Dinosaur, Nothosaur

This long-necked reptile swims through the water propelled by four paddle-like feet, whipping a long and slender tail behind it as it gnashes its sharp, needle-like teeth.

Nothosaur CR 5

XP 1,600
N Large animal
Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11

DEFENSE

AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, –1 size)
hp 57 (6d8+30)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +4

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee bite +10 (1d8+6), tail slap +7 (1d8+3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

STATISTICS

Str 23, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7
Base Atk +4; CMB +11; CMD 22 (26 vs. trip)
Feats Multiattack, Toughness, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Perception +11, Swim +14
SQ sprint

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Sprint (Ex)

Once per minute, a nothosaur may sprint, increasing its land speed to 40 feet for 1 round.

Primeval Sea Creatures

The ocean is full of myriad life forms, as varied and specialized as those in any other environment. But not all sea creatures are the result of millennia upon millennia of continual evolution. Some found themselves perfectly suited for their roles as apex predators millions of years ago and have simply remained as such to the present day, presenting terrible threats to those creatures that cross them, from their natural prey to unsuspecting sailors who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. In most cases, these creatures are closely related to other waterborne animals, be they fish, reptiles, or mammals, and some even have distinctive similarities to primarily land-based creatures.

ECOLOGY

Environment any water
Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3–12)
Treasure none

The nothosaur resembles a smaller version of the land-based brachiosaurus, sharing the distinctive long neck and tail and short legs of its herbivorous brethren. Nothosaurs are also similar in many ways to seals—they spend much of their time in the water, including when they hunt, but emerge to sleep and breed on land. They lay their eggs in massive sandy mounds in the summer, then abandon their nests and slip back into the sea. A nothosaur is most vulnerable out of the water, but when caught unawares, it can return to the water with alarming speed, notwithstanding its awkwardly short legs and disproportionately large neck and tail. Nothosaurs can exist in water of any temperature, but prefer the warmer equatorial waters. Herds of nothosaurs make seasonal migrations, following schools of fish over the course of many months. From head to the tip of its tail, an adult nothosaur is 12 feet long and weighs 3,000 pounds.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Adventure Path #60: From Hell’s Heart © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Nelson and Rob McCreary.

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