Fanged Eye
The theory behind this week’s Exotic Encounters was to create a new kind of familiar for witches and wizards with the Improved Familiar feat. Since most choices for an improved familiar tend to be small, winged, devil-like creatures, I thought it could be fun to create something which was equally frightening, but more exotic. Thus, I settled on a flying eyeball with a toothy mouth and sinister intentions. I hope you are ready to embrace this fearsome flying fellow, because I’m sure that the fanged eye will make a fine addition to any party.
Fanged Eye
What at first seemed to be a floating, disembodied eyeball is clearly revealed to be something else. Its spherical form is split in twain with wicked, needle-like fangs extending downward from the bifurcated iris.
FANGED EYE CR 2
XP 600
LE Fine outsider (native)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, see illusions; Perception +12
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 20, flat-footed 18 (+2 Dex, +8 size)
hp 13 (3d10-3)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +4
Defensive Abilities sight weakness
OFFENSE
Speed fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee bite +7 (1d2–4 plus poison)
Space 1/2 ft. Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks blinding bite, pierce illusion, poison
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd [CL 20th for vision], concentration +5 [+22 for vision])
3/day—invisibility purge, true strike
1/day—clairaudience/clairvoyance
1/week—vision
STATISTICS
Str 2, Dex 14, Con 9, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +3; CMB -9; CMD 3
Feats Alertness, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Fly +14, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (planes) +6, Perception +12, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +24
Languages Aklo, Common
SQ share vision
ECOLOGY
Terrain planes (Hell)
Organization solitary, pair, pack (3-8), or swarm (9 or more)
Treasure incidental
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Blinding Bite (Ex): Any living creature struck by the fanged eye’s bite attack becomes blinded for 1 minute. A successful Fortitude save (DC 10) reduces the duration of this blindness to 1 round. Creatures without eyes are immune to this effect. The saving throw DC is Constitution-based.
Pierce Illusion (Su): As a standard action, a fanged eye can attempt to dispel any illusion effect by staring intently at it. This functions identically to the spell dispel magic, except that it affects only illusion effects. The fanged eye makes its dispel check with a +10 bonus for the purposes of this ability.
Poison (Ex): Bite—injury; save Fort DC 10; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Int damage, and target is confused for 1 round if it suffers 2 points of Int damage in this way; cure 1 save.
A character affected by the fanged eye’s poison suffers a –4 penalty on saving throws made to resist its blinding bite special attack.
See Illusions (Su): A fanged eye’s incredible perception allows it to see the magic auras of illusion spells and effects as though it were affected by arcane sight, except that it can only see illusion spells and effects.
Share Vision (Su): As a full-round action, a fanged eye can designate a single creature within 30 feet to share its sight with. This bond lasts for 24 hours and cannot be broken by any means short of slaying the fanged eye. A fanged eye can only bond to a single individual in this way each day, and once the choice is made, it cannot be changed. While it is bonded to another individual in this way, that individual can choose to see through the fanged eye. While doing so, she temporarily becomes blinded to her own surroundings, but can see through the fanged eye, allowing her to see what the fanged eye sees and to make Perception and Sense Motive skill checks using either her bonus or the fanged eye’s bonus, whichever is higher. This ability functions over any distance, provided the fanged eye and the bonded individual are on the same plane.
Sight Weakness (Ex): A fanged eye suffers a –4 penalty on saving throws against spells and effects that rely on visual components.
Ecology
Fanged eyes are curious creatures said to have originated in one of the hells, where they can be seen flying about like packs of birds or swarms of insects. Though somewhat intelligent, the fanged eyes possess little in the way of an organized society, despite their tendency to gather in large numbers. Instead, they devote their intellects to personal cultivation and survival, an instinct that often leads them to seek escape from their netherworld home and into the Material Plane. Such trips are generally made in secret, and escaping alone and unnoticed is seen as a great accomplishment by fanged eyes.
Typically, fanged eyes seek out partnerships with evil humanoids once on the Material Plane, serving as scouts, spies, and pathfinders in exchange for protection and a position of prestige. For these reasons, they favor joining forces with wizards, serving as a bonded familiar, or else joining with particularly fearsome (but not especially clever) warriors, whom they can easily manipulate. Though rare, it is not unheard of for a fanged eye to join forces with a good humanoid, provided that they are able to find some common ground.
Familiar: A fanged eye can be selected as an improved familiar by a character of at least 7th level with the Improved Familiar feat.