Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 9408655" data-attributes="member: 6915329">IIRC, a while ago, I promised you another magical horse-creature. And here it is! The blood horse, sometimes called a blood pegasus, a bat-winged, blood-drinking beast magically created by Zhetarim sky mages as steeds. Pegasi (I still say the plural should be pegases) are celestials in this edition, for some reason I still don’t get, and 3e’s blood horses are not only Chaotic Evil but also have a detect good ability (I’m ignoring these both), so I guess they’re going to be listed as fiends, at least in part.[ATTACH=full]373283[/ATTACH]Blood HorseThe Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #299Creature by Thomas Costa; art by Mike MayBlood horses are sleek, night-black horses; they would be beautiful, if extremely dangerous animals if not for their batlike features. Blood horses have a pair of enormous, leathery wings and large, batlike ears, and their eyes are small and dark pink. Their teeth are sharply pointed for bloodletting, and their hooves are divided into sharp, talon-like toes. Their tail is long, thin, and hairless, and constantly lashes back and forth.Magically Bred. These fierce steeds were originally created as mounts by fiend-touched spellcasters. Most are still in this service, but a few escaped into the wild and from there, the Waking, and their numbers have grown—although rarely, since they breed slowly. In a few evil-minded nations, heralds and other warrior-mages in service to the crown or evil gods ride blood horses and view it as a mark of honor to be able to catch and tame a wild one for their own.Wild Things. Despite being magically created into servitude, blood horses remain wild at heart. They don’t take well to domestication and it takes a strong-willed being with fiendish ties or powerful magic to truly tame one—and even then, they will escape as soon as they can. When in the wild, they congregate into herds. Such herds can become a dire threat, as they gain confidence in numbers and become even more aggressive.Climate/Terrain: Temperate, subtropical; forest, grassland, hillLegends and LoreWith an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:DC 10. Sometimes called the blood pegasus, these are powerful, bat-winged horses who drink blood. They are physically tougher than pegasi are, but not as intelligent.DC 15. These creatures have fiendish origin. It’s said they were originally crafted out of the nightmares of children.DC 20. Blood horses have a deadly screech and a bat-like ability to “see” with echolocation.Blood Horse EncountersChallenge Rating 3-4 Blood horseChallenge Rating 5-10 Two blood horses; blood horse and 1-2 foals (statistics of a pony with 6 Intelligence and a fly speed of 30 ft.)Challenge Rating 11-16 Five blood horsesSigns1-2. An exsanguinated and mutilated corpse.3. Hoofprints similar to a horse's, but cloven; they abruptly stop where the blood horse had flown away.4. A horrible shrieking whinny from above.Behavior1-2. Flying overhead3. Chasing a pegasus through the air.4. Hungry; will attack on sight.Blood HorseLarge monstrosity (fiend); Challenge 3 (750 XP)AC 16 (natural armor)HP 51 (6d10+18; bloodied 25)Speed 50 ft., fly 80 ft.STR 18 (+4) DEX 14 (+2) CON 17 (+3)INT 6 (-2) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 8 (-1)Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 14Skills Perception +4, Stealth +4Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 12Languages understands Abyssal and Common but can’t speak.Echolocation. The blood horse can’t use blindsight while deafened.Keen Hearing. The blood horse has advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing.ActionsMultiattack. The blood horse makes two hooves attacks.Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8+4 piercing damage. If the target is prone, the target takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt, and the blood horse regains this number of hit points. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. If the target’s hit point maximum is reduced to 0 hit points by this attack, it dies.Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) slashing damage. If the blood horse moves at least 20 feet straight towards the target before the attack, the target must make a DC 14 Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failure.Scream (Recharge 5-6). The blood horse emits a piercing, blood-curdling screech. Each creature within 20 feet of the blood horse that can hear it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 14 (4d6) thunder damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn and deafened for 1 minute. On a success, the creature takes half damage and is not stunned and deafened until the end of its next turn. A deafened creature can make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.Bonus ActionsCrush. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone target. The target is pinned to the ground and restrained by the blood horse (escape DC 14). While the target is restrained, the blood horse can’t move or use its hooves attacks.CombatA blood horse starts with its scream in order to soften up its foes, then attacks with teeth and hooves.</blockquote>

Verification