Creatures Creature Families Creature Abilities
Creature Adjustments Creature Templates

SFS Standard Dust Manta Creature 6

Deadly stealth predators, dust mantas lurk just below the surface on desert worlds across the Universe. Despite a wingspan averaging 10 feet across and weighing 1 ton, dust mantas are nearly undetectable in their native habitat thanks to their pebbly, sand-colored hide. Like a ray through water, they can sense nearby vibrations and glide through sand flats and dunes to ambush unfortunate prey. Their wicked stinger injects a lethal toxin that breaks down flesh and bone, dissolving it into sand so filterfeeding dust mantas can strain particles of food from the resulting suspension.

Elite | Normal | Weak

Elite Weak Dust Manta Creature 6

Source Alien Core pg. 62
Recall Knowledge DC 20 22 23 •
Beast (Arcana)
Beast (Nature)
Perception +14; sandsense (imprecise) 120 feet
Skills Acrobatics +15, Athletics +13, Stealth +18, Survival +13
Str +4 Dex +5 Con +3 Int -1 Wis +4 Cha +0
Sandsense The dust manta can feel the slightest disturbance in nearby sand, granting it the ability to sense other creatures moving through or on top of the same body of sand that it's in. In addition, the dust manta ignores concealment from sandstorms, and they're immune to being dazzled by sand or other grit.
AC 23
Fort +13
Ref +17
Will +11
HP 90
Speed 15 feet, burrow 40 feet
Melee [one-action] stinger +17 (agilefinessereach 10 feet), Damage 2d6+6 piercing plus dust manta toxin
Burrowing Charge [two-actions] The dust manta surges through sand to attack unwary prey. It Burrows up to twice its burrow Speed, then Leaps vertically up to 25 feet high, making a stinger Strike against a creature at any point during the jump (this lets it attack a creature within 35 feet of the surface). After the Leap, the dust manta falls to the ground but takes no damage from the fall if it lands on sand.
Disappear in Dust The dust manta's sand-colored hide allows it to Hide in sand or any other fine, similarly colored substance even without cover or concealment.
Dust Manta Toxin (poison) Saving Throw DC 24 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 6 rounds; Stage 1 2d4 poison damage (1 round); Stage 2 3d4 poison damage and enfeebled 1 (1 round); Stage 3 3d4 poison damage and enfeebled 2 (1 round); Stage 4 4d4 poison damage and enfeebled 3 (1 round); Stage 5 death, and the victim's body disintegrates into dust and can only be brought back via a wish ritual or similarly powerful magic
Spray Sand [two-actions] (manipulate) The dust manta sprays a cloud of sand from its gills in a 30-foot burst. All creatures in the cloud become concealed, and all creatures outside the cloud become concealed to creatures within it. The cloud lasts until the end of the dust manta's next turn. The dust manta can't use Spray Sand again for 1d4 rounds. A non-dust manta creature that enters or starts its turn in the cloud must attempt a DC 24 Fortitude save.
SuccessThe creature is unaffected.
FailureThe creature is dazzled for 1 minute or until it spends an Interact action to wipe the dirt and grit from its eyes.
Critical FailureThe creature is blinded for 1 round, after which it's dazzled for 1 minute or until it spends an Interact action to wipe its eyes.

Sand Scavengers

Dust manta toxin only disintegrates organic matter, making dust manta hunting grounds potential treasure troves. Many brave (or foolhardy) fortune seekers venture into the sands to find equipment left behind by dust mantas, only to fall victim themselves and add to the desert's bounty.