Khaasta

Khaastas are dangerous reptilian humanoids that roam the wastelands of the Outlands and the chaotic planes. They are infamous for being raiders, plunderers, slavers, and mercenaries.

Khaastas superficially resemble lizardfolk, and they may have descended from them long ago. However, khaastas are considerably larger, tougher, and more aggressive than normal lizardfolk. Khaastas have tough, small scales and flaring crests that are colored in intricate, wild patterns unique to each individual. They have long, powerful tails that are used for balance rather than combat.

Most khaastas travel in nomadic bands in the Outer Planes, where they look for loot, slaves, and combat. They hire themselves out to anyone that seems powerful (and in their eyes, worthy) enough to command them, but they backstab their patron at the first sign of weakness.

Khaastas speak Draconic and Common.

Combat

Khaastas look for ways to dive into combat. Some begin by peppering their opponents with arrows, while other khaastas charge into melee with their halberds. A khaasta can make a bite attack while wielding a weapon, and it relishes tasting blood during a fight. The creatures make use of giant lizards as mounts.

Khaastas plan and execute ambushes that focus on hindering dangerous foes until they can be brought down in melee combat. However, khaastas have a strong cowardly streak and run when the combat turns against them.

Khaasta Society

Among the roving bands of khaastas, might makes right. The pecking order of any band is in constant flux, and challenges are common. Khaastas once determined status by having duels to the death, until they almost drove themselves to extinction. Since then, disputes and challenges have been resolved through a nonlethal form of ritual combat.

Khaastas have a convoluted sense of honor that is impossible for outsiders to understand. Treachery, betrayal, theft, and murder are all acceptable methods of advancement in khaasta society.

Females are just as strong and tough as males and are just as likely to be found in marauder bands. Some foes have seen a female khaasta wading into battle with a young one strapped to her back. Despite this seeming disregard for the safety of their children, khaastas defend their young with incredible ferocity.

Khaasta Characters

A khaasta’s favored class is fighter; most khaasta leaders are fighters or clerics. Khaasta clerics can choose any two of the following domains: Chaos, Strength, Trickery, or War. A khaasta PC’s effective character level (ECL) is its class level + 3. For example, a 1st-level khaasta fighter has an ECL of 4 and is the equivalent of a 4th-level character.

While this creature is complete, there doesn’t seem to be any statistics on the giant lizard mounts they use. The biggest lizard in D&D 3.0 was the giant lizard, which was renamed the monitor lizard in D&D 3.5. Both are Medium size creatures that have no advancement beyond that size, making them unsuitable mounts.

Source: Fiend Folio, page 115. Changes applied as per the D&D^® v.3.5 Accessory Update. The giant lizard in version 3.0 became the monitor lizard in version 3.5, but both are only Medium size and unsuitable for mounts for the Medium size khaasta. Some research on Wikipedia on monitor lizards revealed an extinct Pleistocene ancestor of the Komodo dragon (also a monitor lizard) called the megalania; it is large enough to serve as a mount, so those are used in the Organization entry instead. (Think of them as dire monitor lizards, if you like.)