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

8
Riptide Horror
Medium Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 6d10+30 (63 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 40 ft. (8
squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+2 Dex, +8 natural),
touch 12, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+7
Attack: Tentacle +7 melee (1d4+1 plus
poison)
Full Attack: 6 tentacles +7 melee (1d4+1
plus poison) and 6 bites +2 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks: Improved grab, poison
Special Qualities: Amphibious, blindsight
30 ft, damage reduction 10/piercing or
This 7-foot long creature resembles a
grayish-tan tubeworm. Six eyeless heads each
bear a maw lined with serrated, inward-curving
teeth. Six tentacles protrude from the middle of
the monstrosity. Its white underside bears six long
grayish-tan tentacles protruding from the middle
of its body.
The terrifying riptide horror is a giant,
sightless tubeworm found in sea caves or deep
within desolate marshes. They are carnivorous
creatures and have a voracious appetite that is only
sated with meat, preferably that of warm-blooded
humanoids or reptiles.
These monsters are opportunistic hunters;
i.e., they wait for prey to come to them. Riptide
horrors can go several weeks without eating, and
sometimes do, but if a meal is readily available,
the horror does not hesitate to kill and devour it.
Such a meal is placed in a “reserve” stomach-like
sac. When the food supply is low, the riptide horror
delves into its reserve and draws sustenance from
the stored food.
Riptide horrors mate once a year, usually
in flooded sea caves. The female crawls into the
male’s lair and deposits a sticky, greenish-tan mass
of eggs on the wall of the cave. The male fertilizes
the eggs and in 4 months, the eggs begin to hatch.
Juveniles are excellent swimmers and leave the
cave as soon as they hatch. As a riptide horror ages,
its body secretes a substance that forms a shell-like
carapace on its dorsal side.
Combat
Riptide horrors prefer to attack from
ambush; sitting motionless until potential prey
156
slashing, spider climb, vulnerability to
electricity
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +3
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 8, Wis
8, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +7*, Listen +3, Swim +9
Feats: Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power
Attack
Environment: Temperate marshes
Organization: Solitary, pair, or colony (2-8)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium); 13-18
HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —
moves within range. Often, they use their spider
climb ability to cling to sea cave walls where their
unsuspecting prey walks underneath them. Once
prey wanders too close, the riptide horror lashes
out with its tentacles and attempts to grab its meal.
Grabbed foes are subjected to its paralytic poison
and are bitten by its razor-sharp teeth.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability,
a riptide horror must hit with a tentacle attack. It
can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action
without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it
wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold.
Poison (Ex): Contact, Fortitude DC 18;
initial damage 1d8 Dex, secondary damage
paralysis 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Constitutionbased.
Amphibious (Ex): Riptide horrors can
breathe both air and water with ease.
Spider Climb (Sp): At will, a riptide horror
can create an effect identical to a spider climb spell
(caster level 6th).
Vulnerability to Electricity (Ex): The
riptide horror takes half again as much damage
(+50%) as normal from electricity, regardless
of whether a save is allowed, or if the save is a
success or failure.
Skills: A riptide horror 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.
*A riptide horror receives a +10 racial bonus
to Hide checks in murky water.