Cactuar (3.5e Monster)

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	Cactuar
Size/Type:	Tiny Plant
Hit Dice:	9d8 - 18 (22 averaged 54 maximum hp)
Initiative:	12 (8 Dex, 4 Improved Inniative)
Speed:	60 ft (300 ft run action)
Armor Class:	33 ( 5 Natural, 10 Racial Dodge, 8 Dex, 2 size), touch 28, flat-footed 33
Base Attack/Grapple:	6/-2 (6 BAB, 0 Str, -8 Size)
Attack:	Needle +15 ranged (1d4 /19-20/X2)
Full Attack:	Needle +15/+10 ranged (1d4 /19-20/X2)
Space/Reach:	2 1/2 ft/2 1/2 ft
Special Attacks:	1,000 Needles, Uncanny Dodge, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, Improved Evasion, Mettle, Trap sense +2, Camouflage, Hide in Plain Sight
Special Qualities:	Low light vision, Darkvision 90 ft, Plant traits, Spell resistance 10
Saves:	Fort 4, Ref 16, Will 8 (Unlike normal plants, a cactuar also gains a good reflex saving throw)
Abilities:	Str 10, Dex 26, Con 6, Int 7, Wis 20, Cha 14
Skills:	Hide 7, Listen 4, Move Silently 6, Spot 5
Feats:	Improved Inniative, Run, Lightening reflexes, Point blank shot
Environment:	Warm desert
Organization:	Solitary, or Pair
Challenge Rating:	8
Treasure:	1d4 Cactuar fruits only.
Alignment:	Always Neutral
Advancement:	10-15 HD Jumbo Cactuar (Small), 16-25 HD Cactuar King (Large)
Level Adjustment:	-

At first glance, a green blur goes by, but a split second later it stops and what appears to be a humanoid shaped cactus plant is standing there. It has two small black holes that appear to be eyes and another tall but narrow hole in its hide that looks almost like a mouth in the shape of a "0". There are thousands of tiny razor sharp quills all over its body and it jitters nervously in place, looking as tho in a moments notice it will spook and run away.

Cactuars are tiny cactus creatures that are very nervous and dislike being around other creatures. Having been hunted for centuries by humanoids for the fleshy fruit that makes up their body, which is extremely valuable. Cactuar fruit can be eaten directly and and has a rejuvenative effect, immediately quenching the thirst and abating the hunger of anyone who eats it. When eaten, the fruit also grants a +8 bonus on fortitude saves made to resist any ill effect of hot weather or hot environments and on saves against poisons of any creature whose native environment is a desert. This effect lasts for 1 hour. Also, master potion makers can use the Cactuar fruit to make a potion that restores someone's youth and is known as a potion of youth.

Combat

Cactuars will generally use their normal needle attack to attack any creature threatening it. Every time a cactuar is struck for damage, it will counter attack in its following turn with its 1,000 needles attack against the creature that damaged it, and make one attempt to a full run action to flee the fight 1d3 rounds afterwards. If it gets out of sight of its attacker, it will attempt to hide using its racial abilities.

1,000 Needles (Ex) : When struck with any type of melee or ranged weapon, a Cactuar counter attacks with its 1,000 Needles attack. To do this, the Cactuar fires a seemingly endless barrage of needles at the target, making a ranged attack against the target that struck them for 10d4 damage and the subject is not entitled to a saving throw.

Camouflage: A Cactuar can use the Hide skill while in any sort of arid or desert terrain, even if the terrain does not grant cover or concealment.

Hide in plain sight: While in any sort of arid or desert terrain, a Cactuar can make hide checks even while being observed.

Skills: Cactuars gain a +8 racial bonus on hide checks and a +4 bonus on move silently checks made in an arid or desert terrain. These racial skill bonuses are not figured into the skill ranks given in the statistic block above.

Cactuar Fruits

The fleshy insides of a cactuar are a very sweet, good-tasting fruit that can be eaten directly and and has a rejuvenative effect, immediately quenching the thirst and abating the hunger of anyone who eats it. A normal, mature cactuar's body provides 1d4 servings, the very rare Jumbo cactuars body provides 3d4 servings, and the 'rare as a phoenix' Cactuar King's body provides 5d4 servings. When eaten, the fruit also grants a +8 bonus on fortitude saves made to resist any ill effect of hot weather or hot environments and on saves against poisons of any creature whose native environment is a desert. This effect lasts for 1 hour.

Because cactuars are such hard creatures to both find, and hit enough to kill before they run, cactuar fruit is in low supply anywhere, and as such, costs quite a lot. In a town that is of a 'Large town' size category, or larger that exist in an arrid or desert terrain, and that have cactuars naturally living within 10 miles of the city have a chance at DM discretion, that a local vendor might sell cactuar fruit as a desert provision. In such areas, cactuar fruit costs 2,000 gold per serving.

Outside of these areas close to its natural environment, cactuar fruit is even harder, if not impossible, to come by. Cactuar fruit is not available in any type of normal markets outside of the desert. It 'may' (at DM's discretion) be found in a black market, or in a highly magical market that is prone to selling bountiful amounts of major wondrous items. In such places, cactuar fruit is more commonly sold as a super-rare spell ingredient, generally for the potion of youth, and each serving costs 6,000 gold a piece. In each area, a cactuar fruit can be sold for roughly half of the local selling price.

The Potion of Youth

This treasured potion restores one creature to their physical prime. The character becomes their starting adulthood age for their race and rerolls for Simple Moderate or Complex modifier for either their current class (if applicable) or the class which they have the most levels in. For example, a Human Fighter 5/ Rogue 1 / Dualist 2 is currently a Dualist which has no age modifier listed, and since the character has more Fighter levels than anything, they would have their age reduced to 15 + 1d6 years old.

This removes penalties from aging, but leaves bonuses untouched. The drinker must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save for the potion to take effect. If the subject fails this save, than they return to their normal physical age on the following round and the potion has no effect. If the subject fails this save by more than 5 and if they have been effected by age reduction spells before, like restore youth or steal youth or have drank a potion of restore youth, or have ever had their age magically reduced by any other spell or effect like a Limited Wish, Wish or Miracle ever before this, then the subject regains all of their lost years. If this ages the subject past their normal life span, then they die immediately and if this amount is at least 5 years more than their normal life span, the subject also crumbles into a pile of dry, loose dust within a round.

Caster level: 15th; Prerequisites: Brew potion, Craft Wondrous Item, spellcaster level 13+; Restore Youth Market Price: 15,000 gp; Cost to create: 4 cactuar fruits, as well as 1,500 gp worth of other ingredients + 500 xp.

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