KetesthiusThis enormous wolf-headed sea serpent’s maw leads into what
seems to be an endless expanse within.Ketesthius CR 13Source Bestiary 5 pg. 150
XP 25,600
LE Gargantuan magical beast (aquatic)
Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +14DefenseAC 28, touch 13, flat-footed 24 (+7 Dex, +15 natural, –4 size)
hp 200 (16d10+112); regeneration 10 (fire or acid)
Fort +17, Ref +17, Will +10OffenseSpeed 20 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee bite +22 (4d8+10/19–20 plus grab), 2 claws +22
(2d6+10/19–20)
Space 20 ft, Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks bigger inside, fast swallow, grab
(Gargantuan), swallow whole (see text)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13;
concentration +13)
3/day—gust of wind,
obscuring mist
1/day—control weatherStatisticsStr 30, Dex 25, Con 24, Int 5, Wis 16, Cha 11
Base Atk +16; CMB +30 (+34
grapple); CMD 47
Feats Critical Focus, Improved
Critical (bite), Improved Critical
(claws), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lunge, Power Attack, Staggering Critical
Skills Perception +14, Swim +29
Languages Common (can’t speak)
SQ amphibiousEcologyEnvironment any oceans or coastlines
Organization solitary
Treasure doubleSpecial AbilitiesBigger Inside (Su) A ketesthius’s
stomach is an extradimensional
space, much larger on the inside
than its physical size would allow.
A ketesthius can swallow any
Gargantuan or smaller creature,
and its cavernous stomach is
an entirely new location, its size
varying wildly from ketesthius to
ketesthius. Creatures swallowed by
the ketesthius are not considered grappled, nor do they
take damage each round, and damage to the walls of the
stomach do not harm the ketesthius or allow the creatures to
escape. Creatures trapped inside can generally escape only
via teleportation magic that crosses planes or if the ketesthius
is defeated or nauseated from outside. As a result of its
unusual anatomy and huge appetite, a ketesthius often has
other monsters living inside its stomach, which in turn feed
on things the ketesthius swallows. A ketesthius usually has
from one to four monsters of CR 8–9 in its gullet. Sea creatures
like dire sharks, dire crocodiles, giant octopus, or giant squid
are most common, but less frequently giants or other land-dwelling
creatures live in its gut as well. Ketesthiuses are even
known to swallow each other, though only on rare occasions.DescriptionKetesthiuses are large sea monsters with wolf like heads and
foreclaws, eel-like bodies, and powerful fish tails. They are
voracious eaters with great jaws that can gulp down prey
that can be as large as themselves. Creatures a ketesthius
swallows are not digested immediately,
because ketesthiuses’ vast stomachs and
unique anatomy allow them to sustain
living creatures inside their gullets
indefinitely. Entire ecologies can
form within a single ketesthius’s
extradimensional digestive tract.
Though the stomach’s ecosystem is
capable of supporting life, it’s far
from a welcome environment: no
sunlight comes in, the air is thin
and dank, and most creatures
trapped within become feral in
short order. Larger creatures that
end up inside a ketesthius have
a difficult time surviving long
term, and must resort to quickly
snapping up prey that their host
later swallows.
Though it makes no attempt
to hoard treasure, within a
ketesthius’s vast gut lies all the
treasure of the creatures—and
even ships—that the ketesthius
has swallowed. More than once,
tales of lost treasure within have
led foolish adventurers to risk
being intentionally swallowed
by a ketesthius.
An adult ketesthius typically
measures over 50 feet long. Its
weight varies based on the size of its
extradimensional gullet, but usually
ranges from 5–60 tons.
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