120
Legacy of the Dragons
Witchraven Small Magical Beast Hit Dice: 3d10 (16 hp), dying/dead –1/–11 Initiative: +2 Speed: 10 feet, fly 50 feet (average) AC: 14 (+1 size, +2 Dexterity, +1 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/–2 Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d3–1) Full Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d3–1) Space/Reach: 5 feet/5 feet (Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet) Special Attacks: Paralysis, curse Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 feet, SR 11, aid witchery Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3 Abilities: Str 8, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 15 Skills: Move Silently +5, Sneak +6, Spot +5 Feats: Defensive Move, Focused Healing, Weapon Finesse Environment: Any Organization: Solitary or murder (6–13) Challenge Rating: 2 Treasure: Standard Advancement: 4 HD (Small); 5–9 HD (Medium) Level Adjustment: — In a ritual handed down through familial ties, some witches can call upon the services of a witchraven, a creature that is a boon to the witch and a bane to virtually anyone else. The witchraven serves a witch for a year and a day as a companion, assistant, and—if need be—defender. In exchange, the witch provides the witchraven with food, shelter, and safety for the same period. Most people consider witchravens a bad omen when sighted. They have a sinister reputation, perhaps unfairly so. In the wild, they keep to themselves and feed on rodents and small animals. Witchravens are found mainly in magical areas: around witchery sites, akashic nodes, power cysts, ancient tombs, and so forth. Aeons ago, witchravens were a powerful and intelligent race of avian creature that dwelled in the Lands of the Diamond Throne. They committed a heinous crime in those long-lost days, however, offending the gods of the Denotholan (see “The Gods and Religions” section in Chapter One of The Diamond Throne). Their subsequent curse relegated them to the position of servants to the races that would follow, but only those who could understand them. The verrik’s discovery of witchcraft finally allowed people to communicate with the creatures and work with them. Before that time, they were a menace and a nuisance, but one rarely encountered. Despite
the fact that their destiny revolves around an ancient curse, witchravens do not seem to object to their role. They form sincere bonds with the witches who call them. Witchravens are indistinguishable from other ravens except for their size—they stand 3 feet tall—and an unnerving aura. Witches can use the Sight to tell a witchraven from a normal but prodigious raven. Some people compare witchravens to the verrik, saying that witchravens are to other birds what verrik are to other humanoid races. Most verrik take that as a compliment. It’s unknown what witchravens think of such a statement. Witchravens speak Common, although they usually talk only to each other and to witches.
Combat Witchravens tend to fight defensively. They use their paralysis ability against the first foe that meets their gaze, then attempt to fly away. A witchraven only uses its curse ability against a creature that has wronged it. Paralysis (Su): Once per day, the witchraven can paralyze one foe it can see within 60 feet, unless the creature makes a Will saving throw (DC 13). The paralysis lasts for 1d6+4 rounds. The saving throw DC is Charisma based. Curse (Su): Once per day, the witchraven can curse one foe it can see within 60 feet, unless the creature makes a Will saving throw (DC 13). The affected creature suffers a –2 penalty on attacks, saves, and checks until the curse is removed. The saving throw DC is Charisma based. Aid Witchery (Su): Witches within 30 feet of a witchraven can use all witchery powers as if they were two levels higher than their actual level. Further, three times per day, the witchraven can concentrate (requiring a standard action) during the same round as a witch within 30 feet uses a witchery power to grant the power’s saving throw DC (if any) a +2 bonus and double its range and duration (if any).
Master Witchravens Instead of serving witches, sometimes a witchraven can be a witch itself. These masters often have some distinguishing physical characteristic, such as a red tuft of feathers around their eyes, yellow tips to their wings, and so on. Such witchravens always have at least one level of witch (often wind or ice witch) and an additional racial bonus of +2 to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. They have maximum hit points on their witchraven Hit Dice, but not on their witch class Hit Dice. Their witchery powers are aided by their own presence, and they gain a further +1 bonus to their witchery powers’ saving throw DCs (if any). In addition, the powers’ range and duration (if any) double for every three normal witchravens within 30 feet. (Normal
