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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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Desa-Desa

Also known as “bubble cats” or “gas cats,” desa-desas are small, vaguely feline predators that hunt the jungles of Castrovel. A typical desa-desa is roughly the size and shape of a bobcat. Its head is reptilian, sporting large eyes and slender fangs that protrude from its lips. Desa-desa fur tends to match their environment—most are dark green and brown—and is punctuated by patterns of small, bubble-like bladders that protrude from the creature's skin like transparent boils. Every desa-desa has a different bladder pattern, and this distinctive anatomical feature is key to the creature's survival.

Desa-desas' lives revolve around a little-understood (and likely magical) process by which the creatures transform water into its constituent gaseous elements. A desa-desa stores these gasses in the polyp-like bladders, which are lined with an electricity-conducting material that allows the creature to create sudden blasts of flame in all directions.

As a predator, the desa-desa's most dangerous attack is its bite, which passes along its bubble venom, which can ravage the fluids in the victim's own body. This reaction causes water in the target's cells to split rapidly, creating bubbles of gas that percolate through the creature's flesh to its skin, where it balloons outward in large, agonizing blisters before popping. The combustible gasses in these blisters also make a creature particularly susceptible to fire attacks—such as the desa-desa's defensive blast. A typical desa-desa is 4 feet long counting the tail, and weighs just 30 pounds.

Recall Knowledge - Animal (Nature): DC 18
Unspecific Lore: DC 16
Specific Lore: DC 13

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Desa-DesaCreature 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon N Small Animal 
Source Pathfinder #187: The Seventh Arch pg. 85
Perception +10; low-light vision
Skills Acrobatics +8, Athletics +7, Stealth +9, Survival +8
Str +2, Dex +5, Con +1, Int -4, Wis +4, Cha +1
AC 18; Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +8
HP 34; Resistances fire 4; Weaknesses electricity 2
Volatile Gasses Whenever a desa-desa takes electricity damage, it must attempt a DC 18 Fortitude save. On a failure, the sparks cause the desa-desa to immediately use Fire Blast if it can, and the desa-desa becomes flat-footed for 1 round.
Speed 40 feet, climb 20 feet
Melee [one-action] bite +11 [+6/+1], Damage 1d4+2 piercing plus bubble venomBubble Venom (arcane, poison) A creature bit by a desa-desa breaks out in large, painful blisters which expand and pop as water in the victim's body turns into volatile gasses. Magical healing of any kind counteracts the bubble venom; Saving Throw DC 18 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 6 rounds; Stage 1 weakness to fire 2 and 1d6 piercing (1 round); Stage 2 weakness to fire 4 and 2d6 piercing (1 round)Fire Blast [two-actions] (arcane, evocation, fire) The desa-desa releases a burst of explosive gasses in all directions, dealing 3d6 fire damage to all creatures in a 5-foot emanation. The desa-desa can't use Fire Blast again for 1d4 rounds.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Cat Gasses

Castrovelian elven scholars have long noted the utility of the gasses contained in desa-desa bubble bladders. Researchers at Tolris University in Qabarat have used the gasses to create hotter forges, bottled air for diving, and even lift for airships. The former head of the department, Shimah Teph, believed that the cats could keep a ship aloft indefnitely, while feeding them just a few scraps of meat, and managed to pilot a test fight to Laubu Mesa before dying of desa-desa-inficted wounds.