Jackalope 3.5 Americana-punk (PEACH)

[cheezewizz2000]

Spoiler

A jackalope is strange critter, being half rabbit, half deer. Some say they can imitate any sound that they hear. Others say that their milk can heal the sick. Some others even say that they're the result of a deer and a rabbit that loved each other very much. What is known is that they're a shy and retiring critter that desperately avoids contact with humans, and they're harder to catch than a jackrabbit.

Jackalope
Tiny Magical Beast
HD 3d10 (16hp)
Speed 50 ft. (10 squares), Burrow 5ft (1 square)
Init: +4
AC 17; touch 15; flat-footed 12
(10 + 2 size + 4 dex + 1 Dodge)
BAB +2; Grp -9
Attack Gore -1 melee
(1d4-3, x2)
Full-Attack Gore -1 melee (1d4-3, x2)
Space 2 1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks Powerful Charge
Special Qualities "He Went Thattaway", Camouflaged fur, Sprint, Magic Milk
Saves Fort +3 Ref +7 Will +4
Abilities Str 5, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills Bluff +6, Hide +16 Jump +5, Tumble +10
Feats Dodge (B), Mobility (B), Run
Environment Range and Wild - temperate plains
Organization solitary (1), family (3-5)
Challenge Rating 1 (ish, under review)
Treasure none
Alignment Usually Chaotic Neutral
Advancement -
Level Adjustment -

Powerful Charge (Ex) A Jackalope deals 2d4-3 damage when it makes a charge

"He Went Thattaway" (Su) A Jackalope can perfectly imitate any sound it hears. It will often imitate one of its attackers to throw them off the scent. When out of sight, but within earshot of its persuers the jackalope can make a bluff check, opposed by its attacker's sense motive. If it succeeds, it gains a +8 bonus to hide checks and any attempts by the attackers to hear where the sound came from reveal that it originated from within their group. If it fails, then its persuers can use a listen check to determine its position, as normal.

Camouflaged Fur (Ex) - The jackalope's fur blends in perfectly with the mud and dry grass on the plains. It recieves a +4 bonus on hide checks.

Sprint (Ex) Once per hour, a jackalope can move ten times its normal speed (500 feet) for 1 round.

Magic Milk (Su) Jackalope milk can be used by hobos to make moonshine. No other ingredients are needed, though the hobo still needs his own spit and a container. If drunk neat, the milk cures 1d8+3 hit points, heals the user for 1 point of ability damage or drain per dose (one dose = 1 shot), and cures the user of the effects of disease. A jackalope produces 6 shots of milk/day while in the wild. A jackalope that is being held against its will produces no milk due to stress.

Jackalope fur and antlers
Any magic items made using jackalope fur or antlers reduce the magic level by one (wild to folk, folk to subtle), allowing it to be used in more places. They have a high value, though right now I'm not sure what that should be. Possibly +500 Gp (or the equivalent) to the items they are used in. If a jackalope loses its antlers (say in a rut with another jackalope) then it will grow them back in a year and a day. Jackalopes are very proud of their antlers and will relentlessly bully any other jackalope they see without them.

Tactics - The jackalope will rely on its speed and agility to avoid fights, running away from attackers and jumping over obstacles. If it starts to worry about being cornered, it will find a place to hide and use its "He Went Thattaway" ability to throw his attackers off the scent. If it is nearly caught, it will attempt to tumble through its attackers and run away. If it is cornered, it will ferociously defend itself with its antlers until it can make a break for it.

[Jarrick]

I like this. It needs the Sprint ability. "Fast as fast can be, You'll never catch me!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By9sHP1MWVk

[Debihuman]

It has 11 hp not 10 (2x5.5=11); it has too many feats unless (it has 2 hit dice so it should have 1 feat and any additional feats would be bonus feats.

Really this is not a CR 2 encounter, more like CR 1/2.

Debby

[cheezewizz2000]

What's wrong with giving it a couple of bonus feats? I wanted it to be tougher to catch so I gave it dodge and mobility.

As for the CR, I estimated using The Vorpal Tribble's method. Perhaps it did come out a little high, but I sort of feel it's justified based on the massive bonuses to hide. It's an encounter, not a combat. Granted, in a straight up fight this thing wouldn't last, but the wold point of it is that it avoids straight fights. This guy won't be attacking parties that wander past its lair, but it will make life difficult for people who go hunting for it.

[Eldan]

Compare it to the CR 1/2 dog (side note: how the hell is a small dog stronger than a human?)

The dog has eight points more of strength, but one point less dexterity. It's speed isn't much lower, but it's attack is much better (even better than the powerful charge, really), and it has scent. This is not CR 2.


Consider giving it another HD and the sprint ability. And it's probably still only CR 1, then, despite it's ridiculously high (but justified) hide check.

[ChumpLump]

Small dog, or Tiny dog? I think these are what we would imagine big dogs, and big dogs are, on average, stronger than your average human.

As for the extra feats, make them bonus feats by adding a (B)!
Now they're legit.

I also vote for the milk to be a part of its entry.
With a Handle Animal or Survival check to retrieve the milk after capture.
Also a price on it's fur/antlers would be good too... methinks.

Edit: I vote these guys get a little more cleaver and have a bit better Move Silently and Escape artist checks.

Escape Artist Checks to get out of the bag you nab 'em with.
'Aw Hank ya only tied the bag an' left it? Naw the dern critter ha' ran off!'

[Eldan]

I just saw this quote on the Wikipedia page:

The Douglas Chamber of Commerce has issued thousands of Jackalope Hunting Licenses to tourists. The tags are good for hunting only during official Jackalope season, which occurs for only one day: June 31 (a nonexistent date as June has 30 days), from midnight to 2 AM. The hunter may not have an IQ greater than 72.

I could totally see the Administration doing something like this, and be totally serious about it. Then hunt people down for unlicensed Jackalope hunting.

And while I've never heard of this thing before, it looks kinda like a slightly less outrageous version of the german Wolpertinger.

[ChumpLump]

Wolpertinger: Greater Jackalope anyone?
I realize its German... so not perfectly going to jive with American punk, but... Greater Jackalope!

[Eldan]

Sure! Slap on a few more hit dice, a bite attack and a flying speed.

Also, and this fits the hobo fluff perfectly: according to which version of the legend you use, only drunk people can see them.

Or by young, good looking women who spend time alone at the edge of a forest with a young man

Also: if you pour salt on their tail, they are paralyzed. Furthermore, one of their legs is longer than the other, so they can walk on steep slopes without problems, but only in one direction.

And like the jackalope, it was invented for two purposes, mainly: as a silly joke and to sell fake ones to tourists.

[ChumpLump]

Barnum.
P.T. Barnum is the only Mortal Allowed at the Games of Ol' Scratch, Cypher, and Coyote.
Barnum knows these monsters, and can see them and all other things being stone cold sober.
Barnum sells jackalope furs, and buys them.
Did he sell his soul, does he know something we don't, is he one of the Pre-settler types like the other three? No one knows, but they do know he's got stories, trophies, and tricks, all of which he'll sell to you for money.

(He was, like, one of the best Swindlers in the world. The Great Egress was one of his best tricks, he posted signs and made a big hype in his museum of oddities about the great egress. Which means exit.)

[Eldan]

Ah, Barnum's travelling circus...

A good way to introduce every "fraudulent businessman" and "scary traveling circus" trope. He needs to be in this.

[ChumpLump]

Without trying to be disgusting... I don't think the males should be restricted from producing milk. Heck, I figured all Jackalopes were of dual natures when it came to that subject. That way when two Jackalopes meet, they can reproduce. That or they don't reproduce, and are spawned from that terrifying Greater Jackalope Wolpertinger. (Btw, how is that pronounced?)

[Eldan]

Pronounced... well, I could be mean and say "as written", since that's true for all german words

Hmm.

"Wol" a little like "Wall", but shorter. "Per" with an "e" as the first one in "elegant". "Ting" as "Tin", but with a "ŋ" sound. A little like the english "Ding" really. And "er" with another "e" as in "elegant".

[cheezewizz2000]

Originally Posted by ChumpLump

Without trying to be disgusting... I don't think the males should be restricted from producing milk. Heck, I figured all Jackalopes were of dual natures when it came to that subject. That way when two Jackalopes meet, they can reproduce. That or they don't reproduce, and are spawned from that terrifying Greater Jackalope Wolpertinger. (Btw, how is that pronounced?)

Changed, but I'm not going to write about their breeding habits. I like the Wolpertinger being an uber-jackalope, but I'll leave someone who is more familiar with the legend to deal with that one. Judging by the picture it can fly. Is there only one of it? Will the Wolpertinger be this system's Tarrasque?

[Eldan]

Well, Wolpertingers can really have just about any shape. Horned rabbits are common and the only one I knew of, but according to Wiki, they come from a town called Wolterdingen where stitching any two or three animals together into one and then sell them was a profitable trade.

So, maybe it's a shapechanger? I'll try and stat it up later.

[ChumpLump]

Originally Posted by cheezewizz2000

Changed, but I'm not going to write about their breeding habits.

Probably for the Best.

As for a 'Tarrasque' I don't think we need one.
We have all sorts of Over bearing entities, no need for a doomsday monster, and Rite of Epic Passage.

[Thugorp]

The only thing I might change is how much milk it gives. I would make it give 6 shots.
Two reasons for that. 1. rabbits have 8-10 nipples(depending on the rabbit) and deer have 4 nipples, a mix between the two should have about 6 I think. Also, if these things breed like rabbit, they should probably produce more than a shotglass of milk or there babys would starve.
2. I don't think it is over powered for a player to get a bit more than one shot a day from it... maybe 2 doses can be milked form a captive jackolope after the first day(when it has six from its wild production)?

the only other thing was size. The only jackalope(head) I ever saw, was one my grampa bought, but its head was much larger, like the size of a.... moderately sized dog maybe? I always thought they were supposed to be sized as though they were the median between deer and rabbit hight?

[cheezewizz2000]

Originally Posted by Thugorp

The only thing I might change is how much milk it gives. I would make it give 6 shots.
Two reasons for that. 1. rabbits have 8-10 nipples(depending on the rabbit) and deer have 4 nipples, a mix between the two should have about 6 I think. Also, if these things breed like rabbit, they should probably produce more than a shotglass of milk or there babys would starve.
2. I don't think it is over powered for a player to get a bit more than one shot a day from it... maybe 2 doses can be milked form a captive jackolope after the first day(when it has six from its wild production)?

the only other thing was size. The only jackalope(head) I ever saw, was one my grampa bought, but its head was much larger, like the size of a.... moderately sized dog maybe? I always thought they were supposed to be sized as though they were the median between deer and rabbit hight?

Meh, probably (on the milk thing). They're hard enough to catch as it is.

Also, Rabbits probably weigh in at Tiny, deer weigh in as a large-Small or a small-Medium. I guess I could have just said Small, but I went for the one that made them harder to catch. Tiny is still 1ft-2ft long, so a 2ft long rabbit with antlers is about the size of a small dog, maybe west-highland terrier size or so.

[ChumpLump]

Out at yellowstone they (at least used to) sell all sorts of Jackalope nonsense. Most of those used to be about the size of jackrabbits. And to speak truth, the orriginal trophies were most likely stuffed rabbits with small antlers attached.

[Debihuman]

Re: The Jackalope

Since it now has 3 HD, it gets 2 feats. Only one feat now needs to be a bonus feat.

Debby

[gkathellar]

This Wolpertinger?



That's no shapeshifter. That is the face of a god right there, a god who hath spawned a legion of Jackalopes.