Tauric Creature

A tauric creature is a hybrid being possessing the head, arms, and upper torso of a humanoid, and the legs and lower body of an animal, beast, or vermin. Some are created as the result of magical experiments or as divine punishment for failing their deities. Tauric creatures of the same kind form a unique race with its own culture, language, and religion. Tauric creatures are not to be confused with two-legged humanoid/creature hybrids such as the minotaur or the satyr, which have different traits from their apparent component creatures. Tauric creatures speak the languages of both of their component creatures, as well as any language they have developed as a people.

Creating A Tauric Creature

"Tauric" is a template that combines two creatures into one hybrid creature. The template can be added to any Small or Medium-size corporeal humanoid (referred to hereafter as the base humanoid) and any Medium-size or Large corporeal animal, beast, or vermin with at least four legs (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A tauric creature's type changes to monstrous humanoid. It otherwise uses all the base creature's attributes and special abilities except as noted below.

Size: Same as base creature.

Hit Dice: Add the base humanoid's and base creature's Hit Dice to get the tauric creature's Hit Dice, each of which changes to a d8. A humanoid that normally has a class instead of Hit Die counts as a 1-HD creature.

AC: A tauric creature has the natural armor bonus of the base creature or the base humanoid, whichever is better.

Attacks and Damage: A tauric creature retains the natural weapons and base damage of the base humanoid and the base creature, provided that the tauric creature's physical form is capable of delivering those attacks. The absence of the base creature's head always results in the loss of the base creature's bite attack. If the creature loses its primary attack in this fashion, all of its remaining natural attacks are still secondary. A tauric creature has the base attack bonus of a monstrous humanoid of the tauric creature's total non-class Hit Dice.

Special Attacks: A tauric creature retains the special attacks of the base humanoid and the base creature, provided that the tauric creature is capable of delivering the attack. The absence of the base creature's head always results in the loss of the base creature's breath weapon or gaze attack.

Special Qualities: A tauric creature retains the special qualities of the base humanoid and the base creature.

Saves: For each saving throw, use the base save for either the base creature or the base humanoid, whichever is higher.

Abilities: A tauric creature uses the base humanoid's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, and it uses the base creature's Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores.

Skills: A tauric creature gains skill points as a monstrous humanoid of its non-class Hit Dice. Treat skills from both the base creatures list and the base humanoid's list as class skills. If the creature has a class, it gains skill points for class levels normally.

Feats: A tauric creature gains feats as a monstrous humanoid of its nonclass Hit Dice. It favors the feats of the base creature and the base humanoid.

Climate/Terrain: Same as either base humanoid or base creature, whichever is more restrictive.

Organization: Same as either base humanoid or base creature, whichever uses the smaller number ranges.

Challenge Rating: Same as base creature.

Treasure: Same as base humanoid.

Alignment: Same as base humanoid.

Advancement: By character class of base humanoid.

Sample Tauric Creature: Tauric Hobgoblin-Griffon.


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