A bazelgeuse, sometimes called an invading tyrant or bombard wyvern, is an enormous animalistic dragon feared by all who live in its territory. With their incredible sense of hearing, a bazelgeuse can detect the sound of combat miles away. Bazelgeuses attack with their blasting scales, explosive weapons that constantly grow along the underside of its body and drop off like bombs. A bazelgeuse prefers to keep some distance, making multiple passes over the battlefield to explode anything that remains, but if its prey fights back will attack with its natural weapons. The jaws of a bazelgeuse are not suited for combat, but it slams foes with its neck and tail. Its most feared attack is to crash into a single target and detonate its attached blasting scales at the same time. Like many dragons, bazelgeuses have a breath weapon, but this is a relatively weak spray of flaming liquid, the same material as is contained within their blasting scales. Bazelgeuses usually use this in order to detonate their blasting scales. An injured bazelgeuse enters a state of metabolic frenzy, making faster strikes and generating even more explosive blasting scales. In this state, the bazelgeuse’s blasting scales and the gaps between its ordinary scales glow orange.
A bazelgeuse will hunt over a remarkable area, and their bombing runs are sometimes mistaken for territorial belligerence. The truth of the matter is that bazelgeuses are as much kleptoparasites as they are hunters, preferring to attack other large predators in order to drive them away from prey so they can steal it. Their jaws are better suited for intimidation than for rending flesh, and they will gladly scavenge if they come across a sizable carcass. Bazelgeuses use their blasting scales to explosively “tenderize” food, which serves as an audible warning for other predators to steer clear. The movement of a bazelgeuse through a habitat may initiate a trophic cascade, as it drives away apex predators, leading to surges in prey population, which then overgraze. As such, areas inhabited by a bazelgeuse are often less vegetated than the surrounding regions. Bazelgeuses are solitary creatures, and only associate with each other on rare occasions in order to mate.
Bazelgeuse CR 17
XP 102,400
N Gargantuan dragon
Init +8; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., impeccable hearing, Perception +24
Defense
AC 32, touch 10, flat-footed 28 (-4 size, +4 Dex, +22 natural)
hp 275 (19d12+152)
Fort +19, Ref +15, Will +16
DR 15/magic; Immune fire
Weakness vulnerable to electricity
Offense
Speed 40 ft., fly 120 ft (average)
Melee slam +23 (2d8+8), tail slap +21 (2d10+12)
Space 20 ft.,; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks bombing run, breath weapon (60 ft. line, Ref DC 26, 5d6 fire, 1d4 rounds), frenzy, powerful blows (tail), ramming blast
Statistics
Str 26, Dex 19, Con 27, Int 2, Wis 21, Cha 12
Base Atk +19; CMB +31 (+33 bull rush); CMD 45 (49 vs. trip)
Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dazzling Display, Hover, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Intimidating Prowess, Multiattack (B), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam), Wingover
Skills Fly +10, Intimidate +21, Perception +24, Stealth +12; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +8 Stealth
Ecology
Environment any land
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure incidental
Special Abilities
Bombing Run (Ex) As a full round action, a bazelgeuse may move up to its speed and shed its blasting scales in the area it moves through. If flying, these scales fall to the ground. On the start of the bazelgeuse’s turn 1d4 rounds after using this ability, or if any fire enters the area, the scales explode, dealing 17d8 points of fire damage to all creatures in the area (Ref DC 26 halves). A bazelgeuse must wait 1d4 rounds between uses of this ability, and cannot use its ramming blast ability while its bombing run is recharging. A quench spell or similar spell or effect can defuse the blasting scales before they detonate, but must succeed a caster level check against DC 26. The save DC is Constitution based.
Frenzy (Ex) When reduced below half hit points (137 hp for an average specimen), a bazelgeuse enters a metabolic frenzy, acting as if under the effects of a haste spell for eight rounds. During this time, its scales explode at the end of its turn when it uses its bombing run ability, and it deals maximum fire damage with its ramming blast ability. Once the frenzy expires, the bazelgeuse gains the fatigued condition.
Impeccable Hearing (Ex) A bazelgeuse suffers a -1 penalty on Perception checks made to hear for every 100 feet of distance, instead of every 10 feet. It does not suffer any penalties on Perception checks made to hear while sleeping.
Ramming Blast (Ex) As a full round action once per minute, a bazelgeuse can make a single slam attack and a bull rush attempt against the same target. Regardless of whether the attack hits or the bull rush is a success, the bazelgeuse also detonates its blasting scales, dealing 17d8 points of fire damage in a 20 foot radius (Ref DC 26 halves). A creature struck by the bazelgeuse’s slam attack when it is using this ability suffers a -2 penalty to its save, and an additional -2 penalty if the bazelgeuse succeeded its combat maneuver.
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