Thursday, November 23, 2017

Frightful Fridays! Thanksgiving Surprise! Disemboweling Fowl

Happy Thanksgiving! In celebration, I'm delivering this week's monster a day early. You may want to wait until well after your turkey (or whatever you eat to celebrate Thanksgiving...or Thursday for those of you outside the states) before you read this one. Making monsters gets me confused about the holidays, so I treat it more like Halloween, hence the axe-wielding turkey that loves to gut humans.

I hope you enjoy(?) today's offering. See you next week with another monster!

Stock images make everything less frightening!


This human-sized turkey has crazed eyes and its wattle drip with gore. It wields a small axe suitable for lopping off turkey heads in both of its wings.
Disemboweling Fowl      CR 11
XP 12,800
NE Medium magical beast
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15
DEFENSE
AC 25, touch 15, flat-footed 20 (+5 Dex, +10 natural)
hp 147 (14d10+70)
Fort +14, Ref +14, Will +10
Defensive Abilities ferocity, fortification (50%), improved evasion, improved uncanny dodge, slippery mind
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (clumsy)
Melee handaxe +21/+16/+11 (1d6+9/15–20/×3) or
   bite +20 (2d6+6/18–20), 2 talons +20 (1d8+6/18–20)
Special Attacks disembowelment, razor sharpness, sneak attack +6d6, visceral death
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th; concentration +13)
   3/day—vanish[APG]
STATISTICS
Str 22, Dex 20, Con 21, Int 5, Wis 22, Cha 11
Base Atk +14; CMB +20; CMD 35
Feats Cleave, Dazzling Display, Deadly Finish[UC], Disheartening Display[ACG], Improved Initiative, Martial Weapon Proficiency (handaxe), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (handaxe)
Skills Fly +2, Intimidate +16, Perception +15, Stealth +14; Racial Modifiers Intimidate +16
SQ fast stealth
ECOLOGY
Environment any temperate land
Organization solitary
Treasure standard (hand axe plus other treasure)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Disembowelment (Ex) When a disemboweling fowl confirms a critical hit or deals sneak attack damage, its opponent takes 2d4 points of bleed damage and is staggered for 1 round. It must also attempt a DC 22 Fortitude save. On a failure, the victim is nauseated for 1 minute, while a successful save reduces this to sickened for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Fast Stealth (Ex) A disemboweling fowl can move at full speed using its Stealth skill without penalty.
Razor Sharpness (Ex) Every weapon wielded by a disemboweling fowl has a critical threat range of 15–20. Its natural weapons have a critical threat range of 17–20.
Slippery Mind (Ex) If a disemboweling fowl is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails its saving throw, it can attempt it again 1 round later. The fowl only receives one extra chance to succeed on the saving throw.
Visceral Death (Ex) When a disemboweling fowl dispatches an opponent, it can make a free Intimidate check to demoralize all opponents within 30 feet as per its Dazzling Display feat. It also gains the benefits of Disheartening Display for this attempt.

Possessed by the spirits of turkeys mass murdered to put food on tables for a once per year event, a disemboweling fowl turns the tables on the murderers. It enacts vengeance with its sharp blade but will make do with its sharp talons and beak if it somehow becomes separated from its beloved axe. The fowl seeks to sow terror in its victims before opening up their bellies and often starts an encounter by violently waving its axe about. It then moves about stealthily, using vanish to seemingly disappear, to heighten the feeling of dread before it launches an attack. When it kills a victim, it makes a sudden, macabre display of pulling out the victim’s intestines and wrapping itself up in them. It only stops killing when its victims have fled, or it dies. In the aftermath, it feasts on its slain victims and gives an eerie elated gobble when it sates itself.

While it refuses to work with humanoids regardless of their disposition toward others, it teams up with powerful beasts which harbor the same hatred. It often waits for its partners to launch a frontal assault while it sneaks up on its prey. Of course, it ensures its prey knows of its presence at least a split second before driving its axe home.