Taiga Yai
Level 15Attacks
Abilities
A creature with greater darkvision can see perfectly well in areas of darkness and dim light, though such vision is in black and white only. A creature with greater darkvision can see through even forms of magical darkness.
Trigger The taiga yai is standing in natural foliage or undergrowth and is targeted by a melee attack Effect The taiga yai infuses their power within the plants around them, causing the plants to shoot up and create a protective barrier. The taiga yai gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack roll. If the attack misses, the attacker must attempt a DC 33 reflex save. On a failed save, the attacker is Immobilized for 1 round as the plants grab hold of them; on a critical failure, the attacker is also knocked Prone.
A constant spell affects the monster without the monster needing to cast it, and its duration is unlimited. If a constant spell gets counteracted, the monster can reactivate it by spending the normal spellcasting actions the spell requires.
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.
Trigger A creature within the monster's reach uses a manipulate action or a move action, makes a ranged attack, or leaves a square during a move action it's using. Effect The monster attempts a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If the attack is a critical hit and the trigger was a manipulate action, the monster disrupts that action. This Strike doesn't count toward the monster's multiple attack penalty, and its multiple attack penalty doesn't apply to this Strike.
The taiga yai takes on the appearance of a Taiga Giant. This doesn't change their Speed or Strike attack and damage. The monster changes its shape indefinitely. It can use this action again to return to its natural shape or adopt a new shape. Unless otherwise noted, a monster cannot use Change Shape to appear as a specific individual. Using Change Shape counts as creating a disguise for the Impersonate use of Deception. The monster's transformation automatically defeats Perception DCs to determine whether the creature is a member of the ancestry or creature type into which it transformed, and it gains a +4 status bonus to its Deception DC to prevent others from seeing through its disguise. Change Shape abilities specify what shapes the monster can adopt. The monster doesn't gain any special abilities of the new shape, only its physical form. For example, in each shape, it replaces its normal Speeds and Strikes, and might potentially change its senses or size. Any changes are listed in its stat block.
The taiga yai commands underground plant roots to drag a creature within 60 feet into the earth. The target must succeed at a DC 35 fortitude save or be Immobilized for 1d4 rounds. After this time, the creature is buried; it is Grabbed, begins to suffocate, and takes 4d6 bludgeoning damage each round they remain buried. To escape either while immobilized or grabbed, the creature must succeed at a Escape check or an adjacent ally must succeed at a DC 33 athletics check to pull them out.
Description
Wearing the visage of taiga giants, taiga yais generally travel in a solitary fashion, always yearning for new experiences and destinations. They are zealous in their love of nature in its purest form and gleefully destroy any established civilizations that they encounter before continuing onwards.