Fantasy Monster: Red Muckhorse

You can support Shaper Of Worlds on Patreon.

Red Muckhorse

This would be a fine steed, if its flesh wasn't a gelatinous, semi-transparent slime, with silhouettes of horse bones floating freely inside. The unnatural smoothness of its movement doesn't help.

CR 7; 3,200 XP

N Large Ooze

Init +7; Senses blindsight 60 ft., scent; Perception +3

Defense
AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +4 dodge, +4 natural, –1 size)
hp 85 (10d8+40)
Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +6

Defensive Abilities evasion, liquid motion; Immune ooze traits

Offense
Speed 50 ft.

Melee 3 slams +11 (1d6+5)

Special Attacks pounce

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 16, Con 20, Int —, Wis 16, Cha 1

Base Atk +7; CMB +13; CMD 26 (30 vs. forced movement and trip)
Skills Perception +3, Stealth –1

Feats Combat Reflexes^B

SQ split

Ecology

Environment warm plains, forests, and ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3–10)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Liquid Motion (Ex) Muckhorse's slimy body moves with unnatural fluidity, moving out of harm's way or striking with impossibly extended limbs. It has +4 bonus to initiative checks and Reflex saving throws, and +4 dodge bonus to AC. It can run at five times its base speed,  make 10-ft. steps, get up as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity, and ignores difficult terrain. It also gains Combat Reflexes as a bonus feat.

Split (Ex) A red muckhorse can slowly digest a dead horse by spreading its slimy flesh over the cadaver and then splitting into two identically, fully healed red muckhorses after 2d6 hours.

Red muckhorses form when certain species of oozes grow over a frame of a horse skeleton, usually by consuming flesh of a dead horse. The resulting creature resemble a horse. From afar, and in dim light. Closer inspection leaves little doubt about abominable nature of the beast, though they are occasionally mistaken for undead, with their translucent flesh and bones visible inside.

Red muckhorses graze on anything remotely organic, slowly traveling around in search of more matter to consume, though they seem to be able to recognize taste and smell of horses and similar ungulate creatures. They might pacify the organic matter with multiple strikes if the meal tries to flee, though they won't purse things that flee the limited range of muckhorse's senses.

There is an unsubstantiated rumor that red muckhorses can be uplifted to horse-like intelligence and tamed by feeding them specially prepared alchemical concoctions. Many alchemists were eaten or suffered injuries trying to verify that rumor.