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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

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Pathfinder #176: Lost Mammoth Valley / Creating Megafauna

Method

Source Pathfinder #176: Lost Mammoth Valley pg. 72
There are three primary methods you might use to create game statistics for new megafauna: reskinning an existing creature with similar abilities; adapting an existing creature with similar abilities by changing size, level, and perhaps even an ability or two; or creating megafauna from scratch.

Reskinning

Source Pathfinder #176: Lost Mammoth Valley pg. 72
Reskinning is the easiest method to create new megafauna. First, search the Bestiary, Bestiary 2, Bestiary 3, and other creature sources until you find a creature with similar abilities, attack methods, or attack forms to the creature you intend to create, in an appropriate level range for your players. Once you find a suitable creature, simply change the creature's description to one that matches your new megafauna and, if necessary, alter a few mechanical details, such as changing a jaws Strike to a tail Strike, adding a climb Speed, or adding appropriate abilities like Grab, Trample, or Swallow Whole.

Adapting

Source Pathfinder #176: Lost Mammoth Valley pg. 72
Adapting is slightly more difficult than reskinning, but still a simple process. It begins much the same: search for an appropriate stat block to use as a jumping-off point. Depending upon your megafauna concept, this may be a creature with the appropriate level, size, strength, Strikes, or tactics.

Once you have your base creature, you'll begin to make changes, likely to the level and associated statistics of the creature, or by removing abilities and creating entirely new ones to better suit your megafauna. Advice for creating unique abilities is under Design Abilities, while the rules for selecting your creature's statistics begin with Abilitiy Modifiers under the Building Creatures rules.

Alternatively, you can tweak a base creature with the elite or weak adjustments to increase or decrease the level and difficulty of a creature to better suit your concept. This is especially useful when creating a giant version of an animal, which can easily be representing by taking the base creature and adding the elite adjustment.

Sometimes, you can take two stat blocks similar to that of your intended creature and combine them, using the statistical chassis of a creature of the appropriate level range, cutting the base creature's abilities, and adding on the abilities of a creature with appropriate Strikes, abilities, or tactics. For example, you might decide that your new desert-dwelling megafauna has the size and statistics of a brontosaurus but can burrow and leap like a bulette. The resulting hybrid creature will be a unique twist on familiar creatures, created with minimal effort and difficulty.

Creating

Source Pathfinder #176: Lost Mammoth Valley pg. 73
Creating a megafauna from scratch is the most difficult method, following all the standard steps of building creatures described in the Gamemastery Guide.