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View Full Version : Akhlut [Monster, Crossroads]



Admiral Squish
2013-06-17, 01:31 PM
Akhlut
Created for Crossroads: The New World (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=269334)
http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/200/0/f/akhlut_by_kyoht-d57tn0n.jpg



Size/Type:
Huge Magical Beast


Hit Dice:
10d10+50 (105 hp)


Initiative:
+3


Speed:
40 ft (10 squares), swim 60ft


Armor Class:
17 (-2 size,+3 dex, ++8 natural, -2 size), touch 9, flat-footed 14


Base Attack/Grapple:
+10/+26


Attack:
bite +16 melee (2d6+12 plus Trip)


Full Attack:
bite +16 melee (2d6+12 plus Trip)


Space/Reach:
15ft/10ft


Special Attacks:



Special Qualities:
Blindsight 120, Darkvision 60, Low-light Vision, Hold Breath,


Saves:
Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +5


Abilities:
Str 26, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 10


Skills:
Perception +5, Stealth +5, Survival +5, Swim +16


Feats:
Alertness, Endurance, Run, Track


Environment:
Cold Aquatic


Organization:
Solitary or Pod (5-10)


Challenge Rating:
6 (?)


Advancement:
11-13 (huge) 14-25 (gargantuan)


Level Adjustment:
-



Akhlut are immense, powerful predators of arctic waters and shorelines. Their size and strength belies the trait that makes them the most dangerous, a ferocious cunning. They resemble some strange mixture of a massive wolf and an orca. They are apex predators, feared by all but the most hardy adventurers. Ahklut do not speak, but they can communicate with other akhlut through a language of squeaks, whistles, chirps, and whines.

Combat
Akhlut are pack hunters that prey on almost any creature on land or in the sea. A common strategy is for most of the pod to remain underwater while one or two akhlut drive land-based prey to the water’s edge. The pod then bursts from the water, trapping the creatures. Alternatively, the same strategy works in reverse, with one or two akhlut driving aquatic prey into shallow water before the rest of the pod dives in.

Blindsight: An akhlut’s blindsight only functions underwater, and cannot perceive objects or creatures that are not in contact with the same body of water as the akhlut.

Hold Breath An ahklut can hold it’s breath for a number of rounds equal to 8x it’s con score before it risks drowning.

Skills
Akhlut have a +2 racial bonus on Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks. An Akhlut has a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks, and it can take 10 on swim checks even when rushed or threatened.

SuperDave
2013-06-17, 06:24 PM
Looks great so far! I like 'em a lot.

...but why do they get a Trip attack? Are they using their tails to do it?

zabbarot
2013-06-18, 11:05 AM
I think most players are just used to wolves getting trip. They hamstring prey to force them down. I'm not sure something this big would learn that behavior. Much like a wolf wouldn't trip a rabbit. I would honestly give it a pounce and make it usable on a charge out of water.

Edit: What's RAW on jumping out of water? Is that a standard action or should they get an ability for it?

Admiral Squish
2013-06-18, 02:58 PM
I think most players are just used to wolves getting trip. They hamstring prey to force them down. I'm not sure something this big would learn that behavior. Much like a wolf wouldn't trip a rabbit. I would honestly give it a pounce and make it usable on a charge out of water.

Edit: What's RAW on jumping out of water? Is that a standard action or should they get an ability for it?

Hmm, I could see pounce, but the problem is they don't have multiple natural weapons, their standard action attack and their full attack are the same.

Stormwrack says jumping out of water is the same as normally jumping, just using your swim speed instead of your land speed. So, it's part of a move action.

zabbarot
2013-06-18, 03:04 PM
Is size enough justification to give them a slam attack with their paws? My mastiff kinda boxes when she's playing so I only imagine how painful that would get if she was as big as this thing.

Admiral Squish
2013-06-21, 03:23 PM
I'm not sure, I don't see wolves using their paws very much when hunting, but then, it's also a scale thing. Tigers and large cats use their paws a lot, but that's also a function of the design of the forelimbs.

Perhaps instead of pounce, they just get extra damage when attacking out of the water? The PF version has an ability to that effect.

zabbarot
2013-06-23, 10:11 PM
Oh god, orca's clearly have sneak attack :smalltongue:

SamBurke
2013-06-24, 12:08 PM
As a note, you mis-calculated the HP. It should be 110: scientifically, 2d6=7, 2d10=11, and so on. (2x a given dY= Y+1).

Other than that tiny note, the creature looks great! Seems like it'd be a decent threat at that level.

Admiral Squish
2013-06-24, 12:13 PM
As a note, you mis-calculated the HP. It should be 110: scientifically, 2d6=7, 2d10=11, and so on. (2x a given dY= Y+1).

Other than that tiny note, the creature looks great! Seems like it'd be a decent threat at that level.
Oooh, good catch! Though, by that math it'd be 105.

And thanks! I still think it needs some extra oomph, though. Something to make it's combat more interesting.

EDIT: After a thorough search, all wolf and wolf-like creatures have trip, and who am I to mess with the pattern? It's effective. Added trip back in.