A massive silhouette of fuzzy shadows with grotesquely thin arms and legs resembling thin sticks. It wears a giant raven skull as a mask and many hands extend from its back, holding shadowy strings extending into the darkness.
CR 12; XP 12,800
CN Large Fey
CN Large Fey
Init +9; Senses low-light vision, deathwatch; Perception +29
Aura necromantic strings (100 ft.)
Defense
AC 27, touch 19, flat-footed 22 (+5 deflection, +5 Dex, +8 natural, –1 size)
hp 156 (24d6+72); regeneration 10 (fey-bane weapons and effects)
AC 27, touch 19, flat-footed 22 (+5 deflection, +5 Dex, +8 natural, –1 size)
hp 156 (24d6+72); regeneration 10 (fey-bane weapons and effects)
Fort +11; Ref +19; Will +15
Defensive Abilities dual affinity; DR 10/cold iron
Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 5 string lashes +16 touch (3d6 plus immobilization or reposition, 19–20/×2 plus bleed or sickened)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 30 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th, concentration +21)
Constant—deathwatch, shield of faith
Statistics
Str 20, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +12; CMB +18; CMD 50
Str 20, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +12; CMB +18; CMD 50
Feats Acrobatic Step, Bleeding Critical, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Defensive Combat Training, Diehard, Endurance, Improved Critical (string lash), Improved Initiative, Nimble Moves, Sickening Critical
Skills Knowledge (nature) +28, Knowledge (religion) +25, Perception +28, Perform (puppetry) +30, Sense Motive +28, Sleight Of Hand +32, Stealth +28
Languages Aklo, Common, Sylvan
Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard
Environment any
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard
Special Abilities
Dual Affinity (Su) A grim puppeteer is a weird liminal being between life and death. It can be healed by both negative and positive energy, like it was living being and undead at the same time.
Necromantic Strings (Su) Many tangled immaterial strings extend from a grim puppeteer, attaching themselves to dead bodies nearby, including those buried underground, and animating them as zombies or skeletons, according to their state. A grim puppeteer can have up to 48 HD of undead puppets animated in this way, with no puppet exceeding 12 HD. As soon as any of the undead is destroyed, the freed strings attach to another corpse within range. Undead animated by this power gain +2 bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and AC, and they all move on the initiative of the grim puppeteer animating them.
String Lash (Su) A grim puppeteer can lash with some of its strings against those who would interfere with its plays, using them as melee touch attacks. Creatures struck suffer 3d6 points of damage. Medium or smaller creatures have to choose between either being forcibly moved up to 20 feet, according to grim puppeteer's whim, or become unable to move from their position for 1d4+1 rounds (the choice is made immediately, before the movement is revealed).
Grim puppeteers are fascinated by mortal beings death, passing, and corpses, finding their mortality perplexing. While they perceive life itself, sudden transition from constant move to persistent stillness catches them off guard and makes them try to poke and prod dead things to move like they did before. When that doesn't helps, they go around making them move and playing them, like a child might play with dead pets.
While they bear no ill will toward the living, they are capricious, impatient and prone to temper tantrums, sometimes leading to even more mortals stopping to move of their own...
