Novalia Monster Manual: Ghuran

 

Ghuran

Ghurans are rangy, cunning beastmen created by the ancient Etheri, fusing men with corvids. They average about 5’ tall, with crow heads, black feathered torsos, taloned hands and feet, and a 10’ wingspan.

Ghurans are mortal enemies of the intelligent giant ravens.

Combat:

Ghurans were bred for scouting, skirmishing and ambushing, and this instinct is deeply ingrained in them. They wear no armor and cannot withstand any kind of head-on engagement. When ambushing, they prefer to hide or glide into place silently before peppering the foe with arrows and retreating. In battle, they are often employed to drop darts and military oil on formations, and to strike soft targets like artillery crews, mages, scouts and spotters.

If encountered in a nest, ghurans are quite willing to abandon home, eggs and young rather than fight to the death.

Ecology:

Ghurans reproduce after the manner of their avian ancestors. A female will lay a clutch of 1-6 eggs each year in early spring. Like most beastmen, their mating behavior is based strictly on strength and dominance, with the most powerful males acquiring large harems and jealously guarding them. Aside from a slight size difference, female ghurans are difficult to distinguish physically.

Spoils:

A slain ghuran can be harvested with Animal Husbandry, Labor (Butchery) or Trapping for the following components useful in magic research:

• Flight feathers (1/6 stone, 6 gp, winged flight, flight, lay of the land)

Encounter notes:

Each unkindness of ghurans is led by a champion with 1+1 HD and a +1 damage bonus. Each conspiracy of ghurans is led by a sub-chieftain with AC 3, 2 HD and a +2 damage bonus. Each great nest of ghurans is led by a chieftain with AC 4, 2+1 HD and a +3 damage bonus. Ghurans fighting with a chieftain have +2 morale, but still favor retreat over direct engagement.

Ghuran leaders are very often shamans. There is a 10% chance for each champion to be a 1st level shaman. There is a 50% chance for each sub-chieftain to be a 3rd level shaman. And there is a 90% chance for each chieftain to be a 5th level shaman. All shamans have crow familiars.

Standard ghurans are unarmored, and armed with shortbow and dagger. There is a 10% chance that all the bowmen are equipped with poisoned arrows (death saving throw at +2 or suffer 1d6 poison damage after 1 turn).

Primary Characteristics		Secondary Characteristics
Type	Humanoid Beastman	Expedition speed	120 miles
Size	Man-sized (10 st.)	Supply cost	0.5 gp
Speed (land)	30’/90’	Training period	1 month (sapient)
Speed (fly)	100’/300’	Training modifier	None (sapient)
Armor Class	2	Battle rating	0.03 (individual), 1.8 (unit)
Hit Dice	1-1*	Lifespan	0/0.75/9/12/22/33/44/55
Attacks	1 (talon or weapon 11+)	Reproduction	1d6 eggs per year
Damage	1d3 slashing or by weapon	Untrained value	16 gp (adult), 8 gp (juvenile) 4 gp (egg)
Save	F1	Trained value	168 gp or more (sapient)
Morale	-1
Vision	Acute vision, Night vision
Other senses	Acute olfaction
Proficiencies	Sneaking 6+
Normal Load	2 st.

Encounter Setup
Lair chance	2%
Dungeon Encounter	Unkindness (2d4 Ghurans) / Nest (1 Conspiracy)
Wilderness Encounter	Conspiracy (2d6 Unkindnesses) / Great Nest (1d10 Conspiracies)
Alignment	Chaotic
Treasure Type	B (per conspiracy)
XP	6 (ghuran), 21 (champion), 29 (sub-chieftain), 59 (chieftain) With poisoned arrows: 7 (ghuran), 27 (champion), 38 (sub-chieftain), 71 (chieftain) Shamans: 33 (champion), 50 (sub-chieftain), 95 (chieftain)