Animal

Indricothere

Indricotheres, although strict herbivores, are dangerous and unpredictable creatures. Their sheer size makes them a menace to anything else that shares their habits and their ability to defoliate large stretches of greenery at a rapid pace can permanently alter the ecology of the surrounding terrain.

An indricothere has twice the body mass of an elephant, and the height of its long neck rivals that of a giraffe. An adult indricothere stands approximately 15 feet tall at the shoulder and 23 feet tall at the top of its head. Its thick, gray hide resemble that of its pachyderm cousins, as do its massive feet.

When enraged, either due to the onset of the mating season, the desire to protect its offspring, or its war training, an indricothere can cause great amounts of damage. Some hill giant, ogre, and even troll tribes have been known to domesticate the creatures and train them as mounts. The sight of a dozen giants mounted on these imposing beasts has caused more than one opposing army to turn tail and flee before combat is joined.

Combat

A wild indricothere simply desires to stay alive in a fight. This doesn’t mean that indricotheres act in a purely defensive manner, however. If fleeing is not an option, an indricothere lashes out with its head and tries to knock opponents away. Its long neck enables the creature to pack quite a punch with its head butt. The indricothere also uses its feet as potent weapons by stamping and trampling foes into jelly.

Giants that use indricotheres as mounts employ an effective variant tactic⁠—​forcing the mount within reach of a foe, whereupon the indricothere uses its head butt and possibly follows up with a knock back attempt. If the knock back is successful, both the giant and the indricothere take advantage of the attacks of opportunity generated as the foe leaves both creatures’ threatened areas.

Knock Back (Ex): A creature hit by an indricothere’s head butt attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 29) or be knocked back 10 feet. If the target can’t be knocked back 10 feet, it instead falls to the ground. If the first save fails, the target must succeed on another Fortitude save (DC 29) or be stunned for 1 round.

Source: Fiend Folio, page 100. Changes applied as per the D&D^® v.3.5 Accessory Update.

Megatherium

Megatheriums, also called giant land sloths, dominate the landscape wherever they reside. Few natural predators risk taking one on, since the tough hide ofa megatherium makes it a difficult catch. A megatherium measures almost 20 feet long and stands as tall as a human at the shoulder. However, the creature only rarely walks on all fours, since it prefers to walk upright on its hind legs. An adult, when standing up in this fashion, is around 15 feet tall. Covered in shaggy fur that efficiently protects them from the environment, the megatherium also has a display of teeth that befits its omnivorous diet.

Although they keep mostly to themselves, when megatheriums decide they need meat to supplement their primarily herbivorous diet, few other creatures stand in their way. Like most mammals, megatheriums are known to be quite aggressive in the mating season or when protecting their young.

Combat

A megatherium tries to trample its nearest opponent before attempting to bring its claws to bear. It uses its reach and improved grab ability to establish a grapple; then it holds the victim down while fighting other foes offwith its other claw and bite.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a megatherium hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +25). If it gets a hold, it can pin down the opponent on its next successful grapple check. Thereafter, the megatherium has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its claw to hold the opponent (−20 penalty on grapple check, but the megatherium is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals claw damage.

Pin Down (Ex): A megatherium can make a grapple check against an already grappled opponent in an attempt to pin it down. If successful, the opponent is pinned down beneath the megatheriums claw. Pinned opponents take trample damage (2d8+12) in each round they are pinned, including the round in which the pin is established.

Source: Fiend Folio, page 124. Changes applied as per the D&D^® v.3.5 Accessory Update.

Terror Bird

Terror birds are cunning scavengers and predators. They reside at or near the top of the food chain in their territory unless another, more fearsome predator lives there. In such an instance, the terror birds’ scavenging instincts become more prominent, since the birds no longer have to hunt for food to survive.

Standing 8 to 9 feet tall, terror birds are flightless. Their large, hooked beaks are perfect for tearing meat, and although their claws look wicked and sharp, the birds do not use them to attack. The foliage of terror birds varies depending on a pack’s claimed territory. If the birds are primarily predators, their foliage matches the terrain in which they hunt. If they act more as scavengers, their foliage might be brighter.

Terror birds are rarely encountered singly. They are efficient and cunning pack hunters. They never attack an obviously more powerful force, since they prefer to hunt prey they can carry away easily.

Combat

Terror bird packs try to encircle their chosen victims. When their prey seems least aware, flanking terror birds run in to distract the creature or creatures, while the leader runs in and attempts to grab a Small or smaller creature before running off to the pack’s nesting ground. The others then cover for the fleeing, burdened leader. They know that if one returns with food, the rest of the pack will receive a share.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a terror bird hits an opponent that is at least two size categories smaller than itself with a bite attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +13). If it gets a hold, it automatically deals bite damage with a successful grapple check. A terror bird can move while maintaining the hold.

Source: Fiend Folio, page 175. Changes applied as per the D&D^® v.3.5 Accessory Update.