#monster hunters int

[ordersreality]

Selkies

< Humans genetically modified with the swan-necked seal, predecessor to the leopard seal. > Work in progress.

Though rare on Earth they do exist on both worlds abundant enough not to worry about inbreeding. On Tobrul the only primals more abundant are the Ulfgard, with goblins being a very distant third.

Like other primals they started with Khul Oro Orian after she learned to add ichor to the process. Like the ulfgard they have maintained that fire, and it is rare for a selkie to be unable to shift.

A shift must happen twice a day, with more than an hour between each. While in human they can pinch their nostrils against the water and hold their breath for up to an hour, though not recomended while shifting. While in seal their limbs are longer and feet more human, with long, fin-like digits, that shift into long, webbed digits in human.

More to come.

[ordersreality]

Thinking: this might be good for running and jumping. Flight, not so much. A little more feathering at the rear, or cat-like loose skin might help that.

11/20/2024 Yi qi

[just-a-mod]

it is my birthday uwu

some birthday art feat my partner Neos

[soulsuckrrs]

open to: m/f/anyone connection: another hunter, someone trapped/kidnapped by the creature, the creature, idk whatever works tbh plot: Jase runs into your muse while hunting a dangerous creature & they end up teaming together because the unexpected happens (like maybe more creatures or something) hmu if you wanna plot xx

 Familiar ground met his feet as he padded through the shadows, his body fell into the same cautious stance and it was tiresome how his bones creaked with the movement accompanied with this sort of task. Two guns were tucked safely in the holster strapped around his torso, the third one on his belt, but the weapon he brandished was a knife. Jason preferred to kill things with his hands, make SURE they were gone from this world and could harm no one else, not another soul. Pausing at a door Jase gently checked to see if it was unlocked and when he found that it was, the tall man eased the door open with a silence that was well practiced. There weren’t many places that Jason couldn’t sneak his way into, or out of, for that matter. 

With a trained eye, moving more out of habit than anything else, Jase glanced around the immediate area, despite the darkness, there was a dampness in the air which mingled with a sickening scent of rotten eggs, better known as sulfur. Jase made a face of disappointment, this wasn’t the creature he was after but he sure as HELL wasn’t going to leave it to harm anything or anyone else. Sheathing his knife the man tugged the gun from his belt, clicking one into the chamber before he proceeded, there was a good chance the creature knew he was already there but he wasn’t taking any chances either way. 

The awful sound of crunching met Jase’s ears, whatever the creature had caught was being torn apart or something of that sort, which meant it wasn’t going to be as easy to sneak up on this thing but the option wasn’t completely off the table. It’d be distracted with it’s meal, or whatever the fuck was going on, Jase could only hear what horrific sounds were coming from further within the building, no matter how many times he ran into similar situations, Jase’s heart always pounded in his ears like any other normal human. It pissed him off. If he was to be like the dead, he’d prefer his heart to be as well, it didn’t come that way though. It would never be that way. The fact he was creeping up on a horrific creature while it devoured its most recent prey was evidence enough that Jase would always have a heart.

[anim-ttrpgs]

How much was the Dresden Files an inspiration for this game?

Literally 0! I've actually never read it, though Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy does get compared to Desden Files a lot!

Probably our biggest inspiration is an old 1970s ‘monster of the week’ show called Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and my own personal fascination with historical folkloric monsters. This is one of the reasons/ways that Eureka really splits from most other “urban fantasy” like Dresden Files, Vampire: The Masquerade, etc. A vampire isn’t a member of a secret blood-drinking society-controlling sect that is kept top-secret by every world government, they’re a thing that happens, and a person. Supernatural mysteries aren’t something that’s up to an elite Vatican paramilitary task force or specialized vigilante monster hunters that keep society safe by sniffing and snuffing out all the abnormal dangerous people, they’re up to some nosy guy who might not even be able to prove they’re supernatural.

And that because a vampire is a person, they might be the nosy guy who can’t prove that what they’re pursuing is supernatural either. This gives us so much more space to explore particular themes like abnormality, disability, religion, mental illness, poverty, how badass vampires are, etc.. Things which affect people who live within society rather than being some otherworldly force invading from outside it.

Since it’s late and I’m not supposed to still be working, here’s a few other posts I’ve written on some of these themes.

[ordersreality]

Centaur: [thinking through evolutionary needs, like eating and breathing] I start with a dog's body (omnivores don't need so much gut), add three-toed ungilation (stability for climbing rock and tree): I add a rib cage and shoulder griddle to the top of a horses neck (muscular support). Then, I blend a horse's jaw line (so they don’t have to eatall day) and a human head (to accommodate the brain).

[bg-brainrot]

As @cosmicchocomuffin suggested!

Which class/subclass each BG3 character would play in D&D (with a little explanation):

Astarion: Draconic Sorcerer - he would pick a character that comes with power innately, no god, no pact, no strings attached, and he would pick draconic for the eventual flight. Also he would want a high Cha character so that he can attempt to be the face of the party.

Gale: Artillerist Artificer - he would pick another Int based class of course, and, as for Artillerist, he still enjoys being useful, so he'd like the fire power this subclass affords. He would take time every day to ensure his infusions are prepared for the day, not allowing the party to proceed without them.

Karlach: Circle of the Moon Druid - she loves animals and nature and would love to transform into them, but wouldn't want to deal with all of those pesky spells, hence the Circle of the Moon. She would definitely be the cause of half of the chaotic druid wildshape memes online.

Lae'zel: Way of the Astral Self Monk - she would pick monk because they're respected martial warriors, pick the subclass because of its potential to reach enlightenment. But to the surprise of no one, she actually gets really into her character to the point of drawing a blade on the DM (Withers).

Shadowheart: Assassin Rogue - the classic lone wolf class and given all of her Sharran training, she would pick this subclass for the ease of roleplay it offers, with its disguise and mimicry. She starts out aloof, but quickly divulges the entire 12-page backstory she created for her character.

Wyll: Monster Slayer Ranger - he heard people looked down on rangers and decided to give them a chance, then he saw Monster Slayer was an option and knew he picked right. The actual face of the party, simply because he's the only one capable of staying on track-- however, put him in front of a cool monster and you've lost him too.

Non-Origins:

Halsin: Nature Domain Cleric - as someone who loves to help others, he would pick a class with a greater lean to the healing side of magic and with a bit of the same druid utility, then pick the subclass to still have that connection to nature. He will happily go along with whatever the party wants to do, and has ended up in jail a few times for it.

Minthara: Order of the Profane Soul Blood Hunter - she would love a class that's willing to go to any extent to defeat their enemies, like a blood hunter, and the order of the Profane Soul just cranks that up all the more. She would be the classic murder hobo of the group if left unchecked, but she will back off when the rewards are good enough.

Jaheira: Battle Master Fighter - she would go for a classic, reliable class like fighter, with a subclass that utilizes her battle knowledge like Battle Master. She is definitely a guest player, who the DM taps in for a difficult boss fight or arc, so she somehow still ends up the mentor figure in the game.

Minsc: Path of the Beast Barbarian - he wouldn't play something too complicated, hence the Barbarian, and he would love to understand Boo better, so he'd pick the subclass for the Beast abilities that come with this subclass. He would never quite know what he's doing, but makes the best accidental one liners at the table so no one minds helping.

Disclaimer: I only picked stuff I at least have the sourcebooks for. While some extra stuff looked cool, I wasn't familiar enough to get the vibes properly.

[soylent-crocodile]

Chiropterex (Monster)

(artist unknown)

(Back in the distant era of the early 10s, my family got Netflix as a novelty. Nowadays streaming has consumed film and television like a rabid beast, but back then, my brother and I found a little British show called Primeval. Weaned on BBC nature documentaries from a young age, this was an exciting new spin on Walking with Dinosaurs, and we loved it.

The future predator is no question the most iconic creature of the series, a future bat that is both inspired by earlier spec evo and has gone on to inspire many other monster designs, including the earlier moorkutlot. It seems only fitting it be translated to Pathfinder.

By the way, I'm abandoning the proposed evolutionary history the later seasons provide- that these actually evolved to eat humans in a post-apocalyptic cityscape- and make them what I think is most obvious to me.)

CR3 TN Medium Animal HD5

Chiropterex are an aberrant species of roughly wolf-sized terrestrial bat, an arboreal, nocturnal apex predator of the islands it calls home, where no other land mammals have reached. They live in small family groups of about four to six members, typically consisting of a mated pair, a nest of about six children, a few children of previous years who stay around to help, and maybe one or two aunts or uncles. Typically, however, they hunt alone, feeding on seabirds and large moa-like ratites who evolved alongside them. These family groups keep in contact with each other using echolocation, and if a lone hunter runs into a struggle, it will call on the dissembled family to help.

Chiropterex are notorious man-eaters, and many a shipwrecked crew has met its end at a family of ravenous land bats. Many peoples of island cultures consider chiropterex to be evil spirits, and indeed there is at least one island where the magic of The Abyss has infected the local population of these predatory beasts.

Some outsiders have tried to domesticate chiropterex, or at the very least use them as weapons. They are a tempting subject of domestication; they are mobile, intelligent, fast-growing and have large clutch sizes, but all attempts so far have ended disastrously.

Chiropterex Companions

Starting Statistics: AC: +4 Size: Small Speed: 30ft, Climb 30ft Attacks: Bite (1d3), 2 Claw (1d4) Ability Scores: Str:10 Dex:22 Con:8 Int:2 Wis:12 Cha:7 Special Qualities: Blind, Blindsight 90ft, Scent Lv 4 Advancement: Size: Medium Attacks: Bite (1d4), 2 Claw (1d6) Ability Scores: Str +4 Dex -2 Con +2 Special Qualities: Flurry of Strikes

This hunched over creature has long, clawed arms and a bulbous head that ends in a short, needle-toothed mouth.

Misc- CR3 TN Medium Animal HD5 Init:+5 Senses: Perception:+6 Blind, Blindsight 90ft, Scent Stats- Str:14(+2) Dex:20(+5) Con:10(+0) Int:2(-4) Wis:12(+2) Cha:7(-2) BAB:+3 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:25(5d8) AC:19(+5 Dex, +4 Natural) Fort:+4 Ref:+9 Will:+3 CMD:21 Immunity: Gaze and other visual effects Weakness: Vulnerability to Sonic  Offense- Bite +5(1d4+2, 18-20/x2), 2 Claw +5(1d6+2) CMB:+6 Speed:30ft, Climb 30ft Special Attacks: Pounce, Flurry of Strikes +3/+3/+3/+3(1d6+2) Feats- Dodge, Mobility Skills- +11 Climb, +10 Stealth, +6 Perception(+8 Racial to Climb) Special Qualities- Flurry of Strikes Ecology- Environment- Forest, Urban (Warm) Languages- None Organization- Solitary, Family (2-4 Chiropterex, 6-8 Young Chiropterex) Treasure- None Special Abilities- Blindsight (Ex)- A chiropterex’s blindsight is echolocation-based; it cannot sense within areas of Silence or similar spells. Flurry of Strikes (Ex)- A chiropterex may, as a full-round action, give a flurry of stabbing strikes from its claws. It makes four Claw attacks at a -2 penalty each. 

[commander-yinello]

Rangerlock Wyll Build

Theorycrafted how I'd make Ranger/Warlock Wyll in game. The idea is that once he knows he will be released from the pact at some point (at the end of act 2), which allows him to get acquainted with the ranger class while still using his warlock powers.

TL;DR: Fighter 2, Beast Master Ranger 5, Pact of the Blade Warlock 5. Hits nice and hard.

Light spoilers for the epilogue and my build under the cut.

We know from the epilogue from the Blade!Wyll ending that:

He became a ranger and has a wolf named Lily, which means he took the Beast Master subclass

He uses shortswords which means he is a Two Weapon Fighter

And he had to unlearn using his warlock powers, which means he kept using them till it was over.

With that in mind, the optimal build I think for Rangerlock Wyll is Beast Master Ranger 5, Fiend Pact of the Blade Warlock 5, Fighter 2. Here's how I would level him. (Note: Everything here is purely my opinion, you should definitely pick and rearrange whatever you like more.)

Level 1: Start with Fighter so you get access to heavy armor.

8 Str, 16 Dex, 14 Con, 8 Int, 10 Wis, 17 Cha.

Take Two Weapon Fighting Style (or Dueling or Great Weapon Fighting if you prefer that more. Dueling allows Wyll to hold a shield) and whatever skills you fancy.

Level 2: Continue with Warlock.

Patron: The Fiend.

Cantrips: Eldritch Blast + Friends if you're the party leader, or Mage Hand if no one else has it.

Spells: Hellish Rebuke and Hex. Use Hex: Strength at the beginning of every fight. Use Eldritch Blast when you can't reach the enemy.

Level 3: Warlock 2.

Eldritch Invocations: Agonising Blast and Beguiling Influence if you're the party leader, or Devil's Sight.

Spell: Armor of Agathys.

Level 4: Warlock 3. Pact Boon: Pact of the Blade. From now on, always bind your weapon after every Long Rest (important!).

Spell: Darkness. From now on, use Darkness at the beginning of a fight, try to only cover enemies. (Darkness is stupidly powerful against enemies, and having Devil's Sight means you don't get blinded. You are now a force to be reckoned with. Give your allies anti-blind items and they can join you.)

Level 5: Warlock 4.

Cantrip: Blade Ward.

Spell: Misty Step or Hold Person.

Feat: War Caster so enemies don't smack you out of dropping darkness.

Level 6: Warlock 5.

Eldritch Invocation: Beast Speech or Repelling Blast if you like to knock things off ledges.

Spell: Counterspell (so good).

You now have Deepened Pact, which gives you an extra attack. Unlike other extra attacks from other classes, this stacks! (except on Honour Mode)

Level 7: Finally on to Ranger. (You can also get Fighter 2 here if you want, it's up to you.)

Get any proficiency you like.

Favored Enemy: Bounty Hunter.

Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer Fire (other options are fine too).

Level 8: Ranger 2.

Fighting Style: Defence.

Spells: Ensnaring Strike and Longstrider.

Level 9: Ranger 3.

Subclass: Beast Master (Lily, finally!)

Spell: Enhance Leap or Cure Wounds.

Level 10: Ranger 4.

Feat: Dual Wielder or Ability Improvement (+2 Cha)

Level 12: Finally, Fighter 2.

Level 11: Ranger 5. We get an extra attack (which stacks with Deepend Pact which is soooo sexy) and Lily gets stronger.

Spell: Lesser Restoration.

All together, you should be a melee monster. You can hit 3 times in 1 turn, Darkness and high AC from heavy armor and your bonuses means enemies can't hit you but you can hit them quite well. Even without Darkness, Wyll and Lily can make mincemeat of monsters.

Other multiclasses you can try for Wyll are Paladinlock or Bardlock because of their matching stats, or Beast Master Ranger 11 Fighter 1 for a very strong wolf.

[ordersreality]

Now, switch the wings for arms and we have the ever loving owlbear, right?

I find nightjars weird cause I expect them to have teeth instead of a beak. I think I blame anurognathids for this.

Tbh, I feel if they could have teeth, they'd re evolve teeth

[ordersreality]

[drakmanka]

Dragonkin Question Game pt 2

4. what are some unique features of your dragon self? can be related to your body, your powers or your behavior.

Couple things that are related to each other: I'm a black dragon which is rare for my species. Also I had the ability to see visions of the future! In my species, all black dragons, and only black dragons, had this gift of future-sight.

I should note that they were only visions of potential futures, not definite, unchangeable things. Over half the visions I ever had never came true.

5. what do you think of the representation of dragons on earth?

It's a mixed bag. I'm not fond of most of the stereotypes and tropes. I loathe the entire concept of "dragon hunters" and the insinuation that we're some sort of monster that needs to be wiped out.

Humans tried that with wolves and look how that worked out. Same thing with sharks. Vilifying a being because you don't understand them or think the world is better off without them is a bad idea and will only come back to bite you int he ass.

All that said, I do love some of the more recent portrayals of dragons and the impact they've had on the public view of us.

6. do you have memories of being a dragon in a past life or concurrent life?

Yes! A past life. Quite a lot of 'em too.

7. what do your shifts look like, if you have any?

I'm semi perma-shifted. I almost always feel my wings and tail, although they vary in size/length. I also experience phantom horns, claws, scales, a phantom snout, and sometimes my teeth and tongue will shift as well.

8. what does your species' diet?

We were obligate carnivores and had a severe sensitivity to sugars so we actually physically couldn't eat things like fruit except in extremely tiny amounts.

[thecreaturecodex]

Arstron

Image accessed from the Ultraman Wiki here

[Return of Ultraman is the third Ultraman series, the fourth in the Ultra series altogether, and the first that establishes any sort of continuity between one-off cameos. If the original Ultraman is the toku version of Green Lantern (space cop gives power to human fighter pilot), Ultraman Jack is the toku Spider-man before the actual toku Spider-Man. Hideki Go is thrilled to get powers and rapidly goes too far with them, and has to learn that with great power comes great responsibility. Plus, the series has as much of a focus on his home life as it does on his monster-fighting antics, and Ultraman Jack often loses fights and has to regroup and rethink his approach before winning.

Arstron here (referred to as Earthtron in English before Tsubaraya made official Romanizations for their many many kaiju) was the first kaijur that Ultraman Jack fought, and it's one of his most iconic opponents. Arstron has reappeared in multiple Ultra Series, has a lot of toys, and even appears in the opening credits of the next series, Ultraman Ace. Not bad for most transparent Godzilla knockoff of the franchise not actually made from an old Godzilla costume.]

Arstron CR 21 CN Magical Beast This creature resembles an oversized, slightly humanoid dinosaur, its arms short and legs massive. Rows of low plates grow along its spine, and it has a huge crescent horn growing from its forehead.

An arstron is an enormous burrowing predator that superficially resembles a theropod dinosaur. They spend most of their lives underground, hunting other large subterranean creatures like purple worms and supplementing their diet with organic minerals like coal and oil. Arstrons are territorial and belligerent, and the movement of dragons, kaiju or other enormous and powerful monsters through their territories may provoke them to go on violent rampages. Arstrons enjoy combat, and their rare interactions with other members of their species are typically sparring matches.

Arstrons care little for stealth, and they are pursuit hunters rather than ambush predators. Their burrowing is often felt in the form of small tremors before the monsters emerge to the surface. Arstrons prefer to use their breath weapons and spit fireballs in order to hunt—animals, monsters and humanoids killed by the flames are eaten carbonized, and arstrons typically char their food before consuming it. They use their teeth, claws, tails and scything horn primarily when fighting an enemy that is fire resistant and/or large enough to fight back. An arstron can launch itself into a frenzy similar to a barbarian’s rage, and if anything survives that onslaught, the arstron is likely to burrow back below ground and try to flee.

Arstron               CR 21 XP 409,600 CN Colossal magical beast (earth) Init +5; Senses darkvision 120 ft., light sensitivity, low-light vision, Perception +27, tremorsense 120 ft.

Defense AC 37, touch 3, flat-footed 36 (-8 size, +1 Dex, +34 natural) hp 400 (32d10+224) Fort +25, Ref +21, Will +16 DR 10/-; Immune energy drain, fear; Resist acid 30, fire 30 Defensive Abilities shake it off

Offense Speed 60 ft., burrow 40 ft. Melee bite +39 (4d6+15), 2 claws +39 (2d8+15), gore +39 (4d8+15), tail slap +37 (2d8+7) Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. Special Attacks bolide blast, breath weapon (240 ft. line, 32d6 fire, Ref DC 33 half, 1d4 rounds), frenzy, maximize breath weapon

Statistics Str 40, Dex 13, Con 25, Int 4, Wis 19, Cha 14 Base Atk +32; CMB +55; CMD 66 Feats Awesome Blow, Blind-fight, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (gore), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Stand Still, Stunning Critical Skills Climb +24, Perception +27, Swim +24 Languages Terran (cannot speak)

Ecology Environment any mountains or hills and underground Organization solitary or pair Treasure incidental

Special Attacks Bolide Blast (Su) As a standard action, an arstron can spit a fireball to a range of 500 feet. When it reaches its intended destination, the fireball explodes in a 40 foot radius, dealing 16d6 points of fire damage (Reflex DC 33 halves). An arstron can use this ability at will. Frenzy (Ex) An arstron can enter a state of frenzy as a swift action on its turn, gaining a +2 bonus to attack and melee damage rolls, a +2 bonus to Will saves, 2 temporary hit points per HD (64 for a typical specimen) and a -2 penalty to Armor Class. An arstron’s frenzy lasts for 1 minute, whereupon it is fatigued for 10 minutes. An arstron can enter a frenzy at will, but cannot do so when fatigued or exhausted. Maximize Breath Weapon (Ex) By spending a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, an arstron can deal maximum damage with its breath weapon. When it does so, the recharge for its breath weapon defaults to 4 rounds. Shake It Off (Ex) Whenever an arstron fails a saving throw against a paralyzing, petrifaction, polymorph or immobilizing effect (including binding and temporal stasis, but not imprisonment), it can attempt a new saving throw at the end of its turn to remove the effect. Doing so takes no action. An arstron can attempt a new save to end the effect as often as it wishes, but can attempt to remove only one such effect per round.

[blcssom]

"no, i didn't— wait, how did you know i was here??" he was sure he'd remained hidden while tailing her. somehow, though, she always managed to catch him off guard rather than the other way around. "it was just a burner, i told you... and you shouldn't be trying to contact me." each time they did this, he wondered who was more confused: her or him. "this isn't romantic, i'm here to take you out." there's a brief pause before he hears the word he's said. "i mean, not like THAT, i'm literally here to kill you! i keep trying to tell you...." and he needed her to understand. it just felt wrong to kill her when she was looking at him with stars in her eyes.

open to: m/f/nb muse: darcy walker. 120. she / her. vampire (turned). bisexual. submissive. nurse. (jaz sinclair fc) synopsis: your muse has been trying to kill darcy for a while, well aware that she's a vampire. darcy, oblivious, takes your muses' aggression as a sign of affection and has fallen in love with them. loosely based on first kill.

"i think it's very romantic when you go out of your way to see me like this." and she meant it. she'd been waiting to see them for a couple of weeks now. "did you break your cell phone? i've been trying to get ahold of you... unless i just can't seem to get the hang of using it." regardless of the knowledge that they may be avoiding her calls, she flashed them a bright smile anyway. it was very possible that she still hadn't figured out how to use the technology. "have you missed me?"

[the-typing-dragon]

ok idk why i did the poll thing you're getting a rant about magic in monster hunter. So first I want to specify a seperation between "magic" in monster hunter, and just funky monster biology. There are absolutely some monster abilities, like spines and Rath fireballs, that are just kinda funky biology and are generally mundane. Conversely, there are also many abilities like kirins summoning lightning out of midair, kushala with it's tornado manipulation, and many others that really make it difficult to consider them being a mundane, biological source. This is where the magic of monster hunter kicks in. Magic in monster hunter is a lot more subtle in monster hunter than it is in many other series. It's not wizards casting Nuclear Meteor (unless it's a monster), it primarily crops up in the forms of Alchemy and Enchantment magic style. Hunters harness magic when the parts from monsters are then utilized to create equipment that is imbued with the properties from the monster, or when simple crafting materials are used to create the consumables that can do such insane things as pulling you from the brink of death in a second, causing you to passively regenerate, and an insane number of other things. First I am going to discuss the magic that monsters use. For this I'm primarily discussing World magic, as it's my primary game and explains it quite well (for a mh game) in my opinion. In World they discuss a material called "bioenergy" that flows through monsters and ESPECIALLY elder dragons, who coincidentally are also the monsters that are generally the ones doing the random monster magic, and also are the ones that have the most magically enchanted armors. The elder dragons in question are able to generate and weaponize the magic, performing such insane feats as firing beams of pure vibrations, causing near nuclear explosions, summoning tornados, and many other insane things. Non elder monsters are still certainly able to use and harness bioenergy, however they usually either use it to a lesser degree, while supplementing their skill sets more with weird mh biology. So to summarize, bioenergy is:

• in higher densities in the monsters with more magical abilities

• has a physical form that can be collected and utilized

• is something that hunters are aware of and can utilize

Next I am going to discuss the elements in monster hunter. Most elements are just "normal" elements, however there is a specific element called "dragon" element. This dragon element is seperate from thunder, ice, fire, and water int he fact that it's not representing some normal state of matter or other mundane thing, instead seeming to be pure energy (or perhaps bioenergy). Dragon element is also more effective on elder dragons, even causing them to destabilize in certain situations. Last but not least, I am going to discuss the enchantment magic involving the equipment in monster hunter. First there is the simple fact that we are able to utilize the materials of these monsters, and then imbue otherwise mundane weapons with elemental abilities. Note that while there are also ailment weapons such as poison and paralysis, these can be more easily explained by more mundane functions. By covering a sword in the pelt of a Kirin, it is able to unleash raw electricity with every swing, never reducing in energy or effectiveness. The second part is the actual function of some of these weapon classes. While a greatsword or a hammer is generally straightforward, you soon begin to see these magical effects coming into play with other weapon classes, which has a couple examples such as: • Switch axe and charge blade being able to hit a monster of any type, and build up elemental damage "phials" or "gauges", which can then be used to consistently cause pure elemental explosions of varying strength. Charge blade specifically is able to cause waves of pure elemental energy from these hits • Hunting horn being able to play notes in a certain order than can cause varying effects from increasing attack damage, to ignoring wind pressure, to even restoring health. • Bow and bowguns being able to fire projectiles that unleash charges of pure elements upon contact with a monster. • Insect glaive being able to effortlessly fly and double jump through the air, without any visible forms of propulsion. Finally I'm going to discuss the armor and decorations in monster hunter. By crafting armor and decorations out of the remains of monsters, hunters are capable of imbuing themselves with effects ranging from hitting a little harder, to increasing damage when the monster is angry, to entirely negating hunger, to constantly passively regenerating, and an insane number of other effects. While a couple of effects might be explainable via mundane means, most of these are almost certainly some form of enchantment. so yeah. There's magic in monster hunter.

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Stymphalidies

(art source)

CR 8

Neutral Large Magical Beast

Bestiary 3, pg. 257

These man-eating birds of myth owe 4 points of their CR to their name alone due to them murdering you before you can even voice it fully in warning to your allies, so for the sake of my fingers I'll be shortening their name to "Stym" from now on. One could also call them "bronze ibises" or "bronze cranes" to save on syllables, names which are immediately evocative, if not entirely accurate. The metallic coating across their feathers and beaks only looks like bronze, but it's actually as hard as steel, which is likely cause for fatal surprise for anyone hoping to capture or consume what they thought was just a very large, glossy bird.

See, the steel feathers of the Stym make them practically invincible, not only having 22 AC but DR 10/Magic and Adamantine. Yes, if you want to hunt--or even just drive away--these flesh-eaters, you're going to need a weapon made of skymetal or some pretty severe muscles and a two-handed weapon! Their cloak also makes them completely immune to Fire damage, likely baffling people who try to metagame on what a Steel/Flying type should be weak to. They're not even particularly vulnerable to Electricity, but they DO have a Vulnerability to Sonic damage! Y'know, the second rarest damage type?

So their defenses are formidable. What about their offense?

Have you ever seen what a hawk can do to a squirrel? yeah. Now make the hawk 250 pounds and turn all of its edges into razor blades, and you have a rough idea of what a Stym can do to the wildlife it encounters. They have a 120ft flight speed and keen enough eyesight to spot prey hundreds of feet below them, meaning most battles with one (or several) are initiated from above as they crash down on potential prey to inflict as much bewilderment and damage as possible.

As one may expect, a Stym's primary source of damage is its rapier-like beak and its two kicking talons, which deal 1d8+6 and 1d6+6 damage (respective). What one may not expect is that it also brings its wings into the fray, each feather a miniature dagger as thin as paper, slashing victims for 1d6+3 damage each. Its wings and beak are so sharp, in fact, that they cause grievous lacerations, tacking 1d6 bleed damage onto every attack (their claws do not inflict bleed, ironically). Given that they typically hunt mundane animals and smaller Magical Beasts and Vermin, a single Full-Attack before taking back to the air and waiting for the target to bleed to death to conserve their own health. Even in the air they're no less dangerous, though; these birds can kill without even landing!

Up to five times a day as a standard action, a Stym can flick out a pair of Wing Razors as ranged projectiles with 50ft range increments. These razors deal 2d6+6 damage and cause 1d6 bleed, and likely make for a highly unusual murder scene. Prey that proves too dangerous to engage in melee is usually pelted with these feathers to soften them up before the birds land, and a Stym encountering a creature it's never seen before is more likely to use its feathers from a safe distance until it believes it can close in. They are wild animals, possessing only 2 Int, and as such they operate purely on instinct; if food takes too much effort to take down or proves to be immune to its bleed, they'll likely fly off to find easier prey. The only time one will stand and fight to the death is to guard its young... or if it's in a swarm. These beasts breed quickly and hunt in flocks of up to nine at a time, and the more of them there are, the braver they become about hunting in human-occupied areas and, of course, hunting and eating humans.

A solo-hunter Stym that's encountered something too tough to fight normally has one more trick it can use as a standard action: Glare. Useful only in bright light, the metallic bird can adjust its feathers to reflect the light as a blinding glow in every direction, forcing any creature within 30ft to make a DC 19 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d6 minutes. There is no cooldown or per-day restriction, nor is there an immunity clause to this effect (though creatures can defend against it by closing their eyes), so a Stym that's bitten off more than it can chew can continuously try and blind its victims and then judge if their crippled eyesight warrants further action, or if it uses the cover to flee into the sky to find something else... or find reinforcements.

You can read more about them here.