Songbird race! (And other stuff.)

[Metastachydium]

Favoured class Marshal, I'll assume.

I did consider explicitly adding a clause to that effect. But then it occured to me that the there's quite some overlap between the auras and the ylyk's special abilities, and the marshal has to stay relatively close to allies that are to be affected by an aura and the ylyk is not exactly a melee powerhouse. Do you think an ylyk marshal would work well?

[Tzardok]

Hmmm. It would require flying low above the army, but on the other hand 60 ft. isn't that low. Would require a bit playtesting...

[Metastachydium]

Hmmm. It would require flying low above the army, but on the other hand 60 ft. isn't that low. Would require a bit playtesting...

More like 40' because of those pesky diagonals which would let it cover a 40' radius circle on the ground which is kind of decent. But yeah, seeing it in practice would help clarify things.

[Metastachydium]

Aand my very special Birdy Month (that no one called for, but hey, birdies are cute!) continues, this time with the

Sicklewing
Sicklewings are avian creatures not unlike common swifts. They have long, slender wings, complete with wingclaws almost as dexterous as a human hand and a velvety black plummage. Lightweight, but resilient, they spend most of their lives on the wing, only landing to trade and breed or to have a heartier meal than their usual diet of oversized insects.

Size/Type: Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (12 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 5 feet (1 square), climb 5 feet, fly 80 feet (good)
Armor Class: 14 (+3 Dex, +1 padded armour), touch 13, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+1
Attack: Beak +3 melee (1d3-1)
Full Attack: Beak +3 melee (1d3-1) and wingclaw -2 melee (1d2-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: –
Special Qualities: Awake and asleep, cling, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +8, Will +3
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +3, Climb +10, Hide +3, Knowledge (geography) +4, Move Silently +3, Spot +1, Survival +6
Feats: Weapon Finesse^B, Lightning Reflexes
Environment: Any temperate or warm
Organization: Solitary, pair or flock (5-40)
Challenge Rating: 2
Alignment: Often neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +2

Combat
Sicklewings shun conflict if they can and prefer to serve as watchers, scouts and messengers if they cannot. If forced to fight, they'll use their short but sharp beaks and wingclaws to keep foes at bay for long enough to find an opening and flee.

Awake and Asleep (Ex)
Sicklewings are only truly asleep when they choose to. Their way of life does not lend itself to spending long hours inert and defenseless, wherefore they developed the ability to only rest half their minds at once. In this state, they move their wings as little as possible, relying on the winds as much as they can which reduces the speed of their flight to 40 feet with average maneuverability and one of their eyes closes, resulting in a -2 to Spot checks, but in exchange, they can get the benefits of a full night's sleep despite remaining wakeful and alert all day and all night.

Cling (Ex)
A sicklewing's feet are extremely short, to the point that some believe they are legless; however these same legs are surprisingly strong: they allow a sicklewing to cling to any vertical surface that is not perfectly smooth indefinitely, without making Climb checks.

Skills
Sicklewings have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks even if rushed or threatened. They also have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks.

[Tzardok]

Swifts can stay on the wing all the time because they hunt flying insects. What do these guys live from? Insects won't cut it and there aren't that many birds or whatever that can be just eaten in one bite.

[Metastachydium]

Swifts can stay on the wing all the time because they hunt flying insects. What do these guys live from? Insects won't cut it and there aren't that many birds or whatever that can be just eaten in one bite.

No birdy of mine eats birdies! The question, nevertheless is a good one. I kind of figured horseflies and locusts are large and plentiful enough (we are talking about the lower end of Medium right here, especially in terms of weight), but I might be wrong there.

Edit: You know what? Better safe than sorry. I'll tweak the fluff text a bit.

[Metastachydium]

And Birdy Month is still on! This time, I'll give you two (abnormally behaving) critters, one of them a bit more dire than the other. Here they come:

Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are small birds with black and white feathers, as well as a red cap. They spend much of their time clinging to tree trunks, hunting for insects and worms hiding under the bark.

Size/Type: Diminutive Animal
Hit Dice: 1/4d8+2 (3 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 10 feet (2 squares), fly 40 feet (average)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-13
Attack: Peck +2 melee (1d2-4)
Full Attack: Peck +2 melee (1d2-4)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Rapid pecking
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Balance +4, Climb +6, Listen +3, Spot +3
Feats: Weapon Finesse^B, Alertness
Environment: Any forest
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

Combat
Woodpeckers only fight if they perceive a prospective opponent as a threat to a valuable feeding ground; otherwise they shy away from combat. They use their sharp, slender bills to try and drive off foes.

Rapid Pecking (Ex)
Small as it is, the bill of a woodpecker is a potent tool: it can easily bore through bark and wood and it can strike its target multiple times in quick succession. If a woodpecker succeeds on a special melee touch attack, it can cling to an opponent at least one size category larger than itself and strike it five times with its beak as a full-round action. All attacks use the same attack bonus.
The beak of a woodpecker also ignores the hardness of wood.

Skills
A woodpecker has a +2 bonus to Climb checks and uses its Dexterity modifier (rather than its Strength modifier) to climb.

♣

Dire Woodpecker
If it weren't for their much larger size, dire woodpeckers would be indistinguishable from common woodpeckers. Much like their diminutive relatives, they spend much of their time clinging to tree trunks, hunting for insects and worms hiding under the bark.

Size/Type: Small Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8+4 (8 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 10 feet (2 squares), fly 40 feet (average)
Armor Class: 16 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-3
Attack: Peck +3 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: Peck +3 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Rapid pecking
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +5, Climb +9, Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: Weapon Finesse^B, Alertness
Environment: Any forest
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 1
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 2-3 HD (Small), 4-6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —

Combat
Dire woodpeckers are much more territorial than their smaller cousins, often attacking perceived intruders with their strong bills.

Rapid Pecking (Ex)
The bill of a dire woodpecker is a potent tool: it can easily bore through bark and wood and it can strike its target multiple times in quick succession. If a dire woodpecker succeeds on a special melee touch attack, it can cling to an opponent at least one size category larger than itself and strike it five times with its beak as a full-round action. All attacks use the same attack bonus.
The beak of a woodpecker also ignores the hardness of wood.

Skills
A dire woodpecker has a +4 bonus to Climb checks and uses its Dexterity modifier (rather than its Strength modifier) to climb.

[Metastachydium]

And today, Birdy Month concludes with a last, double entry. This time there won't be an intrinsic connection between the two; one is a fix of sorts, the other the first ever template of this humble thread.
Let's see what we've got here!

♣

There's a lot of things that bugged and annoyed me about D&D harpies for quite a while. My gripe is that they are not actually harpies, but rather ugly sirens that were made less birdlike for some reason (I tend to view that one as a feature rather than a bug, though: official harpies are lame). I have too much respect for the canonicity of canon, however, so instead of ditching them, I came up with a rival species resembling the Antique original a fair bit more, namely the

Strophadic Harpy
Strophadic (or as they like to put it, true) harpies have the feathered lower body and wings of a bird, with a torso reminiscent of a human woman. Enigmatic and mischievous, they spend most of their time hunting, thieving and pestering the civilized folks. They are vengeful and unpredictable like the winds, and they hold a deep grudge against regular harpies, killing them on sight.

Size/Type: Medium Outsider [Air, Native]
Hit Dice: 10d8+30 (70 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 15 feet (3 squares), fly 50 feet (perfect)
Armor Class: 22 (+2 Dex, +5 +2 chain shirt, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+19
Attack: Talon +16 melee (1d8+6) or +1 shocking burst scimitar +16 melee (1d6+6+1d6 electricity, 18-20/×2)
Full Attack: 2 talons +16 melee (1d8+6) or +1 shocking burst scimitar +16/+11 melee (1d6+6+1d6 electricity, 18-20/×2) and talon +5 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Snatcher, soil
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/adamantine, low-light vision, spell-like abilities
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +9
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 11
Skills: Balance +15, Diplomacy +8, Intimidate +13, Jump +11, Knowledge (local) +9, Move Silently +2, Search +0, Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +15, Spot +15, Survival +14, Tumble +15, Use Rope +2
Feats: Flyby Attack, Improved Grapple^B, Power Attack
Environment: Temperate and warm mountains
Organization: Solitary, trio or flock (5-15)
Challenge Rating: 7
Alignment: Often chaotic neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: —

Combat
Strophadic harpies will often attack unprovoked, but rarely to kill. They prefer not to stay in melee range, opting for flyby attacks instead, and will usually attempt to snatch up at least one opponent and drop them from high up or deposit them at some spot high above the ground and difficult to approach for the flightless.

Snatcher (Ex)
If it succeeds in initiating a grapple, a strophadic harpy can snatch up an opponent or unattended object of medium size or smaller and carry them away. If the snatched creature imposes medium encumbrance upon the strophadic harpy, its maneuverability drops to average. If the snatched creature imposes heavy encumbrance upon the strophadic harpy, its maneuverability drops to clumsy.

Soil (Ex)
Strophadic harpies can secrete a viscous, foul smelling musk as a standard action that they can release on food or water by simply flying over it, affecting up to 3 cubic feet of food or water at once. This secretion doesn't render the affected food or water unfit for consumption, but to eat or drink such food or water, the creature attempting to do so must succeed on a DC 18 Fort save or become nauseated. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw becomes sickened instead. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Spell-like Abilities
3/day: augury.

♣

The other entry of the day is a much simpler affair. It is a relatively cheap means of gaining a fly speed while becoming fluffy and cute. Without further ado, I give you the

Avian Creature
A curious lot, avian creatures are birdlike, winged and feathered specimens of their race. It is often theorized that avian families trace their lineage back to creatures of the Plane of Air, but conclusive evidence to that effect is yet to be found. Although they are sometimes ostracized by the societies they are born into (oftentimes out of envy for their mastery of the sky), they are rarely outcasts since their abilities are usually viewed as a blessing for them and their compatriots alike.

Sample Avian Creature
Avian Stone Giant
Size/Type: Large Giant (Earth)
Hit Dice: 14d8+56 (119 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 25 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +11 natural, +2 leather armour), touch 12, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+21
Attack: Greatclub +16 melee (2d8+10) or beak +16 melee (1d6+7) or slam +16 melee (1d4+7) or rock +12 ranged (2d8+10)
Full Attack: Greatclub +16/+11 melee (2d8+10) and beak +6 melee (1d6+3) or 2 slams +16 melee (1d4+7) and beak +11 melee (1d6+3) or rock +11 ranged (2d8+10)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Rock throwing
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, rock catching
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +7
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +10, Hide +7*, Jump +10, Spot +12
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot
Environment: Temperate mountains
Organization: Solitary, gang (1 plus 1–4 stone giants), hunting/raiding/trading party (2 plus 4–7 stone giants and 1 elder), or tribe (5–10 with 11–20 stone giants plus 35% noncombatants plus 1–3 elders and 3–6 dire bears)
Challenge Rating: 9 (elder 10)
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +5 (elder +7)

Covered in stony grey feathers, this towering creature is nearly invisible against the mountainside until it spreads its huge wings, letting out a sharp cry from its short, thick bill.

Almost as strong and just as stealthy as their brethren, avian stone giants are well respected members of the mountain tribes, often serving as scouts and ambushers.

Combat
Stone giants fight from a distance whenever possible, but if they can't avoid melee, they use gigantic clubs chiseled out of stone. A favorite tactic of stone giants is to stand nearly motionless, blending in with the background, then move forward to throw rocks and surprise their foes.

Rock Throwing (Ex)
The range increment is 180 feet for a stone giant's thrown rocks. It uses both hands when throwing a rock.

Rock Catching (Ex)
A stone giant gains a +4 racial bonus on its Reflex save when attempting to catch a thrown rock.

Skills
*A stone giant gains a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks in rocky terrain.

Creating an avian creature
"Avian creature" is an inherited template that can be applied to any corporeal humanoid, monstrous humanoid, giant, animal, magical beast or outsider.
An avian creature uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: Size and type are unchanged.

Speed: An avian creature has feathered wings instead of arms or forelegs and gains a fly speed equal to its land speed with average maneuverability.

Attack: Avian creatures develop a stout beak and gain a primary beak attack. If the base creature can use weapons, theavian creature retains this ability. An avian creature fighting without weapons uses its beak when making an attack action. When it has a weapon, it usually uses the weapon instead.

Full Attack: An avian creature without weapons uses its beak when making a full attack. If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack and its beak as a natural secondary attack.

Damage: Avian creatures have a beak attack. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the damage value in the table below. Otherwise, use the values below or the base creature's damage value, whichever is higher.

Size	Beak Damage
Fine	—
Diminutive	1
Tiny	1d2
Small	1d3
Medium	1d4
Large	1d6
Huge	1d8
Gargantuan	2d6
Colossal	3d6

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str -2, Dex +2

Environment: Same as the base creature.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +1.

[Breccia]

Referring to the original post, I would have a very hard time justifying Level Adjustment +0 on literally anything that has a fly speed. Maybe I missed it, but I would assume a bird with hands on their, um, wing-elbows could not use their hands for anything at all while flying. Spelling that out would make me feel better. Otherwise these guys get a shortbow and just rain death down on everything from safely out of reach, or just as good fling ranged attack spells.

Flight is a powerful PC ability, especially at low levels.

[Metastachydium]

Referring to the original post, I would have a very hard time justifying Level Adjustment +0 on literally anything that has a fly speed. Maybe I missed it, but I would assume a bird with hands on their, um, wing-elbows could not use their hands for anything at all while flying. Spelling that out would make me feel better. Otherwise these guys get a shortbow and just rain death down on everything from safely out of reach, or just as good fling ranged attack spells.

Flight is a powerful PC ability, especially at low levels.

Granted, but some races (sparrow and crane hengeyokai) get it anyway, free of charge with less drawbacks than I burdened my birdies with. I'm comfortable leaving them without LA. (Also, no, they can't use weapons while flying.)

[Metastachydium]

New year, new stuff! More specifically, a simple little race, the

Taheen
The body of a taheen is hard to distinguish from that of a human. However, they sport the heads of various animals.

Size/Type: Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 feet (4 squares) in chainmail (base speed 30 ft.)
Armor Class: 15 (+5 chainmail), touch 10, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1
Attack: Beak, bite or gore (see text) or short sword +1 melee (1d6, 19-20/×2) or heavy crossbow +1 ranged (1d10, 19-20/×2)
Full Attack: Beak, bite or gore (see text) or short sword +1 melee (1d6, 19-20/×2) or heavy crossbow +1 ranged (1d10, 19-20/×2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: –
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., inscrutable mind, strong of stomach
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: Listen +4, Move Silently +2, Search +4, Spot +4
Feats: Alertness
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or troop (5-15)
Challenge Rating: 1
Alignment: Often lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1

Combat
Taheens are soldiers. They are usually well-trained in the art of warfare which makes them dangerous foes. While capable in close combat, they prefer to whittle down opponents from afar.

Inscrutable Mind (Su)
Taheens have strange minds. It is impossible to read their thoughts and they receive a +6 bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects.

Strong of Stomach (Ex)
There are few things a taheen is unwilling to eat, which helped them build up a tolerance to many things that would harm others. Taheens receive a +6 bonus on Fort saves against disease and ingested poisons.

d%	Head	Natural attack
1-3	Baboon	bite (1d6)
4-6	Badger	bite (1d4)
7-9	Bat	bite (1d4)
10-12	Bear	bite (1d8)
13-15	Beaver	bite (1d6)
16-18	Bison	gore (1d6)
19-21	Boar	gore (1d8)
22-24	Bull	gore (1d6)
25	Canary	beak (1d2)
26-28	Cat	bite (1d6)
29-31	Cheetah	bite (1d6)
32-34	Dog	bite (1d6)
35-37	Eagle	beak (1d6)
38-40	Ferret	bite (1d6)
41-43	Fowl	beak (1d2)
44-46	Fox	bite (1d6)
47-49	Hawk	beak (1d6)
50-52	Hyena	bite (1d6)
53-55	Jackal	bite (1d6)
56-58	Leopard	bite (1d6)
59-61	Lion	bite (1d6)
62-64	Mink	bite (1d6)
65-67	Owl	beak (1d4)
68-70	Otter	bite (1d6)
71-73	Rabbit	bite (1d4)
74-76	Raven	beak (1d4)
77-79	Rhinoceros	gore (1d8)
80-82	Squirell	bite (1d4)
83-85	Tiger	bite (1d8)
86-94	Weasel	bite (1d6)
95-97	Wolf	bite (1d6)
98-100	Wolverine	bite (1d6)

Taheens as Characters
A taheen character exchanges its 1 HD of monstrous humanoid for its first class level.
Taheen characters possess the following racial traits.
+2 CON, +2 WIS, -2 CHA.
Medium size.
A taheen's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Inscrutable Mind: see above.
Strong of Stomach: see above.
Automatic Languages: Common, Taheen.
Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Infernal, Undercommon.
Favoured Class: Fighter.
Level Adjustment: +1

[Tzardok]

Am I the only one who thinks that those have potential to be connected to the Egyptian gods? Make them theocratic and let them have any alignment, and then they form a caste society based on head shape with each caste revering the appropriate patron god.

[Metastachydium]

Am I the only one who thinks that those have potential to be connected to the Egyptian gods? Make them theocratic and let them have any alignment, and then they form a caste society based on head shape with each caste revering the appropriate patron god.

They are supposed to be the critters from The Dark Tower and King doesn't really go into their origins (or much anything about them) in detail, but yeah, I've seen that comparison before and it certainly makes a lot of sense (except maybe for beavers and such, but nothing's perfect, right?).
I'm not going to set anything in stone lorewise, though. As I've explained upthread, I'm not terribly fond of official D&D lore, so I'm not going to bother emulating it.

[sandmote]

You seem to be missing a Taheen head for rolls of 98, 99, and 00. I assume the rarity of Canary-headed Taheen has something to do with the book series though.

Also I seem to have missed you posting the Hyad; nice to see a creature that isn't likely to show up as a threat to the party. I don't see a listed radius for the "Call Downpour" ability which is my only mechanical comment there. Definitely stealing the concept at some point.

[Metastachydium]

You seem to be missing a Taheen head for rolls of 98, 99, and 00.

Oops. There was a formatting mistake in the table and the row with poor wolverine got swallowed up. Many thanks for spotting it!

I assume the rarity of Canary-headed Taheen has something to do with the book series though.

The series has a minor taheen character called Meiman, the Canary, so I couldn't not include a canary head option (also, I like birds). Canaries are not really a thing in D&D however, and Meiman is kind of unique in that he is the only taheen in the story with a name that doesn't sound like a taheen name (taheen names other then his always end in a vowel, an more specifically -a or -(l)i); consequently, I made the canary head a "cameo" option of sorts.

Also I seem to have missed you posting the Hyad; nice to see a creature that isn't likely to show up as a threat to the party.

Yeah, take that, stupid combat focused game with its stupid combat focused design! (I'm glad you like 'em!)

I don't see a listed radius for the "Call Downpour" ability which is my only mechanical comment there.

Man, I keep doing that. Thanks for the heads-up, should be fixed now.

Definitely stealing the concept at some point.

Heh. Please do!

[Metastachydium]

Aaaand I'm back with vengeance and a shining little sun of epic proportions! (In case anyone wonders, yes, it "burrows" by way of BURNING AWAY THE EARTH!) I'm pretty sure I miscalculated the CR though. Anyhow, here it is:

Suvar
Suvars are enormous, blazing spheres of flame and light travelling the Plane of Radiance with long lives and sharp minds. They are curious, but wise and they see far, well beyond the boundaries of their plane. Mortals will occasionally seek them out, to partake in their knowledge and more often than not, a suvar is glad to oblige.

Size/Type: Colossal Elemental [Air, Fire]
Hit Dice: 45d8+855 (1057 hp)
Initiative: +13
Speed: Burrow, 40 feet, fly 60 feet (perfect)
Armor Class: 45 (-8 size, +5 Dex, +48 natural), touch 7, flat-footed 40
Base Attack/Grapple: +33/–
Attack: –
Full Attack: –
Space/Reach: 50 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Eruption, flare, heat, radiance
Special Qualities: Blindsight 250 ft., DR 25/–, elemental traits, immunities, regeneration 50, resistance to electricity 20, spell-like abilities, SR 40, telepathy 500 ft.
Saves: Fort +47, Ref +29, Will +35
Abilities: Str –, Dex 21, Con 48, Int 26, Wis 40, Cha 21
Skills: Concentration +60, Diplomacy +52, Hide -55, Knowledge (arcana) +48, Knowledge (history) +48, Knowledge (nature) +48, Knowledge (the planes) +52, Knowledge (religion) +48, Listen +52, Sense Motive +62, Spellcraft +50, Spot +90, Survival +56
Feats: Ability Focus (Eruption), Ability Focus (Flare), Alertness, Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Track
Epic Feats: Epic Fortitude, Epic Skill Focus (Spot), Epic Skill Focus (Listen), Epic Will, Improved Combat Casting, Legendary Tracker, Superior Initiative, Tenacious Magic (Analyze Dweomer), Tenacious Magic (Greater Scrying)
Environment: The Quasi-Elemental Plane of Radiance
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 57
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 46-100 (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Suvars care little for conflict. They scan those that would approach them from afar, and if they deem a visitor hostile, they reach out to its mind urging it to leave first, only resorting to violence if the would-be attacker refuses to comply.

Eruption (Ex)
As a full-riund action, a suvar can eject the otermost layer of its body, producing a 200 feet burst that burns hotter than fire and deals 45d8 points of untyped damage or half as much on a succesful Reflex save (DC=53). The Evasion and Improved Evasion special abilities cannot further reduce this damage. The suvar is then incapable of creating another eruption for 1d6 minutes, nor can it produce a flare for 1d6 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Flare (Ex)
As a standard action, a suvar can spew forth a column of superheated gas from its body that deals 20d8 points of untyped damage in a line 10 feet wide and 500 feet long. Once a suvar expels a flare, it cannot produce another one for 1d4 rounds. A succesful Reflex save (DC=51) halves the damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Heat (Ex)
A suvar's entire body burns with intense, dry heat. Any creature within 500 feet of a suvar must succeed on a DC 51 Fort save each round or take 5d6 points of nonlethal fire damage and 5d6 points of nonlethal desiccation damage. Within 250 feet of a suvar, this damage increases to 10d6 points of fire and 10d6 points of desiccation. Within 100 feet of the suvar, the damage becomes lethal. A creature touching the body of a suvar takes 15d8 points of fire damage and 15d8 points of desiccation damage immediately and in the first 1d4 rounds subsequent to contact after exposure ceases. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Immunities (Ex)
A suvar is immune to acid, cold, fire, disease, paralysis, petrification, sleep, stunning, fatigue, exhaustion. Suvars are not subject to flanking or critical hits. They cannot suffer ability damage or ability drain.

Radiance (Ex)
Suvars shed bright light within a mile and produce shadowy illumination within another. Any creature within 500 feet of it that directly looks at a suvar must succeed on a DC 51 Fort save or become blinded for 1d6 rounds. On a succesful save, the creature becomes dazzled instead. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Regeneration (Ex)
Sonic and force effects deal normal damage to a suvar.

Spell-like Abilities
At-will: arcane sight, clairaudiance/clairvoyance, contact other plane, detect thoughts, discern lies, divination, locate creature, locate object, scrying, tongues; 12/day: analyze dweomer, legend lore, true seeing; 6/day: discern location, greater scrying, vision. Caster level 45th. The save DCs are Wisdom-based.

Skills
Suvars have a +15 racial bonus to Spot and Listen checks. They take a -60 racial penalty on Hide checks.

[Metastachydium]

Let's move on to more peaceful (and simple) waters with some (not that un)friendly horsies. (Speaking of simplicity, do remind me not to do anything with more than two forms ever again.) As always, I appreciate (disparaging) comments and advice on how to handle LA!

Gaval
Gavals are shapeshifting equine humanoids. Rarely taller than 6 feet, in its natural form, a gaval sports a black-skinned humanoid torso, two well-muscled, hooved legs covered in a black coat and the maned head of a black horse.

Gaval (Humanoid Form) Size/Type: Medium Humanoid [Shapechanger] Hit Dice: 2d8-2 (7 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 40 feet (8 squares) Armor Class: 12 (+1 Dex, +1 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 11 Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1 Attack: Club +0 melee (1d6-1) or club +1 ranged (1d6-1) Full Attack: Club +0 melee (1d6-1) or club +1 ranged (1d6-1) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: – Special Qualities: Change shape, fear of fire, low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort -1, Ref +4, Will +1 Abilities: Str 8, Dex 12, Con 9, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 13 Skills: Balance +3, Disguise +4, Escape Artist +4, Jump -1, Listen +4, Spot +4, Swim -1 Feats: Endurance, RunB Environment: Temperate and warm plains Organization: Solitary or herd (4-50) Challenge Rating: 2 Alignment: Often neutral Advancement: By character class Level Adjustment: +1

Gaval (Natural Form) Size/Type: Medium Humanoid [Shapechanger] Hit Dice: 2d8+2 (11 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 40 feet (8 squares) Armor Class: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1 Attack: Club +2 melee (1d6+1) or bite -5 melee (1d3) or club +1 ranged (1d6-1) Full Attack: Club +2 melee (1d6+1) and bite -5 melee (1d3) or club +1 ranged (1d6-1) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: – Special Qualities: Change shape, fear of fire, low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +1 Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 10 Skills: Balance +5, Disguise +1, Escape Artist +2, Jump +3, Listen +4, Spot +4, Swim +1 Feats: Endurance, RunB Environment: Temperate and warm plains Organization: Solitary or herd (4-50) Challenge Rating: 2 Alignment: Often neutral Advancement: By character class Level Adjustment: +1

Gaval (Horse Form) Size/Type: Large Humanoid [Shapechanger] Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 60 feet (12 squares) Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1 Attack: Hoof +2 melee (1d6+2) Full Attack: 2 hooves +2 melee (1d6+2) and bite -3 melee (1d4+1) Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: – Special Qualities: Change shape, fear of fire, low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +1 Abilities: Str 14, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 8 Skills: Balance +7, Disguise +0, Escape Artist +2, Jump +6, Listen +4, Spot +4, Swim +6 Feats: Endurance, RunB Environment: Temperate and warm plains Organization: Solitary or herd (4-50) Challenge Rating: 2 Alignment: Often neutral Advancement: By character class Level Adjustment: +1

Combat
Gavals are shy and suspicious creatures; their herds on the plains keep their distance from strangers if they can. If, however, they feel threatened and especially if they see outsiders as a threat to their foals, they usually assume horse or hybrid form before mobbing their enemies, attacking them viciously with hooves and teeth.

Solitary gavals that mingle with civilized folks are often spellcasters and prefer to rely on magic and speed rather than brute force if they can't avoid a fight.

Change Shape (Su)
A gaval can assume two forms other than its natural form. In humanoid form, a gaval resembles a wiry human with black skin, a somewhat sparse, falling black mane cresting its head and neck and large, dark brown eyes. In horse form, a gaval is indistinguishable from a light horse with a black coat, mane and tail.

A gaval can change its shape at will as a move action. A gaval can remain in one form until it chooses to assume another. A change in form cannot be dispelled, nor does a gaval revert to its natural form when killed. A true seeing spell, however, reveals its natural form if it is in humanoid or horse form.

Fear of Fire (Ex)
While no more vulnerable to it than other humanoids, gavals are terrified of fire. Gavals become shaken for as long as they are within 5 feet of an open flame of the size of a torch or larger. Whenever they take fire damage, they must succeed on a DC 10 Will save or become frightened.

Skills
A gaval in hybrid form has a +2 bonus on Balance and Jump checks and a +1 bonus on Constitution checks made to continue running and to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march.. A gaval in humanoid form has a +2 racial bonus on Disguise and Escape Artist checks. A gaval in horse form benefits from a +4 racial bonus to Balance, Jump and Swim checks and has a +2 bonus on Constitution checks made to continue running and to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march.

[Metastachydium]

This month, I only give you two pretty simplistic races. The first one (stone elves) was originally devised to serve as the only race/subrace (the most fitting term would perhaps be ecotype, but I digress) with a strict sense racial culture in a homebrewn setting I've been working on for a while, the reason for their developing a monoculture being that they had an incredibly small population endemic to a single inhospitable mountainous region. They formed a loose network of kraterocratic tribes that only cared for two things: prowess (i.e. a measure of competence in various matters military; it could mean skill with weapons, a good head for tactics or strategy, exceptional stealth or speed, leadership skills and so on and so forth) and the bonds of kinship. This resulted in a weird model of society where those perceived as weak were held in barely concealed universal contempt but those with prowess were, in the same time, ridiculously protective of them, shielding these specimens from harm and making sure they stayed healthy and well fed. A stone elf who harmed another stone elf (any other stone elf) was ostracized and ejected from the tribe and became free game that anyone could kill, maim, deceive, rob and mistreat with impunity. If a stone elf killed another non-tribeless stone elf, they became immediately and irrevocably tribeless themselves and intertribal elfhunts were organized to give these kinslayers the gift of an ugly death. They were also essentially obligate carnivores, practicing non-ritualistic cannibalism and eating whatever they killed, regardless of sapience (although they did not actively hunt for sapient prey) which combined with their xenophobic territoriality and their habit of sporadically raiding the foothills netted them several punitive expeditions to beat back with ruthless and unabashed guerilla warfare.

The other race presented below is a missed opportunity of sorts. I mean, we know that humans can interbreed with both elves and orcs. The easiest scientifically sound explanation for that is close genetic proximity between the three races. I'd go so far to assume, in fact, that they essentially belong to the same species as subspecies or somesuch. This, in turn, would raise the question of why there isn't an elf/orc hybrid race. And that's where the yrch (the Sindarin term for 'orcs (pl.)') come in.

Now, let's see some crunch!

Stone Elf

Shorter and slighter than high elves, these sinewy humanoids have little difficulty blending into the backdrop of their rocky homeland with their dark hair, grainy, dim gray skin and somewhat angular features. Usually clad in dull leathers, the elves of the mountains roam the hard cragtop paths with the resolute, cold and measured awareness of the hunter, their daggerlike ears honed to pick up the faintest of noises.

Stone Elf, 1st-Level Warrior
Size/Type: Medium Humanoid [Elf]
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares), climb 15 feet.
Armor Class: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 leather ), touch 11, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1
Attack: Short sword +2 melee (1d6) or shortbow +2 ranged (1d6)
Full Attack: Short sword +2 melee (1d6) or shortbow +2 ranged (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: –
Special Qualities: Stone elf traits
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +11, Listen +2, Jump +3, Move Silently +3, Spot +2, Swim +2
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Environment: Temperate and cold mountains
Organization: Solitary, scouting party (2–5), raid (10–40 plus 2 3rd–5th-level heads), warband (50–100 plus 4 to 6 3rd–5th level heads and 1 5th–8th level warchief) or camp (as warband plus 10% noncombatants)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0

Combat
Few but resourceful, stone elves prefer to keep their fights as far from fair as the circumstances allow for. They make great use of the terrain, laying ambushes and using hit-and-run tactics, engaging opponents at range and from cover. If they fail to gain the upper hand fast enough or suffer heavier casualties than expected, they will scatter and retreat. They are known to allow foes that show exceptional prowess pass through their territories unmolested to preserve their numbers and out of respect.

Stone Elf Traits (Ex)
Stone elves possess the following racial traits.
-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom.
Medium size.
A stone elf' base land speed is 30 feet. It also has a climb speed of 15 feet.
Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
Low-Light Vision: A stone elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
+2 racial bonus on Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks. Stone elves have a +2 racial bonus on Hide checks made in rocky areas.
A stone elf can use either her Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher.
Resistance to cold 5.
Infamy: stone elves have a -4 penalty on Diplomacy checks made to influence the attitude of a creature that is not a stone elf.
Automatic Languages: Undercommon.
Favored Class: Scout.

The stone elf warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: 12, 10, 13, 11, 9, 8.

♣

Yrch

Born of the union between elves and orcs, yrch bear some resemblance to both of their parent races. No taller than an adult human, yrch have a thin, but well-muscled frame and a curious, graceless posture. Narrow, pointed elven ears jut upwards from under their coarse, thick hair and slender tusks protrude from behind their lower lips. Though strong, they are strangely sickly and rarely can they hold their liquor well.

Yrch, 1st-Level Warrior
Size/Type: Medium Humanoid [Elf, Orc]
Hit Dice: 1d8-1 (3 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 feet in scale mail (4 squares); base speed 30 feet
Armor Class: 16 (+4 scale mail, +2 heavy wooden shield ), touch 10, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
Attack: Trident +4 melee (1d8+2) or trident +2 ranged (1d8+2)
Full Attack: Trident +4 melee (1d8+2) or trident +2 ranged (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: –
Special Qualities: Yrch traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +0, Will -1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 10, Con 9, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 12
Skills: Climb -2, Intimidate +4, Listen +0, Spot +0
Feats: Weapon Focus (trident)
Environment: Temperate forests and hills
Organization: Solitary, gang (2–4), squad ( 1–20 plus 1 leader of 3rd–6th level) or company ( 30–100 plus 70% noncombatants and 3–7 leaders of 3rd–7th level)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Alignment: Often chaotic neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0

Combat
More organized and cautious than orcs, but much more straightforward than elves, yrch tend to meet their enemies out in the open, trusting in their numbers and the strength of their arms. Their forces are often plagued by inadequate discipline and coordination or rash decisions.

Yrch Traits (Ex)
Yrch possess the following racial traits.
+2 Strength, -2 Constitution.
Medium size.
The base land speed of an yrch is 30 feet.
Yrch have a +2 racial saving throw bonus against magic sleep effects and spells of the Charm subschool.
Darkvision: Yrch can see in the dark up to 30 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight.
+1 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.
Mixed Blood: For all effects related to race, an yrch is considered both an elf and an orc.
Automatic Languages: Common and Elven or Orc. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven or Orc, Gnome or Goblin, Sylvan or Giant.
Favored Class: Barbarian or ranger

The yrch warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: 13, 10, 11, 9, 8, 12

[Metastachydium]

Nitrian Strider

Nitrian striders (or tempterbeasts as some call them for reasons lost to time) are enormous elephantine creatures up to 40 feet long from from trunk to tail. Their most striking feature, however, is not merely their sheer size, but rather their proportions: nitrian striders possess unnervingly long, spindly legs that may make up as much as three quarters of a strider's considerable overall height of roughly 80 feet.

Few if any striders survive in the wilderness: prized as siege engines, mobile command posts, weapons of intimidation and all-terrain armoured transports, most of them serve the armies of nations rich enough to breed and feed them.

Size/Type: Gargantuan Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 21d10+252 (367 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 110 feet (22 squares)
Armor Class: 24 (-4 size, -1 Dex, +19 natural), touch 5, flat-footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple: +21/+48
Attack: Stamp +32 melee (4d8+22)
Full Attack: 2 stamps +32 melee (4d8+15) and trunk +27 melee (3d6+7)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Trample 12d8+22
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, unstoppable
Saves: Fort +24, Ref +11, Will +6
Abilities: Str 41, Dex 8, Con 35, Int 2, Wis 8, Cha 19
Skills: Balance +16, Hide -13, Intimidate +12
Feats: Ability Focus (Trample), Awesome Blow, Cleave, Diehard, Endurance, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Snatch^B
Environment: Temperate and warm deserts, hills and plains
Organization: Solitary or domesticated
Challenge Rating: 12
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: —

Combat
Nitrian striders have few predators. As peaceful herbivores, they tend to use their great speed and mobility to shake off would-be attackers. Deployed in battle, they are usually directed into enemy lines to rout or trample these into the ground and they also see use as a means to get past or break down walls.

Trample (Ex)
Reflex half DC 37. The save DC is Strength-based.

Unstoppable (Ex)
Nitrian striders can move through bogs, quicksand, undergrowth, rubble, snow, sand, trenches, berms, fences and the like without incurring any penalty associated with crossing difficult terrain. Nitrian striders need not make Swim checks to cross bodies of water that are no deeper than 60 feet.

♣

Now, these big ones here could have been animals, but I figured "like an elephant but clearly not an elephant" is unnatural and "oversized elephants with disproportianetaly long legs" bizarre enough in appearance to use magical beast instead. Given my source materal, I could have gone with outsider as well, but that sounded like overkill so I didn't.

[Metastachydium]

And here I am, back with vengeance a PLANTY! It's not terribly original, but the fact that the thread still doesn't have a plant (because I've been tinkering with a pineapple that just doesn't want to end up playable as intended) was frustrating me to no end, so I had to, khm, improvise a bit. Please do try and nonetheless receive with a measure of warmth (since cold is not exactly good for them) the

Orange Musk Creeper
As one of its smaller cousins, this flowering plant is easy to mistake for the dreaded yellow musk creeper. However, there are a number of key differences between the two creatures that go beyond size and the colour of their funnel-shaped flowers: far from being mindless and sinister, the orange musk creeper possesses a sharp mind and an outlook of uncompromising benevolence, even in the face of persecution.

Size/Type: Medium Plant
Hit Dice: 2d8+6 (15 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 10 feet (2 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-2
Attack: Vine whip +3 melee (1d2-3) or musk puff +3 ranged touch (special)
Full Attack: 4 vine whips +3 melee (1d2-3) or musk puff +3 ranged (special)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Musk puff
Special Qualities: Allied eyes, fast healing 2, low-light vision, plant traits, vulnerability to cold
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str 4, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 14
Skills: Diplomacy +7, Knowledge (local) +4, Knowledge (nature) +4, Search +4, Sense Motive +5
Feats: Negotiator, Weapon Finesse^B
Environment: Warm forests and swamps
Organization: Solitary or cluster (2–5)
Challenge Rating: 2
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: 3–5 HD (Medium), 6–10 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: +1¹

Combat
Though not incapable of engaging in physical combat, orange musk creepers are weak and slow. Consequently, they usually open with a musk puff and attempt to parley.

Allied Eyes (Su)
If an ally within 60 feet an orange musk creeper established a telepathic connection with (see the Musk Puff special ability) is aware of a particular danger, so is the creeper and any other ally likewise having such a link with the plant . If one in the group is not flat-footed or flanked, none of them are.

Musk Puff (Ex)
Orange musk creepers can puff a spray of potent-smelling pollen upon a nearby target. The musk has a range of 20 feet and can target one creature per round. The attitude of creatures struck by an orange musk creeper's musk puff improves by one degree as if the creeper succeeded on a Diplomacy check against them, unless they make a succesful DC 14 Will save (the save DC is Constitution-based).
Furthermore, regardless whether the save succeeds or fail, a telepathic link is established between the creeper and any such creature, allowing two-way communication so long as the creature remains within 60 feet of the plant. A creature so affected also gains a +2 alchemical bonus on saving throws against stunning, sleep and mind-affecting effects. These effects persist for 2d4 minutes. Leaving the affected area merely suppresses (rather than ends) the effects.

---

¹Expert opinion has concluded that a more reasonable (R)LA would be no higher than +0.

[Dimers]

I like the fact that the bonus is alchemical!

That'd make an interesting PC choice. Why no listed LA?

Might want to clarify whether the telepathic connection depends on failing the save, and whether it needs to be re-established if the creeper and target get far away from each other and then come back close again.

[Metastachydium]

Many thanks for the feedback!

I like the fact that the bonus is alchemical!

I figured it's kind of appropriate and I wanted it to stack with stuff.

That'd make an interesting PC choice. Why no listed LA?

I'm not really good at calculating LA, especially if I have to juggle stuff like plant traits and a nonstandard body shape, to say nothing of the other abilities/SQs. I'm more than open to suggestions on this front, though!

Might want to clarify whether the telepathic connection depends on failing the save, and whether it needs to be re-established if the creeper and target get far away from each other and then come back close again.

Hm. Yeah. I'll go do that.

[Dimers]

Plant immunities ... ability to act as a mental switchboard for the party ... body slots and manipulators are unclear ... the natural attacks could probably be optimized by somebody more experienced than me, but I don't think they're much to work with given the low damage die and low Strength ... good stats for most casters but at least two caster levels lost to RHD ... any amount of fast healing is awesome, cold vulnerability is not, 2 NA is "eh sure whatever" ... poor speed would want to be mitigated ... If the target of musk puff succeeds on that relatively low-DC save that requires a touch attack, they'll likely react more negatively due to the attempt, so it's not much of a social benefit in a typical game ...

Normally I'd say LA +1, mostly because of the plant immunities. The rest kinda balances out. But this thing wouldn't have a meaningful role in a level 3 party; it just doesn't have much to do actively besides maintain the switchboard. Gotta go with LA +0. I think it's fair to be one spell level (or 1d6 eldritch blast or sneak attack) behind a human when you have better stats, fast healing, mini-telepathy and a handy list of immunities.

[Metastachydium]

Plant immunities ... ability to act as a mental switchboard for the party ... body slots and manipulators are unclear ... the natural attacks could probably be optimized by somebody more experienced than me, but I don't think they're much to work with given the low damage die and low Strength ... good stats for most casters but at least two caster levels lost to RHD ... any amount of fast healing is awesome, cold vulnerability is not, 2 NA is "eh sure whatever" ... poor speed would want to be mitigated ... If the target of musk puff succeeds on that relatively low-DC save that requires a touch attack, they'll likely react more negatively due to the attempt, so it's not much of a social benefit in a typical game ...

Normally I'd say LA +1, mostly because of the plant immunities. The rest kinda balances out. But this thing wouldn't have a meaningful role in a level 3 party; it just doesn't have much to do actively besides maintain the switchboard. Gotta go with LA +0. I think it's fair to be one spell level (or 1d6 eldritch blast or sneak attack) behind a human when you have better stats, fast healing, mini-telepathy and a handy list of immunities.

Sweet! Thank you!
Since I'm trying to outfit my critters with stupid WotC-style LA where applicable, I'll probably go with +1 for now and add a footnote that +0 might be more reasonable.

[Metastachydium]

Looks like I haven't been 'round here in a while. My return, then, would certainly call from some celebration, of the spirited sort. 96% spirited, to be exact, v/v.

This here thing might help with that:

Akowita
Akowitas (known as acovites to the unlettered common folks) are elemental beings believed to have originated from some obscure Inner Plane. They resemble thick columns of water, roughly five feet in diameter and nearly twice as tall sliding fast along the ground in search of prey. They exude a strong, characteristic smell.

Akowitas seem to understand Abyssal, Aquan and Auran but they do not speak.

Size/Type: Medium Elemental
Hit Dice: 7d8+12 (43 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 feet (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+2 Dex, +6 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+8
Attack: Slam +8 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: Slam +8 melee (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulf, stupefy
Special Qualities: Elemental traits, immunity to cold, liquid life, vapors, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +0
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 6, Cha 7
Skills: Hide +6, Listen +8, Move Silently +8
Feats: Ability Focus (Engulf), Ability Focus (Stupefy), Great Fortitude
Environment: Any temperate or cold
Organization: Solitary, party (4–10) or rave (25–500)
Challenge Rating: 6
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: 8-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Akowitas are not particularly subtle, nor do they have much of a head for elaborate tactics. They attack without provocation, attemting to engulf and incapacitate opponents as fast as they can.

Engulf (Ex)
An akowita can envelop a Medium or smaller creatures as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. The akowita merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make opportunity attacks against the creature, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC 19 Reflex save or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the akowita moves forward. Engulfed creatures are subject to the elemental’s Stupefy attack, and are considered to be grappled and trapped within its body. The save DC is Strength-based.

Liquid Life (Ex)
Opponents adjacent to an akowita equipped with a container such as a vial can make a special melee touch attack against the creature. If the attack succeeds, a portion of the creatures fluid body is captured within the container. If imbibed, this liquid has a 40% chance of replicating the effect of Delay Disease, a 10% chance of replicating that of Neutralize Disease and a 50% chance of making anyone that consumes it sickened for 1d3 minutes. The latter effect can be negated by a succesful DC 15 Fortitude save.

Stupefy (Ex)
The entire body of an akowita consists of a vile substance that weakens mind and body alike. Each time an opponent is hit or remains engulfed by the creature, that opponent must succeed on a Constitution-based DC 17 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of Dexterity damage and 1d4 points of Wisdom damage. The save DC rises by 1 point for each failed save.
Unless any ability damage suffered in this way is entirely removed by then, after 2d4 hours have passed, the subject of this ability has to make another DC 17 Fortitude save to avoid becoming nauseated for 1d4 hours. Subjects that succeed become sickened instead. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Vapors (Ex)
Any attack that succesfully deals fire damage to an akowita temporarily renders its body into a translucent cloud of mist. The creature loses its land speed and the ability to make slam attacks, but it gains a fly speed of 20 ft. with good maneuverability and it retains the ability to engulf opponents. Moreover, a vaporous akowita imposes a 50% miss chance on any physical attack targeting its form. The creature can remain in its state for up to 2d10 rounds, after which its body cools down sufficiently to regain its original, fluid form.

Skills
Akowitas receive a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks when they conceal themsleves within a body of colourless liquid such as water. They need not make Escape Artist checks to squeeze through tight spaces, nor do they suffer penalties of any sort while doing so.

[Metastachydium]

Honestly, I just can't believe I've had this thread going for so long as I did without bothering to create a little flower race. Below, that will be remedied:

Meidont
Meidonts are little herbaceous plants, up to 8 inches tall and, more often than not, half as wide. Easy to mistake for dead-nettles, they have square stems and somewhat hairy, oval leaves with rounded teeth. Their double-lipped flowers are white, blue or purple.
Contented and indolent, meidonts rarely seek the company of others, but they will politely and pleasantly chat up whoever approaches them peacefully. They tend to cultivate a good relationship with giant bees, spirit folk and gray orcs.
Meidonts speak their own, scent-based language and the Spirit Tongue. Meidonts with a high enough Intelligence score usually learn Common, Orc or both as well. Their speaking voice is usually small and rather high-pitched.

Size/Type: Diminutive Plant
Hit Dice: 1/2d8+1 (3 hp)
Initiative: -3
Speed: 0 feet
Armor Class: 11 (+4 size, -3 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-16
Attack: Slap +0 melee (1-4)
Full Attack: Slap +0 melee (1-4)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: –
Special Qualities: Hop, low-light vision, plant traits, sustenance, uncanny grasp
Saves: Fort +3, Ref -3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 5, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: Concentration +4, Hide +9, Knowledge (nature) +4, Spot +2
Feats: Combat Casting, DiehardB
Environment: Temperate forests and hills
Organization: Solitary or patch (4–10)
Challenge Rating: 1/4
Alignment: Usually lawful (any)
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0

Combat
Meidonts avoid combat and, indeed, contact in general with strangers whenever possible. If cornered, they defend themselves as they are able, but given the choice, they prefer to hide or flee.


Hop (Sp)
Whilst they aren't ambulatory in any conventional sense, meidonts are capable of locomotion by way of much less mundane means. At-will as a move action, they can produce a short range teleportation effect that resembles the spell dimension hop. The maximum range of this effect is 10 feet.


Sustenance (Ex)
Unlike other plant creatures, a rooted meidont only requires water and light to survive.


Uncanny Grasp (Sp)
Meidonts can move their branches and even strike foes with them, but neither their branches, nor their leaves are prehensile. Meidonts use innate magic to compensate for this shortcoming: at-will, they can grab and manipulate objects as if using a permanent form of mage hand. The range of this effect is a mere 2 feet; however, unlike mage hand, it works on unattended objects regardless whether they are magiccal or not and it can perform any task an average human hand could.


Skills
In aboveground natural environments, meidonts gain a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks as long as there is other vegetation present nearby.


Meidonts as characters
Meidonts possess the following racial traits.
-8 Strength, -6 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom.
Plant: Meidonts are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. They are not subject to critical hits or mind-affecting effects, nor do they sleep.
Diminutive: As a Diminutive creature, a meidont gains a +4 size bonus to Armor Class, a +4 size bonus on attack rolls, a -12 penalty on grapple checks, and a +12 size bonus on Hide checks. Its lifting and carrying limits are a quarter of those of a Medium character.
A meidont's base land speed is 0 feet.
Low-Light Vision: A meidont can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. It retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Racial Feats: A meidont gains Diehard as a bonus feat.
Meidonts have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks made in aboveground natural areas with vegetation present.
Special Qualities (see above): Hop, sustenance, uncanny grasp.
Automatic Languages: Meidont, Spirit Tongue. Bonus Languages: Common, Giant, Orc, Sylvan.
Favored Class: Warlock. A meidont needs not meet the alignment requirements to enter this class.


New Alchemical Items:
Meidont Pot: Most often shaped like a short cylinder or truncated cone, this flowerpot is made from a durable, but lightweight resin of rubbery texture. Filled with half a pound of soil, it provides the meidont with a container it can have itself safely carried about in without having to worry about a source of food. Such pots are also outfitted with various hooks, rings and the like further equipment can be fastened to.
Craft DC: 20; Cost: 15 gp; Weight: 1/10 lb.


Topsoil Pellets (10): These minuscule, brown globules soluble in water contain organic nutrients to enrich depleted soil with. Two such pellets per half a pound of soil will allow a meidont or other similar plant creature to comfortably survive in even the most barren dirt for a week.
Craft DC: 15; Cost: 8 gp; Weight: –.


Meidonts and Magical Items:
As sapient plants, meidonts do not possess the same body slots as humanoid creatures do. Still, because magic items that must be worn will fit users of any size, a meidont can use many magic items a humanoid character can.
Meidonts can wear throat or shoulder slot items (but not both) around their stems just above their topmost pair of leaves.
Meidonts can wear two rings, a pair of hand and a pair of arm slot items on the leaf-stalks of any two pairs of leaves. A meidont cannot wear more than two rings or more than one pair of hand or arm slot item at a time.
Meidonts can wear awaist and a torso (but not a body) slot item anywhere on their stems below the topmost pair of leaves.
Meidonts can likewise wear a pair of feet slot items on or around their roots.

Items specifically crafted for the use of meidonts might take the shape of small ribbons, bits of string or wire. A head or face slot item (but not both) so crafted can likewise be worn by a meidont.

[Metastachydium]

Stratogorgops
Of great stature (just shy of 8 feet tall) and a musclebound, thick frame, broad-shouldered, ironclad stratogorgopes tower over most enemies they encounter. Atop the short, sturdy necks of these orderly, cold and warlike creatures, a long, almost reptilian, uniquely angular head sits, covered in the same coarse, leaden bristle as the rest of their bodies. Massive fangs jutting from under their upper lips flank their narrow lower jaw.

Stratogorgopes speak their own guttural tongue. Their officers tend to learn Common and sometimes Dwarven, Giant or Orc as well.

Size/Type: Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 5d8+15 (36 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 feet in heavy plate armour (4 squares); base speed 30 feet
Armor Class: 24 (+9 heavy plate armour^RoS, +4 steel tower shield^RoS, +1 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+9
Attack: Masterwork greatspear^CW +10 melee (2d6+4, ×3) or bite +9 melee (2d4+4) or Large heavy crossbow +5 ranged (2d8, 19–20/×2)
Full Attack: Masterwork greatspear^CW +10 melee (2d6+4, ×3) and bite +4 melee (2d4+4) or Large heavy crossbow +5 ranged (2d8, 19–20/×2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with greatspear)
Special Attacks: Lunging snap
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, strong-arm
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 7
Skills: Climb +4 (-14 in armour and with shield), Craft (armoursmithing) +1, Craft (weaponsmithing) +1, Jump +4 (-14 in armour and with shield), Listen +2, Profession (soldier) +2, Ride +1, Spot +2, Swim +4 (-32 in armour and with shield)
Feats: Endurance, Hold the Line^B, Steadfast Determination
Environment: Cold hills
Organization: Solitary, patrol (4–20 plus a 1st-level headman) or troop (5–10 patrols plus a 2-nd level flankhead and a 1st level adept for every 50 soldiers, with a 4–5th level leader)
Challenge Rating: 5
Alignment: Often lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3

Combat
When encountered in groups, stratogorgopes form up into a shield wall and continue fighting in a close formation for as long as they are able to. Units smaller than an army rarely initiate combat and usually wait for their opponents to make the first move.

Lunging Snap (Ex)
As a full-round action, a stratogorgops may attack an opponent with a reach weapon that deals piercing damage and immediately follow it up with a bite, regardless of the success of the first attack. The bite of a stratogorgops is treated as having a 10' reach for this purpose and this purpose alone.


Strong-Arm (Ex)
The well-muscled arms of a stratogorgops possess a tremendous strength. Stratogorgopes are treated as Large creatures for the purpose of calculating their carrying capacity. Stratogorgopes can wield Large-sized weapons without penalty and take no penalty for wielding two-handed Medium-sized weapons in one hand.

♣

If anyone's still around and watching, stay tuned! I'm soon to CR up this one and return with the even uglier cousins of these folks. Man, I've made a real mess here. Added CR, languages, crit ranges/multipliers and advancement options. I shouldn't do statblocks so close to bed.

Anyhow, as promised, here comes the followup entry:

Ypogorgops
Ypogorgopes are aggressive, four-legged predators 12 to 15 feet in length and rarely growing taller than 5 feet at the shoulder. Short, thick, gray hair covers their tough hide and their forelegs end in wicked claws. Their most terrifying feature, nevertheless, sits in the front of their somewhat reptilian, long-snouted rectangualr head: thick, sharp canines nearing 6 inches in length jut from just under their nostrils, ready to tear into living flesh.

While a stable population survives in the wild, the ypogorgops has been domesticated and widely used as a warmount by stratogorgopes throughout the centuries.

Size/Type: Large Animal
Hit Dice: 8d8+32 (66 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 50 feet (10 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+17
Attack: Bite +14 melee (2d8+10, ×4)
Full Attack: Bite +14 melee (2d8+7, ×4) and 2 claws +11 melee (1d10+3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Leaping takedown, lockjaw
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 5
Skills: Climb +8, Hide +2, Jump +14, Listen +3, Spot +2
Feats: Endurance^B, Multiattack, Power Critical (bite), Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Cold hills
Organization: Solitary, pair or domesticated
Challenge Rating: 6
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9–15 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Though fast and powerful, the ypogorgops prefers to attack from ambush, trying to wrestle its chosen prey to the ground as fast as possible. Were that to fail, it retreats to try the same again from a different angle.

Leaping Takedown (Ex)
An ypogorgops can combine a jump with a charge against an opponent. If it covers at least 10 feet of horizontal distance with its jump, ending it in a square from which it threatens its target, it can make a full attack. If any of its attacks hit, the ypogorgops may attempt to initiate a grapple as a free action, provoking an attack of opportunity. Should it succeed, its opponent becomes prone with the ypogorgops grappling it.

Lockjaw (Ex)
When closed shut, the jaws of an ypogorgops are hard to force open and they exert a crushing strength on its prey. It has a +4 bonus on opposed grapple checks made to maintain hold of an opponent. Furthermore, its powerful bite deals quadruple damage on a critical hit.

[Metastachydium]

Weeping Orb
Encased in a thick, rubbery shell, weeping orbs are strange, spherical oozes roughly 5 feet in diameter that roll around noiselessly in caves and tunnels in search of bodies (living or dead) to devour.

Size/Type: Medium Ooze
Hit Dice: 4d10+24 (46 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 feet (8 squares)
Armor Class: 14 ( +1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6
Attack: Slam +6 melee (2d4+4 plus1d6 acid)
Full Attack: Slam +6 melee (2d4+4 plus 1d6 acid)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Flatten, spurt
Special Qualities: Blindsight 40 ft., DR 10/adamantine and bludgeoning or piercing, ooze traits
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +2, Will -3
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 12, Con 23, Int –, Wis 2, Cha 1
Skills: Move Silently +4
Feats: Spring Attack^B
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 5–7 HD (Medium), 8–11 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Whether a prospective meal chooses to fight or flee, the orb resorts to the same tactics: it rushes towards its opponent to slam its full body against it, seeping clear, corrosive slime through the pores in its shell on contact before retreating to repeat the same sequence until it can knock its foe prone (whereupon it flattens to immobilize its prey) or until the foe dies. It only uses its spurt ability if it is clearly outmatched but cannot otherwise flee.

Flatten (Ex)
On a succesful hit with its slam attack, an orb can attempt to initiate a grapple as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Should it manage to grapple its opponent, it can knock the grappled opponent prone with a furtther succesful grapple check.
At this point, the whole body of the orb flattens to try and cover as much of the opponent's as possible, pressing the latter against the ground and secreting an ample amount of slime, dealing 1d4+4 points of bludgeoning damage and 2d6 points of acid damage with each opposed check won as long as the grapple is maintained. Water present in abundance (such as a shallow pool the grappled opponent lands in) dilutes the orb's secretions and halves the acid damage dealt.

Spurt (Ex)
Once it had lost at least half of its hit points, a weeping orb sometimes attempts to flee by way of evacuating its shell and trying to slip away through the cracks. As a full-round action, it can exit its shell bursting forth in all directions and dealing 2d6 points of acid damage to all adjacent creatures (halved by a succesful DC 18 Reflex save; the save DC is Constitution-based), losing half of its remaining hit points in the process. Unconstrained by its shell, the orb can then fit into cracks as small as half an inch wide and use these to escape at a speed of 20 feet.

Skills
Weeping orbs have a +3 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

New Special Material:
Orbshell: When a weeping orb uses its Spurt ability to escape, it leaves its resistant, thick shell behind. This shell can be fashioned into a suit leather, studded leather or hide armour. An orbshell armour has the same properties as its leather or hide counterpart, except that light armours made of orbshell confer 1 and medium armours 2 points of DR overcome by adamantine bludgeoning or piercing weapons. Further, the armour check penalty of an orbshell armour increases by 2.

Orbshell has a hardness of 2 and 4 hit points per inch of thickness.

Type of Orbshell Item	Cost Modifier
Light Armour	+1500 gp
Medium Armour	+5000 gp

[Metastachydium]

Alright, this is bound to contain mistakes, because I'm out of practice with templates, but do welcome warmly (it really needs that, you see; its lot is not exactly a happy one) the

Skia
All skias were living creatures once, or so it is said. Living creatures that led small, insignificant lives. If they sinned, they sinned through inaction or indifference or both.
In their inaction, however, they were deemed unworthy. Unworthy of reward – and yet undeserving of some great, torturous punishment. And so, they were cast aside, into the Shadows, to linger without purpose and without memory of who they were or what they did: mindless effigies roaming the gloom.
A skia continues to appear much as it did in life, but it becomes haggard, its face empty, its contours blurred, its colours lost. Some call them shadowsouls, and quite aptly. They cast no shadow; they are the shadows themselves – but with strange, hard, forgotten and, nevertheless, still warm cores to them, silently, unconsciously craving for life.

Sample Skia
Human Skia
Size/Type: Medium Deathless [Augmented Humanoid]
Hit Dice: 4d12 (6 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 11 (+1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+4
Attack: Grab +4 melee touch (special)
Full Attack: Grab +4 melee touch (special)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Blood drain
Special Qualities: Deathless traits, dispersal, low-light vision, resurgence, sense wound
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +7
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 12, Con –, Int –, Wis 17, Cha 4
Skills: –
Feats: –
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary, bundle (4–40), windrow (48–180) or herd (180+)
Challenge Rating: 2
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: –
Level Adjustment: –

What shambles forward in the haze certainly looks human; a fairly well-dressed human, in fact. But it doesn't look real or, for that matter alive: the faded tones, the empty stare, the edges that seem to merge with the murk.

This example uses a 4th level human aristocrat as the base creature.


Creating a skia
"Skia" is an acquired template that can be applied to any corporeal aberration, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid or native outsider with an Intelligence score of 3 or more.
A skia uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to deathless (with the appropriate augmented subtype).Recalculate base attack bonus and saves accordingly. Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice: Increase all current Hit Dice to d12s.

Speed: Same as the base creature.

Attack: A skia loses all natural attacks of the base creature as well as the ability to wield weapons. It gains a special melee touch attack which it is proficient with.

Damage: Skias have a special melee touch attack. This attack does not deal damage but it enable skias to initiate a grapple using.

Special Attacks: A skia retains none of the base creature's special attacks, but gains the following:

Blood Drain (Ex): A skia can drink blood from a living victim by making a successful grapple check. So long as it maintains the grapple and its opponent is injured (i.e. missing hit points), it can deal 1d2 points of Constitution drain each round.


Special Qualities: A skia loses all special qualities of the base creature as well as all features associated with its class before becoming a skia, gaining low-light vision and the following in their stead:

Dispersal (Su): When a skia is reduced to 0 hit points or less, it disperses. It remains detectable as an amorphous haze hanging in the air, but it cannot take actions, nor is it subject to actions performed by other creatures. A dispersed skia reforms where it was dispersed after 1d12+3 rounds have passed.
Skias cannot be permanently destroyed by any affect short of a Miracle or some other form of direct intervention by a deity.

Resurgence (Su): Once a skia succesfully drained at least 4 points of Constitution, it experiences Resurgence. Its Intelligence score from before becoming a skia is restored, as well as its memories, and with these, all feats, skills, special abilities and class features it had while alive.
The effect of resurgence is temporary: it lasts for 1d100+3 minutes. A skia cannot be permanently restored to life and its former self by any effect short of a Miracle, True Resurrection or some other form of direct intervention by a deity.

Sense Wound (Su): A skia has an instinctive awareness of the effect consuming blood has on it. Skias can sense an open, bleeding wound anywhere within 4 miles of them and immediately begin moving towards it, taking the shortest route possible.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex +2, Wis +6, Cha -6. A skia has no Constitution or Intelligence score.

Environment: The Plane of Shadow.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature -1.

Alignment: Always neutral (unless experiencing Resurgence).

Level Adjustment: –

[sandmote]

Dispersal (Su): When a skia is reduced to 0 hit points or less, it disperses. It remains detectable as an amorphous haze hanging in the air, but it cannot take actions, nor is it subject to actions performed by other creatures. A dispersed skia reforms where it was dispersed after 1d12+3 rounds have passed.
Skias cannot be permanently destroyed by any affect short of a Miracle or some other form of direct intervention by a deity.

Is this intended to make the party keep fighting the skia indefinitely? 4-15 rounds before the skia comes back seems to require magical escape for the party to take a rest by before it shows up to fight them again. Especially given Sense Wound lets it track anyone injured fighting it.

I can't tell if this is the intent for a particular camping or an oversight.