Celebrity Game Table
Operation: Deepfreeze - A Montecon Adventure
By Will McDermott

The Amarthuldra
By Andy Collins

Andy Collins has graciously allowed us to reprint the stats of his Amarthuldra, the "alien" creature that appeared in "Operation: Deepfreeze." Of course, this is not an official D&D monster, and is not approved by the D&D design team -- it's just the creation of a demented mind -- so use it at your own peril.

Amarthuldra
Medium-size magical beast
Hit Dice: 7d10+28 (hp 67)
Initiative: +9 (Dex, Improved Initiative)
Speed: 30 ft., climb 15 ft.
Armor Class: 23 (touch 15, flat-footed 18)
(+5 Dex, +8 natural armor)
Attacks: 2 claws +11 melee, tail +9 melee, bite +9 melee
Damage: Claw 1d4+4, tail 2d6+6, bite 1d8+6
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft. (tail 10 ft.)
Special Attacks: Improved grab, rend 2d4+6
Special Qualities: Blind, blindsight, resistances
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +4
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 12
Skills: Hide +17*, Jump +14, Listen +14*, Move Silently +17*
Feats: Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Multiattack
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organization: Solitary or pack (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 8-14 HD (Medium-size); 15-21 HD (Large)

The amarthuldra is a ravenous predator whose origin is lost to the depths of time. Some claim it was developed as a biological weapon by an ancient eldritch species; others that it evolved on a distant world, eventually devouring all life there before finding portals to new worlds.

In any event, the creature's true name (assuming it has one) is also unknown. The name "amarthuldra" comes from the dwarflike natives of the arctic world of Aslak, known as uldra (which translates as "people" in their tongue). The prefix "amarth-" is close in meaning to "fate," though it has also been translated as "destiny" or even "doom."

On Aslak, the amarthuldra is worshipped by a splinter faction of the uldra. These quasi-nihilists believe that their people are destined to be devoured by the creatures, and go to great lengths to prevent any interference with this fate.

Combat

A lone amarthuldra prefers to lurk in the shadows, trusting its natural stealth to bring prey in close. They seemingly have no fear, and have been known to attack creatures many times their size (particularly when in a pack).

Improved Grab (Ex): If a claw attack hits, the amarthuldra can begin a grapple as a free action.

Rend (Ex): If both claws hit, the amarthuldra automatically rends for an additional 2d4+6 points of damage.

Blind (Ex): The amarthuldra has no sense of vision. It makes up for this with extremely strong hearing.

Blindsight (Ex): The amarthuldra's keen hearing gives it blindsight with a 60-foot range. Completely silent targets, however, are effectively invisible to the amarthuldra.

Resistances (Ex): The amarthuldra has acid, cold, fire, and lightning resistance 10.

Skills: *Amarthuldra receive a +8 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, and Move Silently checks.

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