Arphinx [Thrown weapon-based monster]

[Kazyan]

Arphinx

Large Fey (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 9d6+18 (49 HP)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 20 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +4 natural armor, +4 insight), touch 16, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+10
Attack: Gray kosyl +10 ranged (1d8+2) or slam +5 melee (2d6+3) or Gray kosyl +3 melee (1d8+2)
Full Attack: Gray kosyl +10 ranged (1d8+2/x2) or 2 slams +5 melee (2d6+3) or Gray kosyl +3 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Intercept Range, Kosyl
Special Qualities: Avoidance, Change shape, Limited Air Walk, Low-light vision, DR 5/cold iron
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +4
Abilities Str 14, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 7, Cha 15
Skills: Climb +22, Diplomacy +14, Jump +28, Knowledge (Nature) +12, Tumble +21, Use Magic Device +14, Listen -2, Spot -2
Feats: Distant Shot^B, Quick Draw, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Hurling Charge^MiniHB
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Solitary (often advanced), Pair, family (3-5), gathering (6-12 arphinxes, 1-2 pixies, and 2-4 petals), or alongside other fey
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Often neutral good
Advancement: 10-24 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: --

This very lean, faintly violent-skinned humanoid of about 9 feet tall appears unaware of her surroundings. A horizontal strip of white across her forehead, half-obscured by elf-like ears, reminds you of a headband. Her arms are about two feet too long, and her dark blue hair tapers to a point below its neck. Crouching, she inspects a gray dagger for any spots of rust.

Believed to be a diluted descendant of the LeShay bloodline, arphinxes are a gregarious kind of fey with a remarkable talent for throwing objects. Because they can toss small rocks to the horizon line, they are sometimes used as messengers for other fey, when simply sending a petal^MMIII won't work for whatever reason. They can simply attach paper to a rock, go to the top of a hill, and throw it.

Arphinxes are generally friendly, but they don't have much sense about them. Arphinxes prefer to be a part of large groups, relying on the wisdom of a crowd, because they like to be told what to do instead of making difficult decisions on their own. As such, other fey find them easy to manipulate and excellent pawns--but arphinxes are okay with this, by and large.

Arphinxes have their own societies, mostly tucked in the realms of other fey, and take on the customs of their "superiors". They enjoy vigorous athletics, and when they get the time to interact with the civilized races, they sometimes take their new friends on parkour piggyback rides for the fun of it.

Arphinxes speak Sylvan and Common.

Change Shape (Su)
An arphinx can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid.

Kosyl (Su)
Amlost all arphinxes have, and are proficient with, a weapon called a kosyl. For most arphinxes, it has the size and shape of a dagger, but as an arphinx advances in Hit Dice, their kosyl's shape changes. The kosyl is akin to an arphinx's heart and is vital for their continued existence--if their kosyl is ever destroyed (it has hardness 8 and 12 HP), the arphinx immediately takes 18 points of Constitution drain. For most arphinxes, this kills them, but the arphinx could survive if they have an unusual ability score array, among other possibilities.

All kosyls are thrown weapons with a range increment of 30 feet, but arphinxes are not restricted by this range because they have the Distant Shot feat. An arphinx can draw their kosyl at any time, as if it were a sheathed weapon, which causes the weapon to appear in their hand. This is a teleportation effect, and because of the arphinx's Quick Draw feat, this is usually a free action. A kosyl can be used as a melee weapon, but it is poorly-designed for such use and applies a -2 penalty to melee attack rolls using it, even for proficient users. Kosyls weigh 2 pounds, deal slashing damage, and can be used by an arphinx as if they were Large even while using Change Shape. Arphinxes have a +4 racial bonus to ranged attack rolls with a kosyl.

If an arphinx dies, their kosyl degrades into black ash after one day. There are four known grades of kosyl.

A gray kosyl is the common version used by arphinxes of 9-12 Racial Hit Dice. It has a critical range of x2 and a base damage of 1d8 for a Large creature. (If an arphinx is using someone else's kosyl for whatever reason, they often attempt a Use Magic Device check to gain its benefits as if they were the true owner. The DC to do this is 30. Regardless the check result, if the true owner draws their kosyl, it resumes functioning properly for its owner alone.)

A blue kosyl appears as a wavy kris dagger, slightly tinted blue, and is used by arphinxes of 13-16 Racial Hit Dice. It has a critical range of 19-20/x2 and a base damage of 2d6 for a Large creature. In the hands of the corresponding arphnix, a blue kosyl can pass through a Wind Wall unaffected.

A yellow kosyl appears as a double-ended dagger with curved blades, tinted yellow. Yellow kosyls are used by arphinxes of 17-20 Racial Hit Dice. It has a a critical range of 18-20/x2 and a base damage of 3d6 for a Large creature. In the hands of the corresponding arphnix, a yellow kosyl can pass through a Wind Wall unaffected, and can be thrown at a curve towards its target. The arphnix does not need to have line of effect to its target when throwing a yellow kosyl, so cover bonuses are ignored, but there must be some path the kosyl can follow to reach the target.

A red kosyl appears as a small, flat ring with two straight blades emerging from opposite ends, all tinted red. Red kosyls are used by arphinxes of 21-24 Racial Hit Dice. It has a critical range of 18-20/x2 and a base damage of 4d6 for a Large creature. In the hands of the corresponding arphinx, it has the arphinx-specific properties of a yellow kosyl, and cannot be deflected from its path through magical or mundane means (such as Deflect Arrows or the Friendly Fire spell), though it can still miss.

Intercept Range (Ex): As an immediate action, an arphinx can make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon when they are targeted with a ranged attack (including a ray). If their attack roll result exceeds that of the opposite attack, that attack is deflected and misses. If this arphinx is using their own red kosyl, all of their interceptions automatically succeed. If a red kosyl is used to intercept a red kosyl, the interception fails. Massive objects such as boulders cannot be intercepted. Arphinxes are usually reluctant to intercept an object with their kosyl unless they have enough time to draw it again, because it leaves the weapon vulnerable and disengages their Avoidance.

Limited Air Walk (Su): An arphinx is under a continuous air walk effect, but if they end their turn while standing on air, they fall. If they are falling at the start of their turn, they may land on the air at any time (and take falling damage, if applicable).

Avoidance (Ex): While holding their kosyl, an arphinx can guide themselves away from attacks, granting them an insight bonus to armor class equal to 1/2 their Racial Hit Dice.

Spell-like abilities (Sp): At-will--prestigiditation. Caster level 3rd.

Skills: Arphinxes have a +4 racial bonus on Jump and Tumble checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. An arphinx can always can choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. Arphinxes can hold onto a climbable surface with one hand an throw a thrown weapon with their other hand without falling.

Arphinxes without kosyls

Rarely, an arphinx will survive the destruction of their kosyl if they have a much-higher-than-normal Constitution score. About 1 in 10,000 arphinxes never develop a kosyl in the first place, either. In both situations, these arphinxes are treated with sympathy instead of scorn by other arphinxes, as if they had a disability.

An arphinx that loses their kosyl regains their 18 lost points of Constitution at a rate of 1 per decade.

A properly-worded limited wish, wish, miracle, or similarly-powerful effect can grant an arphinx without a kosyl a new one, appropriate to their Racial Hit Dice. This does not immediately restore lost Constitution, but increases the rate of restoration to 1 point per day. However, most arphinxes without kosyls come to take pride in their condition and may refuse an opportunity to lose their "disability" if it means losing connection with the friends they have gained through bonding over their situation.

An arphinx without a kosyl adapts to use their Avoidance ability without such a weapon; for them, the ability is active continuously.

Aprhinxes without kosyls have their CR reduced by 2.