Bukavac

This toad-like monster, bearing two gnarled horns, leaps out of its watery lair and charges forth on six legs while letting out a bone-shattering roar.

Bukavac CR 9

XP 6,400
NE Large magical beast
Init +3; Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +13

DEFENSE

AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (+3 Dex, +9 natural, -1 size)
hp 114 (12d10+48)
Fort +12, Ref +11, Will +6
Resist sonic 10

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee 4 claws +20 (1d6+9), bite +20 (1d8+9), gore +20 (1d8+9)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with bite, gore)
Special Attacks sonic blast (30 ft.; 8d6 sonic damage; DC 22; deafened)

STATISTICS

Str 28, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 7, Wis 15, Cha 12
Base Atk +12; CMB +22; CMD 35 (43 vs. trip)
Feats Ability Focus (sonic blast), Alertness, Greater Grapple, Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Stealthy
Skills Escape Artist +5, Perception +13, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +10, Swim +17
Languages Draconic, Sylvan
SQ hold breath

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Sonic Blast (Su)

A bukavac can emit a roaring wail that deafens and damages those nearby. As a standard action, the creature can belt out this sonic attack dealing 8d6 sonic damage to creatures within 30 ft. Those subjected to this effect can attempt a DC 22 Fortitude save (Con-based) for half damage. Those failing are permanently deafened.

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate forests and lakes
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard

The placid surfaces of lakes and ponds hide many lethal threats, among them the bukavac. While not amphibious, the creature can hold its breath for minutes at a time as it lurks under the surface in wait for fresh meat. A bukavac is 11 ft. long, including its foot-long horns, stands 4 ft. tall, and weighs 4,000 lb.

A ravenous bukavac lives to hunt and devour prey, preferring intelligent prey to animals, and usually ambushes its victims. Due to its size, the beast must find deep ponds or lakes to hide, but it can flatten itself comfortably to rest in 2 ft. of water. It leads with its wicked horns, hoping to impale an unsuspecting victim, before grabbing hold of its target or another nearby foe and attempting to hang on as it claws its victim to death. The creature relishes the feel of its victim’s struggles to escape its embrace and reserves its roar, which sounds like a cross between a toad’s croak and lion’s roar emanating from a creature the size of a dragon, for obviously organized foes or against overwhelming numbers. If a bukavac’s devastating sonic attack routs its foes, it picks off remaining stragglers; otherwise, it attempts to retreat to its underwater hiding spot.

Solitary hunters by nature, bukavacs pair up briefly in the spring. Male bukavacs travel to a female’s lair and demonstrate their prowess by unleashing their most powerful bellows. Communities as far as 10 miles away from the lair hear these howls for a week and pray that the creatures don’t attack. Once mating has completed, several acres of trees have been destroyed, and the female finds a secluded, shallow lake to bury her 2–6 eggs in mud at the lake’s bottom. A bukavac reaches maturity in 5 years, during which time it and its siblings hunt together. After bukavacs mature, they all find their own lairs. The creature has a natural lifespan of 40 years, but its proclivities typically bring the attention of hunting parties, which considerably shorten its life expectancy.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Midgard Bestiary for Pathfinder RPG, (c) 2012 Open Design LLC; Author: Adam Daigle with Chris Harris, Michael Kortes, James MacKenzie, Rob Manning, Ben McFarland, Carlos Ovalle, Jan Rodewald, Adam Roy, Christina Stiles, James Thomas, and Mike Welham.

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