Sleipnir
Description
Sleipnirs are a legendary breed of magical, eight-legged horses. Most sleipnirs have jet-black coats and long, flowing manes and tails, though occasionally a sleipnir foal is born with a white or shimmering silver coat. Such rare sleipnirs sometimes display additional abilities beyond those of their darker kin. A typical sleipnir stands 6 to 7 feet tall at the shoulder, measures about 12 feet long, and weighs upward of 1,600 pounds.
Believed to be descended from the mystical steeds of gods, sleipnirs have spread throughout the Material Plane. While sleipnirs cannot actually fly, they are able to walk on air as easily as on land, and spend much of their time galloping across the skies of their homes. Although sleipnirs lack the ability to travel between planes themselves, riders have brought them as mounts far beyond the Material Plane, and populations of sleipnirs can be found on several of the more hospitable Outer Planes as well.
Sleipnirs are highly prized as steeds, but as intelligent magical beasts, they cannot be trained using the Handle Animal skill, and those trying to do so find them intractable and even violent. Although they cannot speak, sleipnirs understand Auran, and one seeking a sleipnir as a mount must convince the creature to serve using Diplomacy, Intimidate, or other means. Sleipnirs are generally indifferent to most creatures, meaning they can be found serving as steeds to creatures of all alignments, from good to evil.
Riding a sleipnir requires no equipment other than a normal saddle, and they are well trained in combat from birth. A rider does not need to make a Ride check to control a sleipnir in battle, but must make a Ride check to attack in the same round that the sleipnir attacks. A sleipnir can carry 519 pounds as a light load, 1,038 pounds as a medium load, and 1,560 pounds as a heavy load.
Combat Stats
- Melee
- bite +19 (1d8+6), 4 hooves +17 (1d8+3)
- Space
- 10 ft.
- Reach
- 5 ft.
Ability Scores
Special Attacks
Breath Weapon — As a standard action, a sleipnir can exhale a 30-foot cone of shimmering, rainbow-colored light. Every creature in the area is randomly struck by one or more beams, as a prismatic spray spell (DC 22 half or negates). The sleipnir may use this ability once every 1d6 rounds, up to 3 times per day. The save DC is Constitution-based.
powerful charge (hoof, 2d8+12)
trample (1d8+9, DC 23)
Feats
Special Abilities
Universal Monster Rules
Feats, Traits & Items
You gain a +4 bonus on the following checks and saves: Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage from exhaustion; Constitution checks made to continue running; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march; Constitution checks made to hold your breath; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst; Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments; and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation.
You may sleep in light or medium armor without becoming fatigued.
The creature's secondary attacks with natural weapons take only a –2 penalty.
You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
When running, you move five times your normal speed (if wearing medium, light, or no armor and carrying no more than a medium load) or four times your speed (if wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load). If you make a jump after a running start (see the Acrobatics skill description), you gain a +4 bonus on your Acrobatics check. While running, you retain your Dexterity bonus to your Armor Class.
You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.
Skills
Acrobatics +18 (+38 when jumping), Perception +16, Swim +16
Spells
- Type
- Magical Beast
- Alignment
- N
- Size
- Large
- Environment
- cold mountains
- Organization
- solitary, pair, or herd (3-10)
- Treasure
- none
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +16
- Languages
- Auran (cannot speak)
- Source
- Bestiary 3