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Larkas
2013-01-31, 06:10 PM
Foreword
I'm converting a few monsters from the Monster Hunter universe for use in D&D 3.5 (mainly the monsters known as Flying Wyverns). As such, I decided to start with the flagship monster of the original Monster Hunter game: Rathalos, the King of the Skies. It is a magnificent monster, and I hope I could capture its essence here. Please, tell me what you think.

Keep in mind, however, that the Monster Hunter world is very low-magic. In fact, all the magic you can find there actually come from parts of the monsters you hunt (so the "treasure" from hunting such monsters should actually be body parts to make strong arms and armors out of). As such, they are specially suited to an E6 game, which is why I aimed at CR 12. Don't be afraid to tell me if you think I've blown the "CR allowance".


http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101010002156/monsterhunter/images/5/5d/MHHC-Rathalos_001.jpg

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Rathalos
Huge Dragon (Fire)
Hit Dice: 15d12+75 (172)
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares); fly 150 ft. (poor)
Initiative: +1
Armor Class: 27 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +18 natural); touch 9; flat-footed 26
Base Attack Bonus: +15; Grapple: +32
Attack: Bite +22 melee (2d8+9) or tail slap +22 melee (2d6+9)
Full-Attack: Bite +22 melee (2d8+9) and tail slap +20 melee (2d6+4) and 2 talons +20 melee (1d8+4) and 2 wings +20 melee (1d8+4) or bite +22 melee (2d8+9) and sting +20 melee (1d8+4 plus poison) and 2 talons +20 melee (1d8+4) and 2 wings +20 melee (1d8+4)
Space: 15 ft.; Reach: 10 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, frightful presence, poison, improved grab, wyvern rage
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to magic sleep and paralysis, low-light vision, scent, spell resistance 26 (11+HD)
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +11
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 12
Skills: Listen +20, Spot +20
Feats: Ability Focus (breath weapon), Flyby Attack, Hover, Multiattack, Power Attack, Snatch
Environment: Temperate or warm hills or marshes
Organization: Solitary or mated pair (Rathalos and Rathian)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 16-20 HD (Huge); 21 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

This huge flying wyvern sport a beautiful crimson hide. It has very large, fire patterned leathery wings, powerful jaws, sharp talons and a heavy mace-like appendage at the end of its strong tail, with a vicious-looking stinger at its tip.

The Rathalos is one of the strongest flying wyverns. It is a very large dragon-like, fire-breathing creature.

A Rathalos is usually a rich crimson in color, though legend tells of azure and even silver varieties. It measures some 25 feet from its snout to the base of its tail, and its tail measures as much as the body itself. Its wingspan is about 40 feet. It weighs about 2 tons.

The Rathalos is a cunning predator, but is not very intelligent. It is incapable of speech.

Combat

The Rathalos is an efficient hunter, very territorial and extremely aggressive. It will usually stay clear of settlements, but might attack stray humanoids. It prefers larger prey, however, and will enter a fight with medium or smaller creatures mostly to defend itself, its mate, its prey or its territory.

A Rathalos prefers to attack from above, flying over its prey and bombarding it with its breath weapon. When the opponent is hurt, it will usually dive, snatching the opponent with its talons.

A Rathalos can slash with its talons only when making a flyby attack. Furthermore, it must choose between making a sting or a tail slap attack when performing a full attack.

Breath Weapon (Su): A Rathalos’ breath weapon is unusual in that it is neither a cone nor a line, but mimicks a fireball spell. The Rathalos spews a spherical mass of flames that detonates on impact or at its maximum range.

The range of this ability is 100 feet, and the area of detonation is a 20 feet radius spread. The breath weapon deals 7d8 points of fire damage (1d8 for every two racial HD the Rathalos has). The breath weapon allows a Reflex save for half, as usual, and the DC is 24 (10+1/2 the Rathalos’ racial HD+the Rathalos’ Constitution modifier). It is usable only once every 1d4 rounds.

Frightful Presence (Ex): A Rathalos can inspire terror by attacking, charging or even roaring. This ability’s radius is 30 ft. Affected creatures must succeed on a DC 18 (10+1/2 the Rathalos’ racial HD+the Rathalos’ Charisma modifier) Will save or become shaken, remaining in that condition for 2d4 rounds. An opponent that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to that Rathalos’ frightful presence for 24 hours. Frightful presence is a mind-affecting fear effect.

Poison (Ex): When a Rathalos hits with its sting attack, it injects poison. Injury, Fortitude DC 22 (10+1/2 the Rathalos’ racial HD+the Rathalos’ Constitution modifier), initial and secondary damage 2d6 Con.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a Rathalos must hit with its talons. 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 stings.

Wyvern Rage (Ex): A Rathalos may rage as a Barbarian of its HD. At 11 HD, it gains the benefits of Greater Rage (which means that a Rathalos usually does). At 17 HD, it gains the benefits of Tireless Rage. At 20 HD, it gains the benefits of Mighty Rage. Unlike a Barbarian, however, a Rathalos may only fly into a rage if its hit points have been reduced to less than half its total, or if it has just failed a saving throw.


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http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100403214425/monsterhunter/images/3/3a/MH3-Rathalos.png

Fyermind
2013-02-01, 12:12 AM
Getting both a sting and a tail slap is a bit odd. I'd go for either one or the other.

Your grapple bonus should be +32 not +24 because of size modifiers.

You could spend feats on optimizing your breath weapon and get really dirty. Examples might look like getting entangling, maximized, clinging, and heightened. That could result in a single shot dealing a lot of damage save DC can't touch this, that sticks around and inhibits the targets. Of course, I turn every breath weapon user into a napalm cannon.

Allnightmask
2013-02-01, 02:08 AM
I constantly tried to stat up monster hunter creatures, but never to my satisfaction. I'm liking this conversion. I especially enjoy your rage mechanics. Nice Job and I would hope for more. :smallbiggrin:

Debihuman
2013-02-01, 02:56 AM
Secondary attacks are always secondary, even when used as primary attacks.

I think this is how the Attack and Full Attack lines should look (and you forgot the size penalty to attack -2)

Attack: Bite +22 melee (2d8+9) or tail slap +22 melee (2d6+9)
Full Attack: Bite +22 melee (2d8+9) and 2 talons +20 melee (1d8+4) and 2 wing buffets +20 melee (1d8+4) and sting +20 melee (1d8+4 plus poison) or tail slap +22 melee (2d6+9) and 2 talons + 20 melee (1d8+4) and 2 wing buffets +20 melee (1d8+4).

The attack line means that it cannot bite and use its tail slap at the same time. Furthermore, it should not use its sting and tail slap at the same time. However, it should be able to use its wings and talons when it uses its tail slap. You also forgot to add poison to the sting.

Debby

Larkas
2013-02-01, 07:33 AM
@Fyermind


Getting both a sting and a tail slap is a bit odd. I'd go for either one or the other.

You see, that's the weird thing about the Rathalos: it should have both. In the source, however, it is never seen using both at the same time, which is why I considered adding a line explaining that it can't use the two types of attack in the same attack routine. I think it is for the best, after all.


Your grapple bonus should be +32 not +24 because of size modifiers.

DUH! I only remembered about the size modifiers when calculating AC. Thanks for the reminder!


You could spend feats on optimizing your breath weapon and get really dirty. Examples might look like getting entangling, maximized, clinging, and heightened. That could result in a single shot dealing a lot of damage save DC can't touch this, that sticks around and inhibits the targets. Of course, I turn every breath weapon user into a napalm cannon.

Oh, believe me, I was tempted to do just that! I actually pieced together an optimized feat build after finishing this one. The thing is brutal, as you might expect. However, it underrates the CR greatly. Besides, the monster needs at least hover, flyby attack and snatch to properly mimick its MH counterpart, and metabreath feats don't really fit into what it should do. I would rather leave it to each DM to optimize it to its heart content, and offer a fairly simple, faithful-to-the-source-material, little monster. :smallsmile:
@Allnightmask


I constantly tried to stat up monster hunter creatures, but never to my satisfaction. I'm liking this conversion. I especially enjoy your rage mechanics. Nice Job and I would hope for more. :smallbiggrin:

Hey, I'm glad you liked it! I have the Rathian more or less done in my head, and would like to stat up at least the Tigrex following that. I just need to finish some stuff for college, but they shouldn't take long, so stay tuned!
@Debihuman


Secondary attacks are always secondary, even when used as primary attacks.

I know, right? I did this more or less mimicking the regular Wyvern. It seems like it has not one, but three primary attacks. Is that somehow "irregular"?


I think this is how the Attack and Full Attack lines should look (and you forgot the size penalty to attack -2)

Attack: Bite +22 melee (2d8+9) or tail slap +22 melee (2d6+9)
Full Attack: Bite +22 melee (2d8+9) and 2 talons +20 melee (1d8+4) and 2 wing buffets +20 melee (1d8+4) and sting +20 melee (1d8+4 plus poison) or tail slap +22 melee (2d6+9) and 2 talons + 20 melee (1d8+4) and 2 wing buffets +20 melee (1d8+4).

The attack line means that it cannot bite and use its tail slap at the same time. Furthermore, it should not use its sting and tail slap at the same time. However, it should be able to use its wings and talons when it uses its tail slap. You also forgot to add poison to the sting.

Debby

Hmmm, thanks a lot for that! Would you mind walking me through this? Is a bite attack normally not usable at the same time as a tail slap, or was it just because of the way I wrote? Specifically, I want the bite to be usable at the same time as the tail slap, is that at all possible? Anyways, thanks for all the corrections, Debby!
Thanks for the critiques and replies, guys! Keep them coming!

EDIT: Alright, made some changes to the first post. See if everything's okay now!