HUNTING HORROR
HUNTING HORROR
This vast draconic serpent has a pair of leathery wings that
don’t appear to be strong enough to allow the creature to fly.
HUNTING HORROR CR 14
XP 38,400
CE Gargantuan magical beast
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect scrying, low-light
vision, scent, see in darkness; Perception +19
DEFENSE
AC 29, touch 11, flat-footed 24 (+5 Dex, +18 natural, –4 size)
hp 202 (15d10+120); fast healing 10
Fort +17, Ref +14, Will +11
Defensive Abilities freedom of movement, no breath;
DR 10/magic and slashing; Immune acid, cold; SR 25
Weaknesses light sensitivity, susceptible to sunlight
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Melee bite +23 (2d6+12), tail slap +23 (2d8+12 plus grab),
2 wings +21 (2d6+6)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks constrict (2d8+18), crush, squeezing coils,
swallow whole (2d6+18 bludgeoning plus 6d6 acid
damage, AC 19, 20 hp)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th; concentration +19)
Constant—detect scrying, freedom of movement
At will—gaseous form, locate creature, locate object,
telekinesis (DC 20)
3/day—demand (DC 23), limited wish (to duplicate
sorcerer/wizard spells of 6th level or lower only)
1/day—discern location, ethereal jaunt, scrying
(DC 19), vision
1/year—interplanetary teleport UM
STATISTICS
Str 34, Dex 20, Con 27, Int 15, Wis 23, Cha 20
Base Atk +15; CMB +31 (+33 bull rush); CMD 46 (48 vs.
bull rush)
Feats Awesome Blow, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes,
Flyby Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Multiattack, Power
Attack, Snatch
Skills Fly +20, Knowledge (geography) +12, Knowledge
(local) +12, Perception +19, Spellcraft +20, Survival +27;
Racial Modifiers +8 Spellcraft, +8 Survival
Languages Aklo, Common, Draconic
SQ answer beckoning, contingency, hunter, manipulate
magic, powerful tail
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–6)
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Answer Beckoning (Ex) Although a hunting horror is not
an elemental or outsider, it can be conjured via gate,
greater planar ally, or greater planar binding, provided
the caster of the spell is a worshiper of one of the Great
Old Ones or Outer Gods or specifically alters the words
of the spell to invoke a hunting horror, and provided
the spell is not cast in an area of direct sunlight. When
invoking a hunting horror in this way, the spellcaster
must succeed at a DC 30 Spellcraft check as part of the
casting of the spell, or when the hunting horror arrives it
is automatically free to act under its own will.
Contingency While the exact details of a particular hunting
horror’s contingency effect can vary wildly (as the
monster has an immense range of potential spells to
choose from due to its ability to manipulate magic), most
settle for the simple but effective tactic of causing a
greater invisibility spell to activate on the hunting horror
as soon as it takes damage.
Crush (Ex) A flying hunting horror can land on foes as a
standard action, and then use its lengthy coils to crush
them. This attack is effective only against creatures three
or more size categories smaller than the hunting horror
(Medium for most hunting horrors), and affects as many
creatures as fit in the hunting horror’s space. Any creature
in the affected area must succeed at a DC 25 Reflex
saving throw or be pinned, automatically taking 4d6+18
points of bludgeoning damage each round it is pinned. If
the hunting horror chooses to maintain the pin, it must
succeed at a combat maneuver check as normal. The
save DC is Constitution-based.
Hunter (Ex) Hunting horrors are efficient and talented
at tracking prey, and Survival is a class skill for these
creatures as a result. In addition, they gain a +8 racial
bonus on Survival checks. When a hunting horror
succeeds at a Survival check to follow a creature’s tracks,
the hunting horror can declare that creature to be its
prey. If there are multiple sets of tracks from a group
of creatures traveling together, the hunting horror can
choose which specific creature becomes its prey if it
knows the target is among those in the group; otherwise,
its chosen prey is determined randomly. The next time
the hunting horror begins a battle against its prey, it
gains a +10 bonus on its initiative check. In addition, its
prey takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws against the
hunting horror’s spell-like abilities. A hunting horror can
have only one creature as its designated prey at any one
time, and if 24 hours pass without the hunting horror
succeeding at a Survival check to follow that prey’s trail,
that creature ceases being the hunting horror’s prey.
Manipulate Magic (Sp) A hunting horror is gifted at
manipulating magic to affect a wide range of spell-like
abilities beyond those that it normally can access. In
effect, this allows each hunting horror to use limited
wish three times per day as a spell-like ability, but
only to duplicate a sorcerer/wizard spell of 6th level or
lower. Hunting horrors typically use this ability to deal
with foes who manage to stay at a distance, favoring
potent attacks like chain lightning, disintegrate, and
flesh to stone. Most save the third and final daily use
for emergencies—teleport to escape from a battle gone
unpredictably poorly, for example, or break enchantment
or greater dispel magic to remove a debilitating
effect. All hunting horrors use this ability to maintain a
contingency effect on themselves as well.
Powerful Tail (Ex) A hunting horror’s tail slap is treated as
a primary natural attack.
Squeezing Coils (Ex) A creature that takes damage from a
hunting horror’s constrict ability after being struck by the
hunting horror’s tail slap attack must succeed at a DC 29
Fortitude saving throw or fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds.
The save DC is Strength-based.
Susceptible to Sunlight (Ex) While the glow of a distant
star does not inconvenience a hunting horror, this
creature cannot abide the light of a sun in relatively
close proximity—including sunlight on a typical habitable
planet such as Golarion. When in natural sunlight (but not
in an area of daylight or similar spells), a hunting horror
can’t attack and is staggered. In sunlight, its fast healing
ability doesn’t function, it loses its damage reduction,
and it takes 2d6 points of fire damage per round. In areas
of natural sunlight, a hunting horror’s light sensitivity
increases to light blindness.
Servitors of the Crawling Chaos Nyarlathotep, the
serpentine hunting horrors excel at tracking and
seeking prey, talents that often see them called on by
cultists or spellcasters to hunt down enemies. They
speak in great and powerful voices, when they deign to
speak at all.
A typical hunting horror is 60 feet long but weighs
only 2 tons.
e CologY
A hunting horror abhors light, as
it is a creature of inky blackness,
some scholars theorize to be akin to
the darkness that makes up the Dark
Tapestry. Certainly these creatures seem
uninterested in obeying the laws of
physics in flight; their ability to fly
is supernatural, rather than the
result of physical exertion—
some hunting horrors even have
but a single wing that flops
lazily as it slithers with great
speed through the air. The
material that composes their
bodies is also supernatural,
for although they burn like
straw when exposed to sunlight,
their hide is thick and difficult
to damage with most weapons;
only magical blades have a
chance of fully penetrating it.
h abitat and S oCietY
Hunting horrors are often called on to perform tasks
for wizards or priests, but they are themselves notable
scholars of magic. While very few ever bother to become
actual spellcasters, their ability to manipulate magic
allows them significant variety and alacrity when it comes
to generating magical effects. Many hunting horrors take
to the creation of magic items, but they are unconcerned
with scaling their magical devices for other users, which
reduces their utility for smaller creatures. A hunting
horror that focuses on item creation generally replaces
its Combat Casting feat with Craft Wondrous Item.
o riginS
As with many of the monsters that have come to be
associated with the Cthulhu Mythos, like the byakhee,
the dark young of Shub-Niggurath, and the gnoph-keh,
the hunting horror’s original incarnation in fiction
was as a vague fragment and a few evocative words.
Sandy Petersen ran with these scraps when creating the
bestiary section for the Call of Cthulhu RPG, and fully
fleshed out the hunting horror into an iconic monster
in its own right.
