Fantasy Monster: Ghost Cube

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Ghost Cube

An enormous cube made of translucent, flickering force fields spins and whirls in the air.

CR 16; XP 76,800
N Colossal Construct

Init +10; Senses blindsight 120 ft.; Perception +24

Defense
AC 32, touch 32, flat-footed 32 (+10 deflection, +10 Dex, +10 dodge, –8 size)
hp 245 (30d10+80); fast healing 20
Fort +10; Ref +20; Will +14

Defensive Abilities all-around vision, evasion, hardness 30; Immune construct traits

Weakness susceptible to disintegration

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.

Special Attacks absorb spirits, ether anchoring, ether arcs (4d6, DC 25), ether pulse (20d6, DC 25)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 30, Con —, Int —, Wis 19, Cha 19
Base Atk +30; CMB +38; CMD —

Feats Hover^B

Skills Fly +10, Knowledge (religion) +0 (incorporeal undead +20), Perception +24; Racial Modifiers +20 Knowledge (religion) pertaining to incorporeal undead, +20 Perception

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Absorb Spirits (Su) An incorporeal or gaseous creature that is pulled or moves inside the ghost cube space is absorbed and trapped within the overlapping manifold force fields that form the construct's interior. A ghost cube can retain any number of incorporeal or gaseous creatures of any size inside, as long as their total HD doesn't exceed four times the ghost cube's HD (advanced ghost cubes can hold six times their HD of absorbed ghosts). Absorbed spirits are compressed and frozen in (imperfect) stasis, incapable of action and having only the faintest awareness of passing time and events taking place outside. If a ghost cube absorbs more spirits than it can hold, it will release excess entities, with creatures whose HD is closest to the overflow being vented, chosen randomly between creatures of the same HD.

Ether Anchoring (Su) An incorporeal or gaseous creature that was struck by either ether arcs or ether pulse has its speed halved until end of its following turn. If the saving throw against either ability was failed, the creature has its speed reduced to 0 instead.

Ether Arcs (Su) Ghost cube can emit up to six arcs of glimmering force as a standard action, with each arc dealing 4d6 points of force damage to a single target within ghost cube's reach, and moving them by 5 feet (a successful Will saving throw against DC 25 halves the damage and negates the forced move). Generally, incorporeal and gaseous targets are pulled toward the ghost cube, while fully corporeal targets are pushed away from the cube. Ghost cube can direct ether arcs against the same target or split them, as needed. The saving throw DC is Strength-based.

Ether Pulse (Su) As a standard action, ghost cube can emit a wide pulse of etheric force, affecting all creatures within the cube's reach, dealing 20d6 points of force damage and pushing them away (fully corporeal creatures) or pulling them toward the cube (incorporeal and gaseous beings) by 5 feet. A successful Will saving throw (DC 25) halves the damage and negates the forced movement. Ghost cube cannot use ether pulse again for 1d4+1 rounds. The saving throw DC is Strength-based.

Susceptible To Disintegration (Su) Disintegration spells and effects ignore ghost cube's hardness and disrupt the complex interaction of force fields that compose the construct. In addition to suffering damage, on a successful saving throw, the ghost cube is staggered for 1 round, and one random incorporeal or gaseous being trapped inside flees. On a failed saving throw, the ghost cube becomes confused (results 51–75 causes the ghost cube to move its speed in a random direction) for 1d4+1 rounds, with one trapped being fleeing each round. Either way, on a confirmed critical hit, 1d3 creatures flee instead of one.

Ghost cubes were created by a cabal of not-quite-sane occult researchers, obsessed with studying bodiless vestiges of the dead. Somehow, they managed to combine multiple intricately overlapping forcefields into a functional permanent construct, a seemingly impossible feat of artifice.

The cabal created at least a few of those themselves, sending most of them to procure incorporeal specimens for the cabal's research. Ghost cubes are supposed to return to their masters once their storage are full, to transfers the captured samples into permanent storage, though they can get lost on their way, their bases of operation might get destroyed, or they might fall into a loop of trying to absorb too many entities, venting the excess leaving a storage space for a few more, attempt to absorb more, getting overfull, venting, and trying to fill again, and again.

Constructing ghost cube

The creation process requires expenditure of 12,500 gp in material components suitable for making wall of force permanent as well as complex math needed to design the internal geometry.

CL 12th; Price 142,500 gp

Requirements Craft Construct, geas, maze, permanency, wall of force; Skill Profession (mathematician) DC 40; Cost 77,500 gp

Fantasy Monster: Grave Worms

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Grave Worms

A swarming mass of bloated grey and pink earthworms that look disturbingly similar to writhing intestines...

CR 9; XP 3,200
N Fine Vermin (swarm)

Init +1; Senses scent, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +0

Defense
AC 19, touch 19, flat-footed 18 (+1 Dex, +8 size)
hp 115 (21d8+21)
Fort +13; Ref +8; Will +7

Defensive Abilities swarm traits; Immune disease, mind-affecting effects, weapon damage

Weakness repelled by salt

Offense
Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft.

Melee swarm attack (10d6)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks voracious devourers

Statistics
Str 1, Dex 12, Con 12, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +15; CMB —; CMD —

Ecology
Environment temperate or warm
Organization solitary, pair, or hecatomb (3–10)
Treasure incidental

Repelled By Salt (Ex) Salt is harmful to individual worms forming the swarm. While the swarm moves it might push over small amounts of salt, losing some of the constituent worms in the process, but larger amounts of salt, at least a few inches thick and tall, will stop them from progressing. Soaking oneself in brine, or rubbing with salt mixed with some sticky substance (which might take about a minute) will grant immunity to grave worms swarm attack for 2d6 minutes (or 1d6+1 rounds in rain or other extremally humid environment. A bottle of strong brine can be used like an acid flask against a swarm of grave worms.

Voracious Devourers (Ex) Swarms of grave worms devour flesh with a terrifying speed and appetite. Each body of dead Medium creature within grave worms space is stripped clean of flesh, skin, and most other soft tissues in 10 rounds. They don't consume hair, bones, or teeth, nor do they eat Undead flesh, ignoring it completely.

When a disaster, disease, war, or other calamity leaves an excessive number of corpses, the worms that bloated on them might form dangerous swarms seeking to devour more and more flesh, multiplying in numbers quickly. Once conditioned to consume humanoid and animal remains, they pursue their meals with little regard if the prey is still living.

As grave worms don't consume Undead flesh, they are occasionally used by necromancers and liches, though they are hard to maintain—once the steady supply of easily accessible flesh, dead or living, runs out, the swarms dissipate over a few days—or start devouring each other if trapped away from their natural environment.

Fantasy NPC: Livya Arna, Failed Golddigger

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Livya Arna, Failed Golddigger

A short and curvy maid in a torn ball gown, unhealthily grayish, and seemingly blurring at the edges.

CR 3; 800 XP

Female human ghost commoner 3

NE Medium Undead (incorporeal)

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8

Defense
AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+3 deflection, +2 Dex)

hp 25 (3d8+12)
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee corrupting touch +3 (3d6 plus fatigue, Fort. DC 14 partial)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 14, Con —, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 17

Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 16
Feats Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perform [dance]), Toughness

Skills Fly +16, Knowledge (local) +4, Perception +8, Perform (dance) +8, Profession (milkmaid) +6, Stealth +10

Language Common

Corrupting Touch (Su) Those who fail their Fortitude saving throws against Livya's corrupting touch become fatigued for 1d4+1 rounds in addition to suffering full damage, feeling as if they were running (or dancing) for hours. Her corrupting touch counts as silver against creatures particularly susceptible to its effects and any werebeasts that are negatively affected by silver that fail their saving throw are sickened with burning pain as if silver was stuck in their wounds until they wounds are cleaned, healed, or regenerated.

Rejuvenation (Su) Livya Arna reforms near the largest concentration of the silver coins she was counting when she died, or by one of the coins at random, if they are split evenly.

Livya Arna never intended to live her whole life as a simple peasant. She dreamed bigger—in her own mind at least—than her family and neighbors, hoping to find a way out of the village where she lived, and into wealth and comfortable life.

The new squire arrived and took over nearby manor and over time, gossip started circulating regarding his quirky behavior, but she didn't mind them. When he finally invited her, after a number of other young women from nearby villages, she though her moment has come.

To her disappointment, Honorable Balzaine showed little interest in her, losing himself in dance itself. Her best attempts at flirting with him seemed to fail to move him at all. Finally, she snapped, and shouted wild accusations against him. He froze for a moment, and coldly ordered her to leave, never to return, handing her a purse of silver.

Angry, indignant, and embarrassed by blatant disregard for her (much overestimated) charms, she went into the night. On her way home, she started to count the coins she received, coins she assumed were bribe to keep her accusations to herself. While far from being a hoard, they were still far more than she had to her name. Not enough to start a new life, but still something. She veered through the forested wetlands, not wanting to show herself in her home village in the middle of night to avoid hurting her vanity by anyone getting even a hint of her being unceremoniously sent away. When she stopped to count her coins again, something leaped on her. The last thing she saw was a shape of a wolf, flash of red eyes, and snapping fangs.

And then there was the mist, and she was wandering through the forest again, trying to find the lost silver coins and avoid the wolf. Over and over again.

In her mind, it was clearly the fault of the Pale Squire, he must have sent wolf after her, or maybe he was the wolf. She wasn't sure. She wants revenge, and she wants compensation—and not merely silver this time. She wants her deserved share of riches and comforts.

Fantasy NPC: Honorable Balzaine, The Pale Squire

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Honorable Balzaine, The Pale Squire

A handsome man, with finely chiseled face, excellent teeth, perfectly smooth and almost shiny skin. He is wearing an elegant overcoat, waistcoat, breeches, and stockings, all in black and red.

CR 5; 1,600 XP

N Medium Construct

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +2

Defense
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+2 armor, +4 Dex, +2 natural)

hp 53 (6d10+20)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +5

Defensive Abilities discretion; Immune construct traits

Offense
Speed 30 ft.

Melee 2 slams +11 (1d4+5) or mwk rapier +11/+6 (1d6+4, 18–20/×2) and slam +6 (1d4+3)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th, concentration +8)

Constant—magic fang

At Will—make whole (repairs Honorable Balzaine's whole attire at the same time it repairs him), open/close, prestidigitation (used to clean his attire daily)

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 18, Con —, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 15

Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 24
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Skills Diplomacy +11, Knowledge (local) +11, Knowledge (nobility) +11, Knowledge (religion +2 (+12 regarding vampires), Perception +2, Perform (dance) +11, Sense Motive +2; Racial Modifiers +10 to Knowledge (religion) checks pertaining to vampires and their kin

Language Common, Duc, two other fashionable languages

SQ gentleman

Discretion (Su) Attempt to detect Honorable Balzaine's alignment, type, or aura with an effect weaker than 6th or higher spell level (or equivalent) merely registers a concealing magical aura.

Gentleman (Ex) Following his original purpose, Honorable Balzaine treats Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), and Perform (dance) as class skills.

Notable Gear cloak of resistance +1, +2 waistcoat of feather falling (+2 enhancement bonus to base +0 armor, feather fall triggers whenever falling 5 or more feet, occupies chest slot, worth 7,300 gp)

When Honorable Balzaine arrived to his newly acquired manor, the local villages thought little of it at first—petty gentry comes and goes, after all. As the time passed, though, his peculiarities led to certain questions being whispered behind his back. Why no one sees him during the daytime? Why he doesn't drink wine? Actually, why no one saw him eat, or even order foodstuff from the locals? Why does he brings young women to his manor on the night of full moon—for dances as they all allege, exhausted but seemingly unharmed afterwards, but seems to show little interest in them otherwise?

The truth is, that Honorable Balzaine was wrought as a decoy, serving an aristocratic vampire as a bait to lure away hunters that never came. Later, he passed into the hands of another vampiress, who kept him as a dance partner until she got bored and arranged to make him into a minor landlord, just to have a possible safe haven to visit on her travels.

Was Honorable Belzaine an unique creation, or did the cunning vampire order a whole batch of decoys, now spread across the neighboring realms, misdirecting his enemies?

Fantasy Monster: Gallows-Wight

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Gallows-Wight

A tattered figure in white undershirt and lose pants, with a long frayed end of a rope hanging from the noose tightened on the neck.

CR 5; XP 1,600
CE Medium Undead

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11

Defense
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 59 (7d8+28)
Fort +5; Ref +6; Will +6

DR 5/magic and silver; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee hanging rope +9 (1d4+4 plus pull or grab) and 2 slams +9 (1d4+4)

Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (15 ft. with hanging rope)

Special Attacks grab, hanging rope, pull (10 ft., hanging rope), slow choke

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 18, Con —, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +5; CMB +9 (+13 grapple); CMD 23

Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Toughness

Skills Fly +22, Intimidate +13, Perception +11, Stealth +14

Languages Common (doesn't speak)

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or gallows-of-wights (3–12)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Hanging Rope (Su) The rope on which gallows-wight was hanged repairs and regrows when damaged, animated by the creature's spite and malice. When a gallows-wight hits with the rope attack it can either attempt a free pull or grapple attempt on the target. The gallows-wight suffers no penalties for not using hands. Additionally, a flying gallows-wight can maintain grapple or pin the target that is hanging on the full length of the rope (15 ft.) instead of being adjacent to the wight, and move up to its full flying speed when doing so, or twice its flying speed if it took a full-round action to maintain the grapple. The rope can be attacked and damaged with weapon attacks and targeted abilities, with the same AC and saving throws as the wight and 15 hit points, suffering half damage from piercing weapons and no damage from bludgeoning and sonic attacks, freeing the currently grappled or pinned victim when reduced to 0 hit points, though the severed rope regrows almost immediately.

Slow Choke (Ex) When a gallows-wight successfully maintains the pin and flies around with a creature pinned by the hanging rope, the victim suffers 2d6 points of damage at the end of the gallows-wight turn and can't speak for 1d4 rounds.

Gallows-wights arise when a particularly willful individual dies by hanging, often when the execution is unjust, but also because of extreme spite, curse, or lingering necromantic energies. Many gallows-wights spring to action almost immediately, sometimes disrupting continued executions of their companions, and attacking the hangman, the judges, and the witnesses. Others come to unlife later, after being left hanging, or during the night after their burial, if it happened on the same day. Those late bloomers are usually more sneaky and cunning than the wrathful ones, taking their time to stalk those who are responsible for their death—both the act, and the decision.

Fantasy Monster: Toll-o-Bell

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Toll-o-Bell

A massive brass bell hangs from eight spidery legs made of wrought iron.

CR 8; XP 4,800
N Huge Construct

Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0

Defense
AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 21 (+3 deflection, +8 natural, –2 size)
hp 106 (12d10+40)
Fort +7; Ref +7; Will +7

Defensive Abilities glance off, resonance; DR 10/adamantine; Immune construct traits; Resist acid 30, cold 30, electricity 30, fire 30, sonic 30

Offense
Speed 20 ft.

Melee 3 slams +15 (2d6+5 plus deafening)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks toll-o-doom

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +12; CMB +19; CMD 29 (41 vs. trip)

Skills Perception +0

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Deafening (Ex) Any creature struck by toll-o-bell or damaged by its toll-o-doom special attack is deafened for 1 round, or 1d4+1 rounds on a confirmed critical hit or a failed saving throw.

Glance Off (Ex) Attacks tend to bounce of toll-o-bell sturdy construction. It gains +3 deflection bonus to AC and +3 resistance bonus to saving throws (already included in the stat block).

Resonance (Su) Whenever toll-o-bell is struck by significant force (weapon attacks, fall, impact of certain spells and combat maneuvers that produce physical force performed by creatures wearing metal armor, force and sonic damage), even if the force failed to penetrate damage reduction or resistance, it gains a charge of resonance. Whenever a toll-o-bell is struck with a melee attack, it inflicts sonic damage equal to the number of resonance charges it has on the attacker.

Toll-O-Doom (Su) As a full-round action, toll-o-bell can discharge all of its accumulated resonance in a single, ear-piercing, glass-shattering, resounding boom, dealing 1d6 points of sonic damage per resonance charge to creatures and objects within 60 feet burst. A successful Fortitude saving throw halves the damage (DC 18). Toll-o-bell always rings on its turn following accumulation of 10 resonance charges, though occasionally they use this ability earlier, though the conditions for its trigger might vary between individual constructs. The saving throw DC is Constitution-based and includes +2 racial bonus.

Toll-o-Bells might have been intended merely as an autonomous upgrade over regular town and castle bells, ringing either when command or on predetermined time, without having to rely on complex rigs of ropes and use of bell-ringers, but they quickly found use as machines of war and siege-craft.

Some toll-o-bells still roam the ruins of fallen cities and crumbled castles, trying to follow their original function, ringing as prescribed by oft forgotten customs and conditions.

Constructing toll-o-bell

Requires making a huge brass bell and supporting frame of wrought iron costing 3,000 gp.

CL 12th; Price 35,000 gp

Requirements Craft Construct, geas, shout, telekinesis, wall of iron; Skill Craft (metal-casting or similar) DC 25; Cost 19,000 gp

Fantasy Monster: Chimeswarm

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Chimeswarm

A cloud of tiny bells ringing incessantly as they fly through the air.

CR 7; XP 3,200
N Tiny Construct (swarm)

Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0

Defense
AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 16 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +2 size)
hp 88 (16d10)
Fort +5; Ref +9; Will +5

Defensive Abilities swarm traits; DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits; Resist sonic 30

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee swarm attack (4d6 bludgeoning and 4d6 sonic)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks deafening ringing (DC 18)

Statistics
Str 5, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +16; CMB —; CMD —

Skills Fly +12, Perception +0

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or cacophony (3–6)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Deafening Ringing (Ex) Creature suffering sonic damage from Chimeswarm attack become deafened for 1 round and have to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 18). Those who failed their saving throw become deafened and staggered for 1d4 rounds, and suffer –2 penalty to sound-based Bluff, Diplomacy, Perception, Perform, Profession, and Use Magic Device checks for the next 1d4 hours. However, for the same period of time, they receive +2 bonus to saving throws against spoken language-dependent effects and sound-based Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform, or Profession checks made against them suffer –2 penalty as their impaired hearing makes understanding others harder. This is a sonic effect. The saving throw DC is Constitution-based.

Chimeswarm is a cloud of animate bells. While remaining under command of a skilled conductor, they can be instructed to produce exquisite music, but once abandoned they quickly go rogue feral, producing noise whenever something disturbs them, or in response to other sounds—the louder the sound that roused them, the louder their ringing becomes., until their sound becomes mindbogglingly deafening. Multiple groups of unrelated chimeswarms running into each other can easily create perpetual feedback loops heard from miles.

A few lone chimeswarms miraculously keep playing melodious tunes, and there is at least one report of a chimeswarm responding harmoniously to a songbird.

Constructing Chimeswarm

Requires thousand bells costing 1 gp each.

CL 16th; Price 25,500 gp

Requirements Craft Construct, geas, ghost sound, levitate, shatter; Skill Craft (metal-casting or similar) DC 25; Cost 13,250 gp