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.