Fantasy Monster: Tree Of Sacrifice

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Tree Of Sacrifice

A big twisted tree with withered leaves and bark stained black. Multiple long black nails stick out of its trunk.

CR 11; XP 12,800
NE Gargantuan Plant (evil)

Init +5; Senses low-light vision; Perception +25

Aura desecrate (20 ft.)

Defense
AC 25, touch 1315, flat-footed  (+5 deflection, +2 Dex, +2 insight, +10 natural, –4 size)
hp 150 (20d8+60)
Fort +15; Ref +10; Will +11
DR 10/slashing and good; Immune plant traits; Resist cold 20, fire 20

Offense
Speed 20 ft., ignores natural difficult terrain

Melee 4 slams +17 (2d6+6 plus sip blood, 19–20/×2)

Ranged 2 acorn grenades +13 touch (thrown, 20 ft. increment, 10d4 fire plus 10 splash)

Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.

Special Attacks sip blood

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +25)

Constant—desecrate (centered on self, the tree counts as an evil shrine), shield of faith

At Will—commune with nature

Statistics
Str 22, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 21, Cha 21
Base Atk +15; CMB +25; CMD 45 (can't be tripped or overrun)

Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Combat Training, Diehard, Endurance, Improved Critical, Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Vital Strike

Skills Intimidate +25, Knowledge (nature) +22, Knowledge (religion) +22, Perception +25

Language Abyssal, Aklo, Infernal, Common, Sylvan

SQ bloody sacrifice

Ecology
Environment rural groves, forests, wastelands
Organization solitary, pair, or trio
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Bloody Sacrifice (Su) With the permission of the tree of sacrifice, a sapient being can be nailed to the tree's trunk as an offering. It takes about 10 rounds of work and chanting to affix a bound, helpless, or willing sacrifice. Once attached, the victim becomes fatigued and suffers 1 point of damage to each ability score each hour. Unconscious victim starts suffocating and dies soon after unless rescued. Once the victim dies, the tree can grant single effect chosen by the leader of the ceremony: atonement, awaken, commune (evil powers, related to blood, death, or plants), lesser planar ally (servants of evil), raise dead, or unhallow (CL 20th). Larger, older, and more powerful trees of sacrifice might offer more powerful spells. Participating in the sacrifice of a sapient being is a blatantly evil act.

Sip Blood (Su) Whenever a tree of sacrifice deals damage to a living creature that has blood with a slam attack, the tree heals for half the hit points lost by the target.

A tree of sacrifice is a living, sapient altar to death and suffering. Feed blood of thinking beings over and over again, it develops a malignant and cruel sentience, as well as the capability of rewarding those who maintain the cycle of sacrifices.

Each tree of sacrifice develops its own unique personality. Some of them start to view themselves akin to godlings themselves, others might be devoted worshipers of a particular evil power, and a number of them are very mercenary in their outlook, trading sacrifices for power, acting as intermediaries between evil deities and worshippers for a blood fee.

Fantasy NPC: Gleihtraggleiht, The Demon-In-Law

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Gleihtraggleiht, The Demon-In-Law

A slightly luminescent and vaguely dragon-shaped cloud moves through the air.

CR 5; 1,600 XP

CE Medium Outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar, incorporeal)

Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10

Defense
AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 14 (+4 deflection, +4 Dex)
hp 45 (6d10+12)
Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +8

Defensive Abilities incorporeal, twisted words; Immune electricity, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee 4 incorporeal claws +10 (2d4)

Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks wait in shadows (DC 16)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 19

Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 24
Feats Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Profession [barrister])

Skills Bluff +13, Fly +21, Diplomacy +13, Intimidate +13, Knowledge (nobility) +15, Knowledge (planes) +15, Perception +10, Profession (barrister) +16, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +4 

Language Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; limited telepathy

SQ academic training

Academic Training (Ex) Gleihtraggleiht adds half his HD to all Knowledge checks and all intellectual-focused Profession checks (such as barrister, librarian, or scribe). He can make any such checks untrained.

Twisted Words (Su) Gleihtraggleiht has supreme command of his own understanding of words and how to twist them. He gains +4 bonus to saving throws against language-based effects and to opposed Charisma checks when charmed or compelled. He can lie undetectably despite magical effects of 6th or lower level that should discern or prevent lies.

Wait In Shadows (Su) As a standard action, Gleihtraggleiht can merge with shadow of a mortal being that conjured him, or with shadow of any other mortal that it can touch, and, at the time of merging, is involved in some meaningful way in a legal process, civil or criminal (including but not limited to lawyers or all sorts, judge, bailiff, witness, accuser or accused, sides in civil proceedings, etc.). This is a variant form of possession and can be affected as such. While in this state, Gleihtraggleiht shares his twisted words ability with the owner of the shadow he inhabits and can communicate telepathically with his host. He can allow the host to use any of his skill bonuses instead of the host's own values. Gleihtraggleiht can emerge from a shadow he is merged with as a part of his move. If two shadows overlap he can slip between them without need for leaving the first one as a full-round action.

Gleihtraggleiht was a mortal barrister, long ago. While he was good at his job, he never was truly great, always in shadow of better lawyers, particularly the one unsurpassed Lamarquand Till... Who managed to remain his superior even despite his death.

Never a particularly scrupulous individual, nor allowing the morals or ethics stand in the way of his advancement or profits, Gleihtraggleiht decided to pursue a darker threads of his family's past, revealing an admixture of fiendish blood within his very own veins. Intrigued, he dug deeper into the blasphemous secrets. He pursued the mystic practices involved, perverting law and justice by having multiple innocent people executed for crimes they did not committed, culminating in a grand rite... That consumed his body and twisted what was left of his soul into a spirit of corruption. Not exactly what Gleihtraggleiht hoped for initially, but he adapted to his new existence, hoping to face against his old nemeses and destroy them in courts, both figuratively and literally.

Fantasy Monster: Glass Spider

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Glass Spider

An almost completely transparent spider made of crystal.

CR 2; 600 XP

N Small Construct (animate)

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +10

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 size)
hp 21 (2d10+10)
Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +0

Defensive Abilities crystal cocoon; DR 5/bludgeoning; Immune construct traits

Weakness revealed in light

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.

Melee bite +3 (1d6), 2 claws +3 (1d6)

Special Attacks spit web (30 ft., 5 ft. square, DC 13)

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 16, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1

Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 14 (22 vs. trip)
Skills Climb +10, Perception +10, Stealth +17 (+27 when immobile); Racial Modifiers +10 Perception, +10 Stealth, doubled when immobile

Ecology
Environment underground, ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or swarm (3–12)
Treasure standard (crystal fragments that can be used as components for light or invisibility related magical creations)

Special Abilities

Crystal Cocoon (Su) A damaged glass spider can take an hour to weave a protective cocoon made of its webs and pieces of minerals around itself, usually in secluded place, such as hard to reach part of cave wall. After at least 24 hours spent within, the glass spider can emerge from the cocoon fully repaired, and with any missing limbs restored. Crystal cocoons glow with faerie fire when exposed to magical light.

Revealed In Light (Su) Whenever glass spider is affected by magical light effect, or remains within 5 feet of a source of magical light, the light refracts and reflects along many angles of its glass body, outlining the glass spider as if affected with faerie fire for as long as it is exposed to the light and for 1 round thereafter.

Spit Web (Su) Once every 1d4+1 rounds, a glass spider can spit web as a standard action, targeting single square within 30 feet. Any creature that remains or enters the affected area becomes grappled by the sticky webs on a failed Reflex saving throw (DC 13). Grappled creatures can free themselves by succeeding on a combat maneuver or Escape Artist check against the same DC as a standard action. The webs are flammable and can be burned easily in a single round, but the creature within suffers 2d4 points of fire damage. The saving throw DC is Strength-based and includes +2 racial bonus.

Glass spiders are strange formations of spider-shaped crystal, seemingly spontaneously animated and behaving creepily similar to real giant spiders.

Fantasy NPC: Goromil Yodla, The Lifetime Golem Researcher

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Goromil Yodla, The Lifetime Golem Researcher

A stooping, wrinkled dwarf in a leather work apron covered in stains. His beard is tightly bound into two braids running to the back, and tied behind his head to his rather meager pony tail, while his forehead is stretching to the middle of his skull.

CR (purely nominal) 15; 51,200 XP

Venerable male dwarf shaman 3/wizard 3/mystic theurge 10

LG Medium Humanoid (dwarf)

Init –3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7

Defense
AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+8 armor, +4 deflection, –3 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 110 (13d6+3d8+48)
Fort +12, Ref +6, Will +22; +2 vs. poison, spell, or spell-like

Defensive Abilities defensive training, stability

Offense
Speed 20 ft.

Melee rod of breaking +6/+1 (3d6, ignores DR and hardness)

Ranged hand of apprentice +16 (3d6, ignores DR and hardness, 30 ft., 10/day)

Special Attacks maker's touch (3/day, +5 touch, 1d6+1)

Shaman Spells (CL 13th, concentration +20)

0—4 prepared, 1st—6, 2nd—6, 3rd—6, 4th—5, 5th—4, 6th—3, 7th—2

Wizard Spells (CL 13th, concentration +20)

0—4 prepared, 1st—6, 2nd—6, 3rd—6, 4th—5, 5th—4, 6th—3, 7th—2

Statistics
Str 4, Dex 4, Con 16, Int 24, Wis 24, Cha 11

Base Atk +8; CMB +5; CMD 16
Feats Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms And Armors, Craft Rod, Craft Staff, Craft Wands, Craft Wondrous Item^B, Iron Will, Magical Aptitude, Scribe Scroll^B, Skill Focus (Spellcraft)

Skills Acrobatics +0, Appraise +26, Craft (sculpting) +26, Diplomacy +5, Fly +2, Knowledge (arcana) +26, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +26, Knowledge (engineering) +26, Knowledge (nature) +26, Knowledge (religion) +26, Spellcraft +36, Use Magic Device +20

Language Aquan, Auran, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin, Ignan, Terran

SQ hex (fetish), inherent bonus (Constitution +4), spirit animal (mechanical monkey)

Notable Gear bracers of armor +8, headband of mental prowess (Intelligence, Wisdom) +4, cloak of resistance +4, ring of protection +4, amulet of natural armor +4

Maker's Touch (Su) Three times per day, Goromil Yodla can touch an object or a construct and either repair it, or damage it, dealing 1d6+1 points of damage, ignoring hardness or DR.

Spells Goromil Yodla has a bewildering array of spells prepared, focused primarily on his research—that is, not terribly useful when dealing with threats and combat, but with a somehow useful number of utility spells and a few completely inane choices. He has an enormous supply of scrolls with various spells.

Goromil Yodla is a renowned designer and constructor of golems. Many would-be adepts of golemology over the years sought to become his apprentices, or steal his notes. His lesser designs spread wide and far, though the magical community is more and more concerned with his projects becoming more and more... How to say that... Quirky. While his early creations were more or less in line with the most common construct formulas, and his mid-life work was some of the most brilliant, currently, he seems to seeks ways of creating golems of more  and more unexpected materials. Some suspect that he is slowly giving in to senility, others defend him voraciously claiming that he is seeking to revolutionize a notoriously expensive field with the most cost-effective creations possible.

Both claims have a bit of truth to them, but Goromil keeps the real reasons behind his new weird creations to himself. When he was but a wee lad, he witnessed a golem going on a rampage, that crippled or killed a number of fellow dwarves, including some kin and friends of his. Since that time, he seeks to completely master the art of creating golems. His final aim, is to reach an impossible breakthrough and touch the divinity, even for a moment, become the god of golems, and change them forever, removing the flaw of golem rampancy from the very fabric of universe, turning them safe and docile.

He is nowhere near that goal, though, and he knows that his time is running short. Currently, he seeks a shortcut to power or a way to extend his life, considering slowly replacing pieces of his failing flesh with custom-constructed replacements. And he still needs to find time and materials to build constructs to order to keep financing his endless research.

Fantasy NPC: Vholatrax The Annihilator, The Scourge Of Worlds

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Vholatrax The Annihilator, The Scourge Of Worlds

A winged draconic monstrosity, with multiple horned heads, razor-clawed wings, spiked scales, and lashing tails... Long enough to fit into a palm of an adult human...

CR 1; 400 XP

CE Fine Dragon (extraplanar)

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

Defense
AC 20, touch 20, flat-footed 18 (+2 Dex, +8 size)
hp 13 (2d12); regeneration 1 (mythic)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +5

Immune ability damage, ability drain, compulsion, death, disease, disintegration, energy drain, fear, fire, paralysis, permanent wounds, petrification, poison, polymorph, sleep

Offense
Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (good)

Melee frenzy of bites and claws +6 (2d6–4)

Space 1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Abilities breath weapon (5 ft. cone, DC 11, 2d6 fire)

Statistics
Str 3, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 15

Base Atk +2; CMB –2; CMD 10
Feats Iron Will

Skills Acrobatics +7, Appraise +5, Bluff +7, Fly +19, Intimidate +7, Perception +5, Stealth +18

Language Draconic

Vholatrax The Annihilator, The Scourge Of Worlds, The Last God, The Conqueror Of All, The Mightiest Of Wyrms, after ravaging his own world into a scorched wasteland under his absolute rule (which he found boring) turned his eyes to other worlds.

Breaching the gates of sky was easy for the powerful entity like Vholatrax, even if the travel was weird and confusing. Sadly, little did he know, that his own world was exceptionally small, orders of magnitude smaller in comparison to other inhabited worlds across the nearby part of the multiverse. Finding himself in situation where he was one of the smallest sapient beings around instead of the greatest and most immense was quite a shock. It passed quickly, though, once Vholatrax regained his composure, he is as arrogant and sure of his power as ever, ready to conquer and devastate this new world, pebble by pebble, if need be. Or maybe he's just in denial.