StraughCreature 10

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Source Pathfinder #184: The Ghouls Hunger
Perception +17 (darkvision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet)
Languages none
Skills Acrobatics +17, Athletics +22, Intimidation +17, Stealth +22, Survival +22
Str +8, Dex +3, Con +7, Int -4, Wis +3, Cha +0

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AC 29; Fort +22; Reflex +16; Will +16;
HP 220 (negative healing)
Speed 30 feet (burrow 20 feet)
Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious

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Beak +23 (+18, +13) to hit 2d12+12 Piercing
Talon +23 (+18, +13) to hit 2d8+12 Piercing

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Darkvision

A monster with darkvision can see perfectly well in areas of darkness and dim light, though such vision is in black and white only. Some forms of magical darkness, such as a 4th-level Darkness spell, block normal darkvision. A monster with Greater Darkvision, however, can see through even these forms of magical darkness.

Scent (Imprecise) 30 feet

Scent involves sensing creatures or objects by smell, and is usually a vague sense. The range is listed in the ability, and it functions only if the creature or object being detected emits an aroma (for instance, incorporeal creatures usually do not exude an aroma).

If a creature emits a heavy aroma or is upwind, the GM can double or even triple the range of scent abilities used to detect that creature, and the GM can reduce the range if a creature is downwind.

Negative Healing

A creature with negative healing draws health from negative energy rather than positive energy. It is damaged by positive damage and is not healed by positive healing effects. It does not take negative damage, and it is healed by negative effects that heal undead.

Consume Flesh (manipulate)

Requirements The ghoul is adjacent to the corpse of a creature that died within the last hour.

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Effect The ghoul devours a chunk of the corpse and regains 7d6 Hit Points.

It can regain Hit Points from any given corpse only once.

Fetid Screech (olfactory)

Unaware that its vocal organs have withered and decayed, the straugh instinctively but ineffectively attempts to screech, instead releasing malodorous gas, half-digested corpse flesh, and small swarms of maggots from its open beak. The straugh releases a disgusting cloud of gas and decaying detritus in a 15-foot cone; any creature within the area must attempt a DC 28 fortitude save. On a failure, the creature is Sickened 2. On a critical failure, the creature also takes a -5 foot status penalty to its Speeds for 1 round. Any creature that succeeds at the save is temporarily immune to Fetid Screech for 24 hours.

Effect: Fetid Screech (Critical Failure)

Ghoul Fever (disease)

Saving Throw DC 28 fortitude

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Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day)

Stage 2 4d8 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day)

Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day)

Stage 4 4d8 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day)

Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day)

Stage 6 dead, and rises as a Ghoul the next midnight.

Paralysis (incapacitation, necromancy, occult)

Any living, non-elf creature hit by a ghoul's attack must succeed at a DC 26 fortitude save or become Paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each such save.

Rock Tunneler

A straugh can burrow through solid stone at a Speed of 10 feet. It can leave a tunnel if it desires, and it usually does.

Tunneling Strike (earth)

Requirements The straugh has Burrowed underground and remains undetected by the creature it plans to attack

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Effect The straugh Burrows twice to emerge from the ground adjacent to at least one enemy and immediately makes a Strike against that foe.

Improved Grab

The monster can use Grab as a free action triggered by a hit with its initial attack. A monster with Improved Grab still needs to spend an action to extend the duration for creatures it already has Grabbed.

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When skirmishes break out between tunneling ghouls and creatures that dwell beneath the surface of Golarion, there's a chance that ghoul fever could infect such animals, producing strange new variants of ghoul beasts. However, letting the natural corruption run its course sometimes results in unsatisfying monsters, so some necromancers speed the process. This is the situation that led to the creation of the first straugh. A priest of Kabriri made the monstrosity to defend a claimed cemetery from another sect of ghouls who were preying upon the interred bodies. In some places, ghouls use straughs to tunnel into rival warrens or highly fortified mausoleums.

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Traits