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Cleon Specials – Prehistoric Beasts!
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<blockquote data-quote="Cleon" data-source="post: 7961961" data-attributes="member: 57383"><p><span style="font-size: 22px"><strong><em>Tusoteuthis</em> (Prehistoric Giant Squid)</strong></span></p><p>Large Animal (Aquatic)</p><p><strong>Hit Dice:</strong> 6d8+12 (39 hp)</p><p><strong>Initiative:</strong> +3</p><p><strong>Speed:</strong> Swim 60 ft. (12 squares)</p><p><strong>Armor Class:</strong> 15 (–1 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12</p><p><strong>Base Attack/Grapple:</strong> +4/+15* [<em>+1 per 2 limbs</em>]</p><p><strong>Attack:</strong> Tentacles +7 melee (1d4+3)</p><p><strong>Full Attack:</strong> Tentacles +7 melee (1d4+3) and 8 arms +4 melee (1) and bite +4 melee (1d10+1)</p><p><strong>Space/Reach:</strong> 10 ft./5 ft. (15 ft. with tentacles, 10 ft. with arms)</p><p><strong>Special Attacks:</strong> Constrict [<em>1d6+3 plus 1/two extra limbs</em>], improved grab, tearing beak [<em>grapple or +6 melee, 1d10+3</em>]</p><p><strong>Special Qualities:</strong> Chameleon, damage reduction 5/slashing or piercing, ink cloud, jet, superior low-light vision</p><p><strong>Saves:</strong> Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +3</p><p><strong>Abilities:</strong> Str 16, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2</p><p><strong>Skills:</strong> Hide +3, Listen +7, Spot +12, Swim +11</p><p><strong>Feats:</strong> Blind-Fight, Endurance, Multiattackᴮ, Weapon Focus (tentacles)</p><p><strong>Environment:</strong> Warm aquatic</p><p><strong>Organization:</strong> Solitary</p><p><strong>Challenge Rating:</strong> 3</p><p><strong>Advancement:</strong> 7–9 HD (Large); 10–12 HD (Huge)</p><p><strong>Level Adjustment:</strong> —</p><p></p><p><em>Tusoteuthis </em>is a type of giant squid that lived in the warm, shallow seas of the Cretaceous. They are not closely related to <em>Architeuthis</em>, the modern-day giant squid.</p><p></p><p>These squid are voracious hunter that would eagerly devour a humanoid in the water. Unlike a giant squid or the colossal squid <em>Mesonychoteuthis</em>, the flesh of a <em>Tusoteuthis</em> does not contain ammonia and is quite edible, even tasty if skillfully prepared. So, if the situation were reversed a single <em>Tusoteuthis</em> could provide a feast for an entire village or castle. Formidable as they are, this squid is preyed upon by other animals – the prehistoric tropical seas they inhabit are terrifying places full of huge sharks, giant crocodiles, great mosasaurs and other massive predatory fish and reptiles capable of eating even a fully grown <em>Tusoteuthis</em>.</p><p></p><p>A typical <em>Tusoteuthis </em>is 20 feet or so from tailfin to tentacle-tip and weighs around 500 pounds. The squid's body is about 6 feet long, its pair of tentacles exceed 10 feet in length and its eight arms are almost as long. Huge individuals can reach a length of 30 feet or more.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Combat</span></strong></p><p>A <em>Tusoteuthis </em>giant squid seizes hold of prey with its tentacles, then secures them in its arms and bites with its beak. It focuses on one opponent and does not divide its attacks should it encounter multiple targets.</p><p></p><p>If wounded or frightened the <em>Tusoteuthis </em>jets away, maybe covering its escape with a cloud of ink.</p><p></p><p>If a <em>Tusoteuthis </em>already has a hold on an opponent in the water when it succeeds at a grapple check during a standard or full attack, it can automatically reduce the distance between it and its opponent by a distance of up to 20 feet, either by moving towards its opponent or pulling them closer with its limbs. The movement may affect the squid, the opponent or both. If this movement pulls an opponent into the Reach of its arm attacks or bite attack the giant squid is able to make attacks-of-opportunity with those natural weapons.</p><p></p><p>An opponent can attack a giant squid’s limbs with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. An <em>Tusoteuthis’s</em> tentacles and arms have 5 hit points each. If a giant squid is currently grappling a target with the appendage that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of a giant squid’s limbs deals 2 points of damage to the creature. A giant squid usually withdraws from combat if it loses four limbs. The creature regrows severed limbs in 1d10+10 days.</p><p></p><p><strong>Chameleon (Ex):</strong> A <em>Tusoteuthis </em>can change its colour and produce light, giving it a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. The squid does not need cover or concealment to attempt a Hide check if it can match the colour and brightness of its surroundings.</p><p></p><p><strong>Constrict (Ex):</strong> A <em>Tusoteuthis </em>automatically deals 1d6+3 points of constriction damage with a successful grapple check, the damage is increased by 1 for each two additional limbs the squid constricts the opponent with (i.e. a <em>Tusoteuthis</em> that constricts with its tentacles and all 8 limbs inflicts 1d6+7 damage).</p><p></p><p>If the squid is close enough to bite an opponent it is constricting it can simultaneously uses its Tearing Beak special attack on them.</p><p></p><p>The constrict attack of a Huge <em>Tusoteuthis </em>does 1d8 base damage plus its Strength modifier, increased by 1 damage per additional limb the squid constricts with. A Huge <em>Tusoteuthis </em>normally has Strength 24 so inflicts 1d8+15 damage if it constricts with its tentacles and all eight limbs.</p><p></p><p><strong>Improved Grab (Ex):</strong> To use this ability, a giant squid must hit an opponent of any size with a tentacle or arm attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.</p><p></p><p>*A <em>Tusoteuthis </em>has a +4 racial bonus to grapple checks with its tentacles, with an additional bonus of 1 per two arms or tentacles it is holding its opponent with. If it hits a target with multiple limbs as part of a full attack routine it only makes one grapple check to resolve the hold.</p><p></p><p><strong>Tearing Beak (Ex):</strong> A <em>Tusoteuthis </em>can bite an opponent it is grappling as a primary attack (bite +6 melee for 1d10+3 damage) or by succeeding at an opposed grapple check (for the same damage).</p><p></p><p><strong>Ink Cloud (Ex):</strong> A <em>Tusoteuthis </em>can emit a cloud of jet-black ink 10 feet high by 10 feet wide by 20 feet long once per minute as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the squid normally uses to escape a losing fight. All vision within the cloud is obscured.</p><p></p><p><strong>Jet (Ex):</strong> A giant squid can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 300 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.</p><p></p><p><strong>Superior Low-Light Vision (Ex):</strong> A <em>Tusoteuthis</em> can see five times as far as a human can in dim light.</p><p></p><p><strong>Skills:</strong> A giant squid’s huge eyes give it a +8 racial bonus to Spot checks and its chameleon ability gives it a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks.</p><p></p><p>A giant squid has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard and 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.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Advanced <em>Tusoteuthis</em></strong></span></p><p>A Huge <em>Tusoteuthis</em> has a 20 foot Reach with its tentacles and a 15 foot Reach with its arms. Each of a Huge <em>Tusoteuthis's</em> limbs has 10 hit points and severing a limb deals 5 points of damage to the creature.</p><p></p><p>A Huge <em>Tusoteuthis</em> can emit an ink cloud 30 feet high by 30 feet wide by 30 feet long.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: green"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Design Notes</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="color: green">A lot of the description is highly speculative, <em>Tusoteuthis longa</em> might have had tentacles as short or shorter than its arms, or even no tentacles at all, as it may have belonged to the Vampyromorphid or been more closely related to octopuses. It's impossible to tell for sure, since only fossil gladii have been found (the <em>gladius</em> (named after the ancient Roman shortsword) or "pen" is a chitinous strut within many Decapodiform cephalopods' mantles that acts as an internal skeleton).</span></p><p><span style="color: green"></span></p><p><span style="color: green">Mechanically it’s basically my </span><a href="https://enworld.org/index.php?posts/7961954" target="_blank"><em>Architeuthis</em></a><span style="color: green"> conversion with the 60 foot swim speed of a standard pelagic squid but a shorter tentacle reach. Since I wanted to give it the longer tentacles of an squid while matching the 10 foot arm Reach of my Medium Octopus Redux.</span></p><p><span style="color: green"></span></p><p><span style="color: green">The Revolting Taste special quality was deliberately omitted to further distinguish <em>Tusoteuthis</em> from my other "natural giant squid" conversions.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: red"><strong>Skill Breakdown:</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: red"><strong><span style="font-size: 12px"><em>Tusoteuthis </em>Squid (9 SPs):</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12px"> Hide 0S+Dex3–4+4chameleon, Listen 6S+Wis1, Spot 3S+Wis1+8R, Swim 0S+Str3+8R</span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cleon, post: 7961961, member: 57383"] [SIZE=6][B][I]Tusoteuthis[/I] (Prehistoric Giant Squid)[/B][/SIZE] Large Animal (Aquatic) [B]Hit Dice:[/B] 6d8+12 (39 hp) [B]Initiative:[/B] +3 [B]Speed:[/B] Swim 60 ft. (12 squares) [B]Armor Class:[/B] 15 (–1 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12 [B]Base Attack/Grapple:[/B] +4/+15* [[I]+1 per 2 limbs[/I]] [B]Attack:[/B] Tentacles +7 melee (1d4+3) [B]Full Attack:[/B] Tentacles +7 melee (1d4+3) and 8 arms +4 melee (1) and bite +4 melee (1d10+1) [B]Space/Reach:[/B] 10 ft./5 ft. (15 ft. with tentacles, 10 ft. with arms) [B]Special Attacks:[/B] Constrict [[I]1d6+3 plus 1/two extra limbs[/I]], improved grab, tearing beak [[I]grapple or +6 melee, 1d10+3[/I]] [B]Special Qualities:[/B] Chameleon, damage reduction 5/slashing or piercing, ink cloud, jet, superior low-light vision [B]Saves:[/B] Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +3 [B]Abilities:[/B] Str 16, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2 [B]Skills:[/B] Hide +3, Listen +7, Spot +12, Swim +11 [B]Feats:[/B] Blind-Fight, Endurance, Multiattackᴮ, Weapon Focus (tentacles) [B]Environment:[/B] Warm aquatic [B]Organization:[/B] Solitary [B]Challenge Rating:[/B] 3 [B]Advancement:[/B] 7–9 HD (Large); 10–12 HD (Huge) [B]Level Adjustment:[/B] — [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]is a type of giant squid that lived in the warm, shallow seas of the Cretaceous. They are not closely related to [I]Architeuthis[/I], the modern-day giant squid. These squid are voracious hunter that would eagerly devour a humanoid in the water. Unlike a giant squid or the colossal squid [I]Mesonychoteuthis[/I], the flesh of a [I]Tusoteuthis[/I] does not contain ammonia and is quite edible, even tasty if skillfully prepared. So, if the situation were reversed a single [I]Tusoteuthis[/I] could provide a feast for an entire village or castle. Formidable as they are, this squid is preyed upon by other animals – the prehistoric tropical seas they inhabit are terrifying places full of huge sharks, giant crocodiles, great mosasaurs and other massive predatory fish and reptiles capable of eating even a fully grown [I]Tusoteuthis[/I]. A typical [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]is 20 feet or so from tailfin to tentacle-tip and weighs around 500 pounds. The squid's body is about 6 feet long, its pair of tentacles exceed 10 feet in length and its eight arms are almost as long. Huge individuals can reach a length of 30 feet or more. [B][SIZE=5]Combat[/SIZE][/B] A [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]giant squid seizes hold of prey with its tentacles, then secures them in its arms and bites with its beak. It focuses on one opponent and does not divide its attacks should it encounter multiple targets. If wounded or frightened the [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]jets away, maybe covering its escape with a cloud of ink. If a [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]already has a hold on an opponent in the water when it succeeds at a grapple check during a standard or full attack, it can automatically reduce the distance between it and its opponent by a distance of up to 20 feet, either by moving towards its opponent or pulling them closer with its limbs. The movement may affect the squid, the opponent or both. If this movement pulls an opponent into the Reach of its arm attacks or bite attack the giant squid is able to make attacks-of-opportunity with those natural weapons. An opponent can attack a giant squid’s limbs with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. An [I]Tusoteuthis’s[/I] tentacles and arms have 5 hit points each. If a giant squid is currently grappling a target with the appendage that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of a giant squid’s limbs deals 2 points of damage to the creature. A giant squid usually withdraws from combat if it loses four limbs. The creature regrows severed limbs in 1d10+10 days. [B]Chameleon (Ex):[/B] A [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]can change its colour and produce light, giving it a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. The squid does not need cover or concealment to attempt a Hide check if it can match the colour and brightness of its surroundings. [B]Constrict (Ex):[/B] A [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]automatically deals 1d6+3 points of constriction damage with a successful grapple check, the damage is increased by 1 for each two additional limbs the squid constricts the opponent with (i.e. a [I]Tusoteuthis[/I] that constricts with its tentacles and all 8 limbs inflicts 1d6+7 damage). If the squid is close enough to bite an opponent it is constricting it can simultaneously uses its Tearing Beak special attack on them. The constrict attack of a Huge [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]does 1d8 base damage plus its Strength modifier, increased by 1 damage per additional limb the squid constricts with. A Huge [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]normally has Strength 24 so inflicts 1d8+15 damage if it constricts with its tentacles and all eight limbs. [B]Improved Grab (Ex):[/B] To use this ability, a giant squid must hit an opponent of any size with a tentacle or arm attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict. *A [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]has a +4 racial bonus to grapple checks with its tentacles, with an additional bonus of 1 per two arms or tentacles it is holding its opponent with. If it hits a target with multiple limbs as part of a full attack routine it only makes one grapple check to resolve the hold. [B]Tearing Beak (Ex):[/B] A [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]can bite an opponent it is grappling as a primary attack (bite +6 melee for 1d10+3 damage) or by succeeding at an opposed grapple check (for the same damage). [B]Ink Cloud (Ex):[/B] A [I]Tusoteuthis [/I]can emit a cloud of jet-black ink 10 feet high by 10 feet wide by 20 feet long once per minute as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the squid normally uses to escape a losing fight. All vision within the cloud is obscured. [B]Jet (Ex):[/B] A giant squid can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 300 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting. [B]Superior Low-Light Vision (Ex):[/B] A [I]Tusoteuthis[/I] can see five times as far as a human can in dim light. [B]Skills:[/B] A giant squid’s huge eyes give it a +8 racial bonus to Spot checks and its chameleon ability gives it a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks. A giant squid has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard and 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. [SIZE=5][B]Advanced [I]Tusoteuthis[/I][/B][/SIZE] A Huge [I]Tusoteuthis[/I] has a 20 foot Reach with its tentacles and a 15 foot Reach with its arms. Each of a Huge [I]Tusoteuthis's[/I] limbs has 10 hit points and severing a limb deals 5 points of damage to the creature. A Huge [I]Tusoteuthis[/I] can emit an ink cloud 30 feet high by 30 feet wide by 30 feet long. [COLOR=green][B][SIZE=5]Design Notes[/SIZE][/B] A lot of the description is highly speculative, [I]Tusoteuthis longa[/I] might have had tentacles as short or shorter than its arms, or even no tentacles at all, as it may have belonged to the Vampyromorphid or been more closely related to octopuses. It's impossible to tell for sure, since only fossil gladii have been found (the [I]gladius[/I] (named after the ancient Roman shortsword) or "pen" is a chitinous strut within many Decapodiform cephalopods' mantles that acts as an internal skeleton). Mechanically it’s basically my [/COLOR][URL='https://enworld.org/index.php?posts/7961954'][I]Architeuthis[/I][/URL][COLOR=green] conversion with the 60 foot swim speed of a standard pelagic squid but a shorter tentacle reach. Since I wanted to give it the longer tentacles of an squid while matching the 10 foot arm Reach of my Medium Octopus Redux. The Revolting Taste special quality was deliberately omitted to further distinguish [I]Tusoteuthis[/I] from my other "natural giant squid" conversions.[/COLOR] [COLOR=red][B]Skill Breakdown: [SIZE=3][I]Tusoteuthis [/I]Squid (9 SPs):[/SIZE][/B][SIZE=3] Hide 0S+Dex3–4+4chameleon, Listen 6S+Wis1, Spot 3S+Wis1+8R, Swim 0S+Str3+8R[/SIZE][/COLOR] [/QUOTE]
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