Ebon Tiger
by Igor CalijaLarge Magical Beast (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 6d10+18 (51 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft.
Armour Class: 17 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+15
Attack: Claw +11 melee (1d8+5)
Full Attack: 2 claws +11 melee (1d8+5) and bite +8 melee (2d6+2 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, poison, pounce, rake 1d8+2
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., hide in plain sight, low-light vision, manifest, plane shift, scent
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +3
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 14
Skills: Hide +5 (+9 in shadowy areas), Jump +9,
Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Spot +6
Feats: Alertness, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (claw)
Environment: Ethereal Plane
Organisation: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Large); 13-24 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
This great cat seems to be made entirely of black fire. Its shadowy body moves through the ether with unusual grace.
The stealthy beasts known as ebon tigers are predators stalking their Material prey from the Ethereal Plane. Graybeards seem to be unable to determine the exact origin of this reclusive species with certainty, but it has been suspected to have evolved from a dire tiger on the prime world of Mystara. Other sages contended that its shadowy form suggests that the ebon tiger must have migrated from the Plane of Shadow instead.
Although not particularly intelligent, ebon tigers are extremely self-aware and wilful, and no efforts to tame the beasts have ever been successful. However, ebon tigers are known to occasionally develop some sort of a bond with intelligent beings that can travel between the Ethereal and Material planes (such as the ethereal doppelganger, for example).
An ebon tiger stands more than 5 feet tall at the shoulder and is about 9 feet long. Surprisingly enough, it is virtually weightless, even on the Prime Material Plane. As creatures of almost animal-level intelligence, ebon tigers do not speak.
COMBAT
An ebon tiger usually hunts manifested. Against formidable opponents, it instinctively uses hit-and-run tactics, biting repeatedly to deliver its poison, and then hiding incorporeally to wait until the foes are slow and blind, at which point it attacks again.
Hide In Plain Sight (Su): As long as an ebon tiger is within 10 ft. of some sort of shadow (other than its own), it can hide itself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an ebon tiger must hit with a claw or 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.
Manifest (Su): An ebon tiger dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When an ebon tiger manifests, it partly enters the Prime Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal. A manifested ebon tiger remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ebon tiger can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ebon tiger's incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. The changes are summarised below:
Manifested Ebon Tiger: Spd Fly 40 ft. (perfect); AC 14 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +2 deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 11; BAB/Grap +6/-; Atk +9 melee (1d8, claw); Full Atk +9/+9 melee (1d8, 2 claws) and +6 melee (2d6, bite); SA Improved grab, pounce, rake 1d8; SQ darkvision 60 ft., hide in plain sight, incorporeal traits, low-light vision, plane shift; Str -
Incorporeal traits: Cannot be harmed by nonmagical weapons, and has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from any corporeal source (including magical weapons), except for force effects or attacks made with ghost touch weapons. Can pass through solid objects, but not force effects, at will. Its natural attacks ignore natural armour, armour, and shields, but deflection bonuses and force effects work normally against them. Always moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn't wish to be.
Plane Shift (Su): Once per day, an ebon tiger can transport itself entirely from the Ethereal Plane to the corresponding point on the Material Plane (or vice versa). This is different from its manifest ability, which enables it to be present on both planes simultaneously.
Poison (Ex): The bite of an ebon tiger is poisonous. Injury, Fortitude DC 16, initial damage 1d6 Dex, secondary damage blindness. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Pounce (Ex): If an ebon tiger charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.
Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +11 melee, damage 1d8+3.
Skills: Ebon tigers have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. Their Hide bonus increases to +8 in shadowy areas.
converted from A Guide to the Ethereal Plane.