Zoog
Description
Spiteful, nasty creatures with a taste for the flesh of sentient beings, zoogs lurk in the shadowy, moldering places of the world. Often mistaken merely for otherworldly animals, zoogs possess base intentions and vicious demeanors that set them apart from lowly beasts. Congregating in loose, tribal societies, these sinister creatures claim the depths of dark woodlands or moldy forests as their homes, favoring lands where the boundaries between worlds and planes grow thin and strange creatures—not unlike themselves—slip between reality's cracks.
Although lone zoogs shy away from attacking larger creatures, when zoogs outnumber an invader they launch deadly ambushes, leaping from sagging boughs and hidden dens to swarm foes. Only strangers with quick tongues and items that appeal to zoogs' interest in magical curiosities might manage to barter for safe passage through zoog territory. While many victims of zoog attacks are consumed on the spot, some less fortunate few are dragged back to the mystical, strangely carved stones that mark the center of zoog communities. There, such captives become the doomed focus of strange ceremonies before being sacrificed to the zoogs' depraved deities.
Commonly, zoogs eat fungi and plants, but they also have a taste for the meat of sentient creatures, treating the butchering and consumption of such beings as a rare privilege. Zoogs also detest cats, and go to great lengths to slay felines of any sort and devour them.
Occasionally a zoog allows a spellcaster of especial depravity, or with interests in the mysteries of realms and creatures beyond the mortal world, to employ it as a familiar. A spellcaster must have the Improved Familiar feat, be chaotic evil, and have an arcane caster level of 5th or higher to gain a zoog familiar.
Combat Stats
- Melee
- bite +6 (1d3-2 plus bleed 1), 2 claws +6 (1d2-2)
- Racial Modifiers
- +6 Acrobatics, +6 Climb
Ability Scores
Special Attacks
bleed 1
Special Qualities
Otherworldly Touch — A zoog's natural attacks can strike incorporeal creatures as if they were ghost touch weapons.
Feats
Special Abilities
Universal Monster Rules
Special Abilities
Feats, Traits & Items
With a light weapon, rapier, whip, or spiked chain made for a creature of your size category, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls. If you carry a shield, its armor check penalty applies to your attack rolls.
Skills
Acrobatics +12, Climb +16, Perception +5
Spells
- Type
- Magical Beast
- Alignment
- CE
- Size
- Tiny
- Environment
- any forest
- Organization
- solitary, pair, gang (3-14), tribe (15+ plus 50% noncombatants)
- Treasure
- incidental
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft., detect magic, low-light vision, scent, spell sight; Perception +5
- Languages
- Aklo; speak with animals
- Source
- Bestiary 3