Nashtah
Also known as Dravian hounds, nashtahs are vicious reptilian predators native to Dra III. They resemble lizards with six legs, several rows of jagged teeth, and barbed tails. Powerful muscles ripple beneath their thick green hides. They can grow to lengths of 1.5 meters, but their innate strength is far greater than their size might otherwise imply.
Nashtahs hunt prey in small packs. They are relentless, rarely giving up the chase once they’ve managed to scent their prey. Packs of the beasts have been known to pursue prey for days or weeks, never stopping even when presented with easier fare. Despite their vicious reputation, nashtahs are quite dedicated to their mates and offspring, at least until their young are capable of surviving on their own.
Nashtah Encounters
Poachers around the galaxy prize nashtah young, which can be trained as hunting animals if they are caught early enough in their lives. Nashtah hatchlings that are older than three months are impossible to train. Even those that are trained from birth are difficult to control and maintain, and often require shock collars in order to make them more manageable. Many planets have acquired populations of nashtahs as a result of specimens that have escaped captivity, and as a result importing nashtah has become illegal in many systems.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the nashtah’s fearsome reputation, the creatures are widely sought as guard animals by wealthy aristocrats and criminals. If the possibility of having to fight a nashtah isn’t enough to dissuade intrud ers, then actually facing one usually does the trick. An one who keeps nashtahs as guard animals must take special care when handling them, since they are just as likely to turn on their masters as they are to hunt down and eliminate intruders.
Nashtahs are reckless when attacking, and they don’t seem to be affected by the wounds they 3ve suffered until they finally keel over dead. When hunting as part of a group, they still act as individuals, neither helping nor hindering their companions. Once a nashtah has damaged an opponent, it will not switch targets or cease attacking until that opponent has been defeated.
Nashtah (CL 9)
Threats of the Galaxy, page 121.
Medium beast 9
Initiative: +11; Senses: low-light vision, scent;Perception +8
Defenses: Ref 17 (flat-footed 15), Fort 11, Will 15
Hit Points: 58; Damage Threshold: 21
Speed: 14 squares
Melee: bite +10 (1d8+8) and
barbed tail +10 (1d3+8) and
claw +10 (1d6+8) or
Melee: bite +8 (2d8+8) with Rapid Strike[1] and
barbed tail +8 (2d3+8) with Rapid Strike and
claw +8 (2d6+8) with Rapid Strike
Fighting Space: 1 square; Reach: 1 square
Base Attack: +6; Grapple: +10
Attack Options: leap attack, Rapid Strike
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 19, Cha 7
Special Qualities: low-light vision, scent
Feats: Improved Damage Threshold (2), Rapid Strike, Toughness
Skills: Initiative +, Jump +8, Perception +8, Survival +8
Leap Attack—As a full-round action, a nashtah can make a leap attack at the end of a charge of at least 2 squares in distance. This leap attack allows it to make six separate claw attacks against a single opponent.
Low-light Vision—A nashtah can see without penalty in shadowy illumination, ignoring concealment (but not total concealment) due to darkness. It retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Scent—At close range (within 10 squares), a nashtah ignores concealment and cover for purposes of Perception checks, and takes no penalty from poor visibility while tracking (see Survival).
Footnotes and References
Please see the following pages or sites for further information:
- ↑ This is unofficial as the book orginally listed claw twice, but it make more sense for it to be bite.