Crystalline Cat (CR 4)

Large Fey
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Initiative: +3 (Dex); Senses: Listen +5 and Spot +8


AC: 22 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +10 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 19
Hit Dice: 5d6+10 (27 hp)
Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +4
Speed: 40 ft.
Space: 5 ft./10 ft.
Base Attack +5; Grapple +9
Attack: 2 claws +5 melee, bite +0 melee
Damage: Claw 1d6+3, bite 1d6+1
Special Attacks/Actions: Implant, improved grab, pounce, rake, wound
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 16
Special Qualities: Harmonics, immunities
Feats: Weapon Focus (claw); Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +11, Hide +7*, Listen +5, Move Silently +7*, and Spot +8
Advancement: None
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pride (4-10)
Treasure/Possessions: Special

Source: Dragon #304

Crystalline cats are fierce predators and often attack from ambush.

Harmonics (Su): A crystalline cat can cause its body to resonate in a rich range of tones. These harmonics have two possible effects. They can either act as a countersong per the bard's ability or a shatter spell. Crystalline cats are immune to their own shatter ability and the shatter ability of other crystalline cats. Creating a countersong tone or a shatter tone is a standard action. Caster level 15; save DC 15.

Immunities (Ex): Crystalline cats are immune to poison, petrification, and acid.

Implant (Ex): A crystalline cat that hits with a claw attack can inject a crystal prism into the opponent's body. The affected creature must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 14) to avoid implantation. Often the crystalline cat uses this ability on an unconscious or otherwise helpless creature (which gets no saving throw). In 24 hours, the host falls extremely ill (-10 to all ability scores, minimum 1). The prism grows rapidly inside the host. When implanted, it is Fine. On the second day, its growth to Diminutive size deals 1d10 points of damage to the host. Each successive day, it increases one size category and deals an additional 1d10 points of damage. It bursts forth from the host when any one of the following conditions is met: It kills the host, it grows to be one size category smaller than the host, or it reaches Large size. If the newly created crystalline cat loses its host before reaching Large size, it continues to grow one size category each day. A crystalline cat is not sufficiently developed to move and attack and is considered helpless until it reaches Large size. Any damage shatters crystalline cats smaller than Large. A remove disease spell rids a victim of the prism, as does a successful Heal check (DC 20). If the check fails, the healer can try again, but each attempt (successful or not) deals 1d4 points of damage to the patient.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the crystalline cat must hit with a claw or bite attack. If it gets a hold, it can rake.

Pounce (Ex): If a crystalline cat leaps upon a foe during the first round of combat, it can make a full attack even if it has already taken a move action.

Rake (Ex): A crystalline cat that gets a hold can make two rake attacks (+5 melee) with its hind legs for 1d6+1 damage each. If the crystalline cat pounces on an opponent, it can also rake.

Wound (Ex): The damage a crystalline cat deals doesn't heal naturally. Only a heal spell or a healing spell of 6th level or higher can heal it.

Skills: *Crystalline cats chime softly when they walk and thus have a -4 racial penalty to Move Silently checks. Because their crystalline bodies reflect and refract light, they receive a -4 penalty to Hide checks in areas of bright sunlight.

Treasure: Although it carries no treasure, when a fully developed crystalline cat is killed, the quartz crystals forming its body are worth 2d12 x 100 gp. The bodies of undeveloped crystalline cats (those below Large size) don't yield treasure.