Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx, sometimes referred to by its German name Urvogel (“original bird” or “first bird”), is the earliest and most primitive bird known.
Archaeopteryx
Size/Type: Small Animal
Hit Dice: 2d10 (12 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 10 ft (2 squares), fly 40 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 16 (+1 size, +5 Dex), touch 15, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-11 (+1 when attached)
Attack: Bite +7 melee (3d4-1)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (3d4-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach, sawteeth
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +1
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 21, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +8, Listen +2, Spot +4
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse B
Environment: Warm marshes and moors
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —
A archaeopteryx’s coloration ranges from rust-red to tan, with a coat of feathers that ranges from ochre to turquoise.
A archaeopteryx’s body is about 3 feet long, with a wingspan of 3-5 feet. It weighs about 50 pounds.
Combat
A archaeopteryx attacks by biting into a victim, and making a sawing motion with its beak.
Attach (Ex): If a archaeopteryx hits with its bite attack, it uses its saw-like teeth to latch onto the opponent’s body. An attached archaeopteryx is effectively grappling its prey. The archaeopteryx loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and has an AC of 12, but holds on with great tenacity. Archaeopteryx have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).
An attached archaeopteryx can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached archaeopteryx through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the archaeopteryx.
Sawtooth (Ex): Archaeopteryx deal 1d6 points of damage in any round when it begins its turn attached to a victim.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged animal, creature type: dinosaur, flying, small by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Giant Pipefish
Slithering out from the the reef, a giant eel of a beast swims toward you.
Giant Pipefish
Size/Type: Large Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 12d8+46 (107 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: Swim 90 ft. (12 squares)
Armor Class: 27 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +12 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+23
Attack: Bite +17 melee (2d6+5)
Full Attack: Bite +17 melee (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, constrict
Special Qualities: Keen scent
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +15, Will +8
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 23, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Listen +14, Spot +10, Swim +24
Feats: Improved Natural Attack (bite), Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Cold aquatic
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 13-18 (Huge); 19-32 (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —
Giant pipefish attack anything they perceive to be edible, even larger creatures, constricting them until they stop breathing.
This monstrous fish can grow to a length of 25 feet and weigh more than 4,000 pounds.
Combat
Giant pipefish entangle their foes in their long, tentacle-like bodies.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a dire shark must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the foe in the following round.
Constrict (Ex): A creature with this special attack can crush an opponent, dealing bludgeoning damage, after making a successful grapple check. The amount of damage is given in the creature’s entry. If the creature also has the improved grab ability it deals constriction damage in addition to damage dealt by the weapon used to grab.
Keen Scent (Ex): A giant pipefish can notice creatures by scent in a 180-foot radius and can detect blood in the water at a range of up to 1 mile.
Skills
A giant pipefish has a +12 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered, and get a free tumble check to move through opponents spaces, avoiding attacks of opportunity.
It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Creature and tagged animal by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Birdswarm
Hundreds of birds of all types gather in a cloud above.
Birdswarm
Tiny Animal (Swarm)
Hit Dice: 3d8 (12 hit points)
Initiative: +1 (Dex)
Speed: 10 ft, Fly 60 ft (average)
Armor Class: 13 (+2 size, +1 Dex)
Single Attack: swarm (1d4)
Full Attack: swarm (1d4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/0 ft
Special Attacks: Fly-by-attack
Special Qualities: None
Saves: Fort +x, Ref +x, Will +x
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +6 (2), Spot +9 (5)
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse
Climate/Terrain: Temperate/Any (including urban)
Organization: Flock (1-4 swarms)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Half standard (very small items only)
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: –
COMBAT
A birdswarm does not always act as a coherent unit. Many birds will attack, while others will simply squawk at their prey. They are treacherous in that they are so unpredictable, often going from harmless to harmful in a single round. Because of this, unless characters watch them closely, birdswarms will often surprise them when they attack.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its square must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or be confused for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Fly-by-attack (Ex): A birdswarm can attack prey and keep moving in the same round.
Posted in Creature and tagged animal, bird, flying, swarm by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Creature: Flock of Ravens (CR 2)
Flock of Ravens (CR 2)
neutral
Diminutive Animal (Swarm)
Init: +2 Senses: normal
Listen +11 Spot +11
AC: 16 (+4 size, +2 dex)
HP: 13 (HD 3d8)
Resist: half damage from slashing and piercing
Fort: +3 Ref: +7 Will: +3
Weakness: swarm weaknesses
MV: 20 ft. or fly 60 (good)
Attack: Swarm (1d6)
Space / Reach: 10 ft / 0 ft
Base Attack: +2 Grapple: NA
Abilities: Str: 3 Dex: 15 Con: 10 Int: 2 Wis: 14 Cha: 4
SQ: half damage from slashing and piercing, low-light vision, swarm traits
SA: destraction, blinding
Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes
Skills: listen +11, spot +11
A shreiking mass of black feathers, beaks, eyes and claws sweeps through the air.
Normally unagressive, magic or supernatural circumstances sometimes cause these flocks of birds to become extremely agressive and dangerous.
Combat
A raven swarm seeks to surround and attack any prey it encounters. The swarm deals 1d6 points of damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its move.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 11 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Blinding (Ex): Any living creature damaged by a raven swarm may be permamently blinded unless they succeed at a DC 11 Fortitude save.
SWARM COMBAT
In order to attack, a single swarm moves into opponents’ spaces, which provokes an attack of opportunity. It can occupy the same space as a creature of any size, since it crawls all over its prey, but remains a creature with a 10-foot space. Swarms never make attacks of opportunity, but they can provoke attacks of opportunity.
Unlike other creatures with a 10-foot space, a swarm is shapeable. It can occupy any four contiguous squares, and it can squeeze through any space large enough to contain one of its component creatures.
Vulnerabilities of Swarms
Swarms are extremely difficult to fight with physical attacks. However, they have a few special vulnerabilities,
as follows:
A lit torch swung as an improvised weapon deals 1d3 points of fire damage per hit.
A weapon with a special ability such as flaming or frost deals its full energy damage with each hit, even if the weapon’s normal damage can’t affect the swarm.
A lit lantern can be used as a thrown weapon, dealing 1d4 points of fire damage to all creatures in squares adjacent to where it breaks.
Posted in Creature and tagged animal, Horror of the Old Ones, swarm, swarm subtype by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Creature: The Cats of Ulthar
Cats of Ulthar
Hit Dice: 4d8 (18)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: 14 (+2 size +2 dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: +3 / –
Attack: Swarm 1d6+1
Full Attack: Swarm 1d6+1
Space/Reach: 10ft / 0ft
Special Attacks: Distraction, stunning aura
Special Qualities: Swarm traits, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 4, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 16
Skills: Balance +10, Climb +6, Hide +14, Jump +10, Listen +3, Move Silently +6, Spot +3.
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Improved Initiative
Environment: Temperate and lunar planes
Organization: Solitary, pride (2-6 swarms), or hunting party (7-12 swarms)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral with lawful and good tendencies
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: —
Thousands of yellow cat eyes blink at you malevolently and a paralytic fear grips you. No sound comes from the horde of felines as they pounce upon and completely envelop you.
These creatures are indistinguishable from normal domestic felines. However, they are highly intelligent, well organized, magical beasts. Any mistreatment of the feline race incurs their vengeance. Once they learn of a crime, they gather under the light of the moon in sufficient numbers to dispatch the transgressor without warning. They are chillingly efficient, leaving behind no trace of their victims.
COMBAT
Stunning Aura (Su): Any living creature within 10′ of the swarm of Cats of Ulthar must make a DC 15 Will save or be stunned for 1 round. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on its Will save remains immune to the cats’ stunning presence for 24 hours.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its square must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or be shaken (-2 to attacks, saves, skill and ability checks) for one round.
Skills: Cats have a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus on Jump checks. Cats of Ulthar also receive a plus one million racial bonus on Jump checks when they leap from rooftops to the dark side of the moon.
Posted in Creature and tagged animal, swarm, swarm subtype by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.