Hit Points 25 +2d4
DV1 / DV2 2 / 1
Attack Value 3
# Attacks 1
Weapon Type Beak
Damage 2d4
Saving Throws 11+
Speed Walk (2) / Run (10)
Cadervals are large, flightless birds. The animals stand roughly five feet at the shoulder and weigh close to 90 pounds. They possess small wings and a very sharp beak. They also have a large and colorful tail, which resembles a peacock. Cadervals have keen eyesight, providing them with night vision with a range of 65 feet.
When this creature enters combat, it opens its tail. The feather’s colorful patterns are hypnotic. Any creature with 20 or fewer hit points that attempts to attack the caderval must make a saving throw vs. death or suffer a -3 AV penalty and lose all strength modifiers in combat. These penalties last for 2d4 minutes. The hypnosis affects creatures up to a range of 30 feet.
When these monsters enter melee combat, they attack with sharp beaks that inflict 2d4 damage.
The only two methods for avoiding the attack are covering one’s eyes or averting one’s gaze. The former requires a blindfold. The blind character suffers the penalties associated with blind fighting. The latter option requires the gaze evasion skill.
Male and female cadervals have the same general characteristics, except females are more aggressive and inflict +2 damage. Young cadervals have one-half the health and damage potential as adult specimens, and their tails are not hypnotic.
Cadervals live in dense forests and swamps in temperate climates. They are aggressive birds that hunt small animals such as boar, rabbits, and rodents. They may attack humanoids. Cadervals travel in groups of two to twelve. A flock is predominately female. A few will be males. The remainder of the flock will be young.
Caderval feathers are valuable. Each feather is worth 3 gold coins. A full-grown specimen will have 1d2-1 usable feathers per hit point. Some cultures have created fans from the feathers that simulate the hypnotic effects. It requires 25 usable feathers to fashion such an item.