Monster Monday: Sivatherium - Dire Giraffe?

Today's Monster Monday is sivatherium, a prehistoric giraffe that had a moose-like head of antlers. Sivatherium was not as long-necked and spindly as modern giraffes. While its neck was rather long, this beast was thicker and stockier, weighing more than the average adult giraffe at around half the height. I guess you could think of it as a condensed giraffe. With antlers.

photo by Hiuppo, via Wikimedia

Sivatherium reconstruction in the Museum of Evolution of Polish Academy of Sciences

The sivatherium ranged across Africa and India during the Pliocene epoch and survived in some areas up until 8,000 years ago. It also had a really cool looking skull:

photo by Ghedoghedo, via Wikimedia

Skull and leg of sivatherium giganteum in the Natural History Museum, London

In a campaign setting, a sivatherium would stand out as an attractive target for a hunt, as it is tall and distinct enough to spot from far away, it is packed with almost a ton of meat, and its skull and hide would make distinctive trophies. It would also be challenging to hunt, as its high vantage point would give it advance warning of approaching enemies, and its long legs and neck would allow it to lash out at attackers with surprising reach.
The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is ©2018 Jonah Bomgaars.

This large creature strides forward, its antlered head supported by a long, muscular neck

Sivatherium          CR 4

XP 1,200

N Large animal

Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +12

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+6 natural, +2 Dex, -1 size)

Hp 47 (5d8+25)

Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +3

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft.

Melee gore +7 (1d8+5), 2 hooves +2 (1d8+2)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

STATISTICS

Str 20, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 9

Base Atk +3; CMB +9; CMD 21 (25 vs trip)

Feats Alertness, Endurance, Run

Skills Perception +12, Sense Motive +4

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Natural Attacks (Ex)

A sivatherium’s gore and hoof attacks both have a 10 foot reach.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm forests and plains

Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3-10)

Treasure none

Looking somewhat like a cross between a moose and a giraffe, the sivatherium is more closely related to the giraffe. It stands seven feet tall at the shoulder, and its thick muscular neck brings its head up to a total height of ten feet. Growing from the top of its head are a pair of broad, plate-like antlers with several prongs; just forward of those, jutting out above the eye sockets, are a pair of smaller bony spikes. The sivatherium uses these in mating displays and in self-defense. The sivatherium weighs one and a half tons.

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Plot Hooks and Encounter Ideas

• The party must go on a sivatherium hunt to prove their worth to the Queen of Shiral, a famed huntress, before she will deign to speak with them.
• A skeletal sivatherium is said to haunt a certain spot on the plains. The party must put it to rest and return with its skull as proof.
• The king received a sivatherium as a gift from a distant land, but it has broken free of its restraints and is rampaging, confused, through the streets. The party must subdue and capture the royal gift without harming it.

Happy new year!

-your giraffid d20 despot