Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Blobfish (Frightful Fridays! A-Z!)

Welcome back to the All April! edition of Frightful Fridays! Today's entry is derived from another weird, actual real-life creature, the blobfish. The source creature is an endangered creature and seems really sad, so I took it upon myself to make the Pathfinder version a lot more dangerous, basically by turning it into an aquatic ooze. Today's entry also features a related item, the blobfish elixir. I'm not sure if I'll have something extra like this for all of April's pieces, but I'm having fun coming up with them.

Thanks again for reading Frightful Fridays! I'll "C" you tomorrow.




This pathetic-looking, pink, amorphous fish mills around on the lake’s floor and engulfs the occasional unwary fish in its blobby flesh.
Blobfish CR 6
XP 2,400
NE Large aberration
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +13


Defense
AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 (+8 natural, –1 size)
hp 76 (9d8+36)
Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +9
Defensive Abilities amorphous; Immune acid, paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, stun; Resist cold 10

Offense
Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee slam +11 (3d6+7 plus 2d6 acid)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks engulf (DC 19, 2d6 plus 2d6 acid)

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 11, Con 18, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 7
Base Atk +6; CMB +12; CMD 22 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Escape Artist), Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (slam)
Skills Escape Artist +15, Perception +13, Stealth +8, Swim +21
Languages Aklo (cannot speak)
SQ malleable flesh

Ecology
Environment any aquatic
Organization solitary, pair or mass (3–6)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities
Malleable Flesh (Ex) A blobfish can fit through any space by rearranging its flesh and bones. This grants the creature a +8 circumstance bonus to Escape Artist checks to fit through tight spaces.

While a giant blobfish may seem pitiful and unable to protect itself, it is a surprising predator in the waters where it resides. A blobfish typically measures 8 feet in length and weighs roughly 400 pounds.

A blobfish is an opportunistic hunter and preys on fish or other aquatic organisms obviously weaker than itself. The creature relishes its victim’s struggles as the unfortunate target suffocates and dissolves within the creature’s flesh. A victim that thinks itself clever, by darting into a tiny space that it believes safe from the larger blobfish, meets a shocking and deadly end when the blobfish fits itself into its victim’s safe-no-longer hidey hole.

For those adventurers brave enough to encounter and defeat a blobfish, and smart enough to recognize the creature’s usefulness, the blobfish makes up the primary ingredient in a powerful alchemical concoction. A single blobfish allows a character with ranks in Craft (alchemy) to produce up to 5 vials of blobfish elixir.

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Blobfish Elixir
Price 100 gp; Weight
After imbibing this foul tasting liquid, the drinker’s flesh and bones become extremely pliable. This elixir grants a +10 alchemical bonus on Escape Artist checks and also gives the imbiber the equivalent to light fortification (25% chance for normal damage on a successful critical hit). The elixir lasts for 4 hours, after which the imbiber takes 1d4 Strength damage as his body resets itself. A character wishing to create a blobfish elixir must succeed at a DC 25 Craft (alchemy) check.