Nycter Defender of the Cave (CR 7)
Small Monstrous Humanoid
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +5; Senses: blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., Listen +16, and Spot +16
Languages: Nycter
AC: 20 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +3 natural armor, +3 hide armor, +2 masterwork heavy wooden shield), touch 12, flat-footed 19
Hit Dice: 3d8+6 plus 5d8+10 (51 hp)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +11
Speed: 15 ft. in hide armor, fly 30 ft. (good)
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +6; Grapple +2
Attack: +1 scimitar +8 melee or bite +8 melee or +1 sling +9 ranged
Full Attack: +1 scimitar +8/+3 melee or bite +8 melee or +1 sling +9 ranged
Damage: +1 scimitar 1d4+1/18-20, bite 1d4, +1 sling 1d3+1
Special Attacks/Actions: Hunting cry, spells
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 19, Cha 11
Special Qualities: Animal companion, nature sense, resist natures lure, trackless step, wild empathy +5 (+1 magical beasts), wild shape 1/day, woodland stride, vulnerability to sonic, 5th-Level Druid
Feats: Alertness; Improved Critical (scimitar); Improved Initiative; Weapon Finesse
Skills: Concentration +7, Knowledge (nature) +9, Listen +16, Spot +16, and Survival +16 (+18 in aboveground natural environments)
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary or with dire bat
Treasure/Possessions: Standard
Source:
Monster Manual III
Hunting Cry (Su): The save DC for this defender of the cave's hunting cry (DC 13) is adjusted for its higher Constitution score.
Animal Companion (Ex): This defender of the cave has a dire bat as an animal companion.
Nature Sense (Ex): This nycter gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.
Resist Nature's Lure (Ex): This nycter gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey.
Trackless Step (Ex): This nycter leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked.
Wild Empathy (Ex): This nycter can improve the attitude of an animal in the same way that a Diplomacy check can improve the attitude of a person. The druid rolls 1d20+5 to determine the wild empathy check result (1d20+1 if attempting to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2).
Wild Shape (Su): This druid can change into a Small or Medium animal and back again once per day, for up to 5 hours.
Woodland Stride (Ex): This nycter can move through natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain at its normal speed and without taking damage or other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are magically manipulated to impede motion still affect it.
Typical Druid Spells Prepared: 0 - create water, cure minor wounds, detect magic, light, virtue; 1st - charm animal (DC 15), cure light wounds, magic fang, produce flame; 2nd - bear's endurance, bull's strength, heat metal (DC 16); 3rd - meld into stone, wind wall.
Possessions: +1 scimitar, +1 sling, bag of tricks (rust), wand of entangle, potion of heroism, potion of shield of faith +3, 20 sling bullets.
Defender of the Cave Animal Companion
Nycter druids often take a dire bat as an animal companion; they feel a kinship and protective duty toward most bats and batlike creatures. Because of this defender of the cave's druid levels, this dire bat knows one bonus trick.
Dire Bat Animal Companion: CR 2; Large animal; HD 4d8+12; hp 30; Init +6; Spd 20 ft., fly 40 ft. (good); AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +3; Grp +10; Space/Reach 10 ft./5 ft.; Ark or Full Ark +5 melee (1d8+4, bite); SQ blindsense
40 ft., link, share spells; AL N; SV Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +6; Str 17, Dex 22, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6.
Skills and Feats: Hide +4, Listen +120, Move Silently +11, Spot +80; Alertness, Stealthy.
Blindsense (Ex): A dire bat uses echolocation to pinpoint creatures within 40 feet. Opponents still have total concealment against the bat unless it can actually see them.
Link (Ex): This nycter druid can handle its animal companion as a free action. The nycter also gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding its dire bat companion.
Share Spells (Ex): Any spell this nycter druid casts on itself also affects its animal companion if the latter is within 5 feet at the time. It can also cast a spell with a target of "You" on its animal companion.
Skills: Dire bats have a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks and listen checks. These bonuses are lost if their blindsense is negated.
Before entering battle, a nycter defender of the cave casts bear's endurance and bull's strength on itself, followed by magic fang on its dire bat animal companion. It uses its hunting cry before entering melee combat. Once battle is joined, it relies on its weapons and magic items more than its spells.