Hyena

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Hyena (CR 2)

Hyenas are pack hunters infamous for their cunning and their unnerving, laughter-like vocalizations. They are largely scavengers, but aren't above supplementing their diet of carrion with fresh prey.

When hunting as a pack they typically send one or two members against a foe's front while the rest of the pack circles and attacks from behind.

Many of the savage humanoid races, particularly gnolls, kobolds, goblins, orcs, and the like, use hyenas as guard dogs. Such hyenas typically wear leather barding and are trained from birth to be vicious and savage—many such creatures are advanced hyenas.

GENERAL

CR 2 Hit Dice 3

XP 600

N, Medium, Animal

Init +1; Senses low light vision 60 ft, Scent, Perception +8

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +2 dex, +1 natural, +0 deflection)

hp 28

Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +2

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: -

Immunities: -

Weaknesses: -

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft.

Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.

Single Melee Bite +4 (1d8+1/x2)

Full Melee Bite +4 (1d8+1/x2), plus Hobble

Ranged None, but see Hyena Cackle

Special Attacks Hobble, Hyena Cackle

Action Points 0

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6

Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 16

Feats -

Skills Stealth +6, Stealth +10 in natural settings (tall grass, brush)

Languages -

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Hobble

When a hyena takes a full attack action, it is able to clamp its mighty jaws upon its foes legs and savage them. On a successful hit, this does the normal bite damage for a Hyena's bite and, unless the foe succeeds on a DC 12 Reflex save, also inflicts the Unsteady condition for 1 round.

Hyena Cackle

Once per encounter, as a standard action, a hyena may emit a horrible cackling laugh. The cackle affects all enemies in a 30-foot radius. Affected creatures must make a Will save (DC 12) or suffer the Anxious condition for 1 round. Multiple uses of this ability (from multiple hyenas) do not stack. Instead, additional failed saves simply reset the clock on the 1-round duration. This is a sonic-based fear attack.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 500 gp

COMBAT TACTICS

Hyenas will attempt to sneak up on their victims using natural cover, and will try to get two of their members on the opposite side of the victims if possible. In the first round of combat, one or two hyenas will move in and use their Hyena Cackle ability, hoping to soften up their foes. The rest will then make charge attacks and bite, with flanks if at all possible. Each round after the first, one or two different hyenas will Cackle, and the rest will try for full attacks (with flanks if possible) to Hobble their victims.

If the fight is going poorly, Hyenas will flee, and come back a little later to see if any Hobbled victims have been left behind to become easy pickings.