Starfinder: Deinonychus - augmented
Deinonychus, augmented CR 7 XP 3,200
Neutral medium animal (technological)
Init +10; Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +14
Defense HP 85
EAC: 19; KAC: 21
Fort: +11; Ref: +11; Will: +6
Defensive Abilities: Cloaking field, evasion
Weakness: Kinetic and blunt
Offense
Speed: 60 ft., fly 100 ft. (good)
Melee: two talons +13 (1d8+10 S), bite +17 (1d6+10 P), fore claw +17 (1d4+10 S)
Statistics
Str +3; Dex +6; Con +4; Int -4; Wis +0; Cha +0
Skills: Acrobatics +19, athletics +14 stealth +14 (+24 or +18)
Feats: Improved initiative
Gear: Darkvision capacitors
Other Abilities: Voice mimicry
Languages: Understand common, cannot speak
Ecology
Environment: Any warm
Organization: Solitary, pair or pack (3d4)
Special Abilities
Cloaking Field (Ex): This ability functions in the same manner as the Operative ability. This ability does not make the Deinonychus invisible, but gives the creature a +10 to its stealth – as long as it is not moving. If it moves, then the creature gains only a +4 to its stealth. The field lasts for a maximum of 10 rounds, It is a move action to activate and a free action to deactivate the field.
Evasion (Ex): Whenever the Deinonychus is subjected to a reflex save to avoid half damage; it will automatically avoid all damage upon a successful save.
Kinetic and Blunt vulnerability (Ex): Whenever the creature suffers damage from kinetic or blunt attacks, it takes an additional point of damage per dice.
Voice mimicry (Ex): The Deinonychus is able to perfectly imitate any vocalization it hears, even if it does not fully understand what is being said. It can then repeat whatever it hears back perfectly. The creature can use this ability to distract anyone hearing it speak. As a result, anyone hearing must make a Will save (DC 15) or are considered flat-footed due to the confusion the vocalizations cause.
These particular dinosaurs are slightly larger than the more well-known Velociraptors, but are actually tougher! They are just as fast as the other species, and have similar natural weapons, although they do appear far more avian than most of the dinosaurs the Vesk have chosen to modify.
Sure, the Vesk modified the Pterodactyl to be used as aerial combatants, but when it came right down to it, they were rather weak. By taking what evolution was attempting with this particular species and giving it a not-so-gentle nudge in the right direction, they allowed the creatures to become fully capable of flight.
On average the Deinonychus stands around seven feet in height, but barely weighs 120 pounds. The bones are hollow, and the musculature is significantly less dense, meaning that the creatures are not quite as strong as their ancestors, but they make up for it with their natural dexterity and speed. Unlike other dinosaurs, these creatures are covered from head to toe in feathers, which are always a light brown and grey in coloration, although those who are bred to be used in forest environments tend to have green and brown coloration. They have a long tail, which helps them when flying, and which can be used as a weapon if they need it, and they do not possess a beak, instead a long reptilian snout with small, sharp teeth.
When it comes to combat, the creatures like to attempt to ambush prey. They love to swoop in from the sky and land in the middle of their prey and lash out with their natural weaponry. If they are travelling in a pack, they will evenly divide up their numbers to target groups of prey, always trying to put the same number of attackers on a single target. Unlike other flying predators, this creature does not do a fly-by attack. It prefers to land and get its claws dirty.
Thanks to their speed, they are also quite adept at avoiding incoming damage from explosions and area effect weaponry. The problem is that due to their physical structure, they are vulnerable to kinetic and blunt attacks.
One of the strangest aspects to these creatures is the fact that they are able to perfectly imitate any sound they hear. This can be anything from the roaring of another dinosaur to several full sentences in any language. Often hearing the creature speak can be quite confusing and give the Deinonychus the upper hand, often allowing them to attack a foe that is caught off guard.
When they don’t use this ability in combat, it is not unheard of them ‘swearing’ or using common phrases they have heard.
Chris Van Deelen is the creator and contributor to over half of the Wisdom from the Wastelands series, contributor to the Swords of Kos: Hekaton anthology. He also wrote Creatures of the Tropical Wastelands, and 100 Oddities found in a Car. As prolific as he is, Chris Van Deelen continues to write and produce material which will be in publication soon. Not only is he a prolific content creator, he also has a wide selection of fiction and stories! If you like his work, please follow his personal author page on Facebook and on Twitter to keep up with his latest news and game content.
