GalluvixThis curious-looking creature has the body and plumage of a rooster but sports the cunning features of a fox from the neck up.Galluvix CR 2Source Pathfinder #128: Songbird, Scion, Saboteur pg. 84
XP 600
N Tiny magical beast
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +5DefenseAC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 16 (3d10)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +1
Defensive Abilities driftOffenseSpeed 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy)
Melee bite +3 (1d6-2)
Space 2-1/2 ft., Reach 0 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +4)
At will—ghost sound (DC 11), mage hand, open/close (DC 11)
3/day—blurred movement, calm animals (DC 12), sonic scream (DC 13)StatisticsStr 7, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 12
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 11
Feats Deceitful, Stealthy
Skills Bluff +6, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +4, Fly +2, Perception +5, Stealth +18
Languages Common, Sylvan, Undercommon
SQ change shape (chicken or fox; beast shape II), trickster’s egg, unlikely formEcologyEnvironment any land
Organization solitary, pair, or skulk (3-8)
Treasure incidentalSpecial AbilitiesDrift (Ex) A galluvix flies in short bursts and can't use its fly speed to hover. When it flies, it must end its move action by landing or perching on a solid surface.
Trickster's Egg (Su) Once per week as a full-round action, a galluvix can vanish into the fey plane of the First World in search of a magical wooden egg that contains one of the following spells (the galluvix chooses): cure light wounds, delay poison, lesser restoration, or remove paralysis. After 1 hour, the galluvix returns to the spot from which it vanished (or the nearest unoccupied space), clutching a trickster's egg in its jaws. The egg functions as a potion of the contained spell, except it is cracked open rather than imbibed, and it functions only for the galluvix or a single creature of the galluvix's choice. A galluvix can have only one trickster's egg in existence at a time, and if the egg is not used within a week, the contained spell is lost and the egg spoils into rotten-smelling ash. The galluvix can't use this ability in an area where extradimensional travel is blocked (such as by dimensional lock), and while it is in the First World, it can't be contacted or observed by any means short of a miracle or wish spell.
Unlikely Form (Ex) Galluvixes are treated as both chickens and foxes for the purposes of effects that target creatures based on type, and they gain a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks to follow tracks by scent.DescriptionA galluvix is a puckish magical creature that resembles a cross between a fox and a flamboyant rooster. Cunning, stealthy, and a bit slothful, galluvixes see no reason to hunt wild game when they can simply infiltrate nearby chicken coops and eat their fill. If confronted, a galluvix defends itself with a shrieking magical bark and then flees. When not on the prowl, however, they are social creatures that sometimes bond with humanoids who are willing to lavish them with attention and meals. A galluvix often rewards these individuals with the gift of a magical egg.
A typical galluvix is about 2 feet tall and weighs about 10 pounds. Galluvixes show great variety in both fur color and plumage, with the males displaying particularly showy tail feathers.EcologyGalluvixes owe their existence to the machinations of some particularly mischievous fey, who looked upon humans’ early efforts to domesticate wild animals as clumsy and comical—not to mention that the notion of keeping birds in coops and pens offended these First World creatures. Deciding to teach the fledgling humans a lesson—or at least play a fantastic joke— these fey tricksters introduced galluvixes into their midst: magical crossbreeds of fox and fowl that had an easy time mingling with and then devouring the humans’ flocks. To these First World tricksters, the experiment was a success, and although the fey quickly lost interest in their voracious creations, galluvixes have since spread wherever unwary farmers leave their hens unguarded.
Galluvixes are predators that use their ability to adopt a fully avian appearance to get close to unwary prey. Their natural stealth and other magical talents aid them in slipping into farmsteads and sneaking past watchdogs. Skittish and somewhat cowardly, galluvixes usually prefer to flee from serious threats, flashing their rooster-like tails as they depart, which makes them hard to target. When alarmed or cornered, galluvixes let loose with screeching barks, laced with sonic force, that deter all but the most determined pursuers.
The galluvix’s most unusual talent is its ability to vanish into the First World to search for a magical spell, which it retrieves in a vessel known as a trickster’s egg. Sages debate whether this was a happy accident or a trait bred into the fox-fowl by fey who wanted magical aid in their occasional battles against human encroachment. Theories also abound about whether galluvixes fetch these eggs from their own hidden supplies or steal them from one of the First World demigods, the Eldest; no galluvix will speak of the process.
If not felled by disease or injury, a typical galluvix can live as long as a human. Some galluvixes have been said to live close to 150 years, though whether this increased age is natural or the result of strange magic is unclear. While its fox fur grows more grizzled and its lustrous feathers fade with age, a galluvix retains an excellent memory of all that has transpired in its territory. Galluvixes in a region with plenty of action and intrigue can become a valuable source of information to adventurers who know where to look and don’t dismiss the intelligence of these creatures.Habitat and SocietyGalluvixes tend to live on the outskirts of farming communities or in lightly wooded areas with plenty of game. However, they are adaptable creatures that can make do in wild or urban settings on almost any continent. Their ability to take the form of foxes or fowl allows them to blend into a myriad of locations.
In the Inner Sea region, they are most common near the Verduran Forest in Andoran and Taldor, in and around Qadira’s Tapur Forest, and throughout Sargava and Varisia. Farmers and woodsfolk in these lands generally regard galluvixes as nuisances, though with some degree of tolerance. On the other hand, citizens of more hardscrabble lands, such as Irrisen and Nirmathas, see galluvixes as threats to their livelihood and no better than wicked fey.
Despite their deceptive hunting practices, galluvixes are otherwise companionable, loyal creatures. They often mate for life, each pair digging a den to share. Once a year, a female galluvix lays a clutch of three to six eggs, with both parents taking turns to sit on the nest and raise the kits when they hatch. Kits remain with their parents for the first year of life, and it is their curiosity that is responsible for the shiny coins and baubles occasionally found in galluvix dens.
Humanoids who overcome a galluvix’s instinctive wariness find it fond of conversation and gossip. Often these conversations blossom into true friendships, and it is such favored folk (especially those who have fallen on hard times) who most often receive a trickster’s egg containing a curative boon.
Because of their intelligent natures, it is difficult to truly tame galluvixes. Nevertheless, some entrepreneurs have tried. The most successful galluvix breeders employ a combination of flattery, magical compulsion, and regular offerings of extravagant meals. Individual breeders consider these regimens to be trade secrets, which often leads them to treat one another with great animosity and suspicion.
Galluvixes get along with most fey, particularly playful pixies, jovial grigs, and any liminal sprites within their territories. They find brownies to be stuffy and overprotective of the farms in their care, and particularly watchful over chicken coops. Galluvixes revile gnolls, goblins, and gremlins for their destructive ways—after all, when a farm is despoiled, not only humans go hungry—and they bear a special hatred for <%Pugwampi">pugwampis, insulting them in fluent Undercommon.
A spellcaster can gain a galluvix as a familiar at 7th level by taking the Improved Familiar feat. The resulting arcane bond allows the spellcaster to direct the galluvix in the use of its trickster’s egg ability. Also, when using that ability, a galluvix familiar can return to an unoccupied space next to its master instead of the spot where it vanished.
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