Fantasy Monster: Judgmental Owl

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Judgmental Owl

A big owl with rather vivid feathers and gnomish face.

CR 7; XP 3,200
LN Tiny Fey

Init +9; Senses low-light vision; see invisible; Perception +27

Defense
AC 20, touch 18, flat-footed 14 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 81 (18d6+18)
Fort +7; Ref +16; Will +13

DR 10/cold iron and magic; SR 18

Offense
Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)

Melee 2 wing slaps +16 (1d4)

Special Attacks curse of gloom, phantom feathers (10d4, DC 20 half)

Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th; concentration +19)

Constant—see invisible

At will—ghost sound

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 13
Base Atk +9; CMB +7; CMD 24

Feats Alertness, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Skill Focus (Knowledge [arcana]), Skill Focus (Knowledge [local]), Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature]), Wind Stance

Skills Fly +34, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge (local) +27, Knowledge (nature) +27, Perception +27, Sense Motive +27, Stealth +13

Language Common, Sylvan

Ecology
Environment forests, plains, rural, and urban touched by the Otherworld
Organization solitary, pair, or chorus (3–6)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Curse Of Gloom (Su) Judgmental owls can put a curse on a creature they saw breaching one of the local taboos, mundane or otherworldly. They can also invoke this curse on their attacker when they are reduced to 0 or less hit points as an immediate action, unless the offensive action disintegrated them or was a death effect. The target is cursed with a dark and sorrowful thoughts, unable to benefit from bonuses granted by emotion-based effects, including morale bonuses, and doubling the penalties bestowed by emotion-based effects. Any judgmental owl can remove this curse if the victim appeases the entity by performing locally prescribed contrition and purification activities while showing proper deference and decorum. This is a language-dependent curse effect. The DC of removing it through magic is 28.

Phantom Feathers (Su) Judgmental owls can create bursts of vivid, razor-sharp feathers as a standard action, covering a 30-ft. cone-shaped burst or a 15-ft. radius circular burst centered on themselves. All creatures caught within the burst suffer 10d4 points of piercing and slashing damage (a successful DC 20 Reflex save halves the damage). The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Judgmental owls are silent, or not so silent witnesses and judges of ancient taboos. Solitary judgmental owls tend to be shy and merely observing whatever happens, until they utter their dreaded condemnation of taboos being broken. Groups of judgmental owls tend to be more vocal, following would-be offenders, commenting on their deeds and sometimes arguing the details and minutia of taboos.

While judgmental owls only occasionally share their knowledge of local customs and taboos of their own accord, they always answers direct questions about them.