Fantasy Monster: Crackling Lasher

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Crackling Lasher

An anthropomorphic figure made of twisted copper wires crackling with static charge.

CR 7; XP 3,200
CN Medium Construct (animate)

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +10

Defense
AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+3 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural)
hp 85 (10d10+30)
Fort +6; Ref +10; Will +6

Defensive Abilities absorb electricity, enhanced protection 2; DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits, electricity

Offense
Speed 30 ft.

Melee 2 lashes +12 touch (2d6 electric and 2d6 sonic) or slam +12 (2d6+3 plus 2d6 electricity plus 2d6 sonic)

Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10–30 ft. with lashes)

Special Attacks shifting power

Statistics
Str 14, Dex 14, Con —, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +10; CMB +12; CMD 28

Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness

Skills Knowledge (nature) +10, Perception +10

Language do not communicate with others but seem to understand Auran

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

Special Abilities

Absorb Electricity (Su) A crackling lasher absorbs electricity, gaining temporary hit points instead of suffering damage.

Enhanced Protection 3 (Ex) A crackling lasher has +3 deflection bonus to AC and +3 resistance bonus to its saving throws.

Shifting Power (Su) When a crackling lasher inflicts damage with a successful strike, it can choose to shift balance of power between electric and sonic, inflicting 3d6 points of damage with one energy type and 1d6 points with the other or vice versa, instead of the default 2d6 and 2d6.

Crackling lashers are bundles of copper wires animated by power of thunder and lightning – and equally destructive and unpredictable as the storms that awaken them. A small number of them is known to serve voluntarily, if wordlessly, as overseers in copper or silver mines.

A story of them taking over one of such mines to create more of their kind is a mere gossip, though, surely...

Fantasy Monster: Clockwork Plower

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Clockwork Plower

A construction of twisted metal parts resembling a crude approximation of a hunched elk, with its antlers held low above the ground and bulging rear ending with a boom sprayer.

CR 6; XP 2,400
N Large Construct (clockwork)

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, soil-sense; Perception +2

Defense
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +2 dodge, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 75 (10d10+20)
Fort +3; Ref +7; Will +5

DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits

Weakness vulnerable to acid

Offense
Speed 40 ft.

Melee gore +11 (2d8+2), 2 kicks +9 (1d8+1)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Statistics
Str 14, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 15, Cha 1
Base Atk +10; CMB +13; CMD 26 (30 vs trip)

Feats Combat Reflexes^B, Improved Initiative^B, Lightning Reflexes^B, Multiattack^B

Skills Perception +2, Profession (farmer) +22; Racial Modifier +20 Profession (farming)

SQ winding

Ecology
Environment rural
Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3–6)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Soil-Sense (Su) A clockwork plower identifies quality of soil it walks over. Some models automatically selects the most appropriate seed while others simply leave the poor soil unplowed, saving the seeds for better ground. They also tend to freak out and tear apart any ground that was corrupted or magically rendered sterile.

Clockwork plowers are complex farming machines, using their deer-like antlers to break the ground and turn the soil, dropping seeds from their belly dispenser, followed by adding fertilizers from their rear-end tank.

While not really intended for combat, they are heavy and sturdy enough to provide quite an effective defense to fields they tend, which is a nice bonus.

Fantasy NPC: Forever Graveyard Keeper

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Forever Graveyard Keeper

A tall, but stooping figure wrapped in darkness, followed by numerous eerie blue candle flames.

CR 12; 19,200 XP

LE Medium Undead (incorporeal)

Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft., sense corpses; Perception +22

Defense
AC 25, touch 25, flat-footed 25 (+6 deflection, +6 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 insight)

hp 168 (16d8+96); fast healing 10
Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +15

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

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee preserving touch +18 touch (16d6, Fort. DC 24 partial)

Special Attacks preserving touch

Statistics
Str –, Dex 22, Con –, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 22

Base Atk +12; CMB +12; CMD 40
Feats Combat Reflexes, Defensive Combat Training, Dodge, Hover, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Profession [embalmer]), Skill Focus (Profession [gravedigger])

Skills Fly +33, Knowledge (religion) +21, Perception +22, Profession (embalmer) +28, Profession (gravedigger) +28, Stealth +25

Language Common, Celestial, Infernal

SQ premise caretaker

Graveyard-Bound (Su) The Graveyard Keeper can't be banished or forced out of the boundaries of his graveyard. If he is teleported away, he reappears in the graveyard 1d4 rounds later. He shrugs off any attempts to control him after 1d4 rounds of confusion. The Graveyard Keeper has a general awareness of his graveyard, having a virtual blindsense extending to the boundaries of the zone, can't be ambushed, surprised, or flanked, and gains +2 insight bonus to AC and initiative. This sense becomes fully accurate when it comes to corpses and undead creatures within the graveyard.

Premise Caretaker (Su) The Graveyard Keeper can extend his power through the graveyard, animating shovels and picks to dig graves, opening and closing lids and stone slabs that act as crypt doors, and moving around biers as needed with shadowy silhouettes. The Keeper can and will use those actions to interfere with intruders.

Preserving Touch (Su) Living creatures struck with the Graveyard Keeper's touch suffer 16d6 points of damage or half on a successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 24). A living creature reduced to 0 or less hit points immediately dies while its body becomes preserved from decay for years, as if successfully embalmed. The Graveyard Keeper can use his touch on already dead corpse to preserve it. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

The Graveyard Keeper tends to and protects his graveyard, and is willing to do that forever. He has little patience for intruders, unruly guests, and those who would disturb the peace of his ward. He gives a pass to a little shambling and moaning, as long as the guests don't try to leave the premise, don't interfere with the burials and well-behaving visitors.

He is frustrated by his inability to interact directly with the most problematic undead guests – and occasionally does reach for external help, sometimes even paying with possessions left behind by graverobbers and necromancers he dealt with.

Fantasy Monster: Blasphemore Gremlin

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Gremlin, Blasphemore

A monkeyish imp with colorful fur covered in patterns that look like twisted holy and unholy symbols.

CR 4; XP 1,200
CN Small Fey
Init +9; Senses low-light vision, smell divine; Perception +13

Defense
AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 11 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 size)
hp 45 (10d6+10)
Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +7
Defensive Abilities divine parasite, evasion; DR 5/cold iron

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +6 (1d4)

Special Attacks divine mockery, snatch, sneak attack (2d6)

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 13
Base Atk +5; CMB +4 (+8 steal maneuvers); CMD 25
Feats Combat Reflexes, Defensive Combat Training, Dirty Fighting, Dodge, Improved Initiative
Skills Climb +8, Knowledge (religion) +8, Perception +13, Sleight Of Hand +18, Stealth +22

Languages Celestial, Infernal, Sylvan

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

Divine Mockery (Su) As a swift action, a blasphemore gremlin can create a duplicate of itself on an empty square within 30 feet, with the same AC, saving throws, single hit point, and evasion ability. This duplicate mocks, distracts, and actually threaten adjacent creatures. A blasphemore gremlin and its duplicate can flank together, and the gremlin can make its attacks of opportunity from its position (though only a single attack of opportunity can be made per provoking action, even if the target is threatened by both the gremlin and its duplicate). Each divine spellcaster present suffers a cumulative –1 penalty to concentration checks for each duplicate within range of their sight or hearing. A blasphemore gremlin can have multiple duplicates in existence at the same time, up to its Dexterity bonus, though they vanish when there are no opponents present to mock and heckle.

Divine Parasite (Su) Whenever a blasphemore gremlin is targeted by or caught within an area of a divine spell (or a divine sourced spell-like ability), it heals an amount of damage equal to the level of the spell.

Snatch (Ex) A blasphemore gremlin doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity when using a steal combat maneuver to catch a small object held in a single hand or worn by an adjacent person, and gains +4 racial bonus to CMB when doing so.

Blasphemore gremlins are a plague harassing clerics, paladins, and other holy (and unholy) men as well as sacred sites. Their presence is one of the things that can even unite priests of both good and evil powers – those pesky creatures are dedicated to stealing, hiding, and throwing away holy (and unholy) symbols, tearing pages out of scriptures, trashing shrines and temples, and peeing on a consecrated, hallowed, desecrated, and unhallowed grounds. They show remarkably little interest in springs of holly, and sacred places of druids, though.

Every now and then, an enterprising blasphemore gremlin tries to keep and breed a nest of blasphemice as pets, trackers, and destroyers of holy things, though invariably, they get annoyed by the resulting zone of desecration and get rid of them.

Fantasy Monster: Buzzing Saw

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Buzzing Saw

A terrible buzzing is issued by whirling blades keeping a small clockwork core afloat in the air.

CR 1/2; XP 400
N Tiny Construct (clockwork)

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

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 dodge, +2 size)
hp 11 (2d10)
Fort +0; Ref +2; Will +0

Immune construct traits

Weakness vulnerable to acid

Offense
Speed fly 40 ft. (good)

Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks flying saw (2d4, DC 11 Reflex negates)

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 12

Feats Hover^B, Improved Initiative^B, Lightning Reflexes^B

Skills Fly +8, Perception +0, Stealth +4 (–6 to be detected via hearing); Racial Modifiers –10 to sound-based Stealth checks

SQ winding

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary, pair
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Flying Saw (Ex) A buzzing saw can fly through spaces occupied by Small or larger creatures without provoking attacks of opportunity. Each creature that had their space violated in such way suffers 2d4 points of slashing damage on a failed Reflex saving throw (DC 11). The saving throw DC is Dexterity-based.

These loud, annoying, and dangerous mechanisms are little more than clockwork-powered flying saws, originally designed as tools for lumberjacks and foresters, helping trim the trees, and cut off inconveniently located branches without climbing. Later, they were repurposed to serve as weapons and traps, denying passage through narrow corridors, arranging "lumbering accidents", and bringing terror of lost fingers to careless thieves.

Buzzing Swarm (CR 5) is a 12 HD swarm of those, with 66 hit points, Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +4, that deals 3d6 points of swarm damage. It suffers half damage from weapons, and has distraction (DC 16) special quality.

Fantasy Monster: Giant Clockwork Rooster

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Giant Clockwork Rooster

An oversized replica of a rooster, made of brass, iron, and tarnished copper, with cogs and other mechanisms visible through the crevices in the outer shell.

CR 5; XP 1,600
N Medium Construct (clockwork)

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, sense dead 60 ft.; Perception +12

Defense
AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +2 dodge, +2 natural)
hp 53 (6d10+20)
Fort +2; Ref +8; Will +4

DR 5/piercing; Immune construct traits

Weakness vulnerable to acid

Offense
Speed 50 ft.

Melee bite +10 (2d6+6)

Special Attacks clockwork call (60 ft., DC 15)

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 18, Con —, Int —, Wis 15, Cha 1
Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 26

Feats Combat Reflexes^B, Improved Initiative^B, Lightning Reflexes^B, Vital Strike^B

Skills Acrobatics +14, Perception +12, Stealth +4; Racial Modifiers +10 Acrobatics, +10 Perception

SQ winding

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Clockwork Call (Su) A giant clockwork rooster can crow as a standard action, issuing a metallic, though still rooster-like sound, easily heard within half a mile. Within 60 feet, the clockwork call awakens sleeping creatures, and disrupts vampires, wraiths, and other entities that are susceptible to sunlight making them cower for 1d4+1 rounds on a failed Will saving throw (DC 15) or staggering for 1 round if the save is successful. Creatures that succeed their Will saving throw become immune to clockwork call for the next 24 hours. The saving throw DC of this sonic effect is Wisdom-based.

Sense Dead (Su) A giant clockwork rooster passively detects presence of undead and dead within 60 feet. It tends to issue the clockwork call when someone dies within 60 feet.

Giant clockwork roosters were one of many attempts to create a weapon against the vampires (and other things that hide in the night and flee when sun rises), with mixed results. Their clockwork crowing does stop vampires in their tracks for a short time at least. They do make decent lookouts against undead threats, though.

Fantasy Monster: Ghostly Muncher

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Ghostly Muncher

A blurry form of a moderately sized ghostly dog.

CR 3; XP 800
CG Small Undead (incorporeal)

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +15

Defense
AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+2 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 size)
hp 19 (3d8+6)
Fort +3; Ref +3; Will +6

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, still a good boy; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 50 ft. (perfect)

Melee incorporeal bite +5 (3d6)

Special Attacks snatch and chow

Statistics
Str –, Dex 14, Con —, Int 2, Wis 17, Cha 15
Base Atk +2 CMB +2 (+6 steal); CMD 16

Feats Hover, Improved Initiative

Skills Fly +16, Perception +15, Sense Motive +15, Stealth +6; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +8 Sense Motive

Languages understands some worlds related to food and play in Common

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or kennel (3–10)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Snatch And Chow (Su) A ghostly muncher can hold a single object of no more than ten pounds in their incorporeal jaw and carry it around as long as it is entertaining, nibbling and gnaw on it. The object remains fully physical, which can cause problems when the ghostly muncher invariably tries to pass through walls with it, likely while running away from someone wishing to recover the snatched object. A ghostly muncher can also initiate a steal combat maneuver without triggering attacks of opportunity and gets +4 racial modifier to its CMB when doing so.

Still A Good Boy (Ex) A ghostly muncher can be influenced with Handle Animal or wild empathy as if it was still a living dog. While under necromantic control, such as Command Undead feat, command undead spell, or control undead spell, it ignores commands to attack targets it considers friendly or harmless, such as children or small animals, trying to play with them instead.

Some dogs are so full of joy, happiness and sheer energy, that they remain so after death, leaving cheerful ghosts that keep bring merry turmoil around them. They are very playful, cunning, and now unbound by constraints of physical form that hold them back for so long.

They can be a bit mischievous, and love finding new toys and stealing food.