The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-01, 01:37 PM
Pureborn Beast
A great shaggy beast sits upon its haunches beneath a grove of knotted oaks. It then throws its head back, and everything becomes... right.
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 10d10+20 (75 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 60 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+3 dex, +8 natural, -1 size), touch 12, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+18
Attack: Slam +13 melee (1d8+6) or Nature's Purity +13 touch (see below)
Full Attack: Slam +13 melee (1d8+4) or Nature's Purity +13 touch (see below)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Life's sweet song, nature's purity
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2, low-light vision, of spring and brook, plant traits, scent of the alien, woodland stride
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +9
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 4, Wis 22, Cha 18
Skills: Hide +11, Move Silently +14, Perform (sing) +10, Spot +6, Listen +6, *Survival +1
Feats: Ability Focus (life's sweet song), Darkstalker (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Darkstalker,LoM), Improved Initiative, Stealthy
Environment: Any forest
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: 11-19 HD (Large), 20-28 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
When aberrations are nearby, animals and the trees themselves grow fearful, sensing the unwholesome stench of that which should not be and fleeing from it as best they can. Sometimes though when great danger threatens the natural order of the very world something even below the instinctual is triggered, a twist of primal forces. Creatures of all kinds find themselves giving birth amongst their litters to a strange and beautiful being which suckles for a time before disapearing into the woods.
Perhaps a year later a song begins to echo through the trees, a melody of such sad beauty that it is nearly impossible to remain unmoved by it. Though it is without word, the meaning can almost be grasped, and all living creatures of this world feel vitalized by it. It has become a protector of the forest, though till its death remains a shy, elusive beast. It allow others to approach it, perhaps even stroke it, before it runs back into the growth. Those who try to capture or impose their will on a purebeast rarely see it ever again, the beast fleeing at their mere scent.
A fully grown pureborn beast is an enormous creature with a vaguely dog-like shape covered in silky, luxurious fur of a light bluish-grey hue that hangs straight and clean. Its lanky proportions appear lithe and flexible, with slim legs rising it to over ten feet at the shoulder and ending in four hooves.
The neck is somewhat extended, with a long head and its ears are but tiny flaps on the side of its head. The black-lipped mouth is startlingly human-like, though completely devoid of teeth. Its limpid eyes are almost nocturnally large, taking a good deal of its face, and appears to be devoid of pupil, the entire orb being a jade so dark as to be black. What appears all the world as sprouting shoots hang from its nose like pale green tendrils that flex and twitch with each sniff.
Pureborn Beasts weigh around 600 lbs. They understand Sylvan but cannot speak.
Combat
A pureborn beast does not attack if it can at all help it, instead it prefers to come upon others unwares. If it smells out creatures that violate the natural order they sing out, hoping to cause them to flee. If unsuccessful, and the creature remains, the purebeast finally risks being seen, coming out from behind the creature if possible to brush its purifying nose against it before slipping back out of sight.
Life's Sweet Song (Su):
As a standard action a pureborn beast can sing forth, affecting all aberrations within 120 feet as the Invoke the Cerulean spell (Lords of Madness p. 211) cast by a 10th level caster unless they succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save. Living non-aberrations while within range of this song receive a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. This song appears to come from all directions, and thus does not reveal the location of the beast. Save DC is Charisma-based.
Nature's Purity (Sp):
As a standard action that allows an attack of opportunity a pureborn beast can attempt a touch attack with the tendrils on its nose which glow with a green-tinged white light in proximity to unnatural creatures.
Against undead and constructs this attack deals 2d8 points of force damage.
Against abberations this attack deals 5d6 points of force damage and threatens a critical hit on a roll of 19-20. An aberration slain by this damage is immediately transformed into a clump of pungent-smelling mosses.
Of Spring and Brook (Ex):
Oddly enough a pureborn beast itself has no odor beside maybe a lingering freshness as one might notice near a running stream. Thus it cannot be tracked or detected by scent.
Plant Traits: A pureborn beast is a perfect combination of both plant and animal life, and thus is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, polymorphing, and mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). It is not subject to critical hits.
Scent of the Alien (Ex):
A pureborn beast has the Scent ability, though it can smell a creature of the aberration and undead type at twice the normal distance, as well as pin-point their location within twenty feet.
Woodland Stride (Ex): A pureborn beast may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at its normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect it.
Skills: A pureborn beast gains a +6 racial bonus on hide, move silently, and perform (sing) checks.
*Pureborn beasts have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.
A great shaggy beast sits upon its haunches beneath a grove of knotted oaks. It then throws its head back, and everything becomes... right.
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 10d10+20 (75 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 60 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+3 dex, +8 natural, -1 size), touch 12, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+18
Attack: Slam +13 melee (1d8+6) or Nature's Purity +13 touch (see below)
Full Attack: Slam +13 melee (1d8+4) or Nature's Purity +13 touch (see below)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Life's sweet song, nature's purity
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2, low-light vision, of spring and brook, plant traits, scent of the alien, woodland stride
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +9
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 4, Wis 22, Cha 18
Skills: Hide +11, Move Silently +14, Perform (sing) +10, Spot +6, Listen +6, *Survival +1
Feats: Ability Focus (life's sweet song), Darkstalker (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Darkstalker,LoM), Improved Initiative, Stealthy
Environment: Any forest
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: 11-19 HD (Large), 20-28 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
When aberrations are nearby, animals and the trees themselves grow fearful, sensing the unwholesome stench of that which should not be and fleeing from it as best they can. Sometimes though when great danger threatens the natural order of the very world something even below the instinctual is triggered, a twist of primal forces. Creatures of all kinds find themselves giving birth amongst their litters to a strange and beautiful being which suckles for a time before disapearing into the woods.
Perhaps a year later a song begins to echo through the trees, a melody of such sad beauty that it is nearly impossible to remain unmoved by it. Though it is without word, the meaning can almost be grasped, and all living creatures of this world feel vitalized by it. It has become a protector of the forest, though till its death remains a shy, elusive beast. It allow others to approach it, perhaps even stroke it, before it runs back into the growth. Those who try to capture or impose their will on a purebeast rarely see it ever again, the beast fleeing at their mere scent.
A fully grown pureborn beast is an enormous creature with a vaguely dog-like shape covered in silky, luxurious fur of a light bluish-grey hue that hangs straight and clean. Its lanky proportions appear lithe and flexible, with slim legs rising it to over ten feet at the shoulder and ending in four hooves.
The neck is somewhat extended, with a long head and its ears are but tiny flaps on the side of its head. The black-lipped mouth is startlingly human-like, though completely devoid of teeth. Its limpid eyes are almost nocturnally large, taking a good deal of its face, and appears to be devoid of pupil, the entire orb being a jade so dark as to be black. What appears all the world as sprouting shoots hang from its nose like pale green tendrils that flex and twitch with each sniff.
Pureborn Beasts weigh around 600 lbs. They understand Sylvan but cannot speak.
Combat
A pureborn beast does not attack if it can at all help it, instead it prefers to come upon others unwares. If it smells out creatures that violate the natural order they sing out, hoping to cause them to flee. If unsuccessful, and the creature remains, the purebeast finally risks being seen, coming out from behind the creature if possible to brush its purifying nose against it before slipping back out of sight.
Life's Sweet Song (Su):
As a standard action a pureborn beast can sing forth, affecting all aberrations within 120 feet as the Invoke the Cerulean spell (Lords of Madness p. 211) cast by a 10th level caster unless they succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save. Living non-aberrations while within range of this song receive a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. This song appears to come from all directions, and thus does not reveal the location of the beast. Save DC is Charisma-based.
Nature's Purity (Sp):
As a standard action that allows an attack of opportunity a pureborn beast can attempt a touch attack with the tendrils on its nose which glow with a green-tinged white light in proximity to unnatural creatures.
Against undead and constructs this attack deals 2d8 points of force damage.
Against abberations this attack deals 5d6 points of force damage and threatens a critical hit on a roll of 19-20. An aberration slain by this damage is immediately transformed into a clump of pungent-smelling mosses.
Of Spring and Brook (Ex):
Oddly enough a pureborn beast itself has no odor beside maybe a lingering freshness as one might notice near a running stream. Thus it cannot be tracked or detected by scent.
Plant Traits: A pureborn beast is a perfect combination of both plant and animal life, and thus is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, polymorphing, and mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). It is not subject to critical hits.
Scent of the Alien (Ex):
A pureborn beast has the Scent ability, though it can smell a creature of the aberration and undead type at twice the normal distance, as well as pin-point their location within twenty feet.
Woodland Stride (Ex): A pureborn beast may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at its normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect it.
Skills: A pureborn beast gains a +6 racial bonus on hide, move silently, and perform (sing) checks.
*Pureborn beasts have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.