Recent news in regards to the naming of the upcoming Star Wars movie as well as a recent fling with the X-Wing miniatures game have me with galaxies far, far away on the mind. The Star Wars universe is full of many interesting and diverse alien creatures, so I thought it would be only right for such a beast to grace the annals of this blog. With that said, let’s jump into hyperspace as we search for out latest monster: the rathtar!

This massive creature sports a gigantic maw. Numerous tentacles swing wildly from its body.
Rathtar                            CR 6
XP 2,400
N Large aberration
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +20
Aura lashing tentacles (15 ft., DC 19)
DEFENSE
AC 21, touch 10, flat-footed 21 (+1 Dex, +12 natural, –1 size)
hp 85 (10d8+40)
Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +7
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +11 (2d6+4 plus grab), 4 tentacles +6 (1d4+2 plus grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with tentacles)
Special Attacks rollout, swallow whole, trample (2d6+4, DC 19)
STATISTICS
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 7
Base Atk +7; CMB +12 (+16 grapple, +16 overrun); CMD 23 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Great Fortitude, Greater Overrun, Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +20
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–12)
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Lashing Tentacles (Ex) A rathtar’s tentacles constantly flail and lash out in all directions. A creature that enters the area or begins its turn within it must succeed a DC 19 Reflex save or take 1d8 points of bludgeoning and slashing damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Rathtar are strange creatures of dubious origin. Their hunger knows no bounds and they chase potential prey for hours in hopes of catching a meal. Unfortunately, their minimal intelligence usually means that rathtar are easily tricked or find themselves in perilous situations. Rathtar generally move in large packs that easily swarm smaller creatures, ending with the creature’s demise as it torn between multiple rathtar. Rather are able to move quickly by tucking in the majority of their tentacles and rolling forward, pushed along by their larger primary tentacles. Tales of rolling waves rathar taking entire regions or overwhelming small villages are not uncommon. Rathtar are typically 9 feet tall with tentacles up to 20 feet in length and weigh upwards of 450 pounds.

In Your Game

A New Home
The local wildlife is out of control. Hunting drove the apex predator out of the area and the ecosystem flourished. Things may become unsustainable and the PCs must locate a new apex predator. Rathtar would do the job, but capturing the beasts is a monstrous task.

Gift of the Rathtar
After defeating a rathtar, the PCs find something interesting in its mouth. A tiny coffer is stuck between the rathtar’s teeth. Inside is a note and a small map. The treasure map left behind is that of an unfortunate explorer and the PCs may be the ones to finally find the treasure.

Rollin’ Rathtar
A herd of rathtar travel the countryside, destroying everything in their path. Their course will soon lead to the destruction of a nearby village. It’s up to the PC to redirect the rathtar or put an end to their destruction by any means necessary.

Monstrous Origins

There’s not much too this week’s monster. I just wanted to see the rathtar! The rathtar are the curious, not-so-little creatures that close out the first act of The Force Awakens. They show up, do their thing, and aren’t seen again. However, I though it would be interesting to consider what other things rathtar are capable of doing. In regards to their abilities, they are simple creatures which makes them kind of charming. They are big, beefy monsters meant to deal and take some punishment and not much more. Their design is quite reminiscent of existing monsters and in another life, rathtar and otyughs would most likely be switched. The fact that they are so similar to existing creatures made them a perfect fit into the world of Pathfinder.

That’s it for this week! Please let me know if you are interested in seeing monsters from other existing fantasy and sci-fi franchises. If rathtar make it in to your campaign, or you have any request for a future Monstrous Physique, please drop me a line at KnowDirection@hotmail.com.