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Monster Monday: Fang Drake

Monster Monday: Fang Drake

Fang Drake (Artist: Brett Middleton)The ship’s crew members turn to the railing as it explodes into splinters. Within a wave of water and foam, a massive sharklike creature lands on the deck and bites off a shocked sailor’s arm. It laughs cruelly as it claws its way forward on four scaly feet, with its long tail lashing behind. Its movements shower the area in blood.

Fang Drake CR 4

XP 1,200
CE Large dragon (aquatic, geographic, esoteric)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, keen scent; Perception +12

DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural, –1 size)
hp 52 (5d12+20)
Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +6
DR 5/bludgeoning Immune magic, paralysis, and sleep; dragon traits
Resist cold 5
Weaknesses vulnerability to fire (+50%)

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., swim 80 ft.
Melee 2 claws +8 (1d6+4), bite +8 (3d8+4, plus bleed (2) and grab), tail slap +3 (1d8+2)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon (40 ft. line, 5d6 sonic, Ref DC 15 half, useable every 1d4 rounds), inhalation, maiming bite

STATISTICS
Str 19, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 13
Base Atk +5, CMB +10, CMD +23 (+27 vs. trip)
Feats Alertness, Dodge, Power Attack, Improved Feint (b)
Skills Acrobatics +4 (+8 Jump), Bluff +11, Knowledge (nature) +5, Intimidate +9, Perception +12, Sense Motive +12, Stealth +6, Survival +7, Swim +8; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics (when jumping), +8 Swim
Languages Aquan, Common, Draconic
SQ Amphibious

ECOLOGY
Environment any aquatic
Organization solitary or shiver (2–5)
Treasure Standard

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Inhalation (Su) As a move action, in a 20 ft. cone on land and a 40 ft. cone underwater, a fang drake can drag creatures toward it with a mighty breath. Creatures within the cone are pulled adjacent to the drake and are stunned for 1 round. Creatures may attempt either a DC 15 Fortitude check or DC 25 Swim check to resist; success means the creature is drawn only 5 ft. toward the fang drake and is staggered for 1 round.

Maiming Bite (Ex) Instead of dealing its normal bite damage if it maintains a grapple with its bite, a fang drake may make a new bite attack at a creature it is grappling with its mouth. It threatens a critical with this attack on a roll of 19–20 and gains a +4 bonus to confirm a critical. If it confirms the critical hit, the creature takes the critical damage as normal and it loses one limb (drake’s choice). If it misses with this attack, or hits but doesn’t make a critical hit, the target is no longer grappled. The exact effects of limb loss are up to the GM, but should be severe. For suggestions, check out the loss of a body part rules here.

Razor Hide (Ex) A fang drake’s fine scales are razor sharp. Anything that begins its turn grappling one takes 2 slashing damage.

Bloody Seas (Su) As a standard action, when completely submerged in water, a fang drake can transport itself to another body of water within 1,000 feet that is large enough to contain its body, as if using the dimension door spell.

Water Leap (Ex) A fang drake treats a jump out of water as a long jump, provided it moves at least 10 ft. before making the Acrobatics check.

The fang drake or drake shark is a personification of the endless hunger within the world’s seas. These vicious dragonkin delight in feasting on anything they can fit in their huge maws, often playing with their food before eating it. Canny fighters, fang drakes love to fake out opponents and do so at every opportunity. Secondary stomachs hold the hoards of these beasts since they are always on the move and contain an understandably larger number of rings, magic boots, and similar adornments than gold coins or other trinkets. Shivers of these drakes have been known to escort a ship across an ocean only to crack its hull open with their screeching breath and chew through the crew just as the ship’s destination comes into view. Fang drakes and dolphins are mortal enemies, and both go out of their way to slay the other. Fang drakes are both geographic and esoteric drakes.

(This post is Product Identity.)

11 thoughts on “Monster Monday: Fang Drake”

  1. Morgan Boehringer

    Nice one Chad! I like that it’s large but only CR 4 and it has plenty of cool abilities that somehow don’t overshadow that CR. The scaly feet and razor hide are a nice touch…

    I like the artwork too…

  2. This is very cool, Chad!

    I’d maybe allow a Fortitude save to avoid the stunned condition from inhalation, otherwise things could get nasty for the PCs.

  3. This is really neat! I’ve been looking for/thinking of unique sea encounters with a similar theme for an upcoming leg of my campaign this completely fits the bill. Especially with the art. :)

    The automatic stunned condition is a big deal, though, especially at CR 4 and with how it’d lead you to drop weapons underwater.. yikes! My take is to switch it to DC 15 Fort/DC 25 Swim with failure meaning the character is stunned for 1 round and drawn next to the creature and success meaning the character is drawn only 5′ towards the creature and staggered for 1 round. Still quite menacing, but less automatic with the weapon dropping.

  4. Thank you all. I agree that the Inhalation ability is a little strong. What you’ve suggested Jason would work better and I’d recommend everyone use that ability as you’ve written it. Actually, Miranda, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble could you fix it like this?

    Also, thank you on the compliments to the artwork. My brother, Brett Middleton, drew this and my other submission and I’m hoping to get him to do more for us if possible.

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