Nikt'oo
by Jamie BatySCMC
Large Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 3d8+18 (31 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares), swim 60 ft. (12 squares)
Armour Class: 15 (-1 size, +6 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+13
Attack: Bite +8 melee (3d4 +7)
Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (3d4 +7)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Amphibious, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 2
Skills: Listen +3, Spot +3, Swim +15
Feats: Endurance, Improved critical (bite) (B), Toughness
Environment: Any aquatic, forests
Organisation: Solitary, Pair, or Family (2-5)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Large); 7-9 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
These large, turtle-like creatures serve as mounts for the more intelligent tortles. Nikt'oos are amphibians, and their shells are just hard layers of leathery skin underlaid with large, bony plates. The skin of a nikt'oo is usually olive, and its back is spotted with brown and yellow. Their large, round eyes are deep black in colour. Nikt'oos are longer and stronger than horses, though only half as high. An adult female nikt'oo will often weigh more than 2,500 pounds.
Their feet make nikt'oos slow land creatures, though they can swim faster than many fish (above or under the water). These strong creatures can work for days without rest and, at half their normal movement, swim indefinitely (eating and even sleeping while they move, waking just long enough to make course corrections).
Most nikt'oos are domesticated and can be found in the company of tortles or snappers. The small number of wild nikt'oos tend to be very skittish of humanoids, fleeing if given an opportunity. During mating season, all nikt'oos become aggressive and bad tempered.
Wild nikt'oos who reach adulthood live for about 90 years, while domestic nikt'oos often live as long as 150 years. Female nikt'oos each lay 5d6 eggs every year, burying the eggs above the tide line on a warm beach. Hatchlings are extremely vulnerable to disease, ecological contamination, and sea predators. In the wild, less than 5% of nikt'oo offspring survive to reach adulthood.
Male nikt'oos spend most of their lives in the water; they weigh so much that they dislike leaving the water. They will leave the water if the female is threatened while egg-laying.
The male and female nikt'oos bellow to each other while the eggs are being laid, providing constant reassurance. Otherwise, the nikt'oos never make any vocal sounds.
For the most part, nikt'oos subsist on jellyfish, molluscs, and seaweed. They are not edible by most humanoid races, but snappers sometimes eat them.
Sailing ships sometimes encounter nikt'oos far out in the ocean. Nikt'oos out in the ocean seem to be more relaxed and will sometimes swim parallel to a sailing ship. Sailors believe that a major curse will befall anyone who kills such a nikt'oo.
A properly trained female nikt'oo can be used as an amphibious beast of burden, capable of carrying goods in the water and on land.
Combat
A nikt'oo can deliver a vicious bite. These giant creatures are usually quite passive, not biting unless severely provoked. However, they can be trained to bite on command. Evil snappers often train their mounts to behave this way.
Amphibious (Ex): A nikt'oo can breathe while in air and while submerged in water.
Skills: A nikt'oo has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Carrying Capacity: A nikt'oo can carry 700lbs as a light load, 701 to 1400lbs as a medium load and 1401 to 2100lbs as a heavy load.
The Red Curse
Nikt'oos acquire Legacies and require cinnabryl. Because most nikt'oos cannot acquire this magical metal, they have a high percentage of Affliction.