Original version of the Necromancer of the Northwest (
Necromancers of the Northwest)
Flesh-Eating Beast Template
Flesh-eating beasts are animals, magical beasts, and vermins which normally eschew meat, but have taken up a carnivorous diet, especially one including intelligent creatures. This drives them to unnatural bouts of bloodlust, making them dangerous, but potentially useful.
Creating a Flesh-Eating Beast
“Flesh-Eating Beast” is an acquired template that can be added to living creatures of the animal, magical beast, or vermin type that are normally herbivorous (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A flesh-eating beast uses the base creature’s stats and abilities, except as noted here.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.
Senses: If a flesh-eating beast doesn’t have the scent ability, it gains it but can only use it for track creatures taking bleed damage or under their maximum hit points. If a flesh-eating companion has the scent ability, it multiplies the distance at which it can detect a creature taking bleed damage or under their maximum hit points by ½ his HD (minimum 2). It also gains a bonus equal to ½ its HD on Survival checks to track a creature taking bleed damage or under his maximum hit points by scent.
Defensive Abilities: A flesh-eating beast gains DR 5/silver.
Speed: The base creature’s land speed is increased by 50% (rounded down, minimum increase of 5 feet).
Melee: A flesh-eating beast gains a primary bite natural attack if the base creature didn’t have one already. Damage for the bite attack depends on the flesh-eating beast’s size, but it deals damage as though the flesh-eating beast were one size category larger than it actually is. If the base creature already had a primary bite natural attack, the flesh-eating beast's bite attack deals damage as though it were one size category larger than it actually is.
Special Attacks: A flesh-eating beast gains several special attacks.
Feeding Frenzy (Ex): Whenever a flesh-eating beast is within 60 feet of a corporeal creature that currently has less than ½ its maximum hit points (potentially including itself), the scent of the wounds and fresh blood drives it into a feeding frenzy. The flesh-eating beast gains a +4 morale bonus to its Strength and Constitution scores, suffers a –2 penalty to AC, and must either make a bite attack against a living, corporeal creature that is not of the ooze or plant types each round, or spend a move action consuming the flesh of such a creature (which must either be helpless, willing, or dead for less than 1 hour). If there are no other creatures to attack or consume, the flesh-eating beast must bite itself, automatically succeeding on the attack roll and dealing damage as normal.
The feeding frenzy lasts for as long as there is a creature within 60 feet of the flesh-eating beast that has less than ½ its maximum hit points, and for 1d6 rounds thereafter. Oozes, plants, and constructs do not trigger a flesh-eating beast's feeding frenzy (some of this creatures that are made of flesh, like hungry flesh or flesh golem, still trigger this ability).
Naturally Intimidating (Ex): The first time that a flesh-eating beast hits a given creature with its bite attack each day, it can make an Intimidate check to demoralize that creature as a free action.
Rip and Tear (Ex): Whenever a flesh-eating beast confirms a critical hit with its bite attack against a living corporeal creature that is not an ooze or plant, it rips off a chunk of flesh, inflicting an amount of bleed damage equal to the flesh-eating beast's Hit Dice.
Special Qualities: A flesh-eating beast gains the following special quality.
Wild Nature (Ex): The DC of all Handle Animal checks involving the flesh-eating beast increase by +4. This also applies to other skill checks made to influence the flesh-eating beast, such as those made for a druid's wild empathy class feature. Finally, the flesh-eating beast gains a +2 bonus on saving throws made to resist compulsion effects.
Ability Scores: Str +4, Con +4, Wis –4 (minimum 1). Additionally, the base creature’s Intelligence score is halved (rounded down, minimum 1).
Skills: A flesh-eating beast gains a number of ranks in Intimidate equal to its Hit Dice, and treats Intimidate as a class skill.
Ecology
While there is nothing unusual about animals that eat meat, flesh-eating beasts are animals that would naturally eat only plants, but which have been driven to a carnivorous diet, whether by the will of cruel masters, or the whims of the fates. Creating a flesh-eating beast is generally as simple as capturing an herbivorous creature and forcing it to consume nothing but meat, generally for a period of at least 1 week per Hit Dice it possesses. The process is not foolproof, and some creatures seem to resist the condition, but overall, this method has roughly a 70% chance of success, although these odds are lowered to 50% in the case of intelligent creatures, which are much harder to transform. If the creatures are fed exclusively the flesh of intelligent humanoids, these odds are increased by 20%.
Generally, though, a topic of much more interest is how to revert a creature from a flesh-eating beast back to its natural state. This, too, can be done, but it requires twice as long, and the success rate is much lower: generally only about 30%, although this can be increased to 50% if the creature is attended by a skilled animal handler who can calm its wild temper and urges.
Flesh-Eating Companion (Animal Companion Archetype)
Flesh-Eating Skills: A flesh-eating beast gains a number of ranks in Intimidate equal to its Hit Dice, and treats Intimidate as a class skill.
This replace the bonus trick of the 1st level.
Wild Nature: The DC of all Handle Animal checks involving the flesh-eating companion increase by +4. This also applies to other skill checks made to influence the flesh-eating companion, such as those made for a druid's wild empathy class feature, but the flesh-eating companion gains a +2 bonus on saving throws made to resist compulsion effects. The animal companion still never attack its druid but his companion are in danger.
Bloodscent (Ex)
If a flesh-eating companion doesn’t have the scent ability, it gains it but can only use it for track creatures taking bleed damage or under their maximum hit points. If a flesh-eating companion has the scent ability, it multiplies the distance at which it can detect a creature taking bleed damage or under their maximum hit points by ½ his HD (minimum 2). It also gains a bonus equal to ½ its HD on Survival checks to track a creature taking bleed damage or under his maximum hit points by scent.
This replaces share spells.
Thirst for Blood (Ex)
A flesh-eating companion gains a primary bite natural attack if the base creature didn’t have one already. Damage for the bite attack depends on the flesh-eating companion’s size, but it deals damage as though the flesh-eating beast were one size category larger than it actually is. If the base creature already had a primary bite natural attack, the flesh-eating companion's bite attack deals damage as though it were one size category larger than it actually is.
This replaces link.
Naturally Intimidating (Ex)
At 3rd level, the first time that a flesh-eating companion hits a given creature with its bite attack each day, it can make an Intimidate check to demoralize that creature as a free action.
This replaces evasion
Rip and Tear (Ex)
At 6th level, whenever a flesh-eating companion confirms a critical hit with its bite attack against a living corporeal creature that is not an ooze or plant, it rips off a chunk of flesh, inflicting an amount of bleed damage equal to the flesh-eating companion's Hit Dice.
This replaces devotion.
Feeding Frenzy (Ex)
At 9th level, once per day, whenever a flesh-eating companion is within 60 feet of a corporeal creature that currently has less than ½ its maximum hit points (potentially including itself), the scent of the wounds and fresh blood drives it into a feeding frenzy. The flesh-eating companion gains a +4 morale bonus to its Strength and Constitution scores and suffers a –2 penalty to AC. The feeding frenzy lasts for as long as there is a creature within 60 feet of the flesh-eating companion that has less than ½ its maximum hit points, and for 1d4+1 rounds thereafter. Oozes, plants, and constructs do not trigger a flesh-eating companion's feeding frenzy (some of this creatures that are made of flesh, like hungry flesh or flesh golem, still trigger this ability). A flesh-eating companion can only remain in this state for a maximum number of rounds each day equal to its master druid level plus its Constitution modifier.
This replaces the +2 natural armor increase at 9th and 12th levels.