Warped Wednesday - Rustaur

Today, we're using one of the classic horrors, and warping it with the Bipedal Template from Green Ronin's Advanced Bestiary. Now the beast has just enough intellect to be dangerous, especially with it's big club.

Rustaur (Giant Advanced Bipedal Rust Monster) CR6

With the body of a massive chitin shelled humanoid, and a strange propeller like tail, feathery antenna on its insect like head, it raises its club as it looks hungrily at your armor.

bipedal template (Advanced Bestiary pg. 27)

XP 2,400
NE Large aberration
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent metals 90 ft.; Perception +14

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DEFENSE

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AC 24, touch 13, flat-footed 20 (+4 Dex, +11 natural, -1 size)
hp 57 (5d8+25)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +7;

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OFFENSE

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Speed 40 ft., climb 10 ft.
Melee bite +11 (1d4+6), antennae +5 touch (rust), large great club +11 (2d6+6)
Space 10 ft.Reach 10 ft.

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STATISTICS

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Str 22, Dex 19, Con 21, Int 6, Wis 17, Cha 12;
Base Atk +3; CMB +8; CMD 22
Feats: Ability Focus (rust), Skill Focus (Perception), Improved Natural Armor
Skills: Climb +12, Perception +14

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ECOLOGY

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Environment any underground
Organization solitary, pair, or nest (3-10)
Treasure incidental (no metal treasure)

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SPECIAL ABILITIES

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Rust (Su) A rust monster's antennae are a primary touch attack that causes any metal object they touch to swiftly rust and corrode. The object touched takes half its maximum hp in damage and gains the broken condition-a second hit destroys the item. A rust monster never provokes attacks of opportunity by attempting to strike a weapon with its antennae. Against creatures made of metal, a rust monster's antennae deal 3d6+5 points of damage. An attended object, any magic object, or a metal creature can attempt a DC 17 Reflex save to negate this effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Scent Metals (Ex) This ability functions much the same as the scent ability, except that the range is 90 feet and the rust monster can only use it to sense metal objects (including creatures wearing or carrying metal objects).

Rustaur stand roughly 9 feet in height, having a heavily armored carapace akin to an umber hulk. Rustaur are similar to Minotaur in form, but with a thick chitinous carapace.

Being intelligent humanoids, Rustaurs tend to actively seek the metals they so crave. They are not intelligent enough to analyze threats like wizards, they are easily tricked by large amounts of metal. It is smart enough to know to take out weapons and armor of opponents to make a light snack of the rest of their equipment.

Rustaurs unlike their base stock, have developed a mean streak, they are bullies to the core, and often delight in terrorizing weaker creatures, often forcing them to bring tribute in the form of raw metal, or be pounded into a pulp. Often Rustaurs will lay in ambush outside a town, waylaying travelers of their metals, however their ruthlessness tends to get those hunted down rather quickly.

Advances: Rustaur that advance in a character class will typically become barbarians, beware of those that become excellent trackers however, just dropping your shield probably won't protect you.

Designer Note: I increased the CR to 6 instead of 5 based upon the higher AC. In addition the reach combined with the touch rust attack will tend to make combat with a Rustaur extremely painful.

Ironlorne is one such beast, a 5th level barbarian Rustaur. To be revealed next week.