Archelon

To Monsters

Archelon ischyros - giant sea turtle from Campanian of Pierre Shale in South Dakota 2008(2008) dmitrchel@mail.ru Dmitry Bogdanov

A large marine turtle that is not truly a dinosaur, but a reptile. Its shell is like that of a leatherback turtle. It is a fast swimmer. They are highly aggressive and not afraid to come up out of the water to get a meal from the shore.

Roleplaying Notes

Originally Posted by

DebiHuman of the Wizards Community forums.

On this Thread

These enormous herbivores spend most of their time basking on the shore or floating in lakes or marshes, where they are often mistaken for tiny islands.

Giant Turtle
Size/Type Huge Animal
Hit Dice 10d8+60 (105 hp)
Initiative +0
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 20 ft.
Armor Class 23 (-2 size, +15 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple +7/+17
Attack bite +7 melee (2d6+3)
Full Attack bite +7 melee (2d6+3)
Space/Reach 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks Capsize
Special Qualities Hold breath, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +6
Abilities Str 25, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills Hide 9*, Listen 7, Spot 7, Swim 15
Feats Alertness, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Endurance
Environment Temperate aquatic or marshes
Organization Solitary or bale (2-12)
Challenge Rating 4
Treasure None
Alignment Always neutral
Advancement 11-21 HD (Huge), 21-30 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment

Combat

Giant turtles are usually passive creatures, but will bite when provoked.

Capsize (Ex): A submerged giant turtle that surfaces under a boat or ship less than 20 feet long capsizes the vessel 90% of the time. It has a 30% chance to capsize a vessel from 20 to 60 feet long.

Hold Breath (Ex): A giant turtle can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 × its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Skills: A giant turtle has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

*Giant turtles have a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks when submerged.


While this beast has a ton of hit points, it is a noncombative herbivore, which reduces its combat ability significantly.

For an aggressive, predatory giant turtle, make the following adjustments:

Initiative: +4
Armor Class: 21 (-2 size, +13 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+22
Attack: Bite +12 melee (2d6+10)
Full Attack: Bite +12 melee (2d6+10)
Special Attacks: Improved Grab
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +4
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Endurance
Challenge Rating: 6

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