Dhole, Hatchling

Dhole Hatchling CR 19

This creature has a three-pronged mouth and a huge limbless body with gill-like slits along the sides.

XP 204,800
CN Huge magical beast
Init +5; Senses tremorsense 600 ft.; Perception +32

DEFENSE

AC 34, touch 9, flat-footed 33 (+1 Dex, +25 natural, –2 size)
hp 333 (23d10+207)
Fort +24, Ref +16, Will +15
Defensive Abilities blind, compression; DR 5/—; Immune acid, cold, fire, gaze weapons, magical control, paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, vision-based attacks; SR 30

OFFENSE

Speed 80 ft., burrow 80 ft.
Melee bite +33 (6d6+18/19–20 plus grab), slam +33 (6d8+18/19–20 plus grab)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 90 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon, overwhelming strength, constrict (6d6+18), swallow whole (12d6 bludgeoning damage and 10d6 acid damage, AC 22, 33 hp), trample (6d8, DC 33)

STATISTICS

Str 34, Dex 12, Con 28, Int 3, Wis 23, Cha 21
Base Atk +23; CMB +37 (+39 bull rush, +39 sunder); CMD 48 (50 vs. bull rush, 50 vs. sunder, can’t be tripped)
Feats Awesome Blow, Critical Focus, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Critical (slam), Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Vital Strike
Skills Perception +32
Languages Aklo (rarely speaks)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Blind (Ex)

A dhole hatchling is blind, and senses through its tremorsense ability and its incredible blindsense (although it generally only needs to use the latter to target its breath weapon). It is invulnerable to all sightbased effects and attacks, including gaze attacks.

Breath Weapon (Su)

Once every minute, a dhole hatchling can expel a prodigious amount of thick acidic slime from its gullet. This breath weapon has a range of 360 feet, and creates a 10-foot-diameter spread of slime in its targeted area. A creature within this area must make a successful DC 38 Reflex save or take 20d6 points of acid damage. In addition, a creature within this area must succeed at a DC 30 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. The slime transforms the area it coats into difficult terrain. Furthermore, all creatures in the area of effect or creatures that attempt to enter the area must succeed at a DC 30 Reflex save or be entangled by the slime.

The slime’s acid weakens considerably after the initial strike: each round a creature remains entangled by dhole hatchling slime, or ends its turn within the area of difficult terrain created by the slime, the creature takes only 1d6 points of acid damage. Dhole hatchling slime persists for 1 hour and hatchling lairs are typically pre-caked with the stuff. A dhole hatchling can move through this slime without penalty. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Immune to Magical Control (Ex)

A dhole hatchling is immune to nearly all forms of mind control, including all charm monster, suggestion, and dominate monster spells. It is similarly immune to magic jar and possession attempts. Confusion and other mind-affecting effects that don’t allow another creature to control a dhole hatchling directly work normally. Rare effects that allow a creature to manipulate the exact effects of confusion on a creature provide one of the few ways to magically control a dhole hatchling, essentially pushing it in a particular direction. Other methods, particularly those tied to strange and powerful artifacts, may work normally (GM’s discretion).

Overwhelming Strength (Ex)

A dhole hatchling always applies 1-1/2 times its Strength modifier on all natural weapon attacks.

ECOLOGY

Environment any underground
Organization solitary
Treasure incidental

Like adult dholes, dhole hatchlings can burrow quickly. They are immune to heat, cold, acid, and poison. Dhole hatchlings have the same attack methods as the adults, though they are less effective due to their smaller size. They can spit the same acid glue as an adult, only in far smaller quantities. Otherwise, they bite chunks off foes, swallow smaller victims whole, or crush their enemies in their whipping, thrashing coils.

When a world is newly-attacked by dholes, the starting infestation consists necessarily of mere hatchings, so if these can be exterminated, the world can be saved.

Once the dholes reach maturity, removing them becomes a much more difficult process.

Due to their comparatively small size, dhole hatchlings can sometimes be summoned by arcane rites, though this is dangerous, as no one wants dholes to burrow through their world. The hatchlings are only “comparatively” small: they are still 50 feet long (or more, as they grow) and weigh dozens of tons.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos, © 2017, Petersen Games; Authors: Sandy Petersen, Arthur Petersen, Ian Starcher.

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