Catoblepas

The catoblepas is somewhat smaller than a cow, with an oversized head, a large mane and a scaled body. It spends most of its time with its nose to the ground, rooting for food. Its heavy mane hangs down in front of its eyes, so it will seldom see approaching people or predators. However, its hearing is acute (Hearing-16), so it will usually have some warning of impending attack.
It is diurnal and solitary, although mated pairs will sometimes forage together. It is seldom found in the open, preferring to feed among the reeds and bushes. As a result, one tends to come upon a catoblepas suddenly and unexpectedly.
It does not go out of its way to attack people, but resents being disturbed in its feeding. It has a nasty way of showing its displeasure; it has the ability to cast a Dehydrate spell but only one a single victim in its sight. This spell removes water from the victim’s tissues, causing damage or death. The entire body is affected; armor does not protect, nor does Toughness.
As soon as it becomes aware of an approaching party or predator, a catoblepas will raise its head. flipping its mane out of its eyes. This takes one turn. If it decides to attack, it must then concentrate for one turn, staring at its prospective victim. If menaced by more than one attacker, it will shift its gaze from target to target (concentrating every other turn) until the victims are dead or have fled. It won’t attack a fleeing target, only wanting to root in peace.
Category:Myth