Ape, Dire (Awakened) Class

Sharp teeth fill this large, feral ape’s mouth, and its long, muscular arms stretch to the ground, ending in wickedly curved claws.

Known to many scholars as the gigantopithecus, the dire ape is a much more dangerous and bestial creature than the relatively peaceful gorilla. An adult male dire ape stands 9 feet tall and weighs 1,200 pounds. The dire ape attacks anything that intrudes on its territory, including other dire apes not of its troop, and does not break off the attack until the trespasser is dead or runs off.

A dire ape makes no displays of toughness or warnings before it attacks—it simply leaps into action with little or no provocation, tearing at its opponents with claws and teeth. If a dire ape is stymied by a heavily armored foe, it attempts to grapple its foe, pin it to the ground, and rend it.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The dire ape’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str); Racial Modifiers: +2 Acrobatics, +8 Climb.

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Dire Ape

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Dire Ape

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A dire ape has proficiency with its natural weapons, but not with armor or shields.

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent

Speed: 30 ft. Climb 30 ft.

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Scent (Ex)

This special quality allows a creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. The creature can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range. When a creature detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. When the creature is within 5 feet of the source, it pinpoints the source’s location. A creature with the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom (or Survival) check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Survival skill. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.