This site is games | books | films

Kongamato

The Kongamato is a fearsome, ancient creature that roams the deep, untamed jungles of Africa, a remnant of a prehistoric age. Standing at nearly 8 feet tall when fully upright, it has a wingspan that can stretch over 15 feet, with leathery, bat-like wings that ripple ominously in the air. Its body is covered in dark, scaled skin that glimmers faintly under the moonlight, with sharp, jagged ridges running along its back and head. Its head resembles a grotesque fusion of a bird and reptile, with a long, powerful beak that curves downward and sharp teeth lining its jaws. Its eyes are large, glowing red or yellow, reflecting a predatory intelligence. A short, barbed tail aids in its swift flight, and claws on its feet can tear through flesh with terrifying precision.

The Kongamato is a nocturnal predator, fiercely territorial and aggressive toward intruders. It hunts by gliding silently through the air, using its keen eyesight to locate prey from above. Once it spots its victim—a large mammal or even a human—it swoops down with blinding speed, slashing with its claws and beak to immobilize its prey before lifting it off the ground. The creature’s preferred tactic is to strike from the shadows, attacking in a flurry of movement, and then retreating to its high, secluded nests located deep within the thickest parts of the jungle.

Its habitat consists of dense, isolated rainforests, especially those near the uncharted mountain ranges or deep river valleys where humans rarely venture. The thick canopy allows the Kongamato to soar undetected, while the lush undergrowth provides it with abundant hiding spots. These regions are so remote that they remain largely untouched by civilization, allowing the Kongamato to maintain its mythical status.

The creature’s motivation is survival and dominance. The Kongamato is driven by an insatiable hunger for flesh, but it also maintains a territorial dominance over the skies and forests. It is not a creature of random violence but a calculating hunter, with an inherent need to protect its domain from any who dare encroach. Despite its solitary nature, it sometimes challenges other apex predators in the area, like giant serpents or massive carnivorous birds, showing a fierce will to be the undisputed ruler of its jungle kingdom.


Huge beast, chaotic evil


Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 350 (30d12 + 150)
Speed 60 ft., fly 120 ft.


STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
30 (+10)28 (+9)26 (+8)12 (+1)16 (+3)18 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex +16, Con +15, Wis +10, Cha +11
Skills Perception +17, Stealth +16
Damage Immunities Lightning, Thunder
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 27
Languages Understands Draconic and Common, but can’t speak
Challenge 18 (20,000 XP)


TRAITS

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Kongamato fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Flight Mastery. The Kongamato can hover and make attacks while flying with no penalty. It can also perform complex aerial maneuvers without provoking opportunity attacks.
Territorial Predator. The Kongamato becomes enraged if an intruder enters its territory (typically a 100-mile radius of its lair) or threatens its nest. It has advantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and damage rolls against creatures that have entered this territory or that threaten its nest.

Darkvision. The Kongamato can see in complete darkness as if it were bright light for 120 feet.


ACTIONS

Multiattack. The Kongamato makes three attacks: one with its beak, one with its claws, and one with its tail.

Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d8 + 10) piercing damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d6 + 10) slashing damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (4d6 + 10) bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the target must succeed on a DC 22 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Screech of the Abyss (Recharge 5–6). The Kongamato lets out a deafening screech that can be heard up to 1 mile away. All creatures within 120 feet of the Kongamato must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 minute. A stunned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Aerial Predation (Recharge 6). The Kongamato swoops down at incredible speed, targeting a creature on the ground. It must move at least 30 feet in a straight line toward a creature before it makes this attack. The target must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take 50 (10d10) piercing damage and be grappled by the Kongamato. On a success, the target takes half damage and is not grappled. While grappling a creature, the Kongamato can fly at half speed.


LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The Kongamato 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 Kongamato regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

  • Claw Attack. The Kongamato makes one claw attack.
  • Terrifying Swoop (Costs 2 Actions). The Kongamato swoops downward to make a melee attack with its beak.
  • Wing Buffet (Costs 3 Actions). The Kongamato beats its wings in a powerful gust. All creatures within 15 feet must succeed on a DC 22 Strength saving throw or be pushed 20 feet away and knocked prone.

REGIONAL EFFECTS

The region within 10 miles of the Kongamato’s lair becomes dangerous and hostile. The following effects occur within the area:

  • Weather Distortion. Violent storms and constant wind gusts make it nearly impossible to fly or travel through the area without significant risk.
  • Wildlife Aggression. Animals within the region, even those that are typically non-threatening, become unusually aggressive and territorial.
  • Darkened Skies. The moon and stars are often obscured by thick clouds that hang low in the sky, creating a constant twilight that saps morale. Any creature that rests within 5 miles of the Kongamato’s lair gains one level of exhaustion upon waking.

TACTICS

  • Surprise Ambush. The Kongamato’s primary method of attack is to surprise its prey by silently gliding through the air at night. It uses its superior stealth to approach and strike before enemies have a chance to react. Once it has a target in its grasp, it often flies high into the air before dropping the victim or tearing them apart with its claws and beak.
  • Screech and Retreat. The Kongamato uses its Screech of the Abyss to stun large groups of enemies and weaken their resolve. Once stunned, it will pick off weakened or isolated targets, swooping down to kill with precision before retreating into the night.
  • Territorial Defense. If threatened or provoked, the Kongamato becomes relentless. It will use Aerial Predation to grab any intruders and carry them off, often dropping them from great heights to finish the kill. It will also employ hit-and-run tactics to force weaker enemies to flee.

DESCRIPTION

The Kongamato is a terrifying, ancient flying reptile that roams the untamed skies above the vast African savannas. With its huge leathery wings, sharp beak, and glowing amber eyes, it is a master of aerial combat and terror. It hunts at night, silently gliding over its domain, and strikes with such precision and power that few creatures survive an encounter with it.

The Kongamato is fiercely territorial and protective of its nest, making its home in remote and nearly unreachable cliffs or mountain ranges. It has an eerie presence, with a deep, guttural screech that can chill the bones of even the bravest adventurers. Only the most daring or foolish venture into its territory, as the Kongamato will stop at nothing to defend its domain from intruders.

In the wilds near its lair, the air grows heavy and oppressive, filled with a sense of foreboding as the Kongamato watches from above, ready to strike. It is a creature of the night, a living legend that instills terror in all who hear its name.

D&D 5E Epic Monsters: Kongamato

Kongamoto DnD 5E BANNER.jpg

A prehistoric terror known as the overwhelmer of boats: the kongamato.

D&D 5E – Epic Monsters: Kongamato | EN World | Dungeons & Dragons | Tabletop Roleplaying Games

First described and named by Frank Welland In Witchbound Africa (1932) as a large beaked, reddish creature with leathery wings, much of the writing about the kongamato points to locals identifying illustrations of a pterodactyl as the same creature. He also notes that “[locals] do not consider it to be an unnatural thing like a mulombe (demon) only a very awful thing, like a man-eating lion or a rogue elephant, but infinitely worse”. However the kongamato is a proper cryptid if there ever was one, there are many stories about it, and in truth it resembles a variety of airborne mythical creatures (including Papua New Guinea’s ropen).

The kongamato is generally thought to be in Angola, the Congo, and Zambia, but there are more specific historical references to Jiundu Swamp (northwestern Zambia) and Lake Bangweulu (also Zambia). Wherever it may be, people near its territory are said to carry charms called muchi wa Kongamato to protect them from it at certain river crossings. Rightly so—this monster capsizes canoes and attacks people on the shore, and though it mostly eats fish humans are still on the menu, and grisly enough it’s thought to dig up graves to steal and consume fresh corpses. A few of the stand out references to creatures that might be the kongamato are:

  • In The Harleian Collections of Travels (1745) there’s a claim by Mr. E. Lopes (insert skeptical eye here) that in a province of Bemba (a sea coast from Ambrize River [maybe Ambriz in Angola?] to Coanza River [also Angola]) there are flesh eating ram-sized dragon-winged scaled blue green two-footed many-toothed tailed serpents that are worshiped as gods.
  • In Collections of Voyages (1746) an Agent-General of the Royal Company of Africa named John Barbot wrote that off the coasts of South Guinea there were “winged serpents or dragons having a forked tail and a prodigious wide mouth, full of sharp teeth, extremely mischievous to mankind, and more particularly to small children.”
  • In Mythical Monsters (1886) Charles Gould described winged dusky green and yellow predators with plenty of sharp teeth, clawed feet, two ears, and curiously “five prominent and conspicuous tubercles on the back.”
  • In A Game Warden on Safari (1928) A. Blaney Percival recorded local tales from the Kitui Wakamba of “a huge flying beast which comes down from Mount Kenya by night” only seen against the sky and by its two-footed tracks and heavy tail, a creature they call the batamzinga.
  • There are two accounts from Fort Roseberry west of Lake Bangweulu (the first by J. P. F. Brown in the Rhodesia Herald in 1956) of flying prehistoric creatures, the latter of which included a hospital report in 1957 about a chest wound delivered by a creature that a local claimed was a large bird—which when sketched out resembled a pterosaur.

Kongamato

Large beast, unaligned
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 52 (7d10+14)
Speed 15 ft., fly 60 ft.

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
18 (+4)​15 (+2)​14 (+2)​3 (–4)​13 (+1)​6 (–2)​

Saving Throws Wis +3; Proficiency +2
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +3
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages —
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Flyby. The kongamato doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Keen Sight. The kongamato has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Swoop. If the kongamato flies at least 30 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a bite attack on the same turn, it can use a bonus action to try to bowl the creature over. The creature must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The kongamato attacks twice.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage.

Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). The kongamato has two talons, each of which can grapple only one target while the kongamato is in the air.

REACTION
Soar. When the kongamato grapples a prone creature with its talons, it can use its reaction to fly up to half its flying speed.

Kongamato

By Dmitry Bogdanov - dmitrchel@mail.ru, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2864243, Kongamato
By Dmitry Bogdanov – [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2864243

A massive draconic creature with a birdlike head dives from the sky, letting loose a piercing scream as it descends.

Source: Pathfinder d20pfsrd.com

Kongamatos are primeval dragons that hunt the deep jungles of the world. Although not as intelligent or magically adept as their “true” cousins, kongamatos are respected and feared for their resilience and awesome strength. While the kongamato’s body is clearly draconic’ squat and dense with sharp claws capping each of its four limbs’ the creature’s head is distinctly avian, with a long, toothless beak and a pronounced crest. A kongamato’s hide is a rich emerald hue, with an ash-colored underbelly and crimson webbing on its broad wings. Females have smaller head-crests than males, and a rosy hue colors both the undersides of their wings and their underbellies.

Kongamatos are apex predators that make their lairs in the tops of the oldest and strongest trees, or in caves and ruins. Kongamatos are carnivorous and prey on large herd animals. Although they do not have teeth, their beaks are sharp and strong, allowing them to carve their kills with precision and to punch through wood, rock, and even metal. When possible, kongamatos hunt on the perimeter of their territories, gliding silently and gracefully through even the thickest forest foliage to surprise prey.

Both males and females grow to a length of almost 30 feet, with an equally broad wingspan, and can weigh up to 7 tons. Kongamatos live between 500 and 600 years.

Kongamato CR 15
XP 51,200

N Huge dragon

Init +7; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light Vision; Perception +23
DEFENSE
AC 29, touch 11, flat-footed 26 (+3 Dexterity, +18 natural, -2 size)

hp 261 (18d12+144)

Fort +19, Ref +16, Will +13

DR 10/magic; Immune magic paralysis and sleep; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 26
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., Fly 160 ft. (average)

Melee bite +28 (2d6+2), 2 claws +28 (1d8+12), tail slap +26 (2d6+6), 2 wings +26 (1d8+6)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks wailing dive, breath weapon (50-ft. cone, 14d6 sonic damage, Reflex DC 20 for half, usable every 1d4 rounds)
STATISTICS
Strength 34, Dexterity 17, Constitution 26, Intelligence 9, Wisdom 14, Charisma 17

Base Atk +18; CMB +32; CMD 45 (49 vs. trip)

Feats Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack, Snatch, Wingover

Skills Climb +19, Fly +20, Intimidate +16, Perception +23, Sense Motive +15, Stealth +13, Survival +20

Languages Draconic

SQ compression, piercing beak
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Piercing Beak (Ex)   A kongamato’s beak is extremely hard and adept at breaking objects. When attempting to damage an item, a kongamato’s beak attack does double damage and is treated as if it were adamantine for the purposes of overcoming the object’s hardness. Wailing Dive (Su) When a kongamato makes a charge while flying or uses its Flyby Attack feat, the creature’s body becomes infused with energy, causing its bite to deal an extra +1d6 points of sonic damage on that attack.
ECOLOGY
Environment tropical forests

Organization solitary or pair

Treasure standard

Section 15: Copyright Notice – Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3

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.

Scroll to Top