New from the makers of Owlbears and Duckbunnies, I present you...

[Zaydos]

So got a tumblr, and this showed up (http://dungeoninspiration.tumblr.com/post/121356560822) and well true to that blog's name it gave me some inspiration.

Wolfmonkey
Small Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30-ft (6 squares), climb 30-ft
Armor Class: 14 (+1 size, +3 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-4
Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d4)
Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5-ft/5-ft
Special Attacks: Leaping Attack
Special Qualities: Low-Light Vision, Scent
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +11, Hide +8, Jump +11, Listen +4, Move Silently +4, Spot +4
Feats: Alertness, Weapon FinesseB.
Environment: Warm Forests
Organization: Troop (4-40)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: 2-3 HD (small)
Level Adjustment: -

A creature leers down upon you from the trees above. It looks like a monkey, but it's grey-brown fur and head are definitely those of a wolf as it begins to snarl. More loom in the canopy, poising themselves to leap down and strike.

https://40.media.tumblr.com/e47e555091a61a5e47edb091e3b1ded6/tumblr_nnundwbDGP1rnnsbeo2_540.jpg

A wolfmonkey is a sort of conglomerate creature, part monkey and part wolf.

Combat
Wolfmonkeys prefer to begin combat by leaping down from the trees to grab onto foes and bite them using their momentum to increase their damage.

Leaping Attack (Ex): By launching itself down from above as a full round action a wolfmonkey may add power to their attacks. This functions as a Charge, but can only be performed when the wolfmonkey is jumping down from a height at least 10 ft above the target (the wolfmonkey may not be flying as they must kick off of a surface). In addition to the normal effects of a charge the wolfmonkey deals +1d6 damage and, if they successfully hit the target, reduce the falling damage they would receive by 10 ft plus the height of the target (they may also reduce this with a Jump check as normal for jumping down from a height). If a wolfmonkey hits a medium or larger creature with this ability it may cling to the creature remaining in its square. While clinging to a creature the wolfmonkey treats the creature as flat-footed and the creature must carry the wolfmonkey's weight (~35 lbs). Any attack which misses the wolfmonkey must re-roll as an attack against the creature it is clinging to. A wolfmonkey can be removed with a successful grapple check by the creature it is on (no initiation required) or be pulled off by another creature grappling it.

Skills: Wolfmonkeys have a +8 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, and Jump checks. They can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. They use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks.

Variant: Elven Wolfmonkey

Raised by elves as pets and guards, elven wolfmonkeys have some minor magic in their nature which grants them certain advantages. They are Magical Beasts (augmented animals) and gain the following abilities:

See Invisibility (Su): An elven wolfmonkey may see invisible and ethereal creatures as if with the see invisibility spell.

Sense Lies (Ex): An elven wolfmonkey has an almost preternatural ability to detect lies, even in languages they do not understand, or those telepathically broadcast by creatures within 60-ft even if they were not sent to the wolfmonkey directly. An elven wolfmonkey attempts a sense motive check to see through a lie with no modifier for believability whenever one is told within 60-ft even if the wolfmonkey cannot understand the language. If the wolfmonkey senses a lie it begins howling angrily.

Skills: In addition to the normal bonuses to skills a wolfmonkey receive an elven wolfmonkey gains a +8 racial bonus to Sense Motive checks made to detect lies.

Elven Wolfmonkeys do not gain Darkvision.

For PCs
A ranger or druid may select a wolfmonkey as a 1st level animal companion. An elven ranger or druid may take an elven wolfmonkey instead but its hit dice gained remain Animal.

A beast tamer with treats a wolfmonkey as a primate for the purposes of totem feats.


Panther, Scaled
Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d6+4) and 2 claws +5 melee (1d3+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +2
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Balance +12, Climb +11, Hide +8*, Jump +11, Listen +6, Move Silently +8, Spot +6
Feats: Alertness, Multiattack
Environment: Warm forests
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 2
Advancement: 5–6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment:—

The creature before you looks similar to a black panther. Its legs are somewhat shorter and while fur covers its head and face, its body has scales across its entire form with the occasional tuft of fur rising out from between scales. Its tail is long and tall, the vertical flatness of a crocodile's.

A scaled panther is a dangerous forest predator born within magically active jungles of the world.

Combat
Unable to pounce like common leopards and panthers, scaled panthers attack simply preferring to ambush an isolated creature, pull it into a grapple and kill it before dragging it off to eat.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a leopard 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 rake.

Skills: Scaled panthers have a +8 racial bonus on Jump checks and a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. Scaled panthers have a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. A scaled panther can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.

Variant: Dwarven Scaled Panther

Raised and bred as hunting beasts by jungle dwarves, dwarven scaled panthers are sturdier creatures able to track and pull warriors to the ground like hounds.

A dwarven scaled panther gains +2 Constitution, the Trip feature which it can use on a bite instead of Improved Grab (it may only use one per bite, however), and Track as a bonus feat. They gain a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks made to track by scent. Lastly they are proficient in light and medium barding.

For PCs
A ranger or druid may select a scaled panther as a 4th level animal companion (effective druid level -3). A jungle dwarf ranger or druid may take a dwarven scaled panther instead.

A beast tamer with treats a wolfmonkey as a feline for the purposes of totem feats.

[Debihuman]

Cute. Technically, these should be magical beasts like owlbears and duckbunnies. Just change d8 to d10 and add darkvision 60 ft.

10 ft. not 10-ft. You only need the hyphen when it's an adjective. A 5-foot step, a 10-foot radius. It moves 5 ft. per round.

Wolfmonkey's damage is wrong. 11 is +0, not +1. 10 & 11 = +0; 12 & 13= +1, etc. When counting by 2s start with 10 for even numbers and start with 11 for odd numbers. It's much easier to figure out the correct bonuses. Or look the ability scores up online (which is what I do because my math skills suck).

Ellven wolfmonkeys should probably have an Int of 3 in order to discern lies. They should also understand Elven even if they cannot speak it. Magical Beasts should have darkvision 60 ft so the elven wolfmonkey should have it too.

The Animal Type is really only for real world creatures and creatures that could be found in nature. Most fictional creatures should be magical beasts, especially if it takes a wizard to create them like most hybrid animals.

Debby

[Zaydos]

Cute. Technically, these should be magical beasts like owlbears and duckbunnies. Just change d8 to d10 and add darkvision 60 ft.

10 ft. not 10-ft. You only need the hyphen when it's an adjective. A 5-foot step, a 10-foot radius. It moves 5 ft. per round.

Wolfmonkey's damage is wrong. 11 is +0, not +1. 10 & 11 = +0; 12 & 13= +1, etc. When counting by 2s start with 10 for even numbers and start with 11 for odd numbers. It's much easier to figure out the correct bonuses. Or look the ability scores up online (which is what I do because my math skills suck).

Debby

Magical beast BAB is also full instead of cleric giving +1 to hit; ultimately, though, there's nothing that doesn't work with a natural animal (unlike the tiger-frogs I was/am contemplating which get fear pheromones and natural martial initiating).

And I will admit to never having known when the hyphen was needed or not and just throwing it in randomly.

As for the Strength, I meant to make it 13, which was a mistake (since wolves have 13) and... I'm going to fix some numbers now.

[Debihuman]

See also my edit. The reason these are magical beasts is because they have to be created by a wizard as are owlbears and duckbunnies. If you want real world equivalents, then they aren't some hybrid animal. They are a breed of monkey that have wolf-like features. That's the difference between magical beast and animal. And you are correct about the Magical Beast type giving it full BAB.

Looking forward to your edits.

Debby

[Zaydos]

While that is a good point (and the reason I accept Owlbears as Magical Beasts) despite the name I really intend these more as something a DM can drop in to create a more fantastical world along the lines of a Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, or various early fantasy works where hybrid animals or just weird unearthly ones were a commonly occurring part of the world. Similar to how Dark Sun (no accident that it's a setting heavily influenced by E. R. Burroughs's Barsoom) used giant lizards creatures and kanks.

[Zaydos]

Blaze Snail
Medium Magical Beast (Fire)
Hit Dice: 4d10+8 (30 hp)
Initiative: -1.
Speed: 20-ft (3 squares), climb 15-ft
Armor Class: 18 (-1 Dex, +9 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+5
Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d8+1 plus 1 fire)
Full Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d8+1 plus 1 fire)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Fiery Bite, Oil Spray
Special Qualities: Cold Vulnerability, Fire Immunity, Flammable Body, Water Walking
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Escape Artist +3, Listen +6, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Focus (Bite)
Environment: Warm Swamps and Underground
Organization: Solitary, Pair, or Rout (3-12)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: 5-6 HD (medium), 7-10 HD (large) 11-14 HD (huge)
Level Adjustment: -

A massive snail stands before you, its two eyes on stalks, the rasp-like spines on its tongue visible as its mouth hangs open. Its flesh is a coal black made lustrous from the oils oozing from it, its shell shale grey. Raising its head towards you it sprays out a cone of sticky black fluid coating you in it.

A blaze snail is the result of a wizard's tinkering. These giant carnivorous snails ooze flammable oils, and the snails weaponize these oils by spraying them out ahead of themselves.

As creatures of animal intellect blaze snails are driven primarily by instinct and a combination of blind belligerence which seems to have been one of their creators' conscious design goals, and hunger.

Combat
A blaze snail typically begins by soaking as many enemies as possible in its flammable oils and then charging towards one and biting it, using its flint-like tongue to light them on fire.

Fiery Bite (Ex): A blaze snail's bite attack deals one damage as its tongue scrapes across the target and ignites.

Flammable Body (Ex): A blaze snail's body constantly exudes flammable oils. If a blaze snail would take fire damage it ignites for 1d6 rounds after which these oils are depleted for 1 hour. While flaming any creature striking the blaze snail in melee must make a Reflex save (DC 13; Constitution based) or take 1d6 fire damage; creatures using reach weapons are immune and creatures using unarmed strikes or natural weapons are not allowed a save automatically taking 1d6 fire damage.

Oil Spray (Ex): A blaze snail may spray out a (15-ft) cone of sticking black oil. Any square within this area becomes covered in the slick oil. A creature can walk within or through the area of oil at half normal speed with a DC 10 Balance check. Failure means it can’t move that round, while failure by 5 or more means it falls (see the Balance skill for details). This oil is flammable and if the square would be dealt fire damage (such as the splash from an alchemist fire) all contiguous squares of oil ignite dealing 1d6 fire damage to creatures within for 2 rounds before burning away.

A creature within the area becomes covered in such oil. A creature with Evasion is allowed a Reflex save (DC 14) to avoid being covered in oil. If a creature covered in the oil receives fire damage they catch on fire and they take 1d6 fire damage immediately, and the oil burns for 1d3 rounds dealing an additional 1d6 fire damage each round and forcing the target to make a Reflex save (DC 14; Constitution base) or have their clothes/hair catch on fire as well. A character may attempt to extinguish the oil prematurely by jumping into water or rolling on the ground as a full round action. Water will extinguish the flames but not remove the oil, rolling allows them to make a DC 14 Reflex save (Constitution based) to extinguish these flames prematurely. Should the target catch on fire after the oil is dealt with the DC to put out the flames is 15 as normal for fire. The oil remains on a character until 10 minutes is spent removing it (water will not wash it off without soap) or it is burnt away.

Once a blaze snail has used this ability it must wait 1d4 rounds to do so again.

Water Walking (Ex): The oils on a blaze snail's body spread out beneath it should it move onto water allowing it to walk, or more correctly crawl, along the surface of water as long as the water is calm (Swim check DC 10). If a blaze snail's oils are burnt off it loses this benefit until they have recovered them.

Skills: The oils on a blaze snail's body make it hard to hold granting them a +4 bonus on Escape Artist checks.

[Debihuman]

I really like the blaize snail.

Just a few minor nit picks.

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. no hypen

The damage in your text is often missing the fire modifier. This should be dealing fire damage not untyped damage for creatures catching fire. The save DCs are Constitution-based. Just put it at the end where relevant.

Even though the text in Balance says a character falls, it should say "falls prone." It's understood, but I add it so people remember that prone is a condition. And it reminds them it is is move action to stand up! WotC had terrible editors.

Attack lines are slightly incorrect. The x3 multiplier goes only with the bite damage and not the fire damage.

Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d8+1/x3 plus 1 fire)

Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d8+1/x3 plus 1 fire)

Otherwise it looks really good. Nice theme.

My only gripe is that has a lot of special abilities for its HD. 3d8+3 on a critical hit is too much damage for CR 2. This is CR 3 at least. If I were designing this, it would have 4 HD. It can deal a lot of damage but it can't take as much as it deals.

Debby

[Solaris]

A 20-ft. move speed is 4 squares, not 3 squares.


3d8+3 on a critical hit is too much damage for CR 2. This is CR 3 at least. If I were designing this, it would have 4 HD. It can deal a lot of damage but it can't take as much as it deals.

I agree. That critical is going to be murderous against a 2nd-level party - as a general rule of thumb, it's a bad idea to design a monster whose criticals can completely alter the course of a battle.

On the conceptual front, a garden-variety radulla isn't exactly well-suited for causing more grievous injuries like an axe or a pick. I'd say giving it bonus damage on sunder attacks and/or damage would be more useful, perhaps in conjunction with some form of improved grab that lets it snatch someone's weapon or shield and nom it.

[Debihuman]

BTW, I ran this thru VT's CR estimator. It gives a high CR 3 and is close to being CR 4. And that isn't including all the fire damage these PCs are likely to take. I see this as a TPK unless the PCs make all their saves. One way to check design is compare it to similar CR creatures in the SRD.

Debby

[Zaydos]

BTW, I ran this thru VT's CR estimator. It gives a high CR 3 and is close to being CR 4. And that isn't including all the fire damage these PCs are likely to take. I see this as a TPK unless the PCs make all their saves. One way to check design is compare it to similar CR creatures in the SRD.

Debby

I actually did CR it by comparing to SRD (well MM) creatures, I was originally going to put it at 3, but then I checked some CR 2s.

Dire Bat 8 more hp, 2 more damage/attack (which amounts to 1.5 less with fire), better movement, better AC.

Bugbear Zombie: 20 more hp, +1 to hit, 1 more damage but no fire.

Large Spider: Same hp, worse to hit, web and Str damage poison.

And comparing to CR 3 we get...

Ogre: 7 more hp, 2 worse AC, reach, +3 better to hit, and deals in one hit as much damage as this deals in 3-4 rounds.

Dire Wolf: 23 more hp, 4 worse AC, +6 better to hit, deals damage equal to bite + 2 rounds of burning and then trips the target... not a good comparison actually because they tend to murder PCs.

Fire Elemental: 4 more hp, 2 worse AC, much better speed/init, +1 to hit, 8 damage and save versus ignition compared to needing 2 rounds to deal 6.5 and ignition.

With the fire taking a round to set up, I went with it being about comparable to a dire bat as opposed to an ogre or fire elemental. Though I also forgot to list the standard 1d4 round breath weapon recharge on oil spray and I'll probably reduce oil spray to a 15-ft cone because I don't think D&D does 20-ft cones. It also brings up whether you need to actually make a balance check when leaving a square affected by Grease (since I copy-pasted from it for the oil spray). It says within or through, so I'd guess it applies to leaving the Grease in which case I should probably change the wording to at least allow 5-ft stepping out of the oil slick.

[Debihuman]

Fire elemental has no range weapon. That oil spray can be used every round making it far more deadly as it can target more than one PC. PCs will have a much harder time with the snail than with a fire elemental.

[Zaydos]

Fire elemental has no range weapon. That oil spray can be used every round making it far more deadly as it can target more than one PC. PCs will have a much harder time with the snail than with a fire elemental.

50-ft move compared to 20-ft +15-ft cone, if the snail can attack you at a range the elemental can attack you in melee*, and while the spray can be used every round (which it's supposed to be 1d4 but that doesn't really matter because) it requires a second round to actually ignite it, and requires either the snail to crawl to you to attack (notably difficult if you're in the middle of the oil as it lacks balance for some weird reason) or still deals less damage than if the fire elemental just attacked you. For it to be more dangerous requires the whole party to sit in flammable oil that the snail just sprayed on them and not kill the thing. It's probably too strong for CR 2, but it's not actually as strong as many CR 3s (notable in that medium fire elemental is weaker than an ogre). Which means it needs to be upped to CR 3 and given a little more toughness so it actually fits there.

*Unless you're flying, but as the snail has no way to actually ignite you if you're flying the snail actually can't either.

[Zireael]

I like those critters a lot, that wolfmonkey looks cute!

Also, where can I find that CR estimator thingy?

[inuyasha]

Here's the CR calculator from good ol' VT

#1. Divide creature's average HP by 4.5 to 6.5.
4.5 for 5 HD or lower, 5 for 6-10 HD, 5.5 for 11-15 HD, 6 for 16-20 HD., 6.5 for 20-25 HD.

#2. Add 1 for each five points above 10 its AC is, subtracting 1 for every 5 below.

#3. Add 1 for each special attack (+2 to +5 or more if its got a decent number of spells in its spell-like abilities).

#4. Add 1 for each quality unless you deem it worthy of more. Add 1 for each resistance and 10 points of DR it has, and 2 for each immunity. Subtract 1 for each vulnerability.

#5. Add 1 for every two bonus feats it has.

#6. Divide total by 3. This should be its rough CR

I've found it to be pretty accurate, though it get's a little wonky with certain things. I use it for all of my homebrews now.

[Zaydos]

And because someone mentioned penguins when talking about a game with sanity mechanics. Not 100% appropriate for the thread's purpose, but I dislike having two monster threads on the front page at the same time (at some point I need to make a post with all the random monster threads I've made Indexed in the OP and just permanently build off of it with new creatures, similar to what the dragon one eventually evolved into).

Penguin, Albino Cave
Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20-ft (6 squares), swim 30-ft
Armor Class: 12 (+1 natural, +1 Dexterity), touch 11, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1
Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Blind, Blindsense 30-ft, Blindsight 5-ft, Scent
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 4
Skills: Hide +4, Listen +11, Swim +8
Feats: Weapon Focus (Bite)
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, or colony (3-300)
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: 3-4 HD (medium)
Level Adjustment: -

On the barren shore, and on the lofty ice barrier in the background, myriads of grotesque penguins squawked and flapped their fins, while many fat seals were visible on the water, swimming or sprawling across large cakes of slowly drifting ice. - H. P. Lovecraft At the Mountains of Madness

Albino cave penguins live underground in the uppermost of the ancient, ice covered tunnels leading to the ruins of an ancient race which greatly surpassed humanity. These albino cave penguins stand 6' tall, taller even than emperor penguins, and live off of fish caught in the underground caverns. They frighten easily rarely fighting to defend their territory from strange interlopers.

Combat:
Albino cave penguins when they do fight rush into melee as swiftly as they are blind against opponents further than their melee reach.

Blind: An albino cave penguin is blind and cannot see. They ignore any purely visual effect and gaze weapons.

Skills: An albino cave penguin gains a +8 bonus to Listen checks.

An albino cave penguin has a +8 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. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Penguin, Dire Albino Cave
Large Animal
Hit Dice: 5d8+10 (32 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30-ft (6 squares), swim 40-ft
Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, +4 natural, +1 Dexterity), touch 10, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+11
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Blind, Blindsense 60-ft, Blindsight 15-ft, Scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +5
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Balance +3, Jump +6, Listen +13, Swim +12
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Bite)
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, or colony (1-6 and 2-200 albino cave penguins)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: 4 HD (medium)
Level Adjustment: -

Standing almost 10' tall, the creature before you is like something out of some benighted dream of horror. It looks like a penguin, but its eyes have degraded into useless slits, its feathers all pure white, beneath them pigmentless skin. It squawks at you, a cry of territorial rage, rushing towards you beak ready to strike into your flesh and pull it away from your bone.

Dire albino cave penguins are similar to their smaller cousins in general body design, and in habitat, but not in habit. Where the lesser cave penguin is easily frightened, dire cave penguins are aggressively territorial, especially the males which drive away other males in the area and take over colonies of their lesser brethren.

Combat:
Dire albino cave penguins have little combat tactics other than close to melee and keep within it.

Blind: A dire albino cave penguin is blind and cannot see. They ignore any purely visual effect and gaze weapons.

Skills: A dire albino cave penguin gains a +8 bonus to Listen checks.

A dire albino cave penguin has a +8 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. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

For PCs:
A ranger or druid may select an albino cave penguin as a 1st level animal companion, or a dire albino cave penguin as a 7th level animal companion (effective druid level -6).

[Zaydos]

Horsespider
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 5d10+10 (37 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 60-ft (12 squares), climb 20-ft
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +2 Dexterity, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+13
Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d6+6 and poison) or web +6 ranged touch (entangles, 10-ft range increment max 50 ft)
Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d6+6 and poison) or web +6 ranged touch (entangles, 10-ft range increment max 50 ft)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Poison, Transdimensional Web
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60-ft, Transdimensional Sight
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: Balance +4, Climb +12, Jump +16 (+20 running jump), Spot +11
Feats: Ability Focus (Poison), EnduranceB, Run
Environment: Warm and temperate hills and plains.
Organization: Solitary, or pair
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: 6-8 HD (large)
Level Adjustment: -

The creature before you looks like some strange mix of the equine body form and an insect. While it has a horse's neck, a sturdy torso, and its long head with a muzzle-like snout is reminiscent of a horse's long face that is where the resemblance ends. Its body is covered in chitin, eight eyes clustered on its face, and a pair of chelicerae hang from its mouth. It has eight long, stilt-like legs making it disproportionately tall for its body mass.

Horsespiders are a strange variety of magical beast which dwells in steppes, plains, and gentle hills. They are quick runners, sometimes domesticated by hobgoblins as mounts for their cavalry. Horsespiders are capable of spinning webs, but rarely live inside of their webs in the wild, instead living a migratory life as hunters, roaming the plains for food and rarely staying in one den long enough to build a web. Horsespider stables, however, soon end as a maze of webs.

While the origin of horsespiders is unknown some suspect it had to do with a planar nexus site, thus explaining their ability to see into conterminous planes. Others blame wizards, stating that it began as an experiment in trying to create a race of creatures to serve as sentries against other ethereally invasive wizards. The world might never know.

Combat:
Horsespiders use their speed to run down prey, striking it with their venomous fangs and then withdrawing only to rush forward and bite again when the poison has fully set in. They have been known to follow, and harry, prey for hours as they let the accumulated wounds and poison do their work.

Poison (Ex): A horsespider's bite carries a weakening poison which deals 1d6 Strength damage as both initial and secondary damage. A Fort save (DC 16) is required to resist.

Transdimensional Sight (Su): A horsespider is able to see invisible creatures (as if with the See Invisibility spell) as well as peer into any planes conterminous to the plane they currently are upon. They are able to recognize whether something is visible or invisible and what plane something exists upon, vision in one plane not blocking vision on another in any way.

Transdimensional Web (Su): A horsespider is able to cast webs much like web-spinning spiders up to 8 times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. An entangled creature can escape with a successful Escape Artist check (DC 14) or burst it with a Strength check (DC 18). Both are standard actions and the check DCs are Constitution-based, with the Strength check DC including a +4 racial bonus. A horsespider gains a +4 bonus on opposed Strength checks to restrain a creature's movement, and may drag a creature whose movement it restrains. Dragging a creature slows a horsespider as if it were carrying that creature's weight. As a large eight legged creature a horsespider can carry 348 lbs without being slowed, 699 lbs with a 40-ft speed, 1050 lbs with a 40-ft speed and x4 running speed (x3 without Run feat), and drag up to 5250 lbs.

If a horsespider moves they may cast their web at any point during their movement as a standard action. A horsespider can cast its web in any or all planes that are conterminous to its own in addition to or instead of the plane it currently is on. In this way a horsespider may use its web to entangle an ethereal creature and even drag it off.

For Players:

A horsespider might be appropriate as an alternate paladin mount instead of another CR 3 option (effective paladin level -1). Horsespiders are most appropriate for Paladins of Slaughter who worship Lolth, or hobgoblin paladins of tyranny.