Greater Hellcat
CREATURE 16Variant hellcat
Hellcats are devious predators native to the fiery pits of Hell. While the fiendish creatures resemble undead skeletal smilodons, bones smoking with heat and dripping with boiling blood, they're actually living hellspawn whose transparent flesh reveals their burning skeleton. A typical hellcat is 9 feet long and weighs 1,000 pounds.
Left to their own devices, hellcats spend their time hunting. As fiendish creatures, they don't need mortal sustenance but devour prey for the sheer pleasure of inflicting pain. They're also far more intelligent than most assume, and they resent being treated as unintelligent animals; those who treat a hellcat thusly might find themselves made into a trophy for its pack, as a hellcat will go to great lengths to coordinate elaborate revenge upon any who fail to show them proper respect.
Though they can't speak, hellcats know Diabolic and can communicate by telepathy with any creature capable of speech. They rarely say much except to whisper threats and acknowledge the orders of their diabolic masters.
Hellcats are quick to retreat if clearly outmatched or up against foes they're unable to reach, but they never forget prey that escapes them.
This functions as telepathy, except that the greater hellcat can speak mentally to any creature, regardless of language. This doesn't grant the greater hellcat the ability to understand what the other creature is thinking, unless that creature also understands Diabolic.
A monster with telepathy can communicate mentally with any creatures within the listed radius, as long as they share a language. This doesn't give any special access to their thoughts, and communicates no more information than normal speech would.
A greater hellcat can live within the fears of others and use their dread to hide from sight. The greater hellcat can Hide in the presence of Frightened creatures. If successful, the greater hellcat becomes Hidden from frightened creatures as if it moved behind cover or into concealment, but must otherwise Hide normally from non-frightened creatures.
The hellcat deals an additional 3d6 precision damage to Frightened creatures.
The greater hellcat telepathically links its senses to all other hellcats within 100 feet for 10 minutes. It loses this contact with any hellcat that moves out of a 100-foot radius. While linked to at least one ally, the greater hellcat can't be flanked and gains a +2 status bonus to Will saving throws.
The greater hellcat produces a low growl to disorient and frighten foes. The hellcat can cause this vocalization to originate from somewhere else within 30 feet. Non-fiends in a 15-foot burst must attempt a DC 37 Will save. The hellcat can't issue another Menacing Growl for 1d4 rounds.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected and is temporarily immune for 24 hours.
Success The creature is Frightened 1.
Failure The creature is Frightened 2.
Critical Failure The creature is Frightened 4.