Buy me a coffeeWalrus, “Monarch of the Ice”
“Discover the jaw-dropping secrets of the walrus—nature’s giant with epic tusks and an unforgettable personality!”
The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a massive, blubbery marine mammal, easily recognizable by its long, curved tusks, whiskered face, and stocky body. Adult males can grow up to 12 feet long and weigh over 4,000 pounds, with females being smaller. Their thick, wrinkled skin is typically a pale brown or gray, and they possess a dense layer of blubber for insulation in the icy Arctic waters. The walrus’s most striking feature is its pair of long, ivory tusks, which can reach lengths of 3 feet and are used for hauling themselves onto ice or land and for dominance displays.
Social by nature, walruses gather in large groups called “haul-outs,” which can number in the thousands. They are highly vocal, communicating with a series of barks, bellows, and growls. They are often seen basking on ice floes or rocky shorelines, where they spend a significant amount of time resting and socializing. When in the water, walruses are graceful swimmers, using their front flippers to propel themselves and their back flippers for steering.
Walruses primarily inhabit the icy coastal regions of the Arctic and sub-Arctic, where they rely on sea ice to haul out and rest. They typically prefer shallow waters rich in benthic invertebrates, which they locate using their sensitive whiskers. They dive to the ocean floor to forage, feeding mostly on clams, snails, and other mollusks, which they suck up using a vacuum-like motion.
Their modus operandi involves careful, strategic use of their tusks and whiskers to navigate their environment and communicate with other walruses. Tusks are essential in fights for territory or mates, while their sensitive whiskers help them locate food on the seafloor. Despite their size, walruses are agile hunters, diving to depths of up to 200 feet to find food.
Motivated by survival, walruses are driven by the need to find food, protect their territory, and reproduce. Their social structure is based on group cooperation for protection and mating, with males often displaying dominance through vocalizations and tusk battles. As they face the challenges of climate change, their motivation to adapt to changing sea ice patterns and find suitable habitats is becoming increasingly important.
Walrus 5e
Walrus Pathfinder
Walrus
Large beast, unaligned
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 126 (12d12 + 48)
Speed 40 ft., swim 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 (+6) | 12 (+1) | 18 (+4) | 5 (-3) | 14 (+2) | 9 (-1) |
Saving Throws Strength +9, Constitution +7
Skills Perception +5, Athletics +9
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages understands Aquan but cannot speak
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
TRAITS
- Keen Smell. The walrus has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
- Amphibious. The walrus can breathe both air and water.
- Blubber Shield. The walrus’s thick blubber grants it resistance to cold damage.
- Tusk Assault. When the walrus hits a creature with its tusk attack, it can attempt to shove the target as a bonus action (Strength check, DC 17). This represents the walrus using its tusks to knock foes off balance or push them into dangerous positions.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The walrus makes two attacks: one with its Tusk and one with its Tail Swipe.
- Tusk. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 27 (3d10 + 6) piercing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. - Tail Swipe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 18 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked back 10 feet and fall prone. - Crushing Weight (Recharge 5-6). The walrus dives onto an opponent within 5 feet of it. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone target.
Hit: 45 (6d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage, and the target is pinned underneath the walrus’s massive body. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw to escape. Until it does, the walrus has advantage on attacks against the pinned creature, and the target is incapacitated.
REACTIONS
- Tusks Parry. When a creature within 5 feet of the walrus hits it with a melee attack, the walrus can use its reaction to make a tusk attack against that creature.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The walrus can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The walrus regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Move. The walrus moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Tusk Jab (Costs 2 Actions). The walrus makes a tusk attack against a target within 5 feet.
- Roar of the Tides (Costs 3 Actions). The walrus lets out a deafening roar. All creatures within 30 feet of the walrus must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of the walrus’s next turn.
TACTICS AND STRATEGY
- Ambush and Control: Walruses typically use their Blubber Shield to resist cold-based attacks while closing in on enemies with their Amphibious trait. They can move easily between land and water, making them versatile in coastal or icy environments. When a walrus has the opportunity, it will likely engage enemies from the water where it is at an advantage and use its Tusk Assault to push enemies into dangerous positions or away from their allies.
- Area Denial: The walrus uses its Tail Swipe to create space between itself and smaller enemies, knocking them back to gain a tactical advantage. The ability to knock enemies prone is also useful for controlling battlefield positioning, especially when fighting in tight spaces or near the edge of cliffs or water.
- Crushing Weight: When facing particularly vulnerable or weakened opponents, the walrus will use Crushing Weight to finish off smaller creatures, effectively pinning them under its bulk for a devastating attack. This ability is useful for isolating single targets and preventing them from escaping.
- Tusk Parry: The walrus’s Tusks Parry ability allows it to defend itself from incoming melee attacks, especially from more nimble or powerful opponents. By using its tusks as both an offensive and defensive weapon, it can retaliate with deadly tusk strikes while protecting itself.
- Roar of the Tides: The Roar of the Tides can be used to disorient opponents or break the morale of a group of enemies. It’s particularly useful against groups of smaller or weaker foes who are frightened by the walrus’s terrifying presence.
ENVIRONMENT AND ROLEPLAYING NOTES
- Habitat: Walruses are typically found in cold, icy environments such as the Arctic or sub-Arctic regions, and they can be encountered on frozen shorelines, ice floes, or rocky beaches. They are highly territorial creatures, often found in groups but willing to fiercely defend their space.
- Personality: While often peaceful and social within their pods, walruses can be territorial and aggressive when their space is threatened. They will attack intruders and protect their families or mating grounds with great determination. When not provoked, they are likely to be seen lounging lazily on ice, often with a slow, deliberate demeanor.
- Combat Behavior: In combat, walruses rely on their size and strength to dominate opponents. They are not particularly fast but are highly resilient and capable of dealing significant damage. Their primary tactic is to use their tusks and tail to knock enemies prone or into dangerous positions, while their thick blubber offers protection from cold-based attacks.
TREASURE
Walrus Tusks (Rare). The tusks of a large walrus are highly prized by collectors and can be used as the base for intricate weapons or magical implements. A tusk can be fashioned into a staff or wand, granting the wielder the Water Breathing spell once per day.
Two long tusks jut from the mouth of this bulky, bewhiskered creature. It walks clumsily on flippers instead of feet
Source Bestiary 4 pg. 271, Animal Archive pg. 29
Walruses normally have gray or brown hides, fading to nearly white when immersed in cold water, and turning pink from increased blood flow when basking in the sun. A thick layer of blubber serves as protection from both predators and cold.
A typical male walrus weighs 1 to 2 tons and measures 10 feet in length, with females about a third lighter and about 9 feet long. Both sexes have tusks up to 3 feet long, and stiff whiskers used to feel out the hiding places of shellfish. A walrus lives up to 40 years.
Owing to their fearsome tusks, prodigious strength, and willingness to fight as a herd, only the most aggressive or hungry polar predators risk attacking an adult walrus. People hunt walruses for meat and for their tusks, valued for their worth as ivory and as impressive trophies in their own right.
| Walrus CR 3 |
| XP 800 N Large animal Init +0; Senses Low-Light Vision; Perception +7 |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 (+8 natural, -1 size) hp 30 (4d8+12) Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +2 |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 10 ft., Swim 40 ft. Melee bite +8 (1d8+7) Space 10 ft., Reach 5 ft. |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 21, Dexterity 11, Constitution 16, Intelligence 2, Wisdom 13, Charisma 6 Base Atk +3; CMB +9; CMD 19 (can’t be tripped) Feats Endurance, Weapon Focus (bite) Skills Perception +7, Swim +17 SQ hold breath |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment cold oceans Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3-24) Treasure none |