Akhlut
Description
Resembling nothing so much as a killer whale mixed with a wolf, the rarely seen akhlut stalks frigid seas and the frozen lands nearby, shrouded by perpetual blizzards. Legend holds that the first akhlut was born fully-formed in the eye of a polar hurricane, the merciless anger of the elements made flesh. Whether or not the tale is true, the akhlut's ferocity is certainly as memorable as that of any storm.
While the akhlut appears as a wolf-orca hybrid on land, when it enters the water, its legs and fur vanish and it transforms fully into the form of an orca. Akhluts are particularly skilled at charging into and out of water, their transformation between shapes occurring in the blink of an eye.
Each akhlut fiercely defends its hunting grounds from other predators, and especially against other akhluts. While this does reduce the number of dangerous predators in a region, it's unclear whether replacing lesser predators with something as dangerous as an akhlut is actually preferable. Typically, an akhlut considers its territory to be the boundaries of the storm created by its control weather spell-like ability, and rarely travels far from this storm's borders.
An akhlut is 22 feet long and weighs 8,000 pounds.
Combat Stats
- Melee
- bite +27 (4d8+15/15-20 plus 4d6 cold and grab)
- Space
- 15 ft.
- Reach
- 10 ft.
- DR
- 15/magic
- Racial Modifiers
- +4 Perception, +12 Stealth in snow
Ability Scores
Special Attacks
Savage Bite — An akhlut's bite threatens a critical hit on a roll of 18–20.
Shore Storming — An akhlut automatically transforms into an orca whenever it is fully immersed in water, losing its legs and fur. Likewise, when an akhlut emerges from the water, it automatically transforms into its wolf-orca hybrid form. If an akhlut moves from water to land (or vice versa) on the round before initiating combat, it gains a +8 bonus on its initiative check. This initial attack resolves as a charge. An akhlut has the same statistics in both forms.
swallow whole (2d8+15 bludgeoning damage plus 4d6 cold, AC 19, 18 hp)
Special Qualities
change shape (orca; beast shape III)
Snow Walking — An akhlut can walk on snow or thin sheets of ice as though affected by water walk. It only leaves a trail on such surfaces when it wants to.
Feats
Dodge, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Stealth), Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bite)
Special Abilities
Universal Monster Rules
Special Abilities
Feats, Traits & Items
You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.
When using the weapon you selected, your threat range is doubled.
When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon's damage dice for the attack three times and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon special abilities (such as flaming), precision based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.
You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
You get a +3 bonus on all checks involving the chosen skill. If you have 10 or more ranks in that skill, this bonus increases to +6.
When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon's damage dice for the attack twice and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming), precision based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.
You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.
Skills
Acrobatics +2 (+6 when jumping), Perception +14, Stealth +16 (+28 in snow), Swim +18
Spells
- Type
- Magical Beast
- Alignment
- N
- Size
- Huge
- Environment
- cold lakes, plains, or oceans
- Organization
- solitary
- Treasure
- none
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, snow vision; Perception +14
- Languages
- Aquan (cannot speak)
- Source
- Bestiary 3