#bazelgeuse

Will post more soon.

Bazelgeuse, from Monster Hunter

Image © Capcom

[Sponsored by Prom on the Patreon, who specifically wanted me to bring in the fanon interpretation of the Bazelgeuse as a kleptoparasite. I love kleptoparasitism, and so was happy to oblige. My biggest challenge with this monster was in interpreting the blasting scales in such a way where they worked at the table--if each scale exploded separately like a grenade, that would be a lot of frustrating bookkeeping for a GM.

If you'd like to sponsor monsters like Prom, or just help out an unemployed writer, check out the Creature Codex Patreon here!]

Bazelgeuse CR 17 N Dragon This immense draconic creature has a metallic hide, and its wings are shaped like corrugated sheet metal. It has a short stout neck bristling with oversized overlapping scales like those of a pine cone, and similar appendages hang down from the base of its tail. Its head is dwarfed by the cluster of scales, squared off and with an underslung jaw.

A bazelgeuse, sometimes called an invading tyrant or bombard wyvern, is an enormous animalistic dragon feared by all who live in its territory. With their incredible sense of hearing, a bazelgeuse can detect the sound of combat miles away. Bazelgeuses attack with their blasting scales, explosive weapons that constantly grow along the underside of its body and drop off like bombs. A bazelgeuse prefers to keep some distance, making multiple passes over the battlefield to explode anything that remains, but if its prey fights back will attack with its natural weapons. The jaws of a bazelgeuse are not suited for combat, but it slams foes with its neck and tail. Its most feared attack is to crash into a single target and detonate its attached blasting scales at the same time. Like many dragons, bazelgeuses have a breath weapon, but this is a relatively weak spray of flaming liquid, the same material as is contained within their blasting scales. Bazelgeuses usually use this in order to detonate their blasting scales. An injured bazelgeuse enters a state of metabolic frenzy, making faster strikes and generating even more explosive blasting scales. In this state, the bazelgeuse’s blasting scales and the gaps between its ordinary scales glow orange.

A bazelgeuse will hunt over a remarkable area, and their bombing runs are sometimes mistaken for territorial belligerence. The truth of the matter is that bazelgeuses are as much kleptoparasites as they are hunters, preferring to attack other large predators in order to drive them away from prey so they can steal it. Their jaws are better suited for intimidation than for rending flesh, and they will gladly scavenge if they come across a sizable carcass. Bazelgeuses use their blasting scales to explosively “tenderize” food, which serves as an audible warning for other predators to steer clear. The movement of a bazelgeuse through a habitat may initiate a trophic cascade, as it drives away apex predators, leading to surges in prey population, which then overgraze. As such, areas inhabited by a bazelgeuse are often less vegetated than the surrounding regions. Bazelgeuses are solitary creatures, and only associate with each other on rare occasions in order to mate.

How is this supposed to be a World-like without the Bagel and Pickle??!!!