Saberclaw
by Jamie BatyCM2 32, DMR2 89
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 5d10+5 (32 hp)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 80 ft. (poor)
Armour Class: 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+7
Attack: Claw +11 melee (2d6 +2)
Full Attack: Claw +11 melee (2d6 +2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Group snatch
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., life of the wing, low-light vision, poison immunity, spell immunity, truesight, unity of the wing
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 7
Skills: Hide +4, Listen +7, Move Silently +4, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness, Flyby Attack, Track (B)
Environment: Cold, Temperate land
Organisation: 2d5 Wings (5-20 saberclaws per wing)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 6-10 HD (Medium); 11-15 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
Saberclaws are large, hairy, flying creatures magically created from tainted wafers through an ancient spell. These magical creatures act as agents for the evil wizards and priests who create them.
Saberclaws have slick, greasy, black Eur on their 6-foot-tall bodies. The stench of soggy fur and raw sewage hangs about them. Their wings are leathery membranes of a reddish brown colour. Saberclaws get their name from the large, swordlike, bony extension that grows in place of a right hand. The eyes of a saberclaw glow a feral red.
To a saberclaw, life is the wing. Individuality is something foreign to these horrid creatures. Saberclaws fight, fly, eat, and sleep as a unit.
The method of creating these horrid creatures is known to only a small handful of people. None of them, however, are willing to part with the secret.
Saberclaws speak no true language, though they can understand the orders of their masters. Saberclaws communicate with each other through loud shrieks of varying pitch and intensity.
Combat
Saberclaws fight to serve their masters, often acting as bodyguards or hunters. When hunting at the behest of a master, saberclaws usually attack whatever living creatures they see.
Saberclaws possess a slight telepathic ability, allowing them to communicate silently with each other in battle. This allows them to anticipate the actions of an opponent. They gang up on targets slashing with their saberhand. A favourite tactic is to snatch foes, fly to great heights and drop the victim.
When killed, saberclaws disappear in a puff of greasy, black smoke.
Group Snatch (Ex): A group of two or more saberclaws can lift up and carry away a Medium creature, attacking as a group and using a single grapple check. Only one is required for Small or smaller creatures, four for a Large creature, eight for a Huge creature and 16 or more for gargantuan and colossal creatures.
When a creature does not wish to be snatched into the air, an opposed grapple check is required. The saberclaws gain a +2 bonus on this grapple check for each saberclaw beyond the first participating in the attempt. If the saberclaws succeed, the creature is grappled and forced to move along with the saberclaws. If they fail, the creature stays on the ground.
Once a creature is airborne, it may choose to continue resisting, forcing a grapple check each round. This reduces the saberclaws' flying speed by half. If successful, the creature falls from their grasp and takes falling damage normally.
Poison Immunity (Ex): A saberclaw is immune to all poisons and poisonous effects.
Life of the Wing (Ex): The saberclaws of a wing share the same life-force. All of the saberclaws of a wing pool their hit points (i.e. a wing of 10 saberclaws has 320 hp). Any damage inflicted on an individual saberclaw is deducted from this pool. Saberclaws cannot be killed until the hp pool is reduced to zero, regardless of how much damage a particular saberclaw may take.
Spell Immunity (Ex): A saberclaw is immune to all spells of 3rd level or less.
Truesight (Su): A saberclaw has enhanced vision and is considered to be constantly under the effects of a truesight spell.
Unity of the Wing (Ex): Saberclaw wings are tightly bound units and receive some bonuses from this closeness and coordination:
• all saberclaws receive a +4 to hit bonus as long as more than one saberclaw is attacking the target.
• Saberclaws receives a +1 bonus to all saving throws for each 5 members of the wing.
• all saberclaws have a +1 dodge bonus to AC as long as more than one saberclaw is attacking the target.