Chickcharney

Resembling a filthy owl with the gangly long legs of a stork, this almost comically ugly bird has piercing black eyes and emits an annoying screech.

Chickcharney (CR 3)

Small Magical Beast
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +3
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Low-Light Vision; Perception +6

Speed: 20 feet, Fly 30 feet (average)
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 15, touch 15, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 size, +0 natural)
Hit Points: 30 (4d10+8)
Saving Throws: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2

Offense

Melee: bite +8 (1d4-2 plus ill-luck), 2 claws +8 (1d3-2 plus ill luck)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: maddening screech

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
6 (-2)	17 (+3)	14 (+2)	2 (-4)	13 (+1)	15 (+2)

Base Attack Bonus: +4
CMB +1
CMD 15

Feats: Dodge, Weapon Finesse

Skills: Fly +10, Perception +6

Languages:

Special Qualities: blessed trill

Special Abilities

Blessed Trill (Su)

Once per day as a standard action, a chickcharney can emit a melodious trill that grants all creatures within a 20-foot radius a +1 morale bonus on saving throws for the rest of the day. This is a sonic, mind-affecting effect.

Ill Luck (Su)

When a chickcharney hits a creature with one of its natural attacks, the target is exposed to the chickcharney's curse. Curse of Ill Luck: save Will DC 14; effect the creature takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks. A creature can be affected by a curse of ill luck multiple times (up to a maximum cumulative penalty of -4). Chickcharneys are immune to this curse. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Maddening Screech (Su)

Three times per day as a standard action, a chickcharney can emit a piercing cry that affects all other creatures within a 30-foot radius. An affected creature must succeed at a DC 13 Fortitude save or become confused for 1d3 rounds. This is a sonic, mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Ecology

Environment: Warm Forests, Hills, or Plains
Organization: solitary or nesting pair
Treasure: none


Chelish explorers first came upon this strange magical bird during their early voyages to the Shackles. While the unusual creature was initially laughed at for its unsightly appearance and awkward gait, the tempestuous bird has nonetheless proven to be a force to be reckoned with in its own way. A chickcharney can grant good luck to those it deems worthy of its gifts, but its favor can just as easily turn to scorn, and a mere scratch from a chickcharney's accursed beak or claws has spelled the end for countless unwary seafarers.

Naturally curious and trusting, chickcharneys freely approach most non-threatening humanoids, even accompanying them for short times and often leaving their nesting spots unprotected if they have no eggs or mate. However, they are fickle things, and if they recognize hostility or rudeness, they inflict all manner of chaos upon those who provoke them. Chickcharneys fiercely protect their eggs and young, their eggs being highly coveted by predators as well as humanoids. The shells are thought to possess alchemical properties that can be employed in numerous formulae, and many alchemists are willing to pay exorbitant sums for intact specimens.

While some pirates of the Shackles continue to insist that encountering a chickcharney is a good omen, a much larger contingent gives the ornery and erratic bird a wide berth. A chickcharney is 3 feet tall and weighs 50 pounds.