Zombimode
2012-04-20, 05:13 PM
3 metric tons of muscle, thick scaly hide and a massive horn can leave any warrior shaken - at least those who find themselves on the wrong side of the battlefield. Although herbivores these huge reptiles sport a nasty attitude. It didn't take long for the Lizard Folk of the Empire of Silur-Cha to utilize them as terrifying beasts of war. Since their introduction in the Empires forces, they have redefined the term "shock cavalry". A single linebreaker rider can break a formation - a whole unit will just steamroll over any opposition.
The Styracosaurus, or 'Linebreaker' in my setting, was always one of my favorite land-based dinosaur. Its unique skull configuration is awe-inspiring and terrifying together. While the Triceratops is even larger arguably more badass, it already was everybodies darling when I was a kid and I wanted to be different :smalltongue:
Sadly there are no stats for theses magnificent beasts in 3.5, so I tried my hands on homebrewing them.
I will provide two entries: the first is the basic, wild, untrained animal. The second is just the basic version with the Warbeast template from the Monster Manual 2. I include it as a showcase for what is to be expected from a true Linebreaker mount.
Linebreaker Lizard
Large animal
Init -1; Senses Listen +8, Spot +7, Low-light Vision, Scent
AC 17 (size -1, dex -1, natural +9), touch 8, flat-footed 17
hp 95 (10 HD)
Fort +12, Ref +6, Will +4
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee gore +14 (1d10+10)
Space/Reach 10 ft./5 ft.
Base Atk +7; Grp +18
Special Attacks Powerful Charge, Trample 2d8+10
Abilities Str 24, Dex 9, Con 21, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 7
SQ Low-light Vision, Scent
Feats Power Attack, Improved Bull-Rush, Knock-Back (Races of Stone p. 142), Improved Overrun
Skills Listen +8, Spot +7
Powerful Charge (Ex): When a Linebreaker Lizard charges, its gore attack deals 2d10+14 points of damage.
Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 22. The save DC is Strength-based.
Linebreaker, trained
Warbeast Linebreaker Lizard
Large animal
Init -1; Senses Listen +10, Spot +10, Low-light Vision, Scent
AC 17 (size -1, dex -1, natural +9), touch 8, flat-footed 17
hp 126 (11 HD)
Fort +14, Ref +6, Will +5
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee gore +16 (1d10+12)
Space/Reach 10 ft./5 ft.
Base Atk +8; Grp +20
Special Attacks Powerful Charge, Trample 2d8+10
Abilities Str 27, Dex 9, Con 24, Int 1, Wis 14, Cha 7
SQ Low-light Vision, Scent, Combative Mount
Feats Power Attack, Improved Bull-Rush, Knock-Back (Races of Stone p. 142), Improved Overrun
Skills Listen +10, Spot +10
Powerful Charge (Ex): When a Linebreaker Lizard charges, its gore attack deals 2d10+16 points of damage.
Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 23. The save DC is Strength-based.
Combative Mount (Ex): A rider on a trained warbeast
mount gets a +2 circumstance bonus on all Ride checks. A
trained warbeast is proficient with light, medium, and heavy
armor. A vermin warbeast, being mindless and therefore
untrainable, cannot have this ability.
Comments: Its pretty much a down-scaled SRD-Triceratops. "Large" may be a bit to small for the Styracosaurus (with its 5,5 m length), but D&D size categories are relatively abstract and don't mesh too well with actual sizes.
Its tactic against single targets is to charge and knock-back the target, denying full attacks. Groups of smaller enemies are trampled. I'm not sure if a rider with the Trample feat could actually use overrun and the mounts trample at the same time. If not, Improved Overrun is a wasted feat for the Linebreaker and should be replaced. Any ideas?
Also, regarding CR:
The Triceratops is CR 9, but using Vorpal Tribbles formula, they are CR 12 (which strikes me as over CR'ed for what is essentially just a very simple melee brute).
Using the same formula the basic Linebreaker comes out as CR 8. Again, that seems a bit much. Since its an animal its Int score is a huge neon-lit "hit me!" sign, especially considering my group currently contains a Lurk...
But then again, I'm terrible at eyeballing CR.
Comments? Critique? Ideas? :smallsmile:
The Styracosaurus, or 'Linebreaker' in my setting, was always one of my favorite land-based dinosaur. Its unique skull configuration is awe-inspiring and terrifying together. While the Triceratops is even larger arguably more badass, it already was everybodies darling when I was a kid and I wanted to be different :smalltongue:
Sadly there are no stats for theses magnificent beasts in 3.5, so I tried my hands on homebrewing them.
I will provide two entries: the first is the basic, wild, untrained animal. The second is just the basic version with the Warbeast template from the Monster Manual 2. I include it as a showcase for what is to be expected from a true Linebreaker mount.
Linebreaker Lizard
Large animal
Init -1; Senses Listen +8, Spot +7, Low-light Vision, Scent
AC 17 (size -1, dex -1, natural +9), touch 8, flat-footed 17
hp 95 (10 HD)
Fort +12, Ref +6, Will +4
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee gore +14 (1d10+10)
Space/Reach 10 ft./5 ft.
Base Atk +7; Grp +18
Special Attacks Powerful Charge, Trample 2d8+10
Abilities Str 24, Dex 9, Con 21, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 7
SQ Low-light Vision, Scent
Feats Power Attack, Improved Bull-Rush, Knock-Back (Races of Stone p. 142), Improved Overrun
Skills Listen +8, Spot +7
Powerful Charge (Ex): When a Linebreaker Lizard charges, its gore attack deals 2d10+14 points of damage.
Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 22. The save DC is Strength-based.
Linebreaker, trained
Warbeast Linebreaker Lizard
Large animal
Init -1; Senses Listen +10, Spot +10, Low-light Vision, Scent
AC 17 (size -1, dex -1, natural +9), touch 8, flat-footed 17
hp 126 (11 HD)
Fort +14, Ref +6, Will +5
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee gore +16 (1d10+12)
Space/Reach 10 ft./5 ft.
Base Atk +8; Grp +20
Special Attacks Powerful Charge, Trample 2d8+10
Abilities Str 27, Dex 9, Con 24, Int 1, Wis 14, Cha 7
SQ Low-light Vision, Scent, Combative Mount
Feats Power Attack, Improved Bull-Rush, Knock-Back (Races of Stone p. 142), Improved Overrun
Skills Listen +10, Spot +10
Powerful Charge (Ex): When a Linebreaker Lizard charges, its gore attack deals 2d10+16 points of damage.
Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 23. The save DC is Strength-based.
Combative Mount (Ex): A rider on a trained warbeast
mount gets a +2 circumstance bonus on all Ride checks. A
trained warbeast is proficient with light, medium, and heavy
armor. A vermin warbeast, being mindless and therefore
untrainable, cannot have this ability.
Comments: Its pretty much a down-scaled SRD-Triceratops. "Large" may be a bit to small for the Styracosaurus (with its 5,5 m length), but D&D size categories are relatively abstract and don't mesh too well with actual sizes.
Its tactic against single targets is to charge and knock-back the target, denying full attacks. Groups of smaller enemies are trampled. I'm not sure if a rider with the Trample feat could actually use overrun and the mounts trample at the same time. If not, Improved Overrun is a wasted feat for the Linebreaker and should be replaced. Any ideas?
Also, regarding CR:
The Triceratops is CR 9, but using Vorpal Tribbles formula, they are CR 12 (which strikes me as over CR'ed for what is essentially just a very simple melee brute).
Using the same formula the basic Linebreaker comes out as CR 8. Again, that seems a bit much. Since its an animal its Int score is a huge neon-lit "hit me!" sign, especially considering my group currently contains a Lurk...
But then again, I'm terrible at eyeballing CR.
Comments? Critique? Ideas? :smallsmile: