Gorynych

This sleek, three-headed dragon rears up on its hind legs, wings spread and flames licking out from behind three sets of fangs.

Gorynych CR 15

XP 51,200
CE Huge dragon
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, true seeing; Perception +23

DEFENSE

AC 28, touch 10, flat-footed 26 (+2 Dex, +18 natural, -2 size)
hp 212 (17d12+102); regeneration 5 (acid)
Fort +16, Ref +14, Will +15
DR 10/lawful; Immune fire, paralysis, poison, sleep; SR 26

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 100 ft. (poor), swim 50 ft.
Melee 3 bites +24 (2d8+8), 2 claws +23 (1d8+8)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks breath weapon (40-ft. cone, 5d6 fire, Reflex DC 24 for half, usable every 1d4 rounds)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +19)

Constanttrue seeing
At willcharm person (DC 15), dancing lights, message
3/dayalter self, bestow curse (DC 18), greater dispel magic
1/daylesser geas (DC 18), limited wish, mislead (DC 20)

STATISTICS

Str 27, Dex 15, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 18
Base Atk +17; CMB +27; CMD 39
Feats Awesome Blow, Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Stand Still, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Bluff +17, Diplomacy +17, Fly +7, Intimidate +17, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (nature) +14, Perception +23, Sense Motive +16, Spellcraft +14, Stealth +14, Swim +24
Languages Common, Draconic, Sylvan
SQ multi-headed

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Breath Weapon (Su)

Each of a gorynych’s heads has its own separate breath weapon. When a gorynych uses its breath weapon, it can breathe with one, two, or all three heads. If the areas of two or more breath weapons overlap, a creature caught in that overlapping area takes a -2 penalty on its Reflex save (or -4 if three breath weapons overlap). Damage done by overlapping breath weapons stacks and is considered to be a single source of fire damage for the purpose of tracking fire resistance. Regardless of how many heads breathe fire, the gorynych can only use its breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds.

Multi-Headed (Ex)

All three of a gorynych’s heads can act independently of each other. When it makes a full attack, each head can either bite or use its breath weapon, in any combination (two bites and one breath, three breaths and no bites, and so on).

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary
Treasure double

This sinister beast threatens entire countrysides with its plundering actions. No friend to its true dragon cousins, a gorynych sometimes threatens green and black dragons for mastery of their lands. A gorynych seeks out young dragons that have only established small hoards, killing the rival creatures and claiming their treasures as its own. It dominates drakes and wyverns, but true dragons consider it a repulsive throwback to an ancient line of mutants and deviants.

Motivated by greed, gluttony, and unnatural lust, a gorynych lives to collect treasure, feast as often as possible, and chase after humanoid maidens, using alter self and charm person as necessary. Gorynyches are particularly creative with the use of their limited wishes in duplicating other spell effects to secure their desires and complete their hideous tasks.

When not busily stalking young dragons in order to steal their hoard or selecting maidens to kidnap, most gorynyches search out ancient ruins. There they install themselves as guardians, sometimes even gathering whole tribes of monstrous humanoids to act as their servants.

Variant: Gorynych, Thrice-Crowned King (CR 15)

[Source]

This armless, three-headed golden dragon has massive wings and two tails. Thrice-crowned kings usually dwell in the depths of space and are usually under the control of some eldritch abomination that dwells in that cold darkness. They love nothing more than wonton destruction, and will often seek out and destroy the largest creatures first.

Immune electricity, force, paralysis, poison, sleep; this replaces a gorynych’s normal immunities.

Melee 3 bites +24 (2d8+8), 2 tails +23 (1d8+8); this replaces a gorynych’s normal melee attacks.

Breath Weapon (Su)

40-ft. line, 5d6 (half electricity, half force) push to end of line, Reflex DC 24 for half negates push, usable every 1d4 rounds. Each of a thricecrowned king’s heads has its own separate breath weapon. When a thrice-crowned king uses its breath weapon, it can breathe with one, two, or all three heads.

If the areas of two or more breath weapons overlap, a creature caught in that overlapping area has the Reflex save DC increased by +2 (or +4 if three breath weapons overlap). Damage done by overlapping breath weapons stacks and is considered to be a single source of electricity and force damage for the purpose of tracking resistance. Regardless of how many heads breathe, the thrice-crowned king can only use its breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds.

This replaces a gorynych’s normal breath weapon special attack.

Hurricane Gust (Ex)

As a standard action, a thricecrowned king can create a severe blast of air (approximately 75 mph) that originates from it, affecting all creatures in a 25 ft. radius burst; its effects last until the beginning of the thrice-crowned king’s turn.

  • A Small or smaller creature on the ground is knocked down and rolled 1d4×10 ft., taking 1d4 points of nonlethal damage per 10 ft. If flying, a Small or smaller creature is blown back 2d6×10 ft. and takes 2d6 points of nonlethal damage due to battering and buffeting.
  • Medium creatures are knocked prone by the force of the wind, or, if flying, are blown back 1d6×10 ft.
  • Large creatures are unable to move forward against the force of the wind, or, if flying, are blown back 1d6×5 ft.
  • Huge or larger creatures may move normally within a hurricane blast effect.

All flames are extinguished. Ranged attacks are impossible (except with siege weapons, which have a –8 penalty on attack rolls). Perception checks based on sound are impossible: all characters can hear is the roaring of the wind. Hurricane-force winds often fell trees. In addition to the effects noted, a hurricane blast can do anything that a sudden blast of wind would be expected to do. It can create a stinging spray of sand or dust, fan a large fire, overturn delicate awnings or hangings, and blow gases or vapors to the edge of its radius.

This replaces a gorynych’s bestow curse, charm person and lesser geas spell-like abilities.

Regeneration (Ex)

A thrice-crowned king has a regeneration rate of 22. Its regeneration is only suppressed if it wills it so, which usually only happens when it is under some kind of compulsion. It regenerates even if disintegrated, drowned, or slain by a death effect. If a thrice-crowned king fails a save against an effect that would kill or destroy it instantly, it rises from death alive 3 rounds later with 1 hit point, if no further damage is inflicted upon its remains. It can be banished or otherwise transported, but the method to truly kill it or destroy it requires some form of mind-affecting effect.

This replaces a gorynych’s dancing lights, limited wish, message and mislead spell-like abilities.

Vulnerability to Mind-Affecting (Su)

A thricecrowned king suffers a -4 penalty to the saving throw of any mind-affecting spell or effect.

Environment any; this replaces a gorynych’s temperate forests.

Section 15: Copyright Notice
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3, © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
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