ECOLOGY

Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure none

Digmauls are stealthy ambush predators, and their victims often catch a hint of their musky odor just seconds before the beasts leap upon them. In many places, only hermits, pioneers, and adventurers come across these feline hunters as they press into uncharted wildernesses, but in areas where humanoid populations have recently expanded, communities encroaching into formerly pristine forests may also have to contend with these cunning killers. Some talespinners warn that humanoids are the preferred prey of digmauls, and charlatans use this falsehood to stir up fear and get people to buy charms and unguents said to ward against digmaul attacks.

Digmauls make their homes in remote woods, where they climb up into trees to leap down on unsuspecting prey, tackling their victims and beating them to death with bulbous, spiked tails. When actively hunting and not simply relying on opportunity, digmauls stalk their prey for hours, sometimes even days, keeping a safe distance and making use of their superior stealth to remain unnoticed.

They use their keen noses to follow their quarries' trails when they lose sight in the thick, dark forests. Some stories claim that humanoids native to the forests where digmauls hunt have been successful in training these ferocious cats to guard their secluded domains, though such feats may rely on druidic magic.

Though only having animal intelligence, digmauls communicate with one another in a manner similar to bird calls. They also use their tails to drum on logs to warn of danger, and to attract mates during mating season. These drumming sounds can be heard at distances of 1 to 2 miles.

A digmaul stands nearly 3 feet tall at the shoulder, is 6 feet long, and weighs 180 pounds.

Silvercat

Even rarer than ordinary digmauls are those specimens referred to as silvercats, whose lustrous, blue-gray pelts shimmer in moonlight. Silvercats are digmauls with the advanced simple template. Their ball tail lacks the spikes of a digmaul's but has greater force behind it. While the tail deals only bludgeoning damage, the racial bonus on trip and bull rush combat maneuver checks with the tail increases to +6.