Bestiary: Nharmyth

by Adam Frank and Tim Wallace

Nharmyth

Beneath the still ocean waters what appears to be a group of manta rays cut through the water and surround the boat. As they breach the surface, shattering the tranquility of the scene you notice that what you took for a sea skate’s head was instead a mass of horns and tentacles. In the center you see a single jet black orb that seems to function as an eye. A small mouth atop the eye gapes hungrily.

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

NHARMYTH      CR 8

XP 4,800

NE Medium aberration (aquatic)

Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., watersense 60 ft., true seeing; Perception +14

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Defense

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AC 21, touch 17, flat-footed 14 (+7 Dex, +4 natural)

hp 117 (12d8+36)

Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +7

Immune poison; Resist cold 10

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OFFENSE

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Speed 5 ft., swim 60 ft.

Melee gore +16 (4d6+7), tentacle +11 (1d4+3 plus poison)

Special Attacks agonizing venom, aquatic juggernaut

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STATISTICS

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Str 24, Dex 24, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 9, Cha 9

Base Atk +9; CMB +16 (+18 overrun); CMD 33 (35 vs. overrun, can't be tripped)

Feats Bloody Assault, Charge Through, Combat Expertise, Eldritch Claws, Improved Overrun, Power Attack

Skills Acrobatics +7 (–5 to jump), Disguise +11, Intimidate +14, Perception +14, Survival +14, Swim +30

Languages Aboleth, Aklo, Aquan, Undercommon

SQ dense horns

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ECOLOGY

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Environment any aquatic

Community solitary, pair, or pack (3–6)

Treasure none (eye and horns have value)

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SPECIAL ABILITIES

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Agonizing Venom (Ex) Any creature failing its saving throw against the nharmyth’s poison is sickened with pain for 1 minute. A second, third, and fourth failed saving throw mean the creature is also staggered for 1 minute, nauseated for 1 minute, and helpless for 1 minute, respectively. This is a pain effect.

Aquatic Juggernaut (Ex) A nharmyth may make a ram attack in the water as if it were a ship. To ram a target, the nharmyth must move at least 30 feet and end in a square adjacent to the target. The nharmyth then makes a charge combat maneuver check—if this check equals or exceeds the target's AC, the nharmyth hits its target, inflicting gore damage plus an additional 3d6 points of damage to the target, as well as minimum gore damage to the ramming nharmyth.

Bloody Assault (Ex) A nharmyth can choose to take a –5 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to inflict 1d4 points of bleed damage with its melee attacks, in addition to the normal damage dealt by the weapon. A creature continues to take bleed damage every round at the start of its turn. Bleed damage can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or through any magical healing. Bleed damage from this feat does not stack with itself. The must choose to use this feat before making the attack roll, and its effects last until its next turn (although the bleeding lasts until healed, as normal).

Charge Through (Ex) When making a charge, the nharmyth can attempt to overrun one creature in the path of the charge as a free action. If it successfully overruns that creature, it can complete the charge. If the overrun is unsuccessful, the charge ends in the space directly in front of that creature.

Dense Horns (Ex) While not as dense as adamantine, nharmyth horns have a natural ability to bypass hardness when sundering weapons or attacking objects, ignoring hardness less than 10.

Eldritch Claws (Su) A nharmyth’s natural weapons are considered both magic and silver for purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Poison (Ex) Tentacle—injury; save Fort DC 19; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Con; cure 2 consecutive saves.

Watersense (Ex) A nharmyth can sense vibrations in water, granting it blindsense 30 feet against creatures in contact with the same body of water.

Often initially confused with manta rays or dolphins, many ships will continue into their territory unheeded. These creatures were born from the Old Gods when they fell into the sea; it is said their bodies decayed, and the decaying goliaths formed the first nharmyth.

Some of the most perceptive creatures under the waves, the nharmyth can see though any magical illusion with their eye located in their center mass. It is also said they know where any potential prey is within over ten yards even without looking at it. They are agile swimmers but all but useless on land. It is not uncommon for a nharmyth to attack a boat with its sharp horns and use their tentacles to devour their prey. 

The nharmyth’s tentacles all contain a burning toxin that is said to cause such pain that those who come into contact with it are unable to move and all they can do is scream in agony. A victim will be afflicted for generally no longer than a day, but those who survive the stinging lash will have an unsightly scar that will last the rest of the survivor’s days.

Recently a thriving trade has sprung up around their horns and eyes. The horns themselves are used in dozens of magical concoctions as well as being well suited to making weapons. The eyes have the ability to see through illusions, and find all things hidden a limited number of times.

When a nharmyth dies there is a 50% chance that it will spawn 1d3 infant nharmyth (see below) in 1d6 days. More are born as they were originally created. When one perishes others may grow from the corpse of the parent.

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NEW WONDROUS ITEM: NHARMYTH EYE

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Price 3,850 gp; Aura moderate divination; CL 10th; Weight —

This dark orb can only be harvested from the corpse of a nharmyth. A newly harvested nharmyth eye has 1d3 charges. By focusing on the eye, the bearer can expend 1 charge to benefit from the effects of the spell true seeing. When all its charges are expended, the orb quickly decomposes. A character holding the orb when the last charge is expended must immediately save against blinding sickness.

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NEW SPECIAL MATERIAL: NHARMYTH HORN

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Weapons fashioned from nharmyth horn have a natural ability to bypass hardness when sundering weapons or attacking objects, ignoring hardness less than 10 (see Additional Rules). Nharmyth horn is so costly that weapons made from it are always of masterwork quality; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below. Thus, nharmyth horn weapons and ammunition have a +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls. Items without metal parts cannot be made from nharmyth horn. An arrow could be made of nharmyth horn, but a quarterstaff could not.

Type of Nharmyth Horn Item	Item Price Modifier
Ammunition	+30 gp per item
Weapon	+1,500 gp

INFANT NHARMYTH      CR 4

XP 1,200

NE Small aberration (aquatic)

Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., true seeing; Perception +7

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DEFENSE

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AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size)

hp 36 (5d8+10)

Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3

Immune poison; Resist cold 5

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OFFENSE

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Speed 5 ft., swim 40 ft.

Melee gore +8 (4d4+4), tentacle +3 (1d3+2)

Special Attacks aquatic juggernaut

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STATISTICS

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Str 18, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 9, Cha 8

Base Atk +3; CMB +6 (+8 overrun); CMD 20 (22 vs. overrun, can't be tripped)

Feats Combat Expertise, Improved Overrun, Power Attack

Skills Acrobatics +4 (-8 to jump), Disguise +4, Intimidate +7, Perception +7, Survival +7, Swim +20

Languages Aboleth, Aklo, Aquan, Undercommon

SQ dense horns