Buy me a coffeeShantak — The Void-Borne Nightmare Mount of the Moon
A colossal winged horror of the Dreamlands that carries its riders through moonlit skies and the cold gulfs between worlds.
First described in the dream-cycle tales of H. P. Lovecraft—most notably in The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath—the Shantak is a monstrous flying creature of cosmic horror and alien skies. These immense winged beasts haunt the upper reaches of the Dreamlands and the black gulfs beyond the world, serving as terrifying aerial mounts for the mysterious moon-beasts. Capable of traversing impossible distances through dream-realms and void alike, a Shantak is both a predator and a vehicle of dread—an ancient, unnatural creature whose vast wings can carry riders across worlds but just as easily abandon them in the cold darkness between the stars.
Appearance
A massive, grotesque flying creature resembling a monstrous fusion of reptile, bird, and bat. Its body is long and sinewy, covered in coarse scales or leathery hide the color of storm clouds or midnight stone. Vast membranous wings stretch from its shoulders, capable of blotting out moonlight as they beat against the air.
Its neck is serpentine and unnaturally long, ending in a narrow, horse-like head filled with jagged teeth. Large, glassy eyes gleam with alien awareness, reflecting faint starlight even in total darkness. Its talons are long and curved for gripping prey—or riders—while its tail trails behind like a barbed whip. The overall impression is one of immense age and wrongness, as though the creature evolved in skies not meant for mortal life.
Behaviour
They are cruel but intelligent beasts with a predatory cunning. Though capable of independent hunting, they are often subjugated and trained by the enigmatic moon-beasts, who use them as living steeds to traverse the Dreamlands and beyond.
They are territorial in open skies and high mountain regions, circling endlessly on silent wings. They typically show little emotion, responding with cold indifference or sudden bursts of savage violence when provoked.
When domesticated or magically bound, they exhibit an eerie obedience, responding to whistles, gestures, or strange alien commands.
Habitat
Inhabiting the highest and most remote reaches of the Dreamlands—particularly bleak mountain ranges, moonlit plateaus, and the strange void-paths that lead beyond the world’s atmosphere.
They are frequently encountered near cosmic gateways, ancient ruins, and dream-realms that border the cold vacuum between worlds. Some legends claim that entire flocks dwell on the dark side of the Moon, where they roost among jagged basalt cliffs beneath alien stars.
Modus Operandi
A Shantak hunts primarily from the air. It circles high above potential prey before diving with terrifying speed, striking with crushing talons capable of lifting large creatures from the ground.
When fighting intelligent foes, it relies on mobility and altitude—swooping in, striking, and climbing back into the sky before retaliation can reach it. Its powerful wings generate violent gusts that can scatter enemies or knock them from cliffs.
Against larger prey, it may carry victims high into the air before dropping them to their deaths.
Motivation
Shantaks are driven primarily by predatory instinct and the urge to roam vast skies. However, they also respond strongly to domination by more powerful beings—particularly the moon-beasts that traditionally command them.
When free, a Shantak seeks territory rich in hunting opportunities and high vantage points. When enslaved, it becomes a terrifying instrument of transportation and war, carrying its masters across impossible distances through dream, sky, and void.
Shantak 5.5e
Shantak Pathfinder
Shantak
Gargantuan aberration, chaotic evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 225 (18d20 + 90)
Speed 40 ft., fly 120 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 (+8) | 14 (+2) | 20 (+5) | 7 (−2) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) |
Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +10, Wis +7
Skills Perception +7, Stealth +7
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages understands Deep Speech but can’t speak
Challenge 14 (11,500 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +5
Traits
Aerial Predator. It has advantage on attack rolls against creatures that are prone or that are not flying.
Void-Borne. The shantak doesn’t require breathable air and is naturally adapted to extreme cold and thin atmospheres, allowing it to fly through the highest skies or even the void between worlds.
Frightful Presence. Creatures of the shantak’s choice within 30 feet of it that can see it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of their next turn. A creature that succeeds on the save is immune to this shantak’s Frightful Presence for 24 hours.
Alien Mount. A creature attempting to mount or control a shantak must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. On a failure, the creature is violently thrown off, landing prone in an adjacent space.
Actions
Multiattack. It makes two attacks: one with its Bite and one with its Talons.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.
Hit: 26 (3d10 + 8) piercing damage.
Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 24 (3d10 + 8) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 18). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the shantak can’t use its talons on another target.
Wing Buffet (Recharge 5–6). The shantak beats its enormous wings. Each creature within 15 feet of it must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or take 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage, be pushed 15 feet away, and fall prone. The shantak can then fly up to half its flying speed.
Bonus Actions
Drop Prey. The shantak releases a creature it is grappling while flying. The creature falls normally.
Reactions
Swooping Dodge. When a creature the shantak can see makes a ranged attack against it while it is flying, the shantak imposes disadvantage on the attack roll.
Tactics
A shantak is an apex aerial predator that prefers to fight from the sky. It typically begins an encounter circling far overhead before diving at high speed. Its preferred tactic is to snatch prey with its talons, ascend hundreds of feet into the air, and then drop the victim to its death.
Against organized foes, a shantak uses its immense speed to perform repeated swooping attacks, striking isolated enemies before retreating back into the sky. When threatened by numerous ranged attackers, it uses powerful wing buffets to scatter enemies before escaping upward.
When enslaved by strange lunar masters, a shantak becomes a terrifying war mount, carrying riders across impossible distances through dream-realms, alien skies, and the cold gulfs between worlds.
Encounter Ideas
Moon-Beast Riders. A group of alien slavers mounted on shantaks descend from the night sky, seeking captives for distant worlds.
The Sky Tyrant. A solitary shantak has claimed a mountain range as its hunting territory, snatching travelers and livestock alike.
Dreamlands Passage. A desperate guide offers the only route across a vast dream-ocean: riding a barely controlled shantak.
Shantak
Larger than an elephant, this scaly, bird-like creature has a vaguely horse-like head and vast, slime-encrusted wings.
This content is from the Paizo Core Rules.
Many shantaks have a strange and irrational fear of certain creatures, such as the faceless nightgaunts said to dwell in certain remote mountains, or specific types of harpies or gargoyles in more civilized regions. A shantak avoids confrontations with these types of creatures if possible.
A shantak’s ability to travel the gulfs of space ensures that these scaly, bird-like creatures can be found on numerous worlds. Yet despite this unique ability, shantaks are generally quite reluctant to seek out new worlds unless faced with no other option, for a shantak knows well that an attempt to fly to an unknown world could easily result in being lost forever in the gulfs of space.
| Shantak CR 8 |
| XP 4,800 CE Huge magical beast Init +3; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light Vision; Perception +3 |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+3 Dexterity, +10 natural, 2 size) hp 104 (11d10+44) Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +6 Defensive Abilities slippery; Immune cold, disease |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 20 ft., Fly 80 ft. (average) Melee bite +17 (2d6+8) 2 talons +17 (1d8+8 plus grab) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 26, Dexterity 17, Constitution 19, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 17, Charisma 10 Base Atk +11; CMB +21 (+25 grapple); CMD 34 (42 vs. grapple) Feats Awesome Blow, Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Wingover Skills Escape Artist +11, Fly +13; Racial Modifiers +8 Escape Artist Languages Aklo SQ no breath, share defenses, starflight |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Share Defenses (Su) As a free action, a shantak can extend its no breath ability and cold immunity to a single creature touching it. It can withdraw this protection as a free action. Slippery (Ex) A shantak’s scales seep slippery slime. This grants the creature a +8 bonus on all Escape Artist checks and to its CMD against grapples, and imparts a 5 penalty on all Ride checks made by creatures attempting to ride a shantak. Starflight (Su) A shantak can survive in the void of outer space. It flies through space at an incredible speed. Although exact travel times vary, a trip within a single solar system should take 3d20 hours, while a trip beyond should take 3d20 days (or more, at the GM’s discretion)provided the shantak knows the way to its destination. Shantaks speak in a shrill voice that sounds like glass grinding against stone. They are intelligent creatures and cannot be trained as mounts – a would-be shantak rider must use Diplomacy or magic to secure a shantaks cooperation as a mount, and even then, shantaks have a tendency to deliberately strand riders in dangerous areas. |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment cold mountains Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3-12) Treasure none |
H. P. Lovecraft
A shantak is a fictional creature in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft. It is also part of the Cthulhu Mythos. The creature first appeared in Lovecraft’s novella The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (1926).
“They were not any birds or bats known elsewhere on earth or in dreamland, for they were larger than elephants and had heads like a horse’s. Carter knew that they must be the shantak-birds of ill rumour, and wondered no more what evil guardians and nameless sentinels made men avoid the boreal rock desert.”
H. P. Lovecraft, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath “A shantak is a huge, scaly, birdlike creature with batlike wings, slimy skin, and two strong talons that lives in the Cold Waste of Earth’s Dreamlands. Shantaks are sometimes summoned to serve as steeds. They are hunted by the Elder God Nodens and greatly fear nightgaunts.”
Section 15: Copyright Notice
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2, © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.