Cuttlefish, Giant Motley

Eight rubbery arms covered with suckers dangle below the bulging eyes of this enormous cuttlefish. Its strange skin matches the colors and textures of its surroundings almost perfectly.

Giant Motley Cuttlefish CR 7

XP 3,200
N Large magical beast (aquatic)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +10

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +7 natural, –1 size)
hp 76 (9d10+27)
Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +7
Defensive Abilities ink cloud (20-ft.-radius sphere)

OFFENSE

Speed swim 40 ft., jet 160 ft.
Melee arms +13 (1d8+5 plus grab), bite +13 (2d6+5 plus poison), feeding tentacles +14 touch (pull)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with feeding tentacles)
Special Attacks feeding tentacles, mesmerizing strobe, poison, pull (feeding tentacles, 10 ft.)

STATISTICS

Str 20, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 3
Base Atk +9; CMB +15 (+19 grapple and pull); CMD 28 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (feeding tentacles)
Skills Escape Artist +14, Perception +10, Stealth +17 (+27 when still), Swim +17; Racial Modifiers +10 Escape Artist, +12 Stealth (+22 when still)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Feeding Tentacles (Ex)

A giant motley cuttlefish’s feeding tentacles are a primary touch attack with a reach equal to double the cuttlefish’s normal reach (20 feet for a Large giant motley cuttlefish). Tipped with soft suckers, these tentacles deal no damage, but allow the giant motley cuttlefish to pull a creature within reach of its other attacks (10 feet for a Large giant motley cuttlefish). This functions as the pull universal monster ability, except the giant motley cuttlefish can only pull creatures smaller than itself. When not attacking, these tentacles remain hidden within the cuttlefish’s body.

Ink Cloud (Ex)

A giant motley cuttlefish can emit a 20-foot-radius cloud of ink once per minute as a free action while underwater. This cloud provides total concealment.

The ink persists for 1 minute.

Mesmerizing Strobe (Su)

As a move action, a giant motley cuttlefish can create a mesmerizing display by causing its skin to strobe and pulse with hypnotic patterns.

Creatures within 30 feet that see the display must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or become fascinated for 1 round. A creature that saves cannot be affected again by the same giant motley cuttlefish’s mesmerizing strobe for 24 hours. The approach of the cuttlefish does not count as an obvious threat to victims of this particular fascination effect, although the cuttlefish’s attack does count as an obvious threat and ends the fascination immediately. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Poison (Ex)

Bite—injury; save Fort DC 18; frequency 1/round for 2 rounds, effect paralysis for 1d4 rounds plus 1d3 Str damage (the duration of the paralysis is cumulative with each failed save), cure 1 save.

Pull (Ex)

A giant motley cuttlefish gains a +4 racial bonus to its Combat Maneuver Bonus when using its pull special attack.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm or temperate oceans
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure incidental

Giant motley cuttlefish are cunning ambush predators found in shallow coastal waters, where they lurk among coral reefs and shipwrecks and hunt for prey. Their incredible skin changes to match the appearance of their surroundings, making them difficult to see, especially while motionless. Once a giant motley cuttlefish is close enough to its prey, it lashes out with a pair of specialized feeding tentacles to seize and pull the unfortunate creature within reach of its arms and poisonous beak. If that fails, it puts on a mesmerizing display to lull its target into a trance before moving in for the kill.

Some giant motley cuttlefish acquire a taste for humanoids and lurk around wharves and docks, waiting for hapless sailors or dockhands to fall into the water. The boldest of these man-eaters even extend their feeding tentacles out of the water to snatch a meal. A giant motley cuttlefish weighs between 800 and 1,000 pounds, and its body is 12 to 16 feet long.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Wayfinder #17. © 2017, Paizo Fans United; Authors: Gabriel Almer, Beth Breitmaier, Dave Breitmaier, Charlie Brooks, Russ Brown, Ben Chason-Sokol, Jeremy Clements, Dixon Cohee, Matt Duval, Robert Feather, Benjamin Fields, Wojciech Grucha?a, Garrett Guillotte, Joe Kondrak, John Laffan, Isabelle Lee, Jeff Lee, Crystal Malarsky, Ben Martin, Jacob McKiernan, Jen McTeague, Jacob W. Michaels, Emily Parks, Rep Pickard, Matt Roth, André Roy, Elliot Smith, Joe Smith, ‘Piratey Steve’ Smith, Neil Spicer, Todd Stewart, John Paul Stoddard, Andrew P. Sturtevant, Margherita Tramontano, Nicholas Wasko, Kerney Williams, and Scott Young.

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