Bestiary: Thoruulock

by Tarnah Wright and Tim Wallace

Thoruulock

From the depths, a gigantic form arises. Tentacles wrap around the defenseless ship, is it a giant squid? No! As the ship is torn apart, each tentacle plucks a thrashing figure from the wreckage and stuffs it into one of its eight mouths. Like a connoisseur at a sushi restaurant, the creature chooses the choicest morsels before leaving the survivors to tell tales of the eyeless beast.

© Nicholas Cloister, Monsters by Email, licensed to Timothy Wallace

THORUULOCK      CR 20

XP 307,200

N Gargantuan magical beast (aquatic, cold)

Init +1; Senses watersense 120 feet; Perception +24

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DEFENSE

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AC 29, touch 7, flat-footed 28 (+1 Dex, +22 natural, -4 size)

hp 356 (31d10+186)

Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16

DR 10/adamantine; Immune cold

Weaknesses blindness, vulnerable to fire

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OFFENSE

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Speed 5 ft., swim 60 ft.

Melee 3 bites +36 (2d6+9), 8 tentacles +34 (2d4+4)

Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft. (40 ft. with tentacles)

Special Attacks constrict (1d8+9), rend ship, stunning fist (7/day, DC 31)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +17)

1/day—chill metal (DC 14), creeping ice ^ACG (DC 16), hydraulic torrent ^APG, ice storm, old salt's curse ^ARG (DC 16)

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STATISTICS

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Str 29, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 13, Wis 22, Cha 14

Base Atk +31; CMB +44 (+48 grapple); CMD 55 (57 vs. grapple, can't be tripped)

Feats Blind-fight, Bonebreaker ^UC, Greater Blind-fight ^APG, Greater Grapple, Improved Blind-fight ^APG, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Jawbreaker ^UC , Multiattack, Neckbreaker ^UC, Pinning Knockout ^UC, Pinning Rend ^UC, Rapid Grappler ^UC, Stunning Fist, Stunning Pin ^UC, Toughness

Skills Heal +18, Knowledge (geography) +16, Knowledge (nature) +16, Perception +24, Stealth +13, Swim +35

Languages Aquan, Draconic

SQ tenacious grapple

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ECOLOGY

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Environment any oceans

Organization solitary

Treasure triple

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SPECIAL ABILITIES

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Blindness (Ex) A thoruulock perceives solely through its watersense ability. It is immune to all sight-based effects and attacks, including gaze attacks.

Bonebreaker (Ex) When a thoruulock makes a successful Stunning Fist attempt against an opponent that is grappled, helpless, or stunned, it can forgo any other Stunning Fist effect to deal 1d6 Strength or Dexterity damage to that opponent.

Greater Blind-Fight (Ex) A thoruulock’s melee attacks ignore the miss chance for less than total concealment, and it treats opponents with total concealment as if they had normal concealment (20% miss chance instead of 50%). It may still reroll a miss chance percentile roll as normal.

If it successfully pinpoints an invisible or hidden attacker, that attacker gets no advantages related to hitting it with ranged attacks, regardless of the range. That is, it doesn’t lose its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and the attacker doesn't get the usual +2 bonus for being invisible.

Jawbreaker (Ex) When a thoruulock makes a successful Stunning Fist attempt against an opponent that is grappled, helpless, or stunned, instead of imparting any other Stunning Fist effect, it can cripple that opponent's mouth, dealing normal tentacle damage and 1d4 points of bleed damage. Until the bleed damage ends, the target is unable to use its mouth to attack, speak clearly, and employ verbal spell components. A creature that is immune to critical hits or that has no discernible mouth is immune to the effects of this feat.

Neckbreaker (Ex) If a thoruulock has an opponent its size or smaller helpless or pinned, after it initiates or maintains a grapple, it can make a Stunning Fist attempt at a –5 penalty on the attack roll. If it succeeds, it wrenches that opponent's neck, dealing 2d6 Strength or Dexterity damage. If the targeted ability score is reduced to 0, any remaining damage is dealt to that opponent's Constitution score. A creature that is immune to critical hits or that has no discernible head and neck is immune to the effects of this feat.

Pinning Knockout (Ex) While a thoruulock has an opponent pinned, when it succeeds at a grapple combat maneuver check to deal an opponent nonlethal damage using a tentacle, it doubles its damage result. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is immune to the effects of this feat.

Pinning Rend (Ex) While a thoruulock has an opponent pinned, when it succeeds at a grapple combat maneuver check to deal an opponent damage using a tentacle, that opponent also takes bleed damage equal to its tentacle damage dice. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is immune to the effects of this feat.

Rapid Grappler (Ex) Whenever a thoruulock uses Greater Grapple to successfully maintain a grapple as a move action, it can then spend a swift action to make a grapple combat maneuver check at a –5 penalty.

Rend Ship (Ex) As a full-round action, a thoruulock can attempt to use four of its tentacles to grapple a ship of its size or smaller. It makes a CMB check opposed by the ship's captain's Profession (sailor) check, but the thoruulock gets a cumulative +4 bonus on the check for each size category smaller than Gargantuan the ship is. If the thoruulock grapples the ship, it holds the ship motionless; it can attack targets anywhere on or within the ship with its tentacles, but can only attack foes on deck with its free arms and can't attack foes at all with its beak. Each round it maintains its hold on the ship, it automatically inflicts bite damage on the ship's hull.

Stunning Pin (Ex) Whenever a thoruulock pins an opponent, it can spend a swift action to make a Stunning Fist attempt against that opponent.

Tenacious Grapple (Ex) A thoruulock does not gain the grappled condition if it grapples a foe with its tentacles.

Watersense (Ex) A thoruulock can sense vibrations in water, granting it blindsense 120 feet against creatures in contact with the same body of water.

The thoruulock are gigantic oceanic creatures who spend their days searching for prey large enough to satisfy their immense hunger in the dark, cold seas. Often they'll come to the surface to attack ships; breaking them apart and then picking the crew from the debris with their tentacles.

It is difficult to sail through their territory unnoticed, for despite being eyeless, they can sense everything that moves in their waters. One must simply hope they have satisfied their hunger already and will let you pass.