SCYTHETAIL Medium-Size Magical Beast Hit Dice: 2d10+4 (15 hp) Initiative: +1 (Dex) Speed: 30 ft AC: 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural) Attacks: Tail +5 melee, bite +3 melee Damage: Tail 2d4+3, bite 1d4+1 Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft Special Attacks: Tail, Improved grab, rake 1d4+1, trip Special Qualities: Barbs, poison resistance Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1 Abilities: Str 17, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 10 Skills: Hide +6, Listen +5, Spot +5 Feats: Multiattack
Climate/Terrain: Cold mountains, hills, and plains Organization: Solitary or band (1-6) Challenge Rating: 3 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 3-4 HD (Medium-Size); 5-6 HD (Large)
The scythetail is a mammalian predator with a lizard-like appearance. This solitary hunter can live on berries and lichens, but it is a carnivore by nature, and will sometimes hunt in bands to attack formidable prey. The scythetail will wander far in search of food, never keeping a set lair for long. They stalk prey carefully, learning its habits very quickly. Females raise the scythetail young in an insolated cavern, though most die in their early stages. The scythetail gains its name from its bony tail that looks and moves like a scythe. This tail has a barbed end to its shaft that can impale a victim. The jaws of a scythetail are as strong as a snapping turtle. Its hide is gray, and covered in studded horns, and a row of spikes run down its back. The scythetail is a quadruped, but it capable of walking on its hind legs.
COMBAT Scythetails are quick in combat, and prefer to dart about and slash with its tail rather than close ranks. If its prey is helpless or weakened, it will try to stab with its tail to finish them off with its rake attack. Scythetails are daring creatures, capable of great cunning, and will follow prey tirelessly for days while waiting for an advantage with which to strike. They like to use hit and run tactics, attacking repeatedly to disorient prey and prevent them from returning the attack. Tail (Ex): The sharp tail of the scythetail can be used to slash (as above) or to stab, for 1d4+1 points of piercing damage. This tail has an AC of 17, and takes 9 hit points of damage to sever. It will regrow at a rate of 1 hit point per day of rest, in addition to normal healing on the rest of its body. A severed tail can be used as a weapon, but not a farming implement. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the scythetail must hit with its tail stab attack. If it gets a hold, it can rake. Rake (Ex): A scythetail that gets a hold can make four rake attacks (+5 melee) with its claws for 1d4+1 damage each. Trip (Sp): When a scythetail touches a long object (such as a rope, vine, or tree branch), it imbues that object with the ability to trip opponents for that day. At will, the scythetail may cause this object to rise slightly off the ground to trip any creatures passing by once per round, up to three times per day. Any creatures moving past this object will be subject a normal trip attack. Running creatures are also subject to a trip attack, and suffer 1d6 points of damage in addition to being stunned for 1d4 rounds. Creatures of Huge size or larger are immune to this attack. Barbs (Ex): The razor-sharp barbs on a scythetail’s back cause 1d4 points of damage per round to any creature grappling it or attacking it from behind. Poison Resistance (Ex): Scythetails receive a +2 bonus to all saving throws versus poison.