Buy me a coffeeAkhlut
“Discover the Legendary Akhlut: The Shapeshifting Beast of Arctic Waters, Half Wolf, Half Orca, All Mystery!”
Appearance: The Akhlut is a magnificent and fearsome creature, resembling a hybrid of a killer whale and a wolf. Its immense body is covered in thick black-and-white fur, reminiscent of the orca’s distinctive coloration. A dorsal fin rises from its back, hinting at its aquatic prowess, while its wolf-like features exude an aura of primal power.
Behavior: Akhluts are solitary hunters, navigating the frigid Arctic waters and snowy landscapes with unparalleled grace and agility. Despite their ferocious appearance, they are intelligent beings, often observing their surroundings with a keen sense of awareness before striking with deadly precision. They fiercely defend their territory from intruders, engaging in brutal battles with rival predators to maintain their dominance.
Habitat: The Akhlut roams the icy expanses of the Arctic, from the freezing seas to the snow-covered shores. It is most commonly found near the edges of the sea ice, where it hunts for seals and other marine prey, but it is equally at home prowling through the frozen tundra in search of terrestrial game. Akhluts are known to create their territories within the boundaries of storms they control with their innate ability to manipulate weather.
Modus Operandi: With its ability to seamlessly transition between land and sea, the Akhlut is a master of ambush and pursuit. In its hybrid form, it stalks its prey with stealth and cunning, using its keen senses to track down even the most elusive targets. When hunting in the water, it transforms into the sleek form of an orca, charging through the waves with unmatched speed and agility.
Motivation: Driven by a primal instinct to survive and dominate, Akhluts seek to maintain their status as apex predators of the Arctic wilderness. They view their territory as sacred, defending it fiercely against any who would dare to challenge their authority. While their motivations may seem simple, their presence serves as a reminder of the untamed beauty and brutality of the natural world.
Akhlut 5e
Akhlut Pathfinder
Akhlut
Huge monstrosity, chaotic neutral
Armor Class: 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 210 (20d10 + 100)
Speed: 50 ft., swim 60 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 (+8) | 15 (+2) | 20 (+5) | 14 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 16 (+3) |
Saving Throws: Str +13, Dex +7, Con +10, Int +7, Wis +9, Cha +8
Skills: Perception +9, Stealth +7, Survival +9
Damage Resistances: cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses: darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages: understands Aquan and Common but can’t speak
Challenge: 15 (13,000 XP)
Traits
Shapechanger: The Akhlut can use its action to polymorph between its wolf and orca forms. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Keen Hearing and Smell: The Akhlut has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If the Akhlut fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Actions
Multiattack: The Akhlut makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws or tail slap.
Bite (Wolf or Orca Form Only): Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d6 + 7) piercing damage.
Claws (Wolf Form Only): Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d4 + 7) slashing damage.
Tail Slap (Orca Form Only): Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage.
Legendary Actions
The Akhlut 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 Akhlut regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect: The Akhlut makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Move: The Akhlut moves up to half its speed.
Attack (Costs 2 Actions): The Akhlut makes one attack with its bite, claws, or tail slap.
A dorsal fin rises up from the back of this immense black-and-white-furred, wolf-like beast.
Resembling nothing so much as a killer whale mixed with a wolf, the rarely seen akhlut stalks frigid seas and the frozen lands nearby, shrouded by perpetual blizzards.
Legend holds that the first akhlut was born fully-formed in the eye of a polar hurricane, the merciless anger of the elements made flesh. Whether or not the tale is true, the akhlut’s ferocity is certainly as memorable as that of any storm. While the akhlut appears as a wolf-orca hybrid on land, when it enters the water, its legs and fur vanish and it transforms fully into the form of an orca.
Akhluts are particularly skilled at charging into and out of water, their transformation between shapes occurring in the blink of an eye. Each akhlut fiercely defends its hunting grounds from other predators, and especially against other akhluts. While this does reduce the number of dangerous predators in a region, it’s unclear whether replacing lesser predators with something as dangerous as an akhlut is actually preferable. Typically, an akhlut considers its territory to be the boundaries of the storm created by its control weather spell-like ability, and rarely travels far from this storm’s borders. An akhlut is 22 feet long and weighs 8,000 pounds.
| Akhlut CR 13 |
| XP 25,600 N Huge magical beast (cold, shapechanger) Init +6; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light Vision, Scent, snow vision; Perception +14 |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 29, touch 11, flat-footed 26 (+2 Dexterity, +1 Dodge, +19 natural, -2 size) hp 189 (18d10+90) Fort +16, Ref +13, Will +10 DR 15/magic; Immune cold Weaknesses vulnerability to fire |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 40 ft., Swim 60 ft. Melee bite +27 (4d8+15/15-20 plus 4d6 cold and grab) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks savage bite, shore storming, swallow whole (2d8+15 bludgeoning damage plus 4d6 cold, AC 19, 18 hp) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th; concentration +16) 1/day – control weather (windy or cold weather only) |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 31, Dexterity 15, Constitution 20, Intelligence 4, Wisdom 15, Charisma 6 Base Atk +18; CMB +30 (+34 grapple); CMD 43 (47 vs. trip) Feats Dodge, Improved critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Stealth), Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bite) Skills Acrobatics +8 (+12 when jumping), Perception +14, Stealth +16 (+28 in snow), Swim +18; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +12 Stealth in snow SQ change shape (orca; Beast Shape III), hold breath, snow walking Languages Aquan (cannot speak) |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Savage Bite (Ex) An akhlut’s bite threatens a critical hit on a roll of 18-20. Shore Storming (Ex) An akhlut automatically transforms into an orca whenever it is fully immersed in water, losing its legs and fur. Likewise, when an akhlut emerges from the water, it automatically transforms into its wolf-orca hybrid form. If an akhlut moves from water to land (or vice versa) on the round before initiating combat, it gains a +8 bonus on its initiative check. This initial attack resolves as a charge. An akhlut has the same statistics in both forms. Snow Vision (Ex) An akhlut can see perfectly well in snowy conditions, and does not take any penalties on Perception checks while in snowy weather. Snow Walking (Su) An akhlut can walk on snow or thin sheets of ice as though affected by water walk. It only leaves a trail on such surfaces when it wants to. |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment cold lakes, plains, or oceans Organization solitary Treasure none |
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.