| Hit Dice: | 12d8+72 (126 hp) |
| Initiative: | +9 |
| Speed: | 50 ft. (10 squares), climb 20 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 30 (+5 Dex, +10 natural, +5 deflection), touch 20, flat-footed 25 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +12/+19 |
| Attack: | Claw +20 melee (1d6+7/19–20) or throat dart +17 ranged (1d4+7 plus poison) |
| Full Attack: | 2 claws +20 melee (1d6+7/19–20) or throat dart +17 ranged (1d4+7 plus poison) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Poison, sneak attack +2d6, throat dart |
| Special Qualities: | Camouflage, damage reduction 10/ magic, darkvision 120 ft., elusive prey, evasion, outsider traits, scent, swift tracker, unearthly grace |
| Saves: | Fort +19, Ref +18, Will +18 |
| Abilities: | Str 25, Dex 21, Con 23, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 20 |
| Skills: | Climb +30, Hide +20, Jump +30, Listen +20, Move Silently +20, Search +16, Sense Motive +18, Spot +20, Survival +18; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness, Improved Critical (claw) [bonus], Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Iron Will, Track [bonus], Weapon Focus (claw) |
| Environment: | Astral Plane |
| Organization: | Solitary or hunting party (2–6) |
| Challenge Rating: | 12 |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Always lawful evil |
| Advancement: | By character class ♊ |
| Level Adjustment: | +6 |
The creature looks like a muscular humanoid with thick black-green skin. Its demonic visage is reminiscent of a skeletal human with a prominent jaw. Its hands end in large, wickedly sharp claws.
Astral stalkers roam the multiverse looking for the ultimate quarry. They live for the thrill of the hunt, and they measure their personal worth and status in their community by the number and power of the creatures that they have successfully hunted.
These able hunters prefer to stalk intelligent foes, and the pleasure they gain from hunting these creatures for sport makes them evil by the standards of any race. However, astral stalkers adhere to a short list of tenets that they refer to as the Rules of the Hunt: Once its quarry has knowingly eluded an astral stalker, it will never again hunt that creature; if hired to hunt a creature, the stalker will not hunt its employer for at least one year; and no astral stalker will ever hunt another astral stalker.
Astral stalkers find that their prey provides better sport if it knows it is being hunted, so they often warn their quarry in some roundabout fashion before beginning the hunt.
An astral stalker typically stands 6 feet tall and weighs 275 pounds.
Astral stalkers speak Common and Infernal.
Astral stalkers regard all other creatures as potential prey. Although they seek to test themselves against stronger and stronger prey, astral stalkers are neither stupid nor foolhardy, and rarely engage in combat without first preparing the hunting ground and sizing up their foes. They favor ambushes designed to weaken the prey before bringing it down.
Poison (Ex): Injury; Fortitude DC 22; initial damage paralysis 1d4 rounds; secondary damage none. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Throat Dart (Ex): An astral stalker’s throat dart has a range of 150 feet with no range increment.
Camouflage (Ex): An astral stalker can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain does not grant cover or concealment.
Elusive Prey (Ex): An astral stalker is difficult to track. Anyone trying to track one takes a −10 penalty on Survival checks.
Swift Tracker (Ex): An astral stalker can move at its normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal −5 penalty. It takes only a −10 penalty (instead of the normal −20 penalty) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.
Unearthly Grace (Su): An astral stalker adds its Charisma modifier as a bonus on all its saving throws and as a deflection bonus to its Armor Class.
Skills: An astral stalker has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.
Source: Monster Manual III, page 12.