Fantasy Monster: Pyredancer

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Pyredancer

A skeletal silhouette surrounded by flames dances through the air.

CR 8; 4,800 XP

CE Medium Undead (fire, incorporeal)

Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +15

Defense

AC 21; touch 21, flat-footed 15 (+5 deflection, +5 Dex, +1 dodge)

hp 105 (10d8+60)

Fort +8; Ref +8; Will +11
Defensive Abilities burning spirit, channeling resistance +4, incorporeal; Immune fire, undead

Weakness vulnerable to cold

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee 2 incorporeal touches +13 (4d6 fire and negative energy to living creatures/19–20/×2)
Special Attacks fiery damnation, join the dance

Statistics
Str —, Dex 20, Con —, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 21
Base Atk +8; CMB +8; CMD 29

Feats Dodge, Improved Critical (incorporeal touch), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Toughness

Skills Acrobatics +15, Fly +26, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (religion) +15, Perception +15, Perform (dance) +15

Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, rave (3—12)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Burning Spirit (Su) A pyredancer is constantly burning, inflicting 4d6 points of fire and negative energy damage to living creatures passing through its space, hitting a pyredancer with a natural or unarmed strike, or making a grapple check against it.

Fiery Damnation (Su) A living creature reduced to 0 hit points by a pyredancer 's touch immediately dies and its corpse bursts into magical flames. One round later its scorched skeleton starts to dance frantically in the spot where it died until the flames are extinguished by magic cold, holy damage, or positive energy (it has to absorb five times its original level or HD in damage from such sources, counting as an undead creature with its original HD and Will saving throw). The fiery damned continues to burn, dealing 4d6 points of fire and negative damage to living creatures moving or ending their turn within 10 feet but does little else except dancing. When it fails a Will saving throw against an effect that allows controlling undead, it can be commanded to move up to 30 feet once and then the effect ends. Creature affected by fiery damnation has its soul trapped within the flames and can't be revived until its remnants are put to rest. A pyredancer can also use this ability by touching a corpse as a standard action. This is a death and fire necromancy effect.

Join The Dance (Su) When a pyredancer hits an undead creature with its incorporeal touch, it deal no damage. Instead, the target has to succeed a Will saving throw (DC 20) or it is compelled to dance. Intelligent undead can repeat their Will saving throw each turn to break the effect, unintelligent undead break out of the dance when commanded to take any other actions.

Pyredancers are spectral remnants of powerful souls, people who sought being burned after their death in pursuit of eternal hedonistic abandon. Many of them actually burned themselves alive, turning wild feasts into fiery funerals.

Pyredancers often kill mortals to make their souls and corpses dance for them eternally, though they can be placated for a time with festivals and offerings, limiting number of their victims. More powerful forces of damnation—fiends and undead—might keep troupes of pyredancers for their own entertainment.

Fantasy Monster: Dire Hedgehog

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Dire Hedgehog

A sizeable hedgehog with longer snout and longer limbs.

CR 2; XP 600
N Medium Animal

Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +7

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 22 (4d8+4)
Fort +5; Ref +6; Will +3
Defensive Ability coat of spines

Offense
Speed 20 ft.

Melee bite +4 (1d4+1), 2 claws +4 (1d4+1)

Special Attacks vermin eater

Statistics
Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 16 (20 vs. trip)

Feats Blind-Fight, Nimble Move

Skills Perception +7, Stealth +7

Ecology
Environment forests
Organization solitary, pair
Treasure none

Special Abilities

Coat Of Spines (Ex) A dire hedgehog has long, thick, sharp spines, much stronger and dangerous than those possessed by its smaller kin. Any creature striking a dire hedgehog with a natural attack or an unarmed strike suffers 1d4 points of piercing damage. Creatures with natural armor bonus of +6 or more, or wearing heavy armor with gauntlets are immune.

Vermin Eater (Ex) A dire hedgehog has +1 racial bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks made against vermin.

Dire hedgehogs are bigger and more vicious kin to a common hedgehog. Mostly feeding on insects and worms, they are not above consuming smaller animals and an occasional unlucky fey. Despite that (or maybe because of it) many smaller fey keep them as guard animals or even war beasts. They also seem to be fond of, and very protective towards regular hedgehogs, probably mistaking them for their own hoglets.

Dire hedgehogs, unusually for animals of such size, can be adopted as familiars by a 7th level caster with Improved Familiar feat.

Fantasy Monster: Dreamsipper

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Dreamsipper

A bat with four wings and four tentacles at the end of its snout.

CR 2; XP 600
N Tiny Aberration

Init +6; Senses blindsight 120 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, trail dreams; Perception +5

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 22 (4d8+4)
Fort +2; Ref +5; Will +5
Defensive Ability evasion; Immune sleep

Offense
Speed 5 ft., fly 50 ft. (good)
Melee tentacles +4 touch (2d6 nonlethal plus sip dreams)

Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. (5 ft. with tentacles)

Special Attacks sip dreams

Statistics
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 13
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 12

Feats Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes

Skills Fly +14, Perception +5, Sense Motive +2, Stealth +14

SQ dreamsharing

Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, flight (3—10)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Dreamsharing (Su) A group of dreamsippers can share their stolen dreams with each other as long as they remain within 30 feet of each other. A dreamsipper familiar can share dreams of its master, weaving the threads stolen from dreams of others into the shared experience.

Sip Dreams (Su) A dreamsipper tentacles can deliver a mild mental shock that cause sense of overwhelming tiredness. When nonlethal damage exceeds the target's hit points after a dreamsipper's tentacle attack, the victim falls unconscious and asleep for 2d6 hours while dreaming intensely. Creatures that are incapable of dreaming are asleep for 1d4 hours. Victim can't be woken up until their nonlethal damage drop below their hit point value.

Trail Dreams (Su) A dreamsipper is vaguely aware of creatures dreaming nearby within approximately 1 mile, though it requires time and effort to actually find them. It can recognize a dreaming creature on sight and get a vague idea of complexity of its dreams discerning between sapient creatures, non-sapient ones, and entities that don't dream, but only while they are asleep.

Dreamsippers are night creatures that feed on sleeping creatures, sipping a bit of dream here and there, and then proceeding to return to their lairs where they digest them, weaving new dreams out of stolen threads while in a deep trance.

Dreamsippers find dreams of sapient beings a much richer and attractive than their usual fare of non-sapient dreams.

A dreamsipper can be taken for a familiar by a 7th level caster capable of dreaming with Improved Familiar feat.

Fantasy Monster: Etherslime

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Etherslime

A floating blob of luminescent green goo that vanishes and reappears unpredictably.

CR 7; XP 3,200
N Medium Ooze
Init +5; Senses blindsight 60 ft.; Perception +14

Defense
AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+5 Dex, +5 natural)
hp 54 (10d8+40)
Fort +7; Ref +8; Will +7
Defensive Ability ethereal blinking; Immune ooze traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Melee 3 tentacles +12 (1d8+5, 18–20/×2 plus dissolution)

Space 5 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 20, Con 18, Int —, Wis 19, Cha 1
Base Atk +7; CMB —; CMD —

Skills Fly +13, Perception +14; Racial Modifier +10 Perception

Ecology
Environment ruins
Organization solitary, pair
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Dissolution (Su) When an etherslime confirms a critical hit against creature struck with a tentacle attack, the target seemingly dissolves into ectoplasmic goo, being forcibly pulled to ethereal plane for 1d4+1 rounds. If the creature dies while on Ethereal Plane, its body remains there, dissolving into ethereal plasm over the next 1d4 days.

Ethereal Blinking (Su) An etherslime phases between the Material and Ethereal Planes randomly, gaining all the benefits of a constant blink spell.

Etherslimes are predatory tangles of ectoplasm that vibrate between corporeal and ethereal frequencies. They are occasionally followed by other etheric creatures that take an opportunity to attack victims temporarily pulled onto the Ethereal Plane by etherslime's dissolution ability.

Fantasy Monster: Shatterbone

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Shatterbone

A misshapen cadaver floats in the air, its limbs twisted in impossible ways, its skin a single terrible bruise.

CR 12; 19,200 XP

NE Medium Undead

Init +14; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22

Defense

AC 27; touch 26, flat-footed 16 (+5 deflection, +10 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural)

hp 168 (16d8+96)

Fort +10; Ref +15; Will +15
Defensive Abilities amorphous, channeling resistance +4; DR 10/piercing and magic; Immune falling damage, undead

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Special Attacks fear of falling (DC 23), killing fall (10d6 and prone, Will DC 23 negates)

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 30, Con —, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 21
Base Atk +12; CMB +12; CMD 37

Feats Defensive Combat Training, Dodge, Hover, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Toughness, Wingover

Skills Fly +37, Perception +22, Sense Motive +22, Stealth +29

Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Fear Of Falling (Su) A shatterbone can place a curse on a single creature within 60 feet as a swift action. On a failed Will saving throw (DC 23) the target gains vulnerability to falling damage increasing all damage from falling (including killing fall ability) by 50% and suffering –10 penalty to Acrobatics and Fly checks. Additionally, whenever the character falls while affected by a feather fall spell or similar effect, the curse attempts to dispel or suppress effect as if a greater dispel magic (CL 16th) was used. This is a curse effect. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Killing Fall (Su) A shatterbone can psychokinetically share the moment of its demise with a single target within 60 feet as a standard action. On a failed Will saving throw (DC 23) the target suffers 10d6 points of falling damage and drops prone (falling to the ground if flying). Target that is already prone becomes stunned for 1d4 rounds as well. Target that is already stunned suffers maximum damage. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Shatterbones are remnants of mighty people who died falling from great heights, with all of their bones and their organs crushed by the impact. Now, they share the experience of their death with the living, especially those who were responsible for the shatterbone's death, crossed it in life, or for myriad other reasons, justified or petty. They are particularly hateful of mortals using unnatural means of flying.

Fantasy Monster: Spider-Horse

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Spider-Horse

An eight-legged, many-eyed horse.

CR 6; XP 2,400

N Large Magical Beast

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +13

Defense

AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+6 Dex, +4 natural, –1 size)

hp 59 (7d10+21)

Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +5

Defensive Abilities all-around vision

Offense

Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

Melee bite +12 (1d8+9 plus 2d6 acid)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attack well-timed kick (+12, 1d6+6)

Statistics

Str 22, Dex 22, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 17, Cha 11

Base Atk +7; CMB +14; CMD 30 (42 vs trip)

Feats Combat Reflexes^B, Endurance, Nimble Moves, Run, Vital Strike

Skills Perception +13

Ecology

Environment plains, forest, mountains

Organization solitary, pair, or a herd (3–8)

Treasure none

Well-Timed Kick (Ex) Spider-horse always uses its powerful legs to deliver attacks of opportunity dealing 1d6+6 points of damage with a +12 attack bonus and ignoring concealment miss chance on attacks of opportunity. It also gains Combat Reflexes as a bonus feat.

Spider-horses are equine-like creatures with eight, weirdly twisting legs, and definitely too many eyes. Despite their exotic appearance, they are not far off from regular horses in their behavior, being chummy, curious, with penchant for running around and an occasional mischievous streak. The way they move is often disconcerting to those who watch it, though, somehow combining grace of a horse with a skittering of a spider.

They feed on soft plants, mostly, though they will happily munch on small animals and insects. When in forest, they might strip a tree off its bark and suck resin and juices out of it.

Spider-horses can be tamed, though it's an extended effort and they tend to remain definitely unruly and willful mounts despite the best training.

Fantasy Monster: Dire Dandelion

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Dire Dandelion

An enormous dandelion spreads its spores across the land.

CR 10; XP 9,600

N Gargantuan Plant

Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +24

Defense

AC 24, touch 8, flat-footed 22 (+2 Dex, +16 natural, –4 size)

hp 130 (20d8+40)

Fort +14, Ref +8, Will +9

Defensive Abilities all-around vision, bleeding white; Immune plant traits

Offense

Speed 40 ft.

Melee 3 slams +18 (2d6+7)

Space 20 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks floating seeds

Statistics

Str 24, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 9

Base Atk +15; CMB +26; CMD 43 (51 vs trip)

Feats Acrobatic Steps, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Combat Training, Diehard, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Nimble Moves, Vital Strike

Skills Perception +24

Ecology

Environment plains

Organization single, pair, or a lawn (3–20)

Treasure herbal ingredients that can be retrieved by an alchemist, a herbalist, or a healer.

Bleeding White (Ex) A dire dandelion extrudes a white rubbery substance when cut deeply, coalescing over the wound. After a dire dandelion suffers bleed damage, it gains 2d6 temporary hit points, and the bleeding ends.

Floating Seeds (Ex) A dire dandelion can fire 1d4+1 seeds as a full round action, aiming each at a different intersection of squares within 60 feet. Each seed veers 1d4 × 5 feet away in a random direction from their intended destination, similar to a missed splash weapon. Each seed then releases a cloud of irritant, dealing 3d6 points of damage and making breathing creatures within 5 feet sneeze. A successful Reflex saving throw (DC 19) halves the damage and negates sneezing. A sneezing creature suffers –2 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and AC, and has to make concentration checks to cast spells and complete other actions that require comparable level of focus for 1d4 rounds. Both the damage and sneezing are poison effect. The saving throw DC is Charisma based. Strong wind can influence the direction and distance of a seed's final landing spot and grant bonus to saving throws against their effects.

Dire dandelions are towering plants that grow quickly in the spring and summer, spreading their seeds over grasslands to a great discomfort and hindrance of humanoids and animals.