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

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Tusked Terror
Huge Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 16d8 +80 (152 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: Swim 60 ft. (12 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +6
natural), touch 9, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+29
Attack: Slam +20 melee (1d8+9)
Full Attack: Slam +20 melee (1d8+9) and
gore +15 melee (2d6+4)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Darkvision 120 ft.
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +13, Will +3
Tusked terrors are huge fish that roam the
arctic waters. Tusked terrors are a darker blue
on top and a lighter blue on bottom, while their
characteristic tusks sprout from their slightly
protruding bottom lip. Their primary food source
is plankton, and tusked terrors only use their slam
and gore attacks in defense.
Tusked terrors are a highly valued food
source to humanoids living in the arctic waste,
and the dangers involved in catching and killing
this fish make fishing one of the most dangerous
professions in this region. Some communities
mark the prowess of their fisherman by the number
of tusks they claim.
Flora and Fauna
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 1, Wis
6, Cha 4
Skills: Listen +6, Spot +6, Swim +16*
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative,
Lightning Reflexes, Run, Weapon Focus
(gore), Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Cold aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 17-32 HD (Huge), 33-48
HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —
Combat
Skills: A tusked terror has a +2 racial bonus
on Listen checks.
A tusked terror has a +10 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.
Kelp Jungles: Mainly found in nutrient-rich waters in temperate regions, kelp forests are made up
of thousands of green or brown kelp strands reaching from the ocean floor to the water’s surface. These
concentrations of growth are found in depths of 300 feet or less, with most at a depth of 100 feet. The
kelp plant anchors itself on the sea floor, using float bladders to keep their tops on the surface of the water
while collecting sunlight to fuel photosynthesis. Like a lively land jungle, this watery grove has several
levels with different animals in each habitat zone. The upper level, called the canopy, is where schools of
fish, sea birds, and aquatic mammals are most common. In the middle, along the stalks of the kelp, fish
swim and snails and similar marine organisms live on the fronds of the plants. The bottom level is where
the kelp’s holdfast—the cone-shaped mass of its anchor root—attaches to the sea floor. This cone area
is generally inhabited by sea urchins and starfish, and can also serve as a hiding place for predators in
shallower waters.
Each kelp strand is only a few inches thick at its center, and has leaves or float bladders at its top
that stretch for several feet in either direction. Only a few feet separate individual plants in a kelp forest,
making it very difficult to see more than a few paces. The targets of any ranged attacks taking place in a
kelp jungle receive appropriate concealment penalties, as well as AC bonuses for cover. Kelp strands have
a hardness of 1, and 4 hit points. Movement through a large stand of kelp can only be done at half the
normal rate for creatures of small size or larger. As part of a move action, a creature may seek to avoid the
kelp and move at a normal rate, requiring a Swim check (DC 10), with a +5 bonus for each size category
above Medium.
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