Tyminid
by Jamie BatySCMC
Small Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+3 (19 hp)
Initiative: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), fly 40 ft. (average)
Armour Class: 16 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/0
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d4 +1)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d4 +1) and 2 claw +2 melee (1d4 +0)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Drop from above, noxious musk, pounce, powerful charge
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 5, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +7, Listen +3, Spot +11, Survival +3
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Cold and Temperate forests, mountains
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: 10gp per hide
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -
Tyminids are intelligent and very cunning wolverine-like creatures that live in the remote mountains of the Arm of the Immortals. The tyminid is a heavyset beast with short, thick legs; long, curved claws; and a short, bushy tail. Its head is blunt and rounded, its eyes are set widely apart, and its ears barely peek out over its fur. Its mostly dark brown body fur is composed of long, glossy hairs, but it has a light stripe down each side. A tyminid typically has a wingspan equal to twice its body length.
Tyminids are loners. Once a female becomes pregnant, she runs the male off. (He is happy to go.) The young are born in the spring, usually two or three to a litter. The female stays with her kits until they are weaned (or until she gets annoyed with them), then leaves. The kits adapt quickly or die.
Tyminids feed on a variety of plants, birds, and even large mammals, such as reindeer and caribou. Two of their favourite foods are ee'aar and mythu'nn folk. While feeding, tyminids will often dismember a carcass and hide the parts in various locations for later consumption. In addition to hunting, tyminids are also scavengers. They are even adept at robbing traps.
Tyminids are mean, nasty, and can nurse a grudge for years. If bothered by a hunter, for example, they are perfectly capable of destroying all of his traps or tracking him down and attacking him in his sleep.
Combat
Tyminids are adept at hunting from both the ground and the air. Because of the thin mountain air and their relatively high body density, Tyminids require either a long running start or a strong updraught in order to get aloft. Once aloft, they are very manoeuvrable, able to flicker and dodge from point to point. A tyminid will usually fly only 100 to 200 feet above the ground and only for about 30 minutes at a time before landing and to rest for two to three hours. Tyminids cannot carry any weight when flying.
Tyminids do not engage in aerial combat. However, they will tuck their wings and drop on their prey. If the prey was merely flying at a lower altitude, both the tyminid and its prey may go crashing into the ground. The prey cushions the tyminid's fall, so the tyminid takes no falling damage, but the prey does.
On the ground tyminids attack with claws and a vicious bite. They may also spray a noxious musk to sicken its foes.
Drop from Above (Ex): A tyminid may fly up to 40ft above a foe and drop onto them. This is treated as a charge attack, and the tyminid receives the benefits of the pounce and powerful charge abilities. If the victim is also airborne, it must make a reflex save vs DC 12 (Str based) or begin falling. The tyminid falls with the victim. Should they fall to the ground, the victim takes normal falling damage, while the tyminid suffers no falling damage (the victim cushioned its fall).
Noxious Musk (Ex): Up to 3/day, a tyminid may release a foul musk scent. Every creature within 20ft of the tyminid must make a Fortitude save vs DC12 (Con based) or be blinded and nauseated for 10-40 minutes. A successful save indicates the victim is merely sickened for 1-10 minutes. Regardless of the save results, the victims suffer a -8 penalty to all Charisma based skill checks until they and their possessions are thoroughly cleaned (non-magical leather and cloth hold the stench permanently and must be destroyed).
Pounce (Ex): When a tyminid makes a charge, it can follow with a full attack.
Powerful Charge (Ex): When a tyminid makes a charge, all of its attacks deal double damage.
Skills: Tyminids have a +8 racial bonus to all Spot checks.
The Red Curse
Tyminids acquire Legacies and require cinnabryl. However, most are not able to procure this metal, so these creatures have an extremely high rate of Affliction.