Goanna Mythic

This large green monitor lizard is covered in black bands, with occasional splotches of white and yellow.

Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.
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Mythic goannas are magical variants of the typical goanna (which simply uses the statistics for a monitor lizard). These swift hunters range across a variety of warm lands, hunting any prey no larger than themselves. They are a threat to humanoids, often dragging off smaller livestock, pets, and more rarely, children.

Mythic goannas have developed an immunity to venom due to their predilections for venomous snakes.

The fat from mythic goannas can be made into a magical oil, known as “ghost-oil”. Ghost-oil renders an imbiber immune to poison for 4 hours. If applied to a weapon, the next three attacks are made as touch attacks. Mythic goanna skins are prized by phanatons, who will purchase them for 10 gp.

A mythic goanna is 4 to 6 feet long and weighs 30 to 45 pounds. Coloration varies, usually dark gray, green, or black, but sometimes white or even yellow-red. Bands, stripes, splotches, and speckles camouflage its scales, dulling with age.

Goanna, Mythic
Medium magical beast
Hit Dice	3d10+9 (25 hp)
Initiative	+2
Speed	30 ft. (6 squares), Climb 30 ft., Swim 30 ft.
Armor Class	15 (+2 Dexterity, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple	+3/+6
Attack	Bite +6 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack	Bite +6 melee (1d8+4) and tail slap +2 melee (1d6+6)
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Ghost-oil bite, poison, tail sweep
Special Qualities	Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to poison, Low-Light Vision
Saves	Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities	Strength 17, Dexterity 15, Constitution 17, Intelligence 3, Wisdom 12, Charisma 2
Skills	Climb +7, Hide +6*, Listen +2, Move Silently +6, Spot +2, Swim +11
Feats	Ability Focus (poison), Weapon Focus (tail slap)
Environment	Warm forests
Organization	Solitary
Challenge Rating	2
Treasure	None
Alignment	Always neutral
Advancement	4–5 HD (Medium); 6-8 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment	–

COMBAT

Mythic goannas generally bite, relying on their venom to quickly dispatch prey. If cornered or antogonized, a goanna will angrily swing its tail, knocking down smaller prey while biting at its primary antagonist.

Ghost-Oil Bite (Su): Three times per day, a mythic goanna can coat its teeth with a special secretion, allowing it to make a melee touch attack with its bite.

Poison (Ex): Bite, Fortitude DC 16; initial and secondary damage 1d4 Constitution. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Tail Sweep (Ex): A mythic goanna can sweep with its tail as a standard action. The sweep affects a half-circle with a radius of 5 feet, extending from an intersection on the edge of the goanna’s space in any direction. Creatures within the swept area are affected if they are one or more size categories smaller than the goanna. A tail sweep automatically deals tail slap damage and affected creatures must make DC 14 Reflex saves to or be knocked prone. The save DC is Strength-based.

Skills: A mythic goanna has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. A mythic goanna has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. Mythic goannas have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.

_{*In forested or overgrown areas, the Hide bonus improves to +8.}

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #186 (1992).