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Catoblepas (3pp)

The fetid odor of decay emanates from this bull-like beast. Its antlered head droops from a sinuous neck and the tail brandishes a spiked, bony mass.

Catoblepas CR6

XP 2,400
N Large magical beast
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +10
Aura foul stench (10 ft., DC 18, sickened 1d4 rounds)

 DEFENSE

AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, -1 size)
hp 76 (8d10+32)
Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +3

 OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft.
Melee tail slap +12 (2d6+7 and push)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks disintegrating gaze, push (tail, 10 feet)

 STATISTICS

Str 21, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 10
Base Atk +8; CMB +14 (+16 bull rush); CMD 25 (27 vs. bull rush, 29 vs. trip)
Feats Alertness, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Natural Attack (tail), Power Attack
Skills Intimidate +8, Perception +10, Sense Motive +3; Racial Modifier +4 to Intimidate
Languages None

 SPECIAL ABILITIES

Disintegrating Gaze (Su)

The catoblepas can focus disintegrating energy from its eyes against one creature within 30 feet. Unless the creature succeeds on a DC 14 Fortitude save, part of its body is disintegrated. Roll todetermine the effect:

  1. Arm: target takes 4d6+4 damage and a -4 penalty to Strength
  2. Leg: target takes 4d6+4 damage, a -2 penalty to Dexterity and can only move by crawling
  3. Body: target takes 4d6+4 damage and is fatigued for 2d4 rounds
  4. Body: target takes 4d6+4 damage and is staggered for 2d4 rounds

The target only takes half damage with a successful save. Damage reduction does not reduce the damage. A creature can only suffer the first two results if it possesses a sufficient number of limbs. Otherwise roll between results 3 and 4. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Foul Stench (Ex)

The catoblepas emits a disgusting odor. Creatures within 10 feet must succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save or become sickened for 1d4 rounds. Creatures that save are immune to that catoblepas’s foul stench for 24 hours. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (planes) can learn more about a Catoblepas. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (planes)

DC Result
11 The catoblepas attacks all creatures it encounters.
16 The foul stench of a catoblepas sickens creatures.
21 The tail strike of a catoblepas can knock opponents backwards and even stun them.
26 A catoblepas can fire a ray from its eyes that instantly slays a creature or vaporizes part of the victim’s body. Averting the eyes does not stop the effects of a catoblepas’s deadly gaze.

Variant Catoblepas

The traditional catoblepas kills with a death ray instead of disintegrating part of a foe’s body. For this classic rendition,replace disintegrating gaze with the following:

Ranged death ray +8 touch (death)

Death Ray (Su) The catoblepas can focus a death ray fromits eyes against one creature within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. The affected target immediately dies. Because the neck of the catoblepas is rather weak it takes time to bring its eyes to bear on an opponent. Once it has detected foes, it can not use its death ray until 1d4 rounds later and then every 1d4 rounds after that.

Some catoblepas also strike with such force that the tail also stuns on a successful hit. This catoblepas is CR 7 and possesses the following additional ability:

Stunning Tail (Ex) A creature struck by the catoblepas’s tail must succeed on a DC 18 Fort save or become stunned for 1 round. A successful save does not grant immunity to this effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.


 ECOLOGY

Environment fetid swamps and miasmal marshes
Organization solitary, or pair
Treasure none

The catoblepas is a foul, ornery beast. It is the size of a bull, and sports a thick mane of tangled, matted hair that gives off an odor of rotting meat. Scales cover its neck and back.

Catoblepas brook no intrusions to their territory and attack all creatures entering what they consider home turf. Although slow to rouse, the catoblepas charges into combat on its four stumpy legs and smashes enemies with a powerful tail topped by a mace-like appendage. A blow from the tail sends a creature flying. The neck of the catoblepas is long and sinuous, and droops downward under the weight of its head. The catoblepas has a difficult time moving raising its ponderous head, but when it finally does, it unleashes its disintegrating gaze on the nearest foe. Blindness, or averting one’s eyes, does not make a creature immune to this effect.

Section 15: Copyright Notice - Forgotten Foes

Forgotten Foes © 2010 Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc.; Authors Mark Gedak and Stefen Styrsky.