Mythic Nian

Mythic Nian CR 7/MR 3

XP 3,200
NE Huge magical beast (aquatic, mythic)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +10

DEFENSE

AC 21, touch 9, flat-footed 21 (+1 Dex, +12 natural, –2 size)
hp 98 (8d10+54)
Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +5
DR 5/epic; Resist cold 5
Weaknesses color aversion, sensitive ears, vulnerability to sonic

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft., swim 30 ft.
Melee bite +12 (2d6+5 plus grab), gore +12 (2d6+5), 2 claws +12 (1d8+5)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks fast swallow, mythic power (3/day; surge +1d6), pounce, shake and toss (DC 20), swallow whole (1d6 acid and 1d6 bludgeoning, AC 16, 10 hp)

STATISTICS

Str 21, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +8; CMB +15 (+19 grapple); CMD 26 (30 vs. trip)
Feats Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Vital Strike
Skills Acrobatics +6 (+14 to jump), Climb +9, Perception +10, Stealth +6, Swim +16; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth
Languages Common (cannot speak)
SQ amphibious, twisting prowl

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Color Aversion (Ex)

Nians have a deep-seated aversion to the color red. When confronted with a large amount of the color (a person wearing an entirely red outfit, a waving red flag, a field of red flowers, et al) it will recoil. Red objects don’t harm the nian; they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling nian must stay at least 5 feet away from the red object and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the object or a creature near it. After 1 round, the nian can overcome its fear of the color and function normally each round it makes a DC 20 Will save.

Ferocious Challenge (Su)

Creatures attacked by a nian as part of a charge are affected as if the nian had the frightful presence ability (DC 16), which can affect Large or larger non-mythic creatures of up to 16 Hit Dice. In addition, once per day as a swift action taken as part of a charge action, a nian can issue a hissing, growling challenge to a Large or larger creature with at least 4 Hit Dice. This challenge grants it a +4 morale bonus on damage rolls and a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls and saving throws (+4 against fear) against that creature, though its focus on that challenged foe causes it to take a -2 penalty to its AC against other attackers. This effect lasts for 1 minute or until that creature is dead; however, if the nian kills the target with a critical hit (including a coup de grace), these bonuses persist for an additional 1d4 rounds against all foes. It can use this ability more than once per day by expending one use of its mythic power for each additional use.

Sensitive Ears (Ex)

Nians find loud noises extremely painful.

Whenever it is exposed to a loud sound (such as a banging drum, loud screaming, gunfire or loud fireworks, thunderstones, or a sonic spell) within 15 feet, the nian becomes sickened for 1 round (DC 16 Fort negates). In addition, at the beginning of its next turn it must move at least 15 feet away from the source of that sound (DC 16 Will negates). A nian that succeeds on this Will save typically attacks the source of the sound, attempting to destroy it or at least stop the noise.

Shake and Toss (Ex)

A nian that hits an opponent with its bite or gore attack using Vital Strike or during a charge can violently shake and throw its foe with a special combat maneuver check.

The opponent must be corporeal and at least one size category smaller than the nian. If the combat maneuver check succeeds, the opponent takes one-half normal bite or gore damage (in addition to the initial damage from the attack) of the nian as it is violently lashed about, and then is thrown 10 feet through the air in a direction chosen by the nian and falls prone, and also must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or be staggered for 1 round. The nian can only toss its opponent in a straight line. If an obstacle prevents the creature’s movement, both the creature tossed and the object struck take 1d6 points of damage, and the creature falls prone in the space adjacent to the obstacle. A nian can also toss its opponent 10 feet up into the air. The victim lands in the same square it started in, taking 1d6 points of damage, and falls prone.

If the nian expends one use of its mythic power, it can throw the tossed creature in a 30-foot line. Creatures in this line take 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone (DC 17 Reflex negates), while the tossed creature takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage for each creature in the line.

If the nian tosses the creature straight up, it takes 3d6 points of falling damage when it lands. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Twisting Prowl (Su)

Despite its apparent bulk, a nian is very agile and able to weave effortlessly through crowds across the battlefield. It can turn up to 90 degrees (either as a single 90-degree turn or two 45-degree diagonal turns) at any point during its movement when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions. This erratic, undulating motion when performing such actions grants the nian a +2 dodge bonus to its AC until the beginning of his next turn, increased to +4 against attacks of opportunity.

ECOLOGY

Environment Any cold or temperate mountain or ocean
Organization solitary
Treasure incidental

This massive beast appears equal parts ox, lion, and dragon. Its body bears thick, plated scales, a wild mane, and twisting horns.

The nian is a ravenous creature that is equally at home in high mountain areas or in coastal seas. While a nian can subsist on nearly anything animal or vegetable, it prefers meat and savors the taste of humanoid flesh. A nian will venture into inhabited areas to prey on isolated settlements near its home, especially in deep winter, when prey and forage are scarce and humanoids are cloistered against the cold with stockpiles of food. The nian prefers to hibernate all winter long if it can, emerging ravenous to gorge itself on whatever it can catch and kill or raid from storage houses before returning to its lair.

Most nians have a rather dull intellect, but they are cunning and take great pride in their abilities as a predator. Nian consider other predators, especially other monstrosities, aberrations, and dragons, as competition. On occasion, brave and clever individuals have been able to deter a nian by playing on its pride. An individual might mention the terrible prowess of a competing predator and convince the nian to challenge it for the territory. The nian might also be convince to hunt more dangerous prey to demonstrate its might. Such measures may only be temporary. Once a nian has satisfied its pride by eliminating competing predators or wiping out larger, more difficult prey, it will return to hunt where food is easiest to find.

Settlements within a nian’s hunting territory will attempt to protect themselves from attack by using the creature’s inherent weaknesses against it. Festivals are held at the start of spring when the nian is likely to be abroad. Loud music is played on drums and horns. Houses and other buildings are draped in red decorations and fireworks are set off to deter the nian and convince it to seek food elsewhere.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Asian Monsters (PF1) © 2022, Legendary Games; Authors Jason Nelson, Robert J. Grady, Andrew Ha, Gord Henderson, Thurston Hillman, Aurélien Lainé, Jeff Lee, Alex Riggs, Loren Sieg, Mike Welham.

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