Horrid Animal

Horrid animals are nasty, ill-tempered examples of animals that have been bred for battle or otherwise have been tested against environments far more hostile than others of their kind. While it is possible for a horrid animal to naturally occur in the wild, it is far more likely that horrid animals are the results of magical augmentation that have escaped back into the wild and bred with other members of their species. Examples of horrid animals include:

• • Ape, Horrid (CR 4)

  • Dinosaur, Horrid Tyrannosaurus (CR 11)

  • Rat, Horrid (CR 1)

Creating a Horrid Animal

"Horrid" is an inherited template that can be applied to any animal does not already have the Advanced Template (referred to hereafter as the base creature), as the Horrid Template already includes the Advanced Template. A horrid animal uses all of the base creature's statistics and abilities except as noted here.

A horrid animal cannot have the Magebred Animal template, nor can a magebred animal have the Horrid Animal template. Because Horrid Animals are neutral evil, they cannot have any template that would require a different alignment, such as Celestial.

CR: Same as the base creature +2, to a minimum of 1.

Size and Type: Same as the base creature.

Alignment: Horrid animals are neutral evil instead of the base creature's normal alignment.

AC: Hard, bony plates cover the horrid animal, improving the base creature's natural armor bonus by +5 or providing a +5 natural armor bonus, if the base creature did not already have it. Likewise, the horrid animal will likely get a +2 dodge bonus from the improved Dexterity.

Hit Dice: Same as the base creature.

Defensive Abilities: Same as the base creature.

Speed: Same as the base creature.

Attacks: The number and type of attacks remain the same, although the attack bonus will likely get a +2 due to the increased Strength or Dexterity.

Damage: The base damage of the attacks remain the same, although the bonus to damage will likely get a +2 due to the increased strength.

In addition, the horrid animal's primary natural attack also does an additional amount of acid damage, equal to 1d6 per 4 HD, to a maximum of 5d6. This additional damage does not apply to secondary attacks.

Space / Reach: Same as base creature.

Special Attacks: Same as base creature.

Abilities: As the base creature's attributes with a +4 to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and Wisdom.

Feats: A horrid animal gains Improved Natural Attack for its primary natural attack as a bonus feat.

Skills: Same as a base creature, although the modifiers will likely get a +2 due to the increased attributes.

Special Qualities: A horrid animal gets all of the base creature's special qualities, as well as the following.

Immunity to Acid (Ex): A horrid animal is immune to acid damage.

Ill-Tempered (Ex): Attempts to control or train horrid animals are made a -4 penalty. While horrid animals are no more resistant to charm or compulsion effects, giving a charmed or compelled horrid animal a command that is not in its nature allows for a retry on the Will save, just as if the horrid animal was ordered to commit an obviously suicidal act. The nature of a horrid animal is that of the base creature in a nearly perpetual aggressive state.

Environment: Same as base creature.

Organization: Same as base creature, although usually only one horrid animal, sometimes two, are found in groups of other regular members of the base creature, rather than in whole groups of horrid animal.

Treasure: Same as base creature.

Source: ECB, pg. 289