2017-05-28

Monster: The Green Scyther

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The Green Scyther

A large, vaguely anthropomorphic figure clad in lose tattered robes of grey and green fabric, wielding a big, misshapen scythe.


CR 21; XP 409,600

N Large Outsider
Init +10; Senses darkvision 120 ft., greensight 600 ft., sense breach; Perception +38

Defense

AC 37, touch 21, flat-footed 30 (+6 armor, +5 deflection, +6 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural, –1 size)
hp 420 (24d10+288); verdant rejuvenation
Fort +25, Ref +16, Will +23
Defensive Abilities evasion, robes of green and grey; DR 15/epic; Immune ability damage, ability drain, aging, death effects, disease, energy drain, paralysis, petrification, poison, polymorph

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (good)
Melee twisted scythe +38/+33/+28/+23 (2d6+20/19–20/×4 plus 2d6 bleed), or 2 slams +33 (1d8+10)
Ranged thunder slash +29 touch (20d6 sonic plus stagger)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks thunder slash, whirlwind dash
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +25)
Constant—comprehend languages

Statistics
Str 30, Dex 22, Con 32, Int 19, Wis 25, Cha 21
Base Atk +24; CMB +35 (+39 trip); CMD 51 (can't be tripped)
Feats Alertness, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Greater Trip, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness
Skills Fly +35, Intimidate +29, Knowledge (arcana) +31, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +31, Knowledge (nature) +31, Knowledge (planes) +31, Knowledge (religion) +31,  Perception +38, Sense Motive +38, Stealth +29
Language comprehend languages; doesn't speak

Ecology
Environment temperate plains (the Vast Green)
Organization solitary (unique)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities


Robes Of Green And Grey (Su) The Green Scyther covers oneself with tattered robes that seem to be extension of his essence. They act as a +5 padded armor that also grants +5 deflection bonus to AC, and provide evasion defensive ability. Robes of green and grey crumble to dust and straw when The Green Scyther is destroyed.

Sense Breach (Su) While on the Vast Green, The Green Scyther can sense direction and distance toward the nearest planar gate, breach, rift or similar anomaly.

Thunder Slash (Su) The Green Scyther can slash at the air itself with his twisted scythe as a standard action to produce a thunderclap targeting single creature within 60 feet. On a successful ranged touch attack, thunder slash inflicts 20d6 points of sonic damage and staggers the target for 1 round. A successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 32) negates the staggered condition. The saving throw DC is Strength-based.

Twisted Scythe (Su) The Green Scyther wields a mighty scythe that twists and adapts its exact form from turn to turn. It's a Large-sized +5 ghost touch keen phase locking planar vorpal scythe that inflicts additional 2d6 points of bleed damage that stack with each hit. If the weapon is destroyed or taken away from him, The Green Scyther can form a new one with a move action. Twisted scythe crumbles to dust and rust when The Green Scyther is destroyed, or the weapon is taken away from him.

Verdant Rejuvenation (Ex) The Green Scyther has fast healing 10 in areas of light or no vegetation. This fast healing increases to 20 in dense vegetation, and to 30 while in the Vast Green. When The Green Scyther would drop to negative hit points exceeding his Constitution score, his body, his scythe, and his robes crumble into dust, straw, and rust, and he reforms somewhere on the Vast Green within 10d100 days. He also frees oneself from binding, imprisonment, temporal stasis and similar effects within 10d100 days. No known method of suppressing verdant rejuvenation was discovered yet.

Whirlwind Dash (Ex) The Green Scyther can move up to twice its speed without provoking attacks of opportunity as a full round action while making a single attack against each creature that came within his reach during the movement. This wild slashing also cuts down any grass, bushes, and roots within 10 feet of his path, removing vegetation-based difficult terrain.


The Green Scyther is an enigmatic and unique entity, and a denizen, or perhaps a prisoner of the demiplane known as the Vast Green. He roams the endless grasslands of that world, flying just over the tall grasses as if looking for something. A few who managed to initiate telepathic communication with him, recall vague demands to be freed. Others report him attacking those who happened to stand on his way to interplanar gates they used to enter the plane, or which they were opening to leave.

It's clear that The Green Scyther does not care for others, unless they happen to be in his way, wherever is he trying to get, but little else is known about him. Is he a remnant of a dead god? A spirit trapped in the Vast Green? A spontaneous manifestation of the plane itself, incapable of accepting its unbreakable bonds to his place?

2017-05-21

Monster: Grass-Eater

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Grass-Eater

This creature is an enormous mass of pink-grey flesh on eight elephantine legs. Its head must be where two scythe-like tusks grow on sides of the orifice from which three long tongues extend. At the opposite end, it has three long, thin tails. Numerous compound eyes are spaced around the sides of the creature's body.


CR 15; XP 51,200

N Colossal Aberration
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +29

Defense

AC 30, touch 0, flat-footed 30 (–2 Dex, +30 natural, –8 size)
hp 250 (20d8+160)
Fort +15, Ref +6, Will +20
Defensive Abilities all-around vision, lumbering, psychic duality; DR 10/—

Offense
Speed 20 ft.
Melee tusks +23 (6d6+16, 15–20/×3 plus 2d6 bleed)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks trample (10d6+24, DC 27), tusk-scythes
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 30th; concentration +32)
At Will—create greater mindscape (DC 23), mindlink (DC 18, one or more targets within the mindscape shared with the grass-eater only), mindscape door (DC 20)
3/day—quickened create greater mindscape (DC 23), quickened mindscape door (DC 20)

Statistics
Str 42, Dex 6, Con 24, Int 19, Wis 23, Cha 15
Base Atk +15; CMB +39; CMD 47 (59 vs. trip)
Feats Bleeding Critical, Critical Focus, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (tusks), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (create greater  mindscape), Quicken Spell-Like Ability (mindscape door), Toughness
Skills Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +24, Knowledge (nature) +27,  Knowledge (planes) +24, Knowledge (religion) +24,  Perception +29, Sense Motive +29, Survival +29
Language Aklo, Sylvan (doesn't speak); mindscape telepathy

Ecology
Environment temperate plains
Organization solitary, pair, or troop (3—8)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities


Grassland Glyphs (Sp) Trails left by wandering grass-eaters can form potent magical sigils. Grass-eaters can use them to cast occult rituals, often with a casting time of days or weeks to produce effects of mythical magnitude. Known uses of grassland glyphs involve opening and closing of planar portals, sealing planar breaches, banishing extraplanar creatures, warding against supernatural entities and binding them. Other unrecorded effects are certainly possible, however.

Intuitive Spell-Like Abilities A grass-eater uses its Wisdom modifier to calculate saving throw DC of its spell-like abilities and make concentration checks.

Lumbering (Ex) A grass-eater moves through difficult terrain and obstacles two or more size categories smaller with ease. It cannot be grappled by creatures smaller than itself, and it cannot be entangled.

Mindscape Telepathy (Su) A grass-eater can communicate with sapient beings by drawing them into a benign mindscape and then using their mindlink spell-like ability. Once a grass-eater communed with a creature in this way, it can use its create greater mindscape ability on the same target at any range, even across the planes, though it changes its saving throw entry to "willing targets only". It can't reach creatures on planes and extradimensional spaces that are protected from divination, teleportation, or other forms of contact.

Psychic Duality (Su) A grass-eater drawn into a mindscape can perceive both the real world and the mindscape, and retains ability to act in both at the same time. Each time a grass-eater enters a psychic duel, it gains 100 temporary hits points that last until the end of the duel. A grass-eater has a typical pool of 38 manifestation points that it can use without negative effects.

Tusk-Scythes (Ex) A grass-eater's tusks are razor-sharp, having a base critical threat range of 18–20 and critical damage multiplier of ×3.


Grass-eaters are denizens of the Vast Green, a demiplanar plain (or possibly a cluster of similar/connected demiplanes) of infinite grasslands. They are strange and alien but mostly peaceful creatures that spend their long lives travelling the plains and tracing miles-long mystical glyphs in the grasses. They never fight each other but they rarely gather in larger groups either, probably capable of communicating with any members of their species with ease.

The scant contact with the creatures seem to imply their primary goal is maintaining integrity of their demiplane, protecting it from vaguely defined "invaders". They might be in conflict with, or being responsible for keeping imprisoned an enigmatic entity known as Green Scyther that can be encountered on the plains of the Vast Green.

2017-05-14

Fantasy Races: Rivalries And Alliances, Part 4—Lorms And The World



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The Arrogant And The Humble

Azan and lorm are peoples far apart of each other. The former prize civilization, progress, and complexity. The later favor simple living in tune to the ebbs and flows of the surrounding world. Respect for natural balance and harmony with the surrounding world, the so cherished qualities of lorm are not recognized as virtues by azani culture.

Majority of azan view lorm as primitive swamp dwellers, unworthy of attention, the impression exacerbated by lorm rarely having resources worthy of azan's time and effort. They are also viewed as too sluggish and stubborn to enslave—and from their side they simply stubbornly refuse to follow orders of their captors anyway.

Some azan do have a vested scientific and magical interest in lorm, however, considering their symbiotic bond with lorm-moss a mystery to be unraveled. A few of them are driven by scholarly curiosity, a few by potential inherent in the immortal, memory-storing moss. Lorms' willingness to cooperate with azani scholars is limited by the later's ethical... flexibility. Being willing to discuss and participate in a few innocent experiments is one thing, agreeing to vivisection and experimentation on your eggs and growing children is another.

From their side, lorms consider azani to be people out of touch with the balance, too driven, too blinded by their pride to see that they are riding the wave of current success without regard to risks and the price paid around them. Because of this, they prefer to avoid azani whenever possible, to minimize chance of being struck with fallout of their actions.

Of Swamps And Jungles

Lorm and kai-tang share many similarities: they prefer living in small groups in seclusion, they favor a calm, peaceful existence, and have penchant for deep philosophy. They rarely meet, though, for lorm are living in temperate marshes, while kai-tang are dwelling in tropical jungles. When they do met, they find to have a lot in common in spirit, even if kai-tang are far more intellectual people while lorm are more reliant on intuition and quiet contemplation.

Still, the understanding between those two people is not perfect, as kai-tang are much more likely to favor academic and technological progress, even if moderated by their small population, and philosophical and ethical considerations, while lorm prefer to adapt to the ebb and flow of the life and the world.

The Refined And The Disheveled

Take a number of the qualities kyo view as vulgar, bundle them together, and you will get lorm. They wallow in wet mud, wear dirty rags, supplement their otherwise perfectly reasonable diet of invertebrates, fishes, and small amphibians with rotting plants, they build no grand cities, gather no wealth, don't hold ranks and titles... Basically they are embodiment of the worst aspects of earth and water mixed together, just like their home swamps.

Because of this, no respectable kyo would deal with lorms directly, though low rank Brown caste kyo might sometimes consult them when it comes to tending the land. A number of lorm settlements and communities exist within the boundaries of the Radiant Empire, nominal protectorates left mostly to themselves, paying a purely symbolic tithe, often with an otherwise rare Brown caste magistrate appointed as an overseer.


The Moon Orphans And The Swamp Dwellers


Luminars are newcomers who arrived from an alien moon of vast deserts and small but lush valleys. In a senses, lorms' swamps are at the same time foreign and yet somehow familiar to them. Still, both races had little opportunity to become acquaintance with each other. When they do, lorms are likely to be the first to expose luminars to the teachings of the druids and veneration of nature... And their approach to death, decay, and cycles of life can have unexpected effects on luminarian culture and theology, if they find common language in the first place.


The Beast-fey And The Moss-folk


Therigens and lorms sometimes become neighbors, when the former settle along the border of the swamp inhabited by the later. They usually maintain amiable but distant relationship, avoiding interfering with each other, though Green Law courts often cooperate with nearby lorms when their expertise in tending to vegetation and dealing with swamp critters is needed or some local threat affects both therigens and lorms. Red Law courts occasionally come into conflict with lorms, who rarely strike back, unless pushed too much. Of many races, therigens are the most likely to compete over local resources or cooperate in harnessing them together with lorms.


The Giant-Blooded And The Moss-haired


Relations of troldhrym and lorms are usually next to nonexistent... Lorms are wary of troldhryms' aggressiveness, while troldhrym are suspicious of lorms' "witchcraft" and consider them some sort of swamp trollkin witches that should be avoided. They also have little need to venture into swamps, and lorms keep no treasures worthy of raiding for.


Occasionally, a troldhrym will venture into the marshes inhabited by lorms, seeking their counsel and wisdom, or supposed magical expertise. Lorms usually try to get rid of such visitors quickly, though subtly, providing them with confusing answers, often riddles, or send on long quests, which only adds to their mystique in the eyes of troldhrym.

2017-05-07

Monster: Windfella'

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Windfella'

This small guy looks like a gnome with big insect wings. He has fancy colorful hair, and vividly hued (if mismatched) dapper clothing. His eyes shine with madness and promise of violence.


CR 4; XP 1,200

CE Small Fey
Init +9; Senses low-light vision; Perception +15

Defense

AC 17, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+1 armor, +5 Dex, +1 size)
hp 38 (7d6+14)
Fort +4, Ref +10, Will +6

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee windblade +10 (1d3+6) or 2 windblades +8/8 (1d3+6)
Ranged windblade +10 (1d3+6) or 2 windblades +8/+8 (1d3+6)
Special Attacks bee-gun, cold-blood murder, root-granade

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 15
Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 17
Feats Dirty Fighting, Improved Initiative, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +15, Bluff +12, Fly +17, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (local) +11, Perception +15, Stealth +19; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception
Language Aklo, Common, Sylvan

Ecology
Environment temperate forests, hills, and urban
Organization solitary, pair, or outfit (3—8)
Treasure standard (mostly opulent but elegant clothing, thick enough to be a padded armor, and jewelry)

Special Abilities


Bee-Gun (Su) A windfella can summon a bee-gun with a swift action. This weird looking mass of knobs and knots can be fired with a standard action, releasing a swarm of bees (AC 15, 31 hpFort +5, Ref +3, Will +3; immune to weapon attacks) that flies to occupy a 10-ft. square within 60 feet. Once fired, the swarm remains stationary for 1d4 rounds, dealing 2d6 points of swarm damage to all the creatures within its space at the end of the windfella turn and subjecting them to the swarm's distract special attack (DC 13). A bee-gun vanishes if it leaves windfella grasp for more than 1 round, and it can fire up to three swarms each day. Casting a summon swarm or vomit swarm spell or spell-like ability upon it recovers one charge.

Cold-Blooded Murder (Ex) A windfella treats Intimidate as a class skill, and ignores penalty on Intimidate checks when using it on creatures larger than himself. When performing a coup d'grace, a windfella increases critical multiplier of his weapon by 1.

Root-Granade (Su) A windfella can summon a magical acorn as a move action. The acorn can be thrown with a standard action as if it was a thrown splash weapon with range increment of 20 feet. At the start of the windfella's following turn it causes massive roots to grow within 30-ft. radius burst around it, entangling all the creatures that fail a Reflex saving throw (DC 13) and dealing 6d6 points of damage to immobile structures, ignoring hardness of non-magical wood and stone. Creatures entangled by a root-granade are anchored to the ground but they can release themselves with a successful Strength check (DC 15, full-round action, or DC 25 as a move action), or by inflicting 15 points of damage to the entangling roots (hardness 5). A windfella can summon up to three root-granades each day.

Windblades (Su) A windfella can summon one or two windblades, +1 returning cold iron daggers, as a swift action. A windfella adds his Dexterity bonus to damage inflicted with his windblades. A windblade vanishes if out of windfella grasp for more than 1 round.


Windfellas are violent, cruel, greedy fey that love terrorizing common folk and lesser faeries. They often pick settlements with weak law enforcement and racketeer the denizens for "protection from threats", and organize various criminal activities for profit and their own sadistic enjoyment. They thrive on being feared by others, and lash violently against slights and disrespect, sometimes suicidally, as they rarely have enough good sense to back off after initiating altercation with opponent whose strength they underestimated. Often, a groups of windfellas fight each other over the territory and criminal enterprises controlled.

In addition to building an image of strong, violent, merciless, and terrifying foes, windfellas also cultivate image of generous and magnanimous toward those who submit to them and show proper deference, though their paranoia and cruelty hampers that side of their image. When they are not threatening common folk out of their wealth, they spend their ill-gotten gains on debauchery of all sorts. Or sometimes they take what they like without paying as their "due".

Windfellas often use trolls, ogres, and similar humanoids and monstrous humanoid of great strength and low intelligence as enforcers and backup. They can also act as enforcers for stronger and more intelligent beings, such as dragons, powerful fey, rakshasas, and hags.


Variations:

An old and experienced godfella (CR 7), is often but not always plump advanced giant windfella with 9 HD, that is deeply respected and feared among the local windfellas and the common folk alike. They have AC 22 (+1 armor, +6 Dex, +5 natural); hp 85; Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +9; Melee or ranged windblade +13 (1d4+12) or +11/+11 (1d4+12); Str 18, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 19; CMB +8; CMD 24; Weapon Focus (windblade); Acrobatics +18, Bluff +16, Diplomacy +16, Fly +18, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (local) +15, Perception +19, Sense Motive +15, and Stealth +19. They also wield potent magics, being capable to bind bargains between one or more willing individuals with geas, and to call dragons, fey, monstrous humanoids, and undead that owe them favor with a spell-like ability similar to planar ally. Each godfella acts as a mediator between various outfits of windfellas, dividing territories and assigning criminal operations to them to minimize conflicts. Occasionally, a local dragon, fey, cunning outsider (often rakshasa or night hag), or  an undead may be recognized as a honorary godfella.

2017-05-06

Monster: Milovila

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Milovila

A gorgeous tiny lady with a pair of cute bat wings.


CR 2; XP 600

CN Tiny Fey
Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10

Defense

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 18 (4d6+4)
Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +5
DR 5/cold iron

Offense
Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Ranged sedating bolt +6 touch (2d6 nonlethal)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks sedating blast

Statistics
Str 4, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 9
Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative
Skills Bluff +10, Diplomacy +10, Fly +21, Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +10, Profession (confectioner) +5, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +10
Language Common, Elven, Gnome, Sylvan

Ecology
Environment temperate forests and hills
Organization solitary, pair, or commune (3–8)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities


Sedating Blast (Su) As a standard action, once every 1d4 rounds, a milovila can release a 10-ft. radius burst of scintillating light, dealing 2d6 point of nonlethal damage to enemies, and bestowing 1d4+1 temporary hit points to living allies. Temporary hit points granted by this ability last for 1 minute and don't stack between multiple applications of this ability or sedating bolt.

Sedating Bolt (Su) A milovila can send a bolt of scintillating light that can strike single creature within 30 feet with a ranged touch attack and either deal 2d6 points of nonlethal damage or bestow 1d4+1 temporary hit points. Temporary hit points granted by this ability last for 1 minute and don't stack between multiple applications of this ability or sedating blast.


Milovilas are cute, playful, hedonistic fey that easily give in to their (mostly benign) passions. While not directly malicious nor even truly selfish, they are quite egocentric, perceiving their own desires and favorites as universal values and expectations, and love to bring happiness to others, wherever they like it or not. They also happen to lack many mortal inhibitions such as sense of shame or common social taboos, and don't understand why anyone would refrain from doing things they find pleasurable, though they are aware that for some inscrutable reason humanoids sometimes refuse to be happy. They will encourage or even arrange for events that would bring pleasure and happiness to others. They despise cruelty and outright coercion, though they don't usually consider encouraging others to see past their inhibitions to be a coercion.

Milovilas' abilities reflect their dedication to pleasure and avoidance of pain, causing incapacitating numbness instead of injury when used offensively. They can also mitigate incoming hurt and reduce pain.

Milovilas can become familiars of non-lawful characters with 7 or more levels and Improved Familiar feat.

2017-05-05

Monster: Void orb

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Void orb

A sphere of inky, light-consuming darkness floats around, with vague reflections of distorted face forming and dissolving without recognizable pattern.


CR 2; XP 600

NE Tiny Undead (incorporeal)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., lifesense; Perception +6

Defense

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+1 deflection, +1 Dex, +2 size)
hp 11 (2d8+2)
Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +4
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2, incorporeal; Immune undead traits
Weakness negative energy dependence

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks animate corpse, cadaver twitch

Statistics
Str —, Dex 13, Con —, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 13
Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 10 (can't be tripped)
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Fly +18, Heal +3, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (religion) +7, Perception +6, Spellcraft +7
Language Abyssal, Infernal, Common

Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, flock (3–12)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities


Animate Corpse (Su) A void orb can merge with a corpse and animate is as a skeleton or a zombie (though it can't animate bodies that would result in skeletons or zombies with 3 or more HD). The animated corpse uses AC and makes attacks as a skeleton or zombie, as appropriate. Any damage to animated corpse are applied directly to the void orb's hit points, ignoring its incorporeality. A void orb can leave animated corpse as a move action.

Cadaver Twitch (Su) A void orb can send a jolt of negative energy as a standard action to make up to one corpses per point of Charisma bonus (minimum 1) within 30 feet suddenly twitch and attack creatures within their reach. The attack is made using the void orb's Base Attack Bonus, the corpse's size modifier, and applies the void orb's Intelligence bonus to attack roll and damage. It deals base damage determined by the corpse's size (1d6 for Medium-sized bodies, 1d4 for Small, 1d8 for Large).

Negative Energy Dependence A void orb is reliant on power drawn from nearby sources of negative energy, such as places of death, negative energy nexuses, planar breaches, or powerful undead (10 or more HD). When a void orb is further than 60 feet away from the negative energy source, powerful undead, or its bound master, it loses 1 hit point per round. When its hit points drop to 0 in this way, it dissipates and reforms near source or the master.


Void orbs are blots of negative energy made of collapsed fragments of a shattered psyche of a failed necromancer. They might contain elements of the original personality, though often they are quite unlike the creature they arose from, having more differences than similarities.

Powerful entities can produce multiple void orbs, either all sharing the same dominant personality traits (such as all being infused by rage of a dying necromancer king), or each bearing different personality trait (when the shattered personality was in balanced state).

Void orbs are suitable Improved Familiars for 7th level casters of evil alignment. Their personalities vary, but they tend to have some sort of dominating psychological trait, a idee fixe, or even a full scale obsession, derived from the original mind, and strengthened by death and following shattering that formed the void orb. They often are deeply interested in necromancy, though a few have a strong aversion to it. Some might show desire to find other remnants of their original psyche while others might be absolutely unable to comprehend their previous existence.


Variants:

Unlike most creatures, void orbs shrink when they become more powerful, as they collapses even further. Void spheres (CR 5) are Diminutive advanced void orbs with AC 20 (+3 deflection, +3 Dex, +4 size), 6d8+24 HD, 51 hp, Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +8, Dex 17, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 17; Lightning Reflexes, Toughness; Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10, Knowledge (planes) +10, and +6 to other skills. They can animate corpses that would create skeletons and zombies with 6 or less HD, and their corpse twitch can make up to three corpses make an attack with +8 attack bonus, dealing 1d8+4 points of damage (both adjusted for the size).

Void speckles (CR 10) form out of powerful supernatural entities, demigods, dragon, fiends, liches, vampires, and others. They are Fine advanced void orbs with 12 HD, and one additional template, such as half-dragon, half-fiend, lich, or vampire.

2017-05-04

Monster: Elbow Hag

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Hag, Elbow

This is a tiny, rather plump but attractive woman with a wide grin and iron nails.


CR 2; XP 600

CE Tiny Monstrous Humanoid
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10

Defense

AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 22 (3d10+6)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +5

Offense
Speed 20 ft.
Melee 2 claws +3 (1d3–1), bite +3 (1d3–1)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks hexing eye, hexing hand, hexing voice

Statistics
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 15
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 12
Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative
Skills Heal +8, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +10, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +8, Stealth +10
Language Aklo, Common, Giant
SQ hag-wise

Ecology
Environment temperate forests and hills
Organization solitary or lesser coven (3 elbow hags)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities


Coven Aid (Su) While an elbow hag does not count as a full-member of other hags' coven, it can aid an existing coven, increasing its caster level by 1. Three elbow hags can form a lesser coven of their own, with animate dead, blight (3rd spell level, DC 15), clairaudience/ clairvoyance, suggestion (2nd spell level, DC 14), and speak with dead spell-like abilities functioning at CL 5th. Additionally, an elbow hag can choose to provide her master with a +1 bonus to skill checks made to perform an occult ritual, though she suffers effects of the backlash together with her master if she does so.

Hag-Wise (Ex) An elbow hag treats Heal, Knowledge (all), and Spellcraft as class skills.

Hexing Eye (Su) An elbow hag can place a minor curse on a creature within 30 feet as a swift action. For 1 round, the victim suffers –2 penalty to one of the following (hag's choice): attack rolls, AC, saving throws, ability checks, or skill checks. This is a mind-affecting and curse effect. A creature can be affected with this ability once per day.

Hexing Hand (Su) An elbow hag can touch a creature as a standard action to heal it for 1d4+1 points of damage or daze it for 1 round (Will save, DC 13 negates). A creature can be affected by this ability once per day.

Hexing Voice (Su) An elbow hag can influence a creature within 30 feet that can hear it with her voice as a standard action. On a failed Will saving throw (DC 13), the creature is either fascinated or shaken for 1 minute. A creature with Intelligence of 2 or less can be made hostile toward a single target or toward everyone around instead. An elbow hag can choose to not be seen by the affected creature while this effect last, as if she was using invisibility. This is a mind-affecting sonic effect. A creature can be affected by this ability once per day.


Elbow hags owe their name to their height (a single elbow of length). They are the smallest and the weakest among their unpleasant kin, though no less arrogant, cruel, and selfish. Elbow hags delight in prodding young and old people into acts of debauchery and malice, though they prefer to avoid inciting violence that could turn against them.

Like other hags, elbow hags are greedy, gluttonous, lustful, envious, and sadistic, though they inspire inflicting pain more often than inflicting it themselves. They are generally mouthy, particularly loving to berate everyone, especially when not fearing potential backlash. They are also vain, lashing against slights and disrespects, though they have no real sense of dignity and will cajole and beg for life and mercy if they will believe they are under serious threat or duress, and then in mere moments switch to insulting those who showed them mercy or compassion.

Elbow hags can bond as a familiar to a spellcaster with Improved Familiar and 7 or more caster levels, and any chaotic or evil alignment (changeling and giants ignore alignment requirement). They are condescending, caring, overbearing, and dotting companions, often at the same time, particularly toward changelings. They will berate their masters for slightest failures, advise to take the exaggerated vengeance for any perceived slights, and will cheer all selfish or sadistic acts.


2017-05-03

Monster: Doppelmocker

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Doppelmocker

This thing looks like a slender hairless monkey with a pair of big black eyes.


CR 1; XP 400

N Tiny Monstrous Humanoid (shapechanger)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +1

Defense

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 15 ft.
Melee 2 claws +6 (1d4)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks 

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 13
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 12
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Bluff +7, Climb +8, Intimidate +7, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +10
Language understands Common
SQ mocking visage, read emotions, voice mimicry

Ecology
Environment any urban
Organization solitary, pair
Treasure standard

Special Abilities


Mocking Visage (Su) A doppelmocker can change its appearance as a swift action to appear as distorted miniature of any humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or otherwise anthropomorphic creature it can see or it has seen since its last sleep. This cosmetic effect resemble disguise self but is a physical change that is not subject to disbelief. When a doppelmocker uses this ability it can make a Bluff or Intimidate check as a free action, against a single creature within 30 feet that can see it, to demoralize, fool, feint, threaten, distract, or taunt. It can also make a Bluff check as a part of its movement to avoid attacks of opportunity.

Read Emotions (Ex) A doppelmocker can read emotions of other easily. It treats Bluff and Sense Motive as its class skills, and it can perfectly tailor threats to a creature, ignoring size-difference penalty to Intimidate checks. It also gains racial bonus to Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks equal to half its HD (or half its master's character level), and a +10 racial bonus to sense enchantment effects with Sense Motive skill.

Voice Mimicry (Ex) A doppelmocker can perfectly mimic voices heard since the last sleep. While doppelmockers can't really form their own words and sentences, they are capable of responding meaningfully to communication by quoting recently heard sentences or pieces of sentences (they seem unable to rearrange order of words, but they can cut the sentences where it fits them).


Doppelmockers seem to be related to doppelgangers in a way that monkeys are related to mundane humanoids, distant, but undeniable kin. They are much smarter than monkeys, being close in their intellectual capabilities to an average humanoid and capable of understanding speech, though they lack the ability to speak and form sentences. Instead, they use their excellent voice mimicking ability to quote recently heard words and whole sentences. They can also change their appearance to match recently seen humanoids, but as they retain their Tiny size while transformed, rather than pretending to be mimicked individuals they use their shapechanging ability to distract, entertain, fool, or terrify.

Doppelmockers are surprisingly strong for their tiny size, and quite cheeky in their behavior, often bordering insolence.

A spellcaster with Improved Familiar and 5 or more caster levels can select doppelmocker as a familiar, though patience is required to deal with the creature's impertinence as it tends to mock its master often.

2017-05-02

Monster: Gryphling

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Gryphling

This creature has an owl's head and wings set on a cat's body.


CR 1; XP 400

N Tiny Magical Beast
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +5

Defense

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1
Defensive Abilities acrobatic flight, evasion

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)
Melee bite +6 (1d3–2), 2 claws +6 (1d3–2)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +6, 1d3–2)

Statistics
Str 6, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 5, Wis 13, Cha 13
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 10 (14 vs. trip)
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +14, Perception +5, Stealth +10
Language Common (can't speak)

Ecology
Environment temperate forests, hills, and mountains
Organization solitary, pair
Treasure standard

Special Abilities


Acrobatic Flight (Ex) A gryphling can make Fly checks in place of Acrobatic checks to avoid attacks of opportunity, jump, and soften fall (even when it can't use its wings to negate falling damage).


Gryphlings are miniature version of griffons, curious, cute, capricious, and ferocious at the same time, taking on the best and the worst qualities of cats and owls. While they are intelligent beings capable of understanding speech, they have strong predatory instincts. While they don't live in packs, they can form strong bonds of loyalty with a single companion and caretaker, though they won't stand being treated badly.

Gryphlings are a valid Improved Familiar choice for spellcasters with 3 or more caster levels. Gryphling familiar's alignment reflects its master's alignment.