Shantak

This content is from the Paizo Core Rules.

Larger than an elephant, this scaly, bird-like creature has a vaguely horse-like head and vast, slime-encrusted wings.

Source: Pathfinder d20pfsrd.com

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 shantak’s 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.