Fantasy Monster: Deep Painter

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Deep Painter

A fish-like creature floats in the air, with colorful bioluminescent sacks clearly visible through its transparent skin. Its long whiskers resemble tendrils covered with specks of paint.

CR 4; 1,200 XP

N Small Aberration

Init +8 Senses color darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12

Defense

AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 15 (+4 deflection, +4 Dex, +1 size)

hp 45 (7d8+14)

Fort +4; Ref +6; Will +7
Immune patterns

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect), swim 30 ft.

Melee 4 slams +7 (1d4+1)

Ranged 4 ink spews +10 touch

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +14)

Constant—fly, magic fang, shield of faith

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 15
Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 23 (can't be tripped)

Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Endurance, Improved Initiative

Skills Craft (painting) +12, Fly +20, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +12, Perception +12, Spellcraft +12, Swim +18, Use Magic Device +9

Languages understands Aklo; telepathy 100 ft.

SQ no breath

Ecology
Environment aquatic, underground
Organization solitary, pair, or trio
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Color Darkvision (Ex) Deep painters have enhanced darkvision that allows them to perceive colors in a much wider spectrum than most creatures. They also gain +4 bonus to Perception checks made to notice fine details, discolorations, and objects that are not normally visible.

Ink Spew (Su) Deep painters can spit bubbles of liquid pigments up to 30 feet away, even underwater. Creatures struck by those pigments are blinded for 1 round and dazzled for 1d4 rounds thereafter. Additionally, the psychoactive substance alters their perception and behavior for as long as they remain marked (washing it off requires 10 minutes, warm water, and strong soap, or really dedicated scrubbing, alternatively it can be removed quickly with erase spell, or an application of a strong solvent). Those marked with the pigments gain +1 bonus to Craft checks, creative Profession checks, and saving throws against compulsions and fear effects but they also suffer –1  penalty to skill checks made to interact with other sapient beings, blend in crowds, Appraise, and saving throws against confusion, insanity, patterns, and prismatic spells and effects. Effects of being marked by multiple ink spews stack, to a maximum bonus/penalty of +/–10. Psychotropic effects (but not blindness) count as poison.

Deep painters are little strange creatures coming from depths of the world, seeking to spread their alien aesthetics across the universe. While they bear no malice, they outlook, personalities, and motivations are rather odd, which combined with their confusing communication full of incomprehensible metaphors can put them into accidental conflict with humanoids easily.

Deep painters look for places where they can create their abstract works of art or "improve" the existing ones. They seem to have hard time understand humanoid aesthetics or why the later would wish to not have their own art tampered with.