Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Lumihound

This light-themed mashup combines the humble dog with the firefly to create a nice glow-in-the-dark animal, but it can do more than shed light. As a companion to a character, the lumihound proves extremely useful, especially against difficult-to-see foes. As a companion to an opponent, the lumihound may thwart the characters attempts at stealth.

See you in an hour with another mashup!

This otherwise normal dog glows with an eerie green light.
Lumihound CR 1
XP 400
NG Small magical beast
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +11

Defense
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 size)
hp 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2

Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +2 (1d6–1 plus faerie fire and trip)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd; concentration +4)
Constant—see invisibility
At will—light

Statistics
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 15
Base Atk +2; CMB +0; CMD 12
Feats Run
Skills Perception +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception

Ecology
Environment any terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–12)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Faerie Fire (Su) When a lumihound bites an opponent, it illuminates that opponent with faerie fire.

Dogs make excellent trackers, and the creators of the lumihound combined fireflies with dogs to make hounds that could hunt at night. As an unexpected side effect of the process, lumihounds can spot invisible creatures and can impart their illumination to targets they bite. Due to their superior tracking skills and trainability, lumihound puppies command prices around 1,000 gp.

 

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Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Dinoflagellate Starling

The mashup marathon takes a small break from murderous creatures (even those that require provocation) for a happy bird that wants to bring light and joy into your characters' lives. Yes, it might cause the characters to become hypnotized or confused, but that's a small price to pay. The light mini theme continues with the next monster, which shall arrive in an hour!

A bird breaks off from its flock, featuring similarly bright and colorful birds, and provides a dazzling show as it flies by, motes of light trailing it.
Dinoflagellate Starling CR 2
XP 600
N Tiny magical beast
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +6

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 16 (3d10)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +2

Offense
Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)
Melee bite +7 (1d3–4) and 2 talons +7 (1d2–4)
Space 2.5 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +5)
Constant—dancing lights (centered on starling), hypnotic pattern (DC 14)
1/day—confusion (DC 15)

Statistics
Str 2, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 15
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 9
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +14, Perception +6, Stealth +2; Racial Modifiers –8 Stealth

Ecology
Environment temperate and warm terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3–30)
Treasure none

Dinoflagellate starlings are bioluminescent birds that constantly give off light, making them impossible to miss. Not physically powerful, the starlings make up for this lack by using the patterns of light to fascinate or confuse predators. These birds are fairly intelligent and will aid those who treat them well.

 

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Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Piranhatee

Another in a line of "surprise" aquatic creatures, the piranhatee at least has the decency to stay in the water. Of course, it is a tenacious predator once it catches even the hint of blood from nearby creatures, much to the dismay of those who assume it is just a gentle manatee. Check back in an hour to see if the mashup monsters have left the sea!

This gray animal has wrinkled skin and a large snout; it swims lazily in the water, appearing to be a gentle giant, until it opens its mouth and reveals two dozen razor-sharp teeth.
Piranhatee CR 3
XP 800
N Medium magical beast (aquatic)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., keen scent, low-light vision; Perception +7

Defense
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 30 (4d10+8)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +4

Offense
Speed 10 ft., swim 60 ft.
Melee bite +7 (2d6+2/19-20 plus attach and 1d2 bleed) and slam +6 (1d4+2)

Statistics
Str 15, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 17
Feats Improved Critical (bite)(B), Iron Will, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Perception +7, Survival +1 (+17 when tracking a bleeding creature), Swim +14; Racial Modifiers +16 Survival when tracking a bleeding creature
SQ bloodlust

Ecology
Environment temperate and warm river or ocean
Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3–10)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Bloodlust (Ex) A piranhatee typically attacks in self-defense and only with its slam attack, until it injures a creature, or something else injures a creature within 180 feet of the piranhatee, at which point it uses its full array of attacks. By depriving the creature of its sense of smell, it will remain in or return to its docile state.

Intelligent underwater creatures with a penchant for melding animals together develop piranhatees to act as pets that can quickly turn into vicious killers at the smell of blood. When possible, these mad creators will engineer piranhatees to ignore the chemical composition of their own blood, so the creatures will not turn on them at inopportune moments. Alternatively, they acquire or create devices that shut down a piranhatee's sense of smell.

 

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Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Pterodactwhale

The pterodactwhale is another creature that will surprise characters staying away from the water in false assurance of their safety. This mashup is considerably less aggressive than the arachnishark, so characters who do not provoke the creature should have no problem. Another creature awaits you in an hour!



This impossible creature is a large, winged whale that glides fairly awkwardly through the sky.
Pterodactwhale CR 4
XP 1,200
N Huge magical beast (aquatic)
Init –2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +9

Defense
AC 18, touch 6, flat-footed 18 (–2 Dex, –2 size, +12 natural)
hp 42 (5d10+15)
Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +3

Offense
Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (clumsy), swim 60 ft.
Melee slam +11 (2d6+12)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks crush
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +6)
1/day—shout (DC 15)


Statistics
Str 26, Dex 7, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 12
Base Atk +5; CMB +15 (+17 bull rush); CMD 23 (25 vs. bull rush)
Feats Awesome Blow, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack
Skills Fly +2, Perception +9, Swim +20; Racial Modifiers +16 Fly
SQ amphibious

Ecology
Environment any ocean
Organization solitary, pair, or pod (3–16)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Crush (Ex) A pterodactwhale can land on foes as a full-attack action, using its whole body to crush them. This attack affects Medium or smaller creatures and affects as many creatures as fit in the pterodactwhale's space. Creatures in the affected area must succeed at a DC 16 Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking 2d8+12 bludgeoning damage during the next round unless the pterodactwhale moves off them. If the pterodactwhale chooses to maintain the pin, it must succeed at a combat maneuver check as normal. Pinned foes take damage from the crush each round if they do not escape. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Sometimes, creators who crossbreed creatures enjoy the challenge of devising something that seems otherwise impossible in nature. Pterodactwhales are one such frightening concept, managing to barely stay aloft and landing frequently to rest. During these landings, pterodactwhales can destroy property or mash victims to a pulp. In the water, the creatures are much more graceful, and those who witness pterodactwhales leaping from the water to take short flights speak in awe of the spectacle...provided they have not been crushed by a fatigued creature. Pterodactwhales can also build their whale song to a crescendo, deafening and shattering the bones of those who hear it.

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Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Stomatopetrel

Mantis shrimps have captured the imagination of many people in the past year, so seeing a mashup that features a mantis shrimp was no surprise. I hope I captured its ability to perceive its surroundings in an entirely different fashion to any other creature. Another mashup will make its way onto the blog in another 60 minutes!

This giant, multihued bird has a hard carapace that seems not to affect its ability to fly.
Stomatopetrel CR 6
XP 2,400
N Large magical beast
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +18

Defense
AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+2 Dex, –1 size, +8 natural)
hp 68 (8d10+24)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +5

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee bite +12 (1d8+5) and slam +12 (2d8+5/19-20 plus stun)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th; concentration +10)
Constant—arcane sight, see invisibility

Statistics
Str 21, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 5, Wis 16, Cha 14
Base Atk +8; CMB +14; CMD 26
Feats Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Initiative, Vital Strike
Skills Acrobatics +8, Fly +8, Perception +18; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception

Ecology
Environment warm forests or swamps
Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3–6)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Stun (Ex) When a stomatopetrel strikes a target with its slam attack, the target is stunned for 1 round if it fails a DC 17 Fortitude save. If the stomatopetrel succeeds at a critical hit, the target is stunned for 1d4 rounds if it fails the Fortitude save. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Derived from a combination of two highly aggressive creatures, the mantis shrimp and the petrel, stomatopetrels are near murderous flying beasts possessing an array of senses that render hiding from them nearly impossible. Stomatopetrels prefer to fly past their prey and attack with their mighty carapaced wings, which potentially cause their prey to become insensate, whereupon the creatures alight upon their victims and further pummel them while also attacking with their less powerful beaks.

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Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Cuttlephant

Depending on your view of Lovecraftian elephants, one could argue that the cuttlephant is nicer than the taranturaptor. I imagine that on the surface this creature would look strange, while underwater it would be quite disturbing, especially as it deftly makes its way through the water.

The mashup marathon will continue with another monster in one hour's time!

This swimming elephant has a slightly elongated head and several tentacles surrounding its trunk.
Cuttlephant CR 3
XP 800
CN Large magical beast (aquatic)
Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +7

Defense
AC 16, touch 8, flat-footed 16 (–1 Dex, –1 size, +8 natural)
hp 30 (4d10+8); fast healing 1
Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +3
Immune sonic

Offense
Speed 40 ft., swim 50 ft.
Melee slam +7 (2d6+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks trumpet

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 9, Con 14, Int 5, Wis 15, Cha 12
Base Atk +4; CMB +9 (+11 bull rush); CMD 18 (20 vs. bull rush, 22 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack
Skills Perception +7, Stealth +15, Swim +16; Racial Modifiers +16 Stealth
SQ amphibious

Ecology
Environment warm ocean or coastline
Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3–8)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Trumpet (Ex) Once every 1d4 rounds as a swift action, a cuttlephant can sound a highly disconcerting set of notes that dazes all creatures within 30 feet (the range extends to 60 feet underwater) that fail a DC 13 Will save. This is a mind-affecting, sonic effect, and the save DC is Charisma-based.

Many creators of weird monsters desire something as effective on land as in water, and cuttlephants are no exception. Combining the sheer power of elephants with the camouflage ability of cuttlefish, cuttlephants also possess a strange ability to daze their foes with a series of otherworldly notes, as befits their appearance. Despite their ungainly appearance, cuttlephants are extraordinary swimmers and can keep pace with (or exceed the pace of) most non-native underwater creatures.

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Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Taranturaptor

As you may have noticed with many other mashups featured here, spiders are versatile creatures and add horror even to something already horrifying. The taranturaptor (and the arachnishark before it) give proof to that idea. Hopefully, the next monster will be a little nicer.



A raptor's head and partial trunk extends from this enormous spider's body; each of this creature's legs ends in a raptor's dewclaw.
Taranturaptor CR 4
XP 1,200
NE Large magical beast
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +9

Defense
AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 (–1 size, +8 natural)
hp 42 (5d10+15)
Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +4

Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +8 (2d6+6 plus grab and poison)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks poison, swallow whole (3d6 acid damage, AC 14, 4 hp), web (+4 ranged, DC 15, 5 hp)


Statistics
Str 18, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 16, Cha 9
Base Atk +5; CMB +10 (+14 grapple); CMD 20 (28 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack
Skills Acrobatics +4 (+8 when jumping), Climb +16, Perception +9


Ecology
Environment any temperate or warm terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–8)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Poison (Ex) Bite—Injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d6 Dex; effect for every 2 points of Dex damage dealt, base speed decreases by 5 feet; cure 2 consecutive saves.

Taranturaptor creators decided to add a dose of raptorial cunning to a spider's body to create a more effective killing machine, but one they could theoretically control without the aid of spells or abilities they did not possess. A taranturaptor bite inflicts a poison that slows their prey, making it much easier for the creatures to overtake fleeing victims. While the dewclaws look impressive, they deal no effective harm in combat, but they allow the creature to climb surfaces incredibly well.

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Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Flying Squirrelobo

Next up in the mashup marathon is the flying squirrelobo, combining the graceful not-quite-flying ability of the flying squirrel with the hunting prowess of the wolf. See you in an hour with another creature!




What appears to be a wolf with flaps of skin connecting its limbs to its body drops down from a tree and glides to a landing.
Flying Squirrelobo CR 1
XP 400
N Medium animal
Init +6; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +9

Defense
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1

Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft., glide
Melee bite +2 (1d6+1 plus trip)

Statistics
Str 13, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 14 (18 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +9, Perception +9, Stealth +6 (+10 in forests); Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth in forests

Ecology
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–12)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Glide (Ex) A flying squirrelobo can launch itself from height to gain a fly speed of 40 (poor maneuverability) for 1 round per 10 feet of elevation that it starts its flight.

Not content with a rodent with gliding ability, flying squirrelobos' creators wanted a predator with limited flight capability. Flying squirrelobos possess claws that allow them to climb most surfaces but are not powerful enough to use as weapons. They attack unsuspecting prey by climbing trees or cliffs and gently and quietly descending upon them, but they have no problem running down prey if they start at the same level.

Flying Squirrelobo Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., glide; Attack bite (1d6 plus trip); Ability Scores Str 11, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.
4th-Level Advancement: Size Medium; Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft., glide; Attack bite (1d8 plus trip); Ability Scores Str +2, Dex +4, Con +2.

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Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Pandaroo

The second mashup combines the kangaroo with the panda and is considerably less terrifying than the previous mashup (at least for me, that is).

A new mashup will appear in an hour. Stay tuned!

Another mashup from this article.

This tall, black and white creature grazes on grasses and tree leaves; it features crushing paws and powerful hind legs.
Pandaroo CR 2
XP 600
N Medium animal
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +5

Defense
AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 19 (3d8+6)
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +2
Defensive Abilities slow metabolism

Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +4 (1d4+1 plus grab) and kick +4 (1d6+1)

Statistics
Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +2; CMB +3 (+7 grapple); CMD 15
Feats Skill Focus (Acrobatics), Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +10 (+14 jump), Perception +5

Ecology
Environment temperate forests, hills, or plains
Organization solitary, pair, or mob (3–8)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Slow Metabolism (Ex) Due to the pandaroo's slow metabolism, it only requires half the food other creatures of its size require. It can go 5 days without food, and it gains a +2 racial bonus on its Constitution checks to avoid taking nonlethal damage. Additionally, a pandaroo inflicted with a poison doubles a poison's onset time by 1 minute—or sets the onset time to 1 minute for poisons without one—and doubles the poison's frequency. The creature also gains a +2 racial bonus on Fortitude saves against poison.

Pandaroos are normally gentle creatures that take on the kangaroo's general body shape, but eschewing that animal's rodent-like facial appearance and short forelimbs in favor of the panda's head and powerful forelimbs. Pandaroo creators enhanced the typically slow metabolism of the panda half mostly to cut back on the costs of feeding the creatures, but they were delighted to discover that this feature made pandaroos somewhat more resistant to poison.

Pandaroo Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 30 ft.; Attack 2 claws (1d3), kick (1d4); Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 7; Special Qualities low-light vision, slow metabolism.
4th-Level Advancement: Size Medium; Speed 40 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack 2 claws (1d4 plus grab), kick (1d6); Ability Scores Str +4, Dex +2, Con +2, Wis +2.

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Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! Arachnishark

Welcome to the Frightful Fridays! Mashup Marathon! I have received a plethora of mashup images over the past year, and I figured I would share them with you over the course of the day. I also figured I'd start off with a spider creature, since friends who know of my "love" of spiders like to throw images of them at me. I'm pretty sure I would immediately drop dead of fright if I saw something like this emerge from the water. I will try to do something beyond just mixing and matching monster stats for each of these monsters (for example, the arachnishark's poison inflicts bleed damage, representing the shark's desire to scent out bleeding prey).

I hope you like the arachnishark, and check back in an hour for the next monster in the lineup. Thanks for reading!

This charming creature can be found here.

This creature's dorsal fin clearly marks it out as a shark, but it reveals its complete form as it scuttles out onto shore on eight large, hairy legs.
Arachnishark CR 5
XP 1,600
CE Large magical beast (aquatic)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., keen scent, low-light vision; Perception +13

Defense
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, –1 size, +6 natural)
hp 57 (6d10+24)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +4

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 60 ft.
Melee bite +10 (3d6+7/19-20 plus poison)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks poison

Statistics
Str 21, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 1, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +6; CMB +12; CMD 25 (33 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Critical (bite)(B), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Climb +17, Perception +13, Swim +13
SQ amphibious

Ecology
Environment any ocean or coastline
Organization solitary, pair, or school (3–12)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 17; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Strength damage; effect 1 point of bleed damage (the bleed damage increases by 1 each time the victim fails the Fort save, and restarts at 1 if previous bleed damage has been healed); cure 2 consecutive saves.

Arachnisharks derive from two delightfully nightmare-inducing creatures, and the inherent nastiness of their creators carries through into their own demeanors. Despite their relative lack of intelligence, arachnisharks seem to derive pleasure from fooling unsuspecting victims who presume that being land-bound protects them from the creatures. Arachnisharks also have a deadly poison that saps their victims' strength and induces internal bleeding, which further drives the creatures' feeding frenzies.

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Frightful Fridays! Fire Drogani

Welcome to an early edition of Frightful Fridays! Today's monster is a sort of Christmas present to the readers of the blog and this feature, as well as to my friends who fill my inbox with an increasing number of images that I plan to turn into Frightful Fridays! monsters. Kirk found the image below, and Paris coined the name "drogani," which was perfect. I hope you like these dog-dragon hybrids.

 

Thanks for reading Frightful Fridays! for the past year and change. Keep your eyes open this Friday, because many more monsters will be coming your way. I received a slew of mashup images over the past year, and they need an entire day to themselves...which they shall receive, starting at midnight CST.

 

These drogani can be found here.

This golden haired dog seems normal, albeit oversized, until it breathes a gout of fire.
Fire Drogani CR 5
XP 1,600
N Medium magical beast
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +9

Defense
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 57 (6d10+24)
Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +4
Immune fire, sleep

Offense
Speed 40 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
Melee bite +9 (2d8+4 plus trip)
Special Attacks breath weapon (40-ft. cone, 3d6 fire damage, Reflex DC 17 for half, usable every 1d4 rounds)

Statistics
Str 17, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 14
Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 21 (25 vs. trip)
Feats Outflank, Pack Attack, Tandem Trip
Skills Acrobatics +2 (+6 when jumping), Fly +8, Handle Animal +3 (+11 to handle canids), Intimidate +14, Perception +9; Racial Modifiers +8 Handle Animal to handle canids, +8 Intimidate

Ecology
Environment any terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–12)
Treasure incidental

Combining a domestic dog's loyalty with a dragon's power, the first wizard to create a drogani hoped to devise the best possible guard dog. It worked out quite well for the wizard...until he created a second drogani, and the pair wanted the wizard to keep producing more drogani. After the wizard refused the drogani's pleas for more of their kind, the two clever creatures conspired to destroy their creator. After burning the wizard's tower to the ground, but before securing the wizard's note on drogani creation, the pair fled to another location where they found a more sympathetic wizard, or at least one who saw potential in having an army of the creatures.

Drogani consider themselves the ultimate alphas when it comes to canids, and they lead large packs of ordinary dogs and wolves. While drogani also have draconic greed to accompany their draconic arrogance, they roam too much to establish a lair where they can keep a hoard. Instead, they usually run protection rackets in which they extort a village or larger settlement to fashion jewelry they can wear in exchange for keeping the dog packs under their control at bay. Multiple drogani in a pack share leadership, but occasionally a rivalry between two results in a battle that nearly obliterates the pack for which they fought. Strangely, a solitary drogani that has never met another drogani exhibits none of this behavior and is perfectly content to acquiesce to its master's orders.

Drogani stand roughly 4 feet tall at the shoulder, are 5 feet in length, and weigh 200 pounds. While the most common type is the fire drogani, other types with different breath weapons exist. For unknown reasons, the fusion of fire-based dragon and dog proved the most successful.

 

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Frightful Fridays! Urselementals

Hello, and welcome to a Frightful Fridays! which comes to you on an actual Friday this week. Today's set of creatures is thanks to Patrick, who challenged me with the illustration below. I figured the laser beam eyes could be represented in a fantasy setting as focused elemental rays, and things grew from that base assumption. The owlbear sets a nice precedent, and I reasoned some deranged wizard would combine a flying bear mashup with elementals. I indulged myself a little with the air-based urselemental by applying it to the not-a-true-bear koala, but I also figured mad wizards wouldn't really care about trifling things like taxonomy.

 

I hope you enjoy this week's offering, and I'll be back next week with yet another monster. Thanks for reading!

This bear has jet-black fur and a glowing, yellow, crescent-shaped patch on its chest; its eyes seethe with a fiery radiance.
Urselemental, Sun CR 9
XP 6,400
N Medium magical beast (fire)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +14

Defense
AC 24, touch 14, flat-footed 20 (+4 Dex, +10 natural)
hp 114 (12d10+48)
Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +8
Immune fire
Weakness vulnerability to cold

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee bite +17 (1d8+5) and 2 claws +17 (1d6+5)
Special Attacks radiant beam

Statistics
Str 21, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +12; CMB +17 (+21 grapple); CMD 31 (35 vs. trip)
Feats Endurance, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Run, Skill Focus (Fly)
Skills Fly +17, Perception +14

Ecology
Environment warm terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, squadron (3–12 mixed urselementals)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Radiant Beam (Ex) Once every 1d4 rounds as a swift action, a sun urselemental shoots a fiery beam that requires a ranged touch attack to hit its target. If the beam strikes its target, it deals 6d6 fire damage, and potentially causes the target to catch on fire.

 

This bear has soft gray fur that crackles with static electricity; miniature lightning bolts shoot from the creature's eyes.
Urselemental, Koala CR 10
XP 9,600
N Medium magical beast (air)
Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +17

Defense
AC 25, touch 17, flat-footed 18 (+7 Dex, +8 natural)
hp 123 (13d10+52)
Fort +12, Ref +15, Will +9
Immune electricity

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft. (perfect)
Melee bite +18 (2d4+5) and 2 claws +18 (1d6+5)
Special Attacks electricity beam

Statistics
Str 21, Dex 24, Con 19, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 10
Base Atk +13; CMB +18 (+22 grapple); CMD 35 (39 vs. trip)
Feats Death from Above, Endurance, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Run, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Fly +19, Perception +17, Stealth +14
Ecology
Environment any terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, squadron (3–12 mixed urselementals)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Electricity Beam (Ex) Once every 1d4 rounds as a swift action, a koala urselemental shoots a crackling beam that requires a ranged touch attack to hit its target. If the beam strikes its target, it deals 6d6 electricity damage, and the target must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save to avoid becoming staggered for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

 

Icicles festoon this enormous white bear; an inner pale-blue fire lights its eyes.
Urselemental, Polar CR 11
XP 12,800
N Large magical beast (cold, water)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15

Defense
AC 25, touch 11, flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, -1 size, +14 natural)
hp 147 (14d10+70)
Fort +14, Ref +11, Will +10
Immune cold
Weakness vulnerability to fire

Offense
Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (poor), swim 90 ft.
Melee bite +20 (2d6+7) and 2 claws +20 (1d8+7)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks polar beam

Statistics
Str 25, Dex 14, Con 21, Int 5, Wis 18, Cha 10
Base Atk +14; CMB +22 (+24 bull rush, +26 grapple); CMD 34 (36 vs. bull rush, 38 vs. trip)
Feats Endurance, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus (Fly)
Skills Fly +7, Perception +15, Swim +19

Ecology
Environment any cold terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, squadron (3–12 mixed urselementals)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Polar Beam (Ex) Once every 1d4 rounds as a swift action, a polar urselemental shoots a solid beam of frost that requires a ranged touch attack to hit its target. If the beam strikes its target, it deals 7d6 cold damage, and the target must succeed at a DC 22 Fortitude save to avoid becoming fatigued. The save DC is Constitution-based.

 

This tremendous brown bear seems to have bits of rock jutting out from its fur; a sickly green light emanates from its eyes.
Urselemental, Grizzly CR 12
XP 19,200
N Large magical beast (earth)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +18

Defense
AC 27, touch 9, flat-footed 27 (-1 size, +18 natural)
hp 168 (16d10+80)
Fort +15, Ref +10, Will +14
DR 5/magic; Immune acid

Offense
Speed 40 ft., burrow 60 ft., fly 60 ft. (poor)
Melee bite +25 (2d8+10) and 2 claws +25 (2d6+10)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks acid beam

Statistics
Str 31, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 3, Wis 24, Cha 10
Base Atk +16; CMB +27 (+31 grapple, +31 overrun); CMD 37 (39 vs. overrun, 41 vs. trip)
Feats Endurance, Greater Overrun, Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Iron Will, Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus (Fly)
Skills Fly +8, Perception +18

Ecology
Environment any terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, squadron (3–12 mixed urselementals)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Acid Beam (Ex) Once every 1d4 rounds as a swift action, a grizzly urselemental shoots a coherent beam of acid that requires a ranged touch attack to hit its target. If the beam strikes its target, it deals 8d6 acid damage, plus 1 point of ongoing acid damage for 5 rounds, and the target must succeed at a DC 23 Fortitude save to avoid becoming sickened for the duration of the ongoing damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

 

Wizards discovered very early that bears of all sorts combine well with other creatures, resulting in bizarre creations like the owlbear. While no one has discovered the exact quality that makes bears so easily crossbred, that has not stopped deranged arcanists from tampering in things better left alone. Urselementals are yet another creation deriving from some hidden laboratory, where a mad (or genius) experimenter managed to fuse elementals with bears. However, specific species of bears accept certain elemental merges much more readily than others; a grizzly bear is the best candidate for earth, a koala bear is the best choice for air, a polar bear is the most suitable for water, and a sun bear is the optimum species for fire. Each species of bear is largely unchanged in terms of size—the koala grew to twice its normal size while only increasing its weight by 50 percent—but their eyes, which boil with barely restrained elemental energy, primarily mark them out from mundane versions.

Despite the fusion of elemental energies to urselementals, the creatures work surprisingly well together. Often a squadron of the bears features more than one species, including those of nominally opposed elements. Powerful wizards obtain—or create—urselementals to act as guards or the powerhouses of an intimidating army. True elemental creatures regard these odd creations with pity, but they will not typically attack the bears and may, in fact, enslave them for their own purposes.

 

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Frightful Fridays! Thaumaturgic Axolotl

Welcome to a late edition of Frightful Fridays! A visiting friend and a surprise water leak caused by some faulty dryer ductwork made it a bit difficult to deliver on time this week, but I hope you'll indulge my delay. This week's monster is courtesy of an image suggested by Kristin and a request by Patrick for fun aquatic monsters. The PCs may not consider the thaumaturgic axolotl "fun" when it sets off a wand of fireballs centered on the wand's owner or when it drains a bunch of potions, but DMs might.
In Frightful Fridays!-related news, Mythopoeic Rambling got a nice shoutout in the latest episode of Know Direction (#74), in reference to the Clockodile, so thanks to Ryan Costello for the mention. Also, in tangentially related Frightful Fridays! news, a monster I submitted to Kobold Press's Monarch of the Monsters contest (the green strangler) wound up as one of the five finalists. If you haven't had a chance yet, check out all the monsters and vote for your favorite here.
I hope you like this week's monster, and I'll be back in four days with a new one. Thanks for reading!

This cute guy can be found here

This pale pink salamander-like creature has several fronds jutting from its head; long, thin fingers tipped in sharp claws; and black, expressive eyes that widen in the presence of magic.

Thaumaturgic Axolotl CR 5
XP 1,600
CN Small aberration (aquatic)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +13


Defense
AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+4 Dex, +1 size, +4 natural)
hp 52 (7d8+21); regeneration 5 (acid)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +8
SR 16

Offense
Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee bite +10 (1d6-1), 2 claws +10 (1d4-1)
Special Attacks discharging touch, severing curse
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +12)
Constant—detect magic


Statistics
Str 8, Dex 19, Con 17, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 20
Base Atk +5; CMB +3; CMD 17 (21 vs. trip)
Feats Go Unnoticed, Improved Initiative, Stealthy, Weapon Finesse
Skills Escape Artist +16, Perception +13, Stealth +18, Swim +12, Use Magic Device +19; Racial Modifiers +4 Use Magic Device
Languages Aklo, Aquan
SQ amphibious, inert magic, magic savant

Ecology
Environment warm oceans and coastlines
Organization solitary, pair, or clinging (3–8)
Treasure standard (amulets, rings, and other worn magic items)

Special Abilities
Discharging Touch (Su) As an attack action, a thaumaturgic axolotl can attempt a touch attack and force one of its target's magic items to activate. This affects single-use and charged items and works only when the creature succeeds at a Use Magic Device check to activate the item. For items that target a creature, the axolotl chooses itself or the item's possessor as the target. Otherwise, the item targets an area centered on the owner.
Inert Magic (Su) A thaumaturgic axolotl renders worn magic items with a faint or moderate strength aura nonmagical while the creature possesses them. When the axolotl dies, all worn magic items regain their functionality.
Magic Savant (Ex) A thaumaturgic axolotl always treats Use Magic Device as a class skill and gains a +4 racial modifier for Use Magic Device.
Severing Curse (Su) When killed, a thaumaturgic axolotl inflicts a curse on the character who dealt the killing blow. If the character fails a DC 18 Will save, he treats all carried and worn magic items as nonmagical. Additionally, the character gains SR 16 with respect to beneficial spells. Remove curse, break enchantment, and more powerful spells end the axolotl's severing curse.

Inherently inquisitive creatures, thaumaturgic axolotls become intensely curious when they sense magic items that come within range of their detect magic. This curiosity proves dangerous to visitors to axolotls' ocean abodes, as they prematurely discharge protective items or set off offensive magic centered on the unsuspecting owner while the axolotls' spell resistance protects them from the damaging effects. Thaumaturgic axolotls, which are considerably larger than their mundane cousins, measure 4 feet in length and weigh 100 pounds.


Allegedly engineered by aboleths or dread krakens, thaumaturgic axolotls have a peculiar relationship with magic. The creatures can set off magic items held by others, but they cannot use items themselves. Many theories hold that the creators of thaumaturgic axolotls designed them to suppress magic items in order to allow the creators to study potentially harmful items or to deliver their own crafted magic items to others without drawing attention to the axolotl couriers. The axolotls bestow this suppressive "gift" to those who slay them, which strongly points to the creatures' use as anti-magic shock troops.


Whatever their origins, many thaumaturgic axolotls roam freely now and quietly indulge their curiosity when they encounter enchanted items. Typically, axolotls approach other magic-carrying creatures from hiding and attempt to discharge one of the items. If a character can establish communication with an axolotl and gain its trust, the creature asks to handle one of the character's items. The axolotl may follow the character in the hope of discovering new items. When axolotls gather together, they excitedly discuss the sensations of magic items they have tripped in their relatively short lifetimes—a typical thaumaturgic axolotl only lives for twenty years, but adventurers have run afoul of centuries-old specimens.

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Frightful Fridays! Runehound

Welcome back to a new Frightful Fridays! after an extended absence. I left off with an image brought to me by Kajehase, and I will start anew with another image procured by him. Its hyena-like appearance inspired me to tie the runehound to gnolls, and I hope it makes for an unexpected complication for characters expecting to easily dispatch a hyena companion.

 

I plan to be back next week with a new monster, and I appreciate your patience during the long absence. Thanks for reading Frightful Fridays!

 

You can find the rune hound illustration here.

This gaunt hyena's skin crawls with arcane markings, while its eyes glow with eldritch energies.
Runehound CR 7
XP 3,200
NE Medium magical beast
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +12

Defense
AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+4 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 85 (9d10+36)
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +5
SR 18

Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +13 (1d8+6 plus trip)
Special Attacks magic eater, spellstrike, symbol
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +12)
Constant—detect magic

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 17
Base Atk +9; CMB +13 (+17 sunder); CMD 27 (29 vs. sunder, 31 vs. trip)
Feats Eldritch Claws(B), Greater Sunder, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Lunge, Power Attack
Skills Acrobatics +18 (+22 jump), Perception +12, Stealth +10; Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics, +4 Perception
Languages Gnoll

Ecology
Environment any desert or plains
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–8)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Magic Eater (Su) If a runehound destroys a magic item with a sunder attempt, it absorbs the energy dispersed by the item's destruction. The runehound can choose to gain 5 temporary hit points per effective enhancement bonus of the item or replenish spell levels equal to 4 per item's effective enhancement bonus for its spellstrike ability.
Spellstrike (Su) A runehound can apply any 4th-level or lower magus spell with a range of "touch" or that features a ranged touch attack to its bite attack. If it uses a spell featuring a ranged touch attack that targets more than one creature (such as scorching ray), it can only target the creature it bites and loses the effects for any additional targets. The runehound cannot choose the same spell two rounds in a row, and it can only apply a total number of spell levels to its bite attacks equal to twice its Hit Dice per day.
Symbol (Su) Once per day as a full round action, a runehound can manifest a symbol with a sorcerer/wizard spell level no higher than half its Hit Dice (rounded up). The runehound must spend an amount equal to twice the symbol's spell level from its spellstrike's pool of spell levels to cast the symbol, which affects all creatures within 60 feet of the runehound (excluding itself and any creatures it designates). The symbol fades immediately after the runehound employs it.

Runehounds have an innate magical gift that makes them far more dangerous than their hyena relatives. Unlike hyenas, runehounds prefer freshly killed meat, especially that which they have "tenderized" with magical energy (fire and electricity are particular favorites). Runehounds stand 4 feet tall at the shoulder, measure 7 feet in length and weigh 200 pounds.

Runehounds do not possess great intelligence, but they are cunning creatures. A solitary runehound uses its detect magic to locate the most powerful magic weapon carried by its foes, and attacks that item's owner. It does not open with the most powerful spells with its spellstrike ability, as it gauges resistances or weaknesses to various energies and conserves its spellstrike pool in case it needs to use an incapacitating symbol to escape. A pack of runehounds attacks more recklessly, but one of the creatures withholds its spellstrike pool in case the tide of battle turns.

Runehounds' origins are unknown and open to wild speculation. Gnolls believe that powerful gnoll shamans who have curried favor with their demonic patrons (or, in some cases, angered their demonic deities) return as runehounds, merging their former magical might with the hyena's bestial nature. No one has ever sighted a young runehound, which grants an odd credence to the gnolls' theory. Gnoll tribal leaders aware of an independently roaming runehound work hard to attract the runehound to their tribes; they regard a runehound shunning them as an ill omen. Despite being ostensibly more intelligent than runehounds, gnolls defer to runehounds during hunts and allow them to destroy magic items that would otherwise benefit the gnolls.

 

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Dungeons & Drawings!

It's here!  The first illustrated bestiary from Dungeons & Drawings, an art blog that I have recommended before to my Rambling readership.  US buyers will pay for the UK exchange rate, but this delightful, creative take on D&D monsters includes not only the art, which is why I bought the book and why I imagine anyone would, but also a nice, simple take on the monsters that together with the illustrations would allow GMs and DMs to reimagine and tweak these monsters for any game system or campaign setting that make the price well worth it.  I highly recommend this collection of 40 or so creatures and give it a solid A.  Great first book, Blanco and Joe.  I plan on collecting them all.