Friday, December 27, 2013

Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Koalapus

Here is another monster that refused to be constrained to the animal or magical beast categories. Thanks to working on this feature, I've come up with a sort of mythology around the dread krakens, self-styled rulers of everything below the waves and plotters of the surface dwellers' destruction. One thing dread krakens love to do is make octopus-themed monsters that they can inflict upon the surface world, and the koalapus is no exception.

Two more monsters to go before this mashup marathon concludes. I hope you have been enjoying it thus far, and thanks for reading!

He just wants to give you a nice, long hug.


What at first appears to be a cuddly koala bear transcends into horror as the creature reveals the tentacled mass carrying it.
Koalapus CR 7
XP 3,200
CE Large aberration (aquatic)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16

Defense
AC 20, touch 10, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, –1 size, +10 natural)
hp 85 (10d8+40)
Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +10

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 60 ft.
Melee 4 tentacles +11 (1d6+4 plus grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with tentacles)
Special Attacks constrict (1d6+6)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +12)
1/day—vortex (DC 17)
1/day—watery tentacles

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 14
Base Atk +7; CMB +12 (+14 disarm, +16 grapple, +14 steal); CMD 23 (25 vs. disarm, 25 vs. steal)
Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Disarm, Improved Steal, Weapon Focus (tentacle)
Skills Climb +16, Escape Artist +14, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (nature) +14, Perception +16, Stealth +6 (+14 in water), Swim +18; Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth in water
SQ amphibious

Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or collective (3–6)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities
Watery Tentacles (Sp) This variant of black tentacles works like that spell, but it can only be cast in water. It has a 20-foot-radius area of effect and can reach beyond the water's surface. Additionally, when a tentacle grapples a foe, it makes targeted dispel attempts (per dispel magic using the koalapus's caster level) against any spell or effect that allows a creature to breathe underwater.

Dread krakens, taken with terrestrial legends about the drop bear, decided to create their own version, suited to their image. A koalapus is at home on the shore and underwater, but it prefers to stalk and attack prey on land. A typical tactic for a koalapus is to climb a tree of average height and wait for someone to pass under it, at which point the koalapus either attempts to grab something from the passerby or drops onto the unsuspecting victim. Thanks to their liquid variant of black tentacles, a koalapus is even more dangerous in water. Despite the terror a koalapus sows in the dread krakens' service, they may have made a strategic error in creating the koalapus, for the creature is highly ambitious and will eventually desire to overthrow its master, with the aid of other koalapuses.