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Shazak Skinwing

by Jamie Baty

Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10+4 (26 hp)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares), fly 50 ft. (average)
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+11
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d4 +3)
Full Attack: 2 Claw +6 melee (1d4 +3) and bite +1 melee (2d4 +1)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: Listen +7, Spot +6
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Flyby attack(B)
Environment: Temperate, Warm land
Organisation: Solitary, or Flock (2-8)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Large); 9-12 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -

The skinwing is a reptilian, bat-like creature found in warm climates. A skinwing resembles a furless bat with dirty brown scales. Its wings are utterly hairless and resemble tough, leathery skin. A skinwing has large black eyes that function well in both dim and bright light. Skinwings have a wingspan of about three feet per Hit Die. Their bodies are quite small in comparison to their wings, usually about one foot long per Hit Die.
Orcs commonly keep these creatures as mounts. The lizardmen of Shazak sometimes use them as mounts, although they prefer to use giant bats.
While skinwings can be found almost anywhere, they prefer warmer climes, since they have a reptilian heritage. They live in caves, dark buildings, or heavily shrouded forests and feed during the day, when they are most active.
Skinwings are predators and scavengers. They will eat carrion and insects. The wings of a skinwing can be cured into a high quality leather.

A skinwing attacks with either its teeth or claws. If it uses its bite attack, it must either land, fly very slowly or have already grappled a foe. If the skinwing uses its claw attacks, it rakes its sharp claws across the top or back of its prey and flies out of range before the creature can retaliate. The flock usually attacks a single target, and each member gets an attack against that target. A flock of skinwings can bring down large prey using this manoeuvre. A skinwing usually will not attack man-sized or larger creatures unless it has been trained to do so.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a skinwing hits with both of its claw attacks, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the grapple succeeds, the skinwing may hold the victim and inflict claw damage automatically each round. After the hold is established with the claws, the skinwing may attempt to fly off with the victim in any following round (if it can carry the weight).

The Red Curse
Some skinwings (25%) have Legacies from Region 3. Typical skinwing Legacies include Anti-Missile and Gaseous Form. Skinwings do not require cinnabryl.