Velociraptor
Velociraptor (CR 9)
| Neutral - Medium - Animal |
|---|
| Lore: | Know (Nature) | ||
| 18 | 34 | ||
| Basic DC | Full DC | ||
| Initiative |
17 |
| Perception: | |
| 25 | +15 |
| Passive | Active |
| Ambush: |
| 8+ |
| on a d20 |
- Ambush Notes: Velociraptors are quite good at ambushes
Senses:
- Standard Senses
- Low-Light Vision
- Scent 30 ft.
Movement Types:
- Walk 50 ft.
Defense
| AC |
28 |
| Man Def |
|
26 |
| Monster Health | ||
| 178 | 89 | 14 |
| Hit Points | Bloodied | Hit Dice |
| Saving Throws | |
| Fort: | +7 |
| Refl: | +11 |
| Will: | +6 |
Strong Against:
Offense
| Size: | Medium | ||
| 5 ft. | 5 ft. | ||
| Space | Reach | ||
| To-Hit |
+15 
|
| Man Off |
+14
|
| Action |
| 0 |
| Points |
Standard Attack (Melee):
- 1x Snapping Jaws +15 (2d10+12/x2)
as Crushing (physical, common)
Full Attack (Melee):
Standard Attack (Ranged):
Full Attack (Ranged):
Siege Damage: Not siege capable
Statistics
| 21 |
| STR |
| 24 |
| DEX |
| 16 |
| CON |
| 11 |
| INT |
| 15 |
| WIS |
| 11 |
| CHA |
Skills:
- Acrobatics: 14
- Escape Artist: 14
- Movement: 14
- Perception: 15
- Sense Motive: 14
- Stealth: 14
- All other skills: 9 (no ranks)
Feats:
- Dodge (EFFECT: Monsters with this feat gain a +1 Dodge bonus to AC (already included).)
- Mobility (EFFECT: +4 AC against attacks of opportunity from movement)
- Spring Attack (EFFECT: Move before and after melee attack)
Special Abilities
| Always on the Move (Ex) Always On |
|
Velociraptors are fast moving targets that are difficult to pin down. Any time an enemy creature attacks a velociraptor from more than 10 feet away, with any kind of attack, the velociraptor receives a +4 bonus to its AC and Saving Throws against that attack. |
| Low Run (Ex) Swift Action |
|
Velociraptors can run at a slightly reduced speed while bringing their center of gravity almost to the ground, masking their foot placement and making their movement very difficult to predict. As a swift action, the velociraptor can move up to half its walk speed (25 feet) without provoking attacks of opportunity. |
| Clever Hunter (Ex) Immediate Action |
|
Velociraptors sometimes act as decoys, bait, or distractions to allow the rest of their pack to move into position, and overwhelm their foes. Once per round as an immediate action, when an enemy creature targets a different velociraptor with an attack (or otherwise fails to include this velociraptor in the attack), this velociraptor can move up to its walk speed (50 feet). This movement does provoke attacks of opportunity. If the velociraptor gets within melee reach of the enemy creature using this movement, it may then perform a Snapping Jaws bite attack against that enemy creature as part of this same immediate action. This ability can only be used by a velociraptor that is not currently threatening an enemy creature in melee. This ability is an interrupt, and is resolved after the enemy creature declares its attack against the other velociraptor, but before that attack is performed. As a result, it is possible for an enemy to declare its attack and get killed before it can actually perform the attack. |
Velociraptor
Velociraptors are 5-foot tall, bipedal lizards that look somewhat like a very small tyrannosaurus, except that they seem more capable of using their clawed arms when hunting than their larger brethren. Where the tyrannosaurus gets by on its brawny strength, and a massive jaw that can crush hundred-year-old trees in a single chomp, velociraptors are cunning. They seem to share a lot with wolves when it comes to pack behavior and cooperation, but they might just be more intelligent, and perhaps more cruel than wolves. Furthermore, velociraptors, as their name might imply, are fast. They move through terrain with ease, slip through fights with little trouble, and appear where they are least expected with an abrupt suddenness that would be talked about more if there were more survivors of their prowess.
Male velociraptors typically have brightly colored feathers, particularly at the crest of their heads, and on their shoulders and the first joint of their arms (their elbows). While one might assume that such plumage might make them easier to spot, velociraptors have little trouble hiding among foliage. They also make good use of terrain when they can, using higher ground or blind ravines to make their presence even harder to detect before they make their move.
Velociraptors have been known to clean out entire villages when their packs become large enough, breaking through windows or even opening doors. Velociraptors operate during the daylight hours, preferring to hunt at dawn and dusk, but also perfectly capable of tackling prey during full daylight. Even when their prey knows they are coming and can prepare for them, velociraptors can be quite difficult to deal with, especially in numbers.
Combat Tactics
Velociraptors are cunning and smart. They have a variety of movement abilities, including the spring attack feat. They will make use of their Low Run ability to set up flanks or shift to easier targets. They are perfectly capable of recognizing when that heavily armored character is just too tough to eat, and move to someone more tender and juicy.
Velociraptors will always attempt to avoid attacks of opportunity where possible, but they also have the Mobility feat if they must move through threatened squares to be effective in a fight. They will work with their pack to take down foes, and will typically keep fighting until it is very obvious that the pack is going to be destroyed, at which point they will run. Velociraptors are used to being some of the toughest predators around, so they only back down from fights when most of the pack is dead and the rest are close to it.
Velociraptors are also fond of ambushes. They will often scout for prey and then choose a good location to lay in wait for them. On some occasions, it has been recorded that a pack of velociraptors will skirmish with a small band of travelers just long enough to make them bleed a bit, then run away, only to return as soon as the travelers take a break to rest and heal up. These beasts are not to be underestimated!
Out of Combat
Few beasts are willing to try to make their homes in the domain of a velociraptor pack. As a result, packs are often quite nomadic, seeking out prey and rarely staying in one locale long enough to have anything like a territory of their own. Velociraptors can thrive anywhere that prey is available and temperatures are warm. As lizards, they do not fare well in colder climates, though they can weather through a winter by entering a hibernative state, if they must. When a pack is forced to hibernate, however, it often awakens extremely hungry in the following spring, posing quite a threat to any nearby inhabitants.
Rewards
XP: 6,400
Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 5,125 gp.
- Weight: 90 lbs. Volume: 3.6 cu. ft.
Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.
| Table 1: Remnant(s) Found | |
|---|---|
| 1 - 10 | Nothing Found |
| 11 - 14 | 1 Languid Remnant (tier 1) |
| 15 - 17 | 1 Pale Remnant (tier 2) |
| 18 - 19 | 1 Bright Remnant (tier 3) |
| 20 | Roll on Table 2 |
| ### | Nothing to see here! |
| ### | Or here. Move along. |
| Table 2: Remnant(s) Found | |
|---|---|
| 1 - 5 | 3 Languid Remnants (tier 1) |
| 6 - 10 | 3 Pale Remnants (tier 2) |
| 11 - 14 | 1 Intense Remnant (tier 4) |
| 15 - 17 | 1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5) |
| 18 - 19 | 1 Vital Remnant (tier 6) |
| 20 | Roll on Table 3 |
| ### | Or here. Move along. |
| Table 3: Remnant(s) Found | |
|---|---|
| 1 - 5 | 3 Bright Remnants (tier 3) |
| 6 - 8 | 3 Intense Remnants (tier 4) |
| 9 - 11 | 3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5) |
| 12 - 14 | 3 Vital Remnants (tier 6) |
| 15 - 17 | 1 Prime Remnant (tier 7) |
| 18 - 19 | 1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8) |
| 20 | 1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9) |