Marrutact (CR 5)
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Alignment: Usually neutral
Initiative: +5; Senses: Listen +8
Languages: Marru
AC: 19 (+1 Dex, +4 natural, +4 mage armor), touch 11, flat-footed 18
Hit Dice: 7d8+7 (38 hp)
Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +9
Speed: 30 ft.
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +7; Grapple +7
Attack: Masterwork staff +8 melee
Full Attack: Masterwork staff +8/+3 melee
Damage: Masterwork staff 1d6
Special Attacks/Actions: Howl of healing, spells
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 16
Special Qualities: Marruspawn traits, SR 16
Feats: Combat Expertise; Dodge; Improved Initiative
Skills: Concentration +11, Hide +11, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (geography) +14, Knowledge (history) +14, Listen +8, Spellcraft +16, and Survival +4 (+6 to keep from getting lost or avoid hazards)
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Warm deserts
Organization: Solitary, party (1 plus 2 marrusaults plus 1 marrulurk), or troop (1-2 plus 2-3 marrulurks plus 6-11 marrusaults)
Treasure/Possessions: Standard
Source:
Sandstorm
Howl of Healing (Su): Once per day, a marrutact can loose a regenerative howl as a free action. All marruspawn pledged to the howling marruract within 30 feet heal 3d8+5 points of damage. Those within 10 feet heal an extra 1d8+1 points of damage.
Spells: A marrutact casts spells as a 5th-level wizard.
Typical Wizard Spells Prepared (caster level 5th): 0 - daze (DC 14), disrupt undead, mage hand, resistance; 1st - mage armor, magic missile (2), true strike; 2nd - detect thoughts (DC 16), see invisibility, mirror image; 3rd - dispel magic, fireball (DC 17).
Though different types of marruspawn have unique individual abilities, the race as a whole enjoys several common traits.
Discriminating Hearing (Ex): A marruspawn can hear across great distances with ease, gaining a +4 racial bonus on Listen checks. A marruspawn's hearing is so sensitive that it can sense the presence of most creatures merely by the sound of their breathing, their heartbeat, or their movement if they are within 30 feet.
When a marruspawn detects a noise, the exact location of the source is not revealed - only its presence somewhere within range. A marruspawn can take a move action to note the direction of the sound. Whenever a marruspawn comes within 5 feet of the source, it can pinpoint the sound's location. Undead, constructs, and other creatures that have no metabolism are not subject to being detected by discriminating hearing unless they move-in any round when they move, they are detectable by the sound they make while moving through the air or shuffling along the ground. Only incorporeal creatures are completely undetectable, unless they wish to be detected.
Resistance to Dessication (Ex): Centuries of life in the waste afford marruspawn the ability to cope with thirst and reduced fluid intake. A marruspawn thus gains resistance to dessication damage 10. Whenever a marruspawn is subject to magical dessication damage, that damage is reduced by 10 before being applied to the marruspawn's hit points.
A marruspawn also takes no nonlethal or lethal damage from failing Constitution checks to avoid becoming dehydrated, although it might still become fatigued if it fails a check. If a marruspawn ever becomes dehydrated, whether due to natural causes or another effect (such as a spell), it needs to drink only a mouthful of water to lose that condition. A marruspawn also requires only half as much water in a day as is normally required for a creature of its size.
Resistance to Fire (Ex): Bred to withstand magic artillery, a marruspawn enjoys an inborn resistance to fire 5.
Low-Light Vision (Ex): A marruspawn can see twice as far as humans in conditions of poor illumination.
Marruracts prefer to give orders in a conflict rather than physically enter melee themselves, though they use their spells and special abilities to support their troops as necessary.