Kangaroo Jack

"Hit the Road, Jack" was playing on the radio this morning.  I caught just enough of the song to send a cavalcade of "Jacks" streaming through my head...Jack and Diane, Jack Daniels, Captain Jack Sparrow, Wolfman Jack, Jack-in-the-Box, Jack Jack, Kangaroo Jack... no, random thoughts, don't stop there!  Keep going...!

Too Late.

I guess I'm writing about Kangaroo Jack today...

 SPOLIER ALERT!

Kangaroo Jack, despite what the trailers would have you believe, has more in common with “Eight Heads in a Duffle Bag” than a movie like “Babe” or “The Incredible Journey”.  The movie is a pretty bad organized crime “comedy” (I use quotes because comedy in this case is highly subjective).  The talking kangaroo that is so prominently featured in the preview is pretty much limited to a single hallucinated scene and another one near the end of the film.  (We will not be touching the animated sequel at all for purposes of this article).


To be clear, the Movie IS NOT About a Talking Kangaroo.

 But, the idea of the talking kangaroo as a character has been plaguing me for most of the day.  With no further ado, here is yet another weird NPC that may someday make his way into my campaign.

Default Kangaroo
CR: 1
Neutral Medium Animal
HD: 3d8+12 (22 hp)
Init: +2
Spd: 40’ (8 squares)

AC: 13 (+2 Dex, +1 natural); t: 12, ff: 11
BAB/Grap: +2/+10
Attacks: +6 2 Kicks: 1d6+4 and +3 Punch: 1d6+2
SQ: Low-Light Vision, Scent
Str: 18, Dex: 14, Con: 14, Int: 2, Wis: 10, Cha: 5

Skills*: Balance +4, Jump +19, Listen +2, Spo t +3
Feats*: Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike

 • Skills: Kangaroos receive a +2 racial bonus on Balance checks and a +10 racial bonus on Jump checks.

Kangaroo Jack (a.k.a. Jackie Legs)
CR: 1
Neutral Medium Animal
HD: 3d8+12 (29 hp)
Init: +2
Spd: 40’ (8 squares)

AC: 13 (+2 Dex, +1 natural); t: 12, ff: 11
BAB/Grap: +2/+10
Attacks: +6 2 Kicks: 1d6+4 and +3 Punch: 1d6+2
SQ: Low-Light Vision, Scent
Str: 18, Dex: 14, Con: 14, Int: 10, Wis: 10, Cha: 8

Skills: Balance +5, Jump +15, Listen +3, Perform (Comedy – Impersonations) +0, Perform (Singing – Rap) +2, Spot +3
Feats: Alertness, Improved Grapple

Possessions: Zippered Red Jacket with “Brooklyn” written across the chest in stylized white letters, pocket full of candy, 1 pair of sunglasses

* This webpage lists kangaroos as having the Improved Unarmed Strike feat instead of Alertness (as reflected in the default entry above), presumably to meet the prerequisite for Improved Grapple but with the punch being listed as a Natural Attack (as an animal), I do not think that it is actually needed.  If you insist, then include it as a bonus feat but I wouldn’t bother.


 Kangaroo Jack (a.k.a. Jackie Legs)
AC: 8
MV: 18
HD: 3
Hp: 16
Saves: PPD: 13; RSW 15, PP: 14, BW: 16, Sp: 16
THAC0: 17 (+1 hit/+2 dmg from Strength)
# Att: 3 (kick/kick/punch)
Dmg: 1d6/1d6/1d4

Str: 18, Dex: 14, Con: 14, Int: 10, Wis: 11, Cha: 8

Wpn Prof: Punching Specialization (2 slots), (gains +1 hit/dmg/chart bonus)
Nonwpn Prof: Comedy, Singing

SA: - -
SD: - -
SZ: M (5’ tall)

ML: Average (10)
Xp Value: 35

Climate/Terrain: Arid Plains
Frequency: Unique
Organization: Solitary or Mob (himself plus mate and two offspring)
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Herbivore
Treasure: Incidental (as described above)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Osse - The Forgotten Continent of the Forgotten Realms

Image
Osse is one least detailed continents of the Forgotten Realms.   There is almost no canon information regarding it or its inhabitants.   Even the Forgotten Realms wiki has little to say about this Australian-analog. So, of course, my players will be going there eventually .   I sat down with what little information I had and began fleshing out ideas for what I feel should be there.   It isn’t far from Kara-Tur and that got me to thinking about Monster Island from the old Godzilla movies so I decided that Osse must be the spawning ground for Kaiju.   There is also no equivalent (at last not really) for the myths of Atlantis so I made the interior of the continent home to my own version of that as well.   This is what I came up with. Capital: None Population: 711,813 (68% Ossean Human, 22% Poseidian Human, 4% Lizardfolk, 3% Aarakocra, 1% Mountain Dwarf, 1% Shoal Halfling) Government: City-States, Tribes Religion: Jazirian (also known as the Rainbow Serpent), Bahloo (Sel
Read more

The EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle

Image
1976 GMC Motorhome Palm Beach model 26' Crew: 4     Passengers: 19 Cargo: 425 lbs.* Init: -4 Top Speed: 60 (6) - approximately 35 - 40 mph Defense: 6 (-4 size) Hardness: 10 SZ: G (8' wide x 26' long x 10' high) Purchase: 45     Restriction: Mil (+3) * each unused passenger slot allows the vehicle to carry an additional 100 lbs. of cargo. • 6 wheels with reinforced tires • Communications: High-Range Radio, Compass, GPS, Night Vision (via driver's periscope) • Back of vehicle opens for assault ramp Armaments: • 7.62mm Machine Guns (x2, forward arc) • Flamethrowers (4/side, fire-linked, over rear wheels) • Light Tank Gun (rear arc) • Rocket Rack (roof-mounted, retractable, 6 rockets) Despite performing well on its one and only (unauthorized) mission , the prototype EM-50 was decommissioned and flown back to the United States and placed in storage at the Sierra Army Depot in Northern C
Read more

Beldam (Other Mother from Coraline)

Image
I watched the movie “ Coraline ” for the first time this weekend.   Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen snippets of the film here and there over the years and I recognized the character when the movie started but I have never sat down and Watched the movie (or read the book).   By the time the show was over, I have to admit that I was fascinated by the entire thing.   The animation and pacing were incredibly well done and the main antagonist was delightfully wicked.   This is who I want to focus on today – Beldam, a.k.a. the Other Mother.   Some viewers may think that she was some sort of demon, offering children their heart’s desire in exchange for their souls, much like a crossroads demon but I feel like she more closely resembles a faerie, a member of the Unseelie Court who is allowed a great deal of independence in her operations.   I also think that since the protagonist, Coraline, was just a child that Beldam wouldn’t necessarily have been overly powerful, holding a relatively low
Read more

Gisaku Fujita - Ninja Chef

Image
Gisaku Fujita Original Concept Drawing Job Title: Ninja Chef Qualities               Average [+0] Ninja Good [+2] Chef Good [+2] Karaoke Singer Good [+2] Food Safety Poor [-2] Money Mgmt Background: Gisaku Fujita is a chef, like Gisaku Fujita's father before Gisaku Fujita. Gisaku Fujita likes to sing and has terrible impulse control when it comes to spending money. Element: Fire Clan: Five-Fingered Foot Matter of Honor: Gisaku Fujita will always speak of Gisaku Fujita in the third person. Honor Score: 10 Gear Ninja Burger Uniform (bullet-resistant, fire-retardant, and stain resistant – includes ninja mask, tabi boots, and fingerless gloves) Pocket GPS (with screen that displays team member location) Wireless Headset (with built-in camera and microphone) Frying Pan, Spatula, Assorted Spices Gisaku Fujita : Human (male) Ninja 1 CR: 1     Medium Humanoid (Human)     HD: 1d6+1     Hp: 7 Init: +3     Spd: 30'     AC: 13 (+3 Dex, Ninja Burger Uniform*) Attacks: (BAB +0, Grap +0)
Read more

Accidentally Funny

Image
Humor is not that unusual in gaming sessions.   When it happens on accident however, it can create long-lasting memories. Once upon a time, I ran a solo adventure for a dwarf named Happy Jack.   Happy was a psychic and an inventor of sorts.   From the pressurized wooden keg full of alchemist’s fire worn on his back with the spray nozzle and sparker to his own brand of beer, Happy Jack was an innovator.   His player always made sure to take good notes of his adventures so he could review what had happened and plan Happy’s next move. For the adventure, I adapted the AD&D 2 nd ed module “Wizard’s Challenge”.   I placed my telling of this tale in Eveningstar in northern Cormyr.   The village, a favorite retreat of King Azoun’s was ruled over by Tessaril Winter.   She was known for mentoring mages of all talents and was a magnet for hopeful apprentices. Several years prior to Happy Jack’s adventures in the village, mysterious circumstances caused the sudden demise of several ap
Read more

Malazzarr's Temple in Lankhmar

Image
While adventuring in Lankhmar , the party completed a job for the local Overlord and were granted possession of an abandoned temple dedicated to Tyaa , goddess of birds. Her worshipers had been driven from the city several years prior following a scandal and the building had stood vacant ever since. While most of the party was away tending to other matters, the group's primary wizard remained behind to prepare their new home for habitation. Note #1: At this point, the party's spellcasters were suffering from debilitating pain every time they tried using their magic. This was related to the creature that would serve as this portion of the campaign's Big Bad. Romulus rises early, knowing he has an important meeting to attend. He takes a carriage over to Marr’s office to review the paperwork transferring the abandoned temple of Tyaa from the City of Lankhmar to the party. With that completed, the halfling makes a trip back to the River District and then to the tem
Read more