To Satisfy His Ravenous Maw

One of the kids in my junior delvers game played a lizardman fighter whose main claim to fame was being swallowed whole by a tyrannosaurus in a pocket dimension—probably the most metal character death imaginable. It turns out he is a pretty talented artist in addition to being an imaginative role player. He recently produced a gruesome drawing with all sorts of nasty monsters, and this horror in particular really struck my fancy.

The following text is Open Game Content.

Acheronian

The gaunt, stooped figure stands over nine feet tall upon two legs that end in three toes; its long arms nearly reach the ground. Its flesh is gray and rubbery, with two red eyes that burn out from a face without a mouth, ears, or nose. A vertical fissure runs down the center of its chest from the base of the neck to the waist. This fissure opens and closes as if drawing breath, revealing sharp, jagged teeth.

Denizens of the Depths. Acheronians live in dismal caverns and tunnels far beneath the surface of the earth.

Mysterious Lurkers. Although acheronians appear intelligent and are able to understand Aklo, they do not speak. They prey on any living creature that stumbles into their areas.

A Horrific Maw. An acheronian’s enormous mouth is located in its chest, which can gape open to reveal rows of jagged teeth. These creatures attempt to grab opponents and pull them in to their terrifying jaws.

0e

Acheronian CL 9 (1,100 XP)

If an acheronian hits with both arms, it will automatically bite the victim for an additional 4d6 points of damage.

HD 8; AC 1 [18]; Atk 2 arms (1d4), 1 bite (4d6); Move 15; Save 8; Al C; Special bite

3.5e

Acheronian CR 6

Usually NE Large aberration

Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +6, Spot +6

Language Aklo

Defense

AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 10
(+1 Dex, +8 natural, -1 size)

hp 60 (8d8+24 HD)

Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +7

Offense

Spd 40 ft.

Melee 2 slams +11 (1d4+6), 1 bite +9 (4d6+9/19–20)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (5 ft. with bite)

Special Attacks improved grab, savage bite

Tactics

Before Combat A solitary acheronian tends to lurk in the darkness, waiting to pick off stragglers.

In Combat An acheronian focuses on a single target, preferably the weakest available.

Morale An acheronian attacks until reduced to 25% of its hit points, or 15 hp for a typical individual.

Statistics

Str 22, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 9

Base Atk +6; Grp +16

Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Multiattack

Skills Hide +6 (+10 in rocky or underground areas), Listen +6, Spot +6

SQ resilient

Ecology

Environment Any underground

Organization Solitary, pack (2–16)

Treasure Standard

Advancement 9–16 HD (Large), 17–24 (Huge)

Special Abilities

Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, an acheronian must hit a creature at least one size smaller than itself with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold, picks up the opponent, and transfers it to the mouth as a free action, automatically dealing bite damage.

Resilient (Ex) An acheronian has a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude and Reflex saves (included in the statistics block).

Savage Bite (Ex) An acheronian’s bite is particularly dangerous. It applies 1-1/2 times its Strength modifier to damage inflicted with its bite attack, and threatens a critical hit on a 19–20.

Skills The skin of an acheronian changes color, allowing it to blend in with its surroundings and providing a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. In rocky or underground settings, this bonus improves to +8.

5e

Acheronian

Large aberration, neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 133 (14d10 + 56)
Speed 40 ft.
Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
18 (+4)	13 (+1)	18 (+4)	9 (-1)	12 (+1)	9 (-1)
Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +7
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages understands Aklo but can’t speak
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Actions
Multiattack. The acheronian makes 2 slam attacks and 1 bite attack.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 17). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the acheronian can’t bite another target.

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