The bulette: Make it cool as hell

[Geron Raveneye]

Used it to crash an outdoors party at a baron's city house, with the heroes in festive attire...now THAT is fun, watching a bunch or adventurers scrambling for anything resembling a weapon. The psychic warrior's Call Weaponry & Armor came in handy there.

Of course, they cursed like hell after they discovered it was a concerted illusion of two wizards who wanted to play a prank on the party guests. But the look on their faces when I described the fin breaking ground was priceless: "Oh crap, we're dead!"

 

[trancejeremy]

Give it the ability to ring doorbells

 

[blargney the second]

How about an adamantine-laced skeleton and regeneration?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

DR 10/adamantine. Pouce and Swallow Whole special abilities. Treasure: 1 candygram.

Phear the Landshark. Phear him!

 

[Presto2112]

Think Tremors. The players had no idea what it was but they were scared to get off the rocks!!

One of my favorite all-time B-Movies! Reba McIntyre and Michael Gross were especially good in it.

It's funny, but I never considered that movie for a D&D adventure, but dang it all if it isn't a great idea!

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

Two words: pseudonatural template.

 

[Dykstrav]

One of the toughest fights I've ever sent my characters up against in 3.5: a 4th-level bugbear fighter specialized in archery riding a bulette. His first action was to slurp down a potion of protection from arrows. After he dropped two characters the wizard finally stopped grumbling about "wasting" a fireball to take that archer down.

 

[Quasqueton]

One of my favorite all-time B-Movies! Reba McIntyre and Michael Gross were especially good in it.

"You busted into the wrong ***damn rec-room, didn't ya?"

I've only run one encounter with a bulette, that I remember, but it was fun (even if anticlimatic). The party saw it in the distance, saw it burrow, and watched the fin make its way to them. Watching the fin cut through the surface, seeking out a target, was, I think, fairly nerve-wracking for them. The party was about 6th level, so they knew that whoever the creature jumped out at had a good chance of dying if not given immediate and overwhelming support from the rest of the party. But they didn't want to be bunched up when it attacked.

If I remember correctly, the dwarf in full plate started jumping around to draw the beast's attention away from the mages and halfling. When it broke out of the ground, the party pretty well smashed it -- five 6th-level PCs unleashing everything on one target.

Quasqueton

 

[Wormwood]

I didn't have time to double check the numbers, but how about this?

Larval Bulette Swarm

Tiny Magical Beast (Swarm)
Hit Dice: 11d10 (60 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 10 ft. (2 squares)
AC: +18 (+2 Size, +6 Dex), touch 18, flatfooted 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/-1
Attack: Swarm (3d6-4)
Full Attack: Swarm (3d6-4)
Space/Reach: 10ft. / 0ft.
Special Attacks: Distraction
Special Qualities: Half damage from slashing and piercing, Darkvision 60 ft., Low-light Vision, Scent, Tremorsense, swarm traits
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +13, Will +6
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 23, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +3, Listen +9, Spot +3
Feats: Alertness, Iron Will, Track, Weapon Focus: Bite
CR: ?

Of course, the next step would be a MOB of Large adolescent Bulettes.

 

[KB9JMQ]

One of the toughest 3E combats my group encountered included two bulettes.
The party dropped out of an airship to surprise an evil druid in his home. The bulettes were his outside guard dogs and came crashing through the walls to protect their master.

Surprised the heck out of em