Zilvogel
Sometimes, the most memorable opponents come in small packages. I think that today’s Exotic Encounter has the chance to fulfill this idiom, as players are likely to either want to adopt the little metallic birds, or else inflict untold torments upon them for daring to steal their favorite trinkets.
Zilvogel
This small songbird appears to be made entirely of silver, its metallic feathers more closely resembling scales as they gleam in the light. A large, tufted crest emerges from the top of its head, just above its crystal-blue, piercing eyes.
ZILVOGEL CR 3
XP 800
N Tiny magical beast
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, +2 size)
hp 30 (4d10+8)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2
Defensive Abilities gleaming feathers; SR 14
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee bite +9 (1d4–1), 2 claws +9 (1d3–1 plus snatch)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks fascinating tune, snatch
STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 16
Base Atk +4; CMB +1 (+5 disarm or steal); CMD 14
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Skills Perception +8, Perform (sing) +9; Racial Modifiers +6 Perform (sing)
SQ burst of speed
ECOLOGY
Environment warm forests
Organization solitary, pair, chorus (3–12), choir (13–60)
Treasure incidental
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Burst of Speed (Ex): Once per hour, as a swift action, a zilvogel can draw upon deep reserves of energy in order to give a particularly impressive sprint, increasing its fly speed to 120 feet (average) for 1 minute.
Fascinating Tune (Su): As a standard action, a zilvogel can sing a beautiful song that fascinates nearby creatures. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 60 feet, able to see and hear the zilvogel, and capable of paying attention to it. The zilvogel makes a Perform (sing) check, the result of which is the DC of the Will saves that each creature within range must make to avoid becoming fascinated by the zilvogel for as long as it continues its performance. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw is immune to this effect for 24 hours. Zilvogels are immune to their own fascinating tunes, as well as the fascinating tunes of other zilvogels. This is a mind-affecting sonic-dependent compulsion effect.
Gleaming Feathers (Ex): A zilvogel’s feathers are highly reflective, protecting it from the effects of bright lights. Whenever the zilvogel is the target of a spell or ability with the light descriptor, or is within the area of such an effect, it can redirect any harmful aspects of that effect back at their originator, leaving it unaffected and forcing the source of the spell or ability to suffer its effects, instead. The spell or ability still offers a saving throw, spell resistance, and other means of resistance as normal.
Snatch (Ex): Famed pilferers, a zilvogel can make a disarm or steal combat maneuver check as a free action whenever it hits a creature with one of its claw attacks. It can only disarm or steal objects of its own size or smaller. Disarm and steal combat maneuver checks made in this way do not provoke attacks of opportunity. This ability also grants the zilvogel a +4 racial bonus on disarm and steal combat maneuver checks, which is included in its statistics, above.
Ecology
Although admired by many for their beautiful plumage, which looks for all the world like gleaming silver, those that have ever interacted with a zilvogel in the wild tend to find the creatures to be pests and nuisances, at best, and outright dangerous at worst. The creatures are strongly attracted to all things shiny and metallic (whether this is a result of their unique gleaming feathers, or whether they developed their coloration because of this predisposition is unknown), and will go quite far out of their way to acquire such items. While zilvogels mostly display only standard animal-level intelligence, when it comes to seeking out trinkets with which to line their nests, they are positively devious in their cunning, and have been known to work together in groups, with one or more “decoy” zilvogels distracting humanoid victims with their beautiful songs, while other zilvogels proceed to steal their brightest and shiniest baubles.