Meazel (CR 4)

Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: darkvision 60 ft.


AC: 12 (+2 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 10
Hit Dice: 4d8 (18 hp)
Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +4
Speed: 30 ft.
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +4; Grapple +4
Attack: 2 claws +4 melee
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee
Damage: Claw 1d4 plus disease
Special Attacks/Actions: Sneak attack, disease
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 7
Special Qualities: Evasion
Feats: Improved Initiative; Stealthy
Skills: Hide +6, Move Silently +6, Sleight of Hand +5, and Swim +4
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Any marsh and underground
Organization: Solitary
Treasure/Possessions: Standard (no gems or items)

Source: Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn

Sneak Attack (Ex): Meazels share the rogue's ability to strike effectively when an opponent is unaware of their presence. Any time an opponent would be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC or when the meazel flanks its victim, the meazel deals an additional 3d6 points of damage per attack.

Disease (Su): Wounds inflicted by a meazel can transmit its skin disease. A successful claw attack causes the victim to make a Fortitude save (DC 12) or be infected with a disease that incubates in 1d6 days; the damage is 1d2 points each of Dexterity and Constitution (see the Disease section in the DUNGEON MASTER'S Guide). If a character takes damage, she must make an additional saving throw to avoid having 1 point of each ability permanently drained instead. (Meazels suffer no ill effects from this disease, aside from their unsightly appearance.)

Evasion (Ex): Like rogues, meazels who make their Reflex saving throws against an effect that would normally deal half damage instead avoid damage altogether.

Skills: A meazel's webbed toes give it a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks.

Meazels fight with their clawed hands, preferring to attack from hiding. They generally attack only solitary creatures or stragglers behind a larger group, keeping the odds heavily in their favor, and have no qualms about retreating from a fight that is going poorly.