2023-02-26

Fantasy Monster: Clockwork Gibbet

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Clockwork Gibbet

A metal cage, barely fit for an adult human, scuttles on short metal legs. Strange contraptions, valves, gears, and cables are entwined into its construction.

CR 3; XP 800
N Medium Construct (clockwork)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0

Defense
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 dodge, +3 natural)
hp 31 (2d10+20)
Fort +0; Ref +2; Will +0
Weakness vulnerable to acid

Offense
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee 2 slams +6 (1d4+4)
Special Attacks capture

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 10, Con —Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +2; CMB +6 (+8 grapple); CMD 18 (22 vs. trip)
Feats Improved InitiativeB, Lightning ReflexesB
Skills Climb +12, Perception +0, Stealth +0
SQ winding

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary or gallery (2–5)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Capture (Ex) After hitting a Medium-sized or smaller creature with both slam attacks,  an empty clockwork gibbet initiates a free grapple attempt that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. When it has a Medium or smaller creature grappled, clockwork gibbet can attempt another grapple check as a swift action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, and capture it inside its cage-body, tightening its bars to pin the victim. Escaping clockwork gibbet pin requires a successful combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check (DC 28). Once the clockwork gibbet is rendered inoperative, the captured creature might also be freed by another creature taking 2d4 rounds and making a successful Disable Device check (DC 28) or knock spell. The DC is equal to the clockwork gibbet's CMD with +10 racial bonus.


Clockwork gibbets are automated devices used to capture, storage, display, and transport prisoners, trespassers, and other offenders. Or rotting corpses, if the victims are left trapped without food or water for too long.


Constructing Clockwork Gibbet
The creator has to start with metal cage fitted with clockwork mechanisms costing 500 gp.
CL 12th; Price 5,500 gp
Requirements Craft Construct, arcane lock, geas/quest, hold person, creator must be at least caster level 12th; Skill Craft (clockwork) DC 23; Cost 3,000 gp


2023-02-19

Fantasy Monster: Clockwork Casket

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Clockwork Casket

A solid metal casket that scrambles on multiple mechanical legs.

CR 1; XP 400
N Small Construct (clockwork)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0

Defense
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+2 dodge, +1 size)
hp 15 (1d10+10)
Fort +0; Ref +2; Will +0
Weakness vulnerable to acid

Offense
Speed 20 ft.
Melee 2 spring blades +2 (1d4)
Special Attacks spring-loaded trap (10-ft. cone, DC 10 half, 2d6)

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 10, Con —Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 10 (14 vs. trip)
Feats Improved InitiativeB, Lightning ReflexesB
Skills Perception +0, Stealth +4 (+14 when pretending to be inanimate object); Racial Modifier +10 Stealth when pretending to be inanimate object
SQ innocuous object, winding

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary, pair or treasury (3–10)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Innocuous Object (Ex) Clockwork caskets appear as mundane caskets as long as they remain inactive. They can hide in plain sight until recognized as clockwork creatures and can take 20 on Stealth checks when remaining immobile until activated.

Spring-Loaded Trap (Ex) Clockwork casket can be set up to rain metal shrapnel on the thief trying to open it, dealing 2d6 points of bludgeoning and slashing damage within a 10-ft. cone. A successful Reflex saving throw halves the damage. The saving throw is Constitution-based. The spring-loaded trap has to be manually reloaded by the owner or maintenance staff. The more lenient owners can replace the metal shrapnel load with rubber balls, dealing nonlethal damage.

Winding (Ex) Clockwork casket can be wound up manually by the owner or maintenance. Any attempt to open it without the proper key—either via lockpicking or knock spell—winds the clockwork casket up as well.


Clockwork caskets are cunning clockwork devices bearing the form (and functionality) of a small chest, suitable for holding valuables while serving as, once triggered, motile and aggressive trap against would-be thieves.


Constructing Clockwork Casket
The creator has to start with solid metal casket with fine clockwork mechanisms installed costing 250 gp.
CL 12th; Price 1,750 gp
Requirements Craft Construct, geas/quest, hold portal, open/close, creator must be at least caster level 12th; Skill Craft (clockwork) DC 20; Cost 1,000 gp


2023-02-12

Fantasy Monster: Sky Wolf

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Sky Wolf

A slender wolf with indigo coat, marked with silvery dots and lines that resemble constellations, with a pair of fuzzy and feathery cloud-grey wings wings.

CR 3; XP 800
N Medium Magical Beast
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +10

Defense
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 30 (4d10+8)
Fort +6; Ref +6; Will +2
Resist cold 5, electricity 5

Offense
Speed 40 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
Melee bite +6 (1d6+2), 2 wing buffets +4 (1d4+1)
Special Attacks pack tactics

Statistics
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 11
Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 18 (22 vs. trip and overrun)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Multiattack
Skills Acrobatics +10, Fly +10, Perception +10, Stealth +10; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Fly, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth
SQ cloud-dweller

Ecology
Environment temperate forests, plains, hills, and mountains
Organization pair or pack (3–7)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Cloud-Dweller (Su) Sky wolves treat clouds as solid ground. They can also dig and burrow in cloud-stuff as if it was soil. As long as a pack of sky wolves lives on a cloud, it doesn't naturally disperse. After approximately a month of being inhabited by a pack of sky wolves, the cloud becomes solid to other creatures. This effects reverse themselves if no sky wolf stays on a cloud for longer than 1d3 days. Sky wolves are never hit by naturally occurring lightning strikes.

Pack Tactics (Ex) Sky wolves are very efficient pack hunters. When two sky wolves flank a creature, they gains additional +2 bonus to their attack rolls. They can forego the bonus from flanking and attempt dirty fighting, reposition, or trip combat maneuvers without provoking attacks of opportunity. When two or more sky wolves are adjacent to each other, each gains +1 bonus to AC and saving throws.


Sky wolves are winged wolves that dwell in the relative safety of low clouds, which they treat as if they were floating islands, living on them and making lairs for their cubs—though obviously they need to venture off the clouds to hunt. Their very presence seems to reinforce and sustain the clouds slowly turning them into actual floating islands, as long as inhabited by sky wolves.

Sky wolves might be descendants of storm spirits and mundane wolves—they certainly seem to be able to breed with the later, producing puppies that have hints of their aerial heritage.


2023-02-05

Fantasy Monster: Shadow Griffon

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Shadow Griffon

A black-feathered composition of a bird of prey, large cat, and writhing darkness, with bones shining here and there, and shadows seeping out of its wings.

CR 7; XP 3,200
CE Large Undead
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +17

Defense
AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+5 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 90 (12d8+36)
Fort +7; Ref +9; Will +10
Defensive Abilities shadow streak; DR 10/magic; Immune falling damage, undead traits

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 80 ft. (poor)
Melee bite +13 (2d4+5), 2 claws +13 (2d4+5)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (15 ft. after shadow streak)

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 20, Con —, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 15
Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 30 (34 vs. trip and overrun)
Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Nimble Moves, Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +20, Fly +14, Knowledge (religion) +16, Perception +17, Stealth +16
Language Abyssal, Common

Ecology
Environment temperate hills, corrupted wastelands
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Shadow Streak (Su) As a full-round action, shadow griffon can glide as a tangle of shadowy strands up to 80 feet, reforming on the ground at the end point. While moving in that way, the shadow griffon is treated as incorporeal (no damage from nonmagical attacks and half damage from most magical ones)—loses its natural armor bonus but gains +2 deflection bonus and +4 bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity as if it had Mobility feat effectively retaining its AC. After using this ability, the shadow griffon extends its reach by 10 feet until the beginning of its following turn as its body remains malleable and capable of stretching farther than usual.


Shadow griffons are cruel and dangerous amalgams of dead griffons and unnatural, corrupting darkness. They are more intelligent and aggressive than their living counterparts though they seem to spend more of their time on ground—usually desolated wastelands of their former homes.

Unlike living griffons, they can speak, and occasionally do toy with their sapient prey, mocking them or pretending to make deals. Rarely, they actually do make deals, though only if the other party seems to be capable of enforcing them.