Feystag

Woodcutters' tales warn of the feystag's uncanny command of magic. It moves upright or on all fours. Its limbs end in claws, its coat is dusty brown, and antlers sprout from its feline head. It speaks many languages, especially those of forest creatures, as fluently as a human of equal wit.

A feystag perceives magical auras of varying brightness on every enchanted item within 60 feet, so long as it is not confused or feebleminded. It has a 90% chance to identify an item's type, functions and remaining strength, such as charges, uses or stored spells, reduced by the single worst applicable circumstance (penalties do not stack).

Studying one item for a round, from up to 60 feet away, lets it make an Intelligence check to work out how to activate or control one of its properties, with +1 if it is holding the item. The GM may rule some items unreadable. It examines one item each round, alongside whatever else it is doing.

Once it understands a power worked by will, a silent mental command or a command word, it can trigger that power from up to 20 feet. It cannot activate unidentified items, and it can activate only one item, once, per round, though continuous effects keep running after it turns its attention elsewhere.

The item's bearer can take control back if the item works by physical means or by spoken command, since spoken commands from the holder take priority. For will-activated powers, the bearer needs Intelligence plus Wisdom above 32 to win easily. A total of 29 to 32 succeeds, but the bearer must then save vs. spell or spend 1d6 rounds confused, during which nobody can use the item while he still holds it. A total of 28 or lower fails.

Its two clawed forelimbs can rake or clumsily wield a one-handed weapon at -1 to hit and damage. Enchantment/charm and greater divination spells do not affect it, nor do psionics that read or sway minds.

Solitary outside mating season, a feystag is forever scouting springs, caves, hideouts and good spots for snares, and often rings its lair with traps. It hoards magic items and always wants more. A few live in remote forest villages, where they bargain over or sell information about items people bring them, or work as sages.

Anything that hunts deer hunts feystags. They are on good terms with korred, centaurs and satyrs, and they eat plants, especially mint, along with certain mosses and mistletoe.