Blade Beast

Resembling a panther with jet black skin that is hard and rough like stone. It's skin is covered in a pattern of fine cracks. Some of the cracks glow to form strange runes and symbols. It's eyes radiate with a faint red glow. Various blade protrude from it's hide.

Source: Creature Collection II: Dark Menagerie for Dungeons & Dragons 3.0

     The Blade Beast earns it's name for it's ability to absorb and integrate weapons into it's body. These weapons form a metallic spine. The Blade Beast was created by an evil god who's portfolio is weapon crafting and the forge. He would direct his creation to raid hamlets. There they ransacked the local blacksmith and absorb his inventory into it's body.

     The dark god would then order his minion to slay the Blade Beast. By slaying the Blade Beast they would be outfitted with a new armory of weapons. A few Blade Beast have escaped the clutches of their dark god and roam the wilderness looking for weapons to acquire. Any adventurer who possesses a weapon is open target for the Blade Beast. The Blade Beast for the most part lack intelligence and attack with little or no tactics.

     When a Blade Beast is slain it's body splits open and shatters. All that remains are the intact weapons it has acquired.

Combat: Blade Beast are large magical beast. They are a Challenge Level of 3.

-Absorb Blade: Any time an opponent attacks a Blade Beast with a sword or similar weapon they must make a Strength Check 15 or have the weapon absored into the creature body. The only way to retrieve that weapon is to slay the Blade Beast.

-Project Blade: The Blade Beast can project any weapon absorbed into it's body. They choose a weapon with the highest possible damage. This weapon has a +7 to hit and +4 to damage once it's hurled from it's body.

-Bladed Body: Whenever an opponent attacks with an unarmed strike or a weapon with 5ft or less reach they have a 20% chance of taking 1d2 points of damage from the sharp blades that extend from it's body.

     When a Blade Beast is slain you should have a random assortment of blades that it has acquired. In some rare instances they will possess a magical item. There should 1d10 random blades with each one having a 5% chance of being magical.

Creature Collection II: Dark Menagerie