This time it is a template. It is nice every now and then to add something new to older monsters without changing them to much. This template does that well.
Eximus Clawfoot
Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 2d8+9 (18 HP)
Initiative: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+5
Attack: Talons +5 melee (2d6+4)
Full Attack: Talons +5 melee (2d6+4) and 2 foreclaws +0 melee (1d4+2) and bite +0 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Fast healing 2, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +1
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 19, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +13, Jump +21, Listen +10, Spot +10, Survival +10
Feats: Run, Improved Initiative (B), Improved Natural Attack (Talons) (B), Improved Natural Attack (foreclaws) (B), Improved Natural Attack (bite) (B), Toughness (B)
Environment: Warm forests
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -
This two-legged stark white lizard boasts teeth a toe claw that looks like a small sickle. It is no larger that a tall human, but looks like it could take down much larger prey.
These clawfoot dinosaurs where breed by the halflings of the Talenta Plains. Since they did not have the magic or know how to breed magebred animals they had to depend more on luck and getting the right dinosaurs to mate. They started the program at the beginning of the last war (just in case they needed it if the war came their way). Only now are the first of these better war mounts starting to show up in any large numbers. Still it is rare to find them as the first few of them have only started to work in the halfing armies.
They are rarely found in the wild as the traits that make an eximus claw foot are usually as rare as they are in any race.
Combat
They are always trained for war as that’s what they where breed for.
Skills: A clawfoot receives a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, and Survival checks.
Carrying Capacity: A light load for an eximus clawfoot is up to 116 pounds; a medium load, 117-233 pounds; and a heavy load, 234-350 pounds. An eximus clawfoot can drag 1,750 pounds.
Creating an Eximus Creature
“Eximus” is an inherited template that can be added to any aberration, animal, elemental, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, outsider, or giant (here after referred to as the base creature). It has all the base creature’s characteristics except as noted here.
Among the population of every kind of creature there are some specimens that are just slightly better then its fellows. Unlike the paragons of a creature’s type the eximus creature is not, the best of its kind it is just better then most of its kind. As eximus creatures are commonly a random improvement in the creature, but they are just as common as the result of a breading program to make a better warrior or creature. The changes might seam miner to some but to others, they are what the world can become.
Speed: The base creatures’ speed increases by 10 ft. on all movement types.
Special Attacks: An eximus creature’s special attacks, if any, all gain a +3 insight bonus, if applicable. For instance, an eximus creature might have a special attack that allows it to put its enemies to sleep if they fail a Will saving throw (DC 15); applying the bonus increases the DC to 18. Likewise, it might have a special ability that allows it to rend; in this case, the +3 insight bonus could be applied as a +3 bonus on damage. The +3 insight bonus may only be applied to a given special ability once.
One example of a special attack to which the +3 insight bonus would not apply is the dream haunting ability of the night hag (see the Monster Manual).
Special Qualities: An eximus creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains one or more bonus supernatural abilities from the list below. The creature gains one ability; and gains another for every 5 Hit Dice it has. The creature can gain more abilities if it gains more Hit Dice.
* Acid Resistance: The creature gains acid resistance equal to 3 plus its Hit Dice. This resistance increases as the creature gains Hit Dice (maximum acid resistance 20).
* Cold Resistance: The creature gains cold resistance equal to 3 plus its Hit Dice. This resistance increases as the creature gains Hit Dice (maximum cold resistance 20).
* Electricity Resistance: The creature gains electricity resistance equal to 3 plus its Hit Dice. This resistance increases as the creature gains Hit Dice (maximum electricity resistance 20).
* Fast healing: The creature gains fast healing equal to its Hit Dice. This fast healing increases as the creature gains Hit Dice.
* Fire Resistance: The creature gains fire resistance equal to 3 plus its Hit Dice. This resistance increases as the creature gains Hit Dice (maximum fire resistance 20).
* Sonic Resistance: The creature gains sonic resistance equal to 1 plus its Hit Dice. This resistance increases as the creature gains Hit Dice (maximum sonic resistance 20).
* Spell resistance equals the eximus creature’s HD +3. If the creature already possesses spell resistance, use whichever is higher.
Abilities: +2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Dex
Feats: An Eximus creature gains the Improved Natural Attack feat for each of the creatures natural weapons, the Improved Initiative feat, and the eximus creature also gain the Toughness feat as bonus feats.
Climate/Terrain: Same as base creature.
Organization: Same as base creature.
Challenge Rating: Up to 6 HD, as base creature +1; 7 HD to 15 HD, as base creature +2; 16+ HD, as base creature +3.
Treasure: Standard for a creature of the adjusted CR.
Alignment: Same as base creature.
Advancement: Same as base creature.
Level Adjustment: +4