Shark (4e Creature)
Battle Shark
Bred specifically for combat by various aquatic races, battle sharks make ferocious guardians and will readily accept riders; though their intelligence is somewhat limited, battle sharks are surprisingly easy to train. Their eyesight is slightly better than that of regular sharks, though they still rely primarily on their sense of smell to detect prey.
Battle Shark Level 3 Skirmisher | ||
|---|---|---|
Large natural beast (aquatic, mount) XP 150 | ||
| Initiative +5 | Senses Perception +8, tremorsense 10 | |
| HP 49; Bloodied 24 | ||
| AC 17; Fortitude 16, Reflex 15, Will 15 | ||
| Speed swim 8 | ||
 | ||
| Effect: +8 vs. AC; 1d8 + 3 damage, and ongoing 2 damage (save ends). | ||
| Blood Sense | ||
| Effect: A battle shark gains a +4 bonus on Perception checks made against bloodied creatures. | ||
| Brutal Rush | ||
| Effect: The battle shark grants its rider a +5 bonus to damage rolls on charge attacks. | ||
| Skills — | ||
| Str 20 (+6) | Dex 14 (+3) | Wis 14 (+3) |
| Con 17 (+4) | Int 2 (–2) | Cha 10 (+1) |
| Alignment Unaligned | Languages — | |
| Equipment Light barding | ||
Battle Shark Tactics
Battle sharks use hit-and-run tactics, taking a "test bite" at anything that appears edible and then swimming away. If the shark thinks that the target would make a good meal based on the initial taste (and there are few things it doesn't think of as such), it will charge the target and continue biting until it dies.
Battle Shark Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 15: Battle sharks are vicious creatures, trained to defend their riders to the death. Its raw power is well known amongst many aquatic races, and its keen scent can detect the smell of blood from great distances away.
DC 20: Typically, a rider will use the battle shark to charge into melee, then retreat and perform the maneuver again. A battle shark without a rider simply bites at anything it perceives as prey.
Battle Sharks as Mounts
Despite their predatory and aggressive nature, battle sharks make surprisingly good mounts and can work especially well in large groups, once it is taught that its rider is not food.
- Carrying Capacity 200 lb. (normal); 400 lb. (heavy); 1,000 lb. (push/drag)
- Market Price 680 gp
Bloodfin Shark
Bloodfin sharks are bred by sahugain specifically to serve as mounts for their four-armed barons. Trained for combat, these bloodthirsty fish will attack virtually anything that moves and have been known to injure or kill their riders when no other food is available. Although their name might imply a reddish color, bloodfin sharks are usually black or dark grey with lighter stripes along their backs.
Bloodfin Shark Level 7 Skirmisher | ||
|---|---|---|
Huge natural Magical Beast (aquatic, mount) XP 300 | ||
| Initiative +8 | Senses Perception +11, tremorsense 10 | |
| HP 83; Bloodied 41 | ||
| AC 21; Fortitude 21, Reflex 19, Will 19 | ||
| Speed swim 8 | ||
| ||
| Effect: +12 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage, and ongoing 5 damage (save ends). | ||
| Blood Frenzy | ||
| Effect: A bloodfin shark's rider gains a +2 bonus on damage rolls against bloodied targets while mounted. | ||
| Blood Sense | ||
| Effect: A bloodfin shark gains a +4 bonus on Perception checks made against bloodied creatures. | ||
| Devour Blood ♦ starts uncharged; recharges when a target saves against savage bite | ||
| Effect: The bloodfin shark gains 5 temporary hit points. | ||
| Powerful Build | ||
| Effect: A bloodfin shark has a +25% carrying capacity. | ||
| Skills — | ||
| Str 21 (+8) | Dex 16 (+6) | Wis 16 (+6) |
| Con 19 (+7) | Int 4 (+0) | Cha 12 (+4) |
| Alignment Unaligned | Languages — | |
| Equipment — | ||
Bloodfin Shark Tactics
Although certainly voracious, a bloodfin shark is attracted more to the scent of blood than it is to the taste of flesh, so it wounds as many opponents as possible. It uses devour blood every round, if possible. Once a target is bloodied, the shark will typically attack it to the exclusion of all others.
Bloodfin Shark Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 15: Bloodfin sharks are among the most dangerous of their kind and have a taste for blood. They are bred by sahuagin, but can sometimes be found among other races.
DC 20: A bloodfin shark does not normally focus on one target until it is heavily wounded, at which point it will repeatedly attack the victim until it dies. These creatures sometimes turn on their riders, especially if the rider is injured or is unfamiliar with handling the shark.
Bloodfin Sharks as Mounts
Bloodfin sharks are bred to be bloodthirsty and can carry a significant load, making them appealing mounts. It is usually not a good idea to keep them around others of their kind, however, as they'll tear each apart in a matter of minutes.
- Carrying Capacity 262 lb. (normal); 524 lb. (heavy); 1,310 lb. (push/drag)
- Market Price 2,600 gp
Encounter Groups
Sharks are usually found in schools containing half a dozen or more members, but they can also be found in the company of intelligent aquatic races, whom they serve as mounts. Most encounters with battle sharks and bloodfin sharks take place alongside sahuagin.
Level 3 Encounter (XP 750) — Battle Shark School
- 5 battle sharks (level 3 skirmisher)
Level 6 Encounter (XP 1,265) — Sahuagin Raiding Party
- 3 battle sharks (level 3 skirmisher)
- 5 sahuagin guards (level 6 minion)
- 2 sahuagin raiders (level 6 soldier)
Level 10 Encounter (XP 2,350) — Tide of Blood
- 1 bloodfin shark (level 7 skirmisher)
- 1 sahuagin baron (level 10 elite brute)
- 3 sahuagin priests (level 8 artillery)
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