| Hit Dice: | 15d10+80 (168 hp) Adult, 10d8+10 (50 hp) Juvenile |
| Initiative: | +8 (+6 Dex, +2 Improved Initiative) |
| Speed: | 60 ft |
| AC: | 25 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +10 natural) |
| Attacks: | Bite +15, 2 Claws +18 |
| Damage: | Bite 3d8+8, Claws 4d8+4 |
| Face/Reach: | 5 ft. by 5 ft / 5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Improved Grab, Ram |
| Special Qualities: | Scent, Darkvision, Damage Reduction 10 |
| Saves: | Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +2 |
| Abilities: | Str 20, Dex 22, Con 20, Int (usually 6,varies), Wis 14, Cha (usually 4, varies) |
| Skills: | Hide +8*, Jump +10, Spot +8, Listen +6, Intimidate+10** |
| Feats: | Run, Track, Alertness, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Great Fortitude |
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| Climate/Terrain: | Any except cold regions |
| Organization: | Solitary, Pack (1-2 adults, 3-4 juveniles), Troop (4-8 adults + Alpha male and female, 8-15 juveniles) |
| Challenge Rating: | 19 |
| Treasure: | Usually None |
| Alignment: | Any Neutral |
| Advancement: | 12-18 hit dice (Large), 20-23 hit dice (Huge) |
Due to the chaos running rampant through the realms following the Time of Troubles, the very fabric of space and time separating the different dimensions has been affected, opening holes between this world and countless others; the Deathclaw is a creature that migrated here from one of these worlds. They resemble huge bipedal lizards with massive claws on their forelegs, small but sharp horns on their foreheads, and large mouths full of razor sharp teeth. Little is known about these creatures, only that they are fiercely territorial, protective of their young, and cunning hunters. Rumors persist of intelligent, "civilized" deathclaws out in the wilderness, though few are willing enough to actively seek them out, and the few that have made contact respect the solitude of these isolated groups and do not disclose their locations to those who would actively seek their destruction.
Organization
There are two different types of Deathclaws: Intelligent Deathclaws and Lesser Deathclaws.
Deathclaws normally travel in packs, though many a group has come across lone Deathclaws in the wild. Troops are rare, and no group willingly gets nearer to a troop than half a mile without good cover. The little troop behavior that has been documented shows that the group has a large force of fighting adults with an Alpha male and female at the lead. In both troops and packs, the juveniles stay in a cluster at the center of the group while the adults travel freely around the young.
The rare "tribes" of intelligent Deathclaws (as they have come to be known) foster a slightly different group hierarchy. Whereas the lesser Deathclaws base leadership on the strongest male and female, their intelligent brethren think of the benefit of the group (and species) as a whole rather than looking out for their own self-interest. Mental capability is taken into account as well as physical prowess, and they seem to recognize the dangers of inbreeding: often they raid lesser packs and steal mates to keep new blood in the pack. Intelligent Deathclaws often take character classes, with the Alpha females often becoming Druids (being wiser and more intelligent than the rest, most often) and the Alpha males becoming Barbarians (their natural brute strength and cunning making them a much bigger threat than their lesser counterparts). The lower members of the pack most often are Warriors or Fighters, though quite a few of the more capable ones become Rangers. The idea sounds preposterous, but there are still a few who claim to have met up with Deathclaw Sorcerers...
Lesser Deathclaws do not speak any known language, and though Druids and high-level Monks are capable of speaking with them, Lesser Deathclaws will attack rather than speak back.
Intelligent Deathclaws speak Common and a crude variation of Draconic. Sometimes the more scholarly ones will pick up other languages from the few brave souls that visit their tribes.
Combat
When alone, Deathclaws are never afraid to wade into the thick of battle, tearing into enemies with their claws and fangs. As a pack, the adults fight individually, while the juveniles surround and overwhelm one target at a time. No one has had the courage (or sheer stupidity) to take on an entire Troop.
Intelligent Deathclaws, though capable of higher thinking and strategy, see little to gain in altering a natural formula that works nearly all the time. Though they prefer to work things out peacefully (even the more aggressive males), they will not shirk from a fight if that is the only solution. The only difference is that the juveniles only attack when the odds are against the adults alone, and until the situation becomes such, they stay clustered together away from the fighting. The damage rolls by juveniles are one half that of their adult counterparts (i.e., 3d4+4 claw, 4d4+2 bite, no Ram attack).
Also, the Alpha female, if a Druid, will oftentimes stay back by the young and cast spells from a distance to keep enemies at bay; should enemies come too close, the females let loose with their claws and teeth.
Improved Grab If a Deathclaw hits with both claw attacks, it may latch on to an enemy and make bite attacks with an additional bonus of +4. The held creature takes 2d8 points of damage from the claws every round.
Ram Deathclaws may charge an enemy and deal 4d6+10 damage with their horns without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the enemy is two or more sizes smaller than the Deathclaw, it may also trample for 3d6 damage. The Ram acts as a Spring attack and lets the Deathclaw take additional actions in the same turn.
Skills *Deathclaws receive a natural +8 to Hide. Because of their coloring, the bonus goes up to +10 in desert regions.
**Because of their frightening appearance, Deathclaws receive a +10 circumstance bonus to Intimidate rolls against non-Deathclaws of the same size or smaller.
Deathclaws as a Player Race
It should be fully understood that any PC that is a Deathclaw must be an Intelligent Deathclaw. Lesser Deathclaws do not possess the sentience to think beyond their basic instincts, let alone accept a player class.
Deathclaw males and females differ greatly, not only in size but also in intellect. Thus, the racial bonuses for each gender are different.
The Racial Bonuses for Deathclaw males are as follows: Str+3, Dex+3, Con+3, Cha-4
The Racial Bonuses for Deathclaw females are as follows: Dex+3, Int+2, Wis+2, Cha-2
A Deathclaw's natural weapons count as +1 weapons when determining damage reduction, and this bonus goes up by +1 every five levels to a maximum of +5.
Deathclaws only use light armor in the rare instances that one decides to actually wear armor at all, as light armor does the least to interfere with their natural dexterity.
Deathclaws cannot handle any weapons, but they are allowed to take the feats Weapon Focus, Improved Critical, and Weapon Specialization in relation to any of their natural weapons. A Deathclaw's claws can be enchanted, but the cost is 3 1/2 times the normal rate and the DC to enchant them is 8 higher.