Megafauna, Archelon

An ancient relative of the smaller leatherback sea turtle, the archelon has an exceedingly powerful bite, and doesn’t hesitate to use it to deter aquatic nuisances.

Like other sea turtles, female archelons come ashore to lay and bury their eggs in sandy beaches, preferably facing deep water and without coral reefs. Once done, they return to the sea, leaving their eggs defenseless.

These creatures are often used by coastal tribes as guardians and escorts from island to island. Aquatic creatures, particularly locathah, often use them as beasts of burden, but their relatively slow swim speed makes them poor mounts.

The shell of this immense sea turtle easily spans 12 feet in length. Its narrow head ends in a hooked beak.

Archelon CR 5

XP 1,600
N Huge animal
Init +5; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +10

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 9, flat-footed 18 (+10 armor, +1 Dex, -2 size)
hp 59 (7d8+28)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +5

OFFENSE

Speed 15 ft., swim 50 ft.
Melee bite +10 (2d8+9)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks capsize (DC 25)

STATISTICS

Str 22, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +5; CMB +13; CMD 24 (28 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lunge, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Perception +10, Swim +18
SQ hold breath

ECOLOGY

Environment warm or temperate water or coastlines
Organization solitary or bale (2-6)
Treasure none

Section 15: Copyright Notice Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3, © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.