Shampe

Shampe CR 4

XP 1,200
CE Large humanoid (giant)
Init –1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +5
Aura stench (30 ft. DC 15, 10 rounds)

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 8, flat-footed 17 (+4 armor, –1 Dex, +5 natural, –1 size)
hp 42 (5d8+15 plus 5)
Fort +7; Ref +0; Will +3
Weaknesses accelerated overheating

DEFENSE

Speed 30 ft., (40 ft. base)
Melee spear +8 (2d6+7/x3)
Ranged spear +2 (2d6+7 /x3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks appetite for destruction

STATISTICS

Str 21, Dex8, Con17, Int8, Wis10, Cha13
Base Atk +3; CMB +9; CMD 18
Feats Iron Will, Toughness, Weapon Focus (spear)
Skills Climb +9, Heal +4, Intimidate +5, Perception +5
Languages Giant

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Accelerated Overheating (Ex)

A shampe exposed to an environment where temperatures exceed the freezing point of water (32° Fahrenheit, 0° Celsius) quickly overheats. It can endure such temperatures for a number of hours equal to its Constitution score before it must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw each hour (DC 20, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.

Appetite for Destruction (Ex)

When a shampe confirms a critical hit against a living opponent, the shampe gains a number of temporary hit points equal to the Charisma modifier (minimum 1) of the creature struck. The temporary hit points last for 1 round and stack with those gained from other sources.

ECOLOGY

Environment any cold
Organization solitary, pair, gang (3–6) or family (7–21)
Treasure standard (hide armor, 2 spears, other treasure)

Coarse, brown hair dripping with ice pellets covers the muscular body of a burly, large humanoid with a pronounced overbite, small oval ears, frothy gray eyes and a broad, apelike nose.

Giants evoke a sense of wonder, awe, and fear in most humans. Unlike typical monsters which appear completely alien, to most onlookers there is little doubt the average person and his oversized counterpart share some common ancestry. Despite their mutual lineage, humanity’s relationship with their massive cousins predominately depends upon their much larger cousins’ outlook toward people. Benevolent giants may assume the role of a settlement’s protector, aiding the residents against natural disasters and defending them against monstrous incursions. On the other hand, evil giants frequently view humanoid communities as a resource ripe for exploitation. Shampes, a race of polar-dwelling humanoids, clearly fall in the latter category. These brutes often raid villages and towns, slaying the community’s adult residents while carrying off children to satisfy their ravenous appetites for tender flesh. Their pillaging also extends to stealing the inhabitants’ commodities, including livestock, alcohol, raw materials, and precious metals. They carry their illgotten spoils back to their own dwellings concealed in remote patches of taiga and tundra.

Shampes are hairier and more bestial in appearance than most giants, leading some scholars to wrongly deduce they are an offshoot race of yetis expelled from the frozen mountaintops. However, they are in fact closely related to ogres, thus prompting some learned individuals to lump them together with their more numerous kin. Despite the preceding opinions, shampes warrant a unique classification as they possess anatomical characteristics setting them apart from other giants. Their appetites for slaughter and food motivate their frequent attacks against humanoid settlements. It is not unusual for an entire shampe village to while away an entire day indulging their bloodlust with nonstop feasting and fighting. Despite their mind boggling endurance, these giant humanoids suffer from one congenital defect greatly affecting their ability to expand their territory beyond the ice and snow. Shampes overheat significantly faster than typical humanoids; therefore, they inhabit only cold environments.

Coarse, brown hair soaked with frozen ice pellets covers the shampe’s burly physique. They stand 8 feet tall on average and weigh approximately 450 pounds.

These humanoids have a pronounced overbite, small oval ears, frothy gray eyes, and a broad, apelike nose.

While thick fur covers their torso, arms, and legs, their hands and feet are hairless, giving these appendages a distinctly human appearance. Nonetheless, the horrible stench that accompanies shampes instantly dispels any notion evolution is taking them closer to humanity.

While walking, their stride resembles that of a typical upright biped, but as their speed increases, their gait becomes decidedly more simian, akin to a knucklewalking primate. These bestial marauders derive perverse pleasure from savagely mauling a humanoid adversary and feeling the spray of warm blood on their skin. When their opponents fall in battle, they always mutilate the creature and avulse body parts from the corpse. The size, variety, and number of macabre trophies gathered in this manner always determine the tribe’s chieftain, regardless of that individual’s gender.

Indeed, females don the mantle of leadership in most shampe communities. In addition to amassing their gruesome souvenirs, these giant humanoids also prize rare stones, gold, silver, and exotic weapons able to mete out tremendous damage with a single swing.