The giant template gives a size boost, along with other buffs. How do these two interact with each other? For example, the template says "+3 natural armor", but the table underneath says "+5 natural armor". Does the creature get the larger bonus?
Additionally, the template says "+4 size bonus to Str and Con, –2 Dex." Does this replace the usual stat adjustments for going from gargantuan to colossal (+8 Str, +4 Con, +0 Dex) from Table: Size Changes?
For example, is this the correct way to apply this template to a tyrannosaurus?
AC 21, touch 7, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +14 natural, –4 size)
Melee bite +20 (4d6+22/19–20 plus grab)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Str 32, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
Base Atk +13; CMB +28 (+32 grapple); CMD 39
Changes for giant template:
+4 size bonus to Str and Con, –2 Dex.
+3 natural armor
increase damage dice
increase by one size category
Changes for size category:
Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.
+4 CMB
-4 to-hit bonus
Giant T-Rex
AC 23, touch 6, flat-footed 23 (+0 Dex, +17 natural, –4 size)
Melee bite +18 (6d6+26/19–20 plus grab)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.
Str 36, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
Base Atk +13; CMB +30 (+34 grapple); CMD 41
If I was GMing I would just wing it, but when using it as a player (a Saurian Shaman druid) I want to make sure to do it correctly.
The adjustments from the giant template are instead of the normal size-increase adjustments.
It has to be written that way (without truly matching any of the regular size-increase adjustments), since it has to work for any size-increase, whether that is from Fine to Diminutive, Medium to Large, or Gargantuan to Colossal.
If I were to create a Colossal-sized Tyrannosaurus, I'd rather do it by HD-advancement than by applying the giant template, but the template does the job well enough for a quick-and-easy method.
The adjustments from the giant template are instead of the normal size-increase adjustments.
It has to be written that way (without truly matching any of the regular size-increase adjustments), since it has to work for any size-increase, whether that is from Fine to Diminutive, Medium to Large, or Gargantuan to Colossal.
If I were to create a Colossal-sized Tyrannosaurus, I'd rather do it by HD-advancement than by applying the giant template, but the template does the job well enough for a quick-and-easy method.
Ok, so this size change does not change CMB (besides the strength bonus?) So it would be:
AC 21, touch 7, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +14 natural, –4 size)
Melee bite +20 (4d6+22/19–20 plus grab)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Str 32, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
Base Atk +13; CMB +28 (+32 grapple); CMD 39
Changes for giant template:
+4 size bonus to Str and Con, –2 Dex.
+3 natural armor
increase damage dice
increase by one size category (applies to space and reach only)
Giant T-Rex
AC 23, touch 6, flat-footed 23 (+0 Dex, +17 natural, –4 size)
Melee bite +22 (6d6+26/19–20 plus grab)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.
Str 36, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
Base Atk +13; CMB +30 (+34 grapple); CMD 40
so it is still taking bonuses/penalties as a gargantuan (not colossal) creature to AC, to-hit, CMB, and CMD?
The reason I need to do this using the template is the Totem Summons ability explicitly allows you to apply the giant template.
Yes, I realized that the Totem Summons ability was at the heart of this, after I went to check :)
You would get the Colossal size bonus/penalty to CMB/CMD, AC, and attacks, since those apply to anything that is of that size (as opposed to being a bonus/penalty granted by the size-increase itself).
So its to-hit actually does go down when you apply the template? Because -4 to-hit for gargantuan becomes -8 to-hit for colossal, whereas you only get +2 to-hit for the +4 strength boost.
And what about the AC? Is the natural armor boost +3 (from the template) or +5 (from the size changes chart?) And then afterward, I add the additional -4 size modifier?
Actually, never mind what I wrote in my previous post.
The giant template is instead of both the size-increases and the size bonus/penalties.
One more question: the template says "increase dice rolled by 1 step". Does this follow the damage dice progression from Improved Natural Attack? So, the triceratops "powerful charge" 4d10 becomes 8d8 for a triceratops with the giant template?
Yes, it follows the Improved Natural Attack progression.
Technically, I suppose 4d10 -> 8d8 would be correct.
Personally, however, since the progression for multiple d10's isn't specified (only the progression for a single d10 is specified), I just do the exact same thing for multiple d10's as what happens for multiple d6's and multiple d8's.
So: 2d10 would become 3d10 (since 2d6 becomes 3d6 and 2d8 becomes 3d8).
Similarly, 3d10 becomes 4d10, 4d10 becomes 6d10, 6d10 becomes 8d10, and 8d10 becomes 12d10.