Raikou (3.5e Monster)



This saber-toothed tiger eyes you warily as you approach, then bounds away, letting a lightning bolt loose as it leaps.

Ho-Oh. Thought by some to be a reincarnated Jolteon, what is certain is that Raikou once perished in a terrible blaze, but was resurrected by Ho-Oh. Now Raikou runs wildly around the land of Johto, bringing lightning with it wherever it goes.]]

Combat
Much like its siblings Entei and Suicune, Raikou is very skittish (never mind that it has more than enough power to brutally murder the shit out of almost anything that displeases it), and would much rather flee from a confrontation than stay and fight. However, if forced to do battle, then Raikou will launch lightning at its adversaries from the cloud on its back and bite at them with its cruel, vicious fangs.

 : Like most cats and catlike creatures, Raikou is able to make a full attack from a charge.

 : Raikou's bite is really, really unpleasant to get hit by. Any creature hit by Raikou's bite attack must succeed on a DC 20 Will save (Strength-based) or become stunned for 1 round. This is a [Dark] effect.

 : As a standard action, Raikou may attempt to unsettle opponents and make them open up their guard a bit. Its menacing stare affects all targets within a 30-foot cone that meet Raikou's gaze, forcing them to succeed on a Will save (DC 21, Wisdom-based) or gain damage susceptibility 3/physical for 5 rounds. This is treated as a gaze attack, and thus can be avoided in any of the same ways that a gaze attack can be, but it is not continuously active; Raikou has to consciously choose to use it. (It's just like a vampire's dominating gaze in that respect.) Leer is a [Fear, Mind-Affecting] effect, with all of the capabilities and limitations that are implied by said descriptors (for instance, Raikou's wasting its time by trying to use Leer on a mindless creature or a paladin).

 : As a standard action, Raikou may launch a spark of electricity as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 100 feet. If this attack connects, it does 2d8+5 electricity damage (the +5 is Raikou's Charisma modifier). This is an [Electric] effect.

 : Raikou may let loose a savage roar as a standard action. All who hear Raikou's roar must succeed on a Will save (DC 22, Charisma-based) or become panicked and flee from Raikou at top speed. This is a [Fear, Mind-Affecting] effect, and targets must actually be able to hear Raikou for this ability to work (tremorsense that's so keen that it can function like a sense of hearing doesn't count). Raikou typically uses Roar as a backup plan to get out of a fight when it isn't able to flee itself. Only if Roar proves ineffective does Raikou begin trying to incapacitate the enemy, using all of the means at its disposal.

 : As a swift action, Raikou may use haste on itself and gain an additional standard or move action per round. (Normally, Quick Attack would grant the Spring Attack feat, but Raikou already has it.) It may deactivate both effects as another swift action. These boosts can only be active for a total of 40 rounds/day. This is a [Normal] effect.

 : Raikou may charge up its body when making a slam attack, inflicting an extra 1d12 electricity damage and forcing the target to make a DC 20 save against paralysis (the save DC is Strength-based).

' :''' As a standard action, Raikou may set up a mystical screen. This mystical screen is a flat, vertical plane that is exactly like a wall of force (and, like wall of force, is treated as a 5th-level spell), except for three key differences. First the area of the Reflect screen is twice that of a wall of force (one 20-foot square per level). Second, a Reflect screen doesn't actually prevent anything from passing through. Instead, it blunts the force of any physical attack (whether melee or ranged) that is initiated within the screen or passes through it, so that the damage it inflicts is cut in half (before applying other factors that might reduce the damage, such as damage reduction). Third, unlike a wall of force, a Reflect screen can be suppressed by an antimagic field. The screen remains for 5 rounds, and Raikou cannot set up a new Reflect screen while it already has one in effect.

 : Raikou's bite is powerful enough to smash bones. Raikou's bite attack deals damage as though it was one size category larger, and forces any creature struck by it to succeed on a DC 20 Fortitude save (the save DC is Strength-based). A creature that fails the Fortitude save loses 1 point of natural armor, 1 point of damage reduction, and 1 point of martial defense for 1 minute. Another successful Crunch reduces the target's natural armor, damage reduction, and martial defense by a further 1 (to a maximum penalty of &minus;6) and refreshes the duration. This is a [Dark] effect.

 (Su): Raikou's bite attack inflicts an additional 1d10 electricity damage, and a failure of 4 or more on a DC 20 Fortitude save (Strength-based) causes the target to become numbed. This is an [Electric] effect.

 : Anyone who makes an attack against Raikou must make a Will save vs. DC 22 after the attack is resolved. If they fail, they become fatigued for 3 rounds. If already fatigued, they become Exhausted instead. This applies to any harmful ability, whether it be a regular attack, a spell, a supernatural ability, or anything else that targets Raikou or includes it in the area of effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

For reasons that will never be explained, Cranidos, Rampardos, Reshiram, Zekrom, White Kyurem, Black Kyurem, and some specimens of Pinsir are immune to this. Scholars and loremasters, if they even know of this, would be puzzled for many years.

Advancement
At 18 HD, Raikou learns  . As a standard action usable once every 1d3 rounds, Raikou may emit a massive electrical discharge affecting all squares within 30 feet of it per 10 HD (minimum 30 feet). All creatures in the area take 1d10 electricity damage per 2 HD Raikou has, with a Reflex save allowed for half (the save DC is Charisma-based). Creatures who fail the save by 5 or more are paralyzed. This is an [Electric] effect.

At 21 HD, Raikou learns ' PS undefined'''. As a standard action, it overloads the senses of a single opponent within Medium Range, doing 1d8 damage per Hit Die and stunning that opponent for 1d4&minus;1 rounds. A Will save is allowed to halve the damage and negate the stun (save DC is Charisma-based). This is equivalent to a 7th-level power. This is a [Psychic] effect.

At 23 HD, Raikou learns  . As a swift action, it may replicate the effects of the Drizzle feat (even though Raikou isn't a Water-type Pokémon), except that Raikou's rain ends after 5 rounds have passed.

At 26 HD, Raikou learns ' PS undefined'''. As a standard action, Raikou may meditate and gain a +1 insight bonus to Wisdom and Charisma for 2 minutes. It may repeat this as many times as it wishes, with each usage increasing the bonus by +1 (to a maximum of 6) and resetting the duration. This is the equivalent of a 2nd-level power.

At 28 HD, Raikou learns  . This operates just like a Raichu's Thunder, except that Raikou may use Thunder without any backup; by default, Raikou is treated as though it had the support of 1 Pikachu per 3 HD plus 1 additional Pikachu per point of Charisma bonus when performing its Thunder attack. This is in addition to any actual support from Pikachus or equivalent creatures that Raikou may have. This is an [Electric] effect.