Komodo Dragon [PEACH]

[Rowanomicon]

Because I can, and feel like. Please revue.

Komodo Dragon
Size/Type: Large Animal
Hit Dice: 9d8+45 (88 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 17 (+2 Dex, +6 natural, -1 Size), touch 11, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+17
Attack: Bite +12 melee (3d6+8 + Bacteria)
Full Attack: Bite +12 melee (3d6+8 + Bacteria)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Bacteria, Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +8, Will +4
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 14, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Climb +11, Hide +7*, Listen +4, Move Silently +8,
Spot +4, Swim +15
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Natural Attack (Bite), Improved Natural Armor
Environment: Warm forests
Organization: Solitary, or Pairs (one male, one female)
Challenge Rating: 6
Advancement: 9-14 HD (Large) 15-19 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Improved grab

If a komodo dragon successfully hits an opponent of at least one size category smaller with it's bite attack it deals normal damage and may attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required.


Bacteria

A komodo dragon's bite delivers a disease.
DC 24
Incubations period: 1 Hour
Damage: 1d4 Con


Skills

A komodo dragon has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. Komodo dragons have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. *In forested or overgrown areas, the Hide bonus improves to +8.



I know this is probably a bit tougher than a real like Komodo Dragon would be, but that's kind of intentional.
One thing I thought about is adding a Tail Slam Attack.

[DracoDei]

From what I seem to remember from having seen them on more than one occasion at zoos, most recently within the past month, I would say they are Medium. Granted most reptiles grow their entire lives, so having them advance to large would be reasonable... in either case I recommend dialing the strength back.

[Rowanomicon]

Well, I'm not exactly clear on the precise point at which Medium and Large meet, but Wikipedia says that Komodo Dragons grow to 2-3 meters (6.5-10 feet) and 70 kg (154 lbs).

That weight sounds Medium to me because it's a fairly normal Human weight and Human's are medium, but 3 meters definitely sounds Large to me.

Basically I made the decision of making them Large because Monitor Lizards were already Medium (and Komodo Dragon are large monitor lizards) and Large is just more impressive and makes for a better monster (everything's bigger in a fantasy world, even bigger than things are in Texas).

Maybe I will cut it back to Medium and make it 12-15 HD (Large).

I just got the Str score form take a Monitor Lizard and applying the size change (+8 Str).

As stated I might scale the creature back to Medium then just add a (smaller) Str and Con bonus to (along with the extra HD) represent that they are larger than other Monitor Lizards.

*Note to myself: fix grapple mod

[Innis Cabal]

id say they are large

[Siosilvar]

Normally the medium/large difference point is 8 feet (or roughly 2 1/2 meters), so it could go either way.

Also: Grapple mod should be +17.

[Rowanomicon]

Yeah, I'm gonna stick with large for now.

Thanks for the Grapple mod, I'll change it right now.

EDIT: So, you guys think the CR is right? That's what I'm most unsure about.

EDIT2: Also I wouldn't mind a double check on any or all of the numbers. I'll double check it myself at some point, but it's always nice to know that someone else took the same numbers, added them together, and got the same result.

Also I put all the Skill points from the new HD into Hide and Move Silently because they are predators and could benefit from the element of surprise.

[Draken]

Well.

Personal opinion, Bacteria is not fitting with how it acts in the real life creature, it takes little more than a few hours to kill the prey of the lizard, which are... bulls? Bisons maybe, I don't recall correcly, but it should probably be a lot more virulent.

The save DC is also kinda hight... As it is it should be 19 (10+ 1/2 HD + Con modifier), unless it is a fixed value you decided arbitrarily.

Speed should be 20 feet, and dex should be lower too, I don't think Komodos are the quickest lizards around.

And 25 str is very high as well, 20 should be more than enought, I would go with 18, myself.

Also, natural attacks don't get to be reused in a full attack, even if your BAB allows it. Place two claw (or maybe rake) attacks instead.

[Rowanomicon]

The way Bacteria works, based on the entry for Disease in the SRD is that when bitten a creature makes a Fort save. If they fail they are infected. If infected they must make another Fort save one hour after failing the first one. f they fail this one as well then they take 1d4 Con damage. After this they must make another Fort save every 24 hours or take another 1d4 Con damage. Succeeding two Fort save sin a row (after failing the initial one) means that the Bacteria has been fought off and no more Fort saves must be made.

Thanks for the correction on the DC.

Monitor Lizards have a speed of 30 ft. Based on finding a running speed for Komodo Dragons with a Google search, translating it to feet/6 seconds, and dividing by 3 (assuming Komodo Dragons don't have the Run Feat) Komodo Dragons should be the same. I just made it 40 because of the size increase.
I can change it back.

I just took the Monitor Lizard's Dex and subtracted 2 for the Size change.
I think I'll leave it where it is. I'd say they probably have better reflexes than the average human.

25 might be a bit hight, but 18 is definitely too low considering a Monitor Lizard has 17 for Str.

Thanks for the correction on Natural Attacks. I'll go change that now.

I'm still unsure if I should add other attacks (claws, tail slam).

EDIT: Komodo Dragons are actually fairly fast and agile, despite their size.