Sith War Behemoth

Creature Feature

By Owen K.C. Stephens

Inspired by the Tales of the Jedi - The Fall of the Sith Empire series by Dark Horse Comics.

The battle legions of the Sith Empire used dozens of different creatures to augment their considerable
ground forces. One of the most impressive of these was the Sith war behemoth -- a massive creature
used to transport troops, carry heavy weapons, and break through enemy fortifications, much like grav
tanks are used in more modern armies. War behemoths are gargantuan quadrupeds that stand 12 to 15
meters tall and weigh an average of 10,000 kg. War behemoths have tough, leathery skin, shaggy fur
covering their necks and bodies, and a hard shell protecting their backs. They also possess long, curving
tusks and a series of horns that project upwards from their heads.

Originally natives of the icy planet of Khar Delba, war behemoths were peaceful herd creatures that
used their long tusks only to defend themselves against predators. When the Sith Lords found these
creatures, they transported many of them to harsh jungle worlds and used Sith Alchemy to turn them
into violent omnivores. Centuries-long breeding programs produced an easily trained species that
responds well to certain commands. A program of standard command coding allowed Sith troops to
control war behemoths in combat.

Wild war behemoths travel in small groups of two to four beasts and spend most of their time searching
for food. The war behemoths eat anything they find, including carrion and living prey too weak to fight
or too slow to escape them. The creatures are not particularly territorial, but they react violently when
attacked or threatened. However, due to their generations of breeding to serve the Sith, war
behemoths can generally be managed by anyone skilled at handling animals.

When acting as part of a Sith army, war behemoths often are equipped with gun turrets -- crewed huts
lashed to a behemoth's armored back and armed with three bulky weapons equivalent to light repeating
blasters. These huts have a crew of four and enough armor to grant them 10 points of Damage
Reduction. The Challenge Code for a war behemoth with a gun turret is increased to at least an F, and
may be higher if manned by a particularly competent crew. War behemoths are also sometimes
equipped with spiked leg armor, which gives them an additional +4 damage to their trample attacks.

In addition to Darkvision, war behemoths have the following special qualities: Easily Trained: A war
behemoth is easily trained, granting a +6 circumstance bonus to any character making a Handle Animal
skill check to handle, teach or train it.
Swallow Whole: The war behemoth can swallow opponents it holds as a result of a successful grapple
check (see Grapple on page 148 of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game). If it makes a second successful
grapple check after a grab, it swallows its prey. The opponent to be swallowed whole can be up to
Huge size. A creature that is swallowed whole takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage and 2d6 acid damage
each round. If a swallowed opponent can do 10 or more points of wound damage to the interior of a
war behemoth, it creates a hole through which it can escape.
Trample: As a full-round action, a war behemoth can literally run over an opponent of no larger than
Huge size. The war behemoth merely has to move over the opponent, no attack roll is necessary. When
making a trample attack the war behemoth does not have to stop when it moves adjacent to an
opponent. Also it can begin a trample attack and move normally when adjacent to an opponent.
Trampled opponents take 4d6 points of damage, but can attempt a Reflex save (DC 26) for half
damage.
War Behemoth (Herd animal 10): Init +1 (+1 Dex); Def 25 (+18 natural, -4 size, +1 Dex); Spd 30 m; Her;
VP/WP 155/148; Atk +12 melee (2d8+12, gore), or +5 ranged; SQ Darkvision, easily trained, swallow
whole, trample; SV Fort +20, Ref +3, Will +3; SZ Gargantuan; Rep 0; Str 35, Dex 11, Con 37, Int 2, Wis
11, Cha 3. Challenge Code: E.
Skills: Climb +16, Listen +5, Search +1, Spot +5, Survival +5.
Feats: Power Attack.

Looking for more creatures to liven up your campaign? Check out the "University of Sambra Guide to
Intelligent Life" in each issue of Star Wars Gamer!