Sample Warden Beast Working Drafts
Bison Warden Beast
Large Magical Beast (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 8d10+40 (84 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+20
Attack: Gore +17 melee (1d8+14/19-20)
Full Attack: Gore +17 melee (1d8+14/19-20)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Call of the beastlands, spell-like abilities, summon warden beast, stampede
Special Qualities: Animal empathy, ecosense, low-light vision, scent, sense emotions, SR 15, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +8
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 10
Skills: Listen +15, Spot +15
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Improved Critical (gore)
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Solitary or herd (1 plus 6-30 bison)
Challenge Rating: 6
Advancement: 9-11 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —
These herd animals can be aggressive when protecting young and during the mating season, but they generally prefer flight to fighting. A bison stands more than 6 feet tall at the shoulder and is 9 to 12 feet long. It weigh 1,800 to 2,400 pounds. The bison’s statistics can be used for almost any large herd animal.
COMBAT
All of a warden beast's natural attacks gain a +2 enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage. This bonus is included in the statistics above. A warden beast has all good saves, like a dire animal.
Animal Empathy (Ex): A warden beast can communicate with all animals and vermin, and gains a +4 racial bonus on Charisma-based skill checks against animals and vermin.
Call of the Beastlands (Su): A warden beast can telepathically contact any animal native to its home that is within 5 miles. The warden beast can then use this contact to send very basic commands (flee north, swarm the intruder, be calm). Warden beasts only use the call of the beastlands in absolute emergencies, such as forest fires. They never use this power to endanger one of their charges to further their own ends - even if doing so would save the warden beast's life.
In extremis, a warden beast may use this power to call creatures to fight in defense of their habitat's existence. The beast can do this once per week. Such a call is equivalent to a summon nature's ally spell of a level equal to half the warden beast's Hit Dice. The call only affects creatures of the Animal type, so the warden beast can not call Elementals, Fey and the like. The warden beast can modify the number of called creatures as if it applied the Empower Spell or Maximize Spell feats. (e.g.: a 12-13 Hit Dice warden beast's call can be equivalent to either a summon nature's ally VI, an empowered summon nature's ally IV, a maximized summon nature's ally III, or an empowered maximized summon nature's ally I.)
Ecosense (Su): A warden beast is mystically tied into the ecosystem of its territory (an area up to 10 miles across). The warden beast instantly senses when major changes affect the living creatures of its territory, such as the territory's plants or animals being killed or injured, a flooding river, or a large group of creatures entering its land.
Any effect that opposes divination spells, such as the nondetection spell, will also oppose a warden beast's ecosense. Ecosense can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Sense Emotions (Ex): A warden beast can sense strong emotions such as anger, despair, elation, greed, hatred, love, or lust. It can sense such emotions in any intelligent creatures within a 100 ft. radius. This functions like the psionic power empathy. This ability gives the warden beast a +2 insight bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Sense Motive checks against creatures that are susceptible to mind-affecting powers.
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At-will—detect snares and pits, entangle (DC 13), protection from evil, summon nature's ally I, cure light wounds (limited to 1/day for any given individual), 3/day—plant growth, 1/day—animal growth (DC 17, the warden beast can use this power on itself), commune with nature. Caster level 10th, the save DCs are Wisdom-based.
Stampede (Ex): A frightened herd of bison flees as a group in a random direction (but always away from the perceived source of danger). They literally run over anything of Large size or smaller that gets in their way, dealing 1d12 points of damage for each five bison in the herd (Reflex DC 18 half). The save DC is Strength-based.
Summon Warden Beast (Sp): Once per day, a warden beast can automatically summon another warden beast (with the same base animal). This ability is the equivalent of a spell with a level equal to 2 plus half the warden beast's challenge rating (max spell level 9th). For example, a CR 6 bison warden beast will summon another CR 6 bison warden beast, which is equivalent to a 5th level spell (2 plus half of 6).
Tiger Warden Beast
Large Magical Beast (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 9d10+45 (94 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +6 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+21
Attack: Claw +18 melee (1d8+10)
Full Attack: 2 claws +18 melee (1d8+10) and bite +16 melee (2d6+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Call of the beastlands, improved grab, pounce, rake 1d8+6, spell-like abilities, summon warden beast
Special Qualities: Animal empathy, ecosense, low-light vision, scent, sense emotions, SR 16, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +9
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 19, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 12
Skills: Balance +11, Hide +8*, Listen +8, Move Silently +14, Spot +8, Swim +13
Feats: Alertness, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Improved Natural Attack (claw), Multiattack
Environment: Warm forests
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Advancement: 10-16 HD (Large); 17-26 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
These great cats stand more than 3 feet tall at the shoulder and are about 9 feet long. They weigh from 400 to 600 pounds.
COMBAT
All of a warden beast's natural attacks gain a +2 enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage. A warden beast has all good saves, like a dire animal.
Animal Empathy (Ex): A warden beast can communicate with all animals and vermin, and gains a +4 racial bonus on Charisma-based skill checks against animals and vermin.
Call of the Beastlands (Su): A warden beast can telepathically contact any animal native to its home that is within 5 miles. The warden beast can then use this contact to send very basic commands (flee north, swarm the intruder, be calm). Warden beasts only use the call of the beastlands in absolute emergencies, such as forest fires. They never use this power to endanger one of their charges to further their own ends - even if doing so would save the warden beast's life.
In extremis, a warden beast may use this power to call creatures to fight in defense of their habitat's existence. The beast can do this once per week. Such a call is equivalent to a summon nature's ally spell of a level equal to half the warden beast's Hit Dice. The call only affects creatures of the Animal type, so the warden beast can not call Elementals, Fey and the like. The warden beast can modify the number of called creatures as if it applied the Empower Spell or Maximize Spell feats. (e.g.: a 12-13 Hit Dice warden beast's call can be equivalent to either a summon nature's ally VI, an empowered summon nature's ally IV, a maximized summon nature's ally III, or an empowered maximized summon nature's ally I.)
Ecosense (Su): A warden beast is mystically tied into the ecosystem of its territory (an area up to 10 miles across). The warden beast instantly senses when major changes affect the living creatures of its territory, such as the territory's plants or animals being killed or injured, a flooding river, or a large group of creatures entering its land.
Any effect that opposes divination spells, such as the nondetection spell, will also oppose a warden beast's ecosense. Ecosense can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tiger must hit with a claw or bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can rake.
Pounce (Ex): If a tiger charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.
Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +18 melee, damage 1d8+6.
Sense Emotions (Ex): A warden beast can sense strong emotions such as anger, despair, elation, greed, hatred, love, or lust. It can sense such emotions in any intelligent creatures within a 100 ft. radius. This functions like the psionic power empathy. This ability gives the warden beast a +2 insight bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Sense Motive checks against creatures that are susceptible to mind-affecting powers.
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At-will—detect snares and pits, entangle (DC 14), protection from evil, summon nature's ally I, cure light wounds (limited to 1/day for any given individual), 3/day—plant growth, 1/day—animal growth (DC 18, the warden beast can use this power on itself), commune with nature. Caster level 10th, the save DCs are Wisdom-based.
Summon Warden Beast (Sp): Once per day, a warden beast can automatically summon another warden beast (with the same base animal). This ability is the equivalent of a spell with a level equal to 2 plus half the warden beast's challenge rating (max spell level 9th). For example, a CR 7 tiger warden beast will summon another CR 7 tiger warden beast, which is equivalent to a 5th level spell (2 plus half of 7).
Skills: Tigers have a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Hide, and Move Silently checks.
*In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +8.
