Creature of the Night, rawr.

[Vknight]

Nah. Hyenas. Since Hyenas drive off lions from their kills, I'd bet they'd do pretty well against a wolf. Their bite has to count for something as well, as the wiki says they can put out 80 kilograms per square centimer. Surely you can find a good use for that ability.

For stealth, nothing beats a moth/cockroach combo. Ask your DM how clean people's houses are, because you might be able to blend in with your insect buddies.

You mixed that up Hyenas are driven off from there kills from Lions more often then not.
That 80 kilograms is very impressive, but to keep in mind we as humans can generate up to 120... yeah

[Honest Tiefling]

You mixed that up Hyenas are driven off from there kills from Lions more often then not.

Huh. Further reading proves you're right. But still, as for the bone thing, I don't know how much pressure a human can exert, but it might be a leverage issue. Hyenas will crush large ungulate bones with their jaws, something...I've never seen a human do, nor would I advise one to try unless I didn't like them very much.

I wonder if you could use their ability to digest skin and bone as a way to dispose of victims that would foil most pre-industrialized regions.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I don't know how much pressure a human can exert, but it might be a leverage issue. Hyenas will crush large ungulate bones with their jaws, something...I've never seen a human do, nor would I advise one to try unless I didn't like them very much.

Well, I know for a fact that if I closed my jaw with all the force I could muster, my teeth would break. And I have all of my original teeth, with no serious flaws. Perhaps hyenas have stronger bones, allowing them to use more of their jaw strength safely?

But... if you want a powerful, nocturnal quadruped, why look beyond the tiger?

[Inevitability]

But... if you want a powerful, nocturnal quadruped, why look beyond the tiger?

Because this is GitP, and we must over-analyze and over-optimize anything remotely interesting.

[Red Fel]

But... if you want a powerful, nocturnal quadruped, why look beyond the tiger?

Because bears exist.

[omnitricks]

Well I was looking for more unusual/useful forms more than optimized for killing lol and I am very bad with biology or whatever it is you need to know what animals are badass at night. But then again all this has been helpful and entertaining :D

[Honest Tiefling]

Hey guys, what time of day are Japanese Death Hornets active? There has got to be a use for spraying flesh eating venom, perhaps questioning prisoners/victims?

...That's technically not killing outright, right? Totally different usage.

Also, got any skills to deal with animals? Being able to lead a charge or cause a stampede from within would be quite useful. You just need some skill to get them to go in the right direction.

[Lord Torath]

Well, I know for a fact that if I closed my jaw with all the force I could muster, my teeth would break. And I have all of my original teeth, with no serious flaws. Perhaps hyenas have stronger bones, allowing them to use more of their jaw strength safely?

But... if you want a powerful, nocturnal quadruped, why look beyond the tiger?

Hear, hear!

Because this is GitP, and we must over-analyze and over-optimize anything remotely interesting.

True enough.

Because bears exist.

I'd take a Siberian Tiger over a Kodiac Bear any day! And that position may or may not be influenced by the fact that I am a definite Cat Person. (Who is, unfortunately, very allergic to cats! )

[Honest Tiefling]

I'd take a Siberian Tiger over a Kodiac Bear any day! And that position may or may not be influenced by the fact that I am a definite Cat Person. (Who is, unfortunately, very allergic to cats! )

So you'd rather take the thing that actively hunts people over the thing that avoids them? You have reproductive organs of brass.

[Vknight]

Huh. Further reading proves you're right. But still, as for the bone thing, I don't know how much pressure a human can exert, but it might be a leverage issue. Hyenas will crush large ungulate bones with their jaws, something...I've never seen a human do, nor would I advise one to try unless I didn't like them very much.

I wonder if you could use their ability to digest skin and bone as a way to dispose of victims that would foil most pre-industrialized regions.

Its a combination of the differences in our bone structure, leverage produced by our jaws, and size of our mouths as a species.
Think of it on the fact we exert our bit force in a more concentrated area well the Hyena is applying over a larger one.

I still say Jackal simply to blend in though I'd follow that with Hyena for many the same reasons, then wolves.
With a item like this I want stealth abilities not combat abilities.

[Cernor]

After a quick Google search, I've discovered that platypuses are nocturnal. It might not be the best at fighting, and it might be too unusual for stealth, but come ON! Who wouldn't want to be a platypus?

[Honest Tiefling]

After a quick Google search, I've discovered that platypuses are nocturnal. It might not be the best at fighting, and it might be too unusual for stealth, but come ON! Who wouldn't want to be a platypus?

Males are venomous, by the way. I assume you get to choose your gender when selecting these forms, because many of the large mammalian predators are sexually dimorphic.

[Lord Haart]

I'm surprised nobody said werewolf yet. Especially since wolves and vampires were both mentioned. Sure, a werewolf ain't inconspicious (that's what you've got your human form, dude), but they're archetypically enduring badasses and at the very least as good as a supernatural wolf. A modern, hybrid-shaped werewolf gets to read and use weapons, too, so you just ditch your old form and go furry all night! A nerd by class, a warrior by flesh! And several advantages over a vampire, too: first, a vampire can be screwed into being as fragile as a human via an aristocratic archetype, and second, a werewolf doesn't have nearly so many weaknessess the DM may dump at you all at once (just imagine being vulnerable to garlic, silver, sun, holy imagery AND unable to enter buildings uninvited).

If an aquatic campaign coelocanth are nocturnal*

*Seriously coelocanth are nocturnal, they spend the daytime in caves near the bottom of the undersea volcanoes only coming out at night (when they still remain at the bottom of the sea).

Even in an aquatic campaign, it's probably a bad idea to turn into something that goes dead in surface waters due to a lack of pressure.

[The Glyphstone]

Nightcrawlers are creatures and have 'Night' in their name...

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/n...m#nightcrawler

[Ninja_Prawn]

I'm surprised nobody said werewolf yet.

But werewolves are just so... uncouth. And the morning breath they get after a transformation...

[ATHATH]

I'm surprised nobody said werewolf yet. Especially since wolves and vampires were both mentioned. Sure, a werewolf ain't inconspicious (that's what you've got your human form, dude), but they're archetypically enduring badasses and at the very least as good as a supernatural wolf. A modern, hybrid-shaped werewolf gets to read and use weapons, too, so you just ditch your old form and go furry all night! A nerd by class, a warrior by flesh! And several advantages over a vampire, too: first, a vampire can be screwed into being as fragile as a human via an aristocratic archetype, and second, a werewolf doesn't have nearly so many weaknessess the DM may dump at you all at once (just imagine being vulnerable to garlic, silver, sun, holy imagery AND unable to enter buildings uninvited).


Even in an aquatic campaign, it's probably a bad idea to turn into something that goes dead in surface waters due to a lack of pressure.

Some of those weaknesses can be negated by dealing with them in human form. i.e. Transforming into a human to walk into a house, then transforming back into a vampire.

[Quality]

Just for the record, this thread wins the "best name" award.

[ExLibrisMortis]

How about a Hound of the Hunt? The Wild Hunt, that is. Lethal and intimidating, sure, but also faster than the wind and invisible except in moonlight (I just made those up, but eh, they work, right?).

[AlexanderML]

Personally, I think you should choose this fluffy kitten:

Spoiler: Fluffy

Show

Ligar, tough looking.

Pretty sure it's nocturnal, if not it's still cool.

[raygun goth]

The obvious choice is the TAWNY FROGMOUTH.