Nuckalvee
by Jamie BatyMA, RC 198
Large Aberration (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 11d8+22 (71 hp)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 90 ft. (18 squares)
Armour Class: 15 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+20
Attack: Claw +15 melee (3d8 +8)
Full Attack: 2 Claw +15 melee (3d8 +8)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, death aura, fear aura, stench
Special Qualities: Amphibious, darkvision 60ft., fast healing 3, fear of freshwater, fire resistance 30, poison immunity, spell resistance 21
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +10
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 4
Skills: Hide -1, Intimidate +8, Listen +6, Spot +6, Survival +3, Swim +11
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: Temperate, Warm aquatic, marshes
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +8
Nuckalavee are evil amphibious creatures, related distantly to centaurs. These hideous beings are friendly with all types of undead. Living creatures, however, are things to be hated and exterminated.
A nuckalavee is shaped similarly to a centaur, but it has an enlarged, hideous head. The creature's skin is transparent. The resulting visibility of white ropy muscles, yellow veins, orange arteries, black blood, and odd pulsating organs is quite horrible.
A putrid odour of decay wafts about these creatures. The stench is so strong and oppressive that it can be felt and tasted. Unintelligent undead never attack nuckalavee unless rigidly controlled. Self-willed undead are usually on good terms with nuckalavee.
These hideous creatures are solitary beings that have no desire to congregate with others of their kind. Reproduction is accomplished once every five years, when nuckalavee take mates long enough to conceive. Once conception occurs, the nuckalavee go their separate ways. A birth results in 1d3 offspring that resemble transparent, malformed centaur foals with gills and bulging eyes. Nuckalavee foals mature in five weeks. Though they cannot use their claws or breath weapon until they reach maturity, they radiate fear and death auras.
Nuckalavee lairs are great underwater cages composed of the bones of their victims. These lairs are built just offshore in oceans and saltwater lakes. The tops of the cages barely break the water's surface.
Nuckalavee are a threat to the environment around them, and are often hunted by druids and good creatures. They subsist on living flesh, but nuckalavee simply enjoy hunting and slaughtering all types of animals and birds. They are as destructive and careless about the environment around them as centaurs are conscientious.
Nuckalavee speak Common and their own guttural language, and can communicate freely with all types of undead. The nuckalavee language is composed of gurgles, slurps, and clicks, and sounds harsh to the ears.
Combat
A nuckalavee's favoured tactic is to breath its icy blast of cold as often as possible. Its wicked claws are razor sharp, and used to finish off foes.
Nuckalavee hunt and slaughter for pleasure, and they give no quarter. Fortunately they charge directly into a fight and lack subtle tactics.
Nuckalavee that take character levels almost always take levels in cleric, sorceror or wizard.
Breath Weapon (Su): A nuckalavee's breath weapon attack usually deals 6d6 cold damage in a 60' cone. Targets are allowed a Fortitude save for half damage (DC 17 Con based). Using a breath weapon is a standard action. Once a nuckalavee breathes, it can't breathe again until 3 rounds later.
Death Aura (Su): A nuckalavee's presence is so destructive, all normal insects and small creatures with less than 2 hp (squirrels, rabbits, birds, etc...) are instantly slain when within 60ft of the nuckalavee.
Fear Aura (Su): The nuckalavee radiates a fear aura with a 50ft radius. Each living creature entering the aura becomes panicked unless it succeeds on a Will save vs DC 15 (Cha based, +3 racial bonus). If cornered, a panicked creature begins cowering. If the Will save succeeds, the creature is shaken for 1 round.
Stench (Ex): A nuckalavee has a horrible odour that can be detected up to 100 feet away. All living creatures within 30 ft. must make a Fort save (DC 17) or be sickened for as long as they remain in range and for one round thereafter. The save DC is Constitution-based.
A successful save grants immunity to the stench for 24 hours. If a creature that has failed a save against the stench escapes from the stench's area, but later enters it again, it must save again. The stench is not a poison, so resistances and spells that affect poison do not negate the effects of the stench.
Amphibious (Ex): A nuckalavee can breathe both air and water.
Fear of Fresh Water (Ex): A nuckalavee is afraid of fresh water, even though fresh water has no ability to harm the creature. A nuckalavee will hide under the sea or seek shelter whenever it rains, and will not cross fresh-water rivers, lakes, or even streams. If splashed with at least a gallon of fresh water, a nuckalavee must makes a Will save (DC 12) or become panicked until it can be immersed in brackish or salty water, and for 1 minute thereafter. If struck by a water-producing spell, the DC for the panic effect is the same as the DC for the spell -2.
Poison Immunity (Ex): A nuckalavee is immune to all poisons and poisonous effects.
Skills: A nuckalavee has a +8 racial bonus to all Intimidate skill checks.