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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardPangolin

Despite their prodigious size, giant pangolins are solitary, reclusive creatures who forage by night for insects and vermin. To defend themselves from predators, they rely on a veritable arsenal of natural defenses to dissuade their foes: thick armor of wickedly sharp scales, a flexible and muscular body capable of rolling into a defensive ball, and a noxious musk. Against more persistent threats, giant pangolins' powerful digging claws prove mighty weapons in a pinch.

While a pangolin's defenses serve well against natural predators, they've long been targets of poaching by humanoid cultures, partly for meat, but largely due to the high value of their unique scales. These scales see widespread use in alchemy, folk medicine, and crafting, and thus demand for them—and the associated profits from their sale—remain high. Giant pangolins are better protected against humanoid hunters, but the larger size of their scales means wider applications and greater volume. The increased difficulty of acquiring pangolins makes doing so all the more profitable, and unscrupulous poachers can make a considerable living from hunting these creatures.

Recall Knowledge - Animal (Nature): DC 19
Unspecific Lore: DC 17
Specific Lore: DC 14

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Changes from being Weak are marked in red below.
NOTE: The -2 damage penalty to non-strike offensive abilities (-4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.

Weak Giant PangolinCreature 3

Legacy Content

N Large Animal 
Source Bestiary 3 pg. 199
Perception +12; scent (imprecise) 30 feet
Skills Athletics +11, Stealth +6, Survival +8
Str +5, Dex +0, Con +3, Int -4, Wis +2, Cha +0
AC 19; Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +8
HP 48
Speed 30 feet, burrow 20 feet, climb 20 feet
Melee [one-action] claw +11 [+7/+3] (agile), Damage 1d10-2+7 piercing damageMelee [one-action] tongue +11 [+6/+1], Damage 1d6-2+7 bludgeoning damage plus GrabDevourer of Swarms The giant pangolin ignores the resistances of swarms, and its tongue Strike deals an additional 2d6 damage against swarms.Emit Musk [one-action] (olfactory) The giant pangolin releases a disorienting and repulsive musk within a 5-foot emanation. Each creature in the area must attempt a DC 18 Fortitude save. The pangolin can't Emit Musk again for 1d4 rounds.
Critical Success The creature becomes temporarily immune to pangolin musk for 1 minute.
Success The creature is unaffected.
Failure The creature is sickened 1.
Critical Failure The creature becomes sickened 1 and is flat-footed until no longer sickened.Roll Up [one-action] (move) The giant pangolin falls prone and rolls up into a ball. While rolled up, the only actions the giant pangolin can perform are Emit Musk and Stand, and it also becomes blinded and gains resistance 10 to physical damage. An adjacent creature that hits a rolled-up giant pangolin with a melee Strike takes 1d6 slashing damage. These effects end once the giant pangolin Stands

Sidebar - Locations Digging Deeper

Giant pangolins live among the jungles of the Mwangi Expanse and Vudra. The Taralu dwarves of the eastern Mwangi jungles treat these burrowing mammals as kindred spirits, considering their scaled forms to be divine signs of the dragons they venerate. The Taralu's affinity with giant pangolins is so great that these usually friendly dwarves refuse to work with anyone who harms these beasts. The ratfolk of Vudra also favor giant pangolins; they take care to tame any they encounter, for the giant pangolins' sharp senses, powerful digging abilities, and vermin-devouring capacity often prove quite useful when defending warrens and caravans.