Hippopotamus Topiary
Creature 11 — plant
CrasherAnvilLANDAQUATICplantswamp
One of the rarest types of living topiaries is the hippopotamus. These large shrubs are formed from souls with larger-than-life personalities. While less agile and perceptive than smaller topiaries, they're much more aggressive and territorial. As such, they tend to live solitary lives around swamps and marshes, giving them plenty of water and vegetation to roam around in. Topiaries are an extremely common sight across Golarion, especially within the gleaming and well-manicured lawns of nobility
Source: pathfinder-monster-core-2
Perception +20; low-light-vision, scent (imprecise) 60 feet; branchlocation (precise) 30 feet
Languages muan; can't speak any language
Skills athletics +23, nature +21, stealth +23
Str
+7
Dex
+4
Con
+4
Int
-2
Wis
+0
Cha
+3
AC 30
Fort +24
Ref +21
Will +18
HP 220
Immunities bleed
Speed 25 feet, swim 30 feet (walk through plants)
Offense
Melee Jaws +22, Damage 2d10+15 piercing plus Grab, Swamp Fever
Melee Hoof +22, Damage 2d8+15 bludgeoning
Abilities
Branchlocation — The hippopotamus topiary can tap its branches together and use its hearing as a precise sense at the listed range.
Absorb Water — When in water or exposed to a water effect, the hippopotamus loses its weakness to fire until the start of its next turn.
Jaw Crush —
Pruning (concentrate, manipulate, polymorph) — The hippopotamus topiary twists and contorts its shape, shedding branches and leaves as needed to change into a topiary of a Medium or smaller animal. Until the next time it acts, the topiary has an automatic result of 43 for Deception checks and DCs to appear as a mundane topiary.
Swamp Fever (disease) — Saving Throw DC 26 Fortitude
Onset 1 day
Stage 1 Sickened 1 (1 day)
Stage 2 Sickened 2 (1 day)
Stage 3 sickened 2 and 1d8 persistent bleed damage (1 day)
Stage 4 sickened 2, Drained 1, and 2d8 persistent bleed damage (1 day)
Stage 5 dead
Onset 1 day
Stage 1 Sickened 1 (1 day)
Stage 2 Sickened 2 (1 day)
Stage 3 sickened 2 and 1d8 persistent bleed damage (1 day)
Stage 4 sickened 2, Drained 1, and 2d8 persistent bleed damage (1 day)
Stage 5 dead
Walk Through Plants — The hippopotamus topiary ignores difficult terrain caused by dense vegetation.
Grab —
WORKS WELL WITH
SniperLANDA ranged ally avoids the disease-inflicting bite while picking off enemies from range.
SnareAQUATICA controller pins enemies for this creature's repeated grabbing strikes.
PUNISHES
✖ clumping✖ low Fortitude
Avoid stacking with another high-HP grappling bruiser; both compete for the same single grabbed target.
Works well with · Punishes · Pairing advice
Unlock with Tactics
Run Hippopotamus Topiary in the encounter builder — free, no install.
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