Sekhar Nasir (Rock Eagle)

Sekhar Nasir (Rock Eagle)

Climate/Terrain: Mountains, Rocky Badlands
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary or Pair
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Treasure: See Below
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1 or 2
Armor Class: 3
Movement: 1, Fl 30 (C)
Hit Dice: 4+4
Thac0: 17
No. of Attacks: 3 or 1
Damage/Attacks: 1-2, 1-2, 1-4 or 1-8
Special Attack: Flyby Attack
Special Defense: 1/2 damage from piercing weapons
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: S (3' Tall, 7' Wingspan)
Morale: Elite (13)
XP Value: 

Sekhar Nasir

Sekhar nasir, also called rock eagles, are large birds, usually standing around three feet tall. Their wing span is an impressive six to seven feet. Sekhar nasir are covered in hard, stony fathers, which are usually gray or tan in color. They always sport a set of razor-sharp talons and a beak, equally as sharp and turned down abruptly at its point. Unlike a common eagle, the sekhar nasir's cry is rumbling and deep.

Combat
A sekhar nasir may use its claws and beak for combat, each claw inflicts 1-2 points of damage and its beak inflicts 1d4 points of damage. Sekhar nasir may also use its razor sharp wing tips to slice its foes with a flyby attack. This attack allows the sekhar nasir to fly past an opponent and make an attack at any time during that movement. The sekhar nasir is then able to continue its movement. It may make a flyby attack once every three rounds.
In addition, a sekhar nasir may attack from a great height, folding back its wings and letting gravity hurtle it toward its prey. If it dives for more than 100 feet, its diving speed is double its normal flying speed and the sekhar nasir is restricted to attacking with only its two sets of claws. However, these high-speed attacks gain a +2 bonus to the attack roll and score double damage.
Like their normal cousins, sekhar nasir have exceptional eyesight. This superior vision affords them the advantage of rarely being surprised. During the day, a sekhar nasir can be surprised only 5% of the time. At night, normal rules for surprise apply.
Piercing weapons have a hard time penetrating a sekhar nasir's rock-like feathers. Because of this, piercing weapons only inflict half damage, minimum of one, on a sekhar nasir.

Habitat/Society
High rocky cliffs are the favorite nesting spots for sekhar nasir. Once a sekhar nasir builds a nest, it will keep that home, adding to it with each passing season, until the nest is destroyed or it dies. There is always a 50% chance that 1d4 eggs are present in a nest. If eggs are not present, there is a 20% chance that 1d4 young sekhar nasir are present instead. There is always a 8% chance that the sekhar nasir is storing some small, shiny objects in the nest (like small bits of metal or gems).
Sekhar nasir are always encountered alone or in pairs. They mate for life and their nests are well concealed among the rocky crags that are their home.
Sekhar nasir are impossible to train.

Ecology
Sekhar nasir are carnivores and generally hunt rodents, smaller birds, and other small animals. They also have been known to feed on the carrion of recently killed creatures, but only if they have to. If game is scarce or if defending their nest, sekhar nasir will attack demihumans.
Sekhar nasir are edible, but their hard, rocky exterior is difficult to penetrate. Sekhar Nasir provide 8 pounds of oily, gamey tasting meat. Only the truly desperate would pay for it.
The feathers of a sekhar nasir are hard and unable to be used as normal feathers. However, if multiple feathers are combined from their wing tips, a sekhar nasir's feathers can provide two stone spear heads, or six stone arrow heads.