Xanthos
Description
A xanthos is a strange creature, part equine, part reptile. Bred as mounts by a long-dead race of alien plane-jumping explorers, xanthoi have a remarkable intelligence and the ability to teleport themselves and their riders over long distances. The race that created xanthoi has since died off or left for remote destinations, and the remaining xanthoi have lost many of their former powers, but they still have a driving need to explore worlds and planes. Xanthoi are omnivores but can survive on vegetable matter.
A xanthos memorizes geography, flora, and fauna in case its lost masters ever return. In its travels, it may seek out powerful adventurers to form a mutual alliance of curiosity and friendship, and continue its explorations in their company. Each xanthos has a specific interest, and its desire to examine and catalog might be inconvenient or irrelevant to an adventurer's desires.
Xanthoi avoid using their abilities to interfere or help with wars, planar invasions, and natural disasters, as they believe doing so violates an ancient code limiting their actions to observation and memorization rather than influencing events. They are more likely to flee than to fight unless fleeing would leave their friends stranded or in danger.
A xanthos is 13 feet tall at the shoulder and weighs 15,000 pounds. Its sloping, armored back is not particularly comfortable for humanoids to sit on, but is well suited for bearing a howdah that can hold up to four Medium or Small creatures. It may accept a howdah, but doesn't tolerate being treated as a beast of burden.
Combat Stats
- Melee
- bite +23 (2d6+8), 2 hooves +21 (1d8+4), tail slap +21 (2d6+4)
- Space
- 15 ft.
- Reach
- 10 ft.
- SR
- 25
Ability Scores
Special Qualities
Exploit Stellar Conjunction — A xanthos can sense the alignment of stellar objects (planets, comets, asteroids, and so on) and when they form conjunctions that allow it to use its magic for interplanetary travel. During these conjunctions, the xanthos can use its teleport spell-like ability as interplanetary teleport to reach any other world in its current solar system, or as plane shift to reach any known plane. A conjunction remains viable for only 10d10 hours, after which it could be days, weeks, or even months before another conjunction occurs that would once again allow travel between those two locations.
Feats
Blind-Fight, Combat Casting, Dodge, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Multiattack, Toughness, Wind Stance
Special Abilities
Universal Monster Rules
Special Abilities
Feats, Traits & Items
In melee, every time you miss because of concealment (see Combat), you can reroll your miss chance percentile roll one time to see if you actually hit.
An invisible attacker gets no advantages related to hitting you in melee. That is, you don't lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and the attacker doesn't get the usual +2 bonus for being invisible. The invisible attacker's bonuses do still apply for ranged attacks, however.
You do not need to make Acrobatics skill checks to move at full speed while blinded.
You get a +4 bonus on concentration checks made to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability when casting on the defensive or while grappled.
You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.
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.
You get a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunity caused when you move out of or within a threatened area. A condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses.
Dodge bonuses stack with each other, unlike most types of bonuses.
The creature's secondary attacks with natural weapons take only a –2 penalty.
You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).
If you move more than 5 feet this turn, you gain 20% concealment for 1 round against ranged attacks.
Skills
Climb +19, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (any one) +10, Perception +23, Swim +19
Spells
- Type
- Magical Beast
- Alignment
- N
- Size
- Huge
- Environment
- any land
- Organization
- solitary or gang (2–5)
- Treasure
- none
- Senses
- darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +23
- Languages
- Aklo; telepathy 5 ft.
- Source
- Bestiary 4