How do YOU make / modify monsters...

I know there are official rules for monster creation and advancement, but they aren't perfect. So, I am wondering how people go about making their own variations of existing monsters, or possibly entirely new and unique monsters altogether.

Templates are obvious, and relatively straightforward until you start stacking multiple templates on the same creature.

Class levels are another obvious tool, but here is where it gets tricky (for me). I like the +4/+4/+2/+2/+0/-2 stat adjustments that comes with adding class levels to existing monsters, but sometimes I don't necessarily need the total HD to increase...

I have seen examples of stat'ed monsters with class levels that did not increase their HD compared to the same type of monster stat'ed without class levels, and I sometimes overlay the class levels to exist simultaneously with their original racial HD in order to keep the overall CR down.

If you just add class levels, the HD increase brings feats, BAB, saves... all significantly increasing the CR. Whereas, if you "gestalt" the class levels over the racaial HD of the original monster, you are stuck with the same number of feats (plus any bonus feats from the chosen class)... and the BAB/saves are more inline with the original monster. It just has cool class abilities now.

Funny thing is that I don't always overlsy class levels and racial HD... more times than not, I am looking for extra feats, higher BAB/saves, and the extra HP that comes with more HD. Lol. So, usually, I just add class levels to the existing racial HD... which is what I imagine most people do. Assuming most people modify monsters at all.

As an example of each, I have taken a 4HD Leprechaun and added 4 levels of Sylvan Trickster UnRogue... leaving the total HD at 4...

I have also taken a 4HD Razmir Mask Golem and added 8 levels of Mask of the Whispering God Ninja... for a total of 12HD.

Sometimes I like to combine monsters, like Harpies/Sirens, or Gorgons/Minotaurs to make unique abominations. Gestalt monsters are a lot of fun. The Gorgotaurs I used in Kingmaker are one of my favorite creations made in this manner.

Very rarely do I ever try advance a monster simply by increasing racial HD... I generally just fluff stats to where they "need" to be for the CR of the encounter I am designing. But there is nothing more boring than a monster that has just been aged to increase its size or strength.

Combat Manager is the easiest way to find monsters/NPC's, customize their CR/HD and templates, and then copy/paste to your Campaign File. I can create entire encounters in less than 90 seconds, even mid-sesh.

One thing I definitely advise is reviewing the final product against the monster statistics by CR table to get a cross check on the CR. Many of the methods of modifying monsters result in creatures that are under-CR'ed relative to the final statistics.

One thing I definitely advise is reviewing the final product against the monster statistics by CR table to get a cross check on the CR. Many of the methods of modifying monsters result in creatures that are under-CR'ed relative to the final statistics.

For sure.

If I am just adding class levels to a monster for flavor, with no target CR in mind, I use the table to establish its CR based on whatever I ended up with. Obviously, you build TOWARDS the values on the table if you have a set CR in mind from the beginning. And, like I said earlier, you can fluff a monster's existing stats to meet whatever CR you want, but that doesn't add anything fun to it.

By now I try to avoid monster variants, because they are usually not worth the trouble. Reskinning (or just using) a high CR creature, adding (hopefully) memorable RP or giving them a special item already goes a long way to make a monster unique. But the current campaign just made it to level 3, maybe I will be back to custom monsters at some point.

That said, here is the thought process to the CR 25 final boss of last campaign:

Goals: epic battle, pit fiend, CR 25 (quite straight-forward, eh?)

Approaches to "epic battle": Deeper darkness, debuffs (fear aura, quickened crushing despair, quickened inflict pain, breath weapon with negative level, negative level on hit), not subject to blind and stun (one of the PCs had two katanas with Blinding Critical and Stunning Critical)

Approaches to CR 25 pit fiend: Picked variant "master of magic" from Bestiary (page 82), added Freedom of Movement and the two quickened debuffs, blindsight 60. Used the difference / ratio between CR 25 and CR 20 reference values to get the upgraded values, ignoring intermediate stuff like HD, BAB or ability scores:

HP 741 = 350 (base pit fiend) / 370 (CR 20) * 560 (CR 25) * 1.4 (faking full HD)
AB 37 = 31 - 30 + 36
Dmg 168 = 112 / 120 * 180
DC 28 = 25 - 27 + 30
Good save 26 = 22 - 22 + 26
Bad save 21 = 18 - 18 + 21

Result (in simplified Bestiary notation):

Turned out ok during battle, challenging the level 21 PCs somewhat with his darkness. But actually his demise was more epic: a 66d6 fireball, a wave of blindness and another wave of insanity, all targeting different saves. Of three PCs only the barbarian survived, but caught in Hell and permanently confused - had to send in a friendly NPC to help (and compensate the over-the-top effects on death).

Over the top? Nah. That is good clean fun.

Had the Death Throes of a Balor kill 2 characters out of a 3-person party in 5e... it's supposed to be scary.

Combat Manager is the easiest way to find monsters/NPC's, customize their CR/HD and templates, and then copy/paste to your Campaign File. I can create entire encounters in less than 90 seconds, even mid-sesh.

yep, open Combat Manager, pick monster, apply advancement or templates. add to combat.

Ryze Kuja wrote:

Combat Manager is the easiest way to find monsters/NPC's, customize their CR/HD and templates, and then copy/paste to your Campaign File. I can create entire encounters in less than 90 seconds, even mid-sesh.

yep, open Combat Manager, pick monster, apply advancement or templates. add to combat.

Going to have to get me that.

Probably going to be one of those moments where I question how I ever made do without it.

Until then, I have a pretty decent system where I can break down a class level by level (I have outlines of a lot of classes)... adding an archetype is pretty easy... just replace in the outline whatever the archetype replaces at the proper level. Then I just copy and paste the monster stat block and adjust stats/add appropriate levels... it's not exactly a quick process, but I have it down to a science.

I am getting ready to add 12 levels of Hamatulatsu Master Monk to a Barbed Devil without raising its HD. BAB and HP go down, saves go up... I didn't retrain any of its feats, but it gets Dodge, Improved Grapple, Hamatulatsu, and Improved Critical Unarmed Strike as bonus feats from class levels. Unarmed Strikes only do 2D6 compared to the 2D8 claws... it isn't perfect, but I think Asmodeus could still find a use for them. I like what I am seeing so far with it. Variety is nice.

I've thrown the "monster levels" concept out the window. Sometimes you need a CR5 monster with 180hp that won't instantly paste whoever it's attacking, or some other such thing.

My last creation was a physical manifestation of cannibal hunger. It started off Medium, with a spd of 90ft, Spring Attack and an AC that required the barbarian of the party a 14+ to hit on a raging charge.
But as it ran hither and thither, gobbling up innocent bystanders, it grew to Large. It's speed dropped considerably, as did it's AC, but it also gained two claw attacks and Rend.
Then it went to Huge and actually got pretty slow and clumsy (at least by comparison to how it started), but it also had Grab and Swallow Whole.

All custom work. No reskinning or adding of templates or class levels. At this point in my GM'ing career, I know what I need, so I just grab it. I trust my gut more than I trust any formula. Maybe because a lot of the formulas are so ingrained in my head that it's become reflexive.

VM, you've seen my ham-handed attempts at adding class levels to monsters :) The main goal I always have is to keep monsters challenging, but that's not the only goal. Another big challenge is keeping changes subtle so my players don't question the added challenge.

Once at the beginning of one of my current campaigns I gave stock-standard kobolds shortbows instead of slings. After handing out XP in an email, I got a response back from one player why we didn't get XP for CR 1/3 monsters, since that's what "optimized" kobolds should yield.

While that caused me to stop handing out XP in that campaign, it also clued me into the fact that my players KNOW the CR of the monsters. They understand how monsters are built and what the expectation should be for a "standard" monster.

So when I optimize my monsters or add to them I try to be subtle, or else I make up a random name and turn them into a unique "new" monster. Take a sprite and change it's light generation to Create Water, give it Arcane Mark and Touch of Fatigue at will instead of Dancing Lights and Daze, then change Color Spray 1/day into Gentle Repose 1/day and suddenly you have a Gravesworn Piskie; a sprite that embodies nature's reclamation of the dead back into itself to feed the earth and renew life. They mark those who defile the dead (Arcane Mark) so they might be hunted by nature, they weep for the fallen (Create Water) and they weaken the resolve of their enemies (Touch of Fatigue). When 3 or more of them join together (a new thing I made up when I reskinned them) they can use Expeditious Excavation to create a bower or grave for a creature, bury it, and preserve the corpse (Gentle Repose), revisiting the gravesite until the nutrients have fed the ground.

Gravesworn Piskie... stealing these. Thank you.

I use milestone advancement, rather than XP... that way I don't have to exlain anything extra to the players. Pretty much everything in my game has been modified in one way or another. Having the players question every little thing would be exhausting.

Like the Hamatulatsu Devil I have been lazily putting together the last few days... it is still technically a barbed devil... but it has a way higher AC, flurry of blows, stunning fist, evasion/improved evasion, still mind, wholeness of body, and an extra 40' of movement... if you approach it with the mindset of it is probably just like every other barbed devil you have encountered, you will get your @$$ kicked.

ALWAYS make your knowledge checks... don't ever go off of some metagame previous knowledge that you think you know...

You ever just straight up make a PC, then describe it as a monster? Like, say you take a half-orc, build it with a bite attack and levels in Eldritch Guardian fighter as a natural attack specialist with a Mauler familiar, then put it on the table and be like "Here's the worg alpha and his mate"?

I did that once. I built a half-orc monk with a bite attack, put a permanent Reduce Person on it and then called it a Tatzlwyrm. I gave it back its Poisonous Gasp but otherwise I just used it as the dragon I wanted it to be for a boss fight.

Might as well drop this here since I have been talking about it. I think I got everything, but I didn't adjust/change the CR/XP, yet (might need to do that). Let me know what you think or if anything obvious needs changed...

Hamatulatsu Devil CR 11?

XP 12,800?
LE Medium outsider, Monk 12
(devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +21

DEFENSE

AC 34, touch 24, flat-footed 27 (+7 Dex, +7 ac bonus, +10 natural)
hp 138 (12d8+84)
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +14
Defensive Abilities ac bonus, barbed defense, evasion, improved evasion, infernal resilience, slow fall, still mind, wholeness of body; DR 10/good; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10; SR 22

OFFENSE

Speed 70 ft.
Melee unarmed strike +18/+13/+8 (2d6+8/19-20); or flurry of blows +19/+19/+14/+14/+9 (2d6+8/19-20); or 2 claws +17 (2d8+8/19–20 plus fear and grab)
Special Attacks fear, flurry of blows, impale 3d8+9, ki strike, stunning fist (DC 20)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th)

At will— greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), hold person (DC 17), major image (DC 17), produce flame, pyrotechnics (DC 16), scorching ray (2 rays only) 1/day— order’s wrath (DC 18), summon (level 4, 1 barbed devil 35%), unholy blight (DC 18)

STATISTICS

Str 27, Dex 25, Con 24, Int 10, Wis 19, Cha 18
Base Atk +9; CMB +18 (+22 grapple); CMD 34
Feats Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, HamatulatsuB, Improved Critical (claws), Improved Critical (unarmed strikes)B, Improved GrappleB, Improved Unarmed StrikeB, Iron Will, Power Attack, Stunning FistB, Weapon Focus (unarmed strikes)B
Skills Acrobatics +14, Diplomacy +11, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) +7, Perception +21, Sense Motive +21, Spellcraft +9, Stealth +14, Survival +8
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Abundant Step (Su)
A Hamatulatsu Devil can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 2 points from its ki pool. The caster level for this effect is equal to its total HD. The Hamatulatsu Devil cannot take other creatures with it when it uses this ability.

AC Bonus (Ex)
When unarmored and unencumbered, the Hamatulatsu Devil adds its Wisdom bonus (if any) to its AC and CMD. In addition, a Hamatulatsu Devil gains a +3 bonus to AC and CMD.

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the Hamatulatsu Devil is flat-footed. The Hamatulatsu Devil loses these bonuses when it is immobilized or helpless, when it wears any armor, when it carries a shield, or when the Hamatulatsu Devil carries a medium or heavy load.

Barbed Defense (Su)
A creature that strikes a Hamatulatsu Devil with a melee weapon, an unarmed strike, or a natural weapon takes 1d8+6 points of piercing damage from the devil’s barbs. Melee weapons with reach do not endanger a user in this way.

Evasion (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a Hamatulatsu Devil makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, it instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a Hamatulatsu Devil is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Hamatulatsu Devil does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Fast Movement (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil gains a 40' enhancement bonus to its land speed. A Hamatulatsu Devil in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

Fear (Su)
A Hamatulatsu Devil’s fear attack affects any creature it damages with its claws. A DC 20 Will save resists this effect, otherwise the victim becomes frightened for 1d4 rounds. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Flurry of Blows (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action.

When doing so, the Hamatulatsu Devil may make two additional attacks, taking a –2 penalty on all of its attack rolls, as if using the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat. These attacks can be any combination of unarmed strikes and attacks with a monk special weapon (the Hamatulatsu Devil does not need to use two weapons to utilize this ability).

For the purpose of these attacks, the Hamatulatsu Devil’s base attack bonus from its monk class levels is equal to its monk level. For all other purposes, such as qualifying for a feat or a prestige class, the Hamatulatsu Devil uses its normal base attack bonus.

Grab (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil can use its grab attack against a foe up to Medium size.

High Jump (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil adds its level to all Acrobatics checks made to jump, both for vertical jumps and horizontal jumps. In addition, the Hamatulatsu Devil always counts as having a running start when making jump checks using Acrobatics. By spending 1 point from its ki pool as a swift action, a Hamatulatsu Devil gains a +20 bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump for 1 round.

Impale (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil deals 3d8+12 points of piercing damage to a grabbed opponent with a successful grapple check.

Improved Evasion (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil's evasion ability improves. The Hamatulatsu Devil still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth it takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Hamatulatsu Devil does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Infernal Resilience (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil gains immunity to all spells, spell-like abilities, and effects with the pain descriptor, as well as a +2 bonus on saving throws against effects that would sicken, nauseate, stagger, or stun it.

Ki Pool (Su)
A Hamatulatsu Devil gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy it can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a Hamatulatsu Devil’s ki pool is equal to 1/2 its total HD + its Wisdom modifier (usually 10). As long as the Hamatulatsu Devil has at least 1 point in its ki pool, the Hamatulatsu Devil can make a ki strike.

• A ki strike allows its unarmed attacks to be treated as cold iron, lawful, magic, and silver weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

By spending 1 point from its ki pool, a Hamatulatsu Devil can do one of the following:

• Make one additional attack at its highest attack bonus when making a flurry of blows attack, or

• Gain one additional use of its stunning fist ability that round, though this does not grant it an additional attack, or

• Increase its speed by 20 feet for 1 round, or

• Give itself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round, or

• Finally, as an immediate action, a Hamatulatsu Devil can spend 1 ki point to make a single melee attack with a +2 bonus against a creature that has damaged it with a natural melee attack, unarmed strike, or weapon without the reach property.

Each of these powers is activated as a swift action.

The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.

Maneuver Training (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil uses its total HD in place of its base attack bonus when calculating its Combat Maneuver Bonus.

Slow Fall (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow its descent. When using this ability, the Hamatulatsu Devil takes damage as if the fall were 60 feet shorter than it actually is.

Still Mind (Ex)
A Hamatulatsu Devil gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects.

Stunning Fist (Ex)
Stunning Fist forces a foe damaged by a Hamatulatsu Devil's unarmed attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 20), in addition to dealing damage normally. A defender who fails this saving throw is stunned for 1 round (until just before the Hamatulatsu Devil's next turn). A stunned character drops everything held, can’t take actions, loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, and takes a –2 penalty to AC. A Hamatulatsu Devil may attempt a stunning attack 12 times per day, and no more than once per round. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be stunned. The save DC is Wisdom-based.

A Hamatulatsu Devil expands the conditions that it can apply to the target of its stunning fist instead of merely stunning the target. A Hamatulatsu Devil can choose to make the target shaken for 1 minute, or choose to deal 1d10 points of nonlethal bleed damage. A Hamatulatsu Devil can also choose to make the target frightened for 1d3 rounds.

Wholeness of Body (Su)
A Hamatulatsu Devil can heal its own wounds as a standard action. The Hamatulatsu Devil can heal 12 hit points of damage by using 2 points from its ki pool.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Hell)
Organization solitary, pair, team (3–5), or squad (6–11)
Treasure standard

Guardians of dark temples and punishers of those who dare defile infernal shrines, Hamatulatsu Devils—similar in appearance  to, and often mistaken as, hamatulas to the uninitiated—enforce the strictures of the damned and safeguard the nefarious works of greater devils. A Hamatulatsu Devil enjoys the feel of warm blood on its spines, and prefers to leap into melee when presented with an opportunity for battle.

Hamatulatsu Devils are collectors and organizers, and are favorite allies of greedy summoners as they often bring with them tempting treasures from Hell’s vaults or know the paths to deadly riches. Left to their own devices, the lairs of these devils often bear the pierced trophies of their past victims, hung like perverse bug collections on bloodied walls. Most Hamatulatsu Devils stand upward of 7 feet tall and weigh 300 pounds, though their leanly muscled bodies appear much larger due to the constantly growing and adjusting spines that protrude from their razor-sharp bodies.

Yah think it might not be a CR 11?!? Wow! What a surprise!

Let's do that table cross check:

HP = 138 ~ between CR10 and CR11
AC = 34 ~ CR 19
To Hit = +19 ~ High CR11 (" Creatures with a higher than normal average damage typically have a lower attack value to compensate."
Average Damage = 5*(2d6+8) = 75 ~ high average damage between CR15 and CR 16
Primary Ability DC (stunning fist) = 20 ~ CR 11
Secondary Ability DC ( Major Image) = 17 ~ CR 16
Good Save = 15 ~ CR12
Weak Save = 14 ~ CR 16

Tactically - enough brains to go for the squishier targets (which it will get a shot at with all the tricky stuff : stealth, illusions, teleportation, monk mobility) & use hit and run tactics... and the AC makes it a complete tank.

Eyeball estimate without playtest suggests maybe a CR15 or so...

I always come up with a concept first. Then I build for flavor vs. power unless I want a scary unique fight. Like this week I came of with flying scorpion chimpanzees. Saw an image of the flying monkeys from Wizard of oz and thought not mad Science enough so I scrubbed the cr 1 monster data base to find a similar creature in power go splice. The mental image of a chimpanzee with hawk wings but a prehensile scorpion tail and two pincers was born. To help with climbing I gave the scorpion legs along its ribs that pop pot to help climb when it can’t fly.

Later today I’ll probably splice an Ogre, a Rhino and a big cat. So take Ogre stats. Give it a charge, a horn attack, a pounce with bite claw claw as well as AC bonus from Rhino hide

Monster mash-'em-ups are always good fun, even if it's just animals.

I made a lion/sea anemone, a bioluminescent cat with a cluster of venomous, grasping tentacles for a head. And a rhino/whale that charged and scooped up multiple opponents at once in it's cavernous jaws.
There was some kind of large predatory bird crossed with a hatchet or angler fish, with huge dead eyes, a fanged maw and grasping talons.
There was also something akin to a flying squid/jellyfish/cloud.

I see no reason you can't have power and flavor; pick what fits and pump it until it's as dangerous as you need it to be.

Nothing is wrong with with power, I just tend to not build towards power cause if everything is deadly or powerful nothing stands out but this is only if I’m running typical games. If I run a Deadly game then its different.

Like here is a monster I just threw together:

Claw Hide CR 6
Using an Ogre as the base creature the Genesplicer mixed the DNA of a rhinoceros and a tiger to build this predator.

XP 2400
CE Large Aberration
Init +2; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Scent; Perception +5

DEFENSE
AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 19 ( No Armour, Shield, none)
(+2 Dex, +10 Natural, -1 size)
hp 57 (6d8+24+6);
Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +3

OFFENSE
Speed: 40ft.
Single Attack Gore +9 (2d6+6)
Full Attack
Gore +9 (2d6+6)
Bite +9 (2d6+6)
2 Claw +9 (1d8+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks
Pounce (Ex) ,
Powerful charge 4d612,
Rake 2 claws 10 1d86

STATISTICS
Str 23, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Attack 4 CMB +11 ; CMD 23
Feats
Combat Reflexes: DEX mod additional attacks of opportunity,
Run: Can run at 5 times normal speed, +4 bonus to Acrobatic jumps,
Toughness: +3 Hit points or +1 per hit dice
Skills Acrobatics +11, Perception +5, Stealth +7, Swim +10

Nice. I enjoy the creativity behind gestalt monsters.

Here is my Gorgotaur... forgive any mistakes, I put them together for a specific encounter in my Kingmaker campaign and haven't went back to touch anything up since then. But man they were fun to run in untold/unknown/unseen numbers meadering through a fog-filled stone statue garden maze. Just heard them howling and snorting out in the fog. They would come smashing through stone walls like the Kool-Aid Man... bowling through formations of statues like Juggernaut. They also almost permenantly petrified Dwayne "the Roc" Johnson (animal companion) by multiple Gorgotaurs hitting it with their breath weapons in the same round, but it made the save for the first blast (making the pertification from the 2nd blast temporary). Loads of fun...

Gogotaur
XP 19,200 CR12
NE Large monstrous humanoid
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +26

DEFENSE

AC 25, touch 9, flat-footed n/a
(+16 natural, –1 size)
hp 175 (14d10+98)
Fort +18, Ref +9, Will +14

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee greataxe +21/+16/+11 (3d6+10/×3) and gore +16 (2d8+3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks 
breath weapon (60-foot cone, turn to stone, Fortitude DC 24 negates),
powerful charge (gore +23, 4d8+10), 
trample (2d8+10, Reflex DC 24 half)

STATISTICS

Str 24, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 7, Wis 16, Cha 9
Base Atk +14; 
CMB +22; (+24 bull rush)
CMD 31 (33 vs bull rush)
Feats Furious Focus, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills (4+Int): 
Acrobatics +8, Climb +11, Craft +2, Perception +26, Stealth +8, Survival +15, and Swim +11.
Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Survival
Languages Giant

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Breath Weapon
A gorgotaur can use its breath weapon once every 1d4+1 rounds to create a 60-foot cone of green gas. Those caught in the area of the gas can attempt a DC 24 Fortitude save to resist the effects, but those who fail the save are immediately petrified. This petrification is temporary—each round, a petrified creature can attempt a new DC 24 Fortitude save to recover from the petrification as long as it is not caught within the area of effect of the gorgotaur’s breath weapon a second time while petrified. A creature exposed to the gorgotaur’s breath a second time while already petrified becomes permanently petrified, and can no longer attempt to make additional Fortitude saves to recover naturally. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Natural Cunning (Ex)
Although gorgotaurs are not especially intelligent, they possess innate cunning and logical ability. This gives them immunity to maze spells and prevents them from ever becoming lost. Further, they are never caught flat-footed.

Powerful Charge (Ex)
When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, its attack deals extra damage in addition to the normal benefits and hazards of a charge. The attack and amount of damage from the attack is given in the creature’s description.

Trample (Ex)
As a full-round action, a creature with the trample ability can attempt to overrun any creature that is at least one size category Smaller than itself. This works just like the overrun combat maneuver, but the trampling creature does not need to make a check, it merely has to move over opponents in its path. Targets of a trample take an amount of damage equal to the trampling creature’s slam damage + 1-1/2 times its Str modifier. Targets of a trample can make an attack of opportunity, but at a –4 penalty. If targets forgo an attack of opportunity, they can attempt to avoid the trampling creature and receive a Reflex save to take half damage. The save DC against a creature’s trample attack is 10 + 1/2 the creature’s HD + the creature’s Str modifier (the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). A trampling creature can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate ruins or underground
Organization solitary, pair, or gang (3–4)
Treasure standard (greataxe, other treasure)

Gorgotaurs are magical, foul-tempered creatures—while they might appear to be constructs at first glance, beneath their artifical-looking armor plates they are made of flesh and bone. Like aggressive bulls, they challenge any unfamiliar creature they encounter, often trampling their opponent’s corpse or shattering its stony remnants until the creature is unrecognizable. The females are just as dangerous as the males, and the two sexes appear identical. A typical gorgotaur stands 10 to 15 feet tall and weighs up to 4,000 pounds.

Nothing holds a grudge like a gorgotaur. Scorned by the civilized races centuries ago and born from a deific curse, gorgotaurs have hunted, slain, and devoured lesser humanoids in retribution for real or imagined slights for as long as anyone can remember. Many cultures have legends of how the first gorgotaurs were created by vengeful or slighted gods who punished humans by twisting their forms, robbing them of their intellects and beauty, and giving them the heads of bulls. Yet most modern gorgotaurs hold these legends in contempt and believe that they are not divine mockeries but divine paragons created by a potent and cruel demon lord named Baphomet.

The traditional gorgotaur’s lair is a maze, be it a legitimate labyrinth constructed to baffle and confuse, an accidental one such as a city sewer system, or a naturally occurring one such as a tangle of caverns and other underground passageways. Employing their innate cunning, gorgotaurs use their maze lairs to vex unwary foes who seek them out or who simply stumble into the lairs and become lost, slowly hunting the intruders as they try in vain to find a way out. Only when despair has truly set in does the gorgotaur move in to strike at its lost victims. When dealing with a group, gorgotaurs often let one creature escape, to spread the tale of horror and lure others to their mazes in hope of slaying the beasts. Of course, to gorgotaurs, these would-be heroes make for delicious meals.

Gorgotaurs derive nutrients from the consumption of minerals, particularly the stone of their petrified victims, and any statues they create are likely to be gnawed thoroughly. They cannot digest metal or gems, so their dung (which resembles bitter-smelling gray powder) often contains small, raw crystals and nuggets of ore. Their aggression toward all other creatures means that there are few to no predators or other prey animals in their stomping grounds. Each gang is led by a dominant bull; solitary gorgotaurs are usually adolescent bulls driven out of their gang by the lead bull.

Gorgotaurs might also be found in the employ of a more powerful monster or evil creature, serving it so long as they can still hunt and dine as they please. Usually, this means guarding some powerful object or valuable location, but it can also be a sort of mercenary work, hunting down the foes of its master.

Gorgotaurs are relatively straightforward combatants, using their horns to horribly gore the nearest living creature when combat begins. Powdered gorgotaur horn is worth 250 gp as an alternate material component for magic items using bull’s strength, stoneskin, flesh to stone, statue, and similar magic.

Gorgotaur Encounters

Gorgotaur marauders are much more nimble and confident on the slopes than their bulk would suggest. They are most often encountered stalking prey, including humanoids, in the wilds. Raiding parties of two or more marauders surround their prey, braying and stamping from all sides to confuse, frighten, and scatter. If they occupy higher ground, these gorgotaurs prefer to attack with their bows, but they are equally competent in melee if a foe survives long enough to engage toe-to-hoof.

Resistant as they are to spells, energy, and physical damage, labyrinth guardians’ closest thing to a weakness is their single-mindedness. Most are tied to the mazes or tombs in which they dwell and will not chase foes out into the light. Tangle tenders hold similar sway over their lairs, but act more with cunning than with brute force. These devious trapsmiths delight in building wicked mechanical devices to harm those that dare intrude on their mazes.

Gorgotaur prophets are much more brutal than humanoid cultists. Through fear, manipulation, and reverence, the prophets command disproportionate respect from the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth, a secret cabal of the demon lord’s most devious worshipers. The prophets wield their clout in the same ways that they wield their brass glaives of office—by striking from a distance.

I try to stay somewhat within the rules when adapting creatures to my game, be they improved versions of existing ones or conversions from other systems, but more and more I just throw on whatever stats I want on the beastie without regard for things like BAB or saves being tied to HD. In large part this is because we have moved into E20 territory and things need to be adjusted to fit the party.