Blink Dog
CR 2, LG Medium Magical beast
Senses: Perception 7, Darkvision 60, Low Light Vision, ScentThis special quality allows a creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. The creature can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range. When a creature detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed-only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. When the creature is within 5 feet of the source, it pinpoints the source's location. A creature with the scent ability can follow tracks by smell with a perception check instead of using the Track skill.
Speed: 40 ft. Skills: Stealth 7, Nature 2
Languages: Sylvan
Ability Scores: Str 12 (+5), Dex 15 (+6), Con 14 (+6), Int 10 (+4), Wis 13 (+5), Cha 11 (+4)
INIT: +2 CP: +3 HP: 22 (3d10+6) SA: 5 DC: 15
AC: 14 Touch: 12 Flat-footed: 12 [+2 Dodge, +2 Natural]
SR: -- Vulnerable: -- Resistant: -- Bypass: --
Immunity: -- Effect Immunity: --
Area Effect Resistance (su) - The Blink Dog takes half damage from fall and area effect damage. Force spells and abjuration affect it normally.
Blink (su) - The Blink Dog continually blinks between the Material and Ethereal plane. When targeted by an attack or spell, there's a 50/50 chance the Blink Dog will actually be in the Material plane (d20, odd = Material Plane, even = Ethereal Plane). If it is in the ethereal plane, the attack misses automatically. The creature can time its attack for the material plane. When it attacks, roll d20 twice. The attack hits if either result comes up odd.
Combat Reflexes (ex) - The Blink Dog gets a number of reactions equal to its dexterity bonus.
Ethereal Movement (su) - While in the ethereal plane, the Blink Dog can move through solid objects. Every five feet of movement through solid objects check to see if the Blink Dog materializes in the material plane. If so, it is shunted out of the wall taking 1d6 damage per 5 feet traveled.
Unexpected (su) - Because of its blink ability, opponents are always flat-footed against the Blink Dog's attacks unless they can see into the ethereal plane (as with True Seeing).
Constant Spell-Like Abilities (Sp) - The following spells are always active: Blink
Attacks
- Melee (Natural) - 1 x bite +4 (1d6+1). Reach: 5 ft.
- Spell Like Abilities (At Will)
Environment: temperate plains or forests
Organization: None
Treasure: incidental
This sleek canine has a coarse, tawny coat, pointed ears, and pale eyes. A faint blue nimbus seems to dance upon its fur.
Though they resemble sleek, long-eared canines, blink dogs are as smart as humans. As social creatures, blink dogs travel in large packs, roaming forests and plains, running off evil creatures, and hunting for phase spiders- one of their natural enemies. Despite their intelligence and friendly natures, blink dogs tend to avoid humanoids, keeping their packs either hidden or frequently on the move. This shyness doesn't keep the blink dogs from helping out when needed, however, and they have been known to come to the rescue of a prairie village in their territory. Packs are typically led by an older, experienced male or female, called an alpha. Blink dogs are fiercely loyal, defending their own pack or creatures they befriend to the death, and maintaining oaths handed down from litter to litter. Honor is paramount to blink dogs, and different packs often have unique traditions (such as whether a pack's alpha is male or female, or an oath to always protect and aid a particular humanoid race like elves or half lings) in addition to those shared by most blink dogs. Blink dogs have a great interest in the stars and movements of celestial bodies. Through their myths and folklore, blink dogs have names for constellations, and through this zodiac they note the seasons, births under auspicious stars, and omens from unusual stellar conjunctions. Blink dog names often contain a reference to a specific constellation under which the dog was born. Blink dogs stand nearly 3 feet at the shoulder and weigh upward of 180 pounds. They can live up to 75 years. They use their abilities to quickly surround prey, and make use of flanking to deal with especially dangerous opponents-particularly creatures like phase spiders. Blink Dog Sages A pack's alpha selects the wisest and most intelligent member of the pack to serve as its sage. This blink dog often has sorcerer levels (typically with the celestial or destined bloodline) and is charged with maintaining the long-running oral histories of the pack, which extend back for centuries and link the packs together. A blink dog sage also decides when a pup is old enough to join his first hunt, performs birth and burial rites, and counsels the alpha on the meaning of omens or upon tactical matters involving interactions with neighboring races and creatures. In some packs, the sage is the alpha's mate, while in others the sage is always a gray-muzzled elder hound beyond breeding age.
