90
Legacy of the Dragons
Slaughterfiend Huge Aberration Hit Dice: 15d8+105 (172 hp), dying/dead –8/–24 Initiative: +6 Speed: 40 feet AC: 22 (–2 size, +2 Dexterity, +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 20 Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+28 Attack: Slam +20 melee (2d6+9) Full Attack: Slam +20 melee (2d6+9) and bite +18 melee (1d8+4) Space/Reach: 15 feet/15 feet (Face/Reach: 10 feet by 10 feet/15 feet) Special Attacks: Improved grab, constrict Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 feet, tremorsense 50 feet, spines, water breathing Saves: Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +11 Abilities: Str 28, Dex 15, Con 24, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 11 Skills: Listen +11, Spot +11 Feats: Defensive Move, Improved Initiative, Multiattack*, Night Owl, Power Attack, Power Charge, Trample Environment: Temperate desert or mountains, or temperate aquatic Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 11 Treasure: Standard Advancement: 16–30 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment: — * Denotes a feat from the MM.
The slaughterfiend is a predator that dwells within rocky wastelands and mountainous regions, like the Southern Wastes or the Elder Mountains. Burkut’s Pass in the Elder range is known to be a particularly common hunting ground for them. The creature hunts deer, antelope, sheep, goats, cattle, and even other predators such as bears, wolves, and mountain lions. It is not averse to attacking humanoid targets or even giants for food. Its courage knows no bounds— it even attacks prey found in large numbers. Only the oldest slaughterfiends ever learn fear, and in turn, discretion. In a predator-heavy ecology such as the Lands of the Diamond Throne, where the most vicious creatures can become prey, even slaughterfiends often live short lives. A slaughterfiend measures at least 25 feet long and weighs 3 tons. Its body is broad and covered in dark blue or purple flesh. It exudes a foul and distinct odor that creatures with the scent ability can detect up to 500 feet away. It is normally a silent creature, but in combat it looses a terrible roar. On its death, it keens a death knell that creatures up to a mile away can hear easily.
A slaughterfiend lair is usually a rock crevice or a small ravine, often close to a source of fresh water (both for itself to use and to prey upon other creatures attempting to use it). Common belief is that the slaughterfiend never needs to sleep. They do, however, build large nests of grass, leaves, and mud for their eggs. A slaughterfiend defends its nest to the death, but once the young are born, it forces them to fend for themselves. Young slaughterfiends dwell in or very near fresh water. Each is 1 to 2 feet long and feeds on fish. They take almost five years to mature and gain their full size. Some tales speak of a variant type of slaughterfiend that lives in the high desert. This burrowing version of the beast waits in the sand, just below the surface, for prey to come by. When it senses something moving above it, it lunges to the surface, hoping to trap the creature in its spiny grip as it emerges, belly-up. The slaughterfiend then curls around its prey to kill it.
Combat The slaughterfiend has a very specific way of attacking prey. It lunges forward with surprising speed, slamming its body into the smaller creature. The spines on its belly impale and hook the prey, then trap it as the slaughterfiend’s muscles move it forward. This bull-rush attack is similar to a dragon’s snatch: It moves toward the victim, makes a slam/grab attack, then continues to move with the prey caught in its spines. Eventually, it curls around the creature until the trapped victim dies. It can reach down and bite a constricted foe, but it usually saves its bite attack for creatures of its size or larger or uses it against other opponents while it constricts its prey. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a slaughterfiend must hit with its slam 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 can immediately constrict (if the foe is smaller than the slaughterfiend). Constrict (Ex): The muscles on the slaughterfiend’s belly can cause the spines impaling a foe to draw it in and hold it (inflicting more damage as the action forces the spines deeper into the foe’s flesh). The slaughterfiend inflicts 2d6+9 points of damage each round as it holds a foe smaller than itself. Spines (Ex): Any creature attempting to grapple a slaughterfiend automatically suffers 1d6 points of damage each round from its spines. Tremorsense (Ex): A slaughterfiend automatically detects the presence and location of any creature or object that stands on the ground within 50 feet of it. Water Breathing (Ex): The slaughterfiend can breathe water and air equally well.
