Nazalor

This creature resembles a bipedal, stocky, bronze furred hyena with slightly oversized claws and fangs.

Nazalor (CR 6)

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

Speed: 30 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +5 natural)
Hit Points: 76 (8d10+32)
Saving Throws: Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +3

Offense

Melee: 2 claws +13 (1d8+5), 1 bite +13 (1d8+5)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: rage, stun

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
21 (+5)	16 (+3)	18 (+4)	5 (-3)	12 (+1)	11 (+0)

Base Attack Bonus: +8
CMB +13
CMD 26

Feats: Diehard, Endurance, Skill Focus (Survival)

Skills: Perception +6, Stealth +8, Survival +8 (+12 scent tracking)

• Racial Modifiers: +4 when tracking by scent

Languages: Sylvan (cannot speak)

Special Abilities

Rage (Ex)

Three times per day, a nazalor can whip itself into a maddening frenzy. As long as it rages it gains +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, and -2 AC. This rage lasts up to 1 minute, but the nazalor can end it early if desired. It is not fatigued when its rage ends. While raging, a nazalor has the following changes made to the statistics block above:
AC 16 (+3 Dex, +5 natural, -2 rage), touch 11, flat-footed 13; hp 92; Atk 2 claws +15 (1d8+7) and bite +15 (1d8+7 Fort +12; Str 25; Con 22.

Stun (Ex)

If a nazalor hits an opponent with both claws and its bite in the same round, that opponent must succeed on a DC 18 (DC 20 when raging) Fortitude save or be stunned for 1d2 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Ecology

Environment: Temperate Forests
Organization: solitary
Treasure: none


Nazalors are nocturnal carnivores that derive great pleasure by wading into combat and shredding their foes to pieces with their wicked claws. These vicious bipedal beasts like nothing more than stalking and hunting their prey, toying with it, before finally striking in one swift killing blow. A nazalor is a solitary creature. It is a highly territorial creature and will drive away any creature attempting to lair in what it considers its hunting ground (especially other nazalors).

Even during mating season, once the mating ritual is ended, each nazalor goes its own way. Gestation is 7 months and young are born live. They reach maturity within about 15 months. Nazalors feast on anything they can kill, with the exception being one of their own kind; they do not eat other nazalors. These creatures may fight to the death if one moves into another's territory or may fight over a kill, but a nazalor will starve to death before it eats another of its kind.

A nazalor stands 7 feet tall and looks like a stocky, fur covered hyena. Its claws and fangs are large for its build. Its fur is bronze in color with varying shades depending on the creature's age (young nazalors are brighter in color while an aged nazalor's coat is dull). Its eyes are usually green or brown.

A nazalor rages into combat swinging its deadly claws and gnashing at its opponents with its sharp teeth. Though the creature can move across the ground on all fours, it always enters and fights in a bipedal stance. A nazalor fights to the death if defending its lair, hunting ground, or if hungry. Otherwise, if combat goes poorly for it, it seeks immediate escape through the quickest route possible (though it may continue to stalk its prey and attack again in the future when it thinks it has the advantage).

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.