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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 9257855" data-attributes="member: 6915329">Unlike the previous two dragon-kin, the peluda actually has some mythology behind it. It’s a French monster, originally known as la velue (the Hairy/Shaggy One); peluda is a Spanish name—that’s the name given to it by Jorge Luis Borges in Book Of Imaginary Beings. I wonder if I still have my copy of that book somewhere.The myths (according to Wikipedia) said that it was barred from Noah’s Ark but survived the Deluge. Later it dwelled in the River Huisne in France but traveled on land to rampage across the countryside and even into the city. It attacked with its powerful tail, breathed “flames that withered crops” and ate sheep, children, and maidens. The la velue captured one maiden (I don’t know if it ate her or not) but her fiancé struck it in the tail with his sword. Since the tail was la velue’s only weak spot, it instantly died.I wish Level Up had “weak spots” like this. Maybe a penalty to hit, but it instantly counts as a crit on a success, and does even more damage on an actual crit?The original descriptions of la velue was ox-sized. For some reason, the AD&D version is ginormous—possibly because another writer, Paul Cordonnier-Détrie, wrote that La Velue was “obviously” in the same family as the tarasque. The mythical tarasque is fairly small—artwork shows it only a bit bigger than an ox—making it Large sized. But as we all know, the D&D tarrasque is a kaiju. So you know what? I’ll split the difference and go Huge for the peluda.[ATTACH=full]345304[/ATTACH]PeludaDragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #248Creature by Gregory Detwiler; art by Terry DykstraA peluda looks something like fat snapping turtle, with a long neck and tail. Instead of a shell, it’s covered in a veritable thicket long, forest-green quills. These quills are both offensive and defensive in nature. They are so long and dense that most arrows and other missile weapons simply get stuck in them and never actually hit the peluda. However, peludas use them far more for offense. They can move the quills in any direction and even throw them long distances.Destructive Natures. Peludas live in rivers, lakes, and swamps, but they frequently travel long distances on land to find food. They prefer the taste of red meat to that of fish, and quickly learn the location of nearby farms in order to feed on the fenced-in livestock there—they find such fare preferable to hunting faster wild animals.Toxic. Like the true dragons peludas are distantly related to, peludas have a breath weapon, a noxious, poisonous flame. They constantly exude a thin stream of noxious smoke which poisons the area around them. Their water homes are usually bereft of any but the hardiest life, nearby plants are dead or dying, and people who live nearby are often sickly. They are frequently hunted by nearby green and river dragons, who find them too dangerous to be allowed to live in their territories. At the same time, though, they are sometimes kept as pets by black dragons, who like how they add to their swampy lair’s foul atmosphere.Climate/Terrain: temperate; forest, freshwater, swampLegends and LoreWith an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:DC 10. Although they live in rivers and lakes, peludas frequently travel long distances on land in order to steal livestock.DC 15. Peludas are covered in quills so thick and strong that they block arrows and other missiles.DC 20. Peludas breathe poisonous flames; you can find a peluda by looking for the poisoned and dead vegetation and fish.Peluda EncountersChallenge Rating 5-10 peludaTreasure: 300 pp, 1,000 gp, a scuttled, but fixable, barge (500 gp), bowl of commanding water elementalsSigns1. Withered crops2. With a DC 13 Perception check, dead, poisoned fish floating on the water’s surface3. A broken quill that is easily five feet long.4. A trail of flattened, dying foliage and blood stains leading to or from a river’s bank.Behavior1. Lying in ambush in the water; will attack on sight.2. Tearing into a freshly-slain bulette.3. Using its breath weapon to destroy crops.4. In battle with a young or adult green or river dragon.PeludaHuge monstrosity; Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)AC 16 (natural armor)HP 147 (14d12+56; bloodied 73)Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft.STR 20 (+5) DEX 10 (+0) CON 18 (+4)INT 5 (-3) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 7 (-2)Proficiency +4; Maneuver DC 17Skills Perception +5, Stealth +4Damage Resistances fire, poison; damage from nonmagical ranged weaponsSenses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15Languages understands Draconic but can’t speakBarbed Hide. A creature that grapples or is grappled by the peluda takes 11 (2d10) piercing damage at the beginning of the peluda’s turn. The creature must also make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute and while poisoned, take 5 (1d10) ongoing poison damage for 1 minute. A creature can use their action to administer an antitoxin or magical cure for poison to end the ongoing damage.ActionsMultiattack. The peluda makes two attacks, a bite attack and a quill attack, each against a different target.Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage.Quill. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 feet or range 40/80 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) piercing damage plus 11 (2d10) poison damage, and the target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute and while poisoned, take 5 (1d10) ongoing poison damage. A creature can use their action to administer an antitoxin or magical cure for poison to end the ongoing damage.Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the target must make a DC 16 Strength saving throw or fall prone and take 3 (1d6) ongoing piercing damage from stuck quills. A creature can use their action to remove the quills to end the ongoing damage.Withering Breath (Recharge 5-6). The peluda breathes poisonous green-orange flames in a 90-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (5d8) fire damage and 22 (5d8) poison damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. Plant creatures have disadvantage on this saving throw, and normal plants in the area wither and die.ReactionsTail Attack. When a creature the peluda can see within 10 feet hits the peluda with a melee attack, the peluda makes a tail attack against it.CombatPeludas prefer to attack from afar with their breath weapon and quills. In melee, it uses its bite and quill attacks on different targets and uses its tail on poisoned targets to knock them prone. If bloodied, it retreats into the water and flees, but will return when less damaged.</blockquote>

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