Giant Lynx Working Draft
Lynx, Giant
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d10+2 (13 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), Climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+4 Dex, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+3
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d2+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +6 melee (1d2+1) and bite +1 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, pounce, rake 1d3
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, snaresensing
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Hide +12* [+16 in undergrowth], Jump +5, Listen +10, Move Silently +12, Search +9, Spot +9, Survival +6, Swim +8
Feats: Track, Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment: Cold forest and plains
Organization: Solitary or family (2-4)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Challenge Rating: 1
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
A silvery-brown cat with small, dark brown spots. It has long legs with big paws, a short bobbed tail, and large ears that end in pointed tufts.
The giant lynx is a larger, slightly magical relative of a normal lynx. They are nocturnal and prefer to live in boreal forests and cold scrublands. Giant lynx hunt most of the smaller animals that live in the taiga forests, stalking everything from lemmings to the smaller deer. They are fast and stealthy enough to catch birds. A giant lynx is as intelligent as most humanoids, but has little or no interest in "civilization". It uses its intelligence for survival, adapting its behavior to fit its habitat rather than trying to change the habitat to suit them like civilized humanoids might. These great cats are renowned for being extraordinarily perceptive, and can easily spot snares and tracks.
A giant lynx is about 4 feet long and weighs around 80 pounds. They typically stand 2¼ feet tall at the shoulder, due to their long legs.
Giant lynx speak a dialect of Slyvan. They rarely know any other language.
Combat
The giant lynx almost never attacks humanoids, except in self defense. Like other felines, a giant lynx prefers to pounce on prey and opponents from stealth, then quickly make use of its rake attacks. Their native intelligence also allows them to orchestrate elaborate ambushes, while their snaresensing ability allows them to avoid traps very well themselves.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a giant lynx must hit with its 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 giant lynx charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.
Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +6 melee, damage 1d3.
Snaresensing (Ex): A giant lynx can sense simple pits, deadfalls, and snares as well as mechanical traps concealed in natural objects, such as an arrow trap hidden in a tree. Snaresensing also detects natural hazards that exist in the lynx's wilderness environment, such as quicksand, a sinkhole, or unsafe walls of natural rock. Snaresensing cannot detect magical traps. It cannot sense mechanical traps that are part of a larger artificial object, such as a secret trapdoor in a building's floor, or a poison needle trap hidden in lock.
The giant lynx must make at a Search check to locate a snare. A giant lynx who merely passes within 5 feet of a snare is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if they were actively looking for it. Snaresensing can locate traps with a Search DC higher than 20.
Skills: Giant lynx have a +6 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently and Search checks and a +4 racial bonus on Jump, Spot and Swim checks. Giant lynx have a +8 racial bonus to Balance and Climb checks and can use their Dexterity or Strength for Climb and Swim checks. A giant lynx can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.
*In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +10.