party must be content with 60' darkvision at best unless they want to draw the swarm of insects. The bats should latch onto the players and immediately begin draining their blood (con damage), using withdraw actions when attacked. (For the sake of convenience, have the bats survive two average hits or one solid hit)

Continue the harrying for a bit, but eventually have all of the bats withdraw with a frightened squeak. Shortly after that, have the real stalking begin.

Have a quiet hiss echo from the ceiling of the cave, then have a mangled bat corpse fall on the ground at their feet with just enough life in it to issue a death rattle.


This is where the fun part comes in. I suggest watching movies like "Jaws" (obviously), "Predator", and "The Ghost in the Darkness" for inspiration.

Work with an enormous, wall-crawling, camouflaged lizard. Give it a paralyzing tongue attack as well as tremorsense, scent, and darkvision. Never let it stop attacking them until it dies, but only attack when someone is weak, or when they are asleep, or when there is another combat afoot. Use its paralysis and disease abilities to wear down the PCs, so that he can simply eat their carcasses when they succumb.

Use its climb speed along with smaller cave tunnels or the river to escape when the PCs get a bead on it.


Maybe something like this. I've left a bunch of stuff out, since I'm not sure of the level of the PCs or the relative challenge of the encounter.

DREAD CAVE MONITOR
Large Animal

Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), Climb: 40ft, Swim: 40 Feet
Attack: Bite
Full Attack: Bite, 2 claws
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. (15ft tongue)
Special Attacks: Paralyzing Tongue
Special Qualities: Low light Vision, Darkvision, Tremorsense 60ft, scent 60ft, Filth Bite, Disease Immunity

Paralyzing Tongue: With a melee touch attack, the dread cave monitor may attempt to paralyze his prey with a contact poison as a standard action. The save DC for this poison is Constitution based.

Filth Bite: The bite of the dread cave monitor carries with it a host of diseases. On a successful bite attack, select randomly from the list of diseases and treat the target as if he has been exposed.

[Tokuhara]

I'm going to echo Vangor and Xephas here. The root of fear for most of these creatures isn't that they're big, tough, and intelligent, but rather that they are more at home in the environment than humans, utterly implacable, and have suddenly developed a distinct interest in you.

Outside of the velociraptors in Jurassic Park, most horror-movie animals act with uncanny cunning, rather than intelligence. Don't forget that animals tend to have extremely high wisdom scores, as well as different methods of perceiving the world. Play that up as much as possible. Just through reading body language and involuntary muscular twitches, they can sense your actions almost as quickly as you can formulate them.

Also, don't forget that animals have senses that are considerably better than humans. A deer, for example, can freaking hear you blink.

If you want to make a high-level animal encounter feel scary, you're going to need to do more than just make a monster. You're going to need to make your mightily-powerful PCs feel powerless. Not only that, but they have to feel like intruders in a world that isn't theirs.

As a quick example, I would sketch up something like the following:


The players need to explore a deep cave. Due to an underground river there is a continuous breeze blowing through it that plays havoc with torches, leaving magical light as the only option.

When the first PC casts Light, have dozens (maybe swarms) of forearm-long venomous insects swarm the light source, recognizing easy meat.

The fight between the PCs and the insectile swarm should stir up man-sized bats that have lived in the cave long enough to be perfectly adapted to it. They can fly without difficulty while the PCs have to fight with difficult, bug-corpse-slicked terrain. They can perfectly see in the dark out to immense distances with echolocation, while the party must be content with 60' darkvision at best unless they want to draw the swarm of insects. The bats should latch onto the players and immediately begin draining their blood (con damage), using withdraw actions when attacked. (For the sake of convenience, have the bats survive two average hits or one solid hit)

Continue the harrying for a bit, but eventually have all of the bats withdraw with a frightened squeak. Shortly after that, have the real stalking begin.

Have a quiet hiss echo from the ceiling of the cave, then have a mangled bat corpse fall on the ground at their feet with just enough life in it to issue a death rattle.


This is where the fun part comes in. I suggest watching movies like "Jaws" (obviously), "Predator", and "The Ghost in the Darkness" for inspiration.

Work with an enormous, wall-crawling, camouflaged lizard. Give it a paralyzing tongue attack as well as tremorsense, scent, and darkvision. Never let it stop attacking them until it dies, but only attack when someone is weak, or when they are asleep, or when there is another combat afoot. Use its paralysis and disease abilities to wear down the PCs, so that he can simply eat their carcasses when they succumb.

Use its climb speed along with smaller cave tunnels or the river to escape when the PCs get a bead on it.


Maybe something like this. I've left a bunch of stuff out, since I'm not sure of the level of the PCs or the relative challenge of the encounter.

DREAD CAVE MONITOR
Large Animal

Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), Climb: 40ft, Swim: 40 Feet
Attack: Bite
Full Attack: Bite, 2 claws
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. (15ft tongue)
Special Attacks: Paralyzing Tongue
Special Qualities: Low light Vision, Darkvision, Tremorsense 60ft, scent 60ft, Filth Bite, Disease Immunity

Paralyzing Tongue: With a melee touch attack, the dread cave monitor may attempt to paralyze his prey with a contact poison as a standard action. The save DC for this poison is Constitution based.

Filth Bite: The bite of the dread cave monitor carries with it a host of diseases. On a successful bite attack, select randomly from the list of diseases and treat the target as if he has been exposed.

sweet. Actually advancing a Raptor right now. Few ideas on environment. Any thoughts?

[flabort]

mmmm-kay.
Subject 42, that is just scary.

DM: You wake up and feel what could be described as a tingling sensation on your neck. Your first instinct tells you it's a... Int roll, please.
player: 12 plus 4, is 16. Is that bad?
DM: Your first instinct tells you it's a mosquito on your neck.
player: I swat it
DM: Your hand lands on something sticky, definitely not a mosquito.
player: I let go fast as I can, and get up
DM: You can't let go. It's too sticky. Suddenly, you feel a yanking on your arm as whatever it is is whisked away, bringing your now numb hand with it.
player: Oh, NO! IT'S THE LIZARD! I take out my sword to attack it.
DM: The sword you left sticking into the lizards backside before you last fled? The sword that you can obviosly see is not there anymore? Oh, and make a Con save, please.
...
player: AAAAARRRRRG!
DM: The rest of you can come back in now. You all hear a long drawn out cry, waking you from your slumbers. Getting up, you realize the cleric you've been escorting is no longer there. you here soft crunching sounds in the direction of a small crevace in the wall
Another player: What did I miss? Is Fred going to have to roll up a new character?
Player: Yup. Can I be ANOTHER cleric?
DM: Sorry, three clerics in one night is enough.

[subject42]

sweet. Actually advancing a Raptor right now. Few ideas on environment. Any thoughts?

Aim for places where your party's advantages are mitigated or outright nullified. Rely on areas where "civilized" humans historically haven't lived due to a hostile environment. Deep caves, mountains, deserts, swamps, and even under water could work.

[flabort]

Underwater might not work for a raptor.... specifically, that is.

[Tokuhara]

Aim for places where your party's advantages are mitigated or outright nullified. Rely on areas where "civilized" humans historically haven't lived due to a hostile environment. Deep caves, mountains, deserts, swamps, and even under water could work.

So a swamp with high grass would be good?

[subject42]

So a swamp with high grass would be good?

High Grass would be awesome. Just make sure that you have a contingency in place for when the players try to burn down the entire prairie.

I suggest a stampede of panicked herd dinosaurs.

[BobVosh]

Both dire and paragon seems to fit ole chompy well.

[AtlanteanTroll]

Maybe a bit extreme, but Kaiju?

[flabort]

High enough that they need to make a jump check to see over 5' away would be good. And then randomly patched holes in the ground, filled with runny, black, goopy mud, that if they step in, they go in over thier heads.
Make them use hearing or scent (if they have it, not likely) to try and find the raptor. Then watch them make a charge attack in it's direction, being unable to see the pit between them. :smallamused:

Edit: where'd the trio of swordsages come from?:smalleek: