Skinrug Guardian (Template) A skinrug guardian is a kind of construct creature made from the preserved skin of an animal. Retaining a (flattened) semblance of their original form, skinrug guardians are kept in places where an animalskin rug would not draw attention and leap up to attack intruders or threaten those that they are ordered to protect.  A skinrug guadian looks like nothing more unusual than a floor or wall rug made from the skin of a slain animal, including the feet and head. When active, they hump themselves into an approximation of their original shape, attacking in the manner of their living counterparts. They are completely obedient to the person that creates them. Creating a Skinrug Guardian "Skinrug guardian" is a template that can be applied to any animal (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). The creatures' type changes to "construct." It uses all of the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Construction To construct a skinrug guardian, the creator needs the Craft Wondrous Item feat and must expend 1,000 gp per hit die and 50 XP per hit die of the base creature. The cost includes the necessary animal skin, certain herbs and magical oils to rub into the creature's fur, and all other mundane ingredients. Preparing the skin requires a successful Craft (leatherworking) check (DC 13). If the creator is a bard, sorcerer, or wizard, the construction process requires cat's grace and charm monster. If a cleric or druid, it requires speak with animals and either dominate animal or animate objects. The process takes five days.

    Hit Dice: The base creature's hit dice change to d10.
    Special Attacks: A skinrug guardian retains all of the extraordinary abilities of the base creature (except those that require a continuing active metabolism, such as poison). It also gains the improved grab ability and the following:
    Subdual Damage Option (Ex): A skinrug guardian can be ordered to only inflict subdual damage when it grapples a target.
    Special Qualities: A skinrug guardian retains all of the special qualities of the base creature  (except those that require a continuing active metabolism, such as an octopus' ink jet), and gains the construct type. Because it has no Intelligence or Constitution score and is destroyed upon reaching 0 hit points, some of the base creature's abilities have no effect after it has been turned into a construct guardian (for example, the boar's ferocity ability to fight while disabled or dying has no effect, and a badger's rage ability does not increase the creature's Constitution or hit points because it has no Constitution score, although the Strength increase and AC penalty still apply).
    The creature also gains the following:
    Evasion (Ex): Because it is agile and can flatten itself completely to avoid attacks, a skinrug guardian gains the evasion ability.
    Immunities (Ex): A skinrug guardian is immune to cold attacks and attacks from blunt weapons.
    Damage Reduction (Ex): A skinrug guardian has damage reduction 5/slashing (it ignores the first 5 points of damage from any piercing attack).
    Camouflage (Ex): A skinrug guardian that doesn't move looks exactly like an inert animalskin rug.
    Flatness (Ex): Because its body is flexible and compact despite its facing, a skinrug guardian can fit through openings as small as its head
    Abilities: As a construct creature, a skinrug guardian has no Constitution or Intelligence score. Adjust its ability scores from the base creature as follows: Strength -4, Dexterity +4.
    Skills: As a construct creature, a skinrug guardian has no ranks in any skills. It loses any racial bonus to skills it had as a living creature.
    Feats: As a construct creature, a skinrug guardian has no feats.

Climate-Terrain: Any land and underground.
Organization: Solitary.
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: --

Sample Skinrug Guardian
This example uses a brown bear as the base creature.

Skinrug guardian brown bear
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 6d10 (33 hp)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 17 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural)
Attacks: 2 claws +9 melee, bite +4 melee
Damage: Claw 1d8+6, bite 2d8+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, subdual damage option
Special Qualities: Camouflage, construct, DR 5/slashing, evasion, flatness, immunities, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +3
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 17, Con --, Int --, Wis 12, Cha 6
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Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: --