#monster hunters int

[ordersreality]

[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).

[soylent-crocodile]

Snorse (Monster)

(Caustic Bronco by Brent Hollowell)

(I do not like the Thunder Junction MTG set. Its worse sin by far is repeating the terra nullius myth in an act of blatant colonialism apologia, but that terra nullius also just means a setting nearly empty of worldbuilding and a bunch of villain characters who have way better things to do wandering into a shitty saloon. Marchesa? Rakdos?? And if this happened so recently why is it all dusty?

I do like the rattlesnake horse, though. That's fun. And I like cool mounts and this is the set that introduced mounts as a concept, so... snorse.)

CR2 TN Large Magical Beast

Snorse are magical hybrids of snake and horse, volatile and dangerous creatures created as mounts of war. They proved to be ill-tempered and dangerous rides, and most that did not escape were culled. Feral populations now roam areas of chaparral and desert, where their endurance and speed combined with their venom makes them deadly hunters; ironically, their preferred prey is horses, as they can match their running capabilities. 

A small domestic population of snorse have endured, and they are mostly kept as pets and novelties for the particularly adventurous. Some keepers remove the venom glands of the animal to make them safer to own and ride; others consider this abuse. Although the original project was a failure, individual snorse have subsequently been tamed and used as war mounts, where their venomous bite and intimidating presence has been put to good use. Outlaws and fledgling nations alike may flock around a snorse rider, as the creatures have become a status symbol of might and cruelty.

This beast has the body and legs of a horse but black scales and the head of a deadly viper.

Misc- CR2 TN Large Magical Beast HD2 Init:+2 Senses: Perception:+6, Heat Vision 30ft  Stats- Str:19(+4) Dex:14(+2) Con:16(+3) Int:2(-4) Wis:17(+3) Cha:12(+1) BAB:2 Space:10ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:23(2d10+12) AC:14(+2 Dex, +2 Natural) Fort:+6 Ref:+5 Will:+1 CMD:19  Offense- Bite +5(1d8+6 plus Poison) CMB:+7 Speed:50ft Special Attacks: Poison Feats- EnduranceB, Run Skills- Acrobatics +5, Perception +6 Special Qualities- Rough Ride Ecology- Environment- Deserts (Hot) Languages- None Organization- Solitary Treasure- None Special Abilities- Heat Vision (Ex)- Snorse have viperlike heat pits in their face, giving them the ability to detect temperature differentials. This ability functions like blindsight, but only for creatures that are at a different temperature than their surroundings. Rough Ride (Ex)- Despite being able to be ridden, snorse are known to buck and twist in a particularly skilled way that makes them hard to ride on. Riders take a -4 penalty to Ride checks made to Stay in Saddle and Soft Fall. Poison (Ex)- Bite-Injury Save:DC13 Effect:1d2 Dex damage Frequency: 1/round for 3 rounds Cure: 2 consecutive saves

[venice-1987]

The Ghast Hunter

I met the Ghast hunter beside a village that had been built in the tundra. A tall mountain cut through the horizon, forcing the eye upwards and into the clouds, and at its base was his humble hut, and ancient ruined portal -now repaired- located a stone’s throw away. He invited me inside for a drink, and I got a glimpse of his home. A loft bed, and the necessities, and an open chest filled to the brim with Ghast tears, displayed like a trophy right as you entered the front door. 

“I need an escort through the Nether,” I said. At the time, I had big dreams about reaching the End, but enough good sense to ask for help getting there. At the time, I would have called it cowardice, if I had the stones to confront the strange feeling in my chest. He agreed, as long as he got a share of the spoils if we came across any treasure. 

“I don’t need much. Just enough to trade with the locals for food,” he said. “And every ghast tear is mine. That is non-negotiable”

I thought it strange, but chaulked it more up to egotistical possessiveness. He needed to grow his trophy chest int he center of his home, wanted credit for each ghast killed. 

It was no trouble to me. There was more glory in killing the other beasts in the Nether, and more treasure would go into my pockets. I agreed, and he got up from his chair. I startled at the idea of leaving right at that moment, but in my over-eager youth, I followed.

We did not manage to find a fortress in the remainder of the day. Although time seems to work differently in the hell dimension, our fatigue did not and our weariness told us when it was wise to return to the overworld. But the Ghast hunter lived up to his name, slaughtering the tearful ghost-like creatures with ease and without discrimination. 

“I feel sorry for them,” I mentioned on our journey back. We were on an ashy cliffside, bones scattered in the nooks of the cavern. “They look so sad.” I had never seen a ghast at that point, only read about them. Their shrieks pierced my eardrums, and their wailing cut deep into my own heart. 

“There is not much left to feel sorry for. They’re creatures twisted by this hell,” the hunter said. “They know nothing but anger. There is no other way to save them than by putting them out of their misery.” 

He said so bitterly, and I took his disgust to be directed at the creatures themselves. It would make sense. These creatures attacked without provocation, defending only fire and the sulfurous fumes burned out from the lava below. What else could they be, save for beings of evil. 

But the hunter stopped by a pile of bones I had thought to be unspectacular, only useful as a landmark to find our way back. But the hunter knelt down by one rib, and chiseled away a rock at its base, and resumed towards our portal without any explanation. Perhaps he thought it another bit of treasure to plunder. 

It wasn’t until we were safe in the overworld, the moon peaking out from behind the mountainside, that I saw the stone had a face. Perhaps I had a visible horror in my expression, or confusion, because the hunter pressed his lips into a thin line, and told me to follow him. Along the way, he cradled the stone as if it were an infant. 

He led me to the base of the mountain, where a tunnel had been carved through the rocks. I had not noticed it before, as it laid directly behind the hunter’s home. We travelled through, and despite my own adventures at that point, the darkness still frightened me. No monsters accosted us, and we finally reached the other side, where a small, brightly lit room welcomed us. To either side, a fountain with more of those strange stones perched underneath the water on pedestals. The hunter placed the one in his hands on an empty space, unbothered by how his now wet hands would chill easier in the cold. 

“This one’s about ready,” he said, pointing towards the stone to the right of the one he had just placed. Somehow, it looked softer, larger, like a sponge that had soaked in some water. More questions filled my mind. I had thought these things to be perhaps ritual statues, collected and placed under water as a strange form of worship. I had read about more unusual things in this world. 

But the stone started to wiggle forward, as if being pushed by the water. The stream parted as it emerged, its face in a wide, content smile. And I realized, it was a ghast!

“I thought you hunted these. You said that they’re not worth saving,” I exclaimed. 

“I didn’t say they weren’t worth saving. I said they could not be saved. And I wasn’t lying to you. The ones we fight in there, the ones whose anger is all they’ve known, they cannot be saved. But they deserve to be saved, in the only way they can be. In rest, they can find peace,” the hunter explained. The little ghast chirped, finding its way into the hunter’s outstretched arms. He smiled gently, the edges of his eyes crinkling with crow’s feet. “But these guys are new enough that they are still learning. If you catch them in the middle of their lesson in suffering, you could teach them comfort and love instead. Before its too late.” He spoke then to the ghast. “Lets get you to the others” 

He stepped through the doors opposite where we entered, leading to the valley on the other side of the mountain. I stepped through as well, gasping at the view. A forest of cherry blossoms littered the lowest points of the Earth, and wildflowers grew between the trunks and pathways. A few bees bumbled between them, drunk on pollen and tired in the late night. And high up, near the peaks and clouds, were dozens of ghasts, all smiling, floating lazily amongst each other. Like the tiny ghast, they looked content and peaceful. 

“Perhaps ghast hunter is a bit of a misnomer,” the hunter laughed. “I do hunt ghasts, but I provide them sanctuary too.” 

“But, what about the tears?” I asked. “Don’t you collect them as trophies.” 

“Oh, no. The ghastlings can be born from the tears,” the hunter said. “I also like to pay respects, for the ghasts that suffered, and are still suffering. They might not know that they were ever loved in life, but they are now.”

The hunter took a long breath, and continued. “I hope to reintroduce the ghast to their natural environment over time,” he said. “Dwindle the population in the Nether. Return everything to how it should be.”

“Its a noble goal,” I finally said. I understood, now. 

“And near impossible,” he said. “But I need to try.” 

[thecreaturecodex]

Bekkah

"Alien Cat, step 2" © Cary Narveson, accessed at their ArtStation page here

[The bekkah seems to only appear in the Creature Catalogue, not having come from a Basic D&D adventure nor being reprinted in the Mystara Monstrous Compendium later on in AD&D. It's also not entirely clear what it looks like; the text just refers to it being black, but there's a picture of a sabertooth lynx with the Big Cat entry that might be it, or might just be the giant lynx. The third eye is unique to the art I'm using, but it fits in well with me giving it greensight, inspired by the medieval bestiary lynx being able to see through solid objects. As is often the case for big cat monsters, the damage is high for a creature of its CR; I compensated by bringing down the AC.]

Bekkah CR 11 LN Magical Beast This great black cat is the size of a bear, with a short tail, long ears and oversized paws. It has eerie gray eyes, a third of which sits in the center of its forehead.

The bekkahs are supernatural black-furred felines native to the deepest jungles. They are apex predators, and do not brook intrusion into their territories by other large carnivores. Humanoid hunters are tolerated as long as they do not overhunt, and they pay the bekkah proper deference. This deference is usually in the forms of offerings of meat, although especially desperate or evil societies may do so through humanoid sacrifice. Bekkahs do not go out of their way to hunt humanoids, but are willing to consider them prey.

A bekkah’s combat style does not differ much from those of mundane big cats. They stalk prey and attack from ambush, grabbing their foes in their enormous paws and tearing with claws and teeth. The special offense of the bekkah is in its roar, which carries supernatural fear. A creature that hears a bekkah may be rooted to the spot, unable to flee and thus singled out for a brutal pounce. Bekkahs do not kill needlessly, and if attacked by a party may kill one as a warning to the rest and then retreat with the body to feed.

A bekkah is rarely found unless it wants to be; they are very difficult to track and have magical defenses against divinations. They usually lair in the densest vegetation, which they can pass through without difficulty, anywhere from tangles of roots to the canopies of large trees. Their territories are demarcated with scent marking, deep grooves carved in tree trunks, and oversized paw prints left on trails. Bekkahs are solitary, with males leaving their territories every several years in order to find a mate. Females are good mothers, raising one or two cubs for three years before they leave to find their own territories.

Bekkahs speak Sylvan, but have little to say except to fey creatures and to each other.

Bekkah CR 11 XP 12,800 LN Large magical beast Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., greensight 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +17, scent

Defense AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +10 natural) hp 138 (12d10+72) Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +9 DR 10/magic; Immune fear, paralysis; SR 27 vs. divinations Defensive Abilities elusive

Offense Speed 50 ft. Melee 2 claws + 19 (1d10+8 plus grab), bite +19 (2d8+8) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +19, 1d10+8), roar

Statistics Str 27, Dex 19, Con 21, Int 6, Wis 16, Cha 16 Base Atk +12; CMB +21 (+25 grapple); CMD 35 (39 vs. trip) Feats Ability Focus (roar), Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Stealth), Toughness Skills Acrobatics +14 (+22 when jumping), Climb +18, Perception +17, Stealth +13 (+25 in forests); Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Climb, +8 Perception, +4 Stealth (+12 in forested environments) Languages Sylvan SQ woodland stride

Ecology Environment warm forests Organization solitary or pair Treasure incidental

Special Abilities Elusive (Su) A bekkah gains a +20 bonus to the DC to follow its tracks, and is treated as being under the effects of a nondetection spell as a supernatural ability. Roar (Su) As a standard action once every 1d4 rounds, a bekkah can unleash a terrible roar. All creatures within 120 feet must succeed a DC 21 Will save or be shaken and unable to move from its current space for 2d4 rounds. A creature that succeeds this save is immune to the roar of that bekkah for the next 24 hours. This is a mind-influencing fear effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Woodland Stride (Su) A bekkah’s movement is not impeded by natural vegetation.

[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]

[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.

[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.

[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?"

[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.

[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.