Monster: Curiosity-Killed-Cat

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Curiosity-Killed-Cat

This creature is merely a silhouette of a man-sized cat, a patch of utter darkness with yellow-green eyes being its only feature. It's contours are outlined with a pale-green glow.

CR 9; XP 6,400
CE Medium Undead (incorporeal)
Init +10; Senses find traps, see in darkness, see invisible; Perception +21

Defense
AC 23, touch 23, flat-footed 16 (+6 deflection, +6 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 126 (12d8+60)
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +12
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, evasion, feed on misfortune, incorporeal

Offense
Speed fly 50 ft. (perfect)
Melee incorporeal bite +15 (3d6 plus energy drain), 2 incorporeal claws +15 (3d6 plus fatal scratch)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks energy drain (1 level, DC 22), fatal scratch
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +18)
Constant—comprehend languages, find traps, see invisible, tongues
At Will—divination (accidents, traps, and other things of interest to the curiosity-killed-cat only)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 22, Con —, Int 23, Wis 19, Cha 23
Base Atk +9; CMB +9; CMD 32
Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative 
Skills Acrobatics +18, Appraise +18, Bluff +18, Fly +14, Knowledge (arcana) +21, Knowledge (local) +21, Knowledge (religion) +21, Knowledge (any other) +12, Perception +21 (+27 to find traps), Sense Motive +21, Spellcraft +21, Stealth +21
Language Aklo, Common, Sylvan; tongues
SQ lucky lick, wise-in-death

Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Fatal Scratch (Su) A scratch from curiosity-killed-cat brings misfortune when dealing with unexpected threats. For the next 24 hours, the victim suffers from vulnerability to accidental damage from traps, falls, vehicle crashes, avalanches, lightning strikes, and accidents, increasing hit point damage received from such sources by 50%. This is a curse effect that manifests as a scar from a cat's scratch and can be ended with break enchantment, dispel evil, or remove curse (DC 22).

Feed On Misfortune (Su) When a living creature within 60 feet suffers damage from trap, fall, vehicle crash, avalanche, lightning strike, or an accident, a curiosity-killed-cat gains temporary hit points equal to hit points lost (though no more than the hit points the creature had when the accident happened), lasting for 1 hour. In a rare case of multiple curiosity-killed-cats within range, temporary hit points generated by this ability are split evenly among them.

Lucky Lick (Su) A curiosity-killed-cat can take away a bit of misfortune with a lick of its spectral tongue. It bestows a negative energy level, just like its bite, but also acts as break enchantment, using the curiosity-killed-cat HD as caster level, with its Charisma bonus added to the caster check total.

Wise-In-Death (Ex) A curiosity-killed-cat learned many things in its death and afterwards. It can make Appraise and Knowledge checks untrained, with an insight bonus equal to its Charisma bonus. It can also take 10 on any Knowledge checks and treats all Knowledges as class skills.


When an awakened cat dies nine times because of its own curiosity, it can arise as a capricious, cruel, smartass spirit. Curiosity-killed-cats linger at the egdes of the world of the living to fight boredom, feed their never-ending hunger for novelty (though often masked under the guise of blase). While they enjoy suffering of others, they are sometimes magnanimous and helpful at unexpected whim, or when they take liking to the recipient, though often their benevolence happens at the expense of another being.

Curiosity-killed-cats often merely sit and watch living creatures as they struggle with dangerous situations. Presence of one of them might be a warning of a hidden threat or incoming doom, though it might also be architect behind the peril. Sometimes they even give advice. Which might help avoid the danger... Or exacerbate it.

In combat, curiosity-killed-cats try to scratch their foes and then pull them into nearby traps or other dangerous situation, hoping to feed on their misfortune.

Spirits-Of-Fatal-Inquisitiveness (CR 10) have advanced template, bestow two negative energy levels with their bite and lick, and their fatal scratch lasts until removed. They can communicate with spirits of recently deceased adventurers as if using call spirit (DC 23) as long as they are within 10 feet of the corpse, and use reincarnate as a spell-like ability, though the subject always returns in the form of Tiny awakened cat.