I hope you enjoy the catichoke, and I'll see you next week with another monster. Thanks for reading!
This gray cat head rests
atop a cloud of similarly colored smoke. When it moves, it leaves clouds of smoke
in its wake.
Catichoke CR 2
XP 600
N Tiny outsider (air, earth, elemental, native)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., smoke sight;
Perception +7
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 16,
flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 size)
hp 22 (3d10+6)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +2
DR 5/magic; Immune elemental traits; Resist fire 10
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., fly
60 ft. (good)
Melee bite +3
(1d2–3
plus 1d4 Str)
Space 2–1/2
ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks billowing
flight, Strength damage
STATISTICS
Str 4, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 13 (can't be tripped)
Feats Dodge,
Mobility
Skills Escape
Artist +17, Fly +15, Perception +7, Stealth +16; Racial Modifiers +8 Escape Artist
SQ gaseous
Languages Auran,
Terran (can only speak to other catichokes)
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate
and warm land
Organization
solitary, pair, or clouder (3–12)
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Billowing Flight (Ex)
All squares a catichoke passes through when it flies are affected as if stinking cloud had been cast on them (DC
13 Fortitude negates). The cloud reaches from the catichoke’s height down to
the ground. The affected squares revert to normal at the end of the catichoke’s
next turn (provided it doesn’t travel through the squares again during its next
turn). The save DC is Constitution-based.
Gaseous (Ex) A
catichoke can pass through small holes or narrow openings without reducing its
speed. It cannot enter water or other liquid. If the catichoke attacks another gaseous
creature (either as a result of the catichoke’s Strength damage reducing a
victim to 0 Strength, through an inherent special ability, or by gaseous form or a similar spell or effect),
it adds its Dexterity modifier to damage rather than its Strength modifier (1d2+3
points of damage for a typical catichoke).
Smoke Sight (Su)
A catichoke can see through fire, fog, and smoke without penalty.
Strength Damage (Su)
A creature that takes Strength damage from a catichoke’s bite attack becomes smoke
if its Strength score is reduced to 0. The affected creature acts as if it were
targeted by gaseous form until its
Strength score increases above 0.
The origin of catichokes is unclear; various sages claim
wayward border elementals stuck on the Material Plane took on a native form and
stuck with it through generations, while others posit a group of cats became
infused with elemental energies at a weak point between the Material Plane and
the Elemental Planes of Air and Earth. Whatever their actual origin, all catichokes
release unending clouds of dander-filled smoke as they move, leaving those who
witness them wondering how such small beings can produce so much material. The
clouds seem to coalesce into the cat-like creatures after a few seconds, so the
creatures can reuse them, meaning they don’t have an infinite supply.
Catichokes are persistent enemies of hell hounds. As with
their origins, it is unknown how the creatures came into contact with each
other. The most likely explanation is that a group of planar travelers who befriended
the cats encountered a pack of hell hounds and the catichokes pass on the tale
of this meeting to their children. Another, less popular, explanation also provides
another possible origin for the catichokes’ genesis: they were bred
specifically to attack hell hounds and other infernal denizens.
A typical catichoke is 1 foot in length, stands 6 inches
tall, and weighs a slight 4 pounds.
A spellcaster of at least 7th level with at least one neutral component to
alignment who takes the Improved Familiar feat can select a catichoke as a familiar.
If the spellcaster with a catichoke familiar has at least one spell with the
air or earth descriptor prepared or known, the spellcaster can use gaseous form once per day as a spell-like
ability.
