Dire Farm Animals

[Kennisiou]

So I'm running a campaign and in the next session a group of evil druids have destroyed a farming community and restored it to a "state of nature" by causing unchecked plant growth and "undomesticating" the farm animals. Part of this process has led to the animals becoming dire because magic why not? MMI has Dire Boars for the pigs to be turned into, MMII has dire horse, but I'm not sure how to represent cows or chickens. Do dire bull and dire raven exist somewhere? Alternately, is there an easy "making dire animals" guide so I can make my own?

Edit: made title more accurate.

[PraxisVetli]

I think the Raven might, otherwise (Ithink) Frostburn has Giant Ravens.
Also, can you just refluf Rhino's for Bulls? because there's a dire rhino somewhere (maybe also frostburn).


Can the Domestication process, once undone, warrant an application of Warbeast?

[Kennisiou]

I think the Raven might, otherwise (Ithink) Frostburn has Giant Ravens.
Also, can you just refluf Rhino's for Bulls? because there's a dire rhino somewhere (maybe also frostburn).


Can the Domestication process, once undone, warrant an application of Warbeast?

Thanks, I'll check Frostburn. And refluffing Rhinos is a great idea.

As for undomestication equalling warbeast... I'd say no. Being a warbeast is about having special training. Undomestification is specifically about removing all training and returning to a primal, brutal state of nature. Dire, giant, or even legendary is in line with that but warbeast is pretty specifically a man-made thing.

[NoACWarrior]

I would take a look at this guide (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1300.0) to modify the animals gone amok.

Though you can apply the warbeast template to each of the animals - the extra HD may not make the animals any larger - and you would need to use DM magics to bend the time space continuum.

The other thing you CAN do is simply modify the size and increase the HD, with each animal HD granting +1/3 CR, and each size difference from the base granting +1 CR.
Look at page 290-291 of MMI, it has vital information on how to advance the farm animals into your desired "dire" forms.
I'd recommend that the HD be pushed until the farm animal would increase at least 1 size category (or if no size change occurs, simply add 1 more HD to the animal past the listed "maximum" HD under advancement and make it one size larger), which also increases the Str Con and nat armor according to table 4-2, with dex and ac / attack taking a hit. Make sure to also increase damage of the natural attacks of the animals.
Pay attention to the "racial" features of the animals - they have average BAB, d8 HD, good fort ref saves (some animals have good will saves, but treat this on a case by case basis), and usually have 2 + int mod SP (but are usually very very stupid and only get 1 SP per HD).
Lastly, make sure to pick up one feat per each of the 3 HD iterative you hit, and make it thematic such as fly by attack or improved natural attack, or even lightning reflexes.

If I were you, I'd make a chart detailing the changes for each creature and what you add to a base creature separated by size changes, and have a pool of feats which fit ground based, fliers, or sneaky farm animals.

[gorfnab]

Pathfinder has a Dire Animal Template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/dire-creature-cr-2-tohc)
Here is a 3rd party attempt at a Dire Animal Template (http://web.archive.org/web/20110823023517/http://necromancergames.com/pdf/ToHDire.pdf) based on Tome of Horrors (see page 12)

[NoACWarrior]

Pathfinder has a Dire Animal Template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/dire-creature-cr-2-tohc)
Here is a 3rd party attempt at a Dire Animal Template (http://web.archive.org/web/20110823023517/http://necromancergames.com/pdf/ToHDire.pdf) based on Tome of Horrors (see page 12)

+1 for the PF version. Its much much MUCH cleaner than what I'm suggesting and is probably play tested for balance.

[Roog]

probably play tested for balance.

Did you mean that to be blue?

The pathfinder template is also 3rd party and based on Tome of Horrors (PF version).

[NoACWarrior]

Did you mean that to be blue?

The pathfinder template is also 3rd party and based on Tome of Horrors (PF version).

oh.. didnt know that hahah. It should be blue then...

[Coidzor]

I believe you can crib Necromancer Games' "Dire Animal" template from a free sample they have on their site for their Tome of Horrors. That'd be one way to do it.

Cows would probably go to Bison or Dire Bison or something like that. Could just give them dire animal saves and slap the horrid template on top of Bison as a quick and dirty bit of nastiness.

Can't remember chicken stats though. I suppose there's always some form of dinosrawr, such as the various raptor options ranging from Clawfoot from Eberron to Fleshraker from MM3.

[Honest Tiefling]

Dire Rats would also be appropriate. Not really farm animals, but the only reason people tolerated the avatars of malice and hate known as barn cats.

[Coidzor]

And now we're onto dire wildcats. :smalleek:

[Honest Tiefling]

We will write a glorious obituary for your party should they have the mettle to meet one in combat.

[Yanisa]

Pathfinder has a Dire Animal Template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/dire-creature-cr-2-tohc)
Here is a 3rd party attempt at a Dire Animal Template (http://web.archive.org/web/20110823023517/http://necromancergames.com/pdf/ToHDire.pdf) based on Tome of Horrors (see page 12)

I believe you can crib Necromancer Games' "Dire Animal" template from a free sample they have on their site for their Tome of Horrors. That'd be one way to do it.

Silly thing, the pathfinder one is published by Frog God Games, which is the company that acquired Necromancer Games. So both links are from NG.
The official free one seems down and long gone (at least I can't find it except a site (http://www.necromancergames.com/pdf/ToHDire.pdf) that gives 404), but this template (http://creaturecatalog.enworld.org/converted/view_t.php?TemplateID=22) seems to claim its the original 3.0 one from NG. (And there is also this one from the creature catalog, (http://creaturecatalog.enworld.org/converted/template/dire_creature.htm) but no sources on that one.)

If you are more lazy the Monster Advancer (www.monsteradvancer.com) has a Dire option, no clue how it works tbh, and sadly most basic farm animals aren't in there, I guess WotC never expected a barbarian to attack a cow, or a rogue pluck a chicken. But I did make a Dire Bison (http://www.monsteradvancer.com/generate.maurl?monster=Bison&hd=7&size=G&str=10&dex=10&con=10&int=10&wis=11&cha=10&templates=Dire&feats=Alertness,Endurance) and a Dire Raven (http://www.monsteradvancer.com/generate.maurl?monster=Raven&hd=2&size=T&str=11&dex=11&con=10&int=10&wis=10&cha=10&templates=Dire&feats=Weapon%20Finesse).

[Spore]

Dire Rats would also be appropriate. Not really farm animals, but the only reason people tolerated the avatars of malice and hate known as barn cats.

Somehow I don't see a house cat battling a rat the size of a dog. My cat even avoided my regular sized rat because the rat was too smart for him.

[Darrin]

I think the Raven might, otherwise (Ithink) Frostburn has Giant Ravens.

Giant Raven is a magical beast because it has an Int of 12. I'd use a Dire Hawk (MM2) or Dire Eagle (Races of Stone).

For dire cows... hmm. Try the Hell Bovine from The Secret Cow Level (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/Moomoo.pdf)?

[Honest Tiefling]

Somehow I don't see a house cat battling a rat the size of a dog. My cat even avoided my regular sized rat because the rat was too smart for him.

I meant that the cats were tolerated because normal rats were hanging around eating and pooping on everything. My apologies. If Dire Rats moved in, I would say that it is their farm now.

[Spore]

I meant that the cats were tolerated because normal rats were hanging around eating and pooping on everything. My apologies. If Dire Rats moved in, I would say that it is their farm now.

No apologies needed. I will twist your words to fit my comedic needs better either way. :)