Buy me a coffeeInostrancevia
You won’t believe how Inostrancevia ambushes giant prey on ancient Pangaea with saber‑fangs that slice you in half!
Inostrancevia is a lithe yet powerfully built therapsid stretching up to 12 feet long from snout to tail. Its low, elongated skull houses two pairs of saber‑like upper canines—each nearly a foot long—protruding beneath a thick, muscular jaw. The hide is leathery and mottled in dusky grays and browns, lending camouflage among silt‑choked floodplains. Short, sturdy limbs end in clawed digits, balanced by a stiff, tapering tail that aids in quick lunges and sudden pivots.
Behaviour:
Solitary and highly territorial, Inostrancevia marks its stalking grounds with deep gouges in tree trunks and scattered bone piles. It is most active at dusk and dawn, using low growls and hisses to communicate with unseen rivals. Exhibiting surprising speed for its size, it can burst into a full‑throttle sprint to close gaps or stage strategic retreats to draw prey into ambush zones.
Habitat:
Dwelling in the riverine forests and open floodplains of Late Permian Eurasia, Inostrancevia prefers broken, uneven terrain cluttered with fallen logs and shallow waterways. Dense undergrowth and driftwood provide cover for its hunts, while elevated gravel bars offer vantage points for scanning the horizon.
Modus Operandi:
An ambush specialist, it lurks silently in low brush or submerged up to its shoulders in murky water. When a large herbivore—or rival predator—draws near, it explodes into attack: delivering a swift upward slash with its saber‑fangs aimed at throat or belly. If the initial strike fails, it circles its quarry, nipping at flanks to bleed it out and exploiting its agility to avoid counter‑charges.
Motivation:
Driven by a relentless hunger and territorial instinct, Inostrancevia seeks to maintain undisputed control of its hunting grounds. It is not predatory for sport but for survival—each kill ensures dominance over rivals and sustenance through harsh Permian seasons. Its legacy is one of ruthless efficiency, ruling the twilight realm before the world itself was reshaped by cataclysm.
Inostrancevia 5e
Inostrancevia 3.5
Inostrancevia
Large Beast, Unaligned
- Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 102 (12d10 + 36)
- Speed 40 ft., Climb 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 16 (+3) | 17 (+3) | 3 (–4) | 14 (+2) | 8 (–1) |
- Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +6, Wis +5
- Skills Perception +8, Stealth +6 (in brush or dim light)
- Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 18
- Languages —
- Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Traits
- Keen Sabers. Inostrancevia’s saber‑fangs score a critical hit on a roll of 19–20.
- Ambush Predator. When Inostrancevia is hidden and surprises a creature, its first attack against that creature deals an extra 14 (4d6) slashing damage.
- Powerful Leap. As a bonus action, Inostrancevia can jump up to 20 feet horizontally or 10 feet vertically without provoking opportunity attacks. If it lands within 5 feet of a creature, it may immediately make one Bite attack against that creature.
- Predatory Roar (Recharge 5–6). Inostrancevia emits a bone‑chilling roar in a 30‑foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of Inostrancevia 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.
Actions
- Multiattack. Inostrancevia makes two attacks: one with its Bite and one with its Saber Slash.
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) piercing damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, Inostrancevia can attempt to grapple it (escape DC 16) as part of the same action.
- Saber Slash. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d8 + 6) slashing damage. On a hit, the target takes an additional 7 (2d6) bleeding damage at the start of its next turn unless it uses an action to staunch the wound (DC 14 Medicine check).
- Savage Rend (Recharge 6). Inostrancevia lashes out in a whirlwind of claws and fangs. Each creature within 10 feet of it must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.
Reactions
- Riposte Strike. When a creature misses Inostrancevia with a melee attack, it can use its reaction to make one Saber Slash against that creature.
Tactics
- Opening Ambush. Inostrancevia uses stealth and cover to get Surprise on unwary prey, then unleashes its Ambush Predator bonus damage with a devastating Bite.
- Leap‑and‑Drag. Against a single target, it uses Powerful Leap to close distance, grapples with its Bite, then follows up with Saber Slash to bleed and wear down foes.
- Roar Control. When facing multiple opponents, it begins with Predatory Roar to frighten and scatter the party, picking off stragglers with Savage Rend.
- Defensive Riposte. If struck, Inostrancevia employs Riposte Strike to punish attackers and discourage melee assaults.
- Terrain Mastery. Prefers broken floodplains and forest edges; climbs logs and embankments to spring surprise attacks from above or behind cover.
“Silent as the dusk, swift as the wind—Inostrancevia’s sabers write death across the ancient world.”
This ferocious rhino-sized gorgonopsian is like a hellish combination of sabre-toothed cat and komodo dragon, a brutal killer and expert ambush hunter, as well as the largest of its breed.
Originally Posted by Raptorial of the Wizards Community forums.
Inostrancevia mainly hunts the huge pareiasaurs such as scutosaurus, but humans on horseback are no safer than these lumbering reptilian hulks in the thinner canyons of the harsh, arid plains and the boggy lowland regions of river-encircling oasis jungles. The deadliest feature of this predator isn’t its bone-crushing bite, but the numerous bacteria festering in rotting meat lodged in its deadly dentition.
| Inostrancevia | |
| Large animal | |
| Hit Dice | 5d8+25 (47 hp) |
| Initiative | +2 (+2 Dexterity) |
| Speed | 40 ft. (8 squares) |
| Armor Class | 15 (-1 size, +2 Dexterity, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +3/+12 |
| Attack | Bite +7 melee (1d8+5) |
| Full Attack | Bite +7 melee (1d8+5) |
| Space/Reach | 10 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks | Trip |
| Special Qualities | Disease, Low-Light Vision, Scent |
| Saves | Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +2 |
| Abilities | Strength 21, Dexterity 15, Constitution 21, Intelligence 2, Wisdom 12, Charisma 6 |
| Skills | Hide +1 (+5 in tall grass), Listen +4, Spot +4, Survival +3, Swim +6 |
| Feats | Alertness, Track |
| Environment | Warm plains and marshes |
| Organization | Solitary, family (2-5), or pack (3-7) |
| Challenge Rating | 3 |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Always neutral |
| Advancement | 6-8 HD (Large); 9-11 HD (Huge) |
| Level Adjustment | – |
Disease: The mouth of inostrancevia is a festering brood of vile bacteria, and a bite could prove vicious in more than one way. Anyone that has been dealt damage by an inostrancevia has a 46% of contracting Salmonellosis ((Ingested DC 13 disease; incubation period 1 day; inital damage 1 Strength and 1 Dexterity; secondary damage 1 Strength and 1d3 Dexterity)).