General Rules: Monsters - Dune Beast

Dune Beast (adapted from Dungeon Crawl Classics #45: Malice of the Medusa)
Medium Magical Beast

Hit Dice: 2d10+2 (13 hit points)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 feet, climb 30 feet
Armor Class: 13 (+2 Dexterity, +1 natural); touch 12, flat-footed 11
BAB/Grapple: +2/+4

Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d6+3 plus dehydration, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2)

Full Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d6+3 plus dehydration, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2)

Space/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet
Special Attacks: Dehydration

Special Qualities: Improved tracker, low-light vision, scent

Saves: Fortitude +4, Reflex +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Cha 4

Skills: Climb +10, Listen +3, Spot +8

Feats: Skill Augmentation (Listen and Spot)
Environment: Any desert

Organization: Solitary or troop (10 - 40)

Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 2 - 3 Hit Dice (Medium)

Dune beasts were at one time normal baboons, but they have long since been tainted by some infernal power. Now they are vicious and ever-hungry predators, scouring the desert for victims large and small. Not even human villages are safe from their plague, and people live in constant fear of the night that a troop of dune beasts will descend upon their community.

A dune beast has a simian face with a broad drooling mouth filled with large teeth, while two large orbs that gleam like burning embers serve as the creature's eyes. Its body is bony and slender, with a red abrasive skin pulled tightly over a jutting ribcage and long, powerful limbs.

Dune beasts require no fresh water and derive all their hydration from the blood of their victims. Indeed, they loath fresh water and avoid even its proximity.

Combat
Dune beasts usually attack in groups, seeking to overwhelm foes through sheer weight of numbers. fearless in the assault, they often attack prey much larger than themselves. They are also patient, and will stalk a wounded creature for miles until they succumb to dehydration..

Improved Tracker (Ex): Dune beasts use Spot checks instead of Survival checks to follow their quarry's trail.

Dehydration (Ex): The saliva of a dune beast carries a powerful poison that causes the victim to suffer terrible dehydration. The poison takes 1d4 minutes to take effect, dealing 1d6 points of nonlethal damage and causing the victim to become exhausted. A successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 14) halves the damage and reduces the exhaustion of fatigue. The subject must make an additional Fortitude saving throw each hour to avoid additional nonlethal damage until he drinks at least a liter of fresh water.

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