The sinuous tail of this cat-sized winged, armless dragon is tipped with a scorpionlike stinger.

XP 600
N Tiny dragon
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +7

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +3 natural, +2 size)
hp 22 (3d12+3)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +4
Immune paralysis, sleep

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee sting +7 (1d2–1 plus poison), bite +7 (1d3–1)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. (5 ft. with sting)

STATISTICS

Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 9
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 12
Feats Flyby Attack, Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +16, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +16
Languages Draconic

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Poison (Ex)

Sting—injury; save DC 12; frequency 1/round for 2 rounds; effect 1 Constitution damage; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or warm forests or hills
Organization solitary, pair, or flight (3–6)
Treasure standard

Pseudowyverns are distant relatives of wyverns, and while they are much smaller than their infamous cousins, they share many traits, including vicious tempers. These two-legged dragons sleep during the day and are most active in the twilight hours. They are voracious creatures, mainly hunting mammals, birds, and lizards of their own size, but sometimes attacking larger creatures such as goats and sheep. Pseudowyverns hardly ever kill people for food, but they sometimes attack intelligent creatures whose jewelry and other precious items they want to steal and hoard in their nests.

Pseudowyverns speak Draconic crudely, employing a series of screeches that even other dragons find jarring to hear. Thankfully, they are rarely talkative unless there is food, treasure, or danger nearby.

In some lands, nobles and wealthy merchants value pseudowyverns as exotic pets, and one of their eggs can fetch as much as 1,200 gp in some markets. In truth, these ill-tempered and stubborn creatures make poor pets; keeping them happy requires no small amount of flattery, delicious foods, and shiny things as bribes. Hard to please, they are likely to attack their owners and try to escape unless kept on a very short leash or managed by a skilled handler.

Improved Familiar

A 7th-level spellcaster with the Improved Familiar feat can gain a pseudowyvern as a familiar. A pseudowyvern is about 1 foot long with a 2-foot-long tail, has scales in shades of deep blue, and weighs about 15 pounds.