Carnivorous Ship

Gargantuan monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 186 (12d20 + 60)
Speed 10 ft., swim 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
23 (+6)	6 (-2)	20 (+5)	7 (-2)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)

Skills Deception +12, Perception +5
Damage Immunities acid
Condition Immunities prone
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages understands Common but can’t speak
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Special Traits

• Amphibious. The carnivorous ship can breathe air and water.
• Drones. Each day at dawn, the carnivorous ship produces up to 12 vaguely humanoid drones. Drones share a telepathic link with the carnivorous ship and are under its control. A drone uses the statistics of a zombie, except it can’t be knocked prone while on the carnivorous ship and can attach itself to the ship as a reaction when the ship moves. The carnivorous ship can have no more than 12 drones under its control at one time.
• Shapechanger. The carnivorous ship can use its action to polymorph into a Gargantuan ship (such as a galleon) or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Actions

• Multiattack. The carnivorous ship makes two bite attacks.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) piercing damage plus 18 (4d8) acid damage.
• Spit Cannonballs. The carnivorous ship spits cannonball-like lumps of indigestible metal at up to three points it can see within 100 feet of it. Each creature within 5 feet of a point must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
• Surge. The carnivorous ship moves up to 400 feet in a straight line and can move through Huge and smaller objects as if they were difficult terrain. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. If it moves through a Huge or smaller object, the object takes 55 (10d10) bludgeoning damage. If it moves through a ship, the ship’s pilot can make a DC 15 Wisdom check using navigator’s tools, halving the damage on a success.

About

The prow of the ship opens into a gigantic, tooth-filled maw, while humanoid-shaped blobs of flesh swarm over the rails.

Bribable. A giant cousin to the mimic, the carnivorous ship is a cunning hunter of the seas. Wise captains traveling through known carnivorous ship hunting grounds carry tithes and offerings to placate the creatures.

Solitary Ship Eaters. Carnivorous ships live and hunt alone. Though they prefer to consume wood, metal, rope, and cloth, they aren’t above eating flesh and readily eat entire ships, crew and all. They reproduce asexually after a season of particularly successful hunts. Young carnivorous ships are about the size of rowboats and use the statistics of a mimic, except they also have one drone. As they age, they grow in size, eventually gaining more drones.

Drones. Carnivorous ships create vaguely humanoid drones from the flesh of their bodies. These drones are mindless and act under the mental direction of the carnivorous ship. From a distance, the drones appear to be a crew as they move about the deck of the carnivorous ship, but closer inspection reveals their true nature. When the carnivorous ship attacks another ship at sea, the drones swarm over the rails onto the target ship and take down the crew that would stop the carnivorous ship from enjoying its meal.