#world tour

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“Run, Coelophysis, run!” © Gabriel Ugueto, accessed at his Twitter here

[I’m going to be sprinkling in some prehistoric animals throughout the World Tour block, probably one per continent. Coelophysis I’ve always considered to be a big deal dinosaur, possibly because of how many specimens are known, partly because my family’s spent a lot of time in Arizona and New Mexico. It appeared in AD&D as “podokesaurus”, referring to a specimen of a similar animal that was discovered in Massachusetts and destroyed in a fire (but since paleontology in the first half of the 20th century was dominated by New Yorkers, was commonly referred to in the literature). Although there’s lots of dinosaurs in PF1e, there’s none that are CR 1 (at least not real dinosaurs; the pterosaur dimorphodon is in this CR), so I wanted to fill one in.]

Dinosaur, Coelophysis
CR 1 N Animal
This bipedal creature is lean and low to the ground, with a long neck and head on one end and a long tail at the other. Its arms are short and clawed, and when it opens its mouth, many small sharp teeth are visible.

Coelophysis are among the first of the carnivorous dinosaurs, and they are not at the top of the food chain. They are small predators of smaller game, hunting lizards, proto-mammals and insects. When prey is scarce, they will scavenge and steal scraps of the kills of larger animals, filling a niche similar to that of jackals or coyotes in a more mammal-dominated ecosystem. They have incredibly keen eyesight; useful for both spotting potential prey and potential predators. Coelophysis do not hunt cooperatively, although they may congregate around scarce water sources in the deserts where they live, or accumulate into flocks in order to find mates.

A coelophysis is up to ten feet long, but most of that is their tail; they weigh between thirty and forty pounds on average. The same statistics can be modified to represent other small carnivorous dinosaurs. Add the advanced simple template to represent an ornitholestes; although these dinosaurs are shorter in length than a coelophysis, they are more robust and muscular. Add the giant simple template to reflect an animal like lillisternus or gojirasaurus.

Coelophysis as Animal Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Small; AC+1 natural armor; Speed 40 ft.; Attack bite (1d4), 2 claws (1d2); Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 9; Special Qualities Improved Initiative as bonus feat, scent.
4th-Level Advancement: Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2; Special Qualities slink

Coelophysis CR 1
XP 400
N Small animal
Init+6;SensesPerception +8, scent
Defense
AC14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural)
hp13 (2d8+4)
Fort+5,Ref+5,Will+0
Defensive Abilities slink
Offense
Speed40 ft.
Meleebite +4 (1d4), 2 claws +4 (1d2)
Statistics
Str10,Dex15,Con14,Int2,Wis11,Cha9
Base Atk +1;CMB+0;CMD12
FeatsImproved Initiative (B), Weapon Finesse
SkillsAcrobatics +6 (+10 when jumping), Perception +8, Stealth +10; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Perception
Ecology
Environmentwarm desert and plains
Organizationsolitary, pair, gang (3-6) or flock (7-50)
Treasurenone
Special Abilities
Slink (Ex) A coelophysis gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity caused by moving away from or within the threatened area of a larger opponent.

#coelophysis #dinosaur #pathfinder 1e #world tour #animal companion #paleoart

@thecreaturecodex

Tue, 10 May 2022 16:01:09

Lechuza

“Alternate Harpy design” © FurAffinity user MsChoppington, accessed here

[Did I say one month per continent when I introduced the World Tour concept? I am altering the deal. It’s been expanded to two months per. I’m having too much fun with folkloric creatures! Although I am going to expand the purview a little bit. For North America, I already have two fearsome critters, one cryptid and a prehistoric animal in my sights.

“La lechuza” is Spanish for “barn owl”, but the name also refers to witches that assume owl form. I figured I’d use this as an excuse to flesh out lower level hags. Maybe your campaign isn’t near the sea for a sea hag. Maybe you think that the sea hag’s abilities are too much for a low level party (ability damage and a curse that staggers for days is pretty rough). Might I suggest the lechuza as an alternate?]

Lechuza
CR 4 LE Monstrous Humanoid
This creature resembles a feathered humanoid with wings and strong, clawed legs. Her face is set in a round disc of feathers.

Lechuzas, or owl hags, are shapeshifting creatures that can assume the form of an owl or humanoid from their natural, hybrid state. Of the hags, they are among the most likely to integrate themselves into society, disguising themselves as ordinary women. From this vantage point, they observe the comings and goings of the settlement, figuring ways to best hurt people and spread misery. Most lechuzas are greedy, and can be enticed to serve even goodly causes for sufficient coin—although they prefer that their job when on the side of righteousness involves hurting somebody.

Most lechuzas would rather avoid a fair fight, instead luring a single victim to a place where they can ambush them. Lechuzas are excellent mimics, and may disguise their voice to sound like a crying baby or a loved one calling for help. A lechuza is a powerful melee combatant in its natural form. Their teeth are sharp, but too small to maneuver to a bite attack. Their claws are powerful, however, and can carry away smaller enemies, like halflings, gnomes or children. When facing multiple opponents, they prefer to keep their distance and use spells and their evil eye to soften enemies up before diving into melee.

Lechuza CR 4
XP 1,200
LE Medium monstrous humanoid (shapechanger)
Init+3;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +11
Defense
AC16, flat-footed 13, touch 13 (+3 Dex, +3 natural)
hp37 (5d10+10)
Fort+3,Ref+7,Will+5
Offense
Speed30 ft., fly 50 ft. (good)
Melee2 claws +7 (1d6+2 plus grab)
Special Attacks hex (evil eye -2, Will DC 13), rend (2 claws, 1d6+3)
Spell-like Abilities CL 5th, concentration +7 (+11 casting defensively)
At will—dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 12), misdirection(DC 14)
3/day—bane(DC 13), fog cloud,scare(DC 14)
1/day—dispel magic,invisibility, lightning bolt (DC 15)
Statistics
Str15,Dex17,Con14,Int13,Wis12,Cha15
Base Atk +5;CMB+7 (+11 grapple); CMD20
FeatsBlind-fight (B),Combat Casting, Deceitful,Hover
SkillsBluff +8, Disguise +8 (+16 using change shape), Fly +14, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Perception +11, Stealth +13; Racial Modifiers +8 Disguise when using change shape,+4 Perception, +4 Stealth
LanguagesCommon, Elven
SQchange shape (humanoid, Small or Tiny owl, polymorph), sound mimicry (voices)
Ecology
Environmenttemperate land or urban
Organizationsolitary or coven (3 mixed hags)
Treasurestandard
Special Abilities
Hex (Su) A lechuza gains the evil eye hex as a 5th level witch. Lechuza hit dice stack with witch levels for determining the effects of the evil eye hex, but not for other hexes. The save DC is Intelligence based.

#lechuza #mexican folklore #pathfinder 1e #world tour #barn owl

@thecreaturecodex

Tue, 03 May 2022 16:02:33

“Déélgééd” © Traci Shepard, accessed at Arcane Beasts and Critters here

[Of the various Pathfinder interpretations of folkloric and mythological monsters, the “delgeth” is among the most In Name Only adaptations. A flaming elk that starts forest fires where it runs is a cool concept. But it sure as hell isn’t the original déélgééd/delgeth/teelget, which is one of the Ayane from Navajo legend. So this is another “If I Ran the Zoo” monster.]

Teelget
CR 13 CE Magical Beast
This creature is enormous, with its belly over the height of a human standing up. It is shaped vaguely like a deer, except that it has no head—rather, the front half of its body splits open into a gargantuan maw. It has a pair of antlers growing where its neck should start, and a row of beady black eyes over its mouth. Its hooves are cloven and sharp.

The teelget is a monstrous deer like carnivore with supernaturally keen vision despite its headless nature. Its eyes are small but very precise, and they have been known to spot prey from miles away and chase them down. A teelget favors flat environments where its eyesight can come in handy, and is almost impossible to sneak up on. Their monstrous appearance belies their intelligence—a teelget is clever and insightful, and use this intellect primarily as an engine for sadism.

Weak opponents flee in terror from the charge of a teelget, and stronger ones may wish they had. A teelget can lower its horns and charge for devastating damage, raking through multiple enemies at once. If it can’t line up multiple foes, or if a single enemy seems to be particularly troublesome, it remains in melee, bringing its shark-like teeth and powerful hooves to bear along with its horns. Although they are forked like antlers, the appendages of a teelget are true horns—they are not lost or covered in skin at any point, but are deadly weapons throughout the year.

Teelget CR 13
XP 25,600
CE Gargantuan magical beast
Init+7;Sensesdarkvision 120 ft., Perception +32, telescopic vision
Aurafrightful presence (90 ft., Will DC 21)
Defense
AC28, touch 10, flat-footed 24 (-4 size, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +18 natural)
hp172 (15d10+90); ferocity
Fort+15,Ref+12,Will+13
DR15/magic;Resistcold 10, fire 10; SR24
Offense
Speed60 ft.
Meleegore +24 (2d8+13), bite +24 (2d6+13), 2 hooves +22 (1d8+6)
Space20 ft.; Reach15 ft.
Special Attacks bounding charge,powerful charge (gore, 4d8+21)
Statistics
Str37,Dex17,Con23,Int12,Wis22,Cha18
Base Atk +15;CMB+32;CMD46 (48, 50 vs. trip)
FeatsCombat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Multiattack, Power Attack, Stand Still
SkillsAcrobatics +21 (+33 when jumping), Perception +24, Sense Motive +21; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception
LanguagesCommon, Sylvan
Ecology
Environmentwarm plains and deserts
Organizationsolitary or pair
Treasurestandard
Special Abilities
Bounding Charge (Ex) As a full round action, a teelget can move up to twice its speed, and make a single gore attack against every foe it passes. When it does so, it gains the bonuses and penalties for making a charge. Its movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal, and it may only attack each opponent once. It must end its movement adjacent to the last opponent it strikes.
Telescopic Vision (Su) A teelget suffers a -1 penalty on Perception checks related to vision for every 100 feet of distance.

#teelget #delgeth #navajo #pathfinder 1e #if i ran the zoo #world tour

@thecreaturecodex

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 16:02:01

Image © Instagram user atzin90, accessed at Reddit here

[Aquatic Cat Number 2, and one I’m going out on a limb with. The only source I have for the dinama is the Reddit post linked above, as the mythology of the Talamancan people of Costa Rica isn’t readily available online, and much of the published work is in Spanish. Still, the information on Reddit is at least consistent with the other Talamancan stuff I could find, and the account passes my sniff test. Like, when cryptozoologists make up stuff about Indigenous beliefs, they minimize the supernatural elements to make it seem more like a “real animal”. But the combination of a blood drinking cat with prehensile tails, Predator-level camouflage and a death curse that can be broken by eating its poop, and also it can turn into a crab sometimes, is so wild that it has the ring of authenticity.]

Dinama
CR 9 NE Magical Beast
This creature resembles a saber-toothed cat, except that its paws are webbed and it has two long, prehensile tails. Its fur shifts colors, blending in with its environment.

A dinama is a cruel semi-aquatic feline with red hot blood and magical powers. They are blood feeders, and find the blood of humanoids the most satisfying. Most dinama plan their attacks to be shocking and destructive, using their power of water control to break bridges and dams, dry up fishing spots and cause mudslides for the purposes of mass suffering as well as to drive people away from their homes and to the monster’s lair. Dinamas usually hide away in tight spots, transforming themselves into a Tiny crab and sleeping in a crack or crevice.

The fur of a dinama acts as a sort of mirror that reflects the environment around them and makes them nearly transparent. This allows them to sneak up on their prey, which they then grab with their twin tails and constrict. Blood is drunk from the victim during this time, particularly at the elbows, knees and forehead. If a prey item is durable enough to survive a round or two of feeding, the dinama abducts them, leaving them unconscious but alive and feeding from them for several days before abandoning their desiccated body. Slaying a dinama does not end the threat it poses, as it inflicts a curse that heats up their slayer’s blood without bestowing the same protection against fire as the dinama possesses.

Dinama CR 9
XP 6,400
NE Large magical beast (shapechanger)
Init+6;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +10, scent
Defense
AC23, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural)
hp104 (11d10+44)
Fort+11,Ref+10,Will+8
DR10/magic;Immunecurses;Resistfire 10; SR20
Defensive Abilities hot-blooded,perfect camouflage
Offense
Speed40 ft., swim 40 ft.
Meleebite +15 (2d6+5/19-20x3), 2 claws +15 (1d6+5), 2 tail slaps +13 (1d8+2 plus grab)
Space10 ft.; Reach5 ft.
Special Attacks augmented critical,blood drain (1d4 Con),constrict (1d8+7), death curse
Spell-like Abilities CL 11^th, concentration +14
At will—control water
Statistics
Str21,Dex17,Con19,Int10,Wis16,Cha16
Base Atk +11;CMB+17 (+21 grapple); CMD31 (35 vs. trip)
FeatsBlind-Fight,Dodge, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack
SkillsAcrobatics +14 (+18 when jumping), Heal +7, Perception +10, Stealth +24, Swim +20; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +16 Stealth
LanguagesAquan
SQchange shape (crab, vermin shape II),hold breath
Ecology
Environmentwarm freshwater
Organizationsolitary or pair
Treasureincidental
Special Abilities
Augmented Critical (Ex) A dinama’s bite attack deals x3 damage on a successful critical hit.
Death Curse (Su) When a creature slays a dinama, it becomes targeted by the creature’s curse. Curse of Steaming Blood: save Will DC 18; effect creature gains vulnerability to fire and is permanently sickened from the pain of its hot blood. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Hot Blooded (Su) A creature that hits a dinama with a piercing or slashing weapon must succeed a DC 19 Reflex save or take 1d10 damage from its steaming hot blood. Manufactured weapons with the reach property do not endanger their wielder in this fashion. A creature that uses the blood drain ability against a dinama does not get a save against this damage. The save DC is Constitution based.
Perfect Camouflage (Su) A dinama’s fur changes color to match its environment instantly. It is treated as having a +16 racial bonus on Stealth checks, and can make Stealth checks without cover or concealment, or even when being observed. It has a 20% miss chance against attacks made against it by creatures that require sight, and a 50% miss chance against such creatures when underwater. This ability requires the dinama to be able to see its surroundings; a blind or sleeping dinama does not gain this effect.