A dorsal fin rises up from the back of this immense black-and-white-furred, wolflike beast.
Akhlut CR 13
XP 25,600
N Huge magical beast (cold, shapechanger)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, snow vision; Perception +14
Defense
AC 30, touch 11, flat-footed 27 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +19 natural, –2 size)
hp 189 (18d10+90)
Fort +16, Ref +13, Will +10
DR 15/magic; Immune cold
Weaknesses vulnerability to fire
Offense
Speed 40 ft., swim 60 ft.
Melee bite +27 (4d8+15/15–20 plus 4d6 cold and grab)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks savage bite, shore storming, swallow whole (2d8+15 bludgeoning damage plus 4d6 cold, AC 19, 18 hp)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th; concentration +16)
1/day—control weather (windy or cold weather only)
Statistics
Str 31, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 15, Cha 6
Base Atk +18; CMB +30 (+34 grapple); CMD 43 (47 vs. trip)
Feats Dodge, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Stealth), Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Acrobatics +2 (+6 when jumping), Perception +14, Stealth +16 (+28 in snow), Swim +18; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +12 Stealth in snow
SQ change shape (orca; beast shape III), hold breath, snow walking
Languages Aquan (cannot speak)
Ecology
Environment cold lakes, plains, or oceans
Organization solitary
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Savage Bite (Ex) An akhlut's bite threatens a critical hit on a roll of 18–20.
Shore Storming (Ex) An akhlut automatically transforms into an orca whenever it is fully immersed in water, losing its legs and fur. Likewise, when an akhlut emerges from the water, it automatically transforms into its wolf-orca hybrid form. If an akhlut moves from water to land (or vice versa) on the round before initiating combat, it gains a +8 bonus on its initiative check. This initial attack resolves as a charge. An akhlut has the same statistics in both forms.
Snow Vision (Ex) An akhlut can see perfectly well in snowy conditions, and does not take any penalties on Perception checks while in snowy weather.
Snow Walking (Su) An akhlut can walk on snow or thin sheets of ice as though affected by water walk. It only leaves a trail on such surfaces when it wants to.
Resembling nothing so much as a killer whale mixed with a wolf, the rarely seen akhlut stalks frigid seas and the frozen lands nearby, shrouded by perpetual blizzards. Legend holds that the first akhlut was born fully-formed in the eye of a polar hurricane, the merciless anger of the elements made flesh. Whether or not the tale is true, the akhlut's ferocity is certainly as memorable as that of any storm.
While the akhlut appears as a wolf-orca hybrid on land, when it enters the water, its legs and fur vanish and it transforms fully into the form of an orca. Akhluts are particularly skilled at charging into and out of water, their transformation between shapes occurring in the blink of an eye.
Each akhlut fiercely defends its hunting grounds from other predators, and especially against other akhluts. While this does reduce the number of dangerous predators in a region, it's unclear whether replacing lesser predators with something as dangerous as an akhlut is actually preferable. Typically, an akhlut considers its territory to be the boundaries of the storm created by its control weather spell-like ability, and rarely travels far from this storm's borders.
An akhlut is 22 feet long and weighs 8,000 pounds.
