Also known as a landshark, the bulette (pronounced Boo-lay) lives only to eat and is a terrifying predator avoided by other creatures.
The bulette is naturally armored with large plate-like scales.
The scales are various shades of blue mixed with earthy brown tones
at head and rear, and gray and greenish tints elsewhere. Its teeth
and nails are a dirty off-white. Its yellowing eyes have
unexpectedly vivid blue-green pupils.
Combat: A bulette will attack anything it thinks
it can eat. The elves are the only sentient race that it refuses to
eat, and it seems to dislike the taste of dwarves. Always hungry,
it is constantly roaming its territory in search of food. The
landshark relies on vibrations to detect prey when burrowing
underground. When it senses movement, the crest of the bulette
breaks to the surface and the creature begins its attack.
Landsharks are vicious, brutal, and fear nothing and nobody. The
bulette always attacks, choosing as its target the easiest or
closest prey. When attacking, the bulette employs its large jaw and
front feet.
Incredibly, the landshark can jump up to 8 feet with blinding
speed, and uses this to escape if cornered or injured. If jumping
on a creature the beast's huge size and weight prove a devastating
attack (100LTs). The bulette possesses only two vulnerable areas:
the shell under its crest (AT 3(30)), which is only raised during
intense combat, and the region of the bulette's eyes (AT 4(30)),
but this is a small oval area about 8 inches across.
Habitat/Society: The bulette is a solitary animal
normally with the rare mated pairs being the only landsharks, which
will share a territory. All other creatures are considered prey.
Bulettes wander their territory (up to 30 square miles) constantly
seeking food, burrowing underground solely to rest or surprise
prey.
Bulettes consume their victims totally as their stomach acid is so strong that it can destroy even metal and enchanted items. Having denuded a territory of food, the bulette will move into a new area, even if it is inhabited by humans or other intelligent races.
Very little is known of the life cycle of the bulette. They
presumably hatch from eggs, but no young have ever been found,
though small landsharks have been killed. It may be that the
bulette is hatched from very small eggs, with few young surviving
to maturity. Still other sages theorize that the bulette bears live
young. There is also evidence that the bulette, like carp and
sharks, grow larger as they get older, for unusually large
landsharks of 11 feet tall and taller have been seen. Certainly no
one has ever come upon the carcass of a bulette that died of old
age.
Ecology: The bulette has a devastating effect on
the ecosystem of any area it inhabits. Literally nothing that moves
is safe from it -- man, animal, or monster. In the process of
hunting and roaming, the landshark will uproot trees of
considerable size. In hilly and rocky regions, the underground
movements of the bulette can start small landslides. Ogres, trolls,
and even some giants all move off in search of greener and safer
pastures when a bulette appears. A bulette can turn a peaceful
farming community into a wasteland in a few short weeks, for no
sane human or demihuman will remain in a region where a bulette has
been sighted.
There is only one known benefit to the existence of the bulette:
The large plates behind its head make superb shields, and dwarven
smiths can fashion them into shields of +5 to +15 in value. Some
also claim that the soil through which a bulette has passed becomes
imbued with magical, rock-dissolving properties. Many would argue,
however, that these benefits are scarcely worth the price.
Appendix A: RM Statistics
|
LEVEL |
13D |
|
BASE RATE |
112, Burrow 24 |
|
MAX PACE / BONUS |
FSpt / 10, Walk / 0 |
|
MOVEMENT SPEED |
FA / CR |
|
ATTACK QUICKNESS |
MF |
|
SIZE/CRIT |
L / II |
|
HITS |
145E |
|
ARMOR TYPE(DB) |
20(20) |
|
ATTACKS |
80LBi, 100LBa |
|
# ENCOUNTERED |
1-2 |
|
TREASURE |
-- |
|
BONUS EP |
K |
|
OUTLOOK(IQ) |
Hungry (NO) |
(wms)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-8; 9 ½ ' tall, 12 feet long.
H2>Appendix B: Revised System Reference Document EntryBulette
| Huge Magical Beast | |
| Hit Dice: | 9d10+45 (94 hp) |
| Initiative: | +2 |
| Speed: | 40 ft. (8 squares), burrow 10 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 22 (ñ2 size, +2 Dex, +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 20 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +9/+25 |
| Attack: | Bite +16 melee (2d8+8) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +16 melee (2d8+8) and 2 claws +10 melee (2d6+4) |
| Space/Reach: | 15 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Leap |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., lowlight vision, scent, tremorsense 60ft. |
| Saves: | Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +6 |
| Abilities: | Str 27, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6 |
| Skills: | Jump +18, Listen +9, Spot +3 |
| Feats: | Alertness, Iron Will, Track, Weapon Focus (bite) |
| Environment: | Temperate hills |
| Organization: | Solitary or pair |
| Challenge Rating: | 7 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Always neutral |
| Advancement: | 10-16 HD (Huge); 17-27 HD (Gargantuan) |
| Level Adjustment: |
Also known as the landshark, the bulette is a terrifying predator that lives only to eat.
COMBAT
A bulette attacks anything it regards as edible, choosing the easiest or closest prey first. The only creatures it refuses to eat are elves (and it dislikes the taste of dwarves). When burrowing underground, a landshark relies on its tremorsense ability to detect prey.
When it senses something edible (that is, senses movement), it breaks to the surface, crest first, and begins its attack.
Leap (Ex): A bulette can jump into the air during combat. This allows it to make four claw attacks instead of two, each with a +15 attack bonus, but it cannot bite.
H2>Appendix C: Open Gaming License and Legal MattersThis article: "The Bulette: A RM Conversion", Copyright ©: 2003 by Kerry Drake, is an Open Gaming article.
This article is covered by the Open Gaming License. The title "The Bulette: A RM Conversion" is Product Identity, all other material in this article (except the entirety of Appendix A and the Open Gaming License itself) is Open Game Content. Appendix A is Closed Content and may not be reproduced without permission of the author and The Guild Companion. Portions of this work are derived from the (Revised) System Reference Document, Copyright © 2000-2003 by Wizards of the Coast, and are used with permission.
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.
1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute" means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) "Product Identity" means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement.
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.
3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.
5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.
6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder's name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.
7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.
9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.
10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.
12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.
13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich baker, Andy Collins, David noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
"The Bulette: A RM Conversion", Copyright © 2003 by Kerry Drake, first published by The Guild Companion (http://www.guildcompanion.com)
END OF LICENSE