Frightful Fridays! Frogtober! Donnerkröte

Frogtober rolls into day 27, with the Inktober theme of "thunder." The donnerkröte is thunder incarnate, allowing it to disrupt spells with the rumbling it generates, inflict sonic damage to anyone who gets too close to it, and pulverize victims it swallows with constant barrages of thunder. It can unleash a thunderous breath weapon, and it has a lovely interaction with lightning (GMs, be sure to add some electrical-themed allies to a donnerkröte for extra fun).

I hope you enjoy the donnerkröte, and I'll see you tomorrow for day 28!

(as per previous entries, art is forthcoming, and I shall update this post and create a new post when I receive the art from Hugo)

The air vibrates around this rotund toad, which has a mouth that stretches across the length of its body.

Donnerkröte      CR 10

XP 9,600

N Huge outsider (air, elemental)

Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 120 ft.; Perception +19

Aura rumbling (DC 21)

DEFENSE

AC 25, touch 9, flat-footed 24 (+1 Dex, +16 natural, –2 size)

hp 136 (13d10+65)

Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +13

Immune electricity, elemental traits, sonic; SR 21 (against silence and similar spells and effects)

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)

Melee bite +19 (2d8+8 plus grab), slam +19 (3d6+8/19–20 plus 2d6 sonic)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks electrical shock wave, swallow whole (4d6 sonic damage, AC 18, 13 hp), thundering roar

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th; concentration +15)

   1/day—control weather

STATISTICS

Str 27, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 8, Wis 17, Cha 15

Base Atk +13; CMB +23 (+27 grapple); CMD 34 (38 vs. trip)

Feats Critical Focus, Deafening Critical, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (slam), Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Power Attack

Skills Acrobatics +17 (+25 when jumping), Fly +13, Intimidate +26, Perception +19, Survival +19

Languages Auran

ECOLOGY

Environment any land (primarily among clouds) or Plane of Air

Organization solitary or din (2–8)

Treasure incidental

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Electrical Shock Wave (Su) If a spell or effect that deals electricity damage targets a donnerkröte or a creature within 5 feet of the donnerkröte, or has an area of effect that includes the donnerkröte, the electricity causes the donnerkröte to generate a tremendous clap of thunder, dealing sonic damage to all creatures in a 30-foot radius equal to the electricity damage dealt, knocking them prone, and stunning them for 1d4 rounds. An affected creature that makes a DC 21 Fortitude save takes half damage and is not knocked prone and is not stunned. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Rumbling Aura (Su) If a creature starts its turn within 10 feet of a donnerkröte, it takes 2d6 points of sonic damage (Fortitude DC 21 negates). The rumbling emanating from the donnerkröte also disrupts spellcasting; casting within 100 feet of the donnerkröte requires a concentration check (DC 15 + the level of the spell being cast). All other concentration checks and Perception checks involving hearing made inside the aura have their DCs increased by 5. This is a sonic effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Thundering Roar (Su) As a standard action every 1d4 rounds, a donnerkröte can unleash a booming roar, dealing 8d8 points of sonic damage to creatures in a 60-foot cone (Fortitude DC 21 for half). Creatures that take sonic damage must succeed at an additional DC 21 Fortitude save or become deafened for 1 hour and stunned for 1d6+1 rounds; creatures that succeeded on their first save receive a +4 bonus on the new save. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

The first time during combat the donnerkröte uses its thundering roar, it makes a single Intimidate check to demoralize all creatures within 100 feet that can hear it. This is a sonic effect.

Donnerkröte are unusual air elemental creatures that move among thunderheads and chase stormy weather. When they cannot find suitable natural weather, they create their own. They are content to eat birds and other flying creatures and generally remain at high altitudes, resting among mountain tops when they tire of soaring among the clouds. While donnerkröte are not dumb creatures, they have simple needs and avoid contact with other intelligent species, especially those that keep to the ground. When incited to anger, though, they pursue those that anger them and go on a destructive spree after they have dispatched their aggravators. Powerful air elementals and druids focused on the sky and weather ally with donnerkröte and exploit their ability to use electrical effects as a spark to generate bone-rattling thunderclaps.

While donnerkröte are at equally at home in the Plane of Air as they are on the Material Plane, they prefer the relative tranquility of the Material Plane. They are less likely to run into other creatures (despite the Plane of Air’s seemingly infinite expanses, space can quickly become crowded) and are more likely to escape or destroy those that vex them.