A huge segmented insect with slender legs, each ending in a sharp claw, emerges from the ground in a burst of rock and dirt. A tough chitinous brown shell covers its entire body, and glistening black eyes stare out from above powerful mandibles.

The ankheg is a burrowing monster with a taste for fresh meat.

An ankheg has six legs, and some specimens are yellow rather than brown. It is about 10 feet long and weighs about 800 pounds.

An ankheg burrows with legs and mandibles. A burrowing ankheg usually does not make a usable tunnel, but can construct a tunnel; it burrows at half speed when it does so. It often digs a winding tunnel up to 40 feet below the surface in the rich soil of forests or farmlands. The tunnel is 5 feet tall and wide, and from 60 to 150 feet long ([1d10 + 5] × 10). The hollowed ends of the tunnel serve as temporary lairs for sleeping, eating, or hibernating.

An ankheg can eat decayed organic matter but prefers fresh meat. Though a hungry ankheg might kill a farmer, the creature is quite beneficial to farmland. Its tunnel system laces the soil with passages for air and water, while its wastes add rich nutrients.

Combat

An ankheg usually lies 5 to 10 feet below the surface until its antennae detect the approach of prey. It then burrows up to attack. (Treat this as a charge, even though the ankheg does not need to move 10 feet before attacking.)

Clusters of ankhegs share the same territory but do not cooperate. If several attack, each tries to grab a different foe. If there aren’t enough targets, two might grab the same creature in a tug-of-war.

Ankheg

Large magical beast

Init +4; Senses darkvision, low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +8

Defense

AC 18, touch 9, flat-footed 18 (−1 size, +9 natural)

hp 26 (3d8+13)

Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2

Offense

Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.

Melee bite +6 (2d6+6 plus 1d4 acid plus grab)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks spit acid (30-ft. line, 4d4 acid, Reflex DC 14 half)

Statistics

Str 18, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 6

Base Atk +3; CMB +8 (+12 grapple); CMD 18 (can’t be tripped)

Feats Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception)

Skills Climb +8, Perception +8, Stealth +0

Morale craven (−2)

Ecology

Environment warm plains

Organization solitary or cluster (1d3+1)

Special Abilities

Grab (Ex)

If an ankheg hits with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. The ankheg can only grab targets of a size equal to or smaller than itself.

An ankheg receives a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple.

Spit Acid (Ex)

30-ft. line, once every 6 hours; damage 4d4 acid, Reflex DC 14 half. One such attack depletes the ankheg’s acid supply for 6 hours. It cannot spit acid or deal acid damage during this time. The save DC is Constitution-based.

An ankheg does not use this ability unless it is desperate or frustrated. It most often spits acid when reduced to fewer than half its full normal hit points or when it has not successfully grabbed an opponent.