Hengeyokai (CR 1/2)

Medium Humanoid (Shapechanger)
Alignment: Usually chaotic good or chaoti
Initiative: +0


AC: 13 (+3 ashigaru armor), touch 10, flat-footed 13
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (4 hp)
Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -2
Speed: 30 ft.
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +0; Grapple -5
Attack: Kanana +4 melee
Full Attack: Kanana +4 melee
Damage: Katana 1d10+1
Special Attacks/Actions:
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 7, Cha 8
Special Qualities: Alternate form
Feats: Weapon Focus (katana)
Skills: Climb +4, Disguise -1*, and Jump +4
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Solitary, band (2-20)
Treasure/Possessions: Standard

Source: Oriental Adventures

Hengeyokai use their animal forms for reconnaissance and exploration, unless they are trapped without arms or armor and could handle themselves better in animal form. They are actually most comfortable in their hybrid forms, which they use for intimidating opponents, or in situations where they need to communicate with animals and humanoids at the same time. They use their hybrid forms most often for combat as well, since they receive advantageous physical ability score modifiers in this form. They prefer to move among humans in human form, naturally

Alternate Form (Su): Hengeyokai can change shape, assuming one of three possible forms. This ability functions like the polymorph spell, but a hengeyokai can change form a number of times per day equal to 1 plus his character level. Thus, a 1st-level hengeyokai can switch from human form to animal form and back again in a single day.

A hengeyokai's animal form is a normal animal of Small or smaller size. Possible animal forms include badger, carp, cat crab, crane, dog, fox, hare, monkey, rat, sparrow, and weasel. Equipment the hengeyokai is wearing or carrying transforms to become part of the animal form (as with polymorph), and magic items cease functioning while the hengeyokai remains in animal form. In animal form, the hengeyokai has low light vision and the supernatural ability to communicate with other animals of its kind. This is the same as a familiar's ability to speak with animals of its type. Hengeyokai have the size, speed, AC, damage rating, and physical ability scores shown on Table Hengeyokai Animal Forms.

Hengeyokai in hybrid form retain their low-light vision and the ability to communicate with animals of their type. Their physical characteristics are based on their abilities in human form is modified as shown on Table 1--2: Hengeyokai Hybrid Forms. In this form, a hengeyokai can typically wear light or medium armor without modification, but wearing heavy armor is impossible. Equipment worn or carried by a hengeyokai in human form does not transform when the hengeyokai assumes hybrid form. When a hengeyokai in animal form assumes hybrid form, her equipment returns to its normal form and magic items resume functioning.

Skills: Hengeyokai in animal form receive a +10 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks

Shapechanger Subtype

A shapechanger has the supernatural ability to assume one or more alternate forms. Many magical effects allow some kind of shape shifting, and not every creature that can change shapes has the shapechanger subtype.

Traits: A shapechanger possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).