Fiend-Bred Animal, Stygian Hot-Blooded HorseThis dark horse has striking coloring and a ferocious look in its bloodshot eyes.Stygian Hot-Blooded Horse CR 2Source Pathfinder #103: The Hellfire Compact pg. 86
XP 600
N Large animal
Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +5DefenseAC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +3 natural, –1 size)
hp 22 (3d8+9)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2
Defensive Abilities shifting trotOffenseSpeed 50 ft.
Melee bite +4 (1d8+3), 2 hooves –1 (1d6+1)
Space 10 ft., Reach 5 ft.StatisticsStr 17, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB +6; CMD 18 (22 vs. trip)
Feats Intimidating Prowess, RunB, Skill Focus (Stealth)
Skills Intimidate +4, Perception +5, Stealth +5
SQ docile, smoke resistanceEcologyEnvironment temperate or warm plains
Organization solitary
Treasure noneSpecial AbilitiesDocile (Ex) Unless specifically trained for combat (see the Handle Animal skill), a stygian hot-blooded horse’s hooves are treated as secondary attacks.
Shifting Trot (Ex) When taking the withdraw action, a stygian hot-blooded horse treats the first 2 squares it leaves as not threatened by any opponent it can see.
Smoke Resistance (Ex) Nonmagical smoke doesn’t impair a stygian hot-blood’s sight (creatures in smoke do not gain concealment from it), and it gains a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves to avoid coughing and choking because of nonmagical smoke.DescriptionAccording to a tale, a Keleshite summoner named al-Aziz Bedaya made a deal with Savu, a nightmare lord hailing from the banks of the River Styx. In the deal, Savu allowed two of his bodyguards to each sire a colt with mortal Keleshite mares. The resulting hybrids— one coal-black with a blood-red mane and tail, the other dark gray with a fiery-orange mane and tail—became the legendary founding specimens of the two strains of the stygian hot-blooded horses. Combat-trained stygian hot-blooded horses fetch prices of up to 1,500 gp apiece.
Other than their unusual coloration, stygian hotblooded horses’ most distinctive characteristics are arched necks, refined heads, and high-held tails. The horses’ meat has the flavor of smoked chili peppers and is considered a delicacy in many cultures, although their Keleshite breeders consider it an abomination to consume such fare. Stygian hot-blooded horses are bred to be fast, spirited war horses. Quieter and more intelligent than most horses, they’re also ideal for raids that require stealth.
Stygian hot-blooded horses stand 5 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh approximately 1,000 pounds.Creatures in "Fiend-Bred Animal" CategorySource Pathfinder #103: The Hellfire Compact pg. 86
Fiend-bred animals are pedigreed varieties of animals whose bloodlines include an animal-like fiend. The breeders of these creatures typically use a conjuration spell of the calling subschool, such as planar ally or planar binding, to call a suitable fiend to the Material Plane and persuade it to mate with an animal of a compatible species. Most of the male hybrids are sterile, and thus the female hybrids of the first generations are mated with animal males until the new variety breeds true. Thereafter, breeders strive to emphasize trainability while retaining the most desirable traits derived from the progenitor fiend.
Fiend-bred animals are rare and incredibly expensive, and therefore most owners of the breed are nobles or other wealthy individuals. Cheliax has a long-standing tradition of producing fiend-bred animals, and most hell-bred dogs are from meticulously tracked bloodlines with records in official registers. Keleshites, on the other hand, typically record their stygian hot-blooded horses’ ancestries through oral traditions passed down through ensuing generations.
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