Gargantua, Insectoid

Gargantua are truly monstrous species, both in size and ferocity. Whether they are throwbacks to another age, aberrations of natural processes, or results of crazed magical experiments is unknown. Their arrival is heralded by earth tremors, swirling waters or crashing waves, and thunderous roars. The appearance of a gargantua is usually treated as a national emergency and every resource is mobilized to ensure their riddance. Insectoid gargantua make their lairs in warm mountain valleys and caverns. They eat all types of game and vegetation. They prefer mulberry trees, and in just a few hours, a hungry insectoid gargantua can consume an entire grove of them. A females insectoid gargantua lays only a single gigantic egg each decade, and only 20% of such eggs are fertile. Once hatched, the larval insectoid gargantua grows rapidly, spinning a cocoon and entering the pupal stage in five weeks. It remains a pupa for 2-8 weeks, finally emerging as a fully-grown insectoid gargantua. A typical insectoid gargantua is 60 foot long, has a 150-foot wingspan, and weighs 100 tons. Fur coloration is usually gray or black. Insectoid gargantua have a lifespan of several centuries. An insectoid gargantua cannot speak, but scholars believe it may have a language it uses among its own kind, or even between other gargantua.

Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.

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This immense moth is covered with fine fur. Its wings are convered in a brilliant blue, red, yellow, and green pattern. It unleashes a piercing screech that sounds like a warning siren.

Gargantua, Insectoid
Colossal magical beast
Hit Dice	45d10+525 (772 hp)
Initiative	+4
Speed	20 ft. (4 squares), Climb 20 ft, Fly 150 ft. (clumsy)
Armor Class	36 (-8 size, +4 Dexterity, +30 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 32
Base Attack/Grapple	+45/+78
Attack	Bite +55 melee (3d10+25/19-20)
Full Attack	Bite +55 melee (3d10+25/19-20)
Space/Reach	40 ft./30 ft.
Special Attacks	Crush 6d12+25, windstorm
Special Qualities	Damage reduction 10/epic, Darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 20, Low-Light Vision, Scent
Saves	Fort +39, Ref +32, Will +22
Abilities	Strength 45, Dexterity 19, Constitution 33, Intelligence 6, Wisdom 16, Charisma 22
Skills	Climb +25, Listen +35, Spot +35
Feats	Dodge, Endurance, Epic Endurance, Epic Fortitude, Epic Reflexes, Epic Toughness, Epic Will, Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Flyby Attack, Mobility, Power Attack, Snatch, Weapon Focus (bite), Wingover
Environment	Warm and temperate mountains
Organization	Solitary, mated pair or family (2 adults and 1 larva)
Challenge Rating	18
Treasure	None
Alignment	Always chaotic neutral
Advancement	46+ HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment	–

COMBAT

Most gargantua are mindless brutes bent on destruction for destruction’s sake. An insectoid gargantua tries to blow lesser opponents away with a windstorm, or land on them and crush its foes with its bulk. Enemies of Huge size or larger are usually attacked with flyby attacks.

Crush (Ex): A jumping or flying insectoid gargantua can land on opponents as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. Its crush attack is effective only against Large or smaller opponents (though it can attempt normal overrun or grapple attacks against larger opponents).

A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the insectoid gargantua’s body. Creatures in the affected area must succeed on a DC 43 Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking bludgeoning damage during the next round unless the gargantua moves off them. If the gargantua chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. Pinned opponents take damage from the crush each round if they don’t escape. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Windstorm (Ex): As a full-round action, an insectoid gargantua can Hover in place and create a super-tornado force storm. Once started, it can continue this windstorm with a move action each round. The insectoid gargantua’s windstorm can affect a 600-foot cone, or a cylinder with a radius and height of 200 feet (it can choose a different area each round). All flames in the region are extinguished. Ranged attacks are impossible to make while the windstorm is in effect (except for siege weapons or kaiju ranged attacks, which suffer a -8 penalty to attack). Listen checks are impossible.

Creatures of Large or smaller size on the ground must succeed on a DC 49 Fort save or be knocked prone and roll 1d10×10 feet, sustaining 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per 10 feet. Huge creatures on the ground must succeed on the same saving throw or be knocked prone, while Gargantuan creatures on the ground are checked if they fail this save. The save DC is Strength-based.

Flying creatures of Large or smaller size are blown back 2d10×10 feet and sustain 3d6 points of nonlethal damage if they fail the same saving throw. Huge flying creatures are blown back 1d6×10 feet and Gargantuan flying creatures are blown back 1d6×5 feet, but neither take any damage.

Skills: An insectoid gargantua has a +8 racial bonus on Climb, Listen, and Spot checks. It can take 10 on Climb checks, even if threatened or distracted.

Gargantua, Insectoid, Larva
Colossal magical beast
Hit Dice	20d10+220 (330 hp)
Initiative	+1
Speed	20 ft. (4 squares), Climb 20 ft.
Armor Class	23 (-8 size, +1 Dexterity, +20 natural), touch 3, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple	+20/+53
Attack	Bite +30 melee (3d10+25/19-20)
Full Attack	Bite +30 melee (3d10+25/19-20)
Space/Reach	30 ft./30 ft.
Special Attacks	Silk strand, trample 4d12+25
Special Qualities	Damage reduction 5/epic, Darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 15, Low-Light Vision, Scent
Saves	Fort +23, Ref +13, Will +9
Abilities	Strength 45, Dexterity 13, Constitution 33, Intelligence 6, Wisdom 16, Charisma 22
Skills	Climb +25, Listen +34, Spot +34
Feats	Dodge, Endurance, Improved Critical (bite), Mobility, Power Attack, Snatch, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment	Warm and temperate mountains
Organization	Solitary or family (2 adults and 1 larva)
Challenge Rating	14
Treasure	None
Alignment	Always chaotic neutral
Advancement	21-45 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment	–

Silk Strand (Ex): A larval insectoid gargantua can shoot a strand of sticky silk up to 300 feet. Any creature struck by a silk strand is entangled for 2d4 rounds and must make a DC 31 Reflex save or be stuck to the ground, unable to move. Even on a successful save, it can move at only half speed. A winged flying creature is not stuck to the ground, but it must make a DC 31 Reflex save or fall to the ground and be stuck there by the silk. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

A creature stuck to the ground by the gargantua’s silk strand can break free with a successful DC 20 Strength check, or by dealing 25 points of damage to the strand with a slashing weapon. A creature trying to scrape glue off itself, or a creature assisting another creature to do so, need not make an attack roll; hitting the strand is automatic. For each hit, the attacking creature makes a damage roll. Once free, however, the creature is still entangled until the adhesive wears off.

The larval insectoid gargantua often continues to shoot silk strands onto creatures that are already stuck in order to prevent escape. Each additional strand that hits a target increases the DC of the Strength check to break free by 2 and adds 10 hit points to the gluey mass and 2 rounds to the duration of the victim’s entanglement.

Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 37. The save DC is Strength-based.

Originally appeared in Oriental Adventures (1985).