Red Reaver

This hulking humanoid towers at a height of ten feet. Its body is thick and hairless, its gray hide flushing with crimson along the arms and legs. Strangely tiny bat-like wings jut from its shoulder blades while its gangly claws swing down to its ankles. Three separate pairs of crimson eyes hint at the creature’s crude intellect, but its powerful jaws and razor-sharp talons dismiss any suggestion of docility.

Red Reaver CR 13

XP 25,600
N Large magical beast
Init -2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12

DEFENSE

AC 29, touch 7, flat-footed 29 (-2 Dex, +22 natural, -1 size)
hp 184 (16d10+96)
Fort +16, Ref +8, Will +8

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy)
Melee bite +24 (2d4+9) and 2 claws +25 (1d8+9)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 1d8+13), roar

TACTICS

During Combat Red reavers are moody, volatile creatures that put no thought into tactics, relying on their brute strength to overcome any danger. Whenever possible, red reavers roar and then charge into battle, making use of their Improved Bull Rush and Awesome Blow feats.

Morale A red reaver withdraws if it believes its bonded site is in danger and in need of protection. A reaver confronted at its bonded site sometimes abandons the site and flees if severely damaged.

STATISTICS

Str 28, Dex 6, Con 23, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 12
Base Atk +16; CMB +26 (+28 on bull rush); CMD 34 (36 vs. bull rush)
Feats Ability Focus (roar), Awesome Blow, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Improved Bull Rush, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (claws)
Skills Fly -12, Perception +12, Survival +9
Languages understands a few simple words of Giant
SQ distracted, flight

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Distracted (Ex)

Red reavers are easily distracted by beautiful sights and sounds. Any successful Perform check of DC 30 or higher has the additional effect of placating the creature, causing it to stop whatever it’s doing and stand still to enjoy the performance. The red render remains stationary and calm until the performance stops or it takes damage. A performer can only take advantage of a red render’s distraction once per hour. At the GM’s discretion, a red reaver might also be affected by scenes of particular beauty, although they are usually only distracted by a static view or work of art for 5 minutes. It generally isn’t distracted by beautiful creatures, but it could be distracted by particularly eye-catching apparel worn by a creature.

Flight (Su)

A red reaver’s ability to fly is partially supernatural. In areas where supernatural abilities do not function, a red reaver can only fly for short distances, and must land at the end of each turn or it falls.

Roar (Su)

A red reaver can loose a devastating roar every 1d4 rounds. All creatures except red reavers within 120 feet must succeed on a DC 21 Will save or become shaken. Those within 30 feet who fail their saves become panicked. Creatures who successfully save cannot be affected by the same red reaver’s roar for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate deserts and hills
Organization solitary
Treasure standard

Slow-witted but possessed of a dangerous temper, massive red reavers are violent forces of nature. With weights of almost 4,500 pounds, they often leave sizable depressions in the ground when they crash to earth upon their disproportionately small wings. While red reavers do not seek out creatures to battle and are rarely aggressive at first, these simple creatures’ territorial natures and tendency to misinterpret threats make approaching one an exceedingly dangerous proposition.

Red reavers are omnivorous. They spend days at a time hunting along rivers and secluded shorelines for fish and larger creatures that come to the water to drink. While red reavers often seek out caves in foul weather, most of the time these brutes merely collapse where they stand when overcome by slumber.

Simple in both heart and mind, red reavers are often transfixed by the natural beauty of random curiosities. On occasion, red reavers have been spotted standing as still as statues watching multi-colored sunsets. Others might be beguiled for hours when they spy their own reflection in a clear pool of water. Tales are told of red reavers drawn to traveling bards, the reaver listening to the minstrel’s music with fascination but then unintentionally tearing the hapless performer to shreds after the exhausted bard at last puts down his instrument.

Habitat & Society

Red reavers prefer to live among mountain ranges, particularly those with an abundance of rivers and streams or near the sea. The massive brawlers are almost always solitary, save for a brief frenetic mating season every 6 years. Following its live birth, a reaver infant grows swiftly and leaves home within months, eager to claim its own territory.

Red reavers do not get along with gray renders. A chance passing between the two invariably results in an immediate brawl. Each brute clamps its jaws on the other’s neck and the pair rolls around on the ground as each tears away at its opponent’s flesh, completely oblivious to its surrounding environment. Although these battles are often long and vicious, they are rarely fought to the death.

Bonded Site

Like their gray render cousins, red reavers possesses the curious habit of bonding, although red reavers typically become the stalwart guardians of places or particular things. Red reavers imprint themselves with a unique natural structure, such as unusual outcroppings of rocks, pristine waterfalls, or even elaborately grown, solitary trees. In more unusual cases, though, the brutes might find a discarded piece of art, a statue in a ruined temple, or even an ornate monument or road post to fixate on.

Upon finding a location or beautiful work, a reaver usually stays in close proximity to the site. A red reaver guards its bonded site from a distance, content to simply check in from time to time and stare in wonderment. When its favored site is approached by other creatures, though, a red reaver rushes in to guard its charge, roaring at the first whiff of danger.

If a red reaver’s bonded site is ever moved or destroyed, the brawler flies into a vengeful rage, wrecking whatever it comes across and slaying everyone it believes responsible—typically the first living creatures it encounters after finding its charge damaged. After its spat of mournful revenge is complete, the reaver collapses and blubbers for days on end. It takes 1d4 days before a red reaver who has lost its bonded site spontaneously brightens and wanders off to find a new locale to adopt.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder 10: A History of Ashes. Copyright 2008, Paizo Publishing LLC. Author: Michael Kortes

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