Hello, after watching Kong: Skull Island, I think it could be an interesting homebrew campaign idea to have a party travel to an island similar to Skull Island. Regardless if Kong would be the final boss or not, an NPC could still be an interesting concept. What I have so far:
-Obviously, he's gotta be an awakened Megaprimatus; although I do think that his awakened stats don't have to be too increased to the point where he has to speak (that, or he can just not being able to talk)
-Class wise, I think barbarian sounds like the best class for Kong. For archetypes, I think brutal pulgilist sounds reasonable, since Kong only uses his bare hands in a battle. I think maybe he could pick up a level or two in fighter just to pick up a couple bonus feats, but that's a bit of a stretch
-Depending on who would run the campaign, a mythic campaign sounds pretty good; but I'm not familiar with mythic settings so I'm in no right to say anything about that.
Thoughts, opinions?
Legendary Games has a Mythic Monsters:Colossal supplement with a mythic giant ape that is essentially Kong. You should check it out.
Hmmmm...what Kong are we talking about? Peter Jackson's or Kaiju Kong (aka Kong vs. Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island)? Jackson's Kong might just be an megaprimatus with the advanced and giant simple templates on it. Kaiju Kong might be a unique creature all to itself. Remember, Kaiju aren't ordinary monsters with templates on them, their unique.
I would either just take a Megaprimatus and give it the advanced, giant, and savage templates, or bump its HD to 15 (to make it colossal) with some stalwart feats (for DR) with maybe the throw anything feat. I don't feel it's required to make him awakened to make it possibly interact with the party or anything. Barbarian levels aren't really needed, as it already has natural weapons, but maybe if you want hurling or something.
I disagree with making it a Kaiju. Being gigantic doesn't always mean Kaiju. It doesn't display any of the abilities from the Kaiju subtype, such as fast healing or very high fire resistance, as a Pathfinder Kaiju would never succumb to a mundane fire attack as opposed to walking right through it. Kong wouldn't mechanically be a Kaiju.
Not all of ToHo's Kaiju are like Pathfinder's Kaiju. Also I think it's been verified that the Kong of Kong: Skull Island is in fact a verified Kaiju (akin to King Ghidorah, Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan). Considering he's only getting bigger and that he's gonna throw down with Godzilla I'd say he definately qualifies. In the old Kong vs. Godzilla movie, Kong had the ability to absorb electricity which he could then channel into his attacks.
Not all of ToHo's Kaiju are like Pathfinder's Kaiju. Also I think it's been verified that the Kong of Kong: Skull Island is in fact a verified Kaiju (akin to King Ghidorah, Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan). Considering he's only getting bigger and that he's gonna throw down with Godzilla I'd say he definately qualifies. In the old Kong vs. Godzilla movie, Kong had the ability to absorb electricity which he could then channel into his attacks.
By all means, stat him up the way you want. If and when he does grow and displays a level of toughness that most Toho Kaiju display, then I'd have no problem with it mechanically functioning as a kaiju. Pathfinder Kaiju are actually heavily inspired by Toho Kaiju.
If we are talking about the same Kong in the very same movie that the topic creator is talking about, and until it gets bigger and tougher, Kong possessing the Kaiju subtype during the events of the movie is very inappropriate. It doesn't display the same level of toughness that the subtype gives (like a typical Toho Kaiju does), doesn't warrant a space greater than 30' (Kong stands about 100ft.), and doesn't display power beyond a CR 12-13 threat. You can still call it a kaiju in game without it having the subtype, likewise you don't have to give it the kaiju subtype just because the creators call him that. I don't think they had Pathfinder in mind.
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Quite honestly, Kong from the movie works well as a megaprimatus, with maybe a template or two.
CR 9-10 is technically within the purview of a group of professional soldiers to take down with advanced weapons and tactics.
Godzilla on the other end, in most iteration is too strong for most groups of soldiers to take down...hell even tanks can barely even scratch Godzilla.
Basically look at the trap that they set for Kong...Godzilla would have never gotten hurt by it.
Yeah we know, Kong is teased at the end of the movie to become bigger and stronger but for now...he is no match.
I haven't seen Skull Island (yet), but I did recently run a longish adventure set on a "Gorilla Island" of my own devising. One of my Freeport players had a vanara ranger, so for our finale adventure, I went crazy with the monkey/ape theme. The party found a vanara tree village that worshiped a derhii goddess, and fought a kech tribe ruled by a baregara-possessed girallon.
I even worked out stats for an Ape Lord animal lord who hung out with a Huge dire ape (this was before I owned the Bestiary that included the megaprimatus, or I would've just used that), but ultimately decided not to introduce him. (Perhaps in your campaign, facing Kong--either in battle or befriending him--could be a requirement for a character to become the next Ape Lord?)
If you want to go really old-school, find a copy of the AD&D module WG6 Isle of the Ape. It's a high-level adventure that is loosely based on the Skull Island parts of the original King Kong story.