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

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Dingonek
Huge Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 8d10+40 (84 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares), swim 20 ft. (4
squares)
Armor Class: 19 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +10
natural), touch 9, flat-footed 18
Base Attack: +8/+24
Attack: Bite +14 melee (1d10+12)
Full Attack: Bite +14 melee (1d10+12)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Capsize, improved grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., lowlight
vision
Dingonek are aquatic monsters with scaly
lion heads and armor-plated bodies that resemble
giant crocodiles. Dingonek prey on herd animals
that stumble while attempting to ford rivers and
streams, but as vaguely sentient creatures, they
take great offense when humanoids violate their
territory. Dingonek especially delight in capsizing
offending boats, dragging the occupants to a
watery grave at the bottom of the river, and then
devouring the waterlogged corpses.
Some adventurers actively hunt dingonek, as
their hides bring a good price on the open market.
A dingonek hide is worth 300 gp, and can be used
to make a suit of masterwork hide armor.
Combat
Dingonek prefer to attack small boats by
surfacing under them, overturning them, and then
drowning and devouring their crews.
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Saves: Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +1
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 4, Wis
9, Cha 7
Skills: Hide +0, Listen +2, Move Silently
+3, Spot +2, Swim +16
Feats: Awesome Blow, Improved Bull
Rush, Power Attack
Environment: Warm aquatic
Organization: Solitary, pair, or family (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: 10% standard
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Huge), 17-24 HD
(Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —
Capsize (Ex): A submerged dingonek that
surfaces under a boat or ship less than 20 feet
long capsizes the vessel 80% of the time. It has a
50% chance to capsize a vessel from 20 to 60 feet
long and a 20% chance to capsize one over 60 feet
long.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a
dingonek 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
automatic bite damage each round.
Skills: A dingonek 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.
Flora and Fauna
Mudskippers: Fish that survive in water and on land. Commonly found in mangrove swamps,
mudskippers spend most of their time on land and actually move faster on land than in water. So adjusted
to brackish water, the mudskipper dies if placed in saltwater or freshwater. Though they have gills for
breathing underwater, they also have mechanics for extracting oxygen on land. They carry water in their
expandable gill chambers or in their mouths, allowing them to walk on land and still extract oxygen from
water. They can also extract oxygen from their wet skin, easy replenished by rolling in a puddle every few
minutes. They walk with a front pair of fins that act like arms (complete with elbows) while a secondary
pair of fins in the back act like suckers, allowing the mudskipper to cling to wet surfaces. Its eyeballs
protrude, not unlike periscopes, and move independently of each other. During mating season, the males
take on more color and perform courtship displays, such as erecting their dorsal fins, doing push-ups or
spectacular flips out of the mud, and flaring their dorsal fin at the top of the leap.