Spes Magna Games

First, an announcement: A to Z is a collection of Spes Magna Games blogposts written during the April 2012 A to Z blogging challenge. All 26 blogposts have been subjected to revisions, edits, and other improvements. The end result is a 40-plus-page, printer-friendly PDF featuring fluff and crunch such as:

* Alternate rules for channeling energy, energy drain, exploding dice, jumping, monks, outsiders, and x-ray vision
* Bromantic poetry
* GM advice about how to motivate your players to be more invested in your game
* Luck, a new ability score
* New archetypes, one each for the magus and the rogue
* NPC villains such as an awakened psionic gorilla

All of this and more can be yours for less than a cup of gourmet coffee at both DriveThruRPG and Paizo.com.

Next, a big turtle!

The methoataske is a truly enormous ambush predator, very much resembling an alligator snapping turtle larger than a house. It tends to strike from camouflage, lunging forward to swallow its prey whole. If harrassed after gulping down a victim, a methoataske is likely to retreat to deeper water.

Methoataske
CR 13; XP 25,600
N Colossal animal
Init +4; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +32

DEFENSE
AC 26, touch 2, flat-footed 26 (+24 natural, –8 size)
hp 319 (22d8+220)
Fort +20, Ref +11, Will +12

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Melee bite +24 (4d8+22 plus grab)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks swallow whole (4d6+22 bludgeoning, AC 26, 62 hp)

STATISTICS
Str 40, Dex 10, Con 29, Int 1, Wis 17, Cha 10
Base Atk +16; CMB +39 (+43 grapple); CMD 49 (53 vs. trip)
Feats Blind-Fight, Improved Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Iron Will, Lunge, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Perception +32, Swim +29; Racial Modifiers +8 Swim
SQ armored stomach, camouflage, hold breath, shell

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Camouflage (Ex): The rough shell of a methoataske is particularly well adapted to camouflage the creature in its native environment. Creatures must succeed on a DC 28 Perception check to notice an unmoving methoataske. Anyone with ranks in Survival or Knowledge (nature) can use one of those skills instead of Perception to notice the methoataske.

Armored Stomach (Ex): A methoataske’s body is difficult to cut through—its stomach gains a +4 bonus to its AC and has double the normal hit points when determining the success of a creature attempting to cut its way free.

Shell (Ex): As a move action, a methoataske can pull its extremities and head into its shell. It cannot move or attack as long as it remains in this state, but its armor bonus from natural armor increases by +4 as long as it does.

ECOLOGY
Environment temperate or warm water or shore
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure none

Tags: Pathfinder monsters