Monster Week at the Near TPK - the Psicow

All right, the week from hell at work seems to have ended, and I'm ready to jump back into the blogging pool. Jen drew more random monsters for me, so I'm celebrating my return with more homegrown 4e monsters! Tonight's entry: the terrible psicow.

Psicow

Psicows are intelligent beasts only distantly related to normal cattle. No one knows where they come from, though many theories have been put forward. Some say they hail from the far realm, others believe that they are normal cattle infused with powers of that realm, and still others claim that they were bred by the mind flayers as a strange cross between guardians and food for their grimlock servants.

Level 10 Controller

Psicow Illusionist

XP 500

Large aberrant magical beast

Initiative +7 Senses Perception +3; darkvision
Cowed aura 5; enemies within the aura take a –2 penalty to attack rolls against the psicow illusionist
HP 106; Bloodied 53
AC 24; Fortitude 22, Reflex 22, Will 23
Speed 6

mGore (standard; at-will)

+13 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage and the target is pushed one square.

RPsychic Gore (standard; at-will) * Psychic

Ranged 10; +15 vs. Will; 2d6+6 psychic damage, and the psicow illusionist makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: +15 vs. Will; the target is dazed (save ends).

RThird Eye (minor; encounter) * Psychic

Ranged 5; +15 vs. Will; the target takes a -2 penalty to Will (save ends).

AIllusory Stampede (standard; recharge 5 6) * Illusion, Psychic

Area burst 2 within 5; enemies within the burst imagine that the area is filled with stampeding cattle; +12 vs. Will; 2d8 + 5 psychic damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 psychic damage and is immobilized (save ends both).

Psicow Path (move; encounter) * Illusion

The psicow illusionist shifts up to 5 squares under the cover of illusions and gains concealment until the end of its next turn.

Alignment Unaligned Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 10
Skills Insight +15
Str 15 (+7) Dex 14 (+7) Wis 21 (+10)
Con 18 (+9) Int 18 (+9) Cha 15 (+7)

Psicow Illusionist Tactics

A psicow illusionist uses its illusory stampede as often as possible, and directs its third eye at the enemy it determines to be the greatest threat. If engaged in melee it will attempt to use psycow path to retreat or withdraw to a better position.

Level 14 Artillery

Psicow Brainlasher

XP 1,000

Large aberrant magical beast

Initiative +9 Senses Perception +6; low-light vision
HP 110; Bloodied 55
AC 26; Fortitude 26, Reflex 26, Will 27
Speed 6

mGore (standard; at-will)

+21 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage and the target is pushed one square.

RPsychic Gore (standard; at-will) * Psychic

Ranged 20; +20 vs. Will; 2d8+6 psychic damage, and the target is dazed (save ends).

RThird Eye (minor; encounter) * Psychic

Ranged 10; +20 vs. Will; the target takes a -2 penalty to Will (save ends).

APsychic Cowpie (standard; encounter) * Psychic

Area burst 3 within 10; targets enemies; +17 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 6 psychic damage, and the target is immobilized (save ends). Aftereffect: The target is slowed (save ends).

Alignment Unaligned Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 10
Skills Insight +18
Str 16 (+10) Dex 14 (+9) Wis 23 (+13)
Con 20 (+12) Int 20 (+12) Cha 15 (+9)

Psicow Brainlasher Tactics

A psicow brainlasher opens with a psychic cowpie if no enemies are nearby and it can catch more than two in the burst. It tries to stay out of melee and use its psychic gore, and directs its third eye at the enemy it determines to be the greatest threat.

Psicow Lore

A character knows the following information with a successful Dungeoneering check.
DC 20: Psicows are intelligent but belligerent creatures that possess potent psychic powers. Psicows communicate via telepathy. They understand Deep Speech.
DC 25: Some psicows are raised by aberrant creatures like mind flayers. The mind flayers use them as guards and, when they become too old or sick to perform this duty, as food for thralls.

Encounter Groups

Psicows are often found acting as guards for groups of aberrant creatures.
Level 14 Encounter (XP 5,000)
* 2 psicow brainlashers (level 14 artillery)
* 2 mind flayer infiltrators (level 14 lurker)
* 4 grimlock minions (level 14 minion)

Fear the terrible brain twisting death moo of the psicow!