Sandy petersens cthulhu mythos 380

IX Mythos Bestiary


Shantak

CR 7

XP 3,200
CE Huge magical beast
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception
+3
DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +9 natural, –2 size)
hp 85 (9d10+36)
Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +6
Defensive Abilities slippery; Immune cold, disease,
poison; Resist acid 10, fire 10
Weaknesses susceptible to fear

What You See
This scaled, elephantine creature has
two legs and a pair of massive wings,
giving it a roughly bird-like outline.
Its head is elongated and horse-like.

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., fly 200 ft. (average)
Melee bite +14 (1d8+7), 2 talons +14 (1d6+7)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks fearsome display, feed on fear
S TAT I S T I C S

Str 24, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 8, Wis 17, Cha 16
Base Atk +9; CMB +18; CMD 31 (39 vs. grapple)
Feats Flyby Attack, Hover, Power Attack, Snatch, Wingover
Skills Escape Artist +11, Fly +11; Racial Modifiers +8
Escape Artist
Languages Aklo
SQ no breath, share defenses, starflight
ECO LO GY

Environment cold mountains or outer space
Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3–12)
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES

Fearsome Display (Su) As a swift action, a shantak can
adopt a fearsome posture against a single target within
30 feet. The target of this fearsome display must make
a successful DC 17 Will save or become shaken for 1d6
rounds. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is
Charisma-based.
Feed on Fear (Su) Shantaks are enhanced when they
sense fear in their prey. Once per round when a shantak
damages a creature suffering from a fear effect, the
shantak gains 1 fear point, to a maximum number of
fear points equal to its CR (7 fear points for the typical
shantak). Fear points, once gained, persist for the duration
of a combat—once a shantak spends more than a minute

out of combat it loses all accumulated fear points. As
soon as a shantak gains a fear point, it immediately
negates any ongoing fear effect that it is suffering from.
A shantak gains a bonus on attack rolls and weapon
damage rolls equal to its current fear point total. A
shantak that has accumulated at least 5 fear points also
gains the effects of haste for as long as it maintains at
least 5 fear points. A calm emotions spell (or similar effect
that deadens a creature’s ability to feel emotion, at the

GM’s discretion) causes a shantak to lose 1d6 fear points
per round it remains under the effects of the spell.
Share Defenses (Su) As a free action, a shantak can
extend its no breath ability and cold immunity to a single
creature touching it. It can withdraw this protection as a
free action.
Slippery (Ex) A shantak drips slippery slime. This grants
the creature a +8 bonus on all Escape Artist checks and
to its CMD against grapples, and imparts a –5 penalty on
all Ride checks made by creatures attempting to ride a
shantak.
Starflight (Su) While a shantak can fly at rapid speeds, its
speed increases astoundingly once free of a planetary
atmosphere. In outer space, a shantak can fly at an
incredible speed, slipping in between dimensions
to travel vast distances much faster than expected.
Although exact travel times on these interstellar journeys
vary, a trip within a single solar system should take 3d20
hours, while a trip beyond a solar system should take
3d20 days (or more, at the GM’s discretion), provided the

shantak knows the way to its destination.
Susceptible to Fear (Ex) While a shantak is immune to
the fearsome display of other shantaks, when subjected
to a fear effect from another creature, its intrinsic ability
to sense and feed on fear creates a negative feedback in
the shantak’s mind. As long as a shantak is affected by a
fear effect, it suffers a –2 penalty to its Armor Class, attack
rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws; these
penalties stack with any caused by other fear effects such
as shaken. A shantak loses all accumulated fear points if it
becomes affected by a fear effect.

Also known as shantak-birds, shantaks are intelligent
and innately malign. They can be easily persuaded to
cooperate with a competent master, and have proven
highly useful for transport due to their incredible
speed.

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