Canker Beast

Canker Beast (CR 19)

Pure Evil - Large - Aberration

Lore:	K. (Dungeoneer)
36		54
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

36

Perception:
41	+31
Passive	Active

Ambush:

13+

on a d20

• Ambush Notes: Canker Beasts are easy to mistake for a normal animal, and since they can and do mingle with normal animals, they are dangerous ambushers.

Senses:

• Standard Vision
• Standard Hearing
• Blind to Smell
• Blindsense 60 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 60 ft.

Defense

AC

43

Man Def

43

Monster Health
883	441	36
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+21
Refl:	+16
Will:	+16

Strong Against:

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Large
10 ft.		10 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+28

Man Off

+33

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Cankered Bite +28 (5d10+35/x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)

Full Attack (Melee):

• 1x Cankered Bite +28 (5d10+35/x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)
• 2x Cankered Bash +28 (5d6+19/x2)
  as bludgeoning (physical, common)

Standard Attack (Ranged):

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

32

STR

18

DEX

30

CON

4

INT

8

WIS

4

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 31
• Survival: 31
• All other skills: 26 (no ranks)

Languages:

Feats:

Special Abilities

Trembling Ague (Ex) Swift Action 1/Enc only after Bloodied

Once per encounter, a Canker Beast may succumb to a shuddering fit of convulsions. This ability may only be used after the Canker Beast has been severely injured, and may thus only be used while the Beast is below its Bloodied value in Hit Points (442 hit points). Trembling Ague is a swift action, as the beast is wracked with a sudden, head-to-toe convulsion. The violent muscular contractions cause it to Slide up to three spaces, and its wounds spew vile ichors and fluids. These ichors affect all enemy creatures within three squares of the Canker Beast's space after it completes the Slide movement, and they inflict 4d8+22 of rugosic (physical, uncommon) damage. Any affected creatures are allowed a Fortitude save (vs. a DC of 29) in order to take half damage from the disgusting slime.

Cankered Batter (Ex) Swift Action

As a swift action, a Canker Beast can use its ichorous bulk to batter and jostle an adjacent foe. This may be a head butt, a shoulder slam, a heavy hooved stomp, or any other attack that seems appropriate. Cankered Batter inflicts 4d6+14 as bludgeoning (physical, common) if the Canker Beast succeeds on a melee touch attack 1d20 + 32 vs. AC (always hits on a 17+ on the die) against a foe within their reach. In addition, a successfully struck foe is subject to a Trip combat maneuver as a free action, if the Beast successfully rolls its Maneuver Offense (31) against their struck foe's Maneuver Defense.

Canker Beast

Canker Beasts are vile abominations which look like walking masses of oozing, infected flesh. Their appearance is horrifying in the extreme, and the conventional wisdom is that Canker Beasts are normal animals, such as cows, horses, deer, pigs, dogs, etc, who have become afflicted with some awful malady.

In truth, this may be the case, but Canker Beasts are considerably more complicated and awful than some mere disease.

Canker Beasts are incredibly durable. Indeed, the common belief is that they are immortal, since they can withstand a level of abuse that would destroy any 'normal' animal a dozen times. Adventurers (those who are strong enough) confidently proclaim that nothing is really un-killable, and it is best to leave Canker Beasts to adventurers of that sort, or mobilize many squads of Town Watch with siege weapons to beard them in their lairs.

It has been proven that Canker Beasts can arise when a normal wild animal or farm animal succumbs to...something. Far more awful is the proven fact that Canker Beasts can and do mate and breed with one another, and the offspring of these ghastly couplings appear to be normal animals...until at some point, inevitably, they change. This means that any animal, at any time, could transform into a Canker Beast. Indeed, it is commonly observed that there are 'molting clusters', wherein one to several normal-seeming animals burst out in vile buboes, swell to bloated size, and a herd-pack of Canker Beasts is born.

There have even been reports, thankfully rare, of entire vast herds of animals, both wild and domestic, converting into Canker Beasts. Hundreds or thousands of the vile monstrosities can arise in this way, the Canker affliction seeming to leap and spread through the population with awful speed. In lands where Canker Beast eruptions are common, it is not unusual to see entire counties and nations where no animal larger than a chicken is allowed to live for even a moment, for fear they will become an un-killable monster.

Canker Beasts are obviously not undead, as they are intelligent, thinking beings, albeit of usually animal cunning only. Their appearance is disturbing, as they have scabrous sores, welts, scars, fistulas, and less savory malformations. The beasts appear to be in some discomfort, although they do not seem to be in utter agony, as their appearance would indicate.

The discomfort of their condition is speculated to be the reason that Canker Beasts are aggressive and vicious, attacking and killing most things that they meet. Canker Beasts can survive for considerable lengths of time, and some lost territories have stable endemic populations of the awful things. Combined with their tremendous, eldritch, durability and strength, this savagery dictates that Canker Beasts must be confronted and destroyed as soon as they can be tracked down and cornered.

Combat Tactics

Canker Beasts are nasty, cagey things that hate all civilized races with implacable animosity. Canker Beasts are, amazingly, accepted by natural beasts that are of similar origin. Thus, a herd of normal deer will accept deer-type Canker Beasts without trouble, and will usually allow horse-type, pig-type, sheep-type, and other 'herbivore' Beasts as well. In similar fashion, packs of wolves or prides of tigers will accept predator-type Beasts without issue.

In a mass of animals, especially at night, Canker Beasts can blend in with ridiculous ease. Canker Beasts are cagey enough to use this to their advantage, and will lay in wait, herding peacefully with their flock, until they suddenly 'go hostile', often catching even seasoned adventurers and soldiers off guard. Canker Beasts will rush into battle with some haste, often using a move then a charge to reach their hated enemies. Canker Beasts have no ranged attacks, being mere Beasts, and will move to attack without hesitation.

Canker Beasts are dimly aware of their injuries, and their Trembling Ague power will be used while as close as possible to enemies, so as to wound and kill as many as possible.

Out of Combat

Canker Beasts are surprisingly not-terrible in their daily lives. Yes, they are vile to look at, and yes, they will implacably attack and kill any and all humanoids or other civilized creatures they meet. That said, compared to utter monstrosities like Aboleths, Canker Beasts are positively benign. That said, Aboleths and Canker Beasts, weirdly enough, get along great together, and it is not unknown for the slimy horrors to keep Cankers around. Whether the Aboleths are involved in creating or propagating the Beasts is unknown.

Other types of monsters, such as various Giants, Hags, and the like, tend to keep Canker Beasts as well, since it is apparently possible to harvest the durable monstrosities for meat without killing them, their unnatural durability making them valuable sources of food for the truly vile things out there. The idea of eating Canker Beast meat is...offputting...to anyone with a spark of decency.

Rewards

XP: 204,800

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 89,889 gp.

Weight: 190 lbs.     Volume: 7.6 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)