Back in the day, White Dwarf magazine was the British answer to the Dragon, and its regular "Fiend Factory" column was a source of many monsters for early D&D games. In fact, the first edition Fiend Folio (1981) was largely a collection of monsters submitted to WD. This 3e conversion is part of an ongoing project to resurrect some interesting WD monsters that, for one reason or another, fell by the wayside. The gurgotch was a submission of Roger Musson and appeared in White Dwarf 14 (Aug/Sept 1979). Musson was a frequent contributer to WD and had several classic monsters in the Fiend Folio, including the crypt thing, disenchanter, and the nilbog.

This beast resembles a large black elephant with big, saucer-like glowing white eyes and a tail resembling a trident.

Gurgotch CR 8

A Gurgotch

Always CE Huge outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar)

Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +12, Spot +12

Languages Abyssal, telepathy 100 ft.

AC 19, touch 7, flat-footed 19
(-2 size, -1 Dex, +12 natural)

hp 92 (8 HD)

SR 19

Fort +13, Ref +5, Will +7

Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)

Melee 2 gores +14 (2d6+8) and 1 slam +9 (1d6+4)

Space 15 ft; Reach 15 ft

Base Atk +8; Grp +24

Atk Options aligned strike (chaotic, evil), Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Snatch

Special Actions breath weapon (DC 21), trample (DC 22, 3d6+12)

Abilities Str 27, Dex 8, Con 25, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 13

Feats Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Snatch

Skills Intimidate +9, Jump +19, Listen +12, Move Silently +7, Search +11, Spot +12, Survival +12, Swim +19

Environment a chaotic evil-aligned plane

Organization solitary or pair

Treasure standard

Advancement 9–16 HD (Huge), 17–24 (Gargantuan)

Breath Weapon (Su) 60-foot cone, once every 1d4 rounds (but no more than five times per day), exhausted, Fortitude DC 21 negates. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Trample (Ex) Reflex half DC 22. The save DC is Strength-based.

The gurgotch is another of the fiendish forces once conjured forth to do battle with the forces of good; the remnants now wander the world, seeking the depths from which they originated.

Combat

The gurgotch has one gore attack from each of its tusks, which are set about 6 feet apart. It may use its sinuous trunk to perform a slam attack; the trunk may also be used in conjunction with its Snatch feat. A gurgotch that has snatched an opponent will often opt to drop the unfortunate creature off a handy precipice or fling it away violently.

In place of an ordinary tongue, the gurgotch has a great trumpet-like funnel that it uses to exhale its noxious gas.