2022-01-02

Fantasy NPC: Dance-Is-Life and Life-Is-Dance

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Dance-Is-Life and Life-Is-Dance

A pair of elfin androgynous twins, tall, lithe, and graceful. Their hair glimmer in the light as they move and their revealing clothing are made of delicate gossamer and translucent scales.

CR 7; 3,200 XP (as a pair)
N Medium Fey
Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +16

Defense
AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 11 (+1 deflection, +6 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 59 (12d6+12)
Fort +5, Ref +15, Will +9
Defensive Abilities sweet harmony, uncanny dodge; Immune fatigue

Offense
Speed 60 ft.
Melee unarmed strike +10/+10/+5 (1d6+3)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th, concentration +17)
Constant—haste, magic fang

Statistics
Str 14, Dex 22, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 21
Base Atk +6; CMB +14; CMD 26
Feats Acrobatic Step, Agile Maneuvers, Combat Reflexes, Dirty Fighting, Nimble Moves, Outflank
Skills Acrobatics +21, Escape Artist +21, Knowledge (nature) +16, Knowledge (nobility) +13, Perception +16, Perform (dance) +21, Sense Motive +16
Language Common, Elven, Sylvan
SQ party crashing, stand by me

Party Crashing (Su) If a social event will involve dancing, Dance and Life can find their way in and fit without raising suspicions. Any guards, servants, and organizers that fail a Will saving throws (DC 21) consider Dance and Life's valid guests.  Even on a successful save guards and servants might fail to consider anything is amiss if they are not given particular reason to question Dance and Life's presence. Dance and Life also get +20 bonus to Bluff , Diplomacy, and Disguise checks to fit in such events. This is a charm effect. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Stand By Me (Su) Dance-Is-Life and Life-Is-Dance can teleport to each other as a move action.

Sweet Harmony (Su) When Dance-Is-Life or Life-Is-Dance are dancing in pair or a complex group dance, any hit point damage they or their dancing partners suffer is equally split between all the dancers (rounded down). Other effects carried by the attack affect the initial target normally. Having multiple dancing pairs at the same time, is not a group dance.

Notable Gear gossamer clothes (+1 deflection bonus to AC)


Siblings, lovers, two bodies of a single dual entity—the exact relation between Dance-Is-Life and Life-Is-Dance is unknown, and they are not telling, responding to impolite queries with "we are what we are, we are dance".

Despite being fey, Dance and Life are often encountered among mortals, visiting balls, receptions, and other events that give occasion for them to dance—together or with mortals. They are superb dancers, easily comprehending new moves and expanding on them, though they have strong inclination to turning every dance rather... Sensual.


2021-12-31

Fantasy Monster: Kitchen Gremlin

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Gremlin, Kitchen

A tiny plumpish fellow that looks like a poppet made of veggies tied with a cord, with a comically oversized knife.


CR 1; XP 400
CG Tiny Fey
Init +0; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +0

Defense
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 size)
hp 13 (3d6+3)
Fort +2; Ref +3; Will +3
Defensive Abilities iron stomach; DR 5/cold iron; Immune ingested poison; Resist fire 5

Offense
Speed 20 ft.
Melee bite +3 (1d4) or chopping knife +3/+3 (1d6)
Ranged thrown knife +3 (1d3)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. (5 ft. with a chopping knife)
Special Attacks chop-chop
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd, concentration +4)
At Will—mage hand, prestidigitation, spark

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 13
Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 11
Feats Defensive Combat Training, Skill Focus (Profession [cook])
Skills Profession (cook) +6, Sleight Of Hand +6, Stealth +14
Language Common, Undercommon, Sylvan

Ecology
Environment urban (kitchens and pantries)
Organization solitary, pair, kitchen crew (3—8)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Chop-Chop (Ex) A kitchen gremlin can wield oversized blade with a surprising deadlines. When performing a full attack, it can make two attacks without penalties.

Iron Stomach (Ex) A kitchen gremlin can handle any food that isn't actively trying to escape its stomach. It is immune to ingested poisons, nausea, and it never retches or vomits.


Relatively harmless, for gremlin-kind, kitchen gremlins are still unpredictable and problematic—while they are very eager to help, their idea of help includes (but is not limited to): seasoning dishes in a creatively random way, mixing spices, passing searing hot utensils and dishes without warning, indiscriminate taste-testing, applying utensils and ingredients that fit its current mood and fancy. They never poison anyone, not intentionally at least, but their creations are quirky, at beast. Despite their rampant culinary creativity, they lack the focus and patience  to cook on their own, more often tampering with work of others. They gladly and enthusiastically serve others as kitchen aids but their ability to follow instructions is erratic at best.


2021-12-30

Fantasy Monster: Screaming Monkey

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Screaming Monkey

A grotesque, furless monkey with big eyes, big ears, and a wicked grin. It has a large vocal sack on its neck.

CR 1; XP 400
N Small Monstrous Humanoid
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5

Defense
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11 (+1 Dex, +1 size)
hp 15 (2d10+4)
Fort +2; Ref +4; Will +4
Resist sonic 5

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee bite +2 (1d4–1), 2 claws +2 (1d4–1)
Special Attacks scream (15-ft. cone, Fort DC 12 half, 2d6 sonic)

Statistics
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 13
Base Atk +2; CMB +0; CMD 11
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Acrobatics +5, Climb +7, Perception +5, Stealth +5

Ecology
Environment warm forests
Organization pair, pack (3—12)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Scream (Su) A screaming monkey can issue a gut wrenching scream as a standard action every 1d4+1 rounds, dealing 2d6 points of sonic damage within 15-ft. long cone. A successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 12) halves the damage. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.


Screaming monkeys are loud and obnoxious primates that somehow developed ability to weaponize their voices to hunt small animals and vermin, and repel larger predators. They have tendency to gorge themselves on meat and fermented fruits, and are prone to overconfidence that often leads to their deaths—which they compensate by constant breeding.


2021-12-29

Fantasy Monster: Feast Tree

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Feast Tree

A little but stout tree with a thick trunk. On one side its reddish bark forms a semblance of a face with a wide grin.

CR 5; XP 1,600
NE Medium Plant
Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +17

Defense
AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 18 (+3 deflection, +5 natural)
hp 58 (9d8+18); fast healing 10
Fort +8; Ref +5; Will +8
DR 10/magic; Immune plant traits; SR 16

Offense
Speed 0 ft.; relocate
Melee bite +10 (2d6+6)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +14)
Constant—shield of faith
At Will—commune with nature, diminish plants, dispel magic, plant growth, quench

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 21, Cha 15
Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 26 (can't be tripped or overrun)
Feats Defensive Combat Training, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Vital Strike
Skills Bluff +15, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (nature) +11, Knowledge (religion) +11, Perception +17; Racial Modifiers +4 Bluff, +4 Intimidate
Language Aklo, Common, Draconic, Sylvan
SQ enhanced plant magic

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

Special Abilities

Enhanced Plant Magic (Su) A feast tree's magic is druidical, using the feast tree's Wisdom modifier to determine its saving throws and concentration checks. When a feast tree uses stunt growth effect of its diminish plant spell, the productivity is reduced to one-third. When a feast tree uses enrichment effect of plant growth, the productivity is increases to one-and-half.

Relocate (Su) A feast tree can switch its position with a living mundane plant or a willing or mindless plant creature that occupies at least a 5-ft. square. There must be enough space around the feast tree's current position to fit the target. This ability range depends on type of action used to activate it: swift action reaches 30 feet, move action has range of 60 feet, standard action has range of 90 feet, and full-round action has range of 120 feet. This is a teleportation effect.


Feast trees seek to be revered and provided with offerings that will enrich the soil they are living on. They live in thick groves, which they consider sanctified by their very presence. Feast trees often switch their place with nearby trees, to surprise and scare their worshippers and keep them on their toes.

Some feast trees are pleased when the two-legged mortals make large feasts in their honor, accepting significant part of the food as fertilizer, others are more demanding, asking for blood and flesh of sacrifices, animals, or in more extreme cases even of sapient beings, to be used as fertilizer as well. When pleased, feast trees bless the crops of their faithful, but when angered they might blight the fields, and consume small children and careless herd animals.

Older feast trees might grow larger and develop more powerful magical abilities.


2021-12-28

Fantasy Monster: Candy Storm

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Candy Storm

Thousands of candies swiftly whirl through air forming a colorful vortex of pebbles.

CR 4; 1,200 XP
N Diminutive Construct (swarm)
Init +0 Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 size)
hp 38 (7d10)
Fort +2; Ref +2; Will +2
Defensive Abilities swarm traits; Immune construct traits, weapon damage
Weakness vulnerable to area damage

Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee swarm (4d6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks batter (DC 15), flavor of the storm

Statistics
Str 1, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +7; CMB —; CMD —
Skills Fly +6, Perception +0

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary, pair
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Batter (Ex)
 Candies forming the candy storm move and impact with surprising strength, dealing increased swarm damage and pushing each Medium or smaller target target 1d3 × 5 feet in a random direction, though their erratic trajectories can be avoided, to a degree, halving the damage and negating being pushed with a successful Reflex saving throw (DC 15). The saving throw DC is Dexterity-based and includes +2 racial bonus.

Flavor Of The Storm (Ex) Creatures that fail their saving throw against batter are subject to additional effect based on a type of candies the storm is composed of.
  • Bitter Herbs: The target is sickened for 1d3 rounds.
  • Candy-Floss: The target is blinded for 1d3 rounds.
  • Liquor Filling: The target becomes vulnerable to fire for 1d3 rounds.
  • Soft And Sticky: The target has its speed halved for 1d3 rounds.
  • Mixed: A random effect picked from any of the above.

An ancient treat gone sour or a modern culinary experiment of a bitter madman, a candy storm is an animate vortex of really hard candies flying around and smashing things, breaking teeth, and discouraging children from appreciating sweets.

2021-12-27

Fantasy Monster: Stuffed Bear

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Stuffed Bear

A stiff-walking bear, with patchy fur, glass eyes, spilling sawdust everywhere...

CR 4; 1,200 XP
N Large Undead
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +1

Defense
AC 17; touch 9, flat-footed 17 (+8 natural, –1 size)
hp 44 (8d8+8)
Fort +3; Ref +2; Will +7
Defensive Abilities fiery destruction; DR 5/piercing; Immune undead traits
Weakness vulnerable to fire

Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +8 (2d4+3)
Special Attacks muffled roar (DC 15)

Statistics
Str 16, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 13, Cha 13
Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 20 (24 vs. trip)
Skills Perception +1, Stealth –4

Ecology
Environment urban
Organization solitary, pair, gallery (3—10)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Fiery Destruction (Su)
 A stuffed bear's is filled with dried sawdust, making it vulnerable to fire, but also potentially dangerous when ignited. When a stuffed bear is reduced to 0 or less hit points with fire damage, when on fire, or when standing in fire, it explodes, dealing 5d6 points of fire damage within 20-ft. radius burst (half on a successful DC 14 Reflex saving throw). The saving throw DC is Dexterity-based.

Muffled Roar (Su) When charging, a stuffed bear tries to roar, though the actual sound issued is subdued due to the bear's shoddy construction. Everyone within 60 feet, except the target of the charge is forced to step back 5 feet away from the charging stuffed bear, while the target of the charge loses any readied action (DC 15 Will saving throw negates). This is a fear effect and its saving throw DC is Charisma-based.


A stuffed bear can be a terror to behold... Once the viewer stops laughing at the sight of sawdust spilling from the loose stitches and its ungainly gait.


2021-12-26

Fantasy NPC: Lady Illivaretha, The Unwanted Concubine

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Lady Illivaretha, The Unwanted Concubine

A beautiful woman, of hard to determine age—her skin is smooth like a marble, her hair lustrous and thick, her shape full, and yet her smile and her gaze hint at experience and maturity.

CR 5; 1,600 XP
LE Medium Outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +13

Defense
AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+1 armor, +1 deflection, +5 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 59 (7d10+21)
Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +10
DR 5/silver; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th, concentration +14)
At Will—dancing lights, ghost sound, greater teleport (self and 50 lbs. of gear only), infernal healing, maximized magic missile (4 missiles), unseen servant (one active at a time)

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 21
Base Atk +7; CMB +7; CMD 23
Feats Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Uncanny Concentration
Skills Bluff +15, Diplomacy +15, Fly +5, Knowledge (nobility) +12, Perception +13, Perform (sing) +15, Perform (dance) +15, Profession (courtesan) +13, Sense Motive +13; Racial Modifiers +10 Bluff when pretending to be injured or conceal her abilities as spells and sorcerous powers, +10 Sense Motive when examining or recognizing humanoid sexuality
Language Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
SQ human visage

Human Visage (Ex) Lady Illivaretha appears fully human (with some hints suggesting admixture of elven or maybe even more exotic blood) to mundane and magical scrutiny, though she can manifest a pair of black feathered wings as an immediate action until she dismisses them. She resorts to that only in the most extreme circumstances, and is not particularly fond of flight anyway.

Notable Gear bracer of armor +1, ring of deflection +1


Lady Illivaretha has gorgeous body, witty and charming personality, and cunning mind—a perfect concubine called and contracted by a scheming sorcerer as a part of his intrigues. Her task was to seduce the king's younger brother and goad him into usurping the throne and becoming reliant on the sorcerer and his clique of conspirators... A simple task, that she knew was doomed to failure as soon as she laid her eyes on her mark, for she recognized what her employer did not. What others took for shyness was really an expression of the young royal's complete lack of sexual or romantic appetites. The sorcerer lashed at her with anger when she tried to explain it to him, thinking that she tries to weasel herself out of the bindings rather than accept that he made a mistake in the first place.

Now, she is stuck with a task that she can't complete, having a rather shaky position of a guest at a court that might be on a verge of a poorly designed political coup. She seeks a way of voiding her bindings and getting a vengeance on her binder. By the magic that conjured her, she can't act directly against the sorcerer, but she considers taking steps to subtly expose the conspiracy, though she obviously doesn't want for her part and nature to be revealed in the process.

To her surprise, she discovered that she actually likes the king's brother, a bookish introvert of quite virtuous spirit and he in return actually likes and respects her, just not in a way that would let her fulfill her original task. For now, she plays the role of a foreign aristocrat belonging to a minor sorcerous bloodline.