Darouga
It seems to me that a lot of monsters like to lurk in the mist or hide in the fog, and that’s something I’ve never really understood. Sure, it’s good for the movie writers to keep up suspense, but the monster wandering in this mist can’t really see its hapless prey, either. This seems to get a lot worse in games, when if someone notices something lurking in the mist, you can bet that thing has a whole bunch of area-effect spells headed its way, before it even emerges from hiding to engage its foes. Nevertheless, it’s cool to have a monster who hides in the fog, so why not make a creature that actually gets a lot out of skulking about in the mists? Enter the darouga, a bear-like magical beast that thrives in mists.
Darouga
Though largely obscured by thick pale mists, the monster lurking just beyond the clarity of your vision seems to resemble nothing so much as a giant bear, though its six glowing eyes, each a different color, make it clear that this is something else, and its high-pitched shriek doesn’t belong on a creature so large and hulking.
DAROUGA CR 13
XP 25,600
CN Huge magical beast
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, mist sight; Perception +22
DEFENSE
AC 26, touch 7, flat-footed 26 (-1 Dex, +19 natural, -2 size)
hp 161 (17d10+68)
Fort +13, Ref +9, Will +9
Defensive Abilities mist dodge
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +20 (2d6+5) and 1 bite +20 (3d6+7)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks beguiling mist, mighty mist, rage mist
STATISTICS
Str 20, Dex 8, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 4
Base Atk +17; CMB +24; CMD 33
Feats Ability Focus (beguiling mist, rage mist), Blind-Fight, Cleave, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor, Iron Will, Power Attack, Toughness
Skills Perception +22, Stealth +11
Languages Aklo
ECOLOGY
Environment cold forest, hills, marshes, and plains
Organization solitary
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Beguiling Mists (Ex): A darouga can choose to generate a mist which confuses and baffles those within the fog. As a standard action, the darouga can create this mist in a 30-foot-radius spread centered on itself that moves with it. This mist functions like the spell obscuring mist, except that each character other than the darouga which begins its turn within the mist succeed on a Will save (DC 22) or become confused for 1 round. The save DC is Wisdom-based. The mist remains until the darouga chooses to dismiss it, which requires another standard action. The daroruga can only generate one form of mist at a time.
Mighty Mist (Ex): As a standard action, a darouga can enshroud itself in a thick mist, filling a 30-foot-radius spread centered on it. This mist functions like the spell obscuring mist, except that the darouga gains a +4 bonus to its Strength score while within this mist. The mist remains until the darouga chooses to dismiss it, which requires another standard action. The daroruga can only generate one form of mist at a time.
Mist Dodge (Ex): A darouga is easily able to evade danger while sheltering within mists and fog. Whenever a creature makes an attack against the darouga that would be affected by concealment, the attacker must roll the miss chance twice and take the less favorable result. Characters with the Blind-Fight feat ignore this effect.
Mist Sight (Ex): A darouga can see normally in fogs, mists, rain and similar effects that obscure its vision, and ignores miss chance granted to other creatures by concealment generated by such effects.
Rage Mist (Ex): A darouga can create a thick red mist that drives those within it insane with a powerful anger. As a standard action, the darouga can create a 30-foot-radius spread of thick mist, centered on itself, that moves with the darouga. This mist functions like the spell obscuring mist, except that each creature within the mist gains a+2 bonus to Strength and Constitution while within the mist, and each creature other than the darouga must succeed on a Will save (DC 22) or be overcome with rage, being forced to make at least 1 melee attack against the nearest creature on their turn.
Ecology
A darogua is a massive bear-like creature with six glowing eyes, and it dwells in areas where mists and fogs are common. Said to have been spawned by an ancient mist, which still held a small spark of magic left over from primeval times, the darouga thrives in thick fog clouds and never strays far from areas where it can easily hide in the fog, despite being able to generate fog on its own. Darougas are highly unpredictable creatures, and, owing to their size and power, they are difficult to study.
Many believe the darouga to be a myth, owing to the fact that they wrap themselves in mist and resemble a dire bear or other large animal, and accounts from rare survivors are often written off as exaggerations. Because the creatures are only active at night, the darouga is sometimes considered to be a dream or result of fatigued imaginations. Though difficult to confirm, the darouga is reported to be violently territorial and a vicious predator. Whether these characterizations are accurate, or merely the fancy of the frightened, are a matter of debate among scholars.