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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BOZ" data-source="post: 357601" data-attributes="member: 1241">XANTRAVARXANTRAVAR (Stinging Horror)Large AberrationHit Dice: 3d8+9 (22 hp)Initiative: +1 (Dex)Speed: Fly 40 ft (perfect), swim 30 ftAC: 14 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural)Attacks: 2 stings +5 meleeDamage: Sting 1d4+4 and poison or drain bloodFace/Reach: 5 ft by 10 ft/20 ft (with stingers)Special Attacks: Poison, blood drainSpecial Qualities: Immune to poison, darkvision 60 ft, hydrogen, energy fieldSaves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +5Abilities: Str 19, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 11Skills: Hide +5, Move Silently +8, Spot +6, Swim +5Climate/Terrain: Any marsh and aquaticOrganization: Solitary or hunting group (1-4)Challenge Rating: 4Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always neutral (evil tendencies)Advancement: 4-6 HD (Large); 7-9 HD (Huge)The xantavar is a silent predator that hunts any living creature it detects.  This creature, also called the stinging horror, drifts about in swamps, salt marshes, and remote seacoasts with tidal caverns, seeking its prey.  These mysterious creatures prefer to hunt alone, but can coexist peacefully with others of their kind.   The body of this creature consists of two identical rubbery, teardrop-shaped balloon-like bulbs, roughly 6-7 feet in length and joined together by an energy field.  These tough bulbs end in strong, corded muscles that can sting creatures with the hollow bone stinger at the base of the bulb.  These bulbous forms are mottled, and range from the color of red wine to gray.  Above each stinger is a ring of eight eyes around each body stalk.  Above these eyes, the xantravar has a circle of indented iris valves that vent jets of hydrogen gas from the creature’s interior, which allow the monster to steer in the air.  This gas is stored in two floatation chambers directly above the jets, in the large head of each bulb.  The creature uses its highly elastic skin to expel gas in order to sink towards the ground, and take in air to rise.   This creature is truly alien.  It is unknown precisely where its brain might be.  It possesses a networked nervous system in each bulb, which is linked by the energy field, and there may be no weak point in this network.COMBATA xantravar will prey upon any living creature that its sting can reach.  These monsters like to hunt at night, or in the concealment of heavy fog.  When involved in any serious combat, a xantravar will lengthen its energy field to 10 feet or more, to protect itself.  The xantravar will attack with its stingers, either one producing a different effect.  One stinger injects venom into a creature, while the other drains blood, sap, or whatever nutrient fluid the victim possesses.  The slightest scratch of the poisoned stinger will cause it to inject its venom, but once a creature survives the poison it will be immune to that xantravar’s poison thereafter.   Poison: Inject, Fortitude save (DC 14); initial damage 1d4 temporary Dexterity, secondary damage paralysis.   Blood Drain (Ex): The xantravar’s second stinger drains 1d6+3 hit points per round.   Hydrogen (Ex): The gas emitted by the xantavar that allows it to fly is highly flammable.  If this jet of gas comes into contact with an open flame, a gout of flame leaps out 10 feet from the xantravar, dealing 1d3 points of damage to all creatures in its path that fail a Reflex save (DC 12) and 1d2 points of damage to the xantravar.   The xantravar can be wholly destroyed if one of its flotation chambers filled with hydrogen is punctured and then exposed to open flame in the same round or the round following (a flaming arrow would accomplish this).  When this happens, the xantravar explodes fatally in a violent burst of flame, as if it were the target of a fireball as if cast by a 3rd-level sorcerer.   Energy Field (Ex): The two bulbs of the xantravar’s body are linked by a curious, glowing energy field.  This field is normally 2 feet long, but can lengthen to allow a separation of the two bulbs up to 12 feet vertically, and 20 feet horizontally.  This field is constant and appears to be natural, and therefore unaffected by dispel magic.  This field appears indestructible while the xantravar is alive, and disrupts beams, rays, and other fields of force that come into contact with it.  Any physical attacks that disrupt this field will do normal damage, and will scatter and spill energy from it.   This field separates hydrogen from surrounding air or water, allowing the xantravar to use the gas to fly, causing a noticeable ozone smell in the creature’s area.   This field also absorbs and is augmented by magical fire and electricity, and magic missiles, using the hit points that these spells would have caused to regenerate damage at a rate of 1 hit point per round.  This magic, however, still causes normal damage to the creature’s body in the meantime.The xantravar appeared in DRAGON Magazine #140 (December 1988, Ed Greenwood).  It later appeared in Ruins of Myth Drannor (1993), and Monstrous Compendium Annual One (1994).</blockquote>

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