Suzalisk

This scaled and feathered beast stalks on eight limbs, fiery plumage sprouting from the end of its tail and falling off the huge wings atop its back. A flap of leathery skin stretched between spiked bones fans out from its neck, its bizarre appearance made all the stranger by pupil-less green eyes above a beak of plated stone.

Suzalisk CR 8

XP 4,800
NE Large magical beast (fire, shapechanger)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, smoke vision; Perception +15

DEFENSE

AC 22, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +1 dodge, +11 natural, –1 size)
hp 104 (11d10+44)
Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +6
Immune fire; Weaknesses vulnerable to cold

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee bite +16 (1d8+6 plus 1d6 fire), 2 claws +11 (1d6+3), 2 wings +11 (1d6+3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks scales of woe, weeping flame
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th; concentration +14)

Constantspeak with animals
At willbane (DC 14), beguiling gift (DC 14), doom (DC 14), dancing lights
3/dayhypnotic pattern (DC 15), pyrotechnics (DC 15)
1/daybestow curse (DC 16), confusion (DC 17), foster hatred (DC 19)

STATISTICS

Str 22, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 17
Base Atk +11; CMB +18; CMD 30
Feats Cleave, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Mobility, Power Attack, Wind Stance
Skills Bluff +5, Climb +10, Fly +12, Perception +15
Languages Common, Draconic, Ignan
SQ change shape (Small or Medium bird, snake, or fire elemental; beast shape I or elemental body II)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Scales of Woe (Su)

Three times per day as a move action, a suzalisk can shed one of its glittering scales or feathers, creating a magical token that leeches the joy from a creature that holds it, gnawing at its heart with greed, jealousy, misery, and hate. When a scale is not picked up within 1 hour of being shed, it smolders and crumbles to ash. A creature holding a scale or feather for 1 round (such as when the suzalisk successfully uses beguiling gift) develops a permanent reckless infatuationUM (DC 16 Will negates) for the item and cannot bear to be parted from it. As long as the item is carried, the creature takes a -2 penalty on saving throws against compulsions, curses, and fear effects. When the item is destroyed, the creature is affected as crushing despair. This is a curse effect and cannot be dispelled. Like a cursed delusion item the creature believes the scale or feather to be a precious and beneficial item and cannot be willingly parted from it without a successful remove curse (DC 22 caster level check). A suzalisk can use this ability while polymorphed into a creature with feathers or scales.

The save DC is Charisma-based.

Smoke Vision (Ex)

A suzalisk can see perfectly through natural or magical fire or smoke, such as that created by pyrotechnics, and is never blinded or dazzled by fire effects.

Weeping Flame (Su)

Creatures within 30 feet that meet a suzalisk’s gaze begin bleeding tears of fire, taking 2d6 points of fire damage per round as long as these flaming tears continue to flow (DC 19 Will negates). A creature weeping flame is blinded, and the streams of liquid fire pouring from its eyes limn it as faerie fire. A creature can attempt to end this effect as a full-round action, granting a new saving throw to end the effect. A suzalisk’s gaze is suppressed when not in its natural form. The save DC is Constitution-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm desert, forest, hills, or plains
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard

Suzalisks are harbingers of suffering and heralds of woe. Their resplendent plumage bespeaks their distant shared ancestry with phoenixes, these avian amalgams represent the fires of hatred rather than hope, and the pernicious consumption and wasteful destruction of smoldering embers rather than the cleansing flame that brings renewal and rebirth.

Suzalisks are primarily carnivorous, preferring their prey charred and blackened (though they scavenge carrion when it presents itself and they are able to subsist on ashes when living food is scarce). In combat they keep to the air, flying out of reach as while savaging targets with their jaws and unleashing devastating attacks on those challenging them aloft. Suzalisks are malicious but not necessarily violent, spreading suffering in both subtle ways that they find delectable alongside more unrefined methods (roasting their victims and tearing them limb from limb). These magical beasts relish the sorrow and discord created by their treachery, often following prey while polymorphed into the form of an innocuous animal, spying from afar as their games of cruelty play out, finally revealing themselves to the poor victim only when they are ready to unleash a holocaust of death.

A suzalisk is 5 ft. tall at the shoulder, its sinuous body reaching 20 ft. in length and 900 pounds in weight.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Aventyr Bestiary © 2017 AAW GAMES LLC Authors Mike Myler, Jonathan G. Nelson Developers, Michael Allen, Curtis Baum, Wolfgang Baur, Brian Berg, Adam Daigle, Jeffrey Gomez, Joshua Gullion, Jacob Kellogg, Jared Jeanquart, Juan Lucha, Justin Andrew Mason, Jonathan McAnulty, Michael McCarthy, Raven Mimura, Brian Wiborg Monster, Will Myers, Mike Myler, Jason Nelson, Jonathan G. Nelson, Owen K.C. Stephens, Colin Stricklin, Cory Vickruck, Stephen Yeardley Jonathan G. Nelson

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