Dire Tortoise, AwakenedHD:d8Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Dire Tortoise Body, Cowabunga!, +1 Str, +1 Con |
2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Turtling, +1 Str, +1 Con |
3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | Shell Cracker, +1 Str, +1 Con |
4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | Growth, Trample, +1 Str, +1 Con |
5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | Turtle Power, +1 Str, +1 Con |
6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | Supreme Turtler, +1 Str, +1 Con |
7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | Shellshocker, +1 Str, +1 Con |
8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | Lightning Strike, Growth, +1 Str, +1 Con |
Skills: 2+int modifier per level, quadruple at first level. Class skills: Balance, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Spot, Survival
Dire Tortoise Body: The Dire Tortoise loses all other racial bonuses, and gains animal traits. It is medium animal with a base speed of 20 feet and a natural bite attack doing 1d4+1.5 Str modifier damage. It also gains a natural armour bonus equal to its Con bonus. A Dire Tortoise is incapable of fine manipulation.
The Dire Tortoise gains a bonus to Hide equal to it's HD when on rocky terrain.
It may also use the Disguise skill to appear as. A rock, a big one. It may use it's Con modifier instead of Cha for the Disguise check.
Cowabunga!: At 1st level, the Dire Tortoise may unleash a mocking roar a number of times per day equal to it's Con modifier, creatures within a 5 foot radius per HD must succeed on a will save 10+1/2HD+con modifier or receive a penalty equal to the Dire Tortoise's Con modifier when they target any creature other than the Dire Tortoise. Enemies attacking allies also provoke attacks of opportunity by the Dire Tortoise if in range of it's attacks.
Using this ability is a standard action and the duration is two rounds for each point of the Dire Tortoise's Con modifier.
Ability Score Increase: The Dire Tortoise gains +1 Str and +1 Con each level, for a total of +8 Str and +8 Con at 8th level.
Turtling: The imposing shell is not just for show, at 2nd level a number of times equal to it's Con modifier per day the Dire Tortoise allies within the Dire Tortoise's reach gain a bonus to AC and all saves equal to the Dire Tortoise's Con modifier. The Dire Tortoise also gains Damage Reduction/- equal to half it's HD and Spell Resistance 5+HD
The Dire Tortoise is unable to move while Turtling, though it can still attack.
Activating this ability is a move action, this ability lasts 3 + it's Con modifier rounds, a Dire Tortoise may end this state before the end of the duration.
Shell Cracker: At 3rd level the Dire Tortoise gains Improved Sunder as a bonus feat. If the Dire Tortoise already has Improved Sunder, it gains any bonus feat it already meets the requirements for.
It may make checks to sunder armour at a -4 penalty.
Additionally the Dire Tortoise gains a Burrow speed of 20.
Growth: At 4th level the Dire Tortoise grows one size category.
It grows again at 8th level.
Each time the Dire Tortoise grows, it gains +1 to it's natural armour.
Trample: At 4th level, as a full-round action, the Dire Tortoise can move up to twice his speed and literally run over any opponents at least one size category smaller than itself. The Dire Tortoise merely has to move over the opponents in its path; any creature whose space is completely covered by the Dire Tortoise’s space is subject to the trample attack. If a target’s space is larger than 5 feet, it is only considered trampled if the Dire Tortoise moves over all the squares it occupies.
A trample attack deals bludgeoning damage (2d8 + 1½ times its Str modifier).
Trampled opponents can attempt attacks of opportunity, but these take a -4 penalty. If they do not make attacks of opportunity, trampled opponents can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage.
Turtle Power: At 5th level during the effects of Cowabunga! allies within the Dire Tortoise's reach gain the benefits of Evasion, if they already have Evasion as a class feature, they gain the benefits of Improved Evasion. Allies who already have Improved Evasion gain a bonus to reflex saves equal to the Dire Tortoise's, Dire Tortoise levels.
Supreme Turtler: At 6th level when Turtling, the Dire Tortoise gains it's Constitution modifier to it's AC, this stacks with it's existing natural armour, the Dire Tortoise's Damage Reduction also increases to equal it's HD and it's Spell Resistance becomes 11+HD.
Additionally the Dire Tortoise may move at half speed.
Turtling may now be activated as a swift action.
Shellshocker: At 7th level the Dire Tortoise can activate it's Turtling ability during a Trample attack gaining the usual benefits of Turtling, additionally it's body slides up to 10 feet further flattening any additional enemies as if they had also been Trampled. Creatures that fail the reflex save for the Trample, must succeed on a fortitude save 10+1/2HD+con modifier or be staggered for 1d4 rounds.
The Dire Tortoise must travel at least 20 feet to activate Turtling.
Lightning Strike: The Dire Tortoise has learned to enter and exit it's shell at amazing speeds. At 8th level a Dire Tortoise may choose as an immediate action to take a Surprise round during combat, it may use this ability once per day and gains an additional use at 16HD and every 8HD thereafter. A Dire Tortoise is only able to activate this ability once in an encounter, regardless of additional uses.
A Dire Tortoise with more than 16HD is not counted as Flat-footed at the start of combat.
Here's a surprise nobody saw coming (except Osle), the Dire Tortoise a favoured Animal Companion and Wildshape for Druids everywhere. Let's play with that almost broken Lightning Strike.
This version uses the fact that, it's a Tortoise and has a shell to it's advantage. The Dire Tortoise can capitalize on it's defensive properties by supporting team mates and forcing enemies to go after it. Lightning Strike is no longer activated automatically.
So if you want to be a tank and act as your enemies' favourite punching bag, the Dire Tortoise is for you.
1: Fixed the wording of Cowabunga! Allowed attacks during Turtling and early cancelling. Lightning Strike is usable only once in an encounter, removed 1d12 round cooldown. Specified Shellshocker as part of a Trample and gave minimum distance. Swapped around abilities from Turtling to Supreme Turtler and some of Turtle Power to Turtling.
2: Specified Cowabunga!'s AoOs. Made activation of Turtling a move action at 2nd level and a swift action at 6th.
3: Included note on fine manipulation in Dire Tortoise Body.
4: Specified duration of Cowabunga! to Rounds.