paizo.com Favorited Posts by Calder Rooneypaizo.com Favorited Posts by Calder Rooney2018-10-10T08:02:48Z2018-10-10T08:02:48ZForums: Round 2: Create a Bestiary entry: Ammut, Bearer of HeartsCalder Rooneyhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2qlxw?Ammut-Bearer-of-Hearts#12014-01-29T00:53:57Z2014-01-24T21:57:51Z<p><i>This creature combines the head of a crocodile, the torso of a lion, and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus. Slitted yellow eyes stare unblinkingly from behind its great jaws.</i></p>
<p><b>Ammut CR 3/MR 1</b>
<br />
<b>XP 800</b>
<br />
LN Medium outsider (mythic, native)
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<b>Init</b> +5; <b>Senses</b> darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
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<b>——- Defense ——-</b>
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<b>AC</b> 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 natural)
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<b>hp</b> 32 (3d10+16)
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<b>Fort</b> +5, <b>Ref</b> +2, <b>Will</b> +4
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<b>Immune</b> death effects, disease; <b>Resist</b> fire 10
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<b>——- Offense ——-</b>
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<b>Speed</b> 30 ft.
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<b>Melee</b> 2 claws +6 (1d4+3 plus grab), bite +4 (1d6+1)
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<b>Special Attacks</b> devour heart, mythic power (1/day, surge +1d6), pounce
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<b>——- Statistics ——-</b>
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<b>Str</b> 17, <b>Dex</b> 12, <b>Con</b> 15, <b>Int</b> 10, <b>Wis</b> 12, <b>Cha</b> 17
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<b>Base Atk</b> +3; <b>CMB</b> +6; <b>CMD</b> 17
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<b>Feats</b> Alertness (M), Improved Initiative, Multiattack
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<b>Skills</b> Disguise +9, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (history) +6, Knowledge (religion) +6, Perception +9, Sense Motive +9
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<b>Languages</b> Ancient Osiriani
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<b>SQ</b> alternate form
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<b>——- Ecology ——-</b>
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<b>Environment</b> any urban
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<b>Organization</b> solitary
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<b>Treasure</b> incidental
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<b>——- Special Abilities ——-</b>
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<b>Alternate Form (Su)</b> As a standard action, an ammut can assume the form of a Diminutive ankh-shaped talisman. It gains a +20 racial bonus on Disguise checks and functions as a <i>ring of feather falling</i> which occupies no item slot for any creature that carries it, but can take no actions except to resume its normal form as a standard action. If an ammut resumes its normal form while another creature is carrying it, it appears in the nearest unoccupied space and can attempt to trip that creature as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.</p>
<p><b>Devour Heart (Su)</b> If an ammut pins a living opponent, it can pull out their still-beating heart by expending one use of mythic power as a swift action. If the creature succeeds on a DC 14 Fortitude save, it is staggered for 1d4 rounds as its heart melts through its chest and lurches back. If the creature fails its saving throw, the ammut devours their heart, inflicting 2d6 points of Constitution damage immediately and every round it maintains the grapple. The creature's heart can be retrieved by ending the grapple or with a successful disarm or steal combat maneuver, but the creature continues to take 1 point of Constitution damage per round until its heart is replaced. This operation takes a DC 20 Heal check made as a full-round action to cut open the creature's chest cavity, followed by any amount of magical healing to reattach its still-beating heart. The save DC is Charisma-based.</p>
<p>Ammuts are spirits created by ancient Osirian god-pharaohs and interred with mummies to shepherd their souls to the afterlife. By absorbing the weight of sin carried in the pharaohs' hearts, their souls would be free to ascend to paradise. Perhaps several dozen survive to this day, scattered throughout cities where Osirion's relics are sold. Most Osiriontologists are unaware the ankh talismans are anything more than minor arcane trinkets, for nearly all have fallen into slumber over the long centuries. When an ammut reawakens (usually by exposure to sinful activities inherent in cities), it is enraged to find itself separated from the pharaoh whose soul it was created to protect. Such an ammut embarks on a rampage of destruction, slaying all beings it deems evil. Characters who return the guardian spirit to its pharaoh, however, earn its eternal gratitude: such an ammut may even bestow the power of Osirion's god-kings upon a good-aligned character who it deems sufficiently worthy, imbuing her with mythic power.</p>This creature combines the head of a crocodile, the torso of a lion, and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus. Slitted yellow eyes stare unblinkingly from behind its great jaws.
Ammut CR 3/MR 1
XP 800
LN Medium outsider (mythic, native)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
----- Defense -----
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 32 (3d10+16)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +4
Immune death effects, disease; Resist fire 10
----- Offense -----
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +6...Calder Rooney2014-01-24T21:57:51ZRe: Forums: Open Call: Design a wondrous item: Stormcrusher GauntletsCalder Rooneyhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2qiy5?Stormcrusher-Gauntlets#222014-01-28T00:10:53Z2014-01-23T03:55:44Z<p>Wow! I'd entered a few of the past Superstars and was hoping to make it this year, but I don't think anyone actually expects to see their name among the Top 32. Thanks to all the voters who made that happen, and the people who've taken time to post feedback here!</p>
<p>I'm happy to see the item's mythic element has been noticed. Not everyone's interested in the mythic rules (or has time to learn them), so it was a bit of a gamble. But a lot of my favorite past items were ones that played the long odds.</p>
<div class="messageboard-quotee">Scott Fernandez wrote:</div><blockquote>So what happens if the user is not Mythic? Do they take the damage the round after they crush the electrical attack? I like the inclusion of the mythic rules and the interesting effects you can create with these, but if I were normal I'd probably just go for a nice potion of energy resistance.</blockquote><p>RonarsCorruption has the right of it. If a mythic wielder expends a use of mythic power but doesn't use the crushed electricity by their next turn, it explodes. Non-mythic creatures aren't in a position to take that damage, since they can't expend mythic power.
<p>If I could do my entry again, I might phrase the language as "Crushed lightning explodes if not used within one round of expending mythic power. This deals an amount of electricity damage to the wearer equal to the original effect's damage (no save)."</p>
<div class="messageboard-quotee">Sean McGowan wrote:</div><blockquote>I honestly hadn't noticed the 'crushed lightning explodes the next round' caveat at the end til now; it does seem a tad confusing. I suspect that's a result of one of those 'I have to cover all my bases' approach to item design where you see a possible question that you want to preemptively answer, or a loophole you're trying to patch.</blockquote><p>Sean's right on the money so far as my thought process went: it was a weird image to picture someone eating, opening doors, or (gods forbid) giving handshakes with their fist lit up like a mad scientist's lightning conductor. I also wanted to make it feel like the wearer was in command of volatile forces. Twisting lightning bolts into pretzels shouldn't feel safe!
<p>(Incidentally, I'd probably also change "catch the lightning" to "seize the lightning" in the first paragraph. The gauntlets work just as well using 'em to grab an electric force field or throwing your fist in front of an enemy's <i>shocking grasp</i>.)</p>
<p>Thanks again to everyone for their votes and feedback!</p>Wow! I'd entered a few of the past Superstars and was hoping to make it this year, but I don't think anyone actually expects to see their name among the Top 32. Thanks to all the voters who made that happen, and the people who've taken time to post feedback here!
I'm happy to see the item's mythic element has been noticed. Not everyone's interested in the mythic rules (or has time to learn them), so it was a bit of a gamble. But a lot of my favorite past items were ones that played the long...Calder Rooney2014-01-23T03:55:44ZForums: Open Call: Design a wondrous item: Stormcrusher GauntletsCalder Rooneyhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2qiy5?Stormcrusher-Gauntlets#12014-02-11T21:38:56Z2014-01-01T21:51:42Z<p><b>Stormcrusher Gauntlets</b>
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<b>Aura</b> moderate abjuration and evocation; <b>CL</b> 10th
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<b>Slot</b> hands; <b>Price</b> 45,000 gp; <b>Weight</b> 5 lbs.
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<b>Description</b>
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These rain-specked metal gauntlets give a noticeable prickling sensation when donned. Three times per day whenever the wearer would take electricity damage, she can make a Strength check to catch the lightning and crush it into harmless sparks that deal no damage (DC 10 + 1 per 10 points of damage). Activating this ability is an immediate action.</p>
<p>If the wearer is a mythic creature, she can also expend one use of mythic power to reshape the crushed lightning into a variety of forms: blasts of electric force, blinding showers of sparks, or even lassos. This allows the wearer to perform a bull rush, dirty trick, grapple, reposition, or trip combat maneuver on her next turn against any opponent within 10 feet per mythic tier. On a successful combat maneuver check, the opponent also takes an amount of electricity damage equal to the wearer's combat maneuver check result (up to a maximum of the original effect's damage). Crushed lightning not used by the wearer's next turn explodes and deals the original effect's electricity damage to the wearer (no save). Creatures immune to electricity damage are immune to the gauntlets' powers.
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<b>Construction</b>
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<b>Requirements</b> Craft Wondrous Item, Mythic Crafter, <i>lightning bolt, shock shield</i>; <b>Cost</b> 22,500 gp</p>Stormcrusher Gauntlets
Aura moderate abjuration and evocation; CL 10th
Slot hands; Price 45,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
These rain-specked metal gauntlets give a noticeable prickling sensation when donned. Three times per day whenever the wearer would take electricity damage, she can make a Strength check to catch the lightning and crush it into harmless sparks that deal no damage (DC 10 + 1 per 10 points of damage). Activating this ability is an immediate action.
If the wearer is a...Calder Rooney2014-01-01T21:51:42ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Adventure Path #71: Rasputin Must Die! (Reign of Winter 5 of 6) (PFRPG)Calder Rooney (RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32)https://paizo.com/products/btpy8yv5/discuss&page=2?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-71-Rasputin-Must-Die#802013-09-23T15:17:16Z2013-01-08T08:27:10Z<p>...I want to marry this adventure and have its children.</p>
<p>Is that legal?</p>...I want to marry this adventure and have its children.
Is that legal?Calder Rooney (RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32)2013-01-08T08:27:10ZRe: Forums/Gamer Life: General Discussion: What do you do when you catch a player fudging the dice?Calder Rooney (RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2p6f7&page=2?What-do-you-do-when-you-catch-a-player#712012-11-21T19:04:03Z2012-11-21T13:30:32Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Icyshadow wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Kthulhu wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Icyshadow wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">shallowsoul wrote:</div><blockquote> I don't fudge the dice, it lands where ever it lands good or bad. </blockquote>Something tells me you're not being honest here. </blockquote>Weren't you b#@+~ing about how poor you has people start fights with you everywhere in another thread earlier today? Jesus, dude... </blockquote><p>...sure, though you forgot where he replied to my post with a less than polite response. And I only said that I don't believe him.
<p>There's a difference between disagreeing with someone, and deliberately trying to provoke a fight. I did the former, you are DOING the latter.</p>
<p>Anyway, some people seem fine with a DM fudging behind the screen. Not saying a majority does, but I'm curious about the ones who refuse to do so. </blockquote><p>The statement you're disagreeing with is a factual one rather than a matter of opinion, however. "I think fudging rolls makes for a better game experience" is something that everyone can be polite over, but questioning someone's personal honesty is rarely going to be taken well.
<p>Anyways, my DM prefers not to fudge rolls on the grounds that it diminishes our triumphs. He feels there is no danger if he is our secret backup, and that without danger there is no accomplishment. If we roll a string of 1s and he gets all 20s that's too bad for us. </p>
<p>If I ever ran a game I'd do the same. Losing characters to bad rolls isn't fun, but on the flip side, there is a very real sense of triumph to winning against overwhelming odds if you know the DM is pulling no punches with them. My group's last major fight against a cabal of wizards saw all but one PC in the neighborhood of ~10 hp by its end. Totally epic fight against dozens of mooks, bound outsiders, and two archmagi that ended in my PC throwing her rapier at the boss and rolling a 20. When our party gathered back up to lick their wounds I had a huge grin on my face and a warm victory feeling in my gut. The fight could've easily gone the other way if the dice were less kind, or our party had its act any less together. Instead we'd been pushed to the brink and come out on top. </p>
<p>If the DM revealed afterwards that he'd decided the outcome of rolls, like when the party's most hated adversary failed his save vs disintegrate and everyone chimed in with some choice taunts and last words, that would've made the victory no longer "real" for me. In that it would've resulted from the DM's choices, telling the story he wanted to tell, rather than something brought about by my and my fellow players' actions.</p>Icyshadow wrote:Kthulhu wrote: Icyshadow wrote: shallowsoul wrote: I don't fudge the dice, it lands where ever it lands good or bad.
Something tells me you're not being honest here. Weren't you b#@+~ing about how poor you has people start fights with you everywhere in another thread earlier today? Jesus, dude... ...sure, though you forgot where he replied to my post with a less than polite response. And I only said that I don't believe him. There's a difference between disagreeing with...Calder Rooney (RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32)2012-11-21T13:30:32ZRe: Forums/Dungeon Magazine: General Discussion: Warduke by Wayne Reynolds picture?Calder Rooney (RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2nm46?Warduke-by-Wayne-Reynolds-picture#22015-06-01T21:14:38Z2012-02-12T07:48:02Z<p><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/JHaines/Misc/Warduke.jpg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Warduke.</a></p>Warduke.Calder Rooney (RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32)2012-02-12T07:48:02ZForums: Conversions: The Basilisk of Salazar SlytherinCalder Rooney (RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2nifj?The-Basilisk-of-Salazar-Slytherin#12014-05-14T00:35:26Z2012-01-25T10:46:30Z<p>I'm only a moderate Harry Potter fan, but I thought its basilisk was a really cool critter. I mean, it's a giant snake that kills you with its gaze. Or turns you to stone just when you're thinking, "Ha! I'm not really looking at it!" What's not to love? Thus I've done some stats. Enjoy.</p>
<p>Note these are intended to reflect the basilisk's status as a top predator in the D&D universe rather than Harry Potter's. In the latter setting it would have a lower CR than 17, and wouldn't sport many of the qualities (resistances, immunities, and so on) this version has.</p>
<p><b><span class=messageboard-bigger>Basilisk CR 17</span>
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XP 102,400</b>
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CE Colossal magical beast
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<b>Init</b> +6; <b>Senses</b> darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +24
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=====
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<b>Defense</b>
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=====
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<b>AC</b> 32, touch 4, flat-footed 30 (+2 Dex, +28 natural, -8 size)
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<b>hp</b> 294 (19d10+190); fast healing 20
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<b>Fort</b> +21, <b>Ref</b> +13, <b>Will</b> +10
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<b>DR</b> 15/magic and silver; <b>Immune</b> mind-affecting effects, poison; <b>Resist</b> acid 20, cold 20, fire 20; <b>SR</b> 28
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<b>Weaknesses</b> vulnerability to rooster calls, vulnerability to serpentkind
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=====
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<b>Offense</b>
<br />
=====
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<b>Speed</b> 40 ft., climb 40 ft., swim 40 ft.
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<b>Melee</b> 2 bites +29 (6d8+17 plus grab and poison), tail slap +28 (4d6+8 plus grab)
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<b>Space</b> 30 ft.; <b>Reach</b> 30 ft.
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<b>Special Attacks</b> constrict (4d8+17), death gaze
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=====
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<b>Statistics</b>
<br />
=====
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<b>Str</b> 44, <b>Dex</b> 14, <b>Con</b> 30, <b>Int</b> 3, <b>Wis</b> 18, <b>Cha</b> 16
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<b>Base Atk</b> +19; <b>CMB</b> +44 (+48 grapple); <b>CMD</b> 56 (can't be tripped)
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<b>Feats</b> Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Great Cleave, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Improved Vital Strike, Power Attack, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bite)
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<b>Skills</b> Climb +29, Perception +24, Swim +29
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<b>SQ</b> compression, swift strike
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=====
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<b>Ecology</b>
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=====
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<b>Environment</b> underground
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<b>Organization</b> solitary
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<b>Treasure</b> incidental
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=====
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<b>Special Abilities</b>
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=====
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<b>Death Gaze (Su)</b> 100 damage, range 60 feet, Fort DC 29 reduces to 3d6+10. Nonhumanoids and humanoids that meet a basilisk's gaze indirectly (such as in a reflective surface or through water) are instead turned to stone permanently (as <i>flesh to stone</i>). Nonhumanoids that meet a basilisk's gaze indirectly are dazed for 1 round. This is a death and petrification effect.</p>
<p><b>Poison (Ex)</b> Bite – injury; <i>save</i> Fort DC 29; <i>frequency</i> 1/round for 10 rounds; <i>effect</i> 1d6 Con drain and <i>slowed</i> (as the spell) for 1 round; <i>cure</i> 3 consecutive saves. Administering the tears of a phoenix or outsider with the good subtype to a victim instantly heals all Constitution drain and breaks any <i>slow</i> effect caused by the poison. Stored tears can be administered as a potion, or such a creature itself can shed its tears as a standard action.</p>
<p><b>Swift Strike (Ex)</b> When a basilisk takes a full-attack action, it can make two bite attacks instead of just one.</p>
<p><b>Vulnerability to Serpentkind (Ex)</b> A basilisk is susceptible to mind-affecting effects that originate from intelligent creatures of serpentine descent (such as nagas or sorcerers with the serpentine bloodline).</p>
<p><b>Vulnerability to Rooster Calls (Ex)</b> A basilisk that hears a rooster call takes 20d6 damage and must make a DC 25 Will save or be frightened for 1 round. A basilisk that hears a false call (such as one produced by an illusion) does not take this damage, but can still be frightened. A basilisk can only be affected by a rooster call once per round.</p>I'm only a moderate Harry Potter fan, but I thought its basilisk was a really cool critter. I mean, it's a giant snake that kills you with its gaze. Or turns you to stone just when you're thinking, "Ha! I'm not really looking at it!" What's not to love? Thus I've done some stats. Enjoy.
Note these are intended to reflect the basilisk's status as a top predator in the D&D universe rather than Harry Potter's. In the latter setting it would have a lower CR than 17, and wouldn't sport many of...Calder Rooney (RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32)2012-01-25T10:46:30Z