Alguduir |
|
Medium-size Magical Beast
(Aquatic)
|
| Hit Dice: 4d10+4 (26 hp) |
| Initiative: +3 (Dex) |
| Speed: 20 ft, fly 60 ft (good), swim 40 ft |
| AC: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural) |
| Attacks:Bill +5 melee, 2 claws +0 melee |
| Damage: Bill 1d6+1, claws 1d4+1 |
| Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft |
| Special Attacks: Improved grab, rake 1d4+1, swoop |
| Special Qualities: Spell reflection, SR 19 |
| Saves: Fort +5,
Ref +7, Will +1
|
| Abilities: Str 12,
Dex 16, Con 12,
Int 7, Wis 10,
Cha 11 |
| Skills: Hide +8, Listen +5, Move Silently +7, Spot +5, Swim +6 |
| Feats: Alertness |
|
| Climate: Any marsh |
| Organization: Solitary or family (1-2 adults plus 1-2 young) |
| Challenge Rating: 02 |
| Treasure: None |
| Alignment: Always neutral |
| Advancement: 5-8 HD (Medium-Size), 9-12 HD (Large) |
| |
The alguduir is a rare carnivorous bipedal bird that inhabits large marshes. This large creature is amphibious and a capable swimmer, capable of diving with great force and accuracy from the air. This creature is 7 feet in overall length, and its body is well padded but sleek, and covered in tough, durable scales that glisten with oil. Its wings are mottled with white, brown, and gray, and its head and body are either gray or green-gray in color, helping it to stay camouflaged. Its eyes are slitted and usually yellow or green. It has gills near its throat, behind and underneath its bill. It has five black talons on its front feet, and four on the rear feet.
The alguduir's wings are eagle-like, and their natural oils allow it to shed water rapidly like a duck. Thus, an underwater alguduir can swim to the surface and fly in one action. Its scaled body makes its appearance somewhat draconic, leading it to be sometimes known as the "swamp dragon".
These creatures make their home in tangled, weedy clumps of solid ground at the heart of their large swamp, which they protect with their lives. Young will hide at the first sign of danger, leaving the parents to stalk the intruders. The adults always share a kill with their young. The alguduir feeds primarily on fish, snakes, frogs, mussels, and other small aquatic life.
Alguduir cannot speak, although they are intelligent enough to understand a word or two, or even complete phrases of languages they have been exposed to. Alguduir snarl, grunt, or shriek, with a full range of emotion, but are eerily silent when they hunt.
COMBAT
In combat, an alguduir attacks with its sharp bill and front talons, trying to grapple and rake with its rear talons. It hunts by flying low over the marsh plants that provide it with excellent camouflage. The alguduir will use its repeated marsh-bird to signal its position to its mate. Alguduirs hunting as a pair will position an enemy between them, allowing one to attack and driving the opponent to the other, opening the victim up to flank and back attacks.
Alguduirs are as capable combatants underwater as on land or in the air. They like to grab aquatic animals in their rear claws, holding them above the water's surface until they suffocate. Similarly, they will drag down air-breathing prey and hold them underwater until they drown.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the alguduir must hit with both claw attacks. If it gets a hold, it can rake.
Rake (Ex): An alguduir that gets a hold can make two rake attacks (+5 melee) with its rear claws for 1d4+1 damage each.
Swoop (Ex): Alguduir gain a +2 attack bonus when diving from the air to attack a land-based or underwater opponent.
Spell Reflection (Ex): Alguduirs possess an inexplicable natural ability that mimics the spell turning spell. This phenomenon is not magical in nature, and is an unconscious act not under the control of the alguduir. The carcasses of dead alguduir even retain the ability for 4d4 minutes after death. Spells and spell-like abilities that are unaffected by this ability must still pass the alguduir's Spell Resistance to affect it.
Skills: Alguduir are naturally camouflaged in swampland, and receive a +4 to Hide checks while in any type of marsh.
ALGUDUIR YOUNG
Alguduir young are 1 HD creatures and have the same abilities as their parents, with the following exceptions: their natural armor is only +2, their speed is 10 (fly 40, swim 30), their beak only does 1d4 damage, their front claws only do 1d2 damage and they can't rake. They are Small creatures, only 1-4 feet long. They are otherwise identical to adults.
|
| |
1991 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Originally found in MC11, Forgotten Realms Monstrous Compendium Appendix II (1991, David "Zeb" Cook). |
|