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Pangobill Thorny Beetle 812

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by

Dale
in

Original Life Forms:

  • Mammal: Pangolin
  • Bird: Shoebill
  • Reptile: Thorny Devil
  • Insect: Bombardier Beetle

Appearance: This creature is a bipedal monstrosity covered in large, overlapping keratinous scales similar to a pangolin, ranging in color from a dusty brown to a mottled grey. Its head is dominated by a massive, shoe-shaped beak, a trait inherited from the shoebill, which is sharp and capable of delivering powerful crushing bites. Spikes and thorns, like those of a thorny devil, jut out from between its scales, particularly along its spine, shoulders, and the back of its head. It has two powerful, scaled legs ending in sharp talons, and two smaller, manipulative arms that are usually kept tucked close to its chest. Its eyes are large and dark, with an unnerving, unblinking stare. From its posterior, it can expel a noxious, boiling chemical spray.

Size: The Pangobill Thorny-Beetle stands between 5 and 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weighs approximately 250 to 300 pounds.

Speed: It has a walking speed of 30 feet. It cannot fly, but it can use its powerful legs to make impressive leaps, covering up to 20 feet in a single bound.

Stat Modifiers:

  • Strength: +4
  • Dexterity: +1
  • Constitution: +5
  • Intelligence: -3
  • Wisdom: +2
  • Charisma: -4

Skills:

  • Perception: It is highly aware of its surroundings, able to detect minute vibrations in the ground through its feet.
  • Stealth: Despite its size, its mottled coloration and slow, deliberate movements allow it to blend into rocky and forested environments.
  • Survival: It is adept at finding food and shelter in its natural habitat.
  • Intimidation: Its fearsome appearance and aggressive displays are often enough to ward off potential threats.

Behavior: The Pangobill Thorny-Beetle is a solitary ambush predator. It spends much of its time motionless, waiting for prey to wander within striking distance. When it attacks, it does so with surprising speed, lunging forward to grasp its victim with its beak. If threatened, it will first attempt to intimidate its foe by fluffing up its scales and emitting a loud, guttural hiss. If this fails, it will not hesitate to use its chemical spray as a defense mechanism, aiming for the eyes and sensitive areas of its attacker. It is fiercely territorial and will attack any creature that it perceives as a threat to its domain.

Diet: The creature is carnivorous, feeding primarily on small to medium-sized mammals, reptiles, and large insects. Its powerful beak is capable of cracking open shells and exoskeletons. It is an opportunistic hunter and will also scavenge if necessary.

Emotions: The emotional range of the Pangobill Thorny-Beetle is extremely limited. Its primary emotional states are aggression when hunting or defending its territory, and a state of calm watchfulness when at rest. It is driven almost entirely by instinct and does not appear to form social bonds or experience emotions such as fear or happiness in a recognizable way.

Environment Where Found: This creature is most commonly found in temperate and arid environments, particularly in rocky badlands, sparse forests, and scrublands. It prefers areas with plenty of cover for ambushing prey, such as canyons, caves, and dense thickets. It is a hardy creature and can tolerate a wide range of temperatures.

Tags: Aberration, Feral, Magical Beast, Territorial, Solitary, Predator, Bipedal, Armored, Ambusher, Chemical Defense, Caustic, Leaper, Chimera, Badlands, Nocturnal

Age The lifespan of a Pangobill Thorny-Beetle is considerable for a feral creature, typically ranging from 60 to 80 years. Their life is divided into three distinct stages. The juvenile stage lasts for the first five years; upon hatching, they are roughly two feet tall with softer, more pliable scales and an underdeveloped beak. During this period, they are highly vulnerable and subsist on insects and small vermin while instinctually learning to hunt. The adult stage, from age 6 to 50, is the creature’s prime. It reaches its full size, its armor hardens completely, and it becomes an apex predator within its territory, focused on hunting and defending its domain. The elder stage begins around age 51. In this final phase, the creature’s movements become slower, and its scales, while thicker, may become more brittle. Elders rely less on pursuit and more on deep ambush, patience, and the accumulated wisdom of decades of survival.

Height When on all fours or in its typical bipedal stance, the Pangobill Thorny-Beetle stands between 5 and 6 feet tall at the shoulder. The row of spines along its back can add another 6 to 12 inches to this height. When reared up in an aggressive or intimidating posture, it can reach a height of over 7 feet. From the tip of its formidable beak to the end of its scaled tail, an adult measures between 8 and 9 feet in length.

Weight An average, healthy adult weighs between 250 and 300 pounds. This weight is a dense combination of powerful muscle mass and heavy, plate-like armor. Exceptionally large or well-fed individuals, especially those with access to plentiful prey, can reach weights of up to 350 pounds. The weight can fluctuate based on the availability of food and water in their often-arid environments.

Speed The creature’s speed is deceptive. Its standard movement is a slow, deliberate, and almost silent walk, covering about 30 feet per unit of time. This methodical pace allows it to conserve energy and effectively use stealth when stalking prey. It is not capable of a sustained run. However, it can produce a sudden and explosive burst of speed in the form of a lunge, covering 20 feet almost instantaneously to close the distance with its target. Furthermore, its powerful leg muscles enable it to leap great distances. It can jump up to 10 feet vertically to scale ledges and can cover a horizontal distance of 20 feet in a single bound, which it uses to navigate treacherous terrain or to launch ambushes from a higher elevation.

Other Interesting Information The Pangobill Thorny-Beetle is a creature of many unusual traits. It reproduces asexually through parthenogenesis, with an adult laying a single, tough, leathery egg once every decade. The egg is deposited in a warm, secluded location and immediately abandoned. The hatchling is entirely self-reliant from birth.

Its vocalizations are rare and unsettling. Aside from a sharp, guttural hiss used as a close-range warning, it communicates over long distances using a series of low-frequency rumbles and clicks. These sounds travel through the ground and are perceived by others of its kind as seismic vibrations, serving as a method to define territorial boundaries without direct confrontation.

The armor of the creature is a permanent part of its body. The scales and thorns grow continuously from their base to compensate for wear and tear, much like a claw or horn. They are never shed or molted, so the scars, fractures, and chips from past battles become a permanent record of the individual’s history.

The defensive chemical spray is produced by a complex internal gland that mixes two separate, inert chemical compounds. The resulting exothermic reaction heats the mixture to a boiling point as it is ejected in a focused stream. This caustic spray is aimed at an attacker’s face and sensory organs. This is a metabolically expensive defense, and the creature can only produce three or four such bursts per day before its glands are depleted, requiring a significant period of rest to regenerate the compounds.

Its sensory perception is highly specialized. While its sense of smell is quite poor, its vision is incredibly acute, especially in low-light conditions, making it an effective nocturnal hunter. This is supplemented by a unique seismic sense. Sensitive pads on the soles of its feet can detect the faint vibrations of movement through solid ground, allowing it to pinpoint the location of other creatures from a considerable distance, long before they can be seen or heard.

A party of adventurers might find themselves facing a Pangobill Thorny-Beetle for a multitude of reasons, ranging from deliberate hunts driven by the gears of industry and ambition to accidental trespasses in the unforgiving wilderness. The creature’s unique physiology and fierce territoriality make it both a valuable resource and a significant obstacle in the world of Saṃsāra.

One of the primary motivations for actively seeking out such a creature is the immense value of its biological components. In a society where magic and industry are intertwined and an individual’s power is dictated by the gear they wear, the natural armor of the Pangobill Thorny-Beetle is a coveted prize. The large, overlapping keratinous scales are incredibly dense and resilient, capable of deflecting blades and absorbing impacts that would shatter lesser materials. An armorer with enough skill could forge a set of armor from these scales that would be not only physically protective but also imbued with the creature’s innate toughness, potentially granting its wearer enhanced endurance. A commission from a wealthy merchant, a military captain, or a fellow adventurer seeking a definitive defensive advantage would be more than enough reason to venture into the badlands to hunt one down. Similarly, the internal gland responsible for the creature’s caustic chemical spray is a marvel of biological engineering. Alchemists and artificers in the steam-powered cities would pay a fortune for an intact specimen. They might seek to understand and replicate the hypergolic reaction to create new volatile substances for mining, military siege engines, or personal defense apparatuses. A contract from an industrial guild to procure this “Caustic Gland” would lead a party on a dangerous but highly lucrative expedition.

Another common reason for an encounter is threat mitigation. As the population centers of Saṃsāra expand, new settlements, trade routes, and resource extraction operations push ever further into the untamed wilds. A corporation establishing a new steam-powered quarry in the foothills might find its operations stalled and its workers endangered by a local Pangobill Thorny-Beetle, whose territory they have inadvertently invaded. The creature, being fiercely territorial, would see the noisy machinery and constant activity as a threat, leading to attacks on personnel and equipment. The quarry operator or a local governing body would issue a bounty, hiring a party of capable individuals to track the beast to its lair and eliminate the threat permanently so that progress and profit can resume. The search would involve tracking the creature through treacherous canyons, investigating attack sites, and preparing for a confrontation with a foe perfectly adapted to its environment.

Encounters are not always driven by commerce or safety. They can be a matter of honor, knowledge, or esoteric desire. A warrior might be tasked with defeating one as a rite of passage, a way to prove their strength and courage by besting a renowned predator. A scholar of xenobiology, perhaps from a floating city’s grand university, might hire a group of adventurers for a very different purpose: to capture one alive. The scholar might wish to study its unique seismic sense or its asexual reproductive cycle. This presents a far more complex challenge than a simple hunt, requiring traps, sedatives, and careful coordination to subdue the powerful creature without killing it. Such a mission would be a test of the party’s skill and restraint over their raw power.

An encounter could be entirely incidental, a consequence of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A party traveling between the island nations might take a shortcut through a seemingly deserted stretch of scrubland, only to stumble into the creature’s preferred ambush grounds. While seeking shelter from a sudden magical squall in a rock crevice, they might discover they have inadvertently invaded its lair, forcing a sudden and desperate fight in close quarters. Alternatively, the adventurers could be pursuing another goal entirely, such as exploring a forgotten ruin or chasing down a band of outlaws. In their flight or pursuit, they might be herded directly into the path of a hunting Pangobill Thorny-Beetle, turning a difficult situation into a deadly, multi-faceted conflict. In these scenarios, there is no preparation or choice; survival becomes the only objective.

From the formidable corpse of a Pangobill Thorny-Beetle, a skilled harvester can procure a number of rare and valuable components, each with unique applications in the industries and esoteric arts of Saṃsāra.

Adamant Scales The most apparent and highly prized materials are the creature’s large, interlocking scales. These are not simple keratin; they are incredibly dense and possess a lattice-like internal structure that makes them exceptionally resistant to physical damage, from slashing swords to crushing blows. When carefully removed and treated, they can be worked by a master armorer into magnificent pieces of defensive gear. A cuirass or set of greaves forged from Adamant Scales offers unparalleled protection. Beyond their raw durability, the scales have a natural resonance against thermal energy, a byproduct of the creature’s internal chemistry, granting the wearer a notable resistance to heat and fire. In powdered form, the scales are used as a tempering agent in the creation of high-stress components for steam-driven machinery, reinforcing alloys to withstand immense pressure and wear.

The Crusher Beak The massive, shoe-shaped beak is essentially a single, enormous piece of biological alloy, harder than bone and denser than granite. Its primary value is in weaponry. A weaponsmith can mount the entire beak assembly onto a haft to create a devastating war maul, a weapon capable of shattering stone walls and buckling the heaviest plate armor with ease. Smaller fragments can be fashioned into armor-piercing heads for war bolts. In a more industrial context, a Crusher Beak might be incorporated into heavy-duty machinery, serving as the “jaws” for a steam-powered ore crusher in a mining operation or as a cutting tool for shaping rock in a quarry.

The Ignis Gland Harvesting the internal Ignis Gland is a delicate and perilous task. This dual-chambered organ contains the two reactive chemicals that the creature combines to produce its boiling defensive spray. If ruptured, the resulting uncontrolled reaction can be catastrophic. If successfully extracted, it is a treasure for any alchemist or artificer. The gland’s contents can be used to create the most potent acids and solvents known, capable of eating through metal and stone. More importantly, studying the gland’s function offers insights into hypergolic reactions, a field of immense interest for military applications. Artificers can carefully integrate the gland into mechanical apparatuses, creating fearsome defensive weapons for fortifications or personal use that mimic the creature’s natural ability.

Diabolic Thorns The sharp, black thorns that jut from between the creature’s scales can be harvested in large quantities. Each thorn is naturally sharp and durable, making them perfect for use as arrowheads or the tips of caltrops. They are coated in a thin, microbiome-rich slime that inhibits clotting and can cause severe, festering infections in any wound they create, making them a favored component for assassins and military tacticians. When ground into a fine powder, the thorns serve as a key magical reagent in the crafting of retaliatory enchantments, allowing armor or shields to inflict piercing damage back upon an attacker.

Vibratory Footpads A more esoteric but incredibly valuable component can be found in the thick, sensitive pads on the soles of the creature’s feet. These pads are laced with a complex network of nerves that grant the Pangobill its seismic sense. A master leatherworker and artificer working together can skin these pads and integrate the tissue into the soles of boots. If crafted correctly, these “Seismic Striders” allow the wearer to feel faint vibrations through solid surfaces, granting them a ghost-like awareness of nearby movement, a priceless advantage for scouts, spies, and anyone who values situational awareness above all else.

Ocular Lenses The large, seemingly placid eyes of the Pangobill contain crystalline lenses specifically adapted for gathering and processing light in near-total darkness. These lenses can be carefully extracted and ground down by a skilled jeweler or lens-maker. They are a primary component in the creation of goggles, spyglasses, or helmet visors that grant the user vision in low-light conditions that is far superior to what can be achieved with mundane glass. They are also a key ingredient in alchemical potions that temporarily bestow enhanced perception or night vision upon the imbiber.

Inner Furnace and the Stone-Heart Man

In the high places, where the wind cuts stone, there was a man. The stories name him the Stone-Heart Man. This was so. His heart was not muscle and blood but a cold, smooth rock in his chest. When the sky-fire, the sun, stood high, he felt no warmth on his skin. When the people in the valley below would sing and make laughter, he heard only noise, for his soul was a quiet, frozen pond. He was strong, his arms could break trees, but his face was a mask of rock like the mountain where he lived.

One day, a traveler came. An old man with a long beard and words from a forgotten time. He sat by the man’s cold fire, which gave no comfort, and he spoke. He told a story not with his mouth but with his hands and his strange, singing words. He spoke of the Beast of Burning Bile, a creature that walked the cracked earth. He said, “This beast is a thing of great rage. It holds a furnace in its gut. A sun that is wet. Its anger is a hot river it spits out. The beast’s warmth is not from the sky-fire, but from its own inner furnace.”

The Stone-Heart Man listened. He did not understand rage. He did not understand warmth. But he understood the word ‘furnace’. A furnace makes things hot. He thought, if I have this inner furnace, my stone heart will become a sun. My frozen pond soul will boil. I will be warm like the valley people.

So the man went down from his cold mountain. He went to the badlands, the place of dry bones and cracked earth. He carried a spear with a sharp stone tip. He walked for many days. The sky-fire beat down, but he did not feel it. He did not eat. He did not sleep. His coldness was his strength. He searched for the Beast of Burning Bile.

He found it near a canyon. It was a great walking mountain of scale and thorn. Its beak was like a great stone axe. When it saw the man, the beast screamed. It was a sound of pure, hot anger. The beast’s anger became water. It spat its hot river at the man. The man stood. The boiling water hit his skin and it was only water. He felt no burn, for he was already cold. The beast charged, its great stone beak ready to crush. The man did not move. He was a rock. The beast crashed against him, and the man was pushed back, but he was not broken.

The fight was long. The sky-fire rose and fell. The beast grew tired of its own rage. Its hot river ran dry. In its moment of quiet, the Man of Cold Stone stepped forward. He put his sharp stone spear deep into the beast’s side, between its scales. The beast made a small sound, a puff of steam, and it fell. It was still. The great anger was gone.

The man performed the terrible cutting. He opened the beast’s stomach-house with his stone knife. He reached inside, his hands feeling no disgust, only purpose. He found the inner furnace. It was two small, soft bags, like twin hearts. They pulsed with a faint light and were warm to his cold touch. This was the first warmth the Stone-Heart Man had ever felt.

He carried the twin bags back to his mountain. He sat in his dark cave and held them. The small warmth was not enough. He did not want to hold warmth. He wanted to be warmth. He looked at his own chest, where his cold stone heart lay. A thought came to him. A terrible, simple thought. He said to the silence, “I will put the furnace in my house. I will join the two hearts with my one heart. The hot river will flow in my blood. I will be a Man of Fire.”

He took his stone knife. He cut his own chest open. He did not feel the pain. He pulled the skin and muscle apart until he could see his own heart, grey and smooth and cold. He took the two warm bags, the inner furnace of the beast, and he pressed them against his stone heart.

For a moment, there was warmth. A wonderful, spreading warmth that he had never known. But the bags were delicate. They broke. The two liquids, which were meant to mix in the beast’s anger, mixed upon the man’s heart. There was not a fire. There was a sun. A small, bright sun exploded inside the man’s chest. The light filled the cave. The sound cracked the mountain. The Man of Cold Stone, who had only ever wanted to be warm, became a vessel of pure, white heat. He and his cave and his stone heart were turned to black, melted glass on the mountainside. Nothing of him was left. Only the story.

The Moral: True warmth cannot be taken from another; it must be kindled within your own heart, not stolen and placed there.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons

Badlands Devastator Large monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 114 (12d10 + 48) Speed 30 ft.

STR 19 (+4) DEX 12 (+1) CON 18 (+4) INT 3 (-4) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 5 (-3)

Skills Perception +5, Stealth +4 Senses passive Perception 15, Tremorsense 60 ft. Languages — Challenge 6

Adamant Plating. The devastator’s scales are incredibly dense. It has resistance to non-magical bludgeoning damage.

Standing Leap. The devastator’s long jump is up to 30 feet and its high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start.

Thorny Body. At the start of its turn, the devastator deals 5 (1d10) piercing damage to any creature grappling it.

Actions

Multiattack. The devastator makes two attacks with its Crusher Beak.

Crusher Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.

Caustic Spray (Recharge 5–6). The devastator exhales a 30-foot line of boiling chemicals that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that fails its save has its armor corroded if it is wearing non-magical armor. The armor takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.

Call of Cthulhu

The Abomination of the Wastes An Unnatural Amalgamation of Reptile, Mammal, and Things Unknown

STR 95 CON 90 SIZ 85 DEX 55 INT 25 POW 70

HP: 17 Damage Bonus: +2d6 Build: 3 Move: 7 Magic Points: 14

Attacks Attacks per round: 2 (it may use its Crushing Beak twice, or its Beak and Boiling Jet once each)

Crushing Beak: 65% chance, inflicts 1D10+DB damage. A victim struck may be grappled. On the following round, the Abomination will automatically hit with one Beak attack. A successful opposed STR roll is required to break free.

Boiling Jet: 40% chance, range 10 yards. A target must make a successful Dodge roll or be hit by the stream of boiling chemicals. The jet inflicts 2D10 damage, ignoring all physical armor. A target hit must also make a CON roll; failure results in a Serious Wound regardless of damage taken, as the chemicals cause horrific tissue damage. This attack may be used three times before the creature’s glands are exhausted for the day.

Armor: 8 points of thick, overlapping keratinous plates.

Skills: Stealth 60%, Spot Hidden 50%, Listen 45%

Spells: None.

Sanity Loss: 1/1D8 Sanity points to see the Abomination of the Wastes.

Seismic Sense: The Abomination is attuned to vibrations in the earth. It cannot be surprised by anyone approaching on foot. Attempts to sneak up on it suffer two penalty dice.

Blades in the Dark

The Deathlands Iron-Hide A hulking, territorial beast cobbled together by some forgotten cataclysm in the Deathlands. Its hide is like iron plate, and its beak can splinter ghost-warded ironwood. It is drawn to the scent of electroplasm and the heat of steam-works.

Threat: A Tier IV, elite, terrifying predator.

Qualities: Armored, Terrifying, Caustic Spray, Ambush Predator, Seismic Sense, Unnatural Vitality.

Drives: To defend its territory fiercely; to consume sources of heat and energy; to kill and consume anything that enters its domain.

Mechanics & Clocks: When the crew encounters an Iron-Hide, its presence and actions are best represented by a series of clocks. The Game Master can start and tick these clocks based on the crew’s actions or as consequences of failed rolls.

  • [8-Clock] Cornered and Enraged: The Iron-Hide is discovered or trapped. When full, it unleashes its full fury, ignoring its own preservation to destroy everything around it. Consequences are always severe.
  • [6-Clock] Caustic Jet Ready: The pressure builds in its glands. Tick this clock as a consequence or when the creature is wounded. When full, it unleashes its boiling spray (causes Level 3 Harm “Melted” and destroys a piece of equipment).
  • [4-Clock] It Knows Your Position: It uses its ground-sense to pinpoint a hidden character’s location. When full, that character loses all benefit of cover or stealth and the Iron-Hide attacks them with surprise.
  • [6-Clock] Shattering Blow: It focuses on a piece of the environment (a wall, a barricade, a steam pipe). When full, the object is utterly destroyed, changing the situation drastically.

Actions against the Iron-Hide will have Limited or Zero Effect by default unless the crew can bypass its armor or exploit a weakness (e.g., attacking its eyes, luring it onto unstable ground). Creating an opportunity to harm it would be a setup action.

Knave

Pangobill Amalgam Level 8 Hit Points 32 Armor Defense 17 Morale 11

Attack: Crusher Beak (d10, ignores 2 points of armor) Qualities: Armored Carapace: The creature’s body is covered in thick plates. It is immune to damage from non-magical missile weapons (arrows, bolts).

Crushing Beak: When the amalgam hits with its beak, the target must make an item save for their shield, or one piece of worn armor. On a failure, the item is destroyed.

Ground Sense: The amalgam cannot be surprised by any character moving on the ground.

Caustic Jet: Once per combat, the amalgam can spray a 30ft line of boiling chemicals instead of making a beak attack. Any character in the line must pass a Dexterity saving throw or take 4d6 damage (half on a success). A character that fails the save has their armor permanently damaged, reducing their Armor Defense by 1.

Fate

The Unflinching Adamant This creature is a living engine of territorial aggression, an unnatural fusion of primal survival instincts. It feels no pain or fear, only a cold, unyielding drive to eliminate any perceived threats from its domain. It should be treated as a significant physical obstacle.

Aspects

  • High Concept: Territorial Badlands Amalgam
  • Trouble: Primal, Unthinking Rage
  • Other Aspects: Armor of Living Stone; Caustic Boiling Innards; Senses the Trembling Earth

Skills

  • Great (+4): Physique
  • Good (+3): Fight
  • Fair (+2): Athletics, Notice
  • Average (+1): Intimidate, Will

Stunts

  • Crushing Beak: Because it has a massive, stone-like beak, the Adamant gets a +2 to Fight when making an attack specifically to break an object, shield, or piece of armor.
  • Armored Plating: Because it is covered in an Armor of Living Stone, it has Armor: 2 against physical attacks.
  • Caustic Spray: Because of its Caustic Boiling Innards, once per scene the Adamant can make a special Fight attack against every target in its zone. Targets must defend with Athletics. Those who fail take a 2-shift hit and gain the temporary aspect Covered in Sizzling Chemicals.

Stress: [1] [2] [3] Consequences: One mild, one moderate, one severe.

Numenera & Cypher System

Geothermal Amalgam This creature is an unnatural fusion of several organisms, seemingly held together by a bizarre internal geothermal process. It is commonly found in rocky badlands and geothermal vents, drawn to sources of heat.

Level: 6 Health: 18 Damage Inflicted: 6 points Armor: 3 Movement: Short Modifications: Perception and stealth tasks as level 7.

Combat The Geothermal Amalgam is a straightforward and brutal combatant. It uses its massive beak to crush targets, often continuing to crush them even after they fall. A GM Intrusion could be that a successful beak attack also shatters the target’s weapon or a piece of armor (player chooses).

Its most dangerous attack is its Caustic Jet. As its action, it can spray a stream of boiling, acidic fluid in a short line. All characters in the line must make a Speed defense roll. On a failure, they take 6 points of damage that ignores armor. As a GM Intrusion, a failed roll might also mean the character is horribly burned, moving them one step down the damage track. The Amalgam can do this three times before it must rest for several hours to replenish its glands.

Its Ground Sense modification makes it impossible to surprise while it is on solid ground. It can make Perception checks to notice characters moving on the ground within a long distance, even through solid barriers.

Pathfinder

Badlands Pangobill Creature 7 N, Large, Beast

Perception +15; tremorsense (imprecise) 60 feet Skills Athletics +17, Stealth +14, Survival +15 Str +6, Dex +3, Con +5, Int -4, Wis +4, Cha -2

AC 25; Fort +18, Ref +14, Will +15 HP 115 Resistances physical 5 (except adamantine)

Reactive Spines [reaction] Trigger A creature within 5 feet hits the pangobill with a melee Strike. Effect The pangobill’s sharp spines deal 2d6 piercing damage to the triggering creature.

Speed 30 feet

Melee [one-action] Beak +18 (reach 10 feet), Damage 2d10+8 piercing damage plus Grab.

Caustic Spray [two-actions] The pangobill exhales a 30-foot line of boiling acid. Each creature in the line takes 8d6 acid damage (DC 25 basic Reflex save). A creature that critically fails its save also has its armor damaged. If the creature is wearing armor, it takes a -1 circumstance penalty to AC until it is repaired; this penalty is cumulative. The pangobill cannot use Caustic Spray again for 1d4 rounds.

Crushing Grab [one-action] Requirements The pangobill has a creature grabbed. Effect The pangobill makes a Beak Strike against the grabbed creature with a +2 circumstance bonus to the attack roll. If the attack hits, the creature is also enfeebled 1 until the end of its next turn.

Savage Worlds

Plated Waste-Stalker A massive, territorial beast that stalks the arid and rocky wastes. Its heavy plates make it resemble a walking boulder, and its foul temper is legendary among those who travel the backlands.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d8, Strength d12, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d10, Notice d8, Stealth d8 Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 12 (3)

Edges: Alertness, Brute

Special Abilities

  • Armor +3: Thick, overlapping keratinous plates.
  • Bite: Str+d8, AP 2.
  • Caustic Spray: The creature can use its action to spray a Cone Template. All targets in the cone must make an opposed Agility roll against the stalker’s Athletics roll. Those who fail take 3d6 damage and become Distracted.
  • Frenzy: The stalker is ferociously territorial and may make one additional Fighting attack on its turn at a –2 penalty.
  • Leaper: The creature may leap up to 10″ (20 yards) as part of its normal movement.
  • Size +2: The waste-stalker is over 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weighs several hundred pounds.
  • Tremorsense: The stalker is immune to Gang Up bonuses from attackers it can’t see. It automatically succeeds on any Notice roll to detect creatures moving on the ground within 20″ (40 yards).

Shadowrun

Barrens Ironbeak This creature is a terrifying example of a SURGE III expression, a monstrous critter often found guarding the territory of powerful gangers or corporate black sites in the desolate parts of the sprawl. Its overlapping scales are unnaturally dense, and its temperament is legendarily foul. It is believed to have been the result of a gene-splicing experiment crossed with goblinization, but no corp has ever claimed it.

Attributes

  • Body: 8
  • Agility: 4
  • Reaction: 4
  • Strength: 7
  • Willpower: 5
  • Logic: 1
  • Intuition: 4
  • Charisma: 1
  • Edge: 2
  • Essence: 6.0

Derived Stats

  • Initiative: 8 + 2D6
  • Physical Condition Monitor: 12
  • Stun Condition Monitor: 11
  • Defense Rating: 6

Skills: Close Combat 5, Perception 4, Stealth 4, Exotic Ranged Weapon (Caustic Spit) 4

Critter Powers

  • Armor: The creature’s hide provides a rating of 12 Armor.
  • Natural Weapon (Beak): This attack has a Damage Value of 8P and an Armor Penetration of -4.
  • Caustic Spit: This is a ranged attack with the following profile: DV 7A, AP -5. The acid causes a persistent burning effect, inflicting 5P damage at the end of each combat round until the target succeeds on a Body + Willpower (3) test. This power has a range of 20 meters.
  • Tremorsense: The Ironbeak can perceive vibrations through solid ground. It gets +4 Edge on Perception tests to notice moving targets on the same surface, and this sense ignores penalties from invisibility or darkness.

Starfinder

Ksarik Waste-Strider Creature 7 XP 3,200 N Large magical beast Init +3; Senses low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +14

Defense EAC 19; KAC 21 Fort +11; Ref +9; Will +8 Defensive Abilities Fortification (25%); DR 5/—

Offense Speed 30 ft. Melee beak +18 (2d6+12 P; critical knockdown) Offensive Abilities Caustic Spray

Statistics STR +5; DEX +3; CON +4; INT -4; WIS +2; CHA -2 Skills Athletics +14, Stealth +19, Survival +14

Ecology Environment temperate or arid badlands and mountains Organization solitary

Special Abilities Caustic Spray (Ex) As a standard action, the waste-strider can spray a 30-foot cone of boiling acid. Creatures in the area take 7d6 acid damage (Reflex DC 15 half). A creature that fails its save has its armor scorched and damaged; the armor takes a –1 penalty to the AC it provides until it has been repaired (this penalty is cumulative). The waste-strider can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds. Thick Plates (Ex) The creature’s dense, overlapping scales provide it with Damage Reduction and a 25% chance to negate any critical hit against it.

Traveller

Carrion Lithovore Found on arid, rocky worlds with complex silicates, this large predator is a territorial nightmare. Its hide is infused with minerals from its diet, making it incredibly tough. It is named for its habit of crushing and consuming the skeletons of its prey along with the flesh.

Animal Profile: 11 9 C 3 6 1 Hits: 21 Speed: 14m Armor: Armour-4 (mineral-infused plates) Weapons:

  • Crushing Beak: Melee (crush) 4d6 damage.
  • Caustic Jet: Ranged (spray) 10m range. A target hit takes 2d6 damage and must make an END (8+) check or continue to take 1d6 damage for the next two rounds as the chemicals burn.

Skills: Athletics-1, Recon-2, Stealth-1, Survival-2

Traits:

  • Sensor (Tremorsense): The creature can sense vibrations in the ground. It can detect anything moving on the ground within 50m.
  • Territorial: The creature will attack any large animal that enters its territory without hesitation.
  • Size: As a Large creature, it has more Hits than normal and is easier to hit in combat (DM+2 to attack it).

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

Gromril-Hide Mauler This hulking beast is a little-understood terror from the remote corners of the world. Some Imperial scholars believe it to be a creature twisted by the Winds of Magic, while others claim it is simply a relic from an older, more savage age. Its hide is as tough as the Gromril ore for which it is named, and its beak can shatter shields and bone with equal ease.

Main Profile

  • WS 55
  • BS —
  • S 50
  • T 60
  • I 40
  • Ag 25
  • Dex —
  • Int 10
  • WP 50
  • Fel —

Secondary Profile

  • A 2
  • W 24
  • SB 5
  • TB 6
  • M 4
  • Mag —
  • IP —
  • FP —

Traits

  • Armour (Body): 4
  • Fear: 2
  • Size (Large): Its Weapon attacks gain the Damaging quality, and it is subject to the Large rules.
  • Weapon (Beak) +9: This attack has the Armour-Piercing and Devastating qualities.
  • Caustic Spit: As a main action, the Mauler can make a ranged attack with a 10-yard range, targeting a single individual. This is a special attack that does not use Ballistic Skill. The target must make a Challenging (+0) Dodge test or be hit. A hit inflicts a single wound that ignores all Armour Points and applies the Bleeding condition.
  • Groundsense: The Mauler cannot be surprised by foes on the ground. It automatically detects anyone walking or running within 20 yards.
  • Tough Hide: In addition to its Armour Points, the creature’s hide is incredibly tough, reducing the severity of all Critical Wounds it suffers by 2.