Frightful Fridays! Golden Scale Worm

Hello and welcome back for another Frightful Friday monster! I'm returning to the natural world for inspiration, and today's horror is the Antarctic scale worm. Look at thing's head! I dressed it up a little bit for gaming purposes, adding some terrible abilities and giving it the ability to eat gold to maintain its glorious mane of spines. Still, these updates shouldn't be unexpected when players get a look at the source material.

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

So pretty!

Gold spines protrude from the edge of this pale flatworm. Roughly one quarter of its size is taken up by its head, featuring massive, bone-crushing mandibles.

Golden Scale Worm      CR 3

XP 800

N Small vermin (aquatic)

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +8

DEFENSE

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

hp 30 (4d8+12)

Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +1

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., climb 10 ft., swim 30 ft.

Melee bite +6 (2d6+4/19–20 plus blood drain and grab)

Special Attacks blood drain (1d3 Constitution), powerful bite, spines (+6, 1d4+2 plus poison)

STATISTICS

Str 15, Dex 14, Con 17, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 5

Base Atk +3; CMB +4 (+8 grapple); CMD 16 (can't be tripped)

Skills Climb +10, Perception +8, Swim +10; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception

SQ amphibious, camouflage, gold eater

ECOLOGY

Environment cold oceans and coastlines

Organization solitary or cache (2–12)

Treasure standard (golden spines)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Blood Drain (Ex) Enzymes in a golden scale worm’s bite induce continuous blood drain. If a target escapes the worm’s grapple, it takes 1 point of Constitution bleed.

Camouflage (Ex) A golden scale worm looks like golden spindles when at rest and a DC 20 Perception check is required to notice it before it attacks for the first time. Anyone with ranks in Survival or Knowledge (nature) can use those skills instead of Perception to notice the worm.

Gold Eater (Ex) A golden scale worm can spend a full-round action to consume the equivalent of 10 gold coins. It heals 1d10 hit points after doing so.

Poison (Ex) Spines—Injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d6 Str; cure 1 save.

Powerful Bite (Ex) A golden scale worm's bite attack always applies 2 times its Strength modifier on damage rolls and threatens a critical hit on a roll of 19–20.

Spines (Ex) When a creature attacks a golden scale worm with an unarmed strike or natural attack, or with a manufactured melee weapon while adjacent to the worm, the worm automatically gains a free attack with its spines. Likewise, if the worm maintains a grapple, it gains a free attack with its spines.

Golden scale worms primarily inhabit polar oceans, where they feed on fish and mammals that share the waters with them. When food runs scarce, they make landfall and attack humanoids living in coastal villages. While they are primarily carnivorous, their strange body chemistry allows them to synthesize gold, which nourishes them and adds to the protective, poison-tipped spines ringing their bodies. Thus, they are often encountered in shipwreck locations where they scrounge for sunken treasure and feed on scavengers picking at the remains of dead sailors.

Outside their natural habitats, they wind up in the lairs of intelligent creatures, especially undead and others that can withstand the worms’ blood drain and poison. Golden scale worms are placed among treasure to add to their deceptive appearance.

Even though they are unintelligent, they are instinctively aware of the interest their golden spines draw and curl up into a tight ball when at rest, revealing only the golden spines. Creatures that reach for the “treasure” are exposed to the worms’ poison, which debilitates them, so the worms can more effectively latch onto them and drain their blood. Worms do not stop to feed on gold belonging to their victims, unless they are heavily injured and have no means to escape.

A golden scale worm’s poison remains fresh for 1 hour after it dies, so canny adventurers can use its spines as impromptu weapons, with the usual risks of handling poisonous objects.

A typical golden scale worm specimen measures 5 feet in length (over 1 foot of which is its head) and is 1 foot wide. It weighs 60 pounds, mostly in the gold composing its spines.

Frightful Fridays! Bone Spider

Hello and welcome back to Frightful Fridays! It's been quite some time since I've featured a spider here, so I've got two spiders for you. The bone spider is a teeny spider that likes to eat your bones, but it's too small to eat an entire skeleton on its own. Instead, it uses the skeletons it harvests to build a massive skeletal spider and uses those to create mayhem and kill more victims.

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

Not pictured: the spider driving this thing

This red spider has chalky outlines that look like humanoid bones lining its legs, thorax, and abdomen. Viscous green liquid sizzles when it drips from its mandibles and hits the ground.

Bone Spider      CR 7

XP 3,200

NE Diminutive magical beast

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +13

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 19, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 size)

hp 85 (9d10+36)

Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +5

Defensive Abilities improved evasion; Immune mind-affecting effects

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft.

Melee bite +17 (1d2–5 plus 5d8 acid and poison)

Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks extract skeleton, poison

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +13)

   1/day—animate dead (skeletons only), cause fear (DC 15), false life, fear (DC 18)

STATISTICS

Str 1, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 19

Base Atk +9; CMB +9; CMD 15 (23 vs. trip)

Feats Dodge, Go Unnoticed[APG], Improved Initiative, Mobility, Weapon Finesse

Skills Craft (boneworking) +19, Perception +13, Stealth +20; Racial Modifiers +20 Craft (boneworking)

SQ animation cessation, bone spider casing, oracular spider

ECOLOGY

Environment any land

Organization solitary or pair

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Animation Cessation (Su) A bone spider that uses its animate dead spell-like ability can end the effect for skeletons it animates. This effectively destroys the undead, and they cannot be animated again.

Bone Spider Casing (Ex) A bone spider that has extracted enough bones to build a Colossal skeleton shaped like a spider can spend 2 days to build a bone spider casing (see below). It must use a Colossal creature’s skeleton or the equivalent (2 Gargantuan creatures, 4 Huge creatures, 8 Large creatures, etc.) to create the casing.

A bone spider must be in the contact with the casing in order to control it, which requires a standard action. While the spider is within the casing it has total cover and cannot be targeted by effects or attacks that require line of sight or line of effect. It is still subject to spells or effects that affect an area.

A bone spider can spend 1 minute to repair a bone spider casing, healing it 1d8 hit points with a Small creature’s skeleton, 2d8 hit points with a Medium creature’s skeleton, 4d8 hit points with a Large creature’s skeleton, and 8d8 hit points with a Huge or larger creature’s skeleton.

Extract Skeleton (Su) If a bone spider is touching a corpse, it can rip the bones from the corpse's flesh as a full-round action. Creatures witnessing this must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or become shaken. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Oracular Spider (Su) A bone spider gains revelations as if it were an oracle with the bones mystery. Its oracle class level equals its Hit Dice. Additionally, the spider can use the mystery's bonus spells as spell-like abilities once per day each.

A typical bone spider chooses armor of bones, death’s touch, and soul siphon as its revelations.

Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 18; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d6 Str; cure 2 consecutive saves. A victim reduced to 0 Strength due to this poison dies.

--------------------

This enormous skeleton shaped like a spider is composed of bones from a plethora of creatures and held together by thick webbing.

Bone Spider Casing      CR 7

XP 3,200

N Colossal undead

Init –2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +13

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 0, flat-footed 20 (–2 Dex, +20 natural, –8 size)

hp 85 (10d8+40)

Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +9

DR 10/bludgeoning; Immune acid, cold, electricity, undead traits; Resist fire 10

OFFENSE

Speed 60 ft., climb 30 ft.

Melee bite +14 (3d6+21)

Space 30 ft.; Reach 20 ft.

Special Attacks breath weapon (30-ft. cone, 5d8 acid damage, Reflex DC 19 half, usable every 1d4 rounds), trample (3d6+21, DC 29)

STATISTICS

Str 39, Dex 7, Con —, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 19

Base Atk +7; CMB +29; CMD 37 (45 vs. trip)

Feats Dazzling Display, Intimidating Prowess, Power Attack, Step Up, Weapon Focus (bite)

Skills Climb +32, Intimidate +31, Perception +13, Stealth –10

ECOLOGY

Environment any land

Organization solitary or pair

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Breath Weapon (Su) A bone spider casing can only use its breath weapon 3 times per day.

Bone spiders are intelligent arachnids that feed on bone matter and have a preternatural capacity for reshaping it. Despite their potent acid and deadly poison, they felt their miniscule size made them less imposing than they wished to be. They turned their boneshaping abilities toward creating soul-charged skeletons as large as the mightiest creatures to walk the earth. The spiders pilot these creations to impose their will and to harvest more bones from victims, usually to effect repairs on their war machines. Especially powerful bone spiders have at least two such bone casings built and ready for use.

Bone spiders rarely cooperate with each other and typically only long enough to reproduce and stand guard over unhatched eggs. Bone spider coupling usually ends when their newborn spiders hatch. The parents then combat each other with their spider skeletons, with the winner destroying the loser. The newborn spiders use the remains from these massive battles to create their own, much less impressive versions to best their siblings. Among hundreds of baby spiders, only a handful survive this grand melee.

Frightful Fridays! Wandering Hogsbane

Hello and welcome back to Frightful Fridays! Today's monster is based on a horror straight out of actual, real-world nature. The heracleum mantegazzianum, or giant hogweed or hogsbane has sap that inflicts burns on skin when the sap is exposed to sunlight. I didn't have to do much to ramp up the terror for this plant beyond making it ambulatory. For extra fun, I added an even more fantastical variant.

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

This animated plant has a bright green stem, spotted with dark red and featuring clumps of white hair-like growths. The plant’s head is a resplendent cluster of white flowers.

Wandering Hogsbane      CR 7

XP 3,200

N Huge plant

Init +0; Senses low-light vision; Perception +12

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 8, flat-footed 20 (+12 natural, –2 size)

hp 85 (10d8+40)

Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +7

Defensive Abilities poisonous; DR 10/slashing; Immune electricity, plant traits

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Melee 2 slams +14 (2d6+8 plus phototoxic poison)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks trample (2d6+12, DC 23)

STATISTICS

Str 26, Dex 11, Con 19, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 10

Base Atk +7; CMB +17 (+19 bull rush); CMD 27 (29 vs. bull rush)

Feats Improved Bull Rush, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam)

Skills Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +12, Stealth –8 (+8 in forests); Racial Modifiers +4 Knowledge (nature), +16 Stealth in forests

Languages Sylvan, Treant

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or warm forests

Organization solitary or infestation (2–12)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Phototoxic Poison (Ex) Slam or trample—injury; save Fort DC 19; frequency 1/round for 8 rounds; effect 1d4 Dex and 1d4 Cha; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based. A wandering hogbane’s poison only takes effect in sunlight. If a creature is poisoned but not in sunlight, the poison can last for up to 48 hours, activating immediately when the creature is exposed to sunlight. Removing the poison before it activates requires an application of at least a gallon of water.

Poisonous (Ex) Any creature that attacks a wandering hogsbane with a natural weapon or that grapples the hogsbane is exposed to its poison. If a creature adjacent to the hogsbane attacks it with a piercing or slashing melee weapon, the creature must succeed on a DC 19 Fortitude save to avoid being exposed to its poison. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Wandering hogsbanes are aggressive protectors of their forest homes. Compared to many other sentient trees of their stature, they are incredibly short-lived, so they make the most of their limited time. While they are capable of speaking, they prefer action to debate. However, if a particularly persuasive druid or sentient plant commands them, they can exercise patience…for a time. When they are at rest, hogsbanes cluster together and avoid most other creatures.

A typical wandering hogsbane is 27 feet tall, has a 2-foot-diameter trunk, and weighs 3,000 pounds. Wandering hogsbanes reach their full height in 2 years and live an additional 5 years beyond that.

Inferno Hogsbane (CR +1): This variant wandering hogsbane has the advanced creature template. Its poison deals 1d6 Dex and 1d6 Cha damage, inflicts burn (2d6, DC 21), and requires 3 consecutive saves to cure. Its poison is activated by fire damage, as well as by sunlight. Additionally, if the inferno hogsbane takes fire damage from a spell or effect that affects an area, it releases a toxic 20-foot-radius cloud, requiring all creatures in the affected area to succeed on a DC 21 Reflex save or become exposed to its poison.

Frightful Fridays! Jackdoom

Hello and welcome back for another Frightful Fridays! I had this one ready for a Friday posting, but I spent the day helping my youngest move apartments. I thought I would be able to get to this after the move, but I ended up passing out instead. Sorry for the delay!

I've decided cats have been getting their due to much recently, so I'm switching to birds. The jackdoom is an animalistic amalgam of bird of humanoid, with very little of the humanoid features apart from the grabby arms (as seen below). While it tries to avoid combat, it happily grabs up prey and flings them from great heights.

I hope you enjoy the jackdoom, and I'll see you next week with another monster. Thanks for reading!

I caw you food!

This towering creature is a strange mixture of corvid and humanoid, featuring a raven-like head and wings, muscular arms and legs ending in powerful claws and talons, and a pair of long humanoid arms.

Jackdoom      CR 12

XP 19,200

N Gargantuan magical beast

Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +27 (+35 in normal or bright light)

DEFENSE

AC 27, touch 11, flat-footed 22 (+5 Dex, +16 natural, –4 size)

hp 168 (16d10+80)

Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +11

Immune fear

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)

Melee bite +21 (3d6+8), 2 claws +20 (2d6+8), 2 talons +20 (1d8+8/19–20)

Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.

Special Attacks extra limbs, rend (2 claws, 2d6+12), rend (2 talons, 1d8+12), screech

STATISTICS

Str 27, Dex 21, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 19, Cha 8

Base Atk +16; CMB +28 (+32 grapple); CMD 43

Feats Bleeding Critical, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (talon), Iron Will, Snatch, Weapon Focus (bite)

Skills Climb +16, Fly +14, Perception +27 (+35 in normal or bright light); Racial Modifiers +16 Perception (+24 in normal or bright light)

ECOLOGY

Environment warm or temperate land

Organization solitary or pair

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Extra Limbs (Ex) A jackdoom has an extra pair of arms. It can use items with these extra limbs, but it cannot wield weapons or shields with them. The arms grant a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks.

Screech (Su) As a standard action, or as an immediate action when it knocks a creature unconscious with a melee attack, a jackdoom can unleash a horrifying screech. Creatures within 100 feet of the jackdoom that fail a DC 19 Will save become frightened for 1d4 rounds. Any creature that succeeds at this save cannot be affected by the same jackdoom’s screech ability for 24 hours. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Ancient hag harpy covens had a fate worse than death for some of their humanoid prey. They employed rituals to fuse the bodies of their victims with corvids enchanted to prodigious size, leaving only the arms and mere traces of the humanoids in the amalgam. While the secret of jackdoom creation was lost when hag harpies were eradicated, the creatures proved surprisingly fecund and spawn an ongoing population. Jackdooms are rarely seen, keeping to remote mountains, primal forests, or blasted wastelands, where they feed on whatever game shares the land with them. When their food supply runs low, they make forays into more civilized lands to attack and carry off livestock. They try to avoid interactions with humanoids but become enraged when targeted by the puny beings. Jackdooms who engage in battle with humanoids delight in picking up their foes and then flinging their captured victims to their doom. The massive bird creatures despise rocs and other large avians and stop what they are doing to pursue and destroy their hated “kin.”

A typical jackdoom is 35 feet in length from beak to tail. It has a 70-foot wingspan and weighs roughly 9,500 pounds. Jackdooms live for up to 40 years.

Frightful Fridays! Outer Cat

Hello and welcome back for another Frightful Fridays! This week you get a cat. The outer cat is a highly intelligent being with an ego to match, so it forces people to build structures for it. Sometimes the buildings are monuments to the cats, and sometimes they're just designs that please the cats. They are dedicated foes to hounds of Tindalos but otherwise run from most combats.

I hope you enjoy the outer cat, and I'll see you next week with another monster. Thanks for reading!

Cat got your tentacle?

This sand-colored cat has a squid’s tentacle for a tail, numerous smaller tentacles projecting from its mouth, and a squid’s mantle topping its head. Its eyes are the inky black of the lightless void.

Outer Cat      CR 13

XP 25,600

NE Small aberration

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +24

DEFENSE

AC 29, touch 25, flat-footed 20 (+5 deflection, +8 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural, +1 size)

hp 171 (18d8+90)

Fort +13, Ref +16, Will +14

DR 15/cold iron and good; Immunities mind-affecting effects; SR 24

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Melee 2 claws +22 (1d8 plus poison), 2 tentacles +22 (2d6 plus grab)

Special Attacks create spawn, hound foe, pounce, rake (2 claws +22, 1d8 plus poison)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th; concentration +23)

   At will—dimension door, suggestion (DC 19)

   3/day—dominate person (DC 20), greater command (DC 21)

   1/day—major creation, mass hold person (DC 23)

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 27, Con 20, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 21

Base Atk +13; CMB +12 (+16 grapple); CMD 36 (40 vs. trip)

Feats Blind-fight, Dimensional Agility[UC], Dimensional Assault[UC], Dodge, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Knowledge [engineering]), Spell Focus (enchantment), Weapon Finesse

Skills Acrobatics +29, Bluff +23, Climb +12, Escape Artist +29, Intimidate +26, Knowledge (engineering) +30, Perception +24, Stealth +24

Languages Aklo, Common, Dwarven, Elven; telepathy 120 ft.

SQ change shape (Tiny or Small cat, beast shape II), impart knowledge, permanent creation

ECOLOGY

Environment any

Organization solitary or court (1 outer cat and 2–10 mummies)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Accursed Poison (Su) Curse and poison—Injury; save Fort DC 22; frequency 1/round for 8 rounds; effect 1d4 Con drain and 1d4 Cha drain; cure accursed poison is both a curse and a poison and can only be cured if the curse is first removed, at which point the poison can be magically removed (or cured after 2 consecutive saves). Creatures reduced to 0 Charisma are killed by accursed poison. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a –2 penalty.

Create Spawn (Su) Humanoid creatures killed by an outer cat’s accursed poison rise in 1d4 rounds as mummies under the outer cat’s control. When the outer cat dies, the mummies become free-willed. The mummies do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

Hound Foe (Su) An outer cat gains a +4 racial bonus on attack and damage rolls against hounds of Tindalos. This bonus also applies to skill checks the outer cat makes when opposing a hound of Tindalos. Hounds of Tindalos within 20 feet of the outer cat are affected as if it were the focal point of dimensional lock.

Impart Knowledge (Su) A creature dominated by an outer cat gains an enhancement bonus to its Knowledge (engineering) checks equal to the outer cat’s ranks in Knowledge (engineering)—18 ranks for a typical outer cat. The creature is also treated as trained in Knowledge (engineering).

Permanent Creation (Su) If an outer cat uses major creation to create an object from stone or base metals, the object is permanent.

Outer cats are a race of monument builders who used humanoid slaves on their home world to carry out their visions. The cats became envious of each other and commissioned the building of ever more ostentatious buildings and used their slaves to enact their proxy wars. Consumed with their rivalries and absorbed in their own egos, the outer cats were wholly unprepared when hounds of Tindalos attacked their world and wiped out most of the population. The surviving outer cats used their most personal monuments to enhance their teleportation abilities to escape their home world and travel to other planets.

Outer cats took some lessons from their exodus. When they force slaves to build monuments, they limit their demands to a small region, and they often use mind-controlled intermediaries to lead construction. Outer cat buildings focus their teleportation abilities, so they can use an interplanetary teleport effect, allowing them to seed multiple worlds with their designs. Before they leave a world, they fill their buildings with guardians and accumulated treasure, for which they have little use. Some outer cats instruct their slaves to build angular, usually pyramid-shaped, constructions to draw hounds of Tindalos to them so they can attack their hated foes.

Outer cats rarely enter combat against other creatures, and often use their abilities to coerce others into protecting them or to teleport away. When forced to fight, they use their poison-tipped claws to gain additional minions in mummies. They rarely use their claws to create mummies, since they prefer living humanoids, especially on worlds where undead are hunted, and they wish to remain hidden. However, when they are ready to depart a world, they create multiple mummies to fill their former constructions with guardians. Despite the cats’ shared experience and ouster, they refuse to cooperate with each other except when facing hounds of Tindalos. If two or more outer cats land on the same world, they engage in telepathic combat, with the loser forced to vacate the world as soon as possible. Outer cats that appear on worlds previously inhabited by other outer cats deface their predecessors’ constructions if they learn of them.

A typical outer cat stands 2 feet tall at the shoulder, is just under 4 feet long, and weighs 50 pounds. It can live up to 300 years.

Frightful Fridays! Razorwind

Hello and welcome to another week of Frightful Fridays! (brought to you by Con Crud! Get Con Crud! It's fun! this advertisement paid for by the con crud bureau)

It's been awhile since I've worked on a fey critter for the blog. With thoughts turning to fall, which is just around the corner, I was struck by the mental image of leaves swirling about in mini-tornadoes. It was not much of a leap to envision fey obsessed with autumn leaves, to the point they use them for protection and as weaponry. The razorwind gives up a measure of its natural/cursed invisibility to remain surrounded by leaves and becomes angry when it loses its coat of leaves.

I hope you enjoy the razorwind. I'll see you next week with another monster!

Dry leaves, in a panoply of autumnal colors and stained red and brown with blood, whirl about this unseen humanoid figure.

Razorwind      CR 3

XP 800

CN Small fey

Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +9

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)

hp 27 (5d6+10)

Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +5

Defensive Abilities natural invisibility; DR 5/cold iron

Weaknesses vulnerability to wind

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)

Melee slam +7 (1d4–1 plus swirl of leaves)

Special Attacks leafless rage, swirl of leaves

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +8)

   Constant—speak with plants

STATISTICS

Str 8, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 17

Base Atk +2; CMB –1 (+3 disarm); CMD 13 (15 vs. disarm, can't be tripped)

Feats Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse[B]

Skills Acrobatics +12, Bluff +10, Escape Artist +12, Fly +14, Knowledge (nature) +10, Perception +9, Perform (wind instruments) +10, Sleight of Hand +12, Stealth +12, Survival +6

Languages Druidic, Sylvan; speak with plants

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate and warm forests

Organization solitary, pair, or susurrus (3–12)

Treasure standard

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Leafless Rage (Ex) This ability acts as blood rage (+2 Con, +2 Str, –2 penalty to AC), but only applies when a razorwind has lost its swirl of leaves ability. It can only end its rage when it restores the use of swirl of leaves.

Natural Invisibility (Ex) A razorwind benefiting from its swirl of leaves ability only has concealment (20% miss chance). If it loses all its leaves, it benefits fully from natural invisibility.

Swirl of Leaves (Su) Typically, a razorwind is surrounded by dozens of leaves which spin about its body. The leaves are exceptionally sharp and inflict 3d6 points of slashing damage and 1d4 bleed to a creature struck by the razorwind’s slam attack. A successful DC 14 Reflex save halves the slashing damage and negates the bleed. The save DC is Constitution-based.

While leaves surround the razorwind, it gains a +1 natural armor bonus to AC and a +2 bonus to CMB for disarm attempts (these bonuses are figured into its stats). If the razorwind with swirl of leaves confirms a critical hit on an opponent, it can make a disarm attempt as a free action.

If the razorwind fails a Reflex save against a spell or effect that deals fire damage, the razorwind loses swirl of leaves. If the razorwind succeeds on its Reflex save, it can voluntarily lose swirl of leaves if it takes fire damage to negate the fire damage.

If a razorwind loses its swirl of leaves, either through taking fire damage or exposure to severe winds, it must find a square covered in leaves and take a standard action to restore the ability.

Vulnerability to Wind (Ex) A razorwind is treated as two sizes smaller vs. wind effects. Additionally, when it is exposed to severe (31 mph) or stronger winds, it loses its swirl of leaves ability.

Legend speaks of a group of fey responsible for decorating the halls of their nobles’ forest home with foliage found in the forest. They became so enamored with the array of colors presented by autumn leaves, they refused to part with them, even going so far as to ignore the nobles’ demands to do so. One of the nobles grew terribly angry with this refusal by subordinate fey and gave them one more chance to relent. Unreasonably attached to the ephemeral objects, they didn’t realize the danger they faced and rebuffed the noble once more. The incensed noble cursed them with permanent invisibility, negated only by their “precious” leaves, and threw them out of the otherworldly woods. These newly created razorwinds, or flense faeries as they are sometimes called, have a deep affinity for leaves, and they become furious when separated from them.

Razorwinds inhabit old forests where they serve as guardians to the forests and the creatures inhabiting the forests. Dryads, who otherwise find the razorwinds’ bloodlust distasteful, call upon the creatures when threatened by lumber concerns and diplomatic avenues have failed. Razorwinds also attach themselves to intelligent plant creatures and enjoy spending their days with all types of leshys, preferably leaf leshys. If a leshy dies while under a razorwind’s protection, the latter creature absorbs the remains of the leshy to honor the fallen creature.

A typical razorwind stands 3 feet tall and weighs 20 pounds. The leaves spinning about a razorwind make it seem larger, almost reaching human proportions.

Frightful Fridays! Deathstrike Hydra

Hello and welcome back to another Frightful Fridays! I'm currently in Indianapolis for GenCon, but my past self was nice enough to remember to post this, so I didn't panic upon realizing I hadn't posted it. Hearkening back to the "Extreme" days of the 1990s, today's monster uses one of those supercool names gracing every other comic book cover put out by Image Comics. The deathstrike hydra is a terrible opponent at CR 14, and it can make multiple strikes with its cobra-like heads, even allowing it to make two attacks of opportunity for a single trigger.

I hope you enjoy the deathstrike hydra, and I'll see you next week with another monster. Thanks for reading!

Remember to always stay hydrated

Several lightning-quick serpentine heads, with fangs dripping green and sizzling venom, extend from this creature’s powerful body.

Deathstrike Hydra      CR 14

XP 38,400

CE Huge magical beast

Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +17 (+2 per additional head)

DEFENSE

AC 29, touch 17, flat-footed 20 (+8 Dex, +1 dodge, +12 natural, –2 size)

hp 199 (19d10+95); fast healing 12

Fort +16, Ref +19, Will +12; –4 vs. mind-affecting effects or spells originating from serpentine creatures

Defensive Abilities all-around vision, poisonous blood (deathstrike hydra venom); Immunities poison

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., swim 30 ft.

Melee 7 bites +23 (2d6+6/18–20 plus poison)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks pounce, quick strike, vicious bite

STATISTICS

Str 22, Dex 27, Con 20, Int 3, Wis 19, Cha 10

Base Atk +19; CMB +27; CMD 46 (can't be tripped)

Feats Acrobatic Steps, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Greater Spring Attack[UW], Improved Initiative, Improved Spring Attack[UW], Iron Will, Mobility, Nimble Moves, Spring Attack

Skills Acrobatics +19 (+23 to jump), Perception +17 (+2 per additional head), Swim +18; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception per additional head

SQ hydra traits, regenerate head

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate and warm marshes

Organization solitary

Treasure standard

SPECIAL ABILITIES

All-Around Vision (Ex) A deathstrike hydra loses this ability if it only has one head remaining.

Deathstrike Hydra Venom (Ex) Bite—Injury or Contact—Poisonous Blood; save Fort DC 24; frequency 1/round for 8 rounds; effect 1d6 Con; cure 3 consecutive saves.

Fast Healing (Ex) A deathstrike hydra’s fast healing ability is equal to its current number of heads (minimum fast healing 10). This fast healing applies only to damage inflicted on the hydra’s body.

Hydra Traits (Ex) A deathstrike hydra can be killed by severing all of its heads or slaying its body. Any attack that is not an attempt to sever a head affects the body, including area attacks or attacks that cause piercing or bludgeoning damage. To sever a head, an opponent must make a sunder attempt with a slashing weapon targeting a head. A head is considered a separate weapon with hardness 5 and hit points equal to the hydra’s HD. To sever a head, an opponent must inflict enough damage to reduce the head’s hit points to 0 or less. Severing a head deals damage to the hydra’s body equal to the hydra’s current HD. A hydra can’t attack with a severed head, has its Perception modifier reduced by 2, and potentially loses its all-around vision, but it takes no other penalties.

Poisonous Blood (Ex) In addition to the usual ways to invoke this ability, an opponent that severs a deathstrike hydra’s head is sprayed with deathstrike hydra venom.

Quick Strike (Ex) A deathstrike hydra with at least two heads can make an additional attack for a given opportunity. A second attack counts as two attacks for purposes of Combat Reflexes. The hydra can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent that misses a melee attack or fails to sunder one of the hydra’s heads.

Additionally, if a deathstrike hydra succeeds on a bite attack, it can make an additional attack with that head at a –5 penalty. This counts against the attacks it receives with Combat Reflexes, and it only receives one such additional attack per head.

Regenerate Head (Ex) When a deathstrike hydra’s head is destroyed, two heads regrow in 1d4 rounds. The hydra cannot have more than twice its original number of heads at any one time. To prevent new heads from growing, at least 20 points of acid or fire damage must be dealt to the stump (a touch attack to hit) before they appear. Acid or fire damage from area attacks can affect stumps and the body simultaneously. A hydra doesn’t die from losing its heads until all are cut off and the stumps seared by acid or fire.

Vicious Bite (Ex) A deathstrike hydra's bite attacks threaten a critical hit on a roll of 18–20. If the hydra scores a critical hit on a target, it deals 2d6 bleed in addition to twice its bite damage.

Modified from standard hydra stock by druidic serpentfolk transmuters, deathstrike hydras marry a king cobra’s deadliness to the hydra’s formidability. The resulting creatures are supremely quick, even more foul-tempered, and highly venomous. Their heads lash out with incredible speed, allowing them to attack opponents twice in rapid succession with a single head. While they can become impatient in their attacks and strike speedily on the offensive, they are cunning enough to recognize when foes attempt to maneuver around them and reserve some of their attacks to thwart opponents trying to do so.

Deathstrike hydras respect intelligent serpentine creatures and often ally themselves with such creatures. The hydras’ serpentfolk creators left safeguards in place to control them, since the irritable creatures often lose sight of who their allies are and attack everything in sight.

A typical deathstrike hydra stands 12 feet tall and measures 25 feet from head to tail.

Variant Deathstrike Hydras

Caustic Deathstrike Hydra (+2 CR): A caustic deathstrike hydra’s heads each have a breath weapon (30-ft. line, 6d6 acid damage, Reflex half) usable in place of a bite attack every 1d4 rounds. The save DC is 10 + 1/2 the hydra’s HD + the hydra’s Con modifier. The hydra also adds 1d6 acid damage to its bite attacks. Additionally, the hydra is immune to acid, so only 20 points of fire damage can prevent its neck stump from growing new heads. Finally, the hydra’s poisonous blood also deals 4d6 points of acid damage.

Snakehead Deathstrike Hydra (+1 CR): When a snakehead deathstrike hydra’s head is severed, the head becomes an independent advanced king cobra (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2), which has DR 5/—. Additionally, if the hydra dies, all its current heads detach and become advanced king cobras with DR 5/—.

The above variants can be combined. The snakehead deathstrike hydra’s independently created king cobras retain the caustic deathsrike hydra’s breath weapon.

Frightful Fridays! Catichoke

Hello and welcome to Frightful Fridays! I've reached into my cache of images for this week's monster, which will trigger all the allergies. The catichoke leaves a cloud of smoke and dander in its wake, invoking sneezing and coughing fits in everyone caught in the cloud. Spellcasters who don't like their adventuring companions can select a catichoke as an improved familiar.

I hope you enjoy the catichoke, and I'll see you next week with another monster. Thanks for reading!

This gray cat head rests atop a cloud of similarly colored smoke. When it moves, it leaves clouds of smoke in its wake.

Catichoke      CR 2

XP 600

N Tiny outsider (air, earth, elemental, native)

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., smoke sight; Perception +7

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 size)

hp 22 (3d10+6)

Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +2

DR 5/magic; Immune elemental traits; Resist fire 10

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)

Melee bite +3 (1d2–3 plus 1d4 Str)

Space 2–1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks billowing flight, Strength damage

STATISTICS

Str 4, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 11

Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 13 (can't be tripped)

Feats Dodge, Mobility

Skills Escape Artist +17, Fly +15, Perception +7, Stealth +16; Racial Modifiers +8 Escape Artist

SQ gaseous

Languages Auran, Terran (can only speak to other catichokes)

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate and warm land

Organization solitary, pair, or clouder (3–12)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Billowing Flight (Ex) All squares a catichoke passes through when it flies are affected as if stinking cloud had been cast on them (DC 13 Fortitude negates). The cloud reaches from the catichoke’s height down to the ground. The affected squares revert to normal at the end of the catichoke’s next turn (provided it doesn’t travel through the squares again during its next turn). The save DC is Constitution-based.

Gaseous (Ex) A catichoke can pass through small holes or narrow openings without reducing its speed. It cannot enter water or other liquid. If the catichoke attacks another gaseous creature (either as a result of the catichoke’s Strength damage reducing a victim to 0 Strength, through an inherent special ability, or by gaseous form or a similar spell or effect), it adds its Dexterity modifier to damage rather than its Strength modifier (1d2+3 points of damage for a typical catichoke).

Smoke Sight (Su) A catichoke can see through fire, fog, and smoke without penalty.

Strength Damage (Su) A creature that takes Strength damage from a catichoke’s bite attack becomes smoke if its Strength score is reduced to 0. The affected creature acts as if it were targeted by gaseous form until its Strength score increases above 0.

The origin of catichokes is unclear; various sages claim wayward border elementals stuck on the Material Plane took on a native form and stuck with it through generations, while others posit a group of cats became infused with elemental energies at a weak point between the Material Plane and the Elemental Planes of Air and Earth. Whatever their actual origin, all catichokes release unending clouds of dander-filled smoke as they move, leaving those who witness them wondering how such small beings can produce so much material. The clouds seem to coalesce into the cat-like creatures after a few seconds, so the creatures can reuse them, meaning they don’t have an infinite supply.

Catichokes are persistent enemies of hell hounds. As with their origins, it is unknown how the creatures came into contact with each other. The most likely explanation is that a group of planar travelers who befriended the cats encountered a pack of hell hounds and the catichokes pass on the tale of this meeting to their children. Another, less popular, explanation also provides another possible origin for the catichokes’ genesis: they were bred specifically to attack hell hounds and other infernal denizens.

A typical catichoke is 1 foot in length, stands 6 inches tall, and weighs a slight 4 pounds.

A spellcaster of at least 7th level with at least one neutral component to alignment who takes the Improved Familiar feat can select a catichoke as a familiar. If the spellcaster with a catichoke familiar has at least one spell with the air or earth descriptor prepared or known, the spellcaster can use gaseous form once per day as a spell-like ability.

Frightful Fridays! Inferno Bulette

Hello and welcome back to Frightful Fridays! We're in the middle of the hot days of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, so it seems appropriate to wheel out the last of the elemental bulettes, the inferno bulette, today. This bulette melts everything and is so hot it can penetrate fire immunity and resistance (except for creatures with the fire subytpe). It's already fairly angry, but targeting it with cold damage makes it enraged, and it will go after the source of the cold.

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

If you want to revisit the other elemental bulettes (or look them over for the first time!), these handy links will take you to them.

Stone Bulette
Glacier Bulette
Blitz Bulette

This creature, shaped like a massive teardrop of flame with four legs, transitions in color from blue at its head, through white and orange along its body, to red at its tail.

Inferno Bulette      CR 19

XP 204,800

N Huge magical beast (fire)

Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +21

DEFENSE

AC 34, touch 16, flat-footed 26 (+7 Dex, +1 dodge, +18 natural, –2 size)

hp 324 (24d10+192)

Fort +22, Ref +21, Will +16

Immune fire

Weaknesses vulnerability to cold

OFFENSE

Speed 60 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 90 ft. (good); detonating teleport

Melee bite +31 (3d6+9 plus 8d8 fire and burn), 2 claws +31 (2d8+9 plus 6d8 fire and burn)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks burn (4d6, DC 30), burn through

STATISTICS

Str 28, Dex 25, Con 27, Int 2, Wis 22, Cha 11

Base Atk +24; CMB +35 (+39 sunder); CMD 53 (55 vs. sunder, 57 vs. trip)

Feats Dodge, Following Step[APG], Greater Sunder, Hover, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception), Step Up, Step Up And Strike[APG]

Skills Acrobatics +25 (+37 to jump), Fly +7, Perception +21

Languages Ignan

SQ superheated

ECOLOGY

Environment any warm land

Organization solitary or pair

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Burn Through (Su) As a full-round action, an inferno bulette can make a special charge attack. Creatures in the path of the charge take 1–1/2 times the fire damage dealt by the bulette’s bite attack and are subject to burn, but they take no physical damage. Targets of this ability can make an attack of opportunity against the bulette. If a target forgoes its attack of opportunity, it can attempt a DC 29 Reflex save to take half damage and avoid burn. The save DC is Dexterity-based.

A charging inferno bulette that deals sufficient damage to an object to destroy it with this ability can continue its charge with no penalty.  When using this ability against larger structures (like a wall), the bulette does not destroy the structure if it deals sufficient damage to substance's hit points (per the breaking and entering rules in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook), but it leaves a hole equal to its size in the structure.  If it does not deal enough damage to destroy the object or break through the structure, it stops adjacent to the object and takes 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet it moved to reach the object.
An inferno bulette must wait 1d4 rounds before using this ability again.

Detonating Teleport (Su) Once every 1d4+1 rounds, an inferno bulette can explode and propel itself up to 120 feet from its current location. All creatures within 20 feet of the bulette’s original location take 10d8 points of fire damage (DC 30 Reflex save for half). This is a teleportation effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Superheated (Su) An inferno bulette’s body reaches extreme high temperatures, which taper off from its head to its tail. Its bite attack ignores up to 20 points of fire resistance, and its claws ignore up to 10 points of fire resistance. When it charges, including when it uses its burn through ability, its attacks ignore fire immunity. Creatures with the fire subtype retain their fire immunity against the bulette’s attacks.

Bulettes touched by the Elemental Plane of Fire undergo a transformation where plasma replaces most of their flesh. These inferno bulettes generate incredible heat, with the greatest amount concentrated in their heads. The further from the bulettes’ head, the cooler their bodies become, but even their tails emanate heat at a lava-like intensity. The cantankerous creatures often test their fiery bodies against standing structures and opponents.

Inferno bulettes are straightforward opponents and use their inherent abilities at the first opportunity. They charge about battlefields and overrun as many opponents as possible. When they can’t charge and have no nearby opponents, they detonate themselves to jump to a target. Likewise, when foes inflict cold damage against the bulettes, they take advantage of their maneuverability to destroy cold-using foes along with all objects on their foes.

Unlike most elemental-touched bulettes, inferno bulettes serve roles in their elemental plane. Powerful generals from the Elemental Plane of Fire use inferno bulettes as shock troops to destroy defensive lines and generally demoralize the opposition. Salamanders attempt to ride the bulettes into battle and often fall prey to their own mounts without some sort of magical control.

Inferno bulettes measure 22 feet in length. The ionized gas constituting most of the bulettes’ bodies make them extraordinarily light, with most specimens weighing a relatively mere 500 pounds.

Frightful Fridays! Drop Sloth

Hello and welcome back to Frightful Fridays! Happy Friday the 13th! Today's monster is a birthday present for my son, who wanted me to design a sloth. He originally wanted a dire sloth, but that was already in the Tome of Horrors. I proposed the drop sloth below, and he agreed to that. The drop sloth is so slow that it warps time and space, not in any kind of scientifically accurate way, mind you. The fey-touched wilderness where drop sloths originated don't play by the rules, though.

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

This brown-furred creature looks like a typical arboreal sloth grown to prodigious size with its front pair of paws featuring three scythe-like claws. It moves at a nearly imperceptible speed.

Drop Sloth      CR 9

XP 6,400

N Huge magical beast

Init –3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 120 ft.; Perception +16

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 5, flat-footed 23 (–3 Dex, +18 natural, –2 size)

hp 126 (12d10+60)

Fort +13, Ref +5, Will +8

DR 10/—; Immune falling damage, speed-changing magic, staggered, stunning

OFFENSE

Speed 5 ft., climb 5 ft.

Melee claw +18 (3d6+12/19–20)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks crush

STATISTICS

Str 27, Dex 5, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 18, Cha 7

Base Atk +12; CMB +22; CMD 29 (33 vs. trip)

Feats Improved Critical (claw), Improved Vital Strike, Power Attack, Staggering Blow, Vital Strike

Skills Climb +22, Perception +16

SQ space-time distortion

ECOLOGY

Environment any forest

Organization solitary, pair, or singularity (3–8)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Crush (Ex) A drop sloth at a height greater than 10 feet or higher can land on foes two or more size categories smaller than the sloth as a full-round action, using its whole body to crush them. It can maneuver itself to land anywhere in a radius equal to its current height from the ground. Creatures in the affected area must succeed on a DC 21 Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking bludgeoning damage equal to 3d8 plus 1–1/2 times the sloth’s Strength bonus during the next round, unless the sloth moves off them. If the sloth 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 don’t escape. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Additionally, when a drop sloth uses this ability, it creates a 20-foot-diameter pit with a depth twice the vertical distance it fell.

Immunity to Speed-Changing Magic (Su) A drop sloth is immune to spells and effects that decrease or increase its speed, such as haste and slow.

Space-Time Distortion (Su) A drop sloth’s uncanny slowness has several effects on physical interactions around it. As a move action which does not provoke attacks of opportunity, a drop sloth can attempt a single combat maneuver check (with a +4 racial bonus) against all creatures within 30 feet of it to either pull them toward it or push them away. It can only create one effect when it uses this ability. Creatures move 20 feet towards the sloth (stopping when they are adjacent to the sloth) or 20 feet away from it. Creatures larger than the sloth move 10 fewer feet for every size category larger than the sloth. The creatures’ movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and creatures moved this way stop if they would move into a solid object or creature.

Once per day as a standard action, a drop sloth can move backwards up to 1 minute along its personal timeline. This typically allows it to reset its position and restore lost hit points to the beginning of combat.

Drop sloths were ordinary sloths which found their ways into primordial forests infused with ancient magic that caused the sloths to grow to enormous size. A significant decrease in speed accompanied this growth, and the drop sloths’ supreme slowness has strange effects on the passage of time and the influence of gravity around them. The sloths resist all effects to change their speed, and they can use their slowness to slide themselves backward through time. As drop sloths are not highly intelligent creatures, they take advantage of this ability when they have been severely wounded or when they want to position themselves for additional drop attacks. They also become supermassive when they fall from heights, surprisingly not affecting the branches from which they hang prior to their falls. Drop sloths create immense craters; a strong sign of lairing drop sloths are deep pits near stout trees.

Drop sloths are herbivorous but eat very little considering their weight, so they have almost no impact on the forests where they live. Since they don’t eat meat and prefer not to move much, they rarely attack other creatures. However, a pair of drop sloths rearing its young becomes protective of their offspring and attack intruders. Sometimes, a solitary sloth just becomes irritable for no apparent reason and launches itself at anything moving near it. In primordial woods ruled by fey, some fey manage to train drop sloths to act as guardians. This typically requires decades of work, so most fey become bored with the activity and leave the sloths to their own devices.

Drop sloths are 18 feet in length and weigh 1 ton. They somehow avoid breaking branches from which they hang, but when they fall on prey, their weight effectively increases to 5 tons. Drop sloths are extremely long-lived, reaching several centuries in age, with some specimens living for up to two millennia.

Frightful Fridays! Swamp Rabbit

Hello and welcome back for another installment of Frightful Fridays! Today's monster came at the request of one of my Patreon patrons (Patreon plug: https://www.patreon.com/FrightfulFridays), who became a Pathfinder Society Venture Captain in upstate South Carolina. The new lodge chose the swamp rabbit as its symbol/mascot, and he wanted stats for it. As always, I took a few wee liberties with the base animal, and the result is below.

I hope you enjoy the swamp rabbit, and I'll see you next week with something else. Thanks for reading!

White fur peeks through the otherwise mud-covered fur belonging to this rabbit, which possesses webbed rear paws oversized even compared to other rabbits.

Swamp Rabbit      CR 4

XP 1,200

N Small animal

Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +6

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural, +1 size)

hp 37 (5d8+15)

Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +3

Defensive Abilities wriggle free; Resist fire 5 (in swamps only)

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., swim 30 ft.

Melee bite +7 (1d6), 2 slams +7 (1d6)

Special Attacks muck splash

STATISTICS

Str 11, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 8

Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 16 (20 vs. trip)

Feats Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse

Skills Acrobatics +9 (+13 to jump), Escape Artist +11 (+15 in swamps), Perception +6, Stealth +11 (+19 in swamps), Swim +8; Racial Modifiers +8 Escape Artist (+12 in swamps), +8 Stealth in swamps

SQ hold breath

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate and warm swamp

Organization solitary, pair, or warren (3–24)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Muck Splash (Ex) As part of full round action, a swamp rabbit on muddy ground can move its speed and attempt to blind a single target within 10 feet of it at any point during its move. The swamp rabbit resolves this as a dirty trick maneuver and gains a +4 racial bonus to its CMB for the attempt.

Wriggle Free (Ex) Generations of escaping alligators, crocodiles, and other grabby predators, as well as humanoid-laid traps, have allowed swamp rabbits to develop loose skins that enable them to escape grasps more quickly. A swamp rabbit can attempt an Escape Artist check to escape a grapple as a move action. If it instead uses a standard action, it gains a +4 racial bonus on the check.

Swamp rabbits are nearly amphibious herbivores that forage in marshes and other swamplands. They primarily eat grasses, reeds, and other vegetation found in their habitats. Unlike many other herbivores, swamp rabbits stand and fight, rather than run, when threatened. They have powerful teeth, and they use their overly large legs to forcefully kick their foes. Generations of tussles with alligators have helped develop their offensive and defensive capabilities, such that they have become natural enemies to alligators and other swampy predators. A lone swamp rabbit acts as bait for a predator and even allows itself to get snagged by the larger creature before a rush of rabbits descends on the predator to kill it or drive it away.

A swamp rabbit stands 3 feet tall, but can stretch to 4 feet in length, and weighs 80 pounds. They live approximately 15 years.

Swamp Rabbit Animal Companions

Druids and rangers who spend much of their time in swamps or other muck-filled areas benefit from having a swamp rabbit as an animal companion.

Swamp Rabbit Companions

Starting Statistics: Size Small; Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft.; Attack bite (1d4), 2 slams (1d4); Ability Scores Str 9, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 8; SQ low-light vision, wriggle free

4th-Level Advancement: Ability Scores Str +2, Con +4; Attack bite (1d6), 2 slams (1d6); Special Attacks muck splash