Fly, Giant Riding
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 6d10+18 (51 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., fly 70 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+14
Attack: Bite +9 melee (2d8+6 plus attach)
Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (2d8+6 plus attach)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach, gnaw
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., resistant to disease, scent
Saves: Fort +8 (+12 vs. disease), Ref +9, Will +2
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 3
Skills: Climb +12, Listen +6, Spot +7
Feats: Dodge, Endurance, Lightning Reflexes
Environment: Any warm land (Maelgost)
Organization: Domesticated
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7-9 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —
This massive fly approaches with a thunderous din from its rapidly beating wings.
Massive magical relatives of the already large giant horsefly, these insects are barely intelligent enough be trained as mounts. Giant riding flies eat anything rich in sugar and protein such as nectar, honey, blood or flesh. They enjoy eating rotting carrion.
These flies lay their eggs on leaves, stems, or stones near water. On hatching, the larvae fall into water or moist earth, feeding voraciously on anything smaller than themselves.
A giant riding fly is around 8 feet long with a 16-foot wingspan and weighs about 1,500 pounds.
Combat
The giant riding fly's mandibles resemble serrated hooks, which they use to latch onto opponents and rip out chunks of flesh, leaving vicious wounds.
Attach (Ex): A giant riding fly that hits with its bite attack latches onto the opponent’s body with its powerful jaws. An attached giant riding fly loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and thus has an AC of 13. An attached giant riding fly can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached giant riding fly through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature.
A giant riding fly cannot bite another creature while attached to an opponent.
Gnaw (Ex): A giant riding fly can automatically deal bite damage (2d8+6) each round it remains attached to an opponent. This counts as an attack of opportunity.
Resistant to Disease (Ex): A giant riding fly has a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves vs. disease.
Skills: Giant riding flies have a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. A giant riding fly can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.
Training a Giant Riding Fly
A giant riding fly requires training before it can bear a rider in combat.
Training a giant riding fly requires six weeks of work and a DC 25 Handle Animal check. Riding a giant riding fly requires an exotic saddle. A giant riding fly can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.
Giant riding fly eggs are worth 3,000 gp apiece on the open market, while larva are worth 6,000 gp each. Professional trainers charge 1,500 gp to rear or train a giant riding fly.
Carrying Capacity
A light load for a giant riding fly is up to 300 pounds; a medium load, 301-600 pounds; and a heavy load, 601-900 pounds.
In Maelost
On their native plane of Maelost, giant riding flies are domesticated by the hanim, a race of humans with a symbiotic bond with wormlike creatures called
valgoss, granting them the
valgoss host template. Hanim fly mounts have their own
valgoss symbionts, allowing the hanim to use their Ride skill without the template's penalty to Charisma skill checks against a creature who isn't a valgoss host.
A typical hanim giant fly has a single valgoss symbiont with the Gift of Constitution, resulting in the following:
Giant Fly Mount (Valgoss Host Riding Fly) (Large Magical Beast; Hit Dice: 6d10+24–2 (55 hp); Init: +2; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., fly 70 ft. (good); AC: 15 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13; Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+14; Attack/Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (2d8+6 plus attach); Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Attach, gnaw; Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., resistant to disease, scent, protection from the taker of life, slaiyith gift (
constitution), valgoss telepathy; Saves: Fort +9 (+13 vs. disease), Ref +9, Will +2; Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 3; Skills: Climb +12, Listen +8, Spot +9, Survival +2; Feats: Dodge, Endurance, Lightning Reflexes; CR: 4)
Originally appeared in Tales From the Infinite Staircase (1998) in Tale 3: Lord of the Worms as the "Giant Fly Mount".