Fleshforged Dreadnought

Fleshforged Dreadnought

Creature 18

Perception +29; darkvision

Skills Athletics +38

Str +10, Dex +6, Con +9, Int –5, Wis +5, Cha –5

Scaling Spikes A fleshforged dreadnought is covered in handholds and footholds that make it easy to climb. Creatures of Medium or smaller size can Climb the dreadnought, sharing one of its spaces as they do so. The DC to Climb a fleshforged dreadnought is 15, and creatures move 5 more feet on a success and 10 more feet on a critical success, to a maximum of their Speed when Climbing the construct.

AC 42; Fort +35, Ref +28, Will +27

HP 300, regeneration 20 (deactivated by 

cold iron
); Immunities bleed, death effects, disease, doomed, drained, fatigued, healing, mental, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, unconscious; Resistances acid 20

Caustic Leak (acid, arcane, evocation) Frequency once per turn; Trigger The fleshforged dreadnought is damaged by a non-reach piercing or slashing melee Strike; Effect Corrosive fluid sprays the attacker, dealing 8d6 acid damage (DC 40 basic Reflex save).

Speed 30 feet

Melee  

battering ram
 +35 (reach 15 feet), Damage 7d8+10 bludgeoning plus Improved Push 15 feet

Melee claw +35 (agile, reach 10 feet), Damage 4d8+18 slashing

Ranged  

ballista
 +33 (range increment 120 feet), Damage 4d12+8 piercing

Destructive Charge The fleshforged dreadnought Strides up to twice its speed and makes a battering ram Strike against a structure or unattended object. The Strike ignores 20 points of the target’s Hardness.

Drown in Ichor (acid, arcane, evocation) The fleshforged dreadnought releases a wave of caustic fluid from vents in its sides. Creatures within a 20-foot emanation take 8d6 acid damage (DC 40 basic Reflex save). Creatures who fail their saves also take 3d6 persistent acid damage.

Trample (attack) Huge or smaller, battering ram, DC 44

Fleshforged Dreadnought

Created in the arcane fleshforges of Nex, this creature was spawned as the ultimate brute-force tool for urban assaults against the cities of Geb. At 30 feet tall, the dreadnought easily tops most city walls, and Nexian infantry forces would scramble up the spikes on the creature’s back to penetrate defensive fortifications. Every detail of the creature’s physiology was fashioned for the battlefield, from the ballista of bone and sinew integrated into its torso to the bulky ram on the crest of its head. The fleshforged’s acidic blood not only serves an important hydraulic function but also deters city defenders who might attempt to strike down the creature.

During the war between Nex and Geb, fleshforged dreadnoughts most often appeared as part of a coordinated assault and typically replaced or augmented an army’s compliment of siege weaponry. Common tactics employed by Nex’s generals would direct the dreadnought to crush all opposition standing in front of a city’s gate and then smash through it. Should the city’s defenses prove resilient, invading troops would scale the creature to get over the city walls, relying on the dreadnought’s regenerative properties to ensure it wouldn’t be destroyed while helping them bypass the defensive barriers.

Fleshforged dreadnoughts all but vanished after the disappearance of the archmage Nex, but tales of their destructive power have been preserved.

The Fleshforges Awaken

Fleshforged dreadnoughts were integral in Nex’s attacks on Geb during their long war, but most of the dangerous creatures were decommissioned after the archmage’s disappearance. With Nex preparing for war, rumors of gigantic war machines rumbling over the horizon have spread through settlements bordering the Mana Wastes. Worried mayors have begun assembling evacuation plans, knowing that a dreadnought could level their towns in moments.