Drakken (4e Monster)

Author: Dracomortis (talk) Date Created: January 28, 2012 Status: In progress Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Drakken (both the singular and plural form of the creatures) are animal whose ancestry contains trace amounts of dragon blood. This gives drakken an unmistakeably draconic appearance, although they are otherwise still mundane beasts with no supernatural abilities. Drakkensteeds (Draconomicon 2) are a type of drakken believed to be descended from horses.

Huitzil

Despite their awkward appearance, huitzils are quite agile. Image by James Zhang

Originally descended from birds, huitzils are mischievous creatures that hoard shiny objects and other trinkets. They aren't generally aggressive but can be a nuisance to those that don't feel like sharing their possessions.

Huitzil Level 1 Minion Skirmisher
Tiny natural beast (reptile) XP 25
Initiative +5	Senses Perception +5; low-light vision
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 15; Fortitude 12, Reflex 15, Will 12
Speed 2, fly 8 (hover)
Traits
Fluttering Distraction ♦ Aura 1
Enemies in the aura grant combat advantage to the huitzil and its allies.
Standard Actions
Bite (at-will)
Attack: Melee 0 (one creature); +6 vs. AC Hit: 3 damage.
Divebomb (at-will)
Effect: The huitzil moves up to its speed and makes an attack. Attack: Melee 0 (one creature); +4 vs. Reflex Hit: 6 damage. Miss: The huitzil crashes in a square adjacent to the target and dies.
Alignment Unaligned	Languages —
Skills Thievery +8
Str 8 (–1)	Dex 17 (+3)	Wis 11 (+0)
Con 10 (+0)	Int 2 (–4)	Cha 8 (–1)

Huitzil Tactics

A huitzil only attacks if provoked, and even then it prefers to flee if it can, hoping to come back later when the coast is clear to acquire any treasures it might have spotted. They use divebomb only if they absolutely cannot escape combat. When attacking in flocks, a few huitzils stay near a target to make use of their fluttering distraction aura while the rest grab any items of interest.

Phynxkin

Description. Image by Eric Deschamps

Phynxkin are drakken combining the traits of dragons and hunting cats. They are patient and stealthy predators that have been known to follow prey for days, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The dire phynxkin is essentially a larger and more powerful version of the same creature.

Phynxkin Level 2 Lurker
Medium natural beast (reptile) XP 125
Initiative +7	Senses Perception +6; low-light vision
HP 32; Bloodied 16
AC 16; Fortitude 14, Reflex 14, Will 12; see also draconic resistance
Speed 8
Traits
Draconic Resistance
The phynxkin gains a +2 bonus to all defenses against attacks with the Arcane keyword.
Stalker
The phynxkin can make a Stealth check against any enemy that it has cover or concealment against, not just superior cover or total concealment.
Standard Actions
Bite (at-will)
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +7 vs. AC Hit: 2d6 + 3 damage.
Claw (at-will)
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +7 vs. AC Hit: 1d6 + 3 damage.
Pounce (at-will)
Effect: The phynxkin charges an enemy. If the phynxkin has combat advantage, cover, or concealment against the target, it makes two claw attacks in addition to its basic melee attack.
Alignment Unaligned	Languages —
Skills Stealth +8
Str 13 (+2)	Dex 15 (+3)	Wis 11 (+1)
Con 14 (+3)	Int 2 (–3)	Cha 8 (+0)

Dire Phynxkin Level 4 Lurker
Large natural beast (reptile) XP 175
Initiative +9	Senses Perception +8; low-light vision
HP 46; Bloodied 23
AC 18; Fortitude 16, Reflex 17, Will 15; see also draconic resistance
Speed 8
Traits
Draconic Resistance
The dire phynxkin gains a +2 bonus to all defenses against attacks with the Arcane keyword.
Stalker
The dire phynxkin can make a Stealth check against any enemy that it has cover or concealment against, not just superior cover or total concealment.
Standard Actions
Bite (at-will)
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +6 vs. AC Hit: 2d8 + 4 damage.
Claw (at-will)
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +6 vs. AC Hit: 1d6 + 4 damage.
Pounce (at-will)
Effect: The dire phynxkin charges an enemy. If the dire phynxkin has combat advantage, cover, or concealment against the target, it makes two claw attacks in addition to its basic melee attack.
Alignment Unaligned	Languages —
Skills Stealth +10
Str 15 (+4)	Dex 17 (+5)	Wis 13 (+3)
Con 16 (+5)	Int 2 (–2)	Cha 8 (+1)

Phynxkin Tactics

A phynxkin patiently stalks its prey, waiting until it reaches a region with plenty of hiding spots. It then strikes with pounce and retreats back into cover, relying on its draconic resistance to withstand any magical counterattack its foes might launch. The phynxkin continues to attack from hiding at uneven intervals to prevent its target from predicting when the next attack will come.

Drakken Lore

A character knows the following information with a successful Arcana or Nature check.

DC 15:

DC 20:

DC 25:

Encounter Groups

Dragonborn, kobolds, and the more intelligent varieties of dragonspawn often keep huitzils as pets or familiars, due to their shared draconic heritage. They are not otherwise frequently found in the permanent company of other creatures, although their curious nature means they could be encountered pestering virtually anyone or anything. Phynxkin are highly valued as guardians but adapt poorly to urban environments, so their use is limited primarily to those races that live in wilderness regions like elves and eladrin.

Level 1 Encounter (XP 500) — Dragonborn Keepers

• 4 huitzils (level 1 minion skirmisher)
• 1 kobold dragonshield (level 2 soldier, Monster Manual pg. 168)
• 3 kobold slingers (level 1 artillery, Monster Manual pg. 168)

Level 2 Encounter (XP 625) — Defenders of the Wood

• 2 phynxkin (level 2 lurker)
• 2 wilden destroyers (level 2 soldier, Monster Manual 3 pg. 206)
• 1 wilden hunter (level 2 lurker, Monster Manual 3 pg. 207)

Level 5 Encounter (XP 950) — Fey Hunters

• 2 dire phynxkin (level 4 lurker)
• 3 eladrin arcane archers (level 5 artillery)
• 1 spring nymph (level 5 controller, Monster Manual 3 pg. 151)

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