Sunday, 26 July 2015

Rhino-Triceratops from the Herculoids

Rhino-Triceratops: Init +2; Atk gore +5 melee (1d12+6) or charge +3 melee (3d12+6) or energy rock +4 ranged (3d6); AC 20; HD 10d8+20; MV 30’ or burrow 10’; Act 1d20; SP fast movement, extendable legs, energy rocks; SV Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +6; AL N.

These strange, alien creates appear to be a cross between a rhinoceros and a triceratops, with ten short, stubby legs. These legs are extremely powerful, allowing the creature to move at twice its normal speed, in addition to its regular move, by expending an Action Die.  The legs can also extend upwards to a height of 50’, enabling the rhino-triceratops to reach sustenance that might be out of reach, but the creature can only move at half speed, and cannot spend its Action Dice for additional moves when doing so.

A rhino-triceratops has four horns on its head, one medium-length horn rising from the tip of the snout, two smaller ones further up, and one hollow horn in the middle of its forehead. This horn is where the rhino-triceratops stores its supply of energy rocks (see below). These horns also assist in burrowing as the rhino-triceratops rotates its head rapidly, moving through the earth and even solid rock.

Through some unknown method, a rhino-triceratops can generate and store up to 12 “rocks” made of solidified energy, which they can fire as a ranged attack (up to 120’) from their hollow horn. They explode on impact, and a rhino-triceratops can shoot two of these rocks using a single Action Die.

Generally benign herbivores, rhino-triceratops are usually solitary. They become hostile when threatened in some way, often attacking until their foes are slain or driven off. They stay together long enough to mate and then they part, with the female raising the young only until they can fend for themselves.

Rhino-triceratops communicate amongst themselves with gravelly growls, snarls, and roars, and appear to have a rudimentary form of intelligence. They sometimes form close attachments with other creatures, although this is very rare. Rhino-triceratops are brown, green, or any shade in between.

Source: The Herculoids (Hanna Barbera Productions). Modified from original write-up by Rendclaw, via Turgenev’sPDF collection.


  1. By comparison, here's the same monster as statted in "Monster File Number One" by Dana and Rhonda Schaefer, aka The Dragon Tree, in 1981.

    The Octonoceros
    AC 2 HD 5d10 Attacks 2/3 Charge 4d10 + Bite 1d10/Energy Rock (3) 1d8
    Align NN Move 12/24 Intellgent 6+1d6 #App 1-3 Size L

    This creature resembles an eight-legged rhinoceros with a ring of bony plate flaring out from its neck. The single horn on its nose is a hollow cylinder. He is usually found eating rocks (can chew AC 2 as though it were AC 9).

    In fact this creature lives on nuclear material he finds in the rocks. He can fire 'energy rocks' -- actually unstable nuclear material -- through his hollow horn. (Range 50'. He can fire 3 per melee round at 3 different targets if he chooses. These 'rocks' explode on impact for 1d8 damage to whatever they hit, plus 2 points impact damage.)

    His normal movement is 12 but he can charge for one turn at 24, doing 4d10 damage. His bite does 1d10.

    A tamed Octonoceros makes a good mount, and any person riding behidn the ring on his neck has the benefit of both AC 2 and her own AC before a hit is taken (separate rolls). Also, tamed ones can deliver (expel without firing) 10 energy rocks per day for it's owner.

  2. Those are very cool looking toys... I wonder where can I get them?


    2. Discontinued - and very expensive on eBay. I might just sculpt my own.