Rock Shark

ROCK SHARK by Reagren Wright

The Rock Shark is one of the most feared monstrosities known in the Palladium world. Where these land sharks originated from is unknown. Some believe they are creations of the Old Ones or are the results of experimental magic from the Elf/Dwarf Wars. However, in the Bletherad Carbunculum, it mentions a popular book called Demon Beneath my Feet, an autobiographical tale of an elf named Leamshi Baha who found a small valley in the Old Kingdom Mountains inhabited by hundreds of these sharks. Leamshi believed the canyon was a constant open dimension portal to the Elemental plane of Earth, and these sharks were the guardians keeping the elementals from escaping. After he left the valley, one shark chased him all over the Old Kingdom Mountains and Lowlands, until he drove the shark into the Scarlet Sea and drowned it.
Rock Sharks are exceptionally large brown sharks capable of swimming through earth and stone as if it where water. Reaching lengths of nearly 30 feet (9.1 m) and weighting almost 10,000 lbs (4500 kg), rock sharks will attack just about anything that walks on the surface, including Wooly Dragons. They have been known to simply rise up out of the ground and swallow a person whole or tear the leg off a troll. If there is a way to escape these monsters, so far no one has been able to come up with it, accept for flight. Leamshi's tale is accurate in its account of these relentless predators. Once they’ve set their mind on a particular prey, they will hunt it down until it’s eaten or escapes in such away that the shark cannot get it, and even then the shark will wait a few hours patiently to see if the prey returns. However, all it takes is for something more tempting to come along and the shark will change its mind. Because these giant fish can move limitless through earth and stone, they only place of safety from them are thick woodlands or water. Unlike aquatic fish, rock sharks cannot swim in fact they sink like a stone. Because they live beneath the ground, its almost impossible to know when one of these monsters is about to strike. They simply rise up underneath the prey, swallowing it whole or biting a huge chunk of flesh out of it. Because they can’t see their prey on the surface, rock sharks have been known to attack wagons, carriages, or any large heavy object traveling over land. During the Elf/Dwarf Wars both sides reported their armies being attacked by dozens of these sharks as they marched across what became the Old Kingdom. For those who lived in the range of these beasts, nothing strikes fear more then seeing a four foot (1.21 m) dorsal fin cutting through the ground heading toward them.

Type.: Supernatural Creature

Alignments: Predators, considered diabolic

Attributes: I.Q. 1D4 (animal), P.S. 36+2D6, P.P. 2D6+6, P.E. 3D6+18.

Speed: Can reach speeds of 25 mph (40.25 km) when in pursuit of prey and can leap out of the ground.

Natural A.R.: 12

Hit Point & S.D.C. Combined: 1D6x100

Horror Factor/Awe: 16

P.P.E.: 1D6x10

Natural Abilities: Travel through earth and stone at will (cost nothing); same as spell, but without limit, effectively swim through earth and rock (beneath the surface it has a 98% prowl, at the surface if one does not see the dorsal fin it’s an 80% prowl), Nightvision 3000 feet (914 m), feel vibrations in and above the ground like a living seismic sensor, cannot be snuck upon or surprise by nearby opponents approaching by ground, can track and locate prey by following the ground vibrations caused by movement (running or walking) 3000 feet (914 m) away (90%), feel the vibrations of an approaching ground vehicle, large humanoid taller then 9 feet (2.74 m), herd of mammals, giant animals, or an army on the march, up to six miles (9.6 m) away, does not need to breath air, its eyes are very sensitive to sunlight or any bright light, so it rolls them back when it reaches the surface, but because of its motion detection sense, it suffers no penalties for being blinded.

Attacks Per Melee: Special. The shark will do a single surprise attack by rising beneath it prey or come up to the surface (dorsal fin emerges) and circling its prey doing 3 attacks/actions per melee. If the surprise attack fails, the shark will descend and then come back around for its regular 3 attacks per melee.

Damages: A nipping bite does 3D6 damage. A full strength bite does 1D4x10+8 points of damage. If the shark rolls an unmodified 18-20 on its surprise attack and the prey is smaller then eight feet (2.43 m), it will be swallowed whole. After swallowed, the shark descend back into the earth (so even if one where to kill the shark by cutting out of its stomach, the victim is buried alive in a shark coffin from anywhere from 20 feet to unknown) beneath the surface. The slashing tail does 4D6 damage, a head ram 2D6 damage, and body ram does 4D6 damage. Note: Once prey is bitten and held in its jaws, the shark cannot drag it beneath the surface, unless it’s swallowed first. It must rip out a chunk of flesh swallow it than descend back into the ground.

Bonuses: +6 on initiative, +6 to strike on surprise attack, +3 to strike on normal attack, +5 to save vs. poison, drugs, and disease, and +12 to save vs. Horror Factor.

Vulnerabilities: Unlike aquatic sharks, rocks sharks do not have a superior sense of smell or hearing. Their motion/vibration sensory system is how they find and locate prey. They also cannot “swim” through wood (large tree roots), metal barriers, or through a liquid medium.

Magic Spells: None

Psionics: None

Value: Skin 80 gold, meat (whole animal): 60 gold, teeth: 1 gold for 10.

Average Life Span: 400-500 years.

Habitat: Lives underground beneath plains, mountains, deserts, any place where there are few trees. It avoids wetlands and swamps. It particular likes to patrol along roads or ruins.

Range: Old Kingdom Lowlands and Mountains, Baalgor-Wastelands, the Giant Kingdom, and parts of the Timiro Kingdom bordering the Old Kingdom Mountains.

Language: None

Enemies: None, they are apex predators. Everything and anything can be food.

Allies: See above.

Size: Juveniles range from 10 to 20 feet (3 m to 6 m), full ground adults are 20 to 30 feet (6 m to 9.1 m).

Weight: Juveniles: Weight 2 to 3 tons, Full ground adults weight between 3-5 tons.