Cato what’s us ?

Yeah you heard me Catoblepas ! What’s not to love ? This is how you kill a party old school ! With a poison Gas vomiting, Death Gazing warthog faced water buffalo that has a mace for a tail !

Oh I know many of you are shaking your heads right now; but as A DM of 30 years, This is everything you want in a swamp encounter that will make your players lives a living hell.  This is not a monster that sneaks up on you’re players. It’s is a zone of death,  A veritable killing force of nature itself. And what a better place to have found this beast.  But in our own mythology. Like I always say some of the best monsters for your RPG’s are the real ones . Well the ones that we have been fearing are real all the way back before the dark ages themselves that is. That’s Primal fear kid’s.  And the Catoblepas exudes that fear. And what a  glorious stench ! Your party will know what you have in store from them from a good ways off. And if they are down wind a good bit sooner than that.
In combat,  if you can tolerate the stink to get close enough for that. The first rule. If this is the view you have your wrong. And maybe even dead already. Yeah that fast that simple. Just the gaze of this beast is enough to kill.  He has a mug not even a mother could love.

Attacking from the rear is not the safest direction of attack either. Sure you don’t have to get in kissing distance of that horrid face .. but now you have to face off with his club of a tail.  The sides of this awful monster are no safer due to its long neck and tail .. now you get to best of both worlds.  Both head and Tail can reach you from his sides. The best course of action you can take when combating this creature of legend. When you smell it go the other way.  If you absolutely have no other choice and must confront a Catobleps. The only choice is range and from the rear. Hope for quick kill even then. Because the creature still can move at a good clip on his stubby little hippo like legs.

As a GM’s If you’re looking to put your party in the worst possible location to fight one of these.  Might I offer up to their waist in bog. Difficult terrain is where the Catoblepas makes his home. And it is not only perfectly suited to fight in such an environment .. your players will hate you all the more for it !
So get out there and let your players fight a myth Today !

art from.
http://sherritaray.com/

http://monsterbrand.deviantart.com/art/Catoblepas-112221922

Check out their stuff its pretty awesome as you can see here.