Karkinoi
Monstrous hunters and bullies of the ocean depths, karkinoi live only to destroy creatures that dare cross their path and then feed on the corpses of the vanquished. Though not mindless, they have no inclination to build civilizations or even settlements, living in roving gangs or nomadic tribes. The tools they use in their more humanoid appendages are always scavenged, usually from victims, and are discarded when broken or of no more immediate use. Pursuits such as crafting, learning, and diplomacy are a waste to them; they see these as the activities of food-creatures not strong enough to see the world as it is—a stage for domination, feeding, and spawning. Even when these brutes band together, it is usually to spawn or to face sources of food that are too strong for only one or two karkinoi alone.
Large hordes of karkinoi come together to hunt inhabitants of coastal settlements. Striking at night, they do as much damage as possible before dragging their meals into the sea. They make such attacks night after night until the settlement is destroyed or the resistance becomes too fierce, at which point the horde disbands and each karkinoi makes its own way in the sea. While karkinoi can walk on land, they do not enjoy long periods away from the sea, as they dry out, crack, and eventually suffocate.
Coastal raids are part of the karkinoi breeding cycle. The corpses that they drag off into the ocean are tethered to masses of eggs, and serve as food for karkinoi spawn. The spawn develop a taste for land-meat and crave it, ensuring the next generation of hungry raiders.
While karkinoi rarely ally with other creatures, they are easily swayed by aboleths promising destruction and raw power. In return, the aboleths gain expendable, fast-breeding shock troops and guardians. Some scholars believe this race was actually created by aboleths in ancient times, but were later turned loose in the ocean because skum made more reliable slaves than karkinoi brutes.
- HP
- 76 (8d10+32)
- AC
- 19, touch 9, flat-footed 19 (+10 natural, –1 size)
- Speed
- 30 ft., swim 40 ft.; sideways scuttle
- Init
- +0
- Melee
- claw +13 (1d10+9/19–20 plus grab), slam +13 (1d6+6)
- Space
- 10 ft.
- Reach
- 10 ft.
- BAB
- +8
- CMB
- +15 (+19 grapple)
- CMD
- 25
- Fort
- +6
- Ref
- +6
- Will
- +6
Weapons: Simple
constrict 1d10+6
Water Dependency — A karkinoi can survive out of the water for 1 hour per point of Constitution. Beyond this limit, it runs the risk of suffocation, as if it were drowning.
<p class="stat-block-1"> You may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity per round equal to your Dexterity bonus. With this feat, you may also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed.</p>
<p class="stat-block-1"> When using the weapon you selected, your threat range is doubled.</p>
<p class="stat-block-1"> 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.</p>
<p class="stat-block-1"> 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 <i>flaming</i>), 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.</p>
Intimidate +9, Perception +11, Swim +21
- Type
- Monstrous Humanoid
- Alignment
- CE
- Size
- Large
- Environment
- any water
- Organization
- solitary, gang (2–6), or tribe (3–18)
- Treasure
- standard
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
- Languages
- Aquan
- Source
- Bestiary 4
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Uses feat: Combat Reflexes (Feat)House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
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Uses feat: Improved Critical (Feat)House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
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Uses feat: Power Attack (Feat)House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
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Uses feat: Vital Strike (Feat)House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
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