[The swordwing has a great look and not one, but two nice minis, but has very little else going for it in 4e. Pretty much all of its abilities (bonus opportunity attacks, moving while attacking) are standard Pathfinder feats, and its flavor text is basically “what if eusocial insects were hoarders and weirdly high level?” I’ve kept the collecting instinct, but paired it with some way to interact with the world other than ambushing adventurers, and added new mechanics to compliment its high CR nature.]
Swordwings are strange subterranean monsters with a deeply rooted greed and mysterious origins. They are a plainly artificial race, possessing life-spans that run up to a thousand years and being unable to reproduce except through elaborate magical rituals. But who or what is responsible for their creation is a mystery. Individual swordwings may claim descent from the gods, creation by the aboleth or xiomorns, a pact with an archfiend or any other origin that suits their whims or flatters their current allies.
All swordwings are master crafters and inveterate collectors, with particular interests that differ between individuals. Such objects of obsession may be as mundane as geodes, macabre as preserved hearts or as valuable as golems or magical longbows. The prizes of said collection are protected behind layer upon layer of magical wards, and swordwings will do anything to improve their collections from trading to theft to murder. Some swordwings even infiltrate societies as dealers of magical goods in order to track and procure especially valuable specimens. In human societies, they typically use magic items to disguise their appearance, but elsewhere may use their monstrous forms and fearsome reputations to dissuade would-be rivals and burglars.
In combat, swordwings prefer to stay mobile, weaving in and out of melee on buzzing wings and dealing savage blows with their bladed arm. Their mastery of magic items extends to being able to use scrolls, wands and staves in an instant, augmenting their physical might with unpredictable magical effects.
Swordwing CR 17
XP 102,400
LE Medium monstrous humanoid
Init +13; Senses arcane sight, darkvision 60 ft., Perception +30, true seeing
Defense
AC 30, touch 20, flat-footed 20 (+9 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural)
hp 310 (23d10+184), fast healing 5
Fort +15, Ref +21, Will +17
Defensive Abilities blur
Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (good)
Melee great claw +33 (2d8+15 plus bleed/17-20x3), claw +33 (1d8+10)
Special Attacks augmented critical, bleed (2d6), powerful blows (great claw), swift thaumaturgy
Spell-like Abilities CL 20th, concentration +26
Constant—arcane sight, blur, true seeing
3/day—greater dispel magic
1/day—guards and wards (DC 22), sequester
Statistics
Str 30, Dex 28, Con 26, Int 19, Wis 19, Cha 23
Base Atk +23; CMB +34; CMD 54
Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Critical (great claw), Mobility, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Spring Attack, Stand Still, Step Up, Vital Strike, Whirlwind Attack
Skills Acrobatics +32, Bluff +29, Fly +39, Intimidate +32, Knowledge (arcana) +27, Perception +30, Spellcraft +27, Stealth +35
Languages Aklo, Common, Draconic, Undercommon
SQ item mastery
Ecology
Environment any land or underground
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure double standard
Special Abilities
Augmented Critical (Ex) A swordwing’s great claw threatens a critical hit on a roll of 19-20 and deals x3 damage on a successful critical hit. Most swordwings expand their threat range to 17-20 by taking the Improved Critical feat.
Item Mastery (Ex) A swordwing can always activate spell trigger and spell completion items as if the spell were on its class list. For the purposes of creating magic items or constructs, it is treated as having all item creation feats.
Swift Thaumaturgy (Su) A swordwing can activate a spell trigger or spell completion item as a swift action, as long as the spell being cast has a casting time of 1 full round or less.
