Fleshforged Dreadnought
Level 18Attacks
Abilities
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.
This monster regains the listed number of Hit Points each round at the beginning of its turn. Its Dying condition never increases beyond Dying 3 as long as its regeneration is active. However, if it takes damage of a type listed in the regeneration entry, its regeneration deactivates until the end of its next turn. Deactivate the regeneration before applying any damage of a listed type, since that damage might kill the monster by bringing it to Dying 4.
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 reflex).
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.
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 reflex). Creatures who fail their saves also take 3d6 persistent acid damage.
Huge or smaller, battering ram, DC 44 reflex The monster Strides up to double its Speed and can move through the spaces of creatures of the listed size, Trampling each creature whose space it enters. The monster can attempt to Trample the same creature only once in a single use of Trample. The monster deals the damage of the listed Strike, but trampled creatures can attempt a basic Reflex save at the listed DC (no damage on a critical success, half damage on a success, double damage on a critical failure).
Trigger The monster's last action was a successful Strike that lists Improved Push in its damage entry Effect The monster attempts to Shove the creature. This attempt neither applies nor counts toward the monster's multiple attack penalty. If Improved Push lists a distance, change the distance the creature is pushed on a success to that distance.
Description
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.