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Monday 5 February 2018

Anchor Cat (Prison Cats)

Anytime players see small cats in a dungeon, it's usually these buggers. Small, unassuming but they have a powerful effect, as they can virtually eliminate teleportation.

Anchor Cat
NG Medium Magical Beast
Init +9 Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +14
 DEFENSE
AC 15 touch 15, flat-footed 10 (+5 Dex)
hp 22hp (4d10+0 con)
Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +2
 OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Claw +9/+9 (1d3) Bite +5 (1d4)
Special Attack Pounce, Slow Bleed, Dimensional Anchor
 STATISTICS
Str 5, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 15
Base Atk +4 CMB +1 CMD 16
Feats Weapon Finesse (2 claws), Improved Initiative
Skills 8 Skill Points , +5 Acrobatics , +14 Perception , +16 Stealth

 ECOLOGY
Environment     Any land, usually in Settlements
Organization     Solitary
Treasure Value  None  
Advancement    5-12 HD (Small), 13-20 HD (Small)

 SPECIAL ABILITIES
Skills: Cats receive a +8 racial bonus to Stealth and Perception checks

Pounce (Ex): If an anchor 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.

Slow Bleed: Creatures struck or bit by an Anchor Cat have a long lasting bleed. Treat as a confirmed critical, roll 2d6 for the number of rounds they are affected. They bleed 1 dmg for every round. Any additional damage, adds 2d6 for the cumulative number of rounds they will continue to bleed. Any magical healing or effect used will immediately stop this bleeding. Affected creatures never have more than one bleeding woundm multiple attacks increase duration not the number of wounds.

Dimensional Anchor (Su): An anchor cat can block dimensional travel as dimensional anchor as a 17th level Sorcerer once per round as a free action. If the anchor cat can no longer see the target, the effect ends. The ability effects only a single target at a time; if the anchor cat uses this ability on a second target, the first target is freed from the effect. These cats understand magic and psionics and have a good chance of predicting who the caster will be to target their anchor effect on.

A tiny, furry, multi-coloured cat walks out into the room, and every prisoner in the yard seems to keep a safe distance from it.

There are many legends of where Anchor Cats came from but many scholars believe it was in ancient prisons, where the Tarrin, also known as the Eternal Ones, kept the first known unhuman prisoners.

Their origin story speaks of them as cats that were originally brought to Tarran to hunt for vermin. Over time they became linked to the Eternal plane, learning to absorb the prison energy to trap creatures, especially limiting others ability to teleport away, thus essentially anchoring them. After realizing the cats usefulness, the Tarrin made hunting trips to the mortal lands, letting the cats accompany them, and it was the cats that sometimes left their masters to inhabit the mortal planes, in communities all over various worlds.

On Nyssa they first became beloved pets of  the Elder Elves, then Tenderfeet and then to Horn-Kin. Few people fully know their capabilities, they simply accept that they are both pets and defenders, not just of typical vermin but other external and invisible threats.

Anchor cats care nothing about treasure or knowledge, only that their and their allies are not being trampled on. They don't need to be directly cared for, but that doesn't stop them looking for attention. They care little about alignment, only that their owner treats them well and it doesn't see their Master treat others badly.Many evil creatures with an affinity for animals could keep these protective animals in their care.

It is assumed every prison will have prison cats, even if they aren't anchor cats, it is considered bad luck if you go more than three days without seeing a cat.

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