 The horror before you seems like an eyeless insect, yet its long fleshy tail tells you otherwise. Strange coloration doesn’t help and with a hiss, it whips its tail at you. Azrathid CR 3 XP 800 CE Medium aberration (psionic) Init +4; Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12 DEFENSE AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+4 Dex, +3 natural) hp 33 (6d8+6) Fort +3; Ref +6; Will +5 Offense Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. Melee Bite +8 (2d6+2), sting +8 (1d3+1 plus poison) Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with sting) Psi-Like Abilities (ML 6th; concentration +4) 3/day—catfall (fall is 300 ft. shorter)*, chameleon (+12 to Stealth checks)*, empty mind (+4 to Will-saves)*, shadow body The save DCs are Charisma-based. *Includes augmentation for the azrathid’s manifester level. Statistics Str 15, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 7 Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 20 (28 vs. trip) Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +4 (+14 when jumping), Climb +12, Perception +12, Stealth +16; Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth, +8 Perception, +10 Acrobatics when jumping, and uses Dexterity for Climb checks Ecology Environment any underground or urban Organization solitary, mated pair (2), or clutch (2-4) Treasure none Special Abilities Poison (Ex): Azrathid Poison Sting—injury; save Fort DC 14, frequency 1/round for 6 rounds, effect paralysis for 1 round, cure 1 save Sometimes called shadow stalkers, azrathids feed on the fear of their prey as well as its flesh. They favor sapient victims, which they stalk and slay with gleeful abandon, leaving the corpses where others will find them. Left to its own devices, an azrathid will slaughter an entire village over the course of a few weeks – or depopulate an urban neighborhood, using its superior mobility to stay one step ahead of those who try to hunt it. Though azrathids appear eyeless at first glance, they do have one eye, which is located at the end of their tail. An azrathid at rest either dangles this tail below itself or keeps it curled up above it body, giving it a scorpion-like stance. Azrathids are generally ambush predators; they lurk in a high place or stalk their prey from rooftops, ceilings, or walls, then drop down to attack. Their deadliest weapon is their bite, but an azrathid will often engage with its stinger, hoping to stagger its prey and savor more terror and helplessness over the course of the battle. If given the chance, azrathids will hound their prey for miles before killing it, but in most circumstances azrathid attacks are as swift as they are brutal. Against groups of foes, azrathids drop down into the center of their enemies, using their stinger and combat reflexes to poison as many as possible. If the fight turns against the azrathid, it manifests shadow body and flees to nurse its wounds, returning to attempt to pick off the group of creatures one by one. Azrathids hold a grudge for a very long time, and may abandon other pursuits to stalk prey that gets away from them. Advancement Note: Well-fed and successful azrathids first gain the Advanced template, then the Giant template, before following standard monster advancement rules. |