I hope you enjoy this week's monster, and I hope to be back next week with something else. Thanks for your patience, and thanks for reading!
This pig is missing
its left ear and its eyes glow red. Adding to its eerie appearance, it casts no
shadow.
Katakirauwa CR 5
XP 1,600
CE Small magical beast
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light
vision; Perception +14
DEFENSE
AC 19, touch 15,
flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural, +1 size)
hp 57 (6d10+24)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +4
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +11
(1d6+6)
Special Attacks create,
soul-draining charge
STATISTICS
Str 19, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 9
Base Atk +6; CMB +9 (+11 bull rush); CMD 23 (25 vs. bull rush, 27 vs. trip)
Feats Dodge,
Improved Bull Rush, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack
Skills Acrobatics
+10 (+14 to jump), Perception +14, Stealth +11; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
ECOLOGY
Environment
temperate forests and plains
Organization
solitary, pair, or sounder (3–6)
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Create Spawn (Su)
If a humanoid creature dies as a result of a katakirauwa’s soul-draining
charge, the slain creature rises as a zombie 2d4 rounds later. The katakirauwa
has no control over the zombie, but it does not attack the katakirauwa.
Soul-Draining Charge
(Su) If a katakirauwa succeeds at a bull rush attack during a charge, it
passes through its opponent’s legs, dealing 1d4 Cha damage. If the katakirauwa
scores a natural 20 on its CMB roll, it instead deals 1d4 Cha drain. A creature
reduced to 0 Charisma dies as a result.
Frightful stories tell of one or more unnatural pigs running
rampant through a large population center, and, merely by charging between the
legs of their victims, destroying their souls and leaving shambling husks in
their wake. These creatures are difficult to bring down for the average
townsfolk who also have to deal with friends and family turning into zombies.
While katakirauwa are not highly intelligent, they are clever enough to attack
at night when their lack of shadows will not give them away. Katakirauwa also
make an initial attack in an outlying area to create a small pack of zombies
they then lure to a settlement, allowing them to prey on people in the chaos.
Katakirauwa spontaneously generate piglet versions of
themselves after they destroy four souls, but their increased numbers generally
reduce their overall threat. Uncooperative creatures among themselves, an
overly large group of katakirauwa falls into disarray as individuals attack
each other to prevent them from stealing souls.
Powerful undead creatures often “raise” a katakirauwa and
use it to soften up resistance and to bolster its ranks of undead minions.
