Huh. I went and checked my packages, and Santa did not send me Pathfinder's Bestiary 3...yet! However, a friend let me know that among the wonderful oriental creatures contained therein, the tanuki is stated. And it is given a slam attack! Oh, let us speculate in our minds about the source of this slam attack! Anyway, I am excited about this third installment to Pathfinder's line of bestiaries, and I fully expect it to live up to my experience of these being the finest monster books ever produced for an RPG. The link above will take you to purchase your hard copy or the very reasonable $10 pdf.
Tanuki
Short and pudgy, this raccoonlike humanoid wields a stout quarterstaff and weaves a little as if intoxicated.
TANUKI CR 4
XP 1,200
CN Medium monstrous humanoid (shapechanger)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect poison, low-light vision; Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, +1 shield)
hp 47 (5d10+20)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +6
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk quarterstaff +7 (1d6+2), mwk quarterstaff +7 (1d6+1), slam +2 (1d6+1)
Ranged sling +8 (1d4+2)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +11)
Constant—detect poison
At will—purify food and drink
3/day—magic stone, major creation (up to 1 cubic foot)
1/day—create food and water, shrink item, veil (self only)
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 19
Base Atk +5; CMB +7; CMD 20
Feats Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (quarterstaff)
Skills Bluff +7, Diplomacy +6, Knowledge (nature) +5, Perception +8, Perform (percussion) +8, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +4, Stealth +10
Languages Common, Tanuki
SQ change shape (raccoon; beast shape II), sake affinity
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate forests or urban
Organization solitary, pair, or gathering (3–8)
Treasure standard (masterwork quarterstaff, 4 gulps of sake in a gourd, other treasure)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Sake Affinity (Su) As a swift action, a tanuki can take a swig of sake from the gourd it always carries at its side. When it does so, it gains the effect of one of the following spells at caster level 7th: divine favor, false life, haste, or rage. Unusual tanukis might have additional spell effect choices at the GM’s discretion. Each time a tanuki takes a swig of sake, it becomes progressively drunker and takes a –1 penalty to its AC and on Reflex saves for 1 minute. These penalties stack.
Jolly tricksters, tanukis love deceiving humanoids and other intelligent creatures. This mischief is usually harmless, but can turn spiteful in some situations. Popular folklore stories claim tanukis are the transformed souls of tools and housewares that were used for more than 100 years, a myth that probably results from tanukis’ ability to magically create or alter objects.
Mostly encountered in disguise, tanukis enjoy visiting humanoid settlements and interacting with the people. They usually visit taverns and eateries, joining in feasts and celebrations whenever possible. Tanukis always change their disguises and rarely visit the same town twice in the same month.
Tanuki mischief becomes spiteful to those who defile nature. Hunters who kill for sport or those who log trees from the forest without seeding new ones find their weapons and tools transformed into bowls and teacups. Tanukis also put more effort into their pranks when the target is a braggart, a bully, or someone of poor moral character. They like to prank brooding types as well, always hoping to bring a smile to the hard faces of such dour folk. Because of their trickster nature, tanukis get along with many fey creatures. Some tanukis even deal well with spirits, often helping them pass from this world.
Though rare, violent and morbid tanukis occasionally walk the lands, bringing suffering to those they encounter. Filled with spite, these evil tanukis pull sadistic pranks, and horror stories tell of tanukis killing old women and tricking their husbands into eating soups made from their f lesh.
A tanuki is 5 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds.
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