#autofill assumed i was posting about tiddies

[thecreaturecodex]

Tiddalik

Image © Paizo Publishing, accessed at Archives of Nethys here

[The three themes I'm working with in April are PF2e conversions, wrapping up the World Tour of Oceania, and starting on commissions. This is all three! Commissioned by @vonbaghager. Tiddalik the Greedy Frog is one of the Australian Aboriginal monsters with the highest profile among Westerners, being the subject of children's books, children's plays and an episode of the PBS show Super Why! (sort of a superhero-themed Reading Rainbow analogue). Notably, this behavior is at least thematically consistent with real frogs. The water-storing frog estivates underground during the dry season in a mucus cocoon filled with water, sort of like a lungfish. ]

Tiddalik CR 7 NE Magical Beast This creature is a frog the size of a wagon, its body grossly swollen. You can hear the faint sloshing of water inside it as it moves and speaks.

Tiddaliks are monstrous frogs native to desert climes that survive the long period between rains by absorbing water like a living sponge. Unfortunately, they are peevish and cruel, and move from place to place absorbing as much water as they can, even if they don’t need it, simply for the joy of depriving others. In the desert, tiddaliks are seen as physical embodiments of selfishness and greed, and many tales and legends have sprung up around them. Some of them are even true—the idea that a tiddalik can be tricked into expelling its water with a hearty belly laugh is one of them. Unfortunately, tiddaliks are most easily amused by suffering.

A tiddalik rarely starts fights on their own—although they are carnivorous, they prefer to eat things that can’t fight back, sniping small game with blasts of pressurized water. These jets are also used as a defensive weapon until enemies get close enough that the tiddalik can grab them in its jaws and crush them. Few tiddaliks will bother to chase down fleeing enemies, but likewise they are often too stubborn to flee or surrender themselves.

A tiddalik is about ten feet in diameter. They weigh over twenty tons when waterlogged, and about one ton when empty.

Tiddalik  CR 7 XP 3,200 NE Huge magical beast (amphibious) Init +2; Senses low-light vision, Perception +13 Defense AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (-2 size, +2 Dex, +9 natural) hp 92 (8d10+54) Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +6 Weakness mirthful Offense Speed 10 ft., swim 10 ft. Melee bite +12 (1d10+9 plus grab) Ranged spit +8 (2d6+6 bludgeoning) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks disgorge, expel wave Statistics Str 23, Dex 15, Con 23, Int 6, Wis18, Cha 10 Base Atk +8; CMB +16 (+20 grapple); CMD 28 (32 vs. trip) Feats Nimble Moves, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Survival), Vital Strike Skills Acrobatics +7 (-1 when jumping), Climb +10,Perception +13, Survival +9, Swim +18; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics when jumping, +4 Perception Languages Common SQ amphibious, drink abundance Ecology Environment warm deserts Organization solitary or pair Treasure incidental Special Abilities Disgorge (Ex) A tiddalik can release the water in its body willingly as a full round action, and the water is released automatically when the creature is slain. When the tiddalik releases water, it bursts in a 10 foot radius, dealing 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage to all creatures in the area (Ref DC 20 half). This water makes that 10 foot radius difficult terrain. The save DC is Constitution based. Drink Abundance (Ex) By spending 8 hours, a tiddalik can drink 5000 gallons of water. When it does so, it is considered to be waterlogged, which reduces its speed by 20 feet, but it can use its spit attack and disgorge and expel wave abilities. The statistics above assume that the tiddalik is waterlogged. Expel Wave (Ex) As a standard action, a tiddalik can shoot high pressure water in a 60 foot cone. All creatures in the area take 4d6 points of damage and are pushed back 10 feet. A successful DC 20 Reflex save halves the damage and negates the push effect. The save DC is Constitution based. A tiddalik can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds, but only when it is waterlogged. Mirthful (Ex) A tiddalik can be forced to use its disgorge ability with a Perform (comedy) check against a DC of 20 + the tiddalik’s Will save modifier. Spit (Ex) As a standard action, a tiddalik can spit out a jet of water. Treat this as a thrown weapon with a range increment of 30 feet. A creature struck takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage plus the tiddalik’s Strength bonus.