Death Cow

Large monstrosity, lawful evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0)

Saving Throws Strength +6, Constitution +5
Skills Animal Handling +4, Athletics +6, Perception +4
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Bovine
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Special Traits

  • Bovine Master. A death cow can take control of 1d6 cows located within 30 feet of it as per the dominate monster spell. Cows controlled in this fashion do not receive a Wisdom save, but are controlled automatically.
  • Cattle Guise. A death cow can voluntarily appear as a normal quadrupedal cow, indistinguishable from a normal cow. It can transform between cow and death cow form instantly. Its weapons only manifest in bipedal form. The true seeing spell will reveal the death cow’s true form.
  • Death Throes. When the death cow dies, it explodes, showering all creatures within a 30-foot radius with scalding blood and chunks of burning meat. Each creature in this area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
  • Secret Speech. Death cows speak in a strange mooing tongue called Bovine that normally cannot be learned by non-cows. Those who wish to learn the language must succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence check and have a willing death cow as an instructor.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The death cow makes one bite and one greatsword attack.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
  • Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
  • War Moo (Recharge 5-6). The death cow unleashes a deafening moo. All non-bovine creatures within 30 feet of the death cow that can hear the moo, must attempt a DC 13 Constitution saving throw and be deafened for 1 minute and take 28 (8d6) thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much damage without being deafened on a successful one.

About

Rumors tell of a beast that looks like every other member of a peaceful herd of cattle. Without warning, it’s said to rise up on its hind legs, eyes blazing with the red flames of hatred, and fling itself upon terrified herders, cunningly gripping a mighty two-handed sword in its cruel front hooves!

The fearsome monsters known as death cows are travelers from an alternate reality where bovines are the dominant life form, and other lesser species serve the mighty Cow Queen as chattel and beasts of burden. Dispatched to this reality, the death cows are tasked with bringing liberation to their enslaved brethren on cattle ranches and dairy farms across the Material Plane.

These emissaries of their monarch lurk in hiding among other cows, fomenting rebellion and whispering tales of the freedom and liberty of their world. To their intense frustration, bovines of other planes either ignore their entreaties to rebel or are actively hostile, attacking these interlopers and driving them out. This has not discouraged the death cows, who continue to issue calls for revolt and the destruction of the humans, halflings, and dwarves who hold the race of cows as prisoners.

Death cows emerge from herds of cattle in the hope that their fellow beasts will follow them, but they are not above using their natural abilities to control cows and use them as allies in battle, leading the herd to the sound of the terrifying war moo.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Horrors © 2018, Frog God Games, LLC; Authors: Kevin Baase, Erica Balsley, John “Pexx” Barnhouse, Christopher Bishop, Casey Christofferson, Jim Collura, Andrea Costantini, Jayson ‘Rocky' Gardner, Zach Glazar, Meghan Greene, Scott Greene, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Ian S. Johnston, Bill Kenower, Patrick Lawinger, Rhiannon Louve, Ian McGarty, Edwin Nagy, James Patterson, Nathan Paul, Patrick N. Pilgrim, Clark Peterson, Anthony Pryor, Greg Ragland, Robert Schwalb, G. Scott Swift, Greg A. Vaughan, and Bill Webb

This is not the complete license attribution - see the full license for this page