D20 Herbivores: Part I
In our typical fantasy worlds, we have a lot of monsters. People like their monsters. One problem with the plethora of monsters we usually see in D&D and similar games is that they tend to be all carnivores. Carnivores are scary. In general, herbivores are less scary… with some notable exceptions (hippopotamus, I’m looking at you… and backing away).
Of course, carnivores typically eat herbivores. If we’re going to have a world full of large carnivores and we care about verisimilitude at all (which you may not, but many do), then we need things for them to eat. What would they eat? Largish herbivores would be good. Something that breeds like bunnies would be… Hey! How about:
The material enclosed in the box below is released via the Open Game License.
Dire Rabbit
| Size/Type: | Medium Animal |
| Hit Dice: | 3d8+3 (13 hp) |
| Initiative: | +4 |
| Speed: | 60 ft. (12 squares), burrow 5 ft. (1 square) |
| Armor Class: | 16 (+4 dexterity, +2 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 12 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +2/+3 |
| Attack: | Slam +3 melee (1d6+1) |
| Full Attack: | two slams +3 melee (1d6+1) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | – |
| Special Qualities: | Low-light vision, scent, swift retreat |
| Saves: | Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +2 |
| Abilities: | Str 12, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10 |
| Skills: | Jump +13, Listen +12, Spot +7 |
| Feats: | Alertness, Run |
| Environment: | Temperate plains or hills |
| Organization: | Solitary, pair, or herd (6-30) |
| Challenge Rating: | 1 |
| Advancement: | 4-7 HD (Large) |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
These large grazing herbivores tend to live in herds for much of the year.
Dire rabbits create burrows in hills where they raise their young. They cannot burrow into solid rock, but can move through just about any material softer than that. A dire rabbit usually leaves behind a usable tunnel 5 feet in diameter when burrowing unless the material it’s moving through is very loose.
A dire rabbit is from 5 to 7 feet in length and can weigh up to 300 pounds. They often have a bony skullplate between their large ears.
Combat
Dire rabbits usually run away from threats. If encountered in a herd with young, they may circle their young protectively. If forced into combat, they attack their opponents by slamming them with their heads or their powerful rear legs.
Swift Retreat (Ex)
As a full round action, a Dire Rabbit can withdraw from a threatened square while moving at its full run speed.
Skills
Dire rabbits have a +8 racial bonus on Listen checks and Jump Checks. Dire rabbits use their dexterity modifier for Jump checks.
I figure it is a good start.
