Buy me a coffeeCacops, Fang of the Shale Deep
“From the scorched wastes comes Cacops — the armored toad-beast with a bite as brutal as its bony back!”
Cacops resembles a squat, toad-like predator cloaked in overlapping bony plates along its back and flanks, giving it a distinctly armored silhouette. Its wide, flattened skull houses large, lidless eyes and a mouth full of recurved teeth—ideal for grasping slippery or struggling prey. Warty, moisture-retentive skin stretches between its powerful limbs, allowing bursts of speed across rough terrain. Its body emits a faint, musky odor of scorched stone and damp earth.
Behaviour:
Cacops is a cunning ambush predator that relies on stillness and camouflage to surprise its prey. It is largely solitary, territorial, and tenacious, preferring to outlast rather than outrun opponents. Although cold-blooded, it exhibits eerie patience, able to lie motionless for hours in a predator’s trance. When cornered, it defends itself with sudden, thrashing strikes and bone-jarring bellows that echo across stone canyons.
Habitat:
Native to arid badlands, basalt flats, and scorched riverbeds, the Cacops thrives in regions where water is scarce but burrowing prey is abundant. It shelters in rock crevices, root systems, or shallow burrows, emerging mostly at dusk or after storms. In magical or forgotten realms, it may be found guarding the entrances to lost temples or fossil-ridden tombs.
Modus Operandi:
Cacops hunts by burying itself in loose soil or lurking beneath foliage, waiting for vibrations or sounds that signal prey. It strikes with a sudden leap, snapping its powerful jaws shut around smaller creatures and dragging them back to its lair. It often uses terrain traps—pits, roots, or debris—as natural snares. If wounded, it may flee into crevices too narrow for most pursuers, using its armored hide to wedge itself in place.
Motivation:
Though lacking true intelligence, the Cacops operates with an eerie, almost ritualistic persistence. It is drawn to places of transition—drying riverbeds, collapsing cliffs, ancient stone paths—as if compelled to anchor itself where the land is most fragile. Scholars argue this behavior stems from instinct, but local folklore claims Cacops is a vessel for the land’s forgotten wrath, a creature that hunts not for sustenance alone, but to defend the silence of the deep earth from all who disturb it.
Cacops 5e
Cacops, Pathfinder
Cacops 3.5
Cacops
Small beast, unaligned
Armor Class: 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 52 (7d6 + 28)
Speed: 30 ft., burrow 10 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 3 (-4) | 12 (+1) | 6 (-2) |
Saving Throws: Con +6, Dex +4
Skills: Stealth +4, Perception +3
Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing (nonmagical)
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Tremorsense 30 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages: —
Challenge: 2 (450 XP)
Traits
- Armored Hide. The Cacops has tough osteoderms fused to its skin, granting resistance to bludgeoning and piercing damage from nonmagical attacks.
- Ambush Predator. The Cacops has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised.
- Burrower. The Cacops can burrow through loose earth and sand without leaving a tunnel.
- Keen Tremorsense. The Cacops can detect and pinpoint the origin of vibrations within 30 feet, even if it cannot see or hear the source.
Actions
- Multiattack. The Cacops makes two attacks: one with its Bite and one with its Claw.
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be grappled (escape DC 13). While grappled, the target takes 5 (1d10) piercing damage at the start of each of the Cacops’ turns as it clamps down. - Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage. - Terrifying Bellow (Recharge 5–6). The Cacops emits a bone-rattling roar. Each creature of the Cacops’ choice within 30 feet that can hear it must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Reactions
- Wedge Escape. When a creature grapples the Cacops or attempts to shove it, the Cacops can use its armored body to wedge itself into a narrow space, forcing the creature to succeed on a Strength (Athletics) check against DC 14 or be pushed back 10 feet.
Tactics
- Uses Tremorsense and Stealth to lie in wait and ambush prey from cover or while buried.
- Grapples foes with its bite to slowly wear them down with crushing damage.
- Employs its Terrifying Bellow when outnumbered or threatened to frighten and scatter enemies.
- Retreats into tight crevices or narrow spaces, forcing pursuers into difficult terrain or contested Strength checks.
Description
A squat, heavily armored amphibian covered in bony plates and possessing a wide, powerful jaw, the Cacops is a relentless ambush predator of arid wastelands and rocky badlands. Despite its small size, its tenacity, armored hide, and bone-chilling roar make it a dangerous foe.
Cacops
CR 3
XP 800
N Small Animal
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +5
Defense
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +5 natural)
HP 39 (6d8 + 12)
Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2
Offense
Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft.
Melee bite +6 (1d6+4 plus grab), claw +6 (1d6+2)
Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.
Statistics
Str 15, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +4; CMB +6 (+8 grapple); CMD 18
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Bite)
Skills Stealth +7, Perception +5
Special Abilities
Armored Hide (Ex): The Cacops’ thick osteoderms provide a +5 natural armor bonus to AC.
Ambush Predator (Ex): Gains +2 on attack rolls against flat-footed targets.
Burrower (Ex): Can burrow through loose earth or sand at burrow speed without leaving a tunnel.
Keen Tremorsense (Ex): Can detect and pinpoint vibrations within 30 feet even without sight.
Terrifying Bellow (Su) (Recharge 5–6): As a standard action, emits a bone-rattling roar. Creatures within 30 feet that can hear it must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or become shaken for 1d4 rounds.
Tactics
The Cacops prefers to ambush prey, striking with a bite and grappling to crush victims. It uses its terrifying bellow to frighten foes when outnumbered and wedges itself into tight spaces to evade capture.
Cacops
Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.
Cacops was a genus of dissorophid amphibians that is known from the Early Permian. It was about 40 cm (16 inches) long, with a heavily built skull and an enormous optic notch enclosed with a bony bar; indicating an enormous eardrum. It is a nocturnal animal the body is short, and the back is protected by a double row of armour plates. The legs are strong and indicate a terrestrial animal, and the tail was short.
| Cacops | |
| Tiny Animal (Aquatic) | |
| Hit Dice | 1d8+2 (6 hp) |
| Initiative | +2 |
| Speed | 10 ft. (2 squares), Swim 40 ft. |
| Armor Class | 17 (+2 size, +2 Dexterity, +3 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 15 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +0/-9 |
| Attack | Bite +4 melee (1d4-1) |
| Full Attack | Bite +4 melee (1d4-1) |
| Space/Reach | 2-1/2 ft./0 ft. |
| Special Attacks | – |
| Special Qualities | Amphibious, light fortification, Low-Light Vision |
| Saves | Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +0 |
| Abilities | Strength 9, Dexterity 14, Constitution 15, Intelligence 1, Wisdom 11, Charisma 5 |
| Skills | Hide +11*, Listen +3, Spot +3, Swim +8 |
| Feats | Alertness, Weapon Finesse (B) |
| Environment | Warm marshes |
| Organization | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating | 1/2 |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Always neutral |
| Advancement | 2 HD (Tiny), 3-4 HD (Small) |
| Level Adjustment | – |
COMBAT
Cacops hunt smaller creatures, biting with a mouth lined with sharp teeth.
Light Fortification (Ex): A cacops’ bony plates protect its vital areas and makes it resistant to extra damage from critical hits and sneak attacks. Anytime a cacops is hit by a critical hit or a sneak attack, it has a 25% chance to resist the extra damage.
Skills: A cacops has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
*A cacops gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in the water. Further, a cacops can lie in the water with only its eyes and nostrils showing, gaining a +10 cover bonus on Hide checks.
Originally appeared Dragon Magazine #176 (1991).