Monster Week at the Near TPK - the Cave Angler

Today's monster looks like something you could actually find in the depths of the ocean, but adventurers don't spend a lot of time in the depths of the ocean. Fortunately, in D&D, it's not hard to picture this thing floating around beholder-style...

Another couple days remain to throw out some thoughts on the current "what the heck is that?" monster. I plan to post a fully statted version Thursday. I hope "What the heck is that?" gets enough response to be worth making it a weekly feature around here, so if you like it, go comment on it.

Cave Angler

Cave anglers are voracious flying predators that use a lure to trick prey into easy bite range.

Level 2 Lurker

Cave Angler

XP 125

Large aberrant beast (blind)

Initiative +7Senses Perception +2; blindsight 10
HP 32; Bloodied 16
AC 16; Fortitude 15, Reflex 14, Will 13
Speed fly 4 (hover)

mBite (standard; at-will)

+6 vs. AC; 1d10 + 3 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). The cave angler cannot make bite attacks while grabbing a creature, but it can use gnashing teeth.

MGnashing Teeth (standard; at-will)

If a cave angler begins its turn with a grabbed target, it makes an attack against the grabbed creature: +6 vs. AC; 2d10 + 3 damage. Miss: Half damage.

CDistracting Lure (minor; at-will)

Close blast 3; blind creatures are immune; +2 vs. Will; the target slides 2 squares.

Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Skills Stealth +8
Str 17 (+4) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 12 (+2)
Con 14 (+3) Int 2 (-3) Cha 8 (+0)

Cave Angler Tactics

Cave anglers use distracting lure every round to move a chosen target close and keep its allies away.

Level 10 Controller

Dire Cave Angler

XP 500

Huge aberrant beast

Initiative +8Senses Perception +2; blindsight 10
HP 106; Bloodied 53
AC 24; Fortitude 23, Reflex 22, Will 21
Speed fly 4 (hover)

mBite (standard; at-will)

+15 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). The dire cave angler cannot make bite attacks while grabbing a creature, but it can use gnashing teeth.

MGnashing Teeth (standard; at-will)

If a dire cave angler begins its turn with a grabbed target, it makes an attack against the grabbed creature: +15 vs. AC; 3d6 + 5 damage. Miss: Half damage.

CDistracting Lure (minor; at-will)

Close blast 5; blind creatures are immune; +11 vs. Will; the target slides 3 squares.

MSwallow (standard; at-will)

The dire cave angler attempts to swallow a bloodied Medium or smaller creature it is grabbing; +14 vs. Fortitude; on a hit, the target is swallowed and restrained (no save) and takes 10 damage on subsequent rounds at the start of the cave angler’s turn. The swallowed creature can make melee basic attacks only, and only with one-handed or natural weapons. If the dire cave angler dies, any creature trapped in the gullet can escape as a move action, ending that action in a square formerly occupied by the cave angler.

CBlinding Flash (when first bloodied and again when the dire cave angler is reduced to 0 hit points)

Close burst 3; +11 vs. Fortitude; the target is blinded (save ends).

Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Skills Stealth +13
Str 21 (+10) Dex 17 (+8) Wis 15 (+7)
Con 18 (+9) Int 2 (+1) Cha 12 (+6)

Dire Cave Angler Tactics

A dire cave angler uses the same tactics as the cave angler with one exception: It attempts to swallow a foe at the first opportunity.

Cave Angler Lore

A character knows the following information with a successful Dungeoneering check.
DC 15: Cave anglers are strange underground predators that entice travelers to approach with illuminated lures.
DC 20: Larger specimens emit blinding flashes from their lures when hurt or killed.

Encounter Groups

Cave anglers often lurk near other underdark hunters, seeking to draw single targets away during the confusion of combat.
Level 2 Encounter (XP 625)
* 1 cave angler (level 2 lurker)
* 2 kruthik young (level 2 brute)
* 8 kruthik hatchlings (level 2 minion)
Level 10 Encounter (XP 2,500)
* 1 dire cave angler (level 10 controller)
* 2 chuul (level 10 soldier)
* 2 venom-eye basilisks (level 10 artillery)