Displacer Beast
| Species | beast |
| No. Appearing | 2–5 |
| Behaviour | social (pride) |
| Range | alpine, steppe, tundra, veldt |
| Size | 11 ft. long |
| Weight | 440 lbs. |
| Intelligence | 4 |
| Armour Class | 2 |
| Hit Dice | 6 |
| Action Points | 7 |
| Max. Stride | 13 |
| THAC0 | 17 |
| Hp/Die | 2d4 |
| Attack Forms | 5: two claws; two tentacles, fangs |
| Damage | claw (2-8); tentacle (1–10); fangs (2-12) |
| Special Attacks | heightened smell, phase, raking, tentacles |
Displacer beasts are formidable, cougar-like monsters that prefer expansive, treeless country covered by dense grasses or the sheltered expanse of ancient Precambrian shield-lands. They thrive in lands ranging from temperate to arctic climates, as their metabolism allows them to adapt to harsh environmental conditions. Surpassing a cougar in size, they boast a weight equivalent to that of a lion. Some variants have six legs, like the one shown, while others possess only four. Their powerful, sinewy bodies are built for stealth, endurance and sudden bursts of overwhelming speed, making them exceptionally efficient predators.
Contents
The tentacles are flexible and sinuous, sprouting from their shoulders, with some species possessing four rather than two. These appendages, covered in sharp, retractable barbs, move with unnatural precision, striking at prey or warding off attackers with whip-like ferocity. The barbs, unlike mere claws, hook into flesh and tear upon withdrawal, increasing the severity of wounds. The beasts have learned to use these appendages not only for direct strikes but also to trip prey, rip apart barriers or ensnare smaller creatures with calculated efficiency.
Behaviour
Though the beast will appear in tightly knit groups, hunting together, they are not familial. The origin of displacer beasts is unknown; every example of the beast that has been examined has proven to be male. The manner in which more displacer beasts come to be, something that must be so because their number has never been observed to diminish, has been an enduring mystery. Their presence remains a constant threat in regions they inhabit, their numbers neither waxing nor waning, suggesting some unseen or unknown method of reproduction.
More intelligent than a typical feline, a group of displacer beasts makes for a fearsome, coordinated hunting force. They will stalk a party for days, keeping their distance during daylight hours before closing in at night, using their natural black colouration and phasing abilities (see below) to move unseen. A typical attack strategy involves one beast striking swiftly with its tentacles before vanishing into the dark, only for another to attack hours later, ensuring their prey never truly rests. They strike when their quarry is weakest — fatigued, wounded or distracted — using their extraordinary senses to detect subtle shifts in body heat and scent that indicate exhaustion or vulnerability.
Advantages
The tentacles emerging from its back are covered with bone-spikes, which the beast is able to snap at opponents, delivering a blow comparable to being struck with a massive mace. These tentacles can hit at a range up to two hexes (10 ft.), allowing them to attack creatures outside their usual reach. At the same time, the creature can attack with its claws and bite, focusing its assault on a single target while striking others nearby with its tentacles. If it hits with both front claws in a single round, the beast will rake with its back claws for 2–8 damage each, shredding through flesh and armour alike. This makes engaging a displacer beast in melee combat a highly dangerous proposition, as it is capable of overwhelming even seasoned warriors with sheer ferocity.
The creature's strangest abnormality is not its tentacles but the bizarre way it involuntarily phases at the end of each round. This displacement effect causes the beast to shift one hex, always within a 120° arc to the left or right of its prior position, making it nearly impossible to predict its exact location. Because of this advantage, missile weapons hurled at the beast at night, when its inky black outline is indistinct, will always miss if the creature is four or more hexes away (20 feet). Only those who can see the beast clearly can compensate for the phase, which the spell ultravision allows but which infravision does not, as the creature leaves behind a blurred heat signature as it moves. The phase does not alter the beast's armour class, but it makes striking it at range a far more difficult task, forcing opponents into close quarters where it holds the advantage.
See Bestiary
