Ironshod Boarder CR 6

Welcome to Monster Monday! Today we present the Ironshod Boarder, a grizzled faerie who coats himself in the blood of trespassers.

Ironshod Boarder CR 6

A grizzled hunched over man, wielding a shotgun near as long as he is tall, he wears a mask soaked in blood and gore, and oversized boots covered in shrapnel makes a silent scream.

XP 2,400
NE Small fey
Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +15

DEFENSE

AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 62 (8d6+32);
Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +9
Defensive Abilities DR 10/cold iron; blood soaked helm, powerful build

OFFENSE

Speed 60 ft.
Melee kick +9 (1d4+8 plus magnetic grab), grappled shot +8 (2d8+4)
Ranged Medium-size double-barreled shotgun +6, +6  (both barrels: 2d8+4)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks blood soaked helm, grappled shot, magnetic grab

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 13
Base Atk +4; CMB +8 (+10 grapple, +14 grapple against metallic armor and metal creatures); CMD 22 (24 vs. grapple)
Feats Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Rapid Reload, Weapon Focus (kick)
Skills Acrobatics +13, Climb +13, Disable Device + 12, Intimidate +13, Perception +15, Stealth +17
Languages Aklo, Common, Sylvan (listen only)
SQ blood soaked helm, magnetic boots

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Blood Soaked Helm (Su)

An ironshod boarder coats its helm with the blood of its victims. While wearing this bloody helm, a boarder gains a +4 bonus on damage rolls and the ability to survive in the void without penalty. These bonuses are lost if the helm is removed or destroyed. A helm can be soaked in the blood of a fresh kill as a standard action.

Grappled Shot (Ex)

Whenever an ironshod boarder makes a successful grapple check, it can fire a firearm against the grappled target as a melee touch attack that does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the grappled target.

Magnetic Boots (Ex)

The ironshod boarder can climb on any metallic surface as if it was under the effects of a spider climb spell except an ironshod boarder does not need a free hand to climb while using magnetic boots.

Magnetic Grab (Ex)

The ironshod boarder’s kick counts as having the grab ability against metallic creatures and creatures wearing metal armor. The ironshod boarder gets a +4 circumstance bonus when grappling metallic creatures and creatures wearing metal armor.

Powerful Build (Ex)

The ironshod boarder functions in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever an ironshod boarder is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for Combat Maneuver Bonus or Combat Maneuver Defense (such as during grapple checks) the ironshod boarder is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to them. An ironshod boarder is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as grab or swallow whole) can affect them. An ironshod boarder can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. Their space and reach remain those of a creature of small size.

ECOLOGY

Environment L3 Lagrange Point
Organization solitary, pair, or boarding party (5-12)
Treasure double-barreled shotgun, 50 dry-load cartridges, chain shirt, masterwork thieves tools

Travel through space is dangerous, but some points in space are more noted for their peril than others. The L3 Lagrange point, the centrifugal opposite of the world in orbit around the star is one of those places, not directly visible from the world itself, ships that travel near it go missing, and many of those that are recovered later show all the signs of being raided by the Ironshod.

An extremely territorial group of fey, the ironshod board vessels that approach L3, ramming or breaking into approaching ships and then slaughtering all inside, decorating their helmets and the outside of their ships with the flayed bodies of the dead. The vessels that they successfully seize are either repurposed as new and expendable boarding vessels, or sabotaged, and cast off into space to serve as a warning against any who would approach.

The ironshod voice no sounds, many speculate that their voices have atrophied through disuse, or been stolen away by some unknown patron. They make up for their silence with non-verbal exclamations, either through profane gestures or acts of violence. Often the main sounds that can be heard upon their boarding is the repeated firing of their shotguns into the crew.

Yet sometimes the ironshod specifically let ships through, drifting by them and making no move to interact. Sometimes this is a trap, to lure trespassers into a false sense of safety before turning to attack, yet other times ships pass through completely unharmed, almost as if they were invited to the Lagrange point by whatever patron commands the Ironshod.



About Kevin Bryan

Kevin Bryan is a monster writer for the Open Gaming Network, and is looking forward to bringing all sorts of strange and bizarre creatures to life. His personal website is Kevinswriting.com.

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