Welcome to the 9th entry in this month's Frightful Fridays! A-Z! feature. Something I noticed fairly quickly when I was deciding on images to choose from for this month is that my friends find a lot of aquatic monsters. This adds a little bit to the challenge of creating monsters since I have more of an affinity for terrestrial-based creatures. Still, the incirrinitaur was a fun monster to work on, and I ended up borrowing a bit from the instant fortress for the crystal sphere, an incirrinitaur's home away from home.
Thanks for checking this monster out, and I'll be back for tomorrow's "J" monster...this time with a more straightforward name I hope.
~artist Nekurai
This creature has the powerfully built torso of a human, the head of an angry bull and six squid-like tentacles for its lower body.
Incirrinitaur CR 10
XP 9,600
LE Large monstrous humanoid (aquatic)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +25
Defense
AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 21 (+2 Dex, +12 natural, –1 size)
hp 136 (13d10+65)
Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +13
Defensive Abilities ferocity, natural cunning
Offense
Speed 10 ft., swim 50 ft., jet 300 ft.
Melee +1 trident +22/+17/+12 (2d6+11/19–20) or gore +20 (2d8+8), and 2 tentacles +15 (2d6+4 plus grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks blood rage, constrict (1d6+8), powerful charge (gore, 4d8+16)
Statistics
Str 26, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 20, Cha 19
Base Atk +13; CMB +22 (+26 grapple); CMD 34 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Critical Focus,
Impaling Critical (trident),
Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (trident), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (trident), Weapon Specialization (trident)
Skills Handle Animal +14, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (geography) +13, Knowledge (nature) +11, Perception +25, Sense Motive +16, Survival +25, Swim +32; Racial Modifiers +4 Intimidate, +4 Perception, +4 Survival
Languages Aquan, Common, Giant
Ecology
Environment any aquatic
Organization solitary, pair, or squad
Treasure double (trident, other treasure)
Special Abilities
Natural Cunning (Ex) An incirrinitaur has the same immunity to maze spells and sense of direction that their minotaur cousins possess. Additionally, they are never caught flat-footed, and they gain a +4 insight bonus on Will saves to disbelieve illusions.
Jaded adventurers who encounter an incirrinitaurs might be tempted to treat it simply as an aquatic version of the labyrinth-bound minotaur—to their peril. Much more powerful than its terrestrial relative, an incirrinitaur also possesses a genius intelligence that it downplays to lure its opponents to their doom. An incirrinitaur measures 8 feet from horns to waist, has 12-foot long tentacles, and weighs 1,500 pounds.
Many incirrinitaurs live in enormous three-dimensional maze complexes carved out of coral. Where they cannot find natural coral to meet the demands for their city-sized domains, they send squads to travel and quarry more, or rather obtain slaves to quarry more. Incirrinitaurs rely on slaves to build and maintain their expansive homes, and gather them from civilizations below and above the sea. Incirrinitaur shamans, usually the leaders of incirrinitaur cities, have the capability to keep air breathers from drowning indefinitely, except when they need to make an example of a slave. These shamans also possess abilities that allow them to render incirrinitaur slaves more docile.
Incirrinitaurs have many enemies, primarily due to their slavery, either races victimized by incirrinitaurs or those who compete with them for slaves. Sahuagin, who have no love for any creature, still hold an especial hatred for incirrinitaurs, but the bull-headed creatures usually resist even the most massive sahuagin assaults.
Incirrinitaur Shaman: An incirrinitaur shaman has the same statistics as a typical incirrinitaur, with the following exceptions: +4 Charisma and the ability cast charm monster (DC 20) and water breathing at will. The shaman’s CR is increased by 1.
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Coral Sphere
Aura strong conjuration; CL 15th
Slot none; Price 80,000 gp; Weight 2 lbs.
Description
Created by powerful incirrinitaur shamans to send with incirrinitaur troops that travel far from home, a coral sphere is only 1 foot in diameter, but with a command word, it expands to a 40-foot diameter sphere shaped with maze-like passageways that cut through the sphere in all directions. The sphere’s owner may designate any number of creatures as guests in the sphere, and those not so designated are affected by a maze spell upon entering.
The reinforced coral walls of the expanded sphere have 80 hit points and hardness 15. If the sphere is damaged, spells that repair constructs will repair the sphere (at half effectiveness). Likewise, miracle or wish will restore 40 hit points to the sphere.
The sphere can be commanded to move with a movement rate of 10 feet through the water or 5 feet on a surface. Any creatures in the sphere’s path while it moves must succeed at a DC 10 Reflex save to avoid the sphere. Failure means the sphere deals 8d8 points of bludgeoning and slashing damage.
The sphere grows to its full size in 1 round after the command word is spoken. The sphere can maintain its expanded state indefinitely below water. Above water, the coral becomes brittle after 8 hours, and the sphere’s hardness decreases to 5, and, after 24 hours, the sphere crumbles completely, destroying the item. A different command word deactivates the sphere and returns it to its original size; this command word is ineffective if expanded sphere holds any creatures.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, mage’s magnificent mansion, maze; Cost 40,000 gp.
