2022-05-15

Fantasy Monster: Streaking Gauntlet

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Streaking Gauntlet

A steel gauntlet floats in the air.

CR 2; 600 XP
N Diminutive Construct
Init +0Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light visionPerception +0

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 size)
hp 11 (2d10)
Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0
Defensive Abilities hardness 8; Immune construct traits

Offense
Speed fly 20 ft. (perfect); low-ceiling
Melee slam +6 (1d4) or weapon +6 (weapon)
Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft. (5 ft. with weapon)
Special Attacks powerful charge (+2d6), wrest weapon

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +2; CMB –2 (disarm +6); CMD 8 (16 vs. disarm or sunder, can't be tripped)
Skills Fly +14

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or group (3–6)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Low Ceiling (Su) Streaking gauntlet's fly speed is a magical effect that restricts it to moving no higher than 10 feet above the floor.

Wrest Weapon (Ex) A streaking gauntlet can grab a one-handed weapon sized for Small or Medium creatures and wield it without any penalties, dealing the weapon's normal damage on a successful attack within reach of a Small or Medium creature. An unarmed streaking gauntlet can attempt disarm maneuvers without provoking attacks of opportunity, gaining +8 racial bonus to its CMB check and to its CMD against disarm or sunder attempts.


Streaking gauntlets are magically animated gauntlets that can handle weapons far larger than themselves. Depending on their commands, they may guard a location from intrusion, or merely prevent visitors from wielding weapons within designed zone.

Construction: Streaking Gauntlet
The creator has to start with a masterwork steel gauntlet costing 150 gp.
CL 5th; Price 4,150 gp.
Requirements Craft Construct; locate object, pilfering hand, creator must be at least 5th caster level; Skill Craft (armor) DC 20; Cost 2,000 gp.


2022-05-08

Fantasy Monster: Youth-Seed

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Youth-Seed

A thick bundle of narrow, feathery leaves surrounding a beautiful central flower growing out of a thick pod.

CR 11; XP 12,800
N Small Plant
Init +14; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +21

Defense
AC 25, touch 21, flat-footed 18 (+10 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)
hp 147 (14d8+84)
Fort +14; Ref +14; Will +10
Defensive Abilities evasion, uncanny dodge; Immune plant traits

Offense
Speed 30 ft.; climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Melee 3 tendrils +15 touch (4d6 plus fatigue)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks sap vitality

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 30, Con 20, Int 13, Wis 19, Cha 13
Base Atk +10; CMB +13; CMD 33 (41 vs. trip)
Feats Ability Focus (Sap Vitality), Acrobatic Steps, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Nimble Moves, Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +24, Climb +12, Perception +21, Stealth +31 (+41 in light or heavy vegetation), Swim +12; Racial Modifier +10 Stealth in light or heavy vegetation
Language doesn't communicate
SQ youth-pod, water breathing

Ecology
Environment warm forests and underground
Organization solitary
Treasure special (youth-pod)

Special Abilities

Sap Vitality (Su) A youth-seed touch drains vitality from those it touches with its tendril, dealing damage on a successful melee touch attack and making the target fatigued on a failed Fortitude saving throw (DC 20). The youth-seed heals hit points equal to damage it dealt to living creatures. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Youth-Pod (Su) A youth-seed stores drained vitality in a bulbous pod beneath its flower. After the youth-seed is killed, its pod can be harvested and consumed to rejuvenate single mortal recipient, restoring their effective age to young adult. Each creature can only benefit from age rejuvenating effect only once. Alternatively, the youth-pod can be used in place of normal components for raise dead, reincarnate, resurrection, or any restoration spell, or a limited wish used to produce effects intended to heal or remove negative conditions. If the youth-seed is killed with death effect, its youth-pod becomes corrupted, cursing the rejuvenated consumer to rise as an undead creature of some sort after their death.


Youth-seeds are extremally rare plant beings that live in secluded places. They defend themselves by draining vital forces from attackers and storing it to sustain themselves in harsh times—an ability that also makes them a tempting target for those who would seek to extend their lives, if they know of the plant's existence.

Youth-seeds are poorly suitable for farming, requiring many years of draining vitality from other creatures before their youth pods fully mature and develop their life-giving properties, and can't be harvested without killing the creature. They are also skittish and try to flee any enclosures and are virtually untamable. No youth-seed has every reproduced in captivity—nor was their reproduction in native environments ever described—further undermining all attempts to farm youth pods.


2022-05-01

Fantasy Monster: Quaff-Bird

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Quaff-Bird

A grotesque-looking bird, with a bulbous body, two pairs of partly feathered, partly membranous wings, membranous gular sac, long tube-like beak and even longer tongue.

CR 1/2 200 XP
N Tiny Magical Beast
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, detect potions 60 ft.; Perception +5

Defense
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +2 size)
hp 6 (1d10+1)
Fort +3; Ref +3; Will +1
Defensive Abilities evasion

Offense
Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Melee bite +4 (1d3)
Ranged spit potion +4 touch (potion effects)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. (5 ft. with steal maneuver)
Special Attack sip potion

Statistics
Str 1, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +1; CMB +0 (+4 steal); CMD 5
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +13, Perception +5, Stealth +9
Languages they can learn how to repeat (and even possibly understand) single words or very short sentences in various languages, but seem to be unable to grasp any more complex grammar beyond repeating learned phrases

Ecology
Environment temperate or warm forests, ruins, and underground
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–10)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Detect Potion (Su) A quaff-bird can sense presence of magical potions within 60 feet range as if it had a constant detect magic spell in effect. This sense can be fooled with other magical liquids, magical potions, and some liquid magical components.

Sip Potion (Su) A quaff-bird can consume a single potion as a standard action. Alternatively, it can attempt a steal maneuver against a creature holding a potion or carrying it in easily accessible location (such as bandolier, belt pouch, etc.) as a standard action without provoking attacks of opportunity. On a successful CMB check it sips the contents of a single potion. The consumed potion is stored within the quaff-bird sack and slowly digested over a number of hours equal to the consumed potion's caster level without triggering its effect. A quaff-bird can hold a single potion in its gular sac. It can deliberately trigger the consumed potion as a swift action gaining its benefits or spit it on another creature within 10 feet as a standard action with a successful ranged touch attack if it decides so—quaff-birds seem to understand the general function of consumed potions intuitively as if they succeeded Perception check to identify their effects.


Quaff-birds normally feed on honey, plant sap, overripe fruits, and various insects, but they grow agitated and gluttonous when they come into presence of magical potions, which they will try to consume fervently, making them annoying pests to alchemists, potion brewers, and adventurers.

A fresh corpse of quaff-bird that consumed a potion but hadn't digested or used up the potion yet, can be used as a substitute component for a prepared or known spell when creating a magic item.

Some guardsmen keep quaff-birds to look for contraband potions, while less scrupulous individuals butcher them and use their potion-infused carcasses while creating magic items.

A quaff-bird can be selected as an improved familiar (requires caster level 3).


2022-04-24

Fantasy Monster: Name-Wolf

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Name-Wolf

A blue-grey wolf with intricate silver patters spelling ancient glyphs on its fur.

CR 8; 4,800 XP
N Medium Magical Beast
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, smell name; Perception +22

Defense
AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 16 (+5 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 102 (12d10+36)
Fort +10; Ref +12; Will +7; +4 vs. language-dependent effects
Defensive Abilities nameless 

Offense
Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +18 (2d4+8 plus trip)
Special Attack devour name (DC 18)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th, concentration +13)
Constant—magic fang, tongues

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 15
Base Atk +12; CMB +17; CMD 32 (36 vs. trip)
Feats Acrobatic Step, Combat Reflexes, Improved Vital Strike, Nimble Moves, Power Attack, Vital Strike
Skills Acrobatics +20, Perception +22, Stealth +20; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Survival when tracking by scent of someone whose name it knows
Languages Aklo, Common, Sylvan; tongues

Ecology
Environment cold or temperate forest
Organization solitary, pair, or leading a pack of wolves and similar creatures
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Devour Name (Su)
 When a name-wolf successfully deals damage to a sapient creature that is prone, stunned, incapacitated, surprised or otherwise unaware of the name-wolf, the name-wolf can eat part of the target's name, consuming its identity in the process unless the target resists with a successful Will saving throw (DC 18). From now on, everyone who met the target before has to succeed a Will saving throw (DC 18) to recognize the victim, otherwise they treat the target as a complete stranger. People who have deep emotional ties to the victim suffer –4 penalty to their saving throws. People who witnessed devouring of the target's name receive +4 bonus to their saving throws. This is a language-dependent curse effect. If the name-wolf that devoured the target's name was killed, any attempt to remove the curse has a corresponding DC increased by 10. As a side effect, this curse renders the victim immune to effects that target their name or require knowledge of their true name. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Nameless (Ex) Name-wolves—despite being sapient, speaking creatures with individual personalities—have no names of their own and cannot be named, though they can bear nicknames, usually based on the place they roam. All forms of magic that rely on or affect names have no effect on them.

Smell Name (Su) Name-wolves automatically learn names of people who they detect directly with their scent.


Name-wolves are cunning predators that feed on flesh of livestock and names of speaking folk. They usually avoid killing sapient beings unless forced to, and can even be bargained to a degree—some villages even going as far as offering them names of a few elders each year, in addition to chickens, goats, and pigs.

And once in a while, someone might actually deliberately seek a name-wolf to lose their old identity and begin a sort of new life. Or maybe avoid even worse fate tied to their old name.

Greater Name-Wolves (CR 10) are giant advanced name-wolves that operate in packs that can strip whole places of their names, erasing backwater villages and lone forts from the memories of all but their denizens.


2022-04-17

Fantasy NPC: The Egg Of Yr

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The Egg Of Yr

An enormous ovoid of a luminescent crystal floats over a metal platform walking on four spider legs of bronze and steel.

CR 12; 9,6400 XP
N Gargantuan Construct
Init +5Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, deathwatchPerception +18

Defense
AC 27, touch 11, flat-footed 26 (+5 deflection, +1 Dex, +15 natural, –4 size)
hp 157 (15d10+60); fast healing 10
Fort +12, Ref +13, Will +15
Defensive Abilities crystalline shell; DR 10/epic; Immune acid, cold, construct traits, electricity, fire

Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 3 claws +21 (2d6+10)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks prismatic pulse (100 ft., DC 20)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th, concentration +23)
Constant—deathwatch
At Will—gentle repose (a single Large or smaller body stored within at a time, indefinitely)

Statistics
Str 30, Dex 13, Con —, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 17
Base Atk +15; CMB +29; CMD 40 (46 vs. trip)
Feats Critical Focus, Great Fortitude, Improved Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative,  Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Staggering Critical, Toughness
Skills Knowledge (nature) +18, Knowledge (planes) +18, Knowledge (religion) +18, Perception +18, Sense Motive +18
Language telepathy 100 ft.

Crystalline Shell (Ex) The Egg's crystalline form has +5 deflection bonus to AC and +5 resistance bonus to all saving throws, it also has 50% chance of reflecting any ray back on the attacker.

Prismatic Pulse (Su) Once engaged in combat, the Egg's luminescence starts to shimmer and throb with a steadily increasing rate. Every 1d4+1 rounds thereafter, the Egg can release a pulse of prismatic energy washing over everyone within 100 feet as a full-round action, affecting each creature that lacks total cover as if it was exposed to a random color of prismatic spray spell (saving throw DC 20). The Egg becomes dazed for one round after releasing the pulse. If the Egg is destroyed, it releases one more pulse that spreads up to 1 mile from its current location. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Source Of Rebirth (Su) The Egg Of Yr can return a Large or smaller dead creature to life by absorbing the corpses inside and rebuilding the target over 20d6 hours, though it always needs a mostly intact head of the deceased to proceed (though it could have been preserved in multitude of ways as long as there are no major missing parts nor too much decay). If the mostly complete body was provided, the creature will be revived as if resurrection was used. If the body was heavily damaged or the victim died of old age, a new body of a random species is grown, as per reincarnate spell (though it can revive creatures that died to death effects or even outsiders). The revived creature comes back to life with no negative levels.


If the stories are true, the Egg Of Yr might contains the essence of life itself within its crystalline frame. Who bound that power and give it such shape, no one knows, but if found, the Egg can be persuaded to revive the dead. At other times, it comes and offers to return the dead to life of its own volition—though projections of its inhuman thoughts can be hard to interpret. It always demands a task to be fulfilled by the family, friends, and companions of the beneficiary, or maybe from a seemingly random passerby—sometimes easy, sometimes hard, always enigmatic and occasionally weird. There seems to be a limit on how often the Egg can return the dead to life, for it never provides such aid multiple times in a short period of time or to multiple victims of a single event, though the exact limits of its powers are unknown.


2022-04-10

Fantasy Monster: Clockwork Lullaby

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Clockwork Lullaby

A big music box running on eight spidery legs.

CR 1; 400 XP
N Small Construct (clockwork)
Init +4Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light visionPerception +0
Aura droning lullaby (30 ft.)

Defense
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+2 dodge, +1 size)
hp 15 (1d10+10)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0
Immune construct traits
Weakness vulnerable to electricity

Offense
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee 2 slams +2 (1d4)

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 20
Feats Improved InitiativeB, Lightning ReflexesB
SQ winding (every day)

Ecology
Environment rural, ruins
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Aura Of Droning Lullaby (Su) A wound up clockwork lullaby emits a constant buzzing hum that dulls senses. Anyone within the aura suffers a –2 penalty to ability checks and saving throws made to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, and sleep effects, and all Perception checks. All magical sleep effects used on targets within the area operate at +2 caster level, and the sleeping creatures receive +2 bonus to saving throws against nightmares and effects that would influence or manipulate their dreams, or would otherwise prevent them from getting restful sleep.


Clockwork lullabies are animate music boxes, made to help put your enemies (or your children) into deep and fitful sleep. Because of their eight mechanical legs, they are also occasionally used as apart of treatment when trying to cure people from arachnophobia, by creating a pleasant association of them with peaceful sleep.

Construction: Clockwork Lullaby
The creator has to start with 250 gp worth of clockwork parts.
CL 5th; Price 3,250 gp.
Requirements Craft Construct; ghost sound, sleep, and unseen servant, creator must be at least 5th caster level; Skill Craft (clockwork) DC 20; Cost 1,750 gp.


2022-04-03

Fantasy NPC: The Fair Maid Of The Reluctant Spring

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The Fair Maiden Of The Reluctant Spring

A beautiful maid with hair of gold, grand dragonfly wings, wearing robes of pale green stained with mud and dirty snow.

CR 10; 9,600 XP
CN Medium Fey
Init +12Senses low-light visionPerception +24

Defense
AC 24, touch 24, flat-footed 15 (+5 deflection, +8 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 130 (20d6+60); regeneration 10 (epic)
Fort +9, Ref +20, Will +13
DR 10/cold iron and epic; Defensive Abilities mistress of weather; Resist cold 20, electricity 20, fire 20

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (good)
Special Attacks winds of fury
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th, concentration +25)
Constant—shield of faith
At Will—control weather, quench
1/day—wind walk

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 26, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 21
Base Atk +10; CMB +10; CMD 43
Feats Combat Casting, Defensive Combat Training, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Iron Will, Mobility, Wind Stance
Skills Fly +35, Handle Animal +25, Knowledge (geography) +24, Knowledge (nature) +24, Perception +24, Perform (dance) +28, Sense Motive +24, 
Language Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Common, Draconic, Sylvan, Terran

Mistress Of Weather (Ex) The Fair Maid is one with the weather, suffering no hindrance to her movement and actions from weather effects and seeing through fog, intense rain, and sleet. She can cast control weather with a standard action, though it takes 1d10 minutes for the effects to manifest. If she spends one hour casting control weather with a wild aerial dance, the effects manifest after 1d4 hours and last for 3d10 days instead.

Winds Of Fury (Su) The Fair Maid doesn't fight herself, the surrounding air does that for her. When in combat, The Fair Maid is surrounded by wild winds, rain, sleet, hail, and occasional lightning strikes. The wet, slipper ground and the buffeting winds halve the movement speed of all creatures within 100 feet. Each round, The Fair Maid may select up to ten different targets within 100 feet that suffer one of the following effects each: 10d6 points of cold damage from chilling winds, 10d6 points of electricity damage from a lightning strike, 10d6 points of bludgeoning damage from hail, entangled in mud and ice until a successful saving throw or Strength check is made (repeated each round after the first as a full-round action), blinded with wind and sleet for 1d4 rounds, pushed 1d4 × 5 feet in a random direction (1d6 × 5 ft. if Small, 2d4 × 5 ft. if Tiny). Each target can negate the effects suffered with a successful Reflex saving throw (DC 21). The saving throw DC is Intelligence-based.


The Fair Maid Of The Reluctant Spring is a Fey princess that embodies the unpredictable time between the winter and the spring. Like the time she is bound to, she is capricious and moody, with little regard for well-being of others. She can also be quite petty and vengeful toward those who insulted her, and she can perceive many seemingly harmless acts as insulting while tolerating blatant rudeness.

The common folk often try to propitiate her with offerings and festivals, with mixed effects. Occasionally she picks lovers, occasionally she even attends feasts in her honor, but sometimes she remains distant and brooding, and the land suffers her caprices long into the late spring.