SHANTAK AND Y’GOLONAC - A Call of Cthulhu d20 Roleplaying Game Web Enhancement

Oct 6, 2026

Web enhancement content for Call of Cthulhu d20 introduces the shantak and the Great Old One Y’golonac, creatures cut from the original book and restored online. The document describes shantak combat behavior, fear responses, mobility, and key statistics, including size, attacks, damage, defenses, and senses. It also covers possession by Y’golonac, outlining how victims transform and the dread dimensional abilities enabling movement and travel.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryComic

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Shantak and Y’golonac Overview

Initiative, Attacks, and Damage

Special Qualities and Senses

Possession and Dimensional Travel

SHANTAK ANDY’GOLONAC A Call of Cthulhu d20 Roleplaying Game web enhancement —By John D. Rateliff and Bruce R. Cordell Here’s a surprise for fans of the Mythos… a bonus web enhancement Feats: Improved Initiative, from “the cutting room floor” of the Call of Cthulhu d20 Roleplay- Power Attack ing Game. The shantak monster and the Great Old One Y’golonac Climate/Terrain: Any both were cut from the book late in the production process due to lack of Advancement: 9–16 HD (Huge); space. Now they live again online in this exclusive web enhancement 17–32 HD (Gargantuan) from the official Call of Cthulhu d20 website: CR: 5 [www.wizards.com/callofcthulhu.](www.wizards.com/callofcthulhu. Sanity Loss:)[ Sanity Loss:](www.wizards.com/callofcthulhu. Sanity Loss:) 0/1d6 Not any birds or bats known SHANTAK elsewhere on earth . . . for they were larger than ele HHgeerDiteao: icaRd1s(t84(Lehpser phantrseand hadTheadsShaketakaInitiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 bird has scales instead of Improved Initiative) feathers and those scales Spdve:r0gef)t., fly 180 ft. are very slippery. Ar–m2 orsizCe,ls:nu1l) Dex, —H.PD. Lovereamc-raft,QueTstheof Attacks: Bite +14 melee, 2 Unknown Kadath wing buffets +9 melee, tail slap +9 melee Shantaks are massive, eleDamage: Bite 2d6+8, wing phantine beasts that serve as buffet 1d6+4, tail slap aerial mounts for the Great 1d6+12 Old Ones. A shantak’s [Face/Reach:](Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 15 ft./15)[ 10 ft. by 15 ft./15](Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 15 ft./15) horselike head is attached [ft. by](ft. by) a sinuous neck to a Special Qualities: Damage grotesque body that shares equal reduction 20/+1, dimensional shrift with bird and bat. Shantaks travel, immune to vacuum, brood in cavernous holes, and their low-light vision, darkvision wings are encrusted with rime. 60 ft. Shantaks hold an extreme if unreasonable fear Saves: Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +2 of nightgaunts and always retreat from them. Shan Abilities: Str 26, Dex 13, Con 20, taks can fly through space, and have been known to Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 10 carry an unwary rider straight to the throne of Azathoth. Skills: Listen +5, Spot +2, Shantaks do not speak, though they understand the Wilderness Lore +5 commands of their riders no matter what the language. ADDITIONAL CREDITS Editing and Typesetting: SUE W. COOK Editorial Assistance: PENNY WILLIAMS Web Production: JULIA MARTIN Web Development: MARK JINDRA Creative Director: CHRISTOPHER PERKINS Art Director: DAWN MURIN Graphic Design: ROBERT CAMPBELL Call of Cthulhu d20 RPG Design: MONTE COOK and JOHN TYNES, based on the work of LYNN WILLIS and SANDY PETERSON Inspired by: H. P. LOVECRAFT Visit our website [at](at www.wizards.com/callofcthulhu)[ www.wizards.com/callofcthulhu](at www.wizards.com/callofcthulhu) This WIZARDS OF THE COAST® game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit <[www.wizards.com/d20](www.wizards.com/d20)>. This d20 System game utilizes mechanics developed for the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Forgotten Realms, the d20 system logo, and the WIZARDS OF THE COAST logo are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by WIZARDS OF THE COAST, INC. CALL OF CTHULHU is a registered trademark of Chaosium Inc. Chaosium Game Mechanic ©2002 Chaosium Inc. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of WIZARDS OF THE COAST, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual

FAQs

What are shantaks, and how do they serve within the game’s Mythos theme?

Shantaks are massive, elephantine, bird-bat–like aerial mounts serving the Great Old Ones. They function as fearsome combatants that can carry riders into deadly situations.

What combat actions and capabilities does a shantak have?

A shantak attacks with a bite, wing buffets, and a tail slap. It also has movement traits including flying capability, defensive mechanics such as damage reduction, and combat-relevant fear behavior toward nightgaunts.

How does Y’golonac possession work, and what is dimensional travel in this enhancement?

Possession by Y’golonac causes the character to swell into a headless horror and can open additional mouths for a gruesome feeding mechanism. A shantak can also use dimensional travel to transport itself and riders up to 5 light-years, including in the vacuum of space.

Oct 6, 2026

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