Bestiary Horrid Animals

Today's focus Horrid animals; below you find an adjustment to make your own horrid animals for your players to face, two example horrid animals along with an advanced animal companion option.

Horrid Animals were originally created by the Gatekeepers to be living war machines against Xoriat planar invaders. They now can be found in the wilds of Droam, the Shadow Marches, the Demon Wastes, and the Eldeen Reaches.

Horrid animals tend to be partially scaled versions of their counterparts or plated while having spike-like growths on either varieties. They are overly aggressive and stubborn.

This adjustment is applied to creatures with the animal trait, usually the giant, dire or megafauna versions but almost never a bug. These are guidelines and might need to be fine tuned for your new creature.

• Increase the creature’s level by 1.

• Increase creature’s AC by 2, Fort Save by 2, and Athletics modifier by 2

• Add to Saves, +1 against Make an Impression, Request, Coerce, Command an Animal or similar checks.

• The creature gains Immunity acid.

• The creature’s Melee Strike gains extra acid damage based on its Starting level using the chart below. If the creature has more than one Melee Strike, choose one that seems like a primary attack (usually a jaws or claws based Strike).

Starting Level	Acid Damage
1 or less	1d6
2-4	1d8
5-15	2d8
16-19	2d8 and 1d6 persistent
20+	3d6 and 2d6 persistent

HORRID RAT       CREATURE 0

| N | SMALL | ANIMAL |

Perception +5; low-light vision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet

Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +4 (+6  to Climb or Swim), Stealth +5

Str +1, Dex +3, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +1, Cha –3

———————————————————-

AC 17; Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +3; +1 against Make an Impression, Request, Coerce, Command an Animal or similar checks.

HP 10; Immunity acid

———————————————————-

Speed 30 feet, climb 10 feet

Melee [one-action] jaws +7 (agile, finesse), Damage 1d6+1 piercing plus 1d6 acid plus filth fever

Filth Fever (disease) The sickened and unconscious conditions from filth fever doesn't improve on their own until the disease is cured. Saving Throw DC 14 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1d4 hours), Stage 2 sickened 1 (1 day), Stage 3 sickened 1 and slowed 1 (1 day), Stage 4 unconscious (1 day), Stage 5 dead

Horrid Rat

HORRID GORILLA CREATURE 4

| N | LARGE | ANIMAL |

Perception +8; low-light vision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet

Skills Acrobatics +9, Athletics +13, Stealth +7

Str +4, Dex +2, Con +3, Int –4, Wis +1, Cha –2

—————————————————————-

AC 21; Fort +14, Ref +9, Will +6; +1 against Make an Impression, Request, Coerce, Command an Animal or similar checks.

HP 45; Immunity acid

—————————————————————

Speed 30 feet, climb 30 feet

Melee [one-action] fist +11 (agile, reach 10 feet), Damage 2d6+4 bludgeoning

Melee [one-action] jaws +11 (reach 5 feet), Damage 1d8+4 piercing plus 1d8 acid Frightening Display [two-actions] (auditory, emotion, fear, mental) The horrid gorilla beats its chest in a terrifying display. Creatures within 30 feet must attempt a DC 22 Will save. While a creature is frightened by this ability, it is flat-footed to the horrid gorilla.

Critical Success No effect and temporarily immune for 1 minute. 

Success The creature is unaffected.

Failure The creature is frightened 1.

Critical Failure The creature is frightened 2.

Horrid Gorilla

ADVANCED ANIMAL COMPANION OPTION

Horrid

| Rare |

This option meant for those who are part of or have association with the militant druid order of The Gatekeepers or at least are from the regions (Droam, the Shadow Marches, the Demon Wastes, and the Eldeen Reaches) that you can usually find this dangerous creatures.

If you select a feat that allows you to pick nimble or savage animal companion you instead can pick Horrid representing your Horrid animal growing fully into their dangerous state.

A horrid companion increases their Constitution modifier to 2, and their Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity modifiers by 1. Their unarmed strikes do 3 addition damage of acid. The horrid companion gains Resistance 5 acid. Increase their proficiency in Athletics and unarmed defense to expert. They also learn the advance maneuver for their type and their attacks count as being magical for the purpose of ignoring resistances.

Once again a special thanks to the Discords that I share these in and serve as a spring board for my ideas but an extra special thanks to Quinn Murphy on this one.