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

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Sharkman
Large Monstrous Humanoid (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 8d8+40 (76 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 30 ft. (6
squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +6 natural), touch 9,
flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+17
Attack: Bite +12 melee (1d10+7/19-20) or
short spear +7 ranged (1d8+5)
Full Attack: Bite +12 melee (1d10+5/19-20)
and short spear +7 melee (1d8+2); or short
spear +7 ranged (1d8+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Blood frenzy, improved grab
A large, heavy-bodied creature emerges into
view, looking for all the world like a bipedal shark.
Its toothy maw grins at you savagely, and it moves
clumsily on two muscular legs. As you watch, two
arms with clawed hands unfold from its sides.
Combat
Sharkmen’s tactics are crude; in combat,
sharkmen will gang up on wounded foes, biting and
ripping at any available flesh until opponents are
dead. They are not known for their discipline, and
have been known to break off combat to swallow
bloody gobbets of flesh — even that of their allies
— before moving on to another foe. They are often
employed by cephalarcane (page 169).
Blood Frenzy (Ex): When a sharkman that
has not fed for at least four hours smells fresh blood,
it immediately goes into a killing frenzy, attacking
the nearest foe or, if no foe is within 30 feet, the
nearest creature.
While frenzied, a sharkman gains +4 to
Strength, +4 to Constitution, a +2 morale bonus on
Will saves, and -2 to Armor Class. A frenzy lasts for a
number of rounds equal to 3 + the sharkman’s (newly
adjusted) Con modifier. A sharkman cannot end its
blood lust voluntarily. After a frenzy, a sharkman is
fatigued for the remainder of the encounter.
After it has killed an opponent, a frenzied
sharkman must succeed on a Will save (DC 15, +1
per hour that has passed since it last fed) or else stay
and feed on the body for 2d4 rounds. While feeding,
a sharkman is considered to be dazed. A sharkman’s
frenzy ends immediately after feeding.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a
sharkman must hit with its bite 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 and deals bite
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Special Qualities: Amphibious, blindsense 30
ft., darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 1, keen scent,
water dependant
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 11, Con 20, Int 7, Wis
8, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5, Survival +1*, Swim
+14
Feats: Alertness, Improved Critical (bite),
Power Attack
Environment: Any aquatic or warm marsh
Organization: Solitary, pair, shiver (3-6),
school (7-12), raiding party (8-16), or reef
(10-40 plus 50% non combatants and 1 leader
of 3rd to 5th level)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +5
damage every round it maintains the grapple. A
sharkman may release a held opponent as a free
action.
Amphibious (Ex): A sharkman can breathe
both air and water.
Blindsense (Ex): A sharkman can locate
creatures underwater within a 30-foot radius.
This ability works only when the sharkman is
underwater.
Keen Scent (Ex): A sharkman can notice
creatures by scent in a 90-foot radius; they can smell
fresh blood within 180 feet. Underwater, this scent
ability extends to 150 feet; furthermore, a sharkman
can detect blood in the water at ranges over a mile. A
sharkman can track bleeding creatures by scent.
Water Dependant (Ex): When not in the
water, a sharkman must succeed on a Fortitude
save (DC 15, +1 per hour out of the water) each
hour or take 1d8 points of nonlethal damage from
dehydration. When not in the water, a sharkman
suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to AC and on
Reflex saves.
Skills: A sharkman 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 sharkman tracking a creature by scent
while underwater has a +4 racial bonus on Survival
checks.
Sharkman Characters
A sharkman’s favored class is barbarian, and
most leaders are barbarians. Many also become
fighters, and some rare few take levels in ranger,
usually choosing humanoids as their favored enemies.