Fantasy Monster: Trail Of Thought

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Trail Of Thought

A translucent strand of scintillating colors, floating in the air, circling over heads of others.

CR 2; XP 600
N Tiny Construct (animate, incorporeal)

Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, detect thoughts; Perception +6

Aura implant idea (10 ft.)

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+1 deflection, +1 Dex, +2 size)
hp 22 (4d10)
Fort +1; Ref +2; Will +3

Defensive Abilities hold the thought, incorporeal; Immune construct traits

Weakness susceptible to damage and conditions caused by mind-affecting effects

Offense
Speed fly 20 ft. (perfect)

Melee incorporeal touch +6 (3d6 nonlethal)

Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks implant idea

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th, concentration +5)

Constant—detect thoughts (DC 13)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 12, Con —, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 13
Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 13

Feats Hover, Improved Initiative

Skills Fly +17, Perception +6, Stealth +13

Language none; passively and constantly read thoughts of nearby creatures with detect thoughts

Ecology
Environment settlements, ruins
Organization solitary, pair, stream (3–10)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Hold The Thought (Su) While trail of thought can't actually possess other beings, it can attach itself to a non-mindless being, usually while the creature is fascinated, sleeping, or otherwise unaware of its surroundings. Being incorporeal and weightless it doesn't disturb the host, and can take 10 on Stealth checks  to avoid being noticed. Whenever the host takes an action that matches the trail of thought's nature, the trail heals 5 hit points.

Implant Idea (Su) A trail of thought projects its essential concept into the minds of nearby sapient beings, which lingers at the edge of their consciousness as long as they remain in range. Any saving throw against a mind-affecting effect that would compel to act or behave in accordance with the core idea of the trail of thought suffers ‒4 penalty, as does Charisma check made to avoid following similarly resonant appeal while under effects of a charm. Any actions taken in direct accordance with the particular trail of thoughts gain +2 morale bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Shocking Thought (Su) A trail of thought can lash at a nearby creature delivering a mental shock, inflicting 3d6 points of nonlethal damage on a successful incorporeal touch attack. This is a mind-affecting effect.

When a powerful entity forcibly sheds an unwanted idea, an inconvenient memory, an annoying desire, or an intrusive thought, the discarded concept can coalesce into one or more of self-sustaining mindforms, bodiless presences that wander around, seeking sapient beings that will enact the trail of thought's underlying nature more often than not.

While they don't actively compel people do anything, trail of thoughts subtly empower anyone who chooses to follow through, which might convince them to do so again in the future. With enough reinforcement, a sapient being might lock itself into a cycle of repetition, over and over again.

A trail of thought can be bound as an improved familiar (requires caster level 7th), though finding one fitting would-be master's personality might be challenge in itself... Skilled casters could in theory create one themselves, but by very definition, a trail of thoughts are made from parts of their minds they cast away forever.

Fantasy Monster: Alchembulk

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Alchembulk

A fused mass of bottles, racks, pipes, and alembics, twisted wire, and wooden splinters walking on crocked table legs.

CR 9; XP 6,400
N Large Construct (animate)

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, sense vulnerability; Perception +24

Defense
AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+3 deflection, +2 Dex, +8 natural, ‒1 size)
hp 112 (15d10+30); fast healing 10
Fort +8; Ref +10; Will +12

Defensive Abilities enhanced protection 3, hardness 10; Immune construct traits; Resist acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, fire 20

Weakness vulnerability to impact

Offense
Speed 30 ft.

Melee 4 slam +16 (2d4+4)

Ranged 4 alchemical splashes +16 touch (3d6 points of acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks critical reaction

Statistics
Str 14, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 19, Cha 1
Base Atk +15; CMB +18; CMD 33 (41 vs. trip)

Skills Perception +24; Racial Modifier +20 Perception

Ecology
Environment settlements, ruins
Organization solitary, pair, lab (3–5)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Alchemical Splashes (Ex) Alchembulks are filled with constantly churning volatile chemicals and active ingredients, allowing them to spew endless streams of noxious substances. Alchembulks can squirt a splash of burning, corrosive, shocking, or freezing substance as an attack action, or up to four with a full attack action. They can also freely mix slam attacks and alchemical splashes during the full attack action. Each alchemical splash has range of 60 feet with no increment and deals 3d6 points of acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage on a successful touch attack and 3 points of splash damage within 10 feet of the point struck.

Critical Reaction (Ex) Any alchembulk reduced to 0 hit points falls apart and then, after 1d4 rounds, explodes in a spectacular 60-ft. radius explosion inflicting 3d6 acid, 3d6 cold, 3d6 electricity, and 3d6 points of fire damage. A successful Reflex saving throw (DC 19) halves the damage. The saving throw DC is Dexterity-based. The explosion doesn't occur if the alchembulk is disintegrated or the alchemical reaction is otherwise suppressed from occurring (be creative).

Enhanced Protection 3 (Ex) Alchembulks have +3 deflection bonus to AC and +3 resistance bonus to their saving throws.

Sense Vulnerability (Ex) Alchembulks have an innate sense of immunities, resistances, and vulnerabilities of creatures and objects within 60 feet, using the most efficient alchemical splashes against those who would harass them and interfere with their actions.

Vulnerability To Impact Alchembulk suffer +50% of damage from falls and sonic damage. They also suffers 1d6 points of damage whenever they are knocked prone or fall from 5 feet.

Alchembulks might form when a catastrophic incident destroys an alchemical lab, the bigger the event, the larger amount of alchemical tools are broken, and the more components are mixed together, the greater are the chances of one or more forming out of the fused remains.

While rarely directly hostile, alchembulks are dangerous nevertheless, due to volatile nature of the fluids and gases they leak, and their irresistible push to consume more and more alchemical components, and break more and more glassware, seemingly trying to recreate circumstances of their own formation.

Fantasy Monster: Plagued Doctor

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Plagued Doctor

A tall figure in black coat, top hat, and a mask that resembles a beak of a carrion bird.

CR 7; XP 00
LE Medium Undead

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., smell illness; Perception +14

Defense
AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+3 armor, +4 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 85 (10d8+40); fast healing X
Fort +6; Ref +7; Will +10

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4; Immune blindness, dazzled, undead traits

Offense
Speed 30 ft.

Melee scalpel +11/+11/+6 (1d4+4 plus 1 Con, 19‒20/×2)

Special Attacks skillful bloodletting

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 18, Con —, Int 19, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +7; CMB +7; CMD 21

Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Nimble Moves, Toughness

Skills Bluff +16, Diplomacy +16, Heal +14, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (nature) +17, Perception +14, Profession (apothecary) +14, Stealth +17

Languages Aklo, Common, Infernal

SQ experimental treatment, medical diploma

Ecology
Environment urban, rural
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard (medical supplies and research notes, with notable worth to other physicians)

Special Abilities

Experimental Treatment (Su) Plagued doctors can take approximately half an hour treating a willing or incapacitated patient with various weird and disturbing method, such as leeching, bloodletting, drawing other humors, enemas of noxious medicines, and so. This targets one particular disease afflicting the patient chosen by the plagued doctor, suppressing its effects for 1d4+1 days, but also causing 1 point of Constitution damage, and preventing natural healing for the same time. There is 10% chance that the disease is passed to another person in close proximity, and another 10% chance the disease is suppressed for 1d4+1 years, instead. Experimental treatment can even affect supernatural diseases. Effects of this experimental treatment can be broken with restoration or by removing a curse. This is a curse effect.

Medical Diploma (Ex) Plagued doctors treats Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (nature), and Profession (apothecary) as class skills.

Skillful Bloodletting (Ex) Plagued doctors can wield their scalpel using Dexterity to calculate attack bonus and damage, and may make one additional attack at the highest attack bonus during a full-attack. Each successful strike of the plagued doctor's scalpel inflicts 1 point of Constitution damage on creatures not immune to bleeding.

Smell Illness (Ex) Plague doctors can smell diseased affliction, and both nauseated and sickened conditions. This allows them to detect afflicted individuals as if using scent, and helps with finding infected people hiding their conditions. Plagued doctors are energized by presence of ill people, gaining fast healing equal to number of people suffering from diseased, nauseated, or sickened condition within 30 feet.

Plague is a terrible disease that can strike in already bad times, overwhelming physicians and healers alike. Some doctors get so obsessed by the challenge it presents that they become willing to do anything to defeat it, attempting any treatment, no matter how ruthless, and paying any price, no matter how high. Some go even further and stay among the living past their own inevitable death.

Plagued doctors are obsessed with treating the plague (or some other highly infamous and thoroughly deadly disease), finding their way into cities and villages where it spreads, sometimes even showing up before the public becomes aware of the outbreak.

Plagued doctors might merely observe situation or a specific individual and take notes, or might experiment. They often react angrily, or outright violently when others interfere with the observed situation without consulting them first, the patient, or the treatment.

Fantasy Monster: Pebblebulb

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Pebblebulb

A pile of pebbles hides a bulbous plant, half-buried in the ground.

CR 8; XP 4,800
N Medium Plant
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, tremorsense 120 ft.; Perception +23

Defense
AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 18 (+3 Dex, +8 natural)
hp 102 (12d8+48)
Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +7
Defensive Abilities all-around vision; Immune plant traits

Offense
Speed 20 ft., burrow 10 ft.; stone walk
Melee 3 vine slam +14 (2d4+5)

Ranged 3 thrown pebble +12 (2d4+5)

Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks expel dust

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 16, Con 18, Int –, Wis 17, Cha 7
Base Atk +9; CMB +14; CMD 27 (can't be tripped)
Skills Perception +23, Stealth +23; Racial Modifiers +20 Perception, +20 Stealth

SQ compression, stone-boring

Ecology
Environment hills, mountains, ruins, underground
Organization solitary, pair or a patch (3–6)
Treasure standard

Expel Dust (Ex) After burrowing through stone, a pebblebulb stores some mineral dust in its bladders, that it can expel as a swift action, creating a 20-ft. radius, 10-ft. high cloud that lasts for 1d4+1 rounds. The irritating dust provides concealment, dazzles anyone with unprotected eyes, and induces cough in  breathing creatures that inhale it (holding breath or having some sort of mask that can filter dust protects against that effect). A failed Fortitude saving throw (DC 20) interrupts any standard or full action taken while breathing within the cloud. A pebblebulb can store enough dust for single expulsion. The saving throw DC is Constitution-based.

Stone-Boring (Ex) A pebblebulb borrowing through packed earth and stone leaves narrow tunnels behind.

Stone Walk (Ex) A pebblebulb can easily move through stony or sandy difficult terrain, such as unstable rubble.

A pebblebulb is a sturdy, stone-boring plant that thrives in rocky terrain, feeding on mineral dust occasionally fertilized by a rotting carcass.

Fantasy Monster: Clock-Not-Work Gremlin

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Gremlin, Clock-Not-Work

A completely bald imp with weirdly long, multi-jointed arms. It wears a harness with a lot of tools and spare parts attached to it.

CR 2; XP 600
CN Tiny Fey
Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +9

Defense
AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 size)
hp 21 (6d6)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +5
DR 5/cold iron

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee tool strike +5 or +3/+3/+3/+3 (1d4)

Ranged thrown tool +7 or +5/+5/+5/+5 (1d4)

Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks clock-killer, frantic frenzy

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th, concentration +7)

1/day–make whole

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 13
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 13
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Nimble Moves
Skills Climb +8, Craft (clockworks) +10, Disable Device +11, Knowledge (arcane) +10, Knowledge (engineering) +10, Perception +9, Sleight Of Hands +11, Stealth +19

Languages Common, Gnome, Sylvan

SQ compression, know their stuff

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

Clock-Killer (Ex) Clock-not-work gremlins have uncanny ability to destroy constructs and complex mechanical devices. Their attacks benefit from bane quality (+2 enhancement to attack and damage rolls, 2d6 points of bonus damage) and ignore up to 5 points of DR or hardness against constructs with clockwork or robot subtype, and against complex mechanical objects.

Frantic Frenzy (Ex) An agitated clock-not-work gremlin can perform up to four attacks with a ‒2 penalty to attack rolls when it takes full attack action, moving 5 feet between each attack without provoking attacks of opportunity. When working on an interesting project, a clock-not-work gremlin takes a quarter of normal time it would take.

Know Their Stuff (Ex) A clock-not-work gremlins treat Craft (clockworks), Disable Device, Knowledge (arcane), and Knowledge (engineering) as class skills. They also seem to have near infinite supply of subpar tools and mediocre parts attached to their harnesses and across their pockets that they can use to repair, modify, and use as weapons and thrown projectiles as needed. They can wield such improvised weapons, both in melee and as thrown projectiles without penalties, dealing 1d4 points of damage on hit.

Clock-not-work gremlins love clocks, locks, and similar mechanisms. They love to watch them operate (though their definition of watching is very hands on, and tongue on‒those gremlins seem to love taste of stale oil), they love disassembling them (though they are nowhere near as good at reassembling them afterwards), and they love making improvements (which usually cause more problems).

Among their many issues, clock-not-work gremlins have clearly distorted sense of time, which pushes them to attempt to tweak clocks that do not adhere to their skewed perceptions, and they also seem to easily delude themselves that they actually deeply orderly beings, when they are anything but that.

A clock-not-work gremlin can become a familiar for a mechanically-inclined (or otherwise capable of providing the gremlin with easy access to complex devices) caster of 7th of higher level with Improved Familiar feat.

Fantasy Monster: Truth Eater

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Truth Eater

A translucent jelly floats through the air. It's dome disturbingly resembles an exposed brain.

CR 4; XP 1,200
CN Tiny Aberration (incorporeal)

Init +6; Senses greater thoughtsense 120 ft.; Perception +12

Aura consume truth (60 ft.)

Defense
AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 15 (+3 deflection, +2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 39 (7d8+7)
Fort +3; Ref +4; Will +7

Defensive Abilities incorporeal; Immune non-magical damage

Weakness vulnerable to mind-affecting damage

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee 3 psychokinetic lashes +9 touch (2d4)

Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 30 ft.

Statistics
Str —, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 17

Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 15

Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Hover, Improved Initiative

Skills Bluff +10, Fly +14, Perception +14, Sense Motive +11, Stealth +20

Language don't communicate with others, but seem to have telepathy with 120 ft. range they use between themselves

SQ incorporeal

Ecology
Environment show near settlements of sapient beings that communicate through language
Organization solitary, pair, judgement (3–12)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Consume Truth (Su) When a sapient creature starts to speak while within the aura, it feels growing tension over speaking the truth ‒ if they choose to tell the truth, they suffer a jolt of pain that deals 2d4 points of damage. If they choose to lie or otherwise avoid telling a truth, the truth eater gains 2d4 temporary hit points. This hit points stack, and when they reach truth eater's max hit point, the creature splits into two identical specimens over 1d4 rounds, remaining dazed during the process. This is a mind-affecting effect that has no effect on creatures whose minds are shielded from effects that would read them or discern lies. Damage from multiple overlapping consume truth auras stack, turning speaking truth while surrounded by a group of truth eaters into a lethal gamble.

Greater Thoughtsense (Su) A truth eater can sense, locate, and recognize creatures that have Intelligence score and are not immune to or hidden from mind-affecting effects as if it had blindsight. It can also recognize the creature's type, and detect presence of psychic powers or telepathy. Additionally, it can sense general presence, direction and distance toward large groupings of sapient minds from miles away.

Vulnerability To Mind-Affecting Damage (Su) Mind-affecting effects that deal damage (such as mind thrust spells) inflict one and half damage to truth eaters.

Truth eaters are strange psychic beings that are attracted to settlements of mundane sapient beings, hovering around. They seem to punish speaking the truth and bloat themselves on lies spoken in their neighborhood.

Their ability to prevent people from speaking the truth and multiply quickly around lies makes even a arrival of even a single one of them a serious threat to a fair, a court, or an assembly.

While they are passive most of the time, they lash violently against attacks, attempts to remove them. If local community manages to maintain silence and avoid communicating altogether for weeks or months, they might move on, seeking another spot to feed.

Fantasy Monster: Rumbling Rubble

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Rumbling Rubble

A pile of stone fragments, pieces of statues, grit, and brick shards keeping somehow anthropomorphic figure.

CR 6; XP 2,400
N Medium Construct (animate)

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +9

Defense
AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+2 deflection, +2 Dex, +5 natural)
hp 65 (6d10+32)
Fort +6; Ref +8; Will +9

Defensive Abilities enhanced durability 2, enhanced protection 2, hardness 8; Immune construct traits

Offense
Speed 30 ft.

Melee 2 slam +11 (2d6+5)

Ranged 2 rocks +8 (1d6+5)

Special Attacks stone wave

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 14, Con —, Int 1, Wis 17, Cha 1
Base Atk +6; CMB +11; CMD 23

Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Nimble Moves

Skills Perception +9, Stealth +12; Racial Modifier +10 Stealth

Ecology
Environment settlements, ruins, underground
Organization solitary, pair, mob (3–10)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Enhanced Durability 2 (Ex) A rumbling rubble has +2 racial bonus to saving throws and 2 additional hit points per HD.

Enhanced Protection 2 (Ex) A rumbling rubble has +2 deflection bonus to AC and +2 resistance bonus to its saving throws.

Stone Wave (Su) A rumbling rubble can strike the ground as a full-round action, dealing 6d6 points of bludgeoning damage (or half on a successful DC 18 Reflex save) to all corporeal creatures and constructions touching the hard ground (including stone or brick surfaces) within 30 ft. radius. Standing on a softer ground, such as clay or sand, halves the damage. The saving throw DC is Strength-based.

It's a common occurrence, that abandoned stone constructions are slowly disassembled by locals for already-worked stone that can be reused in new buildings.

Sometimes, however, the abandoned stones fight back when harvested... Or awaken at a later time, in the middle of the new construction, during a festival to celebrate new buildings, or when some unexpected event disturbs the very stones.