Abeil, Soldier (CR 6)

Large Monstrous Humanoid
Alignment: Usually lawful
Initiative: +1 (Dex); Senses: darkvision 60 ft., Listen +5, and Spot +5


AC: 10 (-1 size, +1 Dex), touch 10, flat-footed 9
Hit Dice: 6d8+18 (45 hp); DR: 5/magic
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +6
Speed: 40 ft., fly 90 ft. (good)
Space: 10 ft./10 ft.
Base Attack +6; Grapple +16
Attack: 2 claws +11 melee and sting +6 melee, or Huge ranseur +11 melee and sting +6 melee, or Huge masterwork mighty composite longbow (+6 Str bonus) +7 ranged
Full Attack: 2 claws +11 melee and sting +6 melee, or Huge ranseur +11/+6 melee and sting +6 melee, or Huge masterwork mighty composite longbow (+6 Str bonus) +7/+2 ranged
Damage: Claw 1d6+6, Huge ranseur 2d6+9/x3, sting 1d8+3 plus poison, Huge mighty composite longbow (+6 Str bonus) 2d6+6/x3
Special Attacks/Actions: Drone, improved grab, poison, stormwing
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 13
Special Qualities: hive mind, special enemy
Feats: Alertness; Dodge; Flyby Attack
Skills: Listen +5, Sense Motive +3, Spot +5, and Survival +4
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Temperate or warm hills, plains, or desert
Organization: Solitary, pair, team (3-8), or troop (10-20)
Treasure/Possessions: Standard

Source: Monster Manual II

Drone (Su): As a full-round action, an abeil can beat its wings to create a droning buzz in a 60-foot spread. Each creature in the area must make a Will save (DC 14) or fall asleep as the sleep spell. There is no Hit Dice limit for this effect Abeils are immune to their own drone attacks as well as those of other abeils.

Improved Grab (Ex): If an abeil hits a single target that is at least one size category smaller than itself with both claws, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. (A soldier's grapple bonus is +16.) If it gets a hold, it automatically hits with its sting. Thereafter, the abeil has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its claws to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the abeil is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals damage from both claws and the sting.

Poison (Ex): A soldier delivers its poison (Fortitude save DC 16) with each successful sting attack. The initial and secondary damage is the same (2d4 points of Strength damage).

Stormwing (Su): As a full-round action, a soldier in flight can hover and deliver a destructive sonic attack with its wings. The attack deals 6d6 points of damage to all (except other abeils) within a 40-foot burst (Reflex save DC 16 for half damage). Once the soldier uses this ability, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again.

Special Enemy (Ex): An abeil soldier may select a type of creature as a special enemy. This ability is similar to the ranger's favored enemy ability, and the soldier may choose from the same list (see Ranger ). Each soldier may select only one special enemy. The soldier receives a +3 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against its special enemy. Likewise, a soldier gets this same bonus on weapon damage rolls against creatures of the selected type.

Hive Mind (Ex): All abeils within 25 miles of their queen are in constant communication. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a particular group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No abeil in such a group is considered flanked unless they all are.

Abeil soldiers are often called storm-wings because of the thunderous noise they make in battle. They prefer to meet a threat by using their stormwing attacks and bows first, then meleeing with ranseurs and stingers as needed.

All abeils prefer to fight from the sky, making ranged attacks and sonic assaults upon their foes below. If forced to fight on the ground, they coordinate their attacks to make the best use of their ranged weapons (and spells, for those capable of casting them). In melee, they prefer to swarm around particularly tough opponents and sting them with their enfeebling poison. Abeils fight to the death because they believe that cowardice on the battlefield could doom the hive. They rarely wear armor because it impedes their ability to fly.