Hello and welcome to a new installment of Frightful Fridays! Now that I'm done with *shudder* vampire clowns, I'm switching to something a little more mundane: a killer "water hound" that combines the adorableness of the otter with the attitude of a movie monster shark. Also, as I discovered when I read up on this guy, it eventually becomes a creature similar to the Loch Ness Monster when it "grows up." Fun stuff!
I hope you enjoy the dobhar chú, and I'll see you next time with a different monster. Thanks for reading!
This creature looks like a cross
between a dog and an otter; its otter-like head is broad and flesh-rending
teeth fill its mouth.
Dobhar Chú CR 3
XP 800
NE Medium magical beast (aquatic)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light
vision; Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed
12 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 32 (4d10+16)
Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +2
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., swim 80 ft.
Melee bite +6 (2d6+3 plus
grab)
Special Attacks blood drain
(1d2 Constitution), haunting screech, revenge seeker
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 9
Base Atk +4; CMB +6 (+10 grapple); CMD 19 (23 vs. trip)
Feats Diehard, Endurance
Skills Intimidate +9,
Perception +5, Swim +14; Racial
Modifiers +8 Intimidate
ECOLOGY
Environment any water
Organization solitary or
pair
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Haunting Screech (Su) Once
per day as a swift action, a dobhar chú can unleash a horrifying scream.
Creatures within 30 feet of the dobhar chú must succeed at a DC 11 Will save to
avoid becoming shaken for 1d6 rounds. This is a sonic, mind-affecting, fear
effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
When a dobhar chú dies, it sounds a similar screech that does not
induce fear in opponents, but instead alerts its mate to the creature(s)
responsible for its death. Its mate can hear the scream up to 1 mile away, even
while underwater.
Revenge Seeker (Su) A dobhar
chú that hears its mate's death cry enters into a rage. It gains +2 Constitution
and +2 Strength, and takes a –2 penalty to its AC. Additionally, it benefits
from locate creature for 1 hour, allowing it to find the creature that dealt
the killing blow to its mate. This rage lasts for 1 hour or until its target is
dead, whichever is shorter. The dobhar chú cannot end its rage voluntarily.
Dobhar chú are nasty creatures that menace even highly traveled waterways.
They are voracious creatures that will kill and eat any living animal, but they
prefer to attack humanoids who are unused to the water. The otter-like
creatures use their unearthly shrieks to unnerve prey and relentlessly attack
afterwards. Killing a dobhar chú does not end the threat, as the dying creature
emits another shriek to call its mate, which enters into a frenzy wherein it
gains the uncanny ability to find the one who delivered the killing blow.
Dobhar chú have a lifespan of roughly 20 years, but their aggressive
natures usually cause them to die much earlier. While the creatures cannot
become animal companions, they sometimes ally with evil aquatic druids, rangers, or
hunters for protection, especially if it has lost its mate. Legend holds that a
dobhar chú reaching its natural lifespan transforms into an elasmosaurus, and,
in this form, the creature can truly terrorize visitors to its watery domain.
