TAUNGI (BONE HAWK) - By Tim Martin
Frequency:
Rare
No. Appearing: 1-6 (in lair 4-40)
Armor Class: 6
Move: 8”/36”
Hit Dice: 3+4
% In Lair 5%
Treasure Type: Incidental
No. Of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attack: 1-6/1-6/1-4 or 1-6 (x2)/1-6
(x2) or see below
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defense: See below
Magic Resistance: Nil
Intelligence: Exceptional (15-16)
Alignment: Neutral
Size: M (25’ wingspan)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: 40 + 2/hp
The Taungi (singular and plural) come from a harsh land, lands where no particular race holds sway. A fierce avian species, this distant relative of the Aarakocra (q.v.) considers all other life in its domain to be prey, from the smallest antelope to other birds of prey to man himself. Very territorial, groups of Taungi, called hunts, carve up the lands around them, different territories generally marked by a particular mountain range or river. All other Taungi who enter the area can expect death, unless they fly in a properly submissive flight display, indicating that perhaps it is a juvenile wishing to join the group. Sometimes the newcomer is welcomed if the hunting is good in a particular area, and becomes a member of a hunt. Other times it is added to that day’s menu.
The natural habitat of the Taungi are mountain ranges and rocky hills overlooking savannas, grassland, desert, and open forest, never dense woodland or overly marshy areas, though on occasion seacoast may be included in a particular hunt’s territory. These jet-black birds continually cruises the skies over their lands in groups of 1-6, always on the look out for a suitable prey item or even carrion to bring home to the hunt to feed on or to defend their territory from other Taungi. They do not voraciously destroy all life in their domain, and generally practice good management of the animals in their domain, never overhunting any particular species and allowing enough offspring to reach adulthood and breeding age. Quite intelligent, they can adapt to hunting insects or even fish if they have to supplement their diets, and rarely starve even in the worse droughts.
The Taungi warriors often prefer to use their talons and beaks when hunting, defending, or attacking. Their sharp talons can bite for 1-4 points of damage, and their hind legs can claw for 1-6 points of damage each. They frequently dive from great heights to attack an animal or person, and though losing their beak attack can do double damage with their talon attack and are +4 to hit.
However the Taungi are a magic-using and weapon-using race, and though not recognizing humans or other sentient races as having souls, they do recognize that they are dangerous prey. Taungi on the hunt always carry weapons with them, generally bone javelins, not unlike that of the more peaceful aarakocra. They do damage as javelins and if used at the bottom of a power dive are also +4 to hit. They can be brittle though and are 25% likely to shatter after one use.
Whenever a hunt’s territory is invaded, the hunt’s lair is threatened, or the Taungi have to engage a particularly large or hostile group of humans, gnolls, or another race, the group brings forth some of its real magic. Believing it evil and an abomination to use anything other than what was once alive, and that magic is only as strong as the creature that provided the materials, the Taungi make a great deal of use bone magic. Bones are also readily available for use by Taungi shamans; as a rule the warriors always bring home a kill to the lair, and after a meal all bones, from sparrow bones on up to that of an elephant are also loving polished and stored for possible use later.
Depending upon the prey items available in a hunt’s territory, how recently their magic was used, and how many shamans a tribe has to work with, a particular Taungi group may have the following ready for attack or defense of their people and their lands:
-Strengthened Bone Javelin – as the standard bone javelin, but +1 to hit and not likely to break upon use. After a battle may be retrieved.
-Skull bomb – Skull, preferably human or humanoid, sealed and filled with teeth and bone shards. Upon hitting the ground explodes into shrapnel, causing 2-20 points of damage in a 10 foot radius area. Must be hurled from at least 200 feet up to be successfully used.
-Sawblade – Flat bone, such as sternum, lined with teeth or sharpened bone shards. Thrown like a Frisbee at an opponent, it does 1-6 points of damage on a hit, and is 50% likely to shatter upon hitting an opponent, doing double damage and embedding bone and teeth deep into the enemy.
-Bone bomb – A massive pile of bones held together temporarily by magic, it requires at least two Taungi to carry it into battle. When dropped from a great height the bones shatter and scatter, causing devastation over a wider area. Those within the area take 4-40 points of damage, and it affects a 50 foot radius. The Taungi carrying into battle though are vulnerable, flying at quarter speed and their AC is reduced to that of 10.
So experienced are Taungi shamans with bones that they have access to several unique spells:
Bonebreak (Necromatic) Reversible
Level: 3 Range: 6” Duration: Permanent Area of Effect: One bone Components: V,S
Casting Time: 6 segments Saving Throw: Negates
Upon casting this spell, a Taungi shaman can will just about any bone it wishes to break. The break will be a simple fracture, though if the bone in question is undergoing stress (such as sword arm during a fight) there is a chance for a compound fracture. The bone obviously will not be visible, but the area it is in, be it an arm or leg, must be within sight and range of the spell. The actual breaking of the bone will cause 2-12 points of damage, and the individual cannot use that particular area until the bone is healed or at least set.
The spell can only be used to break bones that are in limbs, such as in arms, legs, tails, or wings. Something like a skull or rib bone cannot be broken, though the Taungi shaman could use the spell to cause a general 2-12 points of damage in another area of the body (though with no subsequent disability to the victim other than the hit point damage). In this instance a victim can still save successful for no damage.
Boneleach (Necromantic) Reversible
Level: 4 Range: 4” Duration: Permanent Area of Effect: One creature Components: V,S, M
Casting Time: 8 segments Saving Throw: See below
Upon casting this spell, a Taungi shaman can vastly reduce the strengthening calcium in a particular victim’s bones. This will cause two effects on a victim. First, the spell causes 2-20 points of damage, which a victim can save for half. Second, this loss of bone strength will greatly weaken the victim, lowering his or her strength by 1-4 points. Further, all subsequent hits for the remainder of that combat will be a +4 to damage owing to the now brittle nature of the bones. This second effect can be negated by a successful saving throw.
A bonebreak spell cast after a successful boneleach spell will be instantly successful, with the victim having no saving throw.
The spell can be cured by a cure critical wounds spell (or obviously something like a wish, limited wish, or alter reality as well as a higher level healing spell). Also a calcium rich diet and rest for 1-2 weeks can restore a victim to complete health.
The material component is a bone dust, preserved in the dried skin of a predatory animal. The component is consumed in the casting, though the dried skin remains and can be reused.
Generally 1-4 shamans will be found with a particular hunt, ranging in levels from 1 to 10. Usually there will be on senior shaman between levels 6 and 10 (20% chance for any of these five levels), and the others between levels 1-5. Shamans rule a hunt, though they never hunt, only going out if a particular dangerous prey item (such as a large group of adventurers) appears or the hunt’s territory is threatened by another Taungi group. Shamans are always female, while warriors are always male, though the two differ not one whit in physical statistics, the females that are not shamans will only attack in defense of the lair or more rarely the entire territory if gravely threatened.
The Taungi are an arrogant race and do not believe any other race possesses sentience. They are aware that humans talk to one another, as many of the nomadic tribes in their domains do, but do not see much difference between that and bird’s singing or a lion roaring. The Taungi possess their own language which theoretically can be learned with difficulty by humans and other races. If a Taungi encounter one speaking their language they are 75% likely to slay that creature as foul demon outright, an animal that is pretending it has a soul. Otherwise they will flee in fear, likely to come back with other Taungi to slay the horrid beast.
Taungi will never use anything they did not create. Any swords, weapons, magic items, or treasure left behind will be required as either debris or abomination, and not returned to their lair. They are aware that sometimes others desire these items, and while they will not seek to handle treasure from one of their kills they will often patrol the area nearby on the look out for those who do.