Friday, September 21, 2018

Frightful Fridays! Owlhoneybadger

Hello and welcome back for another Frightful Fridays! Today's monster was going to feature in the Monstober marathon, but I will be cooperating with Hugo Solis, who is participating in Inktober (here is a sample of Hugo's excellent artwork to give you an idea). So, you will get illustrations to go with the monster stats for a whole month. Expect a very froggy month, overall.

Back to this week's monster, which is another mashup similar to an owlbear. Here is a link to the lovely illustration of the owlhoneybadger. This little critter is always angry, but using a spell to tell it "Lighten up, Francis" will only make it angrier.

I hope you enjoy this week's monster, and I'll see you next Friday with another one!



This combination of owl and muscular badger features massive paws with talon-like claws covered in fresh and dried blood. Its bloodshot eyes bulge just above its open, spittle-flecked beak.
Owlhoneybadger      CR 6
XP 2,400
N Small magical beast
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +16
DEFENSE
AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+2 Dex, +8 natural, 2 rage, +1 size)
hp 76 (8d10+32)
Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +6
Defensive Abilities ferocity; Resist compulsion effects; Immunities fear
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee bite +14 (1d6+5), 2 claws +14 (1d8+5)
Special Attacks hybrid hunter, hyper rage
STATISTICS
Str 20, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 11
Base Atk +8; CMB +12; CMD 22 (26 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +16, Survival +2 (+14 to follow tracks); Racial Modifiers +12 Survival to follow tracks
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate or warm forests and plains
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure incidental
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Hybrid Hunter (Ex) An owlhoneybadger gains a +4 bonus on Perception and Survival checks against hybrid creatures (including other owlhoneybadgers). It also gains a +4 bonus on attack and damage rolls against hybrid creatures.
Hyper Rage (Ex) An owlhoneybadger is always in a state of rage (reflected in its stats above). If something manages to break its rage, it takes 2 to its Strength and Constitution, and loses the rage modifier to its AC.
If an owlhoneybadger takes damage more than once between the end of its turn and the beginning of its next turn, it enters into an extreme form of rage as an immediate action. It gains an additional +2 bonus to Strength and Constitution, and it loses its Dexterity modifier to AC (making it vulnerable to sneak attacks and other attacks benefitting from a creature losing its Dexterity modifier to AC). It also gains DR 5/— and immunity to mind-affecting effects. Finally, its ferocity improves, such that it is not staggered until its hit point total reaches a negative amount equal to its Constitution score, and it doesn’t die until its hit point total reaches a negative amount equal to twice its Constitution score.
While an owlhoneybadger is in hyper rage, as a free action at the beginning of its turn, it can immediate end any one of the following conditions currently affecting it: blind, dazed, dazzled, entangled, exhausted, fatigued, nauseated, sickened, or stunned. All other conditions and effects remain, even those resulting from the same spell or effect that caused the selected condition. It can use this ability at the start of its turn even if a condition would prevent it from acting.
Once an owlhoneybadger enters hyper rage, it cannot end it until all creatures are out of its sight or it dies.
Resistance to Compulsion Effects (Ex) An owlhoneybadger gains a +2 racial bonus on Will saves against compulsion spells or effects. Additionally, it rolls twice on such Will saves and takes the best result. If the owlhoneybadger succeeds on a Will save against a compulsion spell or effect, it enters hyper rage (as per the special ability above).

A cabal of wizards, realizing their mistake in creating uncontrollable hybrid monsters, decided to create a hunter of such abominations. Perhaps predictably, they compounded their mistakes when they magically engineered owlhoneybadgers. Many didn’t live long to regret their mistake when they unleashed a pair of their creations on a pack of owlbears. The owlhoneybadgers proved to be efficient and brutal killing machines, but they entered an unreasoning rage when the owlbears fought back. After destroying the owlbears, the owlhoneybadgers turned on their creators, who discovered that their magic to render the owlhoneybadgers docile was utterly ineffective. Those wizards who could teleport away did so, leaving their helpless compatriots behind to face the wrath of their creations.

While the cabal took precautions to only create female owlhoneybadgers, they didn’t realize the owlhoneybadgers could mate with ordinary honey badgers. The offspring were all owlhoneybadgers, so their numbers grew. Owlhoneybadgers are just as likely to kill one another than mate, owing to their inbred hatred of hybrid creatures. Those knowledgeable about owlhoneybadgers have learned to summon hybrid creatures, which owlhoneybadgers attack in preference to any other creature, and make their escape.

A mature owlhoneybadger is 5 feet long from snout to tail tip, can stand as tall as 4 feet when it rears up, and weighs up to 400 pounds.