Monster Geographica - Marsh & Aquatic.pdf - The Secrets of the ...

Goldencrest
Large Ooze
Hit Dice: 8d10+24 (68 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares), swim 70 ft. (14
squares)
Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, +5 Dex), touch 14,
flat-footed 9
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+11
Attack: Slam +6 melee (2d4+1 plus 2d6
positive energy)
Full Attack: Slam +6 melee (2d4+1 plus 2d6
positive energy)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Beautiful and deadly, goldencrests are
sometimes said to be born of the tears of celestials,
the blood of the sun, and lakes struck by lightning.
Goldencrests are most commonly seen on the sea
surface, often mistaken for the reflection of the sun.
A goldencrest is a fluid wave that shines a fiery,
golden orange. In the sections where it is thinnest
(such as where it tapers off), the liquid composing
it is transparent, but most of its body is too bright
to see through. Goldencrests skim quickly across
water, and move only slightly slower on land. As
they travel, a golden mist rises from their backs,
accompanied by a loud hiss.
Goldencrests stay on water whenever possible,
and most spend their lives at sea, following winds
and currents without need for food or rest. On land,
goldencrests follow the path of least resistance,
moving wherever they can easily flow. They
generally ignore other creatures, but attack sources
of negative energy (such as undead) and “play” with
any creatures with whom they come into physical
contact. The positive energy coursng through a
goldencrest is enough to burn living beings. When
a goldencrest suffers enough damage to make it lose
cohesion, its energy leaks away, and its body turns
into water.
Powerful spellcasters sometimes capture
goldencrests, and use them as sentries to patrol moats,
hallways, and other enclosed spaces from which a
goldencrest cannot escape. Others keep goldencrests
trapped in magically warded globes or pools, finding
them valuable for magical experimentation.
Combat
Goldencrests race back and forth in combat,
splashing over their opponents and moving away
before turning and charging forward again. The
positive energy infusing a goldencrest is raw and
unfocused, too much for living beings to endure.
Creatures who take damage from a goldencrest’s
positive energy suffer a feeling of internal burning.
125
Special Attacks: Positive energy, trample
2d4+1 plus 2d6 positive energy
Special Qualities: Blindsight 100 ft., glare,
ooze traits, regeneration 8, vulnerable to turning
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will -3
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 20, Con 17, Int —, Wis
1, Cha 1
Skills: Swim +9
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Large); 17-24 HD
(Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Positive Energy (Ex): The touch of a
goldencrest infuses living beings with positive
energy. With every melee hit, a creature gains 2d6
hit points. Any extra hit points over a creature’s
normal hit point total are instead temporary hit
points that fade in 1d20 rounds. This energy is
highly unstable, however; any creature that begins
a round with temporary hit points must succeed on
a DC 17 Fortitude save or its body will explode in
a riot of energy, killing it instantly. The save DC is
Constitution-based.
Undead creatures instead take 4d6 points of
damage from a goldencrest’s positive energy.
Trample (Ex): Reflex DC 15 half. The save
DC is Strength-based.
Blindsight (Ex): A goldencrest’s entire body
is a primitive sensory organ that can ascertain
creatures by vibration within 100 feet.
Glare (Ex): The glare from a goldencrest’s body
makes it difficult to look at directly. A creature looking
at a goldencrest must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude
save or be blinded for 10 rounds by the brilliance it
sheds. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Regeneration (Ex): Spells, magic, and energy
attacks deal normal damage to a goldencrest. A
goldencrest that loses part of its body mass regrows
it in 1d6 minutes.
Vulnerable To Turning (Ex): By making a
turning attempt, characters who channel positive
energy can rebuke, command, or bolster goldencrests
as evil clerics rebuke, command, or bolster undead.
Characters who channel negative energy can turn or
destroy goldencrests as good clerics turn or destroy
undead.
Skills: A goldencrest has a +8 racial bonus on
any Swim check to perform some special action or
avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on
a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It
can use the run action while swimming, provided it
swims in a straight line.
7