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Snallygaster

CR 3.00 Aberration CE Medium HD 4

This lean, scaly beast has broad wings, horns, a single eye, and writhing tentacles within its sharp, toothy beak.

Description

The snallygaster is a hideous amalgamation of lizard and bird that preys on unwary travelers. Its claws and beak have an almost metallic sheen to them, hinting at their sharpness and strength. Black stripes run the length of its scaly blue hide all the way to the tip of its long, sinuous tail. The snallygaster's serpentine neck terminates at a small, birdlike head with a single eye set in the center of the forehead. In place of a tongue, its long throat contains a slobbering mass of tentacles that twist and squirm grotesquely whenever the creature extends them.

A typical snallygaster measures 9 feet from the tip of its tail to the point of its beak, with a wingspan of 15 feet and a weight of approximately 200 pounds.

The snallygaster is an ambush predator, attacking its prey from above. Once it spots a potential victim, it dives toward its unsuspecting foe, using the fall to build up momentum. Once its foe lies dead or unconscious, the snallygaster uses its tonguelike tentacles to slurp up the victim's blood. The only thing a snallygaster craves more than blood is alcohol, and it spends much of each autumn scouring its territory for fermenting fruit, on which it gorges itself until thoroughly inebriated. Intoxicated snallygasters are extremely aggressive.

Snallygasters prefer to nest in wooded, mountainous regions. They are primarily active during the day, which they spend searching for food or scaring off rivals. Whether or not a female snallygaster finds a mate, it lays one to two eggs per year.

Combat Stats

30 (4d8+12)

15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)

Init

Speed

20 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)

Fort

Ref

Will

BAB

CMB

+6 (+10 grapple)

CMD

18 (22 vs. trip)

Melee: bite +6 (1d8+3/×3 plus bleed), 2 claws +6 (1d4+3), sucking tentacles +1 (1d4+1 plus grab)
Racial Modifiers: +4 Stealth in forests

Ability Scores

str

dex

con

int

-3

wis

cha

-1

Special Attacks

Aerial Charge — When a snallygaster charges downward at an angle of 45 degrees or more, its bite attack deals double damage (or triple damage on a critical hit). Bleed damage is not multiplied for this attack.

bleed (1d6)

Sucking Tentacles — A snallygaster uses its retractable tentacles to suck blood from its victim's bleeding wounds. If a target has a bleed effect and the snallygaster grabs it with tentacles or maintains a grapple against it, the target takes double the normal bleed damage at the beginning of its next turn. When the snallygaster is using its tentacles, it cannot make bite attacks.

Feats

Flyby Attack, Skill Focus (Stealth)

Special Abilities

Universal Monster Rules

Bleed (1d6) Ex from Universal Monster Rule

A creature with this ability causes wounds that continue to bleed, dealing the listed damage each round at the start of the affected creature's turn. This bleeding can be stopped by a successful DC 15 Heal skill check or through the application of any magical healing. The amount of damage each round is determined in the creature's entry.

Grab (sucking tentacles) Ex from Universal Monster Rule

If a creature with this special attack hits with the indicated attack (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply to use the part of its body it used in the grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a –20 penalty on its combat maneuver check to make and maintain the grapple, but does not gain the grappled condition itself. A successful hold does not deal any extra damage unless the creature also has the constrict special attack. If the creature does not constrict, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold. Otherwise, it deals constriction damage as well (the amount is given in the creature's descriptive text). Creatures with grab receive a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple. Unless otherwise noted, grab works only against opponents no larger than the same size category as the creature. If the creature can use grab on sizes other than the default, this is noted in the creature's Special Attacks line.

Special Abilities

Aerial Charge from text

When a snallygaster charges downward at an angle of 45 degrees or more, its bite attack deals double damage (or triple damage on a critical hit). Bleed damage is not multiplied for this attack.

Sucking Tentacles from text

A snallygaster uses its retractable tentacles to suck blood from its victim's bleeding wounds. If a target has a bleed effect and the snallygaster grabs it with tentacles or maintains a grapple against it, the target takes double the normal bleed damage at the beginning of its next turn. When the snallygaster is using its tentacles, it cannot make bite attacks.

Feats, Traits & Items

Flyby Attack from Feat

When flying, the creature can take a move action and another standard action at any point during the move. The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack.

Skill Focus (Stealth) from Feat

You get a +3 bonus on all checks involving the chosen skill. If you have 10 or more ranks in that skill, this bonus increases to +6.

Calculated: +3 Skill Bonus

Skills

Fly +10, Perception +7, Stealth +9 (+13 in forests)

Details

Type: Aberration
Alignment: CE
Size: Medium
Environment: temperate forests or mountains
Organization: solitary or pair
Treasure: none
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +7
Languages: Aklo (can't speak)
Source: Bestiary 4

Rules