Monster Monday: Sabertooth Salmon - Deadly and Delicious

I've mentioned before that I'm really in to prehistoric animals and that I would try to bring more of them into Pathfinder.  Well, for this Monster Monday I'm bringing you a pretty unusual one: the sabertooth salmon.

(c) Ray Troll.  Prints of this piece are available for sale on his website.

Yes, that's a real thing that existed.  Oncorhynchus rastrosus (formerly known by the more colourful Smilodonichthys rastrorsus) were 8-10 feet long, 300-400 pounds, and equipped with a pair of sharp fangs.  They lived about 5 million years ago along the Pacific coast of North America.

The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is (C)2014 Jonah Bomgaars.

Fish, Sabertooth Salmon         CR 2

XP 600

N Large animal (aquatic)

Init +2; Senses Low-light vision, scent; Perception +1

DEFENSE

AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 11 (+2 natural, +2 Dex, -1 size)

hp 22 (3d8+9)

Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft.

Melee bite +4 (1d8+4/ 19-20)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

STATISTICS

Str 17, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 2

Base Atk +2; CMB +6 (+8 overrun); CMD 18 (20 vs. overrun, cannot be tripped)

Feats Improved Overrun, Skill Focus (acrobatics)

Skills Acrobatics +9, Swim +16

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or cold ocean or rivers

Organization solitary, school (4-16), run (17+)

Treasure none

The sabertooth salmon, or smilodonichthys, is a massive fish known for its two prominent fangs.  They are prized for their rich and flavorful pink-orange flesh, and any fisherman who bags one will have a bounty of food and bragging rights.  Catching a sabertooth salmon is a major feat, as they are impressive jumpers that have been known to knock down anglers and even black bears.  Their teeth can inflict severe gashes on would-be predators and sever fishing line and nets.  Fully grown sabertooth salmon can be 8-10 ft. in length and weigh up to 400 lbs.  Despite their large teeth, these fish primarily eat plankton. 

   Sabertooth salmon, like their smaller cousins, live most of their lives in the ocean but return up river to their birthplace to spawn and die.  Most such rivers will only see a few tens of sabertooth salmon returning per year, but true sabertooth salmon runs take place in large rivers, usually in northern temperate forests.  While the salmon are running, most animals know to stay away from the river, for these massive fish can jump without warning and inflict severe injuries.  The die-off after mating attracts hordes of bears, wolves, and other scavengers who feast on the flesh of these mighty giants.  

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Sabertooth salmon are designed to present a hazard to low-level parties adventuring on or near a river.  Their powerful jumping ability, supplemented with the Improved Overrun feat, allows them to potentially knock a character off a boat and into the water.  For a full-on run of sabertooth salmon can render a river impassable, and their post-mating die-off gives the GM an excuse to have a mass cluster of bears and wolves in one place.  You know, just in case.

Plus, like all salmon (especially Pacific salmon), they are delicious.  If your adventuring party cares about food at all.

I first learned about sabertooth salmon years ago from an awesome book called Planet Ocean: A Story of Life, the Sea, and Dancing to the Fossil Record by Brad Matsen and illustrated by the aforementioned Ray Troll.  Troll is an Alaska-based artist who tends to focus on fish-related topics, giving a lot of attention to prehistoric fish like the sabertooth salmon and other weird primeval swimmers (some of which might show up on this blog later).  Check his stuff out: it's pretty cool.

-your anadromous d20 despot