| Medium-Size Magical Beast |
| Hit Dice: | 5d10+10 (37 hp) |
| Initiative: | +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) |
| Speed: | 50ft. |
| Armor Class: | 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural) |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | 0 |
| Attack: | 0 |
| Full Attack: | Gore +10 melee |
| Space/Reach: | 5ft. by 5ft./5ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Dream curse, fear aura, summon black stags |
| Special Qualities: | Scent, gaseous form, fear invulnerability, SR 14 |
| Saves: | Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2 |
| Abilities: | Str 20, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 15 |
| Skills: | Escape Artist +5, Hide +7, Intimidate +10, Intuit Direction +5, Listen +7, Move Silently +5, Spot +5 |
| Feats: | Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative |
| |
| Environment: | Any forest; Arawn's Realm, Gray Waste, Outlands |
| Organization: | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating: | 6 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Neutral Evil |
| Advancement: | 6-7 HD (Medium-size); 8-15 HD (Large) |
| Level Adjustment: | 0 |
Said to have originated in the realms of Arawn or even to be his servants, the black stags are a plane-wide portent of very ill omen. They are void-black stags enveloped in mists and distant lights in the background. A piercing, cruel requiem seems to be made from the creature's sounds. Nothing is known about their physiology, they become mist upon defeat, making it hard to find out if they can really be killed.
CombatA black stag will first approach a creature in a forest and use its fear aura against it. Afterwards it will use its dream curse to torment it until it is dead.Dream Curse (Su): Once a black stag has seen its victim, it can terrorize it using nightmares each night, requiring a successful Will save (DC 16) to escape its influence. While the victim is dreaming, it suddenly all changes to a dark forest where a huge black stag hunts him down. The victim finds herself unarmed and unprepared, without spells or items, while the stag tries to reach them. Eventually it does and charges against the target, who wakes up in panic, only to find a severed head of a normal stag by the foot of her bed, a symbol that he is cursed. If the creature succeeds five consecutive times in its save, the stag gives up chase. Otherwise, the creature is affected by a curse of extremely bad luck that gives him a -4 luck penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks. The curse can only be dispelled through a wish or miracle, or by having the creature confront and kill the black stag.Fear Aura (Su): As a free action, a black stag can create an aura of fear in a 30-foot radius. It is otherwise identical to fear cast by a 10th level sorcerer (save DC 16). If the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by that black stag's fear aura for one day. Other black stags are immune to the aura.Summon Black Stags (Sp): Once per night, it can bellow horribly to summon 2-5 stags that arrive within 2d4 rounds, either to assist in combat or to hunt down the target.Gaseous Form (Sp): A black stag can assume gaseous form at will, as cast by a 10th level sorcerer.Fear Invulnerability (Su): A creature that was cursed by the stag and failed its save against its fear aura even once finds the creature to have damage reduction 10/+1 and unbeatable spell resistance. If the creature dares grapple barehanded with the black stag, the fear aura is negated and the creature deals damage normally against it.
Habitat/SocietyIt is said that when someone offends Arawn, he sends one of his stags to torture and kill the victim. Even tanar'ri will turn down fellows cursed by the black stag, as such don't live long. A few brave souls have made it back from the dead, as it is said, by killing the stag. The fame of such may become widespread, but servants of Arawn may be tempted to try harder.0
EcologyThese beings have no place in any of the planes they inhabit, but they exist still, eating the flesh of their prey. Outlands legends tell that they bellow horribly on the colder nights, stirring up the dead to walk again among the living and afterliving.
