Frightful Fridays! More Mashups!

Welcome back to this week's installment of Frightful Fridays! It's been a fairly long time, so mashups are overdue for a return to the blog. Today's mashups are one removed from the ever-popular owlbear (yes, I am riding along with the trend). We've got the grizzlegator which gets even more angry when it should be dead, and the owlwolf, which really knows how to work with a pack.

I hope you enjoy this week's selections, and I'll see you next week with another monster!

Grrrrr!

This killing machine is a combination of grizzly bear and alligator. It combines an alligator’s toothy snout and tail with a bear’s massive build and powerful paws.

Grizzlegator      CR 7

XP 3,200

N Large magical beast

Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., keen scent, low-light vision; Perception +12

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 10, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +10 natural, –1 size)

hp 94 (9d10+45)

Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +7; +2 vs. mind-affecting effects

Defensive Abilities ferocity

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., swim 30 ft.; sprint

Melee bite +13 (2d6+5/19–20), 2 claws +13 (1d8+5 plus grab), tail slap +11 (1d6+2)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 1d8+7)

STATISTICS

Str 21, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 1, Wis 14, Cha 10

Base Atk +9; CMB +15 (+19 grapple); CMD 26 (30 vs. trip)

Feats Critical Focus, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack

Skills Climb +10, Perception +12, Swim +13

SQ hold breath

ECOLOGY

Environment any land

Organization solitary

Treasure incidental

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Ferocity (Ex) A grizzlegator becomes extraordinarily angry when it is reduced below 0 hit points, and it gains a +2 morale bonus on Will saves and attack and damage rolls while it remains below 0 hit points.

Hold Breath (Ex) A grizzlegator can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 3 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Sprint (Ex) Once per minute a grizzlegator may sprint, increasing its land speed by 40 feet for 1 round.

Grizzlegators are the result of transmuters who felt they could improve upon the owlbear design. The resulting creatures were uncontrollable engines of death which ate their creators when they reached adulthood. They then escaped out into the wild where they bred prodigiously. Scholars of grizzlegators point to the preponderance of inbreeding as a further cause for the creatures’ fury. They give no quarter once they enter combat, and fights with grizzlegators end with the death of them or their prey (in very rare cases, their prey escapes). While slowed down when they should otherwise pass out from their wounds, they become even more ferocious and land devastating blows until they reach the point where they just stop moving.

Grizzlegators even hate other grizzlegators and attack them on sight, except when they tolerate each other long enough to mate. A coupling often ends with the female grizzlegator killing the male and using the rotting meat to feed her young, which are born 15 days later. A grizzlegator litter numbers between one and four, but, often for larger litters, only one newborn grizzlegator survives its siblings.

A typical grizzlegator is 15 feet long and weighs 2,000 pounds. They have natural lifespans reaching 12 years, but never reach old age.

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We don't give a hoot!

This creature has a lupine body with tufts of feathers protruding from where its legs join its body. An inquisitive owl’s face replaces the expected wolfen visage.

Owlwolf      CR 3

XP 800

N Medium magical beast

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent, superior low-light vision; Perception +10

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural)

hp 37 (5d10+10)

Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +3

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft.

Melee bite +8 (1d6+4 plus trip)

Special Attacks leaping charge

STATISTICS

Str 17, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 12

Base Atk +5; CMB +8; CMD 21 (25 vs. trip)

Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility

Skills Acrobatics +6, Perception +10, Stealth +8; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception

SQ effortless leap, pack tactics

ECOLOGY

Environment any forest

Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–18)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Effortless Leap (Ex) An owlwolf is always considered to have a running start when attempting Acrobatics checks to jump.

Leaping Charge (Ex) An owlwolf can jump while charging, allowing it to ignore difficult terrain when it charges. When it makes a charge in this way, it deals double damage with its bite, and it gains a +4 circumstance bonus on its trip attempt after a successful bite attack.

Pack Tactics (Ex) An owlwolf gains the Pack Tactics feat when it is with other owlwolves.

Superior Low-Light Vision (Ex) An owlwolf can see four times as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.

Owlwolves, in contrast to grizzlegators, are the result of a more refined approach to fusing two animals together. They are much more intelligent than their component animals, and they are more likely to follow orders from trusted handlers. Additionally, they work well with each other or a creature with which they have bonded and become even more formidable. Owlwolves have keen senses, allowing them to smell prey and spot targets hundreds of feet away in the dimmest of light. They cannot fly, but they have feathered membranes which enhance their ability to maneuver in combat.

Owlwolves are similarly sized to wolves but their hollower bones put them on the light end of the wolves’ range of weights.

On rare occasions, an owlwolf bonds with a humanoid. The bonding process takes several months. Once an owlwolf is bonded, both it and its partner gain Pack Tactics as a bonus feat; additionally, the owlwolf gains any teamwork feats possessed by the owlwolf’s partner as bonus feats.

Frightful Fridays! Gorebark

Hello and welcome back for another edition of Frightful Fridays! In a departure for me, I've created something that isn't a plant that likes to kill all humanoids. This week, you get the gorebark, an alien plant-like thing which likes to kill all plants (and then pretend to be a plant, so it can kill humanoids, but that's just a bonus as opposed to its main goal).

I hope you enjoy the gorebark, and I'll see you next week with another monster!

Blarrrrgggghhhh!

This misshapen, rubbery tree manifests a tortured face from which acrid pulp dribbles.

Gorebark      CR 11

XP 12,800

CE Large aberration

Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22

DEFENSE

AC 24, touch 8, flat-footed 24 (-1 Dex, +16 natural, –1 size)

hp 168 (16d8+96)

Fort +13, Ref +4, Will +13

DR 15/cold iron and slashing; Immune acid, plant traits; Resist electricity 20, fire 10

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Melee 2 slams +20 (3d6+8/19–20 plus grab)

Ranged spit +10 touch (4d6 acid)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks breath weapon (30-ft. cone, 8d6 acid and bludgeoning damage, Reflex DC 24 for half, usable every 1d4 rounds), expulsion of pulp, flora destroyer

STATISTICS

Str 27, Dex 8, Con 22, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 15

Base Atk +12; CMB +21 (+23 bull rush, +25 grapple); CMD 30 (32 vs. bull rush, can't be tripped)

Feats Awesome Blow, Critical Focus, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (slam), Power Attack, Sickening Critical, Weapon Focus (slam)

Skills Bluff +18, Disguise +18, Knowledge (nature) +19, Perception +22

Languages Aklo, Sylvan

SQ change shape (any plant, plant shape III), plant suit

ECOLOGY

Environment any forest

Organization solitary or stand (2–8)

Treasure standard

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Expulsion of Pulp (Ex) Once per day as a move action, a gorebark can vomit out its innards. It deals 12d6 points of acid damage to creatures it is currently grappling. Additionally, it increases its fire resistance to 20 for 1 minute. After the gorebark uses this ability, it cannot use its breath weapon for 2d4 rounds. It gains an additional use of this ability when it successfully uses its plant suit ability.

Flora Destroyer (Ex) A gorebark doubles its acid damage against plants for all its attacks that deal acid damage.

Plant Suit (Su) As a full-round action, a gorebark can take the form of a dead Medium, Large, or Huge plant creature. When it does this, it takes on the creature’s size and appearance and gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks made to impersonate the victim. The stolen form is preserved while the gorebark assumes it, but is destroyed if the gorebark takes more than 10 points of damage or if the gorebark decides to destroy the plant form as a standard action. The gorebark reverts to its normal size if its stolen form is destroyed.

While gorebarks are considered abominations among intelligent plant creatures and those who revere nature, they are regarded as ordinary on their strange and distant home worlds. Gorebarks have a similar role to treants in their fleshy forests. On rare occasions, gorebark spores or saplings make the journey across the stars and land in terrestrial forests. When they do, they first assume the form of a normal plant to get an understanding of their environment and the plants in it. As they learn, they gain confidence in their ability to pretend to be intelligent plant creatures. Gorebarks take perverse pleasure in fooling druids and intelligent plant creatures before betraying them. Their acidic composition is especially deadly to plants, and they absorb the slurry from destroyed plants to fuel their destructive capabilities. They try to leave the bark of their kills intact, so they can squeeze themselves into their victims and perpetuate their ruses. Eventually, their desire to destroy overcomes them and they devastate the plant life and use the shells of the trees and plant creatures they destroy to populate their own grotesque forest parodies. They mix their own spores with plant spores to spawn more of their species.

Gorebarks ally themselves with other aberrations and malevolent plant creatures, especially fungi and other "unnatural" plants.

A typical gorebark stands 10 feet tall and weighs 500 pounds. A usual specimen can live up to 300 years.

Frightful Fridays! Crow Wraith

It's Friday, so it's time for another monster! Today's offering is a fey creature who crosses the gap between life and death. It also deals death (not so much with the life), but only for those it is contracted to kill. Most PCs, being quite unassuming, should never cross a crow wraith's path. Or maybe I've got that wrong...

I hope you enjoy the crow wraith. Thanks for reading!

Caw?

This biped has a skeletal face and skin color in stark contrast between bone-white and a shadowy black. Immaterial crows peel away from the creature’s midsection, revealing its spine.

Crow Wraith      CR 14

XP 38,400

N Medium fey

Init +7; Senses low-light vision; Perception +27

DEFENSE

AC 28, touch 18, flat-footed 20 (+7 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural)

hp 199 (21d6+126)

Fort +13, Ref +19, Will +15

Defensive Abilities evasion, improved uncanny dodge; DR 10/silver; Immune cold, mind-affecting effects

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)

Melee unarmed strike +22/+17/+12 (2d6+6)

Special Attacks death attack (DC 22), sneak attack +8d6, stunning fist (5/day, DC 23)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +25)

   1/day—summon swarm (corvid swarm only; use stats for bat swarm)

STATISTICS

Str 22, Dex 25, Con 23, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 20

Base Atk +15; CMB +21; CMD 39

Feats Canny Tumble[ACG], Combat Expertise, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Feint, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Spring Attack, Stunning Fist, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)

Skills Acrobatics +31 (+35 to jump), Bluff +29, Climb +18, Escape Artist +31, Fly +18, Knowledge (religion) +18, Perception +27, Sleight of Hand +31, Stealth +31, Swim +18

Languages Aklo, Common, Sylvan; speak with animals (corvids only)

SQ corvid empathy +25, hide in plain sight, murder form

ECOLOGY

Environment any land

Organization solitary

Treasure standard

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Corvid Empathy (Ex) This ability functions as a druid’s wild empathy, except it only works on corvids. A crow wraith is treated as a 20th-level druid for this ability.

Death Attack (Ex) A crow wraith can perform a death attack as a 10th-level assassin.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su) A crow wraith can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as it is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, it can hide itself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. The crow wraith cannot hide in its own shadow.

Murder Form (Su) Once per day, as a standard action, a crow wraith can transform itself into a swarm of incorporeal crows. Its updated stats are included below. The crow wraith can remain in this form for up to 1 minute (returning to its normal form requires a standard action), but the transformation takes a toll on it, causing it to become fatigued for 1 hour afterwards.

Summon Swarm (Sp) When a crow wraith summons a corvid swarm with its spell-like ability, the swarm gains the wraith’s damage reduction (for cases where weapon damage may apply) and immunity to cold.

Crow Wraith (murder form)      CR 14

XP 38,400

N Medium fey (incorporeal, swarm)

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 23, flat-footed 15 (+5 deflection, +7 Dex, +1 dodge)

Defensive Abilities evasion, incorporeal, swarm traits; DR 10/silver; Immune cold, mind-affecting effects

OFFENSE

Speed fly 60 ft. (perfect)

Melee swarm (5d6 plus 1d4 Cha drain and distraction)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks distraction (DC 26)

STATISTICS

Str —, Dex 25, Con 23, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 20

Base Atk +15; CMB —; CMD —

Crow wraiths are unusual fey who are harbingers and bringers of death. They are created from the corpses of fey nobles fed to crows or other corvids. This bridge between life and death gives them a strangely balanced morality and allows them to usher fey, regardless of their affiliation, to their ultimate reward. They also serve as assassins for the fey courts, usually targeting mortals who have grievously offended fey nobles or represent a persistent obstacle to fey noble schemes. In rare cases, crow wraiths assassinate other fey, but this only occurs for grave breaches of contract.

Crow wraiths possess incredible physicality as well as the ability to dissolve into a swarm of ghostly corvids—crows, primarily, but ravens are a popular choice, while more flamboyant crow wraiths choose blue or green jays. They prefer to retain their corporeal, humanoid forms when carrying out assassinations, mostly because they enjoy the satisfaction of a well-placed nerve strike that incapacitates or outright kills their targets. Additionally, when they kill quarry in their murder form, the corpses are disfigured in an unnatural way, prompting more scrutiny by investigators looking into deaths wrought by crow wraiths. All the same, crow wraiths leave tokens of their claims of accountability for their murders, usually in the form of large white feathers held by their victims.

The wraiths fundamental ties to corvids grants them a rapport with the birds, and they often use corvids to scout targets or sites where they plan to carry out their deeds. Crow wraiths sometimes take favorite crows as companions. When engaged in pitched combat, they send the crows away to protect the birds. They have an innate ability to summon a swarm of corvids, but they only do so to create distractions when they face certain defeat against resolute foes.

A typical crow wraith stands just over 6 feet tall and weighs 150 pounds.

Frightful Fridays! Sidereal Tick

Hello, and welcome back to Frightful Fridays! I've got a more serious, albeit weird, monster this week. The sidereal tick rides along on colossal horrors from beyond the stars and jumps off to attack more palatable prey (like, say, PCs). To sustain itself, it drains its victim's physical blood and essence and pulls the husk into the void making up its stomach. As an added bonus, it's difficult to remove, just like non-Lovecraftian ticks.

I hope you enjoy the sidereal tick, and I'll see you next week with another monster.

OK, it's a weird apple, but if you look at it the right way, it looks like a weird insect

This odd insectile creature has several legs sprouting from random locations on its body, clear eye-like organs covering its body, and a gaping, toothy maw opening up into darkness.

Sidereal Tick      CR 10

XP 9,600

CN Small aberration

Init +11; Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +15

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 19, flat-footed 15 (+7 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural, +1 size)

hp 127 (15d8+60)

Fort +11, Ref +12, Will +8

Defensive Abilities all-around vision, amorphous; DR 10/cold iron; Immune cold, mind-affecting effects; Resist acid 20; SR 21

Weaknesses susceptibility to vermin spells

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Melee bite +19 (1d6–2 plus attach and blood drain)

Special Attacks attach, blood drain (1d3 Con and 1d3 Cha), true and terrifying visage

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +17)

   Constant—displacement, freedom of movement

   At will—dimension door

   3/day—quickened dimension door

STATISTICS

Str 6, Dex 25, Con 18, Int 7, Wis 9, Cha 14

Base Atk +11; CMB +17 (+21 grapple); CMD 26 (can't be tripped)

Feats Agile Maneuvers, Dimensional Agility[UC], Disorienting Maneuver[UC], Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (dimension door), Weapon Finesse

Skills Acrobatics +20, Escape Artist +20, Perception +15, Stealth +19; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception

Special Qualities no breath

ECOLOGY

Environment any

Organization solitary, pair, or infestation (3–10)

Treasure standard

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Attach (Ex) A sidereal tick has a +4 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple and to its CMD against attempts to break grapples it initiated. If the tick is attached to a creature, the creature moves with the tick when it uses its quickened dimension door spell-like ability. Additionally, the victim gains the tick’s spell resistance, which the victim cannot voluntarily lower.

Blood Drain (Su) A creature reduced to 0 Con or 0 Cha as a result of a sidereal tick’s blood drain is lost to the void constituting the tick’s interior. While the creature is in the void, it cannot be brought back to life short of a miracle or wish spell. If the tick is killed, it disgorges whatever portion of the void it touches; each creature consumed by the tick has a 25% chance of spilling out.

Susceptibility to Vermin Spells (Ex) A sidereal tick is affected by spells that target vermin as if it were a vermin. It loses the benefit of its spell resistance for such spells.

True and Terrifying Visage (Su) A sidereal tick’s true appearance is grotesque at a primal level. A creature using true seeing or similar magic to see things as they are in reality must attempt a DC 19 Will save. On a failed save, the creature becomes confused for 1d6 rounds and must succeed at a second Will save to avoid becoming permanently confused (as per the insanity spell). On a successful save, the victim is instead confused for 1 round. Regardless of the result of the saving throw, the creature can’t be affected by the same sidereal tick’s true and terrifying visage for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Sidereal ticks are pests that attach themselves to aberrant creatures from the far reaches of the universe. While the creatures are nuisances to the horrors from beyond the stars, they are devastating to victims unused to impossible geometries. Often, groups of the creatures dislodge themselves from their hosts and ravage worlds in advance of the more terrifying creatures. In this way, an invasion of sidereal ticks acts as an early warning for an apocalyptic threat to those knowledgeable about the weird vermin.

Sidereal ticks have voracious appetites they barely sate on their normal fare. When presented with food with fixed anatomies, they become insatiable. Once they attach themselves to such prey, they remain affixed until their prey is dead and consumed or they are killed or forcibly removed. Their strange relation to reality allows them to avoid many attacks and move with relative ease. They use their teleportation ability to escape with prey, especially when faced with armed resistance. Fortunately, while they have alien minds, they react to magic similarly to terrestrial vermin.

Sidereal ticks measure 3 feet in diameter and weighs 15 pounds. They have relatively short lifespans at 5 years but enter hibernative states that prolong their lives when traversing the stars with their hosts.

Sci-Fi Sunday (Delak)

Hello and welcome to another Starfinder edition of monster blogging. Don't worry if you think you've seen something like this before. You probably have. At any rate, I hope you enjoy the entirely "original" delak.

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This construct looks like a metal-studded metallic salt shaker. It spins around on an axis and shouts, “Stop! Do not flee!” while firing its raygun indiscriminately.

DELAK   CR 25

XP 1,638,400

CE Medium construct (technological)

Init +10; Senses blindsight (thermal) 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +41

DEFENSE            HP 120

EAC 42; KAC 44

Fort +23; Ref +23; Will +19

Defensive Abilities delakantium; Immunities acid, cold, construct immunities, electricity, fire, sonic; Resist force 10

Weaknesses bull rush susceptibility

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.; fly 30 ft. (Ex, poor)

Melee suction extension +37 (18d10+40 B; critical asphyxiation [DC28])

Ranged delak raygun +40 (13d10+25 F; critical disintegration [DC 30])

Offensive Abilities phrase of fear

STATISTICS

Str +15; Dex +8; Con —; Int +4; Wis +1; Cha +12

Skills Computers +41, Intimidate +46, Sense Motive +41

Languages Delak

ECOLOGY

Environment any

Organization solitary, squad (2–12), devastation (13–200)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Asphyxiation (Ex) A creature affected by a delak’s asphyxiation is considered grappled (as is the delak) and reduced to 0 Hit Points on a failed Fortitude save. If the delak succeeds on a grapple combat maneuver check to renew the grapple with its suction extension, the target must attempt the DC 28 Fortitude save again.

Bull Rush Susceptibility (Ex) The DC for the melee attack to perform a bull rush combat maneuver against a delak is its KAC + 4. A successful bull rush combat maneuver against a delak pushes it back 10 feet, plus 10 additional feet for every 5 by which the result of attack roll exceeds the DC. The creature performing the bull rush can instead knock the delak prone if it exceeds the DC by at least 5. Standing from prone requires a full action for a delak.

Delakantium (Ex) A delak is covered in nigh-impenetrable plating, which grants it hardness 40. At the GM’s discretion, a delak raygun bypasses this hardness, and the delak's immunity to fire, fully or to a certain degree (typically in increments of 10).

Disintegration (Ex) If a delak scores a critical hit with its delak raygun, the raygun’s damage is rolled four times. Additionally, the target must succeed at a DC 30 Fortitude save or be reduced to ash (this also occurs if the damage from the raygun reduces the target to 0 Hit Points).

Phrase of Fear (Ex) A delak has a particular phrase it shouts ominously as it attacks (examples include “Expunge with impunity!” and “Dismantle forcefully!”). Creatures that can hear the delak must succeed at a DC 28 Will save or become frightened. Creatures with a proper name equating to a profession (such as “Lawyer”) are immune to this effect; and allies of such creatures gain a +4 morale bonus on their Will saves.

A delak can possess other abilities at the GM’s discretion. It can also lose any of the above abilities at the GM’s discretion.