Clouded Antelope Help

[Pokelord2]

I told a player that he could play anything he wanted in our 3.5 game. So he's putting that to the test by asking to play a clouded antelope. There is virtually no information about this thing and he won't leave it alone. Does anybody have stats or suggested stats for this thing?

[Palanan]

Just to be clear, is this creature what you mean?

Does the player have any information on what he wants it to be like?

[Pokelord2]

Just to be clear, is this creature what you mean?

Does the player have any information on what he wants it to be like?

1) Yes, that's it.

2) He doesn't want it smaller than medium and he wants it to be 'fluffy'. I have insisted on tiny or small size due to the picture references that we looked at. Other information he's given me has more to do with character class.

[Nifft]

There's no game info on the critter?

Maybe it's like a fluffy little steed: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/ponyWar.htm

Note that the War Pony only has Int 2 and isn't intended to be playable.


If you want help making up something new for your player, could you give us info on the rest of the party? Balancing internally against the rest of the group is much more important than seeking any kind of objective balance -- there isn't much of the latter.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Pokelord2
2) He doesn't want it smaller than medium and he wants it to be 'fluffy'. I have insisted on tiny or small size due to the picture references that we looked at. Other information he's given me has more to do with character class.

This is a little confusing. Which size will the creature be?

Also, is there any information on what exactly this creature is, and does? I’ve never heard of it before, and I'm not sure if this is drawn from Chinese mythology or if it’s a modern invention.

[The Viscount]

This certainly looks like a Qilin (or Kirin), the mythological creature in a number of East Asian traditions. There are stats for one in Oriental Adventures, but it's Huge and not playable since it doesn't have a listed ECL and is a CR 18 monster.
You might consider using the stats for a Unicorn for something closer to playable, or using the stats for Bariaur from Planar Handbook for a start as a quadripedal playable race, or the more powerful version from BoED.

There are also the Pathfinder rules for Ponykind which will need some tweaking to work in 3.5 but might be a starting point.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by The Viscount
This certainly looks like a Qilin (or Kirin), the mythological creature in a number of East Asian traditions.

Aha! I was thinking of illustrations of this creature, but couldn't remember the name.

Originally Posted by The Viscount
You might consider using the stats for a Unicorn for something closer to playable....

This is why I'm hoping to get a clarification from the OP on exactly what size it will be.

If it works out to Small or Medium, then the OP could try modifying the stats for the hybsil, which is a sort of halfling-centaur with an antelope body. It's 3.0 from Monsters of Faerun, but there was a 3.5 update and it shouldn't be hard to customize.

[Pokelord2]

I don't care what size it is since I can just adjust it later. The problem I have is I have virtually no information on this thing other than 'it's fluffy' and 'from another dimension'. I have informed the player that this is a ton of blanks that I need to fill in but he doesn't seem to get that it is a ton of work on my part as a GM.

He did ask about playing a kirin but I told him that it would be a difficult thing to implement since it isn't normally a player race. Then he went back to going on about clouded antelopes.

[Nifft]

I don't care what size it is since I can just adjust it later. The problem I have is I have virtually no information on this thing other than 'it's fluffy' and 'from another dimension'. I have informed the player that this is a ton of blanks that I need to fill in but he doesn't seem to get that it is a ton of work on my part as a GM.

He did ask about playing a kirin but I told him that it would be a difficult thing to implement since it isn't normally a player race. Then he went back to going on about clouded antelopes.

Give him half-elf stats and a weird hat of disguise.

[RedWarlock]

As far as I know, the cloud/clouded antelope is a modern invented species. Looks like it was specifically the handmade creation of a dollmaker. A few gullible folks ran with the idea that it’s something real (or at least mythical), but it has no real history of predefined traits behind it.

I second the Ponykind suggestion, especially if you borrow the ‘unicorn’ variant, which has some magical abilities and extra feats that give it more magical potential.

[lylsyly]

Start out by asking him what class he wants to play with NO HANDS!

[Silly Name]

That thing is definitely going to have a racial bonus to Charisma.

[Bohandas]

Start out by asking him what class he wants to play with NO HANDS!

Presumably either a psionic or melee combat class

[lylsyly]

In all seriousness Pony (MM 177) is about right. Take away the HD and let it be by class, Size is Medium, Hoof atk for 1d3, give him the horns and add a Head butt attack for 1d6 (1d4?), tell him he's gonna have to play a druid with the natural spell feat. DONE!

Sometimes we have to give players what they want if only to show them how it DOESN'T work ;)

[Dalmosh]

Going off the picture it looks nothing like an antelope...

Half white dragon arctic fox, with bite substituted for gore?

[Bronk]

I'm looking at that picture, and I'm seeing something that looks out of place on the ground. That, plus the name, makes me think it lives in the clouds.

I'd stat it as a Ravid with legs, or a weirdly shaped silver dragon, or a pegasus that doesn't need wings from Ponyfinder, maybe all three, then delete anything that didn't fit. For the Ravid, I'd remove its positive energy abilities, but keep wingless flight. For the silver dragon, I'd take away most things but keep the cloud walking. For the ponyfinder pegasus, I'd just take away the wings but keep the flight. Then I'd make sure I specified that it had legs, declare it a 'smart' magical beast, and finally add a gore attack, because horns.

[ATHATH]

Just let the guy play a Druid (or a Wild Shape Ranger, if he's more martially-inclined). Done.

Maybe a were-war pony could work?

There's gotta be a savage progression for a horse-like creature somewhere.

[Pokelord2]

Thank you all for your help. I think I have enough information to go by.

[Nifft]

Thank you all for your help. I think I have enough information to go by.

Do let us know what you end up going with.

I kinda want to see a PC who true mindswitch'd with a stuffed animal.

[lylsyly]

Do let us know what you end up going with.

I kinda want to see a PC who true mindswitch'd with a stuffed animal.

Would that be like the Pseudonatural Insectile Tibbit? I still have that stuck in my head ;)