#winged warrior

Welcome back!

This new conversion comes from the 3.0 Fiend Folio, which introduced a lot of cool monsters (and some not-so-cool ones, but hey, can't win them all). The book introduced three new castes of Formian: the Armadon, the Observer and the Winged Warrior. The Creature Chronicle blog already converted the Armadon, but the other two were left in the dust. Until now, of course.

I plan on doing the Observer and another new Formian caste soon enough. Until then, I hope you like this.

FORMIAN, WINGED WARRIOR

Image copyright Wizards of the Coast, from Fiend Folio, by LGW

This creature looks like a strange cross between an ant and a garner, with a glossy bluish-black exoskeleton, two pairs of large insectile wings, and a slender tail tipped with sharp spikes. Its legs end in small hands, armed with pointed claws.

FORMIAN WINGED WARRIOR       CR 6

XP 2’400

LN Medium Monstrous Humanoid

Init+5; Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., hive mind; Perception +14 (+18 with hive mind)

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DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 14(+5 Dex, +4 natural)

Hp 68 (8d10+24)

Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +8;

Resist sonic 10

Spell Resistance 17

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OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)

Melee bite +13 (1d6+2), 2 claws +13 (1d4+2)

Ranged tail spike +13 (1d4+2 / 19-20 / x3 plus poison)

Special Attacks augmented critical, poison, tail spikes

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STATISTICS

Str 15, Dex 20, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 11

Base Atk +8; CMB +10; CMD 25

Feats Flyby Attack, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Shot On The Run (B), Weapon Finesse

Skills Acrobatics +14, Fly +20, Perception +14 (+18 with hive mind), Stealth +15, Survival +12

Languages telepathy 60 ft. (cannot speak)

Special Qualities formian traits

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ECOLOGY

Environment warm or temperate land or underground

Organization Solitary, team (2-4) or troop (5-10)

Treasure none

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SPECIAL ABILITIES

Augmented Critical (Ex): A winged warrior’s tail spikes threaten a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 19-20 and inflict triple damage on a confirmed critical hit.

Poison (Ex): Tail spike – injury; save Fort DC 17, frequency 1/round for 6 rounds, effect 1d2 Str damage, cure 1 save.

Tail Spikes (Ex): Six times per day, a winged warrior can release a spike from its tail as a standard action. Tail spikes are considered thrown weapons with a range increment of 20 feet.

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Winged warriors are specialized members of the formian hives, and the only formian caste capable of flying under their own power. Within the hive’s rigid caste system, winged warriors mostly act as skirmishers and scouts for their superiors, assessing the lands around the hive and reporting on potential enemies. Needless to say, they are agile fliers, but are clumsy and slow on land, and therefore spend most of their time aloft, only landing to rest or report.

In battle, winged warriors mostly rely on providing ranged support to warriors, armadons and taskmasters. As their more robust brethren keep the enemy occupied, a winged warrior shoots sharp spikes from its tail with tremendous accuracy, favoring obvious spellcasters and healers. Each spike is tipped in a narcotic that sap the victim’s strength, making it easier for the hive to capture them alive. Once a winged warrior’s ranged attacks are depleted, they will switch to hit-and-run attacks, trusting their speed and maneuvrability to see them through the fight.