Bhorkenbyg

by Tim Wallace

This hexapedal creature has two limbs ending in pincers and two ending in hands.

 

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

BHORKENBYG      CR 6

XP 2,400

LN Medium aberration

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11

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DEFENSE

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AC 19, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+6 Dex, +3 natural)

hp 71 (9d8+27)

Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +5

Defensive Abilities spiny carapace

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OFFENSE

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Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

Melee 2 pincers +11 (1d6+5)

Special Attacks rend (2 pincers, 1d6+7)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +8)

   Constant—detect magic

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STATISTICS

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Str 21, Dex 23, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 8

Base Atk +6; CMB +11 (+15 steal); CMD 27 (29 vs. steal, 31 vs. trip)

Feats Combat Expertise, Greater Steal, Improved Steal, Quick Steal, Stealthy

Skills Acrobatics +6 (+10 to jump), Climb +13, Escape Artist +20, Perception +11, Sleight of Hand +15, Stealth +20, Survival +11

Languages Aklo, Undercommon

SQ adhesive underbelly, devour magic

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SPECIAL ABILITIES

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Adhesive Underbelly (Ex) The carapace on a bhorkenbyg's belly secretes a sticky substance which allows it to transport items it has stolen without having to carry them in its hands or pincers. A bhorkenbyg can transport items easily carried in one hand in this manner without incurring any penalties.

Devour Magic (Ex) A bhorkenbyg can drink the magic of an unattended magic item. To do so, it must make a caster level check (+8). The DC of this check is equal to 12 + 1/2 the magic item's caster level (rounded down). Intelligent magic items can make an opposed Will save based on their Wisdom score. If the check succeeds, the bhorkenbyg drains the item's magic, rendering it nonmagical. Artifacts are immune to this ability.

Spiny Carapace (Ex) The bhorkenbyg’s carapace is covered with thousands of razor-sharp spines. Any creature that attacks a bhorkenbyg with an unarmed strike or natural attack takes 1d6 points of piercing damage. Any creature that grapples or is grappled by a bhorkenbyg automatically takes 2d6 points of piercing damage per round the grapple is maintained.

Transported to this world from some distant location via meteors, bhorkenbygs quickly migrated underground and were not often seen since. Months after this occurrence, occupants of svirfneblin, drow, and other subterranean communities began to notice the occasional magic item gone missing, or mysteriously stripped of all its magic.

 Not sustained by normal edible material, bhorkenbygs eat magic. However, they usually do so by means of trickery and stealth. If a magical item is too large to carry off, they will attempt to drain its magic at its current location. They are non-confrontational and prefer avoid open combat when stealthing into an adventurers’ camp at night and only stealing one or two magic items at a time will do.

Their nests are often full of many perfectly preserved, high-quality items which were once imbued with magic.