[I’m going to be sprinkling in some prehistoric animals throughout the World Tour block, probably one per continent. Coelophysis I’ve always considered to be a big deal dinosaur, possibly because of how many specimens are known, partly because my family’s spent a lot of time in Arizona and New Mexico. It appeared in AD&D as “podokesaurus”, referring to a specimen of a similar animal that was discovered in Massachusetts and destroyed in a fire (but since paleontology in the first half of the 20th century was dominated by New Yorkers, was commonly referred to in the literature). Although there’s lots of dinosaurs in PF1e, there’s none that are CR 1 (at least not real dinosaurs; the pterosaur dimorphodon is in this CR), so I wanted to fill one in.]
Dinosaur, Coelophysis CR 1 N Animal This bipedal creature is lean and low to the ground, with a long neck and head on one end and a long tail at the other. Its arms are short and clawed, and when it opens its mouth, many small sharp teeth are visible.
Coelophysis are among the first of the carnivorous dinosaurs, and they are not at the top of the food chain. They are small predators of smaller game, hunting lizards, proto-mammals and insects. When prey is scarce, they will scavenge and steal scraps of the kills of larger animals, filling a niche similar to that of jackals or coyotes in a more mammal-dominated ecosystem. They have incredibly keen eyesight; useful for both spotting potential prey and potential predators. Coelophysis do not hunt cooperatively, although they may congregate around scarce water sources in the deserts where they live, or accumulate into flocks in order to find mates.
A coelophysis is up to ten feet long, but most of that is their tail; they weigh between thirty and forty pounds on average. The same statistics can be modified to represent other small carnivorous dinosaurs. Add the advanced simple template to represent an ornitholestes; although these dinosaurs are shorter in length than a coelophysis, they are more robust and muscular. Add the giant simple template to reflect an animal like lillisternus or gojirasaurus.
Coelophysis as Animal Companions Starting Statistics: Size Small; AC+1 natural armor; Speed 40 ft.; Attack bite (1d4), 2 claws (1d2); Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 9; Special Qualities Improved Initiative as bonus feat, scent. 4th-Level Advancement: Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2; Special Qualities slink
Coelophysis CR 1 XP 400 N Small animal Init+6;SensesPerception +8, scent Defense AC14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural) hp13 (2d8+4) Fort+5,Ref+5,Will+0 Defensive Abilities slink Offense Speed40 ft. Meleebite +4 (1d4), 2 claws +4 (1d2) Statistics Str10,Dex15,Con14,Int2,Wis11,Cha9 Base Atk +1;CMB+0;CMD12 FeatsImproved Initiative (B), Weapon Finesse SkillsAcrobatics +6 (+10 when jumping), Perception +8, Stealth +10; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Perception Ecology Environmentwarm desert and plains Organizationsolitary, pair, gang (3-6) or flock (7-50) Treasurenone Special Abilities Slink (Ex) A coelophysis gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity caused by moving away from or within the threatened area of a larger opponent.
[Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes has no fewer than four different types of trolls. I’m only planning on doing two of them, because they’re mostly themed around different damage types, which makes them a little mechanically samey, and two of those damage types, poison and psychic, don’t exist in PF1e. The 5e dire troll doesn’t really gain any mechanical advantage for having all these accessory eyes and faces, but I wanted to give them at least all-around vision.]
Dire Troll CR 13 CE Humanoid (giant) This warty green creature has four arms, each of slightly different length, and multiple heads jostling for position on its shoulders. Its flesh visibly roils and shifts, revealing mismatched sensory organs and fingers growing along it in weird ways.
Trolls will happily eat other sapient creatures, including other trolls. Since most trolls eschew the use of acid or fire, fights that end even in one consuming the other will result in the loser regenerating, as long as some part of it is left intact. If a troll feeds on its fellows regularly, it may grow in size and strength. When such a cannibal troll begins to not only eat troll meat, but attach it to their wounds and allow the severed parts to grow into their own bodies, they will become a dire troll. Dire trolls continue their cannibalistic activities, and may bully a gang of lesser trolls into serving it as cannon fodder and occasional meals.
The extra limbs and heads of a dire troll are not quite perfectly coordinated. Extra heads can be used as lookouts, and extra limbs will claw and slash, but a dire troll cannot rend flesh quite as efficiently as a regular troll. Their regeneration is vastly superior; a dire troll must be struck repeatedly with acid or fire in order to stop their regrowth, and these creatures are very difficult to kill. Dire trolls are stubborn and stupid, and often fight to the death, confident that their strength will overcome even magic, acid or fire.
Dire Troll CR 13 XP 25,600 CE Huge humanoid (giant) Init+6;Sensesall-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +23, scent Defense AC27, touch 10, flat-footed 25 (-2 size, +2 Dex, +17 natural) hp187 (15d8+120); regeneration 10 (acid, fire) Fort+17,Ref+7,Will+7 DR10/magic;Immunefear, poison Defensive Abilities fortification (50%), improved regeneration Offense Speed40 ft. Melee4 claws +19 (1d8+9/19-20), bite +18 (2d6+9) Space15 ft.; Reach15 ft. Special Attacks whirling frenzy Statistics Str29,Dex15,Con27,Int8,Wis10,Cha7 Base Atk +11;CMB+22;CMD34 FeatsDazzling Display, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (claw) SkillsIntimidate +15, Perception +23; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception LanguagesGiant Ecology Environmentcold mountains Organizationsolitary or gang (1 plus 2-12 trolls) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Improved Regeneration (Su) A dire troll’s regeneration is reduced only by 4 any round in which it takes acid or fire damage. In order to disable its regeneration, it must take acid or fire damage from enough sources each round to drop the number of hit points regenerated to 0. Whirling Frenzy (Ex) As a standard action, a dire troll may flail its claws at all creatures within its reach. Creatures in the area take 4d8+13 points of slashing damage (Reflex DC 26 half). The save DC is Strength based. A dire troll can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds.
[Commissioned by @lolicrusader. In Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos, hunting horrors are said to be extensions of a single Great Old One that shares all their intelligences. The commissioner wanted me to make that monster. I got a ton of lore info from them, and incorporated some of it into the flavor text of this entry, but there was no way to cover all of it; I’m sure they could share it if there’s an interest. These statistics draw on both the Sandy Petersen version of the hunting horror and the Paizo official version.
Great Old One, Tretarax CR 26 CE Aberration This creature is a nightmarish abomination the size of a building, in the shape of a writhing, flying worm. Slime oozes from its semi-liquid body, and a three-lobed burning eye glares from over its maw of scissoring teeth.
Tretarax The Maw Betwixt, That Which Remains, The Root of Horror CE Great Old One of consumption and rebirth DomainsChaos, Evil, Repose, Trickery SubdomainsCorruption, Deception, Greed, Souls Worshipersevil dragons, hags, witches Minionsdaemons, devourers, hunting horrors Unholy Symbol A spiral shaped maw filled with jagged teeth Favored Weapon flambard (bastard sword if not using)
Tretarax, the Maw Betwixt, is a wound in reality, a festering scar that seeks to devour the souls of entire planets full of life. The name Tretarax, and the memories that come with it, originally belonged to a great red wyrm who sought divinity, and came to blows with Trelmarixian, the Horseman of Famine, over it. Trelmarixian attempted to eat Tretarax right out of existence, but in so doing sprung a leak in the fabric of space and time. This blow to reality was mended by Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, who used this as an opportunity to invest what little remained of Tretarax into the consciousness of his hunting horrors, using Tretarax as a hub to direct them and allow them even greater movement through the cosmos. Tretarax’s shattered and reconstituted intelligence now seeks godhood, to serve Nyarlathotep and to devour indiscriminately, rendering its influence a dangerous blot on the River of Souls.
Tretarax enters combat with only utter destruction as a goal. As a hunting horror like entity, it is sensitive to sunlight, but the bright shining of a star does not burn its flesh the way lesser horrors are affected. This sunlight sensitivity is contagious, with whole cities turning from the light as Tretarax undulates past their people. It seeks to crush enemies in its coils and devour their essences with its gnashing teeth. Although Tretarax would rather close to melee in order to feel the life ebb from its victims, it will use its mastery of magic to blast foes who keep their distance. Tretarax rarely fights without lesser hunting horrors by its side, although it cares little for their safety or survival.
The cult of the Maw Betwixt grew from those who served the original dragon that gives Tretarax its name. It has further been seeded by Nyarlathotep’s efforts, although what exactly the Crawling Chaos has to gain by its minion being worshiped by mortals is unclear. Cultists of That Which Remains seek to prolong their own lives by draining the souls from others and weaken planar boundaries to allow monstrous things free access to the Material Plane. Many of their cults maintain levels of organization that seem harmless or even benevolent. These seek to slowly corrupt their worshipers to greater depravities—if this fails through guile, Tretarax can force the issue by sending foul dreams that warp people to chaos and evil. Cultists of Tretarax share common ground with the nihilism of daemons, but spitefully disrupt the plans of Trelmarixian specifically. Some of them support his rivals to the throne of Famine, such as CaracallaorHexxus.
Tretarax CR 26 XP 2,457,600 CE Colossal aberration (Great Old One) Init+21;Senses darkvision 300 ft., Perception +30, scent, see in darkness, true seeing Aura mucus (20 ft.), unspeakable (Will DC 34, 300 ft.) Defense AC 44, touch 20, flat-footed 36 (-8 size, +7 Dex, +1 dodge, +24 natural, +10 insight) hp585 (30d8+450); fast healing 20 Fort+24,Ref+19,Will+27 DR15/—;Immune ability damage, ability drain, acid, cold, death effects, disease, electricity, energy drain, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, petrifaction; SR37 Defensive Abilitiesamorphous,freedom of movement, immortality, insanity Weaknesses susceptible to sunlight Offense Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft. (perfect) Melee bite +32 (8d8+18/19–20 plus grab plus energy drain), tail slap +32 (4d8+18 plus grab), 2 wings +30 (4d6+9) Space30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. (50 ft. with tail slap) Special Attacks constrict (4d8+27), crush, dreams of corruption, energy drain (1d4 levels, DC 34) fast swallow, mythic power (10/day, 1d12), squeezing coils, swallow whole (4d6 acid and 4d8+27 bludgeoning damage and energy drain, AC 22, 58 hp), telepathic assault Spell-Like Abilities CL 26th; concentration +35 (+39 casting defensively) Constant—detect scrying,freedom of movement,true seeing At will—dream(M), enervation (M), gaseous form (M),greater teleport (self only), locate creature, locate object,nightmare (M)(DC 24), plane shift (M)(self only), telekinesis (M) (DC 24) 3/day—demand (DC 27), quickened scrying (DC 24) wish (M) (to duplicate sorcerer/wizard spells of 8th level or lower only) (DC 28) 1/day—discern location, ethereal jaunt, interplanetary teleport, meteor swarm (M)(DC 28), summon (9th level, CR 20 of hunting horrors), vision M = can use the mythic version of this spell Statistics Str46,Dex25,Con39,Int23,Wis30,Cha28 Base Atk+22;CMB +48 (+52 when grappling); CMD 76 (can’t be tripped) FeatsCombat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (scrying), Stand Still, Toughness, Vital Strike Skills Acrobatics +31 (+34 when jumping), Bluff +33, Fly +31, Intimidate +36, Knowledge (arcana, geography, planes, religion) +27, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +30, Perception +34, Sense Motive +36, Spellcraft +30, Stealth +17, Survival +42; Racial Modifiers +8 Survival Languages Aklo, Common, Draconic; telepathy 300 ft. SQ contingency, hunter, manipulate magic, otherworldly insight, powerful tail, shared consciousness Special Abilities ContingencyTretarax maintains a contingency effect on itself to cast deeper darkness centered on itself if it is exposed to sunlight.
Crush (Ex) Tretarax can land on foes as a standard action, and then use its lengthy coils to crush them. This attack is effective only against creatures of Large size or smaller, and affects as many creatures as fit in Tretarax’s space. Any creature in the affected area must succeed at a DC 39 Reflex saving throw or be pinned, automatically taking 4d8+27 points of bludgeoning damage each round it is pinned. If Tretarax chooses to maintain the pin, it must succeed at a combat maneuver check as normal. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Dreams of Corruption (Su) Any creature that has inflicted a negative level on another creature, or who has witnessed a hunting horror, is susceptible to Tretarax’s dreams of corruption, regardless of distance (even across planar boundaries). When Tretarax targets such a creature with its nightmare spell-like ability, the creature must also succeed a DC 35 Will save or have its alignment move one step towards chaotic evil; first moving from law to chaos, then from good to evil. This shift in alignment is permanent, although it can be changed back through atonement or similar means. This is a mind-influencing ability, and the save DC is Charisma based.
Hunter (Ex) Tretarax gains a +8 racial bonus on Survival checks. When Tretarax succeeds at a Survival check to follow a creature’s tracks, it can declare that creature to be its prey. If there are multiple sets of tracks from a group of creatures traveling together, Tretarax can choose which specific creature becomes its prey if it knows the target is among those in the group; otherwise, its chosen prey is determined randomly. The next time Tretarax begins a battle against its prey, it gains a +10 bonus on its initiative check. In addition, its prey takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws against Tretarax’s spell-like abilities and unspeakable aura. Tretarax can have only one creature as its designated prey at any one time, and if 24 hours pass without Tretarax succeeding at a Survival check to follow that prey’s trail, that creature ceases being Tretarax’s prey.
Immortality (Ex) If Tretarax is slain, no hunting horror may use any teleportation effect until it is reborn. Tretarax will be recreated in the depths of space the next time two black holes collide.
Manipulate Magic (Sp) Tretarax can use wishthree times per day as a spell-like ability without material components, but only to duplicate a sorcerer/wizard spell of 8th level or lower. Tretarax uses this ability to maintain a contingency effect on themselves as well.
Mucus (Su) Tretarax’s “flesh” constantly weeps thick foul mucus, seemingly melting off its serpentine frame as swiftly as it rebuilds and restores its shape. When Tretarax lands on a surface, the mucus swiftly spreads out in a twenty foot radius around the creature and hardens into a thick mud-like consistency. This area is treated as difficult terrain by all save hunting horrors. Each round a creature other than a hunting horror begins its turn within this area, it must make a successful DC 39 Reflex save or become entangled for as long as it remains within the area. The mucus evaporates 1 minute after Tretarax leaves the area. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Powerful Tail (Ex) A hunting horror’s tail slap is treated as a primary natural attack.
Shared Consciousness (Ex) Tretarax shares his consciousness with all hunting horrors; it can see through the eyes of any other hunting horror by concentrating as long as they are on the same plane, regardless of distance. If Tretarax is encountered among other hunting horrors, none of them are considered to be flat-footed unless they all are.
Squeezing Coils (Ex) A creature that takes damage from Tretarax’s constrict ability after being struck by its tail slap attack must succeed at a DC 43 Fortitude saving throw or fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Strength-based.
Susceptible to Sunlight (Ex) Tretarax is considered to be sickened and shaken when in an area of natural sunlight.
Swallow Whole (Ex) Tretarax’s body constantly reforms and repairs itself. The hole created when a creature cuts its way out of Tretarax instantly seals as soon as the escaping creature exits.
Telepathic Assault (Su) As it attacks, Tretarax bombards its prey’s consciousness with its mind, sending grisly and horrific images into the victim’s thoughts in an attempt to undermine the potential meal’s defenses and to flavor the flesh with the tang of fear and despair. Whenever Tretarax attacks a creature, regardless of whether the attack successfully hits or not, that creature must make a successful DC 34 Will save or be staggered for 1 round by despair and horror at the images projected. An already staggered creature that fails this saving throw is also stunned for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Unspeakable Presence (Su) Failing a DC 34 Will save against Tretarax’s unspeakable presence causes the victim to gain Tretarax’s susceptibility to sunlight permanently until removed. This is a curse effect, and the save DC is Charisma based.
[The first Fearsome Critter of the World Tour block, and one of my favorites. A burrowing murder-weasel is somewhat mundane by the standards of Fearsome Critters, but that plausibility gives it a certain charm. And makes it seem like it could actually have originated from stories told by lumberjacks, as opposed to having been wholly made up to sate the market for Paul Bunyan tales and other folksy Americana.]
Snow Wasset CR 5 N Magical Beast This creature looks something like a furry snake as big as a python, only its head is like that of a weasel.
Snow wassets are ambush predators of the lumberwoods. They skim through the snow with remarkable speed, swimming through it as if it were liquid water. A snow wasset is a voracious carnivore that hunts by attacking from beneath the surface, inflicting bleeding wounds with its recurved teeth. These monsters aim for the heels and ankles of their prey, tearing the tendons and slowing possible escape. Few snow wassets are bold enough to attack an entire party at once, but a single humanoid or horse is fair game.
Most snow wassets are migratory, moving north during the spring and south in the fall tracking the movement of snow pack. If they cannot move to cooler climes, or if a warm spell denies them their snow, they estivate in bogs or fens, immersing themselves in water to keep cool. A snow wasset without snow sheds its outer coat of white fur, revealing a greenish, fuzzy undercoat and small limb nubs, like those of a burrowing skink. Snow wassets require a lot of food, and thus are usually solitary. Males and females cooperate to rear young, taking turns guarding the kits while the other hunts for meat to regurgitate for the family at home.
A snow wasset is between ten and fifteen feet long.
Snow Wasset CR 5 XP 1,600 N Large magical beast Init+3;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +5, tremorsense 30 ft. Defense AC18, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural) hp59 (7d10+21) Fort+8,Ref+8,Will+3 Resistcold 10 Offense Speed20 ft., swim 40 ft., snow swimmer Meleebite +11 (2d6+7 plus bleed) Space10 ft., Reach5 ft. Special Attacks bleed (1d6), blood rage, hobbling attack Statistics Str21,Dex16,Con17,Int2,Wis13,Cha10 Base Atk +7;CMB+13;CMD27 (cannot be tripped) FeatsDodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Stealthy SkillsEscape Artist +8, Perception +5, Stealth +7 (+15 in snow); Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth in snow SQcompression, hold breath Ecology Environmentcold hills and forest Organizationsolitary or pair Treasureincidental Special Abilities Hobbling Attack (Ex) A snow wasset that hits a flat-footed opponent tears at its legs, slowing its movement. A creature so struck must succeed a DC 18 Fortitude save or have its speed reduced by half until it receives magical healing or a DC 15 Heal check. The save DC is Strength based. Snow Swimmer (Ex) A snow wasset uses its swim speed when moving through snow. When it moves through snow, it can choose to leave a tunnel.
[The tortle is a monster that originated in Basic D&D before migrating over to AD&D in the Mystara Monstrous Compendium. In 5e, they first appeared in Tomb of Annihilation, then as a playable race in a PDF sold by WoTC, then in Mordenkainen’s. Tortles have gone back and forth as PC species vs. monster, but I’m more interested in them as monsters. Humanoids are allowed to have Hit Dice sometimes. I did want to put a spin on them, namely, making them a bit more like real tortoises. Tortles traditionally have shorter lifespans than humans and are semelparous, dying after they lay eggs. That’s weird, especially for an anthro tortoise, so I changed that. I also made them generally polysexual and promiscuous, in part because it fits with real tortoise behavior, and in part to drive a wedge between “lawful” and “boring”. D&D has long characterized lawful characters and cultures as stodgy and boring, presumably because lots of D&D players like to think of themselves as rebels. Which is funny, considering that the hobby is taking make-believe and adding more rules.]
Tortle CR 2 LG Humanoid This creature appears to be a humanoid tortoise, with a bulky shell and clawed hands. It has a steady, calm expression.
Tortles are peaceful wandering humanoids of turtle-like aspect. It is said that a tortle’s home is on their back, and most tortles travel throughout their lives. Those few settlements that tortles make are agricultural in nature, farming the land for a few years and then moving on to clear new land and allow the old to return to a natural state. A few tortles live and work here full time, and these communities serve as waystations for tortles to rest, socialize and raise children. Tortles can live for more than a hundred years easily, and have several clutches of young during that time. Parenting duties are shared by the entire community as a matter of course. Something that surprises many outsiders is that most tortles practice free love; they care little for monogamy, are frequently pansexual, and may pursue romantic relationships with members of other species.
Tortles rarely come into conflict with non-evil humanoids, as they are peaceful and patient creatures. They usually fight only to defend themselves, which they can do with their clawed hands or with weapons. If a tortle is sorely pressed, it will often withdraw into its shell and hope that its foe gives up, or to give reinforcements time to catch up to them. Tortles are decent swimmers, and may flee a losing fight by stepping into a nearby river and floating downstream to safety. When defending their community, they work together in units called warbales.
Tortles advance by character class, with paladin, cleric and monk common choices. Few tortles become evil, but even fewer become chaotic. They venerate a number of spirits of nature and order with honorifics instead of names; Mother Earth, Father Ocean, Sister Grain and Brother Shell. Treat this as worshiping a pantheon with access to the following domains: Earth, Law, Plant, Protection, and Water. Clerics of the tortle pantheon can access the Defense, Growth, Loyalty, Ocean and Solitudesubdomains
Tortle CR 2 XP 600 LG Medium humanoid (tortle) Init+0;Senseslow-light vision, Perception +5 Defense AC17, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+7 natural) hp22 (4d8+4) Fort+3,Ref+1,Will+5 Defensive Abilities shell defense Offense Speed20 ft. Melee2 claws +5 (1d4+2) or spear +5 (1d8+3/x3) Rangedlight crossbow +3 (1d8/19-20) Statistics Str15,Dex10,Con13,Int11,Wis12,Cha10 Base Atk +3;CMB+5;CMD15 FeatsEndurance (B), Great Fortitude, Self Sufficient SkillsHeal +10, Perception +5, Survival +10, Swim +10; Racial Modifier +4 Swim LanguagesCommon, Tortle SQbuoyant, hold breath Ecology Environmentwarm land Organizationsolitary, bale (4-9), warbale (10-24 plus 1 leader of 3rd-5th level) or tribe (30-300 plus 1 leader of 3rd-5th level per 20 individuals and 50% noncombatants) Treasurestandard (spear, light crossbow, 20 bolts, other treasure) Special Abilities Buoyant (Ex) A tortle gains a +4 racial bonus to Swim checks, and can rise to the surface of a body of water without making a Swim check if it chooses to do so. Shell Defense (Ex) As a move action, a tortle can withdraw into its shell. When withdrawn, it gains a +6 natural armor bonus to its AC and a +6 racial bonus to CMD, but can only take purely mental actions or emerge from its shell as a move action. A tortle gains no benefit from wearing armor.
[Commissioned by @razzlemire, a conversion of a monster from the Agents of Edgewatch AP for Pathfinder 2e. This conversion is a pretty straightforward one; the biggest change I made was tweaking the life drinker ability. The information on Archives of Nethys doesn’t say what plane the rhevanna is from, so I had to guess.]
Rhevanna CR 22 LE Outsider (extraplanar) This tall, powerful entity resembles a hairless androgynous humanoid. Its eyes are black pits, smoke welling from them, and it has membranous, bat-like wings. Chains wrap around its body and down its arms, and it wields one as a weapon. Its shadow is that of a more traditional angel, writhing as if in agony.
The rhevannas are rare fiendish creatures who devote themselves to hunting, binding and devouring celestial creatures. Their hatred burns most fiercely for angels, but all good aligned outsiders are targets for their ire, as are psychopomps. Most rhevannas have a tinge of self-loathing; they despise that virtue comes easy to the privileged and favored by the gods, and seek to subjugate goodness beneath their heel. Because of this particular focus, some sages speculate that rhevannas are fallen angels themselves—although none do so within earshot of the rhevanna itself and live.
A rhevanna may stalk its quarry for days or weeks, striking when its victim is off guard or injured from another battle. They prevent enemies from fleeing magically through abjurations, and siphon off healing to increase their own stamina. Rhevannas typically fight with spiked chains, although some carry other weapons, and some enjoy tearing the life from their enemies with their bare hands. Rhevannas collect the souls of their victims into black sapphires. Although the ultimate fate of these is usually destruction, a rhevanna is clever enough to use the trapped soul as bait to lure in additional prey.
The number of rhevannas in existence is unknown, but certainly low. Most of them lair in Hell, living as special guests or favored agents in the court of an archfiend or asura rana. Some of them are known to dabble in the soul trade, but they are motivated more by hatred than by greed. The shadow of a rhevanna changes over time; it always reflects the species and gear of the last celestial being the rhevanna killed. Rhevannas themselves cannot see their shadows or those of other rhevannas, and commenting on this blind spot is unwise.
A rhevanna stands between eight and twelve feet tall.
Rhevanna CR 22 XP 615,000 LE Large outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful) Init+8;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., detect good, Perception +42, see in darkness, true seeing Auraplunder life (60 ft.) Defense AC40, touch 22, flat-footed 32 (-1 size, +8 Dex, +4 armor, +5 deflection, +14 natural) hp449 (31d10+279) Fort+27,Ref+27,Will+19 DR20/good;Immuneability damage, ability drain,death effects; SR33 Offense Speed40 ft., fly 80 ft. Melee+3 spiked chain +43/+38/+33/+28 (2d6+18 plus 2d6) or 2 claws +40 (3d6+10 plus 2d6) Space10 ft.; Reach10 ft. Special Attacks detaining strike, life drinker, unholy strikes Spell-like Abilities CL 22nd, concentration +33 Constant—detect good, shield of faith, tongues, true seeing At will—dimension door,dispel magic,plane shift (self only), soul bind (DC 30) 3/day—binding(DC 29), call spirit,quickeneddimension door,dimensional lock,greater scrying (DC 28) 1/day—greater planar binding (DC 29), greater possession (DC 29) Statistics Str31,Dex26,Con27,Int22,Wis27,Cha32 Base Atk +31;CMB+42 (+44 disarm or trip); CMD55 (57 vs. disarm or trip) FeatsAcrobatic,Combat Expertise,Combat Reflexes, Dimensional Agility, Great Fortitude, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (dimension door),Stand Still,Toughness, Vital Strike SkillsAcrobatics +46, Bluff +45, Fly +47, Intimidate +45, Knowledge (arcana, planes) +40, Knowledge (dungeoneering, religion) +37, Perception +42, Sense Motive +42, Spellcraft +40, Stealth +42, Survival +39 LanguagesAbyssal, Celestial, Infernal, telepathy 100 ft., tongues SQchain armor,malefic binding Ecology Environmentany land or underground (Hell) Organizationsolitary Treasurestandard (+3 spiked chain, spell components for bindingandsoul bind, other treasure) Special Abilities Chain Armor (Ex) A rhevanna’s chains grant it a +4 armor bonus to AC without any armor check penalty or max Dex bonus. Detaining Strike (Su) Once per round as a swift action, a rhevanna can place a dimensional anchor effect (CL 22nd) on a creature it struck with a melee attack. Life Drinker (Su) Whenever a rhevanna kills a creature, it heals hit points equal to 5 x that creature’s CR. It heals double hit points if the creature was an outsider with the good subtype. Malefic Binding (Su) Whenever a rhevanna uses its soul bind special ability on an outsider with the good subtype, the gem storing its soul gains a hardness of 40. If the gem is destroyed, that outsider is utterly destroyed; not even a miracleorwish can restore them to life. Plunder Life Aura (Su) Whenever a creature within 60 feet of a rhevanna heals hit point damage due to a spell or supernatural ability, it only gains half hit points. The rhevanna then gains temporary hit points equal to the amount of damage that the creature healed. Temporary hit points gained in this manner are lost in 1 minute if not expended. Outsiders with the evil subtype ignore the effects of a rhevanna’s plunder life aura, and it can be suppressed for 1 minute with a successful dispel good or similar effect if it succeeds a caster level check against the rhevanna’s spell resistance. Unholy Strikes (Su) A rhevanna’s manufactured and natural weapons deal an extra 2d6 points of damage against non-evil creatures, as if they were unholyweapons.
[Did I say one month per continent when I introduced the World Tour concept? I am altering the deal. It’s been expanded to two months per. I’m having too much fun with folkloric creatures! Although I am going to expand the purview a little bit. For North America, I already have two fearsome critters, one cryptid and a prehistoric animal in my sights.
“La lechuza” is Spanish for “barn owl”, but the name also refers to witches that assume owl form. I figured I’d use this as an excuse to flesh out lower level hags. Maybe your campaign isn’t near the sea for a sea hag. Maybe you think that the sea hag’s abilities are too much for a low level party (ability damage and a curse that staggers for days is pretty rough). Might I suggest the lechuza as an alternate?]
Lechuza CR 4 LE Monstrous Humanoid This creature resembles a feathered humanoid with wings and strong, clawed legs. Her face is set in a round disc of feathers.
Lechuzas, or owl hags, are shapeshifting creatures that can assume the form of an owl or humanoid from their natural, hybrid state. Of the hags, they are among the most likely to integrate themselves into society, disguising themselves as ordinary women. From this vantage point, they observe the comings and goings of the settlement, figuring ways to best hurt people and spread misery. Most lechuzas are greedy, and can be enticed to serve even goodly causes for sufficient coin—although they prefer that their job when on the side of righteousness involves hurting somebody.
Most lechuzas would rather avoid a fair fight, instead luring a single victim to a place where they can ambush them. Lechuzas are excellent mimics, and may disguise their voice to sound like a crying baby or a loved one calling for help. A lechuza is a powerful melee combatant in its natural form. Their teeth are sharp, but too small to maneuver to a bite attack. Their claws are powerful, however, and can carry away smaller enemies, like halflings, gnomes or children. When facing multiple opponents, they prefer to keep their distance and use spells and their evil eye to soften enemies up before diving into melee.
Lechuza CR 4 XP 1,200 LE Medium monstrous humanoid (shapechanger) Init+3;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +11 Defense AC16, flat-footed 13, touch 13 (+3 Dex, +3 natural) hp37 (5d10+10) Fort+3,Ref+7,Will+5 Offense Speed30 ft., fly 50 ft. (good) Melee2 claws +7 (1d6+2 plus grab) Special Attacks hex (evil eye -2, Will DC 13), rend (2 claws, 1d6+3) Spell-like Abilities CL 5th, concentration +7 (+11 casting defensively) At will—dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 12), misdirection(DC 14) 3/day—bane(DC 13), fog cloud,scare(DC 14) 1/day—dispel magic,invisibility, lightning bolt (DC 15) Statistics Str15,Dex17,Con14,Int13,Wis12,Cha15 Base Atk +5;CMB+7 (+11 grapple); CMD20 FeatsBlind-fight (B),Combat Casting, Deceitful,Hover SkillsBluff +8, Disguise +8 (+16 using change shape), Fly +14, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Perception +11, Stealth +13; Racial Modifiers +8 Disguise when using change shape,+4 Perception, +4 Stealth LanguagesCommon, Elven SQchange shape (humanoid, Small or Tiny owl, polymorph), sound mimicry (voices) Ecology Environmenttemperate land or urban Organizationsolitary or coven (3 mixed hags) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Hex (Su) A lechuza gains the evil eye hex as a 5th level witch. Lechuza hit dice stack with witch levels for determining the effects of the evil eye hex, but not for other hexes. The save DC is Intelligence based.
[One of the few wholly original monsters that appears in Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, the stone cursed is a neat take on the animated statue trope. I like how its petrifying powers basically involve coating enemies in concrete.]
Stone Cursed CR 4 LE Construct This statue springs to life, its hands twisted into claws. A thick gray sludge oozes from its fingers.
The stone cursed are constructs created using a petrified humanoid as a base. Creating a stone cursed is always an evil act, as it wrenches a part of the creature’s soul from the afterlife to use as a power source. Stone cursed are obedient and cleverer than many other constructs, but their slow, shuffling gates limit their use as active combatants. They are more often employed as guards to attack intruders from stealth, capturing foes by temporarily petrifying them.
The Obsidian Skull In the process of creating a stone cursed, the skull of the former humanoid is transformed into a chunk of obsidian, which houses the stolen soul and fragments of memories. When the stone cursed is destroyed, it shatters, leaving the obsidian skull behind. A creature can spend 1 minute and a DC 25 Spellcraft or Use Magic Device check to attempt to extract a single memory from the skull. If it succeeds, it learns one bit of information that the creature knew when it was alive. Regardless of whether the check succeeds or fails, the skull cannot be used in this manner again. It can, however, be used as a focus for speak with dead orcall spirit, regardless of the age or intactness of the corpse. An obsidian skull is worth 500 gp as an art object.
Creating a Stone Cursed A stone cursed’s body is a petrified humanoid, which has been anointed with a poultice made from basilisk blood and burned cockatrice feathers. This unguent is worth 1000 gp. CL7th;Price8,500 gp RequirementsCraft Construct, animate dead, calcifictouch, stone shape, creator must be caster level 7th; SkillCraft (alchemy) DC 15; Cost4,750 gp.
Stone Cursed CR 4 XP 1,200 LE Medium construct Init+1;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +0 Defense AC14, touch 7, flat-footed 14(-3 Dex, +7 natural) hp36 (3d10+20) Fort+1,Ref-1,Will+1 Immuneconstruct traits Defensive Abilities hardness 8; Weaknessbrittle Offense Speed15 ft. Melee2 claws +6 (1d6+3 plus calcify) Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6 Statistics Str16,Dex5,Con-,Int5,Wis10,Cha7 Base Atk +3;CMB+6;CMD13 FeatsAbility Focus (calcify),Combat Reflexes,Improved Initiative SkillsStealth +8; Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth LanguagesCommon (cannot speak) SQfreeze (statue) Ecology Environmentany Organizationsolitary, pair, gallery (3-6) or collection (7-12) Treasurespecial (see above) Special Abilities Brittle (Ex) Bludgeoning weapons ignore a stone cursed’s hardness. Calcify (Su) A creature struck by a stone cursed’s claw attack must succeed a DC 13 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of Dexterity damage. A creature reduced to 0 Dexterity is petrified for 24 hours, whereupon it returns to flesh with 1 Dexterity point. The save DC is Constitution based.
[Of the various Pathfinder interpretations of folkloric and mythological monsters, the “delgeth” is among the most In Name Only adaptations. A flaming elk that starts forest fires where it runs is a cool concept. But it sure as hell isn’t the original déélgééd/delgeth/teelget, which is one of the Ayane from Navajo legend. So this is another “If I Ran the Zoo” monster.]
Teelget CR 13 CE Magical Beast This creature is enormous, with its belly over the height of a human standing up. It is shaped vaguely like a deer, except that it has no head—rather, the front half of its body splits open into a gargantuan maw. It has a pair of antlers growing where its neck should start, and a row of beady black eyes over its mouth. Its hooves are cloven and sharp.
The teelget is a monstrous deer like carnivore with supernaturally keen vision despite its headless nature. Its eyes are small but very precise, and they have been known to spot prey from miles away and chase them down. A teelget favors flat environments where its eyesight can come in handy, and is almost impossible to sneak up on. Their monstrous appearance belies their intelligence—a teelget is clever and insightful, and use this intellect primarily as an engine for sadism.
Weak opponents flee in terror from the charge of a teelget, and stronger ones may wish they had. A teelget can lower its horns and charge for devastating damage, raking through multiple enemies at once. If it can’t line up multiple foes, or if a single enemy seems to be particularly troublesome, it remains in melee, bringing its shark-like teeth and powerful hooves to bear along with its horns. Although they are forked like antlers, the appendages of a teelget are true horns—they are not lost or covered in skin at any point, but are deadly weapons throughout the year.
Teelget CR 13 XP 25,600 CE Gargantuan magical beast Init+7;Sensesdarkvision 120 ft., Perception +32, telescopic vision Aurafrightful presence (90 ft., Will DC 21) Defense AC28, touch 10, flat-footed 24 (-4 size, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +18 natural) hp172 (15d10+90); ferocity Fort+15,Ref+12,Will+13 DR15/magic;Resistcold 10, fire 10; SR24 Offense Speed60 ft. Meleegore +24 (2d8+13), bite +24 (2d6+13), 2 hooves +22 (1d8+6) Space20 ft.; Reach15 ft. Special Attacks bounding charge,powerful charge (gore, 4d8+21) Statistics Str37,Dex17,Con23,Int12,Wis22,Cha18 Base Atk +15;CMB+32;CMD46 (48, 50 vs. trip) FeatsCombat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Multiattack, Power Attack, Stand Still SkillsAcrobatics +21 (+33 when jumping), Perception +24, Sense Motive +21; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception LanguagesCommon, Sylvan Ecology Environmentwarm plains and deserts Organizationsolitary or pair Treasurestandard Special Abilities Bounding Charge (Ex) As a full round action, a teelget can move up to twice its speed, and make a single gore attack against every foe it passes. When it does so, it gains the bonuses and penalties for making a charge. Its movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal, and it may only attack each opponent once. It must end its movement adjacent to the last opponent it strikes. Telescopic Vision (Su) A teelget suffers a -1 penalty on Perception checks related to vision for every 100 feet of distance.
[Nominally, this set of monsters is about D&D 5e conversions, but I do not like the 5e steel predator. It’s a magical assassin, of which there are plenty of already, and it’s a construct when the original was alive. Plus, it refers to a “rogue hexton”, which is weird because D&D 5e hasn’t bothered to stat up any modrons except for the drone tier, not any of the nobles like hextons are. And there’s no modrons in Pathfinder. Yet. I also dislike the change to its visual aesthetic. The 5e version is jagged in shape and has a matte finish, and I like the sleeker, shinier version that Sam Wood did. I probably should have included this in my Xenomorphitude post, since it looks like it came from an HR Giger petting zoo.
So I’ve hearkened back to the original, 3rd edition version of the steel predator, although I have borrowed the roar effect being a stun, not a deafen, from the 5e version. I’ve also made it a magical beast instead of either an outsider (3e) or construct (5e). The 3e flavor text talks a lot about their diet, and in PFRPG, outsiders don’t need to eat. ]
Steel Predator CR 14 N Magical Beast This creature resembles a metal sculpture, except that it is clearly, horribly, alive. It has a cylindrical head with four small eyes over a shearing mouth, and walks on four clawed legs. Its back has a series of ridges or fins protruding from it, and its long tail drags to the ground.
The inevitables may be the rulers of Axis, the Infinite City, but the steel predator is king of its urban jungle. Despite their alien appearance, they have a behavior and social organization much like the lions of more mundane ecosystems. Instead of preying on herd animals, however, steel predators eat magically infused magic items. The more powerful the magic of the item, the more nutritious the meal. So steel predators feed on and damage enhanced buildings, stalk inevitables to tear off chunks of their metallic bodies, and eat the arms and armor of mortals and outsiders alike.
Steel predators prefer to stalk their prey over long distances and attack from ambush. They often open combat with a stunning roar—if they can get a target to drop its delicious magic weapon or shield, grab it and go without a fight, all the better. However, if they encounter resistance, they will fight with lethal force, grabbing an enemy in their jaws and tearing it apart with all four limbs. A steel predator’s jaws and teeth are laced with super durable alloys, allowing them to chew straight through metal and stone. Steel predators resist magic and many elemental attacks, but corrode rapidly when exposed to acid. If opponents bring acid attacks to bear, a steel predator will typically flee.
Steel predators live in prides, with a single male or a few close relatives guarding and mating with a harem of females. These prides are more prone to splitting up and reconvening than those of mortal lions, as the steel predators can teleport, and may go on extended solo excursions if they don’t have young to raise. Steel predators are stone deaf, but are incredibly sensitive to vibrations in the air and surfaces. They are intelligent enough that they can theoretically be communicated with, but doing so would require visual or tactile signals, or telepathy, rather than speech.
Steel Predator CR 14 XP 38,400 N Large magical beast (extraplanar) Init+9;Sensesblindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., deaf, low-light vision, Perception +17, sense magic metal Defense AC29, touch 14, flat-footed 24 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +15 natural) hp207 (18d10+108) Fort+17,Ref+16,Will+13 DR10/magic and adamantine; Immuneelectricity, language dependent abilities, petrifaction, poison, sonic; Resistcold 10, fire 10; SR25 Weaknessvulnerable to acid Offense Speed50 ft. Meleebite +24 (2d8+7/19-20 plus grab), 2 claws +24 (2d6+7) Space10 ft.; Reach5 ft. Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +24, 2d6+7), stunning roar Spell-like Abilities CL 15th, concentration +14 3/day—dimension door Statistics Str24,Dex21,Con22,Int4,Wis17,Cha13 Base Atk +18;CMB+26 (+30 grapple or sunder); CMD41 (43 vs. sunder, 45 vs. trip) FeatsCombat Reflexes,Greater Sunder, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lunge, Power Attack, Step Up, Vital Strike SkillsAcrobatics +19 (+27 when jumping), Climb +13, Perception +17, Stealth +15, Survival +9; Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics, +8 Perception, +8 Stealth SQshearing strikes Ecology Environmentany land or urban (Axis) Organizationsolitary, pair or pride (6-10) Treasureincidental Special Abilities Deaf (Ex) A steel predator is naturally deaf. It automatically fails Perception checks based on hearing, and is immune to language dependent effects. It does not suffer an initiative penalty because of its deafness. Sense Magic Metal (Su) A steel predator can sense the location of magical metal objects, and constructs made primarily out of metal, as if it had blindsense out to a range of 120 ft. Shearing Strikes (Ex) A steel predator’s natural weapons ignore the first 10 points of hardness of objects or creatures. Stunning Roar (Su) As a standard action, a steel predator can roar. All creatures in a 60 foot cone take 9d10 sonic damage and are stunned for 1d4 rounds. A successful DC 25 Fortitude save halves the damage and negates the stunning effect. A steel predator can use this ability three times a day, but must wait 1d4 rounds between uses.
[Commissioned by @tar-baphon. Kerzit the Guardian of the Black Tome first appeared in Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure in 1984, was converted to 3.5 in Dungeon Magazine’s conversion of that adventure in 2004, and that’s about it. My third paragraph of flavor text refers to the events of the adventure, but feel free to ignore it if you want Kerzit somewhere else or working for a different cult. As written, he’s designed to be basically a decoy demon lord, and it is said in text that “several demon lords” conspired to make him. This is left vague in the text, but the presence of gnolls in MFA would suggest Yeenoghu in the Greyhawk cosmology, or Lamashtu in the Pathfinder version, would be a major player. Based on the commissioner’s request, I elevated the CR from 18 to 20, but didn’t have to do much in terms of increasing the power; the biggest changes to ability scores involved toning down a very high Strength.]
Demon, Kerzit CR 20 CE Outsider (extraplanar) This creature is a biped, with a wolfish head and silver eyes. Its coat is a shaggy mix of fur and feathers, matted and stained with blood and viler fluids. It has four arms, two of which are annulated tentacles, and two of which are insect-like and end with serrated blades.
Kerzit the Guardian is a powerful unique demon incorporating features of multiple scavenging animals—wolves, ravens, beetles and earthworms. Likewise, Kerzit scavenges bits and pieces of veneration from other demon lords. Kerzit was created long ago in a rare show of cooperation among the lords of the Abyss. The goal was to create a powerful servitor strong enough to fulfill mortal ambitions and act as a figurehead and sacrificial focus for cults venerating another, more distant demon lord. Kerzit has an ambivalent relationship towards these cultists; he views them as deluded and readily accepts them as sacrifices, but also hopes that their worship kindles a divine spark, transforming him into a nascent demon lord.
Kerzit enjoys fighting in melee, but is smart and subtle enough to try and learn about his foes first. Kerzit’s summoning abilities are more powerful than most other fiends, and he usually sends out a wave of lesser demons to scout for him and report back on enemy tactics. He targets divine spellcasters above other targets, and is immune to many of their weaker spells. One of his favorite strategies is to center a quickened, empowered unholy blight on himself while simultaneously shredding opponents with his teeth, talons and tentacles. Kerzit sees no shame in fleeing a losing fight through teleportation, but stays close, heals himself, and returns for a second bout after enemy spells have elapsed durations.
Kerzit is currently bound to the Material Plane via the Tome of the Black Heart, a demonology manual and ritual guide of great age and great power. The Tome contains information on constructing golems, contacting fiends and elemental spirits, and opening portals to esoteric and obscure demiplanes. This book was written by worshippers of Kabriri, whose scavenging through the memories of the dead unearthed a ritual to summon and bind Kerzit. The Tome of the Black Heart’s current owner is a mortal spellcaster obsessed with seeking out power through arcane knowledge. Kerzit keeps the book in his possession as a “matter of security”, and demands sacrifices of black opals and humanoid souls for the privilege of reading its pages, a price the amoral wizard is more than willing to pay. After a decade or so of service in this manner, Kerzit is growing bored, and relishes the opportunity to murder any intruders he comes across.
Kerzit CR 20 XP 307,200 CE Large outsider (chaos, demon, evil, extraplanar) Init+6;Sensesdarkvision 120 ft., detect magic, Perception +33, see invisibility, scent Defense AC36, touch 15, flat-footed 30 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +21 natural) hp372 (24d10+240) Fort+17,Ref+20,Will+22 DR15/cold iron and good; Immuneelectricity, fire, poison; Resistacid 10, cold 10; SR31 Defensive Abilities reject divinity Offense Speed30 ft. Meleebite +34 (4d8+11/19-20 plus poison), 2 talons +34 (2d10+11 plus abyssal wound), 2 tentacles +32 (2d6+5) Space10 ft.; Reach10 ft. Special Attacks rend (2 tentacles, 2d6+16) Spell-like Abilities CL 20th, concentration +26 Constant—detect magic, see invisibility At will—darkness, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. objects only), telekinesis(DC 21) 3/day—fly, greater dispel magic, summon (7th level, 4 hezrous or 2 glabrezu, 60%), quickened empowered unholy blight (DC 20) 1/day—heal(DC 22), unholy aura (DC 24), weird(DC 25) Statistics Str32,Dex22,Con29,Int21,Wis22,Cha23 Base Atk +24;CMB+36 (+38 bull rush); CMD52 (54 vs. bull rush) FeatsAwesome Blow, Blind-fight, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Empower SLA (unholy blight), Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (unholy blight), Toughness SkillsAcrobatics +30,Climb +35, Intimidate +30, Knowledge (arcana, geography, history, planes) +32, Perception +33, Sense Motive +33, Spellcraft +29, Stealth +29 LanguagesAbyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, telepathy 100 ft. Ecology Environmentany land or underground (Abyss) Organizationunique Treasuredouble standard Special Abilities Abyssal Wound (Su) Wounds dealt by Kerzit’s talons deal 1d10 points of bleed damage. This bleed can be stopped with a healing spell or a DC 25 Heal check. However, any spell that heals hit point damage that affects a creature suffering from an abyssal wound must succeed a DC 31 caster level check or fail. Poison (Ex) Bite—injury;saveFort DC 31; frequency1/round;duration6 rounds; effect1d6 Con drain; cure2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution based. Reject Divinity (Su) Kerzit is immune to any divine spell of 3rd level or lower that allows for spell resistance.
[Be vewwy vewwy quiet… The achaanwaapush, or Cannibal Rabbit, appears in a Cree story. And I’m always down for more low level monstrous humanoids. I gave it an axe in reference to the Bunny Man of Fairfax County. If and when I do a block of Gamma World monsters, this stat block would be a good launching point for a hoop.]
Achaanwaapush CR 2 CE Monstrous Humanoid This creature is a humanoid rabbit, with clawed hands and a leering expression. It clutches an axe.
An achaanwaapush, or “cannibal rabbit”, is a ferocious humanoid with leporine features. They have keen hearing and excellent jumping ability, but use it to pounce on prey instead of flee from predators. Most achaanwaapush carry an axe, spear or other melee weapon, but they use their claws and teeth in combat as well. An achaanwaapush is motivated by a desire for creature comforts, and will often bully people into giving them food or a place to sleep, and then butchering them for their trouble. They are foolish, however, and easily deceived into letting down their guard or chasing a fantasy.
Achaanwaapush dwellings are typically below ground, dug out into a series of tunnels where multiple families reside. These families constantly bicker and fight with each other, rarely lethally, as well as interbreeding. Children are barely raised, seen more as a nuisance than anything, and those that can’t stay out of the way and learn to be vicious may be killed by their peers.
An achaanwaapush is tall for a Medium creature, usually standing around seven feet tall.
Achaanwaapush CR 2 XP 600 CE Medium monstrous humanoid Init+2;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +4 Defense AC14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 natural) hp19 (3d10+3) Fort+2,Ref+5,Will+2 Offense Speed40 ft. Meleebattleaxe +4 (1d8+1/x3), claw +2 (1d4), bite +2 (1d4) or 2 claws +4 (1d4+1), bite +4 (1d4+1) Statistics Str13,Dex14,Con13,Int8,Wis9,Cha11 Base Atk +3;CMB+4;CMD16 FeatsMultiattack, Skill Focus (Intimidate) SkillsAcrobatics +3 (+11 when jumping), Intimidate +8, Perception +4 (+12 hearing), Stealth +7, Survival +4; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics when jumping, +8 Perception with hearing LanguagesCommon SQhop Ecology Environmenttemperate and cold plains and hills Organizationsolitary, pair, gang (3-6) or warren (7-12) Treasurestandard (battleaxe, other treasure) Special Abilities Hop (Ex) As a swift action, an achaanwaapush can move up to half its speed without provoking an attack of opportunity. It may use this ability three times per day.
[The arkamoi was the second weakest of the ushemoi originally, at a CR 4. The star spawn seer, on the other hand, is the second strongest of the 5e star spawn, at a CR 13. Something something assumption that spellcasting is stronger than martial abilities. My mechanics hew pretty close to the 5e version, but I gave it the foul insights of the 4e version. I wanted to justify calling it a seer, you know?]
Foulspawn Seer CR 12 CE Aberration This creature is swollen and misshapen, as if it were a tumor sculpted into a humanoid form. Its face is piggish, with an upturned nose and beady eyes. Its skin texture is filled with whorls and loops of tissue, like the surface of a brain, although tentacles and antennae grow from it at irregular intervals. It carries a staff made of bone and sinew in its clawed, webbed hands.
Foulspawn seers are more powerful and vastly more intelligent than most other foulspawn. They are the masterminds of the ushemoi, maintaining spawning pits on Aucturn and leading missions of madness and destruction on other planets. They can teleport between worlds, and given a few days, a handful of foulspawn seers can deliver an entire army of foulspawn to a new location. The tentacles that grow from their body are sensory organs that can feel vibrations, pick up scents, and detect subtler stimuli. Foulspawn seers are called arkamoi in Aklo.
A foulspawn seer uses its mastery of cosmic forces in combat. Their comet staffs are charged with the force of high gravity and phenomenal velocity, and can deal force damage at both melee range and at a distance. They can teleport at will, and often use this ability to trade places with their minions in order to let them absorb blows—a wise fighter of foulspawn will kill the rest of the envoy before dealing with the seer, or otherwise curtail their ability to teleport. A foulspawn seer can even use teleportation offensively, creating a miniature wormhole that transports and crushes foes simultaneously. Other foulspawn fight better with a seer in their ranks, its mad insights feeding into their minds telepathically.
Foulspawn Seer CR 12 XP 19,200 CE Medium aberration (foulspawn) Init+2;Sensesblindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., Perception +18 Aurafoul insight (20 ft.) Defense AC27,touch 18, flat-footed 25(+2 Dex, +6 insight, +9 natural) hp152 (16d8+80) Fort+12,Ref+9,Will+15 DR15/magic;Immuneconfusion and insanity effects, mind influencing effects; Resistcold 10 Defensive Abilities bend space, insightful defense Offense Speed30 ft., out of phase movement Meleecomet staff +17/+12/+7 (1d8+7 plus 2d6 force) or 2 claws +16 (1d6+4) Ranged2 warp orbs +14 touch (5d6 force plus stun) Special Attacks collapse distance Spell-like Abilities CL 16th, concentration +21 (+25 casting defensively) At will—dimension door, dimensional anchor, mind thrust III (DC 18) 3/day—confusion(DC 19), quickened dimension door, shield, telekinesis (DC 20) 1/day—ego whip IV(DC 21), interplanetary teleport,psychic crush II(DC 21) Statistics Str18,Dex15,Con21,Int22,Wis8,Cha21 Base Atk +12;CMB+16;CMD28 FeatsCombat Casting, Dimensional Agility,Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quicken SLA (dimension door) SkillsBluff +21, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (arcana) +25, Knowledge (dungeoneering, geography, religion) +22, Perception +18, Sense Motive +18, Spellcraft +25, Stealth +21 LanguagesAklo, Common, Draconic, Elder Thing, Undercommon, telepathy 60 ft. SQmadness, no breath Ecology Environmentany land or underground Organizationsolitary, cult (2-3) or envoy (1-3 plus 1-8 mixed foulspawn) Treasureincidental (masterwork morningstar, other treasure) Special Abilities Bend Space (Su) As an immediate action when it would be hit by an attack, a foulspawn seer may teleport to the space of another foulspawn within 60 feet, and teleport the foulspawn to its space. This results in the attack hitting the other foulspawn and the seer taking no damage. A foulspawn seer can use this ability a number of times a day equal to its Intelligence modifier. This is a teleportation effect. Collapse Distance (Su) As a standard action, a foulspawn seer can teleport another creature of its choice within 60 feet. If the creature succeeds a DC 23 Will save, it does not teleport, but takes 5d6 points of force damage. If it fails, it takes 10d6 points of force damage and teleports to another square of the foulspawn’s choice within 60 feet of its original position. All creatures within 10 feet of its original position take 5d6 points of force damage (Fort DC 23 negates). This is a teleportation effect. A foulspawn seer can use this ability 3 times a day, but must wait 1d4 rounds between uses. Comet Staff (Su) By spending eight hours, a foulspawn seer can transform a staff into a comet staff. This functions as a +1 morningstar. In the hands of the foulspawn seer, it deals an additional 2d6 points of force damage on a successful hit, and is required as a focus to use its warp orbs. These abilities function for no other creature, including other foulspawn seers. A foulspawn seer can only have a single comet staff at a time. Foul Insight Aura (Su) All foulspawn within 20 feet of a foulspawn seer may choose to roll twice on a single attack roll, saving throw or skill check each round and take the better result. The foulspawn must declare that it is using the ability before knowing the result of the roll. Insightful Defense (Ex) A foulspawn seer gains an insight bonus to its Armor Class equal to its Intelligence modifier. It only loses this ability if helpless or stunned. Madness (Ex)Foulspawn use their Charisma modifier on Will saves instead of their Wisdom modifier, and are immune to insanity and confusion effects. Only a miracleorwish can remove a foulspawn’s madness. If this occurs, the foulspawn gains 6 points of Wisdom and loses 6 points of Charisma. Out of Phase Movement (Su) A foulspawn seer can move through solid objects and squares occupied by enemy creatures. It provokes attacks of opportunity as normal for this movement. If it ends its movement inside a solid object, it is shunted to the nearest empty space and takes 1d10 damage. A foulspawn seer under the effects of a dimensional anchor or similar effect cannot use this ability. Warp Orb (Su) A foulspawn seer can fling a single warp orb from its comet staff as a standard action, or two as a full round action. Treat these as ranged touch attacks with a range of 80 feet and no range increment. A creature struck takes 5d6 points of force damage and must succeed a DC 23 Will save or be stunned for 1 round. The save DC is Charisma based. A warp orb is blocked by a shieldspell or brooch of shielding as if it was a magic missile spell.
[Commissioned by @hiswrathundoesthewicked. It feels like a daemon of guns has been a long time coming, and the commissioner asked me to use this image to build on top of. I made it a CR 15 in order to play well with other industrial themed daemons like the crucidaemonandsordesdaemon]
Daemon, Ballistidaemon CR 15 NE Outsider (extraplanar) This creature is vaguely humanoid, although its long arms and pointed legs conspire to make it as comfortable on all fours as on its hind legs. Eight thin tentacles grow from its neck and shoulders, each tipped with a metallic tube. Its head is a skull-like wedge, with a beaked mouth twisted into the shape of a sardonic grin.
Among the newest species of daemons, ballistidaemons are the embodiment of death by firearms. They were created by the Horseman of War, who has embraced guns as a way to kill dramatically and en masse. Few ballistidaemons care for subtlety or discretion, instead acting as living weapons platforms in daemonic incursions into other planes. When not fighting, they are usually hard at work making weapons for other daemons or their cults.
Although some ballistidaemons carry manufactured firearms (particularly if they wish to snipe with a rifle), they do not require them. A ballistidaemon has guns literally growing from its body, attached to whip-like tentacles that grow from its neck and shoulders. It generates ammunition magically for this armamenr, and can lay down a withering rate of fire. A ballistidaemon has a wide array of tricks and staggeringly good luck, although it can only refresh these skills by taking the lives of worthy opponents. Thus, even though ballistidaemons do love to mow down innocent bystanders and slaughter civilians, they make an effort to find challenging enemies to test their skills against on the battlefield. They only engage in melee if an antimagic field or similar effect prevents their infinite bullets from forming, but they can still deliver damage with their beaked jaws and clawed hands.
The one weakness ballistidaemons have is sartorial. They enjoy dressing in flamboyant costumes, a personal affectation that some other daemons view as a foolish weakness. These hats, boots, ponchos and other accessories are often magical, but some are chosen for no other reason than fashion.
Ballistidaemon CR 15 XP 51,200 NE Medium outsider (daemon, extraplanar, evil) Init+11;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., detect good, Perception +26, true seeing Defense AC29, touch 20, flat-footed 29 (+9 Dex, +1 dodge, +9 natural) hp212 (17d10+119) Fort+12,Ref+19,Will+16 DR10/good and silver; Immuneacid, death effects, disease, poison; Resistcold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR26 Defensive Abilities evasion, improved uncanny dodge Offense Speed40 ft., air walk Melee2 claws +22 (1d8+5), bite +22 (1d6+5) Ranged+1 pistol +27/+22/+17/+12 touch or +25/+25/+20/+15/+10 touch (1d8+1/19-20x4) Special Attacks armament, deeds (deadeye, gunslinger’s dodge, quick clear, gunslinger initiative, pistol whip, utility shot, dead shot, startling shot, targeting, bleeding wound, expert loading, lightning reload, evasive, menacing shot, slinger’s luck), fusillade Spell-like Abilities CL 15th, concentration +21 Constant—air walk, detect good, true seeing At will—greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. objects only) 3/day—bullet shield, fire seeds (DC 22), shout(DC 20) 1/day—blasphemy(DC 23), greater shout (DC 24), summon (level 4, 1 derghodaemon, 50%) Statistics Str21,Dex28,Con24,Int16,Wis23,Cha23 Base Atk +17;CMB+22;CMD42 (46 vs. trip) FeatsDeadly Aim,Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms) (B), Gunsmithing (B), Improved Critical (pistol), Mobility, Nimble Moves, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run SkillsAcrobatics +29 (+33 when jumping),Bluff +26, Craft (alchemy) +23, Knowledge (engineering, planes) +23, Perception +26, Sense Motive +26, Stealth +29 LanguagesAbyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 100 ft. SQgrit (6 points) Ecology Environmentany land or underground (Abaddon) Organizationsolitary, pair or posse (3-6) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Armament (Su) A ballistidaemon has eight tentacles, each tipped with a gun barrel that counts as a +1 pistol. A pistol has a range increment of 20 feet and deals both bludgeoning and piercing damage. At a range of up to 20 feet, a ballistidaemon’s pistol attacks resolve as touch attacks. While pistols normally consume bullets and black powder when fired, a ballistidaemon’s pistols supernaturally reload the instant it fires them without provoking attacks of opportunity, allowing the daemon to make multiple attacks in a round with the weapons. It can make iterative attacks with a single pistol at a time. These cannot be disarmed, but can be sundered (hardness 12, hit points 20). A ballistidaemon can regenerate a sundered armament as a standard action. A ballistidaemon does not provoke attacks of opportunity for using its armament in melee, and does not have a misfire chance with its armament. Deeds (Ex) A ballistidaemon has access to the deeds of a 15th level gunslinger, as listed in its stat block. It must spend grit to use these deeds as normal. The bonuses for gunslinger’s initiative and evasive are listed in its stat block above). Fusillade (Ex) As a full round action, a ballistidaemon can make a single shot with each of its armament tentacles (eight for a normal ballistidaemon). These attacks are made at its full attack bonus. It may split these attacks up among different opponents or the same opponent as it sees fit. Using this ability costs 1 grit point, and the grit cost cannot be reduced with Signature Deed. Grit (Ex) A ballistidaemon gains a number of grit points per day equal to its Wisdom modifier. This functions as the gunslinger class ability.
[Aquatic Cat Number 2, and one I’m going out on a limb with. The only source I have for the dinama is the Reddit post linked above, as the mythology of the Talamancan people of Costa Rica isn’t readily available online, and much of the published work is in Spanish. Still, the information on Reddit is at least consistent with the other Talamancan stuff I could find, and the account passes my sniff test. Like, when cryptozoologists make up stuff about Indigenous beliefs, they minimize the supernatural elements to make it seem more like a “real animal”. But the combination of a blood drinking cat with prehensile tails, Predator-level camouflage and a death curse that can be broken by eating its poop, and also it can turn into a crab sometimes, is so wild that it has the ring of authenticity.]
Dinama CR 9 NE Magical Beast This creature resembles a saber-toothed cat, except that its paws are webbed and it has two long, prehensile tails. Its fur shifts colors, blending in with its environment.
A dinama is a cruel semi-aquatic feline with red hot blood and magical powers. They are blood feeders, and find the blood of humanoids the most satisfying. Most dinama plan their attacks to be shocking and destructive, using their power of water control to break bridges and dams, dry up fishing spots and cause mudslides for the purposes of mass suffering as well as to drive people away from their homes and to the monster’s lair. Dinamas usually hide away in tight spots, transforming themselves into a Tiny crab and sleeping in a crack or crevice.
The fur of a dinama acts as a sort of mirror that reflects the environment around them and makes them nearly transparent. This allows them to sneak up on their prey, which they then grab with their twin tails and constrict. Blood is drunk from the victim during this time, particularly at the elbows, knees and forehead. If a prey item is durable enough to survive a round or two of feeding, the dinama abducts them, leaving them unconscious but alive and feeding from them for several days before abandoning their desiccated body. Slaying a dinama does not end the threat it poses, as it inflicts a curse that heats up their slayer’s blood without bestowing the same protection against fire as the dinama possesses.
Dinama CR 9 XP 6,400 NE Large magical beast (shapechanger) Init+6;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +10, scent Defense AC23, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural) hp104 (11d10+44) Fort+11,Ref+10,Will+8 DR10/magic;Immunecurses;Resistfire 10; SR20 Defensive Abilities hot-blooded,perfect camouflage Offense Speed40 ft., swim 40 ft. Meleebite +15 (2d6+5/19-20x3), 2 claws +15 (1d6+5), 2 tail slaps +13 (1d8+2 plus grab) Space10 ft.; Reach5 ft. Special Attacks augmented critical,blood drain (1d4 Con),constrict (1d8+7), death curse Spell-like Abilities CL 11th, concentration +14 At will—control water Statistics Str21,Dex17,Con19,Int10,Wis16,Cha16 Base Atk +11;CMB+17 (+21 grapple); CMD31 (35 vs. trip) FeatsBlind-Fight,Dodge, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack SkillsAcrobatics +14 (+18 when jumping), Heal +7, Perception +10, Stealth +24, Swim +20; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +16 Stealth LanguagesAquan SQchange shape (crab, vermin shape II),hold breath Ecology Environmentwarm freshwater Organizationsolitary or pair Treasureincidental Special Abilities Augmented Critical (Ex) A dinama’s bite attack deals x3 damage on a successful critical hit. Death Curse (Su) When a creature slays a dinama, it becomes targeted by the creature’s curse. Curse of Steaming Blood: save Will DC 18; effect creature gains vulnerability to fire and is permanently sickened from the pain of its hot blood. The save DC is Charisma-based. Hot Blooded (Su) A creature that hits a dinama with a piercing or slashing weapon must succeed a DC 19 Reflex save or take 1d10 damage from its steaming hot blood. Manufactured weapons with the reach property do not endanger their wielder in this fashion. A creature that uses the blood drain ability against a dinama does not get a save against this damage. The save DC is Constitution based. Perfect Camouflage (Su) A dinama’s fur changes color to match its environment instantly. It is treated as having a +16 racial bonus on Stealth checks, and can make Stealth checks without cover or concealment, or even when being observed. It has a 20% miss chance against attacks made against it by creatures that require sight, and a 50% miss chance against such creatures when underwater. This ability requires the dinama to be able to see its surroundings; a blind or sleeping dinama does not gain this effect.
[Hey! New art! Getting Christopher Burdett to illustrate some of the starspawn for Monsters of the Multiverse was a good idea. He’s so good at textures. Previous editions of this monster used daggers, but I think switching to claws was a good idea. Makes the seer and its staff feel special, as opposed to, “yeah, some use weapons, and some don’t”.]
Foulspawn Mangler CR 8 CE Aberration This creature is vaguely humanoid, with an elongated torso. It has six clawed arms, and multiple smaller appendages like the legs of a centipede that twitch and thrash along its sides. Its face is twisted, with a pointed skull and misshapen features.
Foulspawn manglers are fast and stealthy killers. Their epithet derives from their habit of playing with their victims, leaving completely mutilated corpses in their wake. They are more treasure oriented than other foulspawn, and make sure to look for shiny or otherwise interesting objects on the creatures they murder. They refer to themselves as hadremoi in the Aklo language. Manglers grow and shed arms the way some creatures grow and shed teeth—the largest pair of arms sits the closest to the head, and over time falls off and the next set grows larger. A set of appendages near the hips becomes the next set of arms, and the cycle continued.
Foulspawn manglers are mobile combatants, skittering down walls or out of cracks and crevices to ambush prey. When attacking from ambush, a foulspawn mangler can damage the psyche as well as the flesh, and those that escape a hadremoi attack suffer from nightmares and delusions for days afterwards. They stay moving throughout the combat, and can even make full attacks on the move, although doing so tires them out. Foulspawn manglers have a sense of self-preservation, and will flee from a losing fight, although they maintain a grudge and may track down creatures who best them for a rematch under more favorable circumstances.
Foulspawn Mangler CR 8 XP 4,800 CE Medium aberration (foulspawn) Init+4;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +9 Defense AC22, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +7 natural) hp90 (12d8+36) Fort+6,Ref+8,Will+9 DR10/magic;Immunecharm, confusion and insanity effects, fear; Resistcold 10 Defensive Abilities evasion Offense Speed40 ft., climb 30 ft. Melee6 claws +13 (1d6+2) Special Attacks deadly dance, psychic sneak attack Spell-like Abilities CL 8th, concentration +10 3/day—expeditious retreat, invisibility, mind thrust II (DC 14) 1/day—confusion(DC 16), dimension door Statistics Str15,Dex18,Con15,Int11,Wis6,Cha14 Base Atk +9;CMB+11;CMD26 FeatsAcrobatic Steps,Dodge, Mobility, Nimble Moves, Toughness, Weapon Finesse SkillsAcrobatics +15 (+19 when jumping), Climb +21, Escape Artist +15, Perception +9, Stealth +15, Survival +9 LanguagesAklo, telepathy 60 ft. SQfast stealth,madness, no breath Ecology Environmentany land or underground Organizationsolitary, pair, team (3-4) or envoy (1-4 plus 1-8 mixed foulspawn) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Deadly Dance (Ex) As a full round action, a foulspawn mangler can make its full complement of claw attacks and make a five foot step between each attack. When it does so, it does not provoke attacks of opportunity for moving. The foulspawn mangler is staggered for 1 round after using this ability. Fast Stealth (Ex) A foulspawn mangler can move at full speed while using Stealth without penalty. Madness (Ex)Foulspawn use their Charisma modifier on Will saves instead of their Wisdom modifier, and are immune to insanity and confusion effects. Only a miracleorwish can remove a foulspawn’s madness. If this occurs, the foulspawn gains 6 points of Wisdom and loses 6 points of Charisma. Psychic Sneak Attack (Su) Whenever a foulspawn mangler hits a flat-footed opponent, or is flanking an opponent, that creature must succeed a DC 18 Will save or take 1d6 points of Wisdom damage. A creature can only take this damage once a round from a single foulspawn mangler. This is a mind-influencing confusion effect and the save DC is Charisma based.
[Commissioned by @arachcobra. Rimworld is yet another video game that I haven’t played with an impressive bestiary, and the thrumbo is one of the game’s iconic creatures. Since the game is popular, there’s plenty of fanart, but since the game has a very simple, cartoony visual style, there’s a lot of variation. To give you an idea, here’s what the in-game thrumbo looks like:
So there are willowy thrumbos and stocky thrumbos, thrumbos with single hooves, cloven hooves, claws or elephant-like feet, thrumbos with beaks or horse heads or rhino-like lips. I chose the picture I did because I like the sense of mass it conveys, and the logical design of “a sauropod, but mammalian”, which is what the original pog seems to be going for. This also goes along with my recent typhlotheriumin experimenting with high CR creatures of the animal type. In game, a thrumbo can tank five shots from a rocket launcher before succumbing, so I wanted to make sure they were nice and beefy.
Also, thrumbos appear to be popular among furries with a size kink, but that’s neither here nor there. But if I had to learn that while searching for images, so do you.]
Thrumbo CR 14 N Animal This majestic beast has shaggy, silvery-white fur. Its feet are paw-like and clawed, and its face has a short muzzle but powerful jaws. A single large horn grows from its brow with a crescent blade.
A thrumbo is a mega-herbivore and ecosystem engineer native to alien worlds. It has a mostly mammalian physiology, able to maintain a constant body temperature and feed its young with milk. Thrumbos eat plants, particularly the bark and shoots of trees, and cut down trees with their horns in order to feed on morsels out of their considerable reach. This horn and strength also serves them well as a defense—no mundane predator would dare hunt an adult thrumbo, and many magical predators would do well to think twice. In herds, they are even more defended.
Thrumbos can be found in many different biomes, although their thick fur means that they prefer cooler climes. This fur is thick enough to stop blades as well as claws and fangs, and is valued for use in making lightweight but durable armor. Treat thrumbo fur armor as if it were a mithral chain shirt for all purposes, including pricing, except that Craft (weaving) is necessary to make it and it does not count as metal for the purposes of spells and effects. A single thrumbo carcass can yield enough fur for four Medium or smaller suits of armor, or 1 Large suit. Harvesting fur from a live thrumbo is very tricky, as they are ill-tempered and barely able to be domesticated.
A thrumbo can live to be over two hundred years old if it does not succumb to disease, predators or starvation. Folklore in lands where thrumbos live credits them with incredible wisdom, and even that they can speak but choose not to.
Thrumbos as Animal Companions Starting Statistics:SizeMedium;Speed 40 ft.; AC +4 natural armor; Attack gore (1d8), 2 claws (1d6); Ability Scores Str 14, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7; Special Abilities hacking gore, low-light vision, irascible, scent.
7th-Level Advancement:SizeLarge;AC +3 natural armor; Attack gore (2d6), 2 claws (1d8); Ability Scores +8 Str, –2 Dex, +4 Con; Special Abilities DR 2/-; trample (2d6)
Thrumbo CR 14 XP 38,400 N Huge animal Init+6;Senseslow-light vision, Perception +18, scent Defense AC26, touch 10, flat-footed 24 (-2 size, +2 Dex, +16 natural) hp225 (18d8+144) Fort+21,Ref+10,Will+18 DR5/- Defensive Abilities irascible Offense Speed40 ft. Meleegore +24 (2d12+19), 2 claws +24 (1d8+13) Space15 ft.; Reach10 ft. (15 ft. with gore) Special Attacks powerful blows (gore),trample (2d8+19) Statistics Str37,Dex14,Con27,Int2,Wis21,Cha10 Base Atk +13;CMB+28 (+30 bull rush, +32 sunder); CMD40 (44 vs. trip) FeatsGreat Fortitude,Greater Sunder, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Run SkillsAcrobatics +9 (+13 when jumping),Perception +18, Swim +20 SQhacking gore Ecology Environmentcold and temperate land Organizationsolitary or herd (2-6) Treasureincidental Special Abilities Hacking Gore (Ex) A thrumbo’s gore attack deals slashing damage. In addition, it ignores the first 5 points of hardness of wooden objects. Irascible (Ex) A thrumbo’s good saves are Fortitude and Will instead of Fortitude and Reflex. Handle Animal and wild empathy checks to influence its behavior suffer a -4 penalty, as if it were a magical beast.
[Welcome to aquatic cat week! In the greater “world tour” umbrella, there’s some points where thematically similar monsters are going to end up paired together. For example, lore of some manner of aquatic feline is pretty much global, which makes sense considering the outsized impression that both big cats and dangerous water have on the human psyche. This week I’m covering two fairly different takes on this trope.
First, the most famous, the mishipeshu, or “underwater panther”. Many cultures east of the Mississippi, up and down the American continent, have a mishipeshu or similar creature in their legendry. Some monsters that have already appeared in the Codex that may have been influenced by the mishipeshu include the hodag,gowrowandpiasa. Some tribes posit that the underwater panther and the thunderbird are enemies, so I went with that. My mishipeshu is the same size and CR as a PF1e thunderbird, and even has the same ability scores.]
Mishipeshu CR 11 N Magical Beast This massive creature looks like a scaled, finned feline. Its webbed paws are tipped with claws, and its tail is long and powerful. Copper scales cover its tail and appear as accents along its spine and joints.
Mishipeshu are sometimes referred to as “underwater panthers” or “underwater lynx”. To the uninitiated, that might suggest a small or mundane creature, but mishipeshu are neither. They are masters of aquatic habitats, and each is the ruler of the lake or river they inhabit. Mishipeshu are somewhat temperamental creatures—when appeased, they can protect people living by their shores and drive fish into their nets, but when angry they drown travelers and pelt settlements with devastating storms.
Mishipeshu prefer to fight from the water. They churn bodies of water with their mere presence, slowing down and battering anything in the water with them. Their claws and teeth are deadly, as is their great bludgeoning tail. They can spew torrents of water at great distances, knocking standing creatures prone and flying ones out of the sky. On the rare occasions that they are bested in combat, mishipeshu do not hesitate to retreat, although they may take their injured pride out on their neighbors afterwards.
A mishipeshu’s lair can be underwater or on land, as they are equally comfortable in both environments. What usually limits their location is a deposit of copper—mishipeshu require large amounts of copper in their diet to keep their scales healthy and to protect them against the elements. Mishipeshu and thunderbirds are traditionally enemies, and their clashes can be heard from miles away. The two great beasts are evenly matched—a thunderbird is faster in the air and has ranged capacity, but the mishipeshu is stronger in melee and is resistant to the lightning cast by the thunderbird.
Mishipeshu CR 11 XP 12,800 N Gargantuan magical beast (aquatic) Init+3;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +20, stormsight Aurachurning (60 ft., Fort DC 21) Defense AC24, touch 9, flat-footed 21 (-4 size, +3 Dex, +15 natural) hp161 (14d10+84) Fort+14,Ref+14,Will+7 Resistelectricity 20, fire 20 Offense Speed40 ft., swim 80 ft. Melee2 claws +18 (2d6+8/19-20 plus grab), bite +18 (2d8+8), tail slap +16 (2d10+4) Space20 ft.; Reach15 ft. (20 ft. with tail slap) Special Attacks breath weapon (100 foot line, 7d12 bludgeoning damage, Ref DC 21, 1d4 rounds) Spell-like Abilities (CL 11th, concentration +12) At will—control weather Statistics Str26,Dex17,Con21,Int12,Wis16,Cha13 Base Atk +14;CMB+26 (+30 grapple); CMD39 (43 vs. trip) FeatsAlertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical (claw), Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack, Toughness SkillsAcrobatics +16 (+20 jumping), Perception +20, Sense Motive +18, Swim +30 LanguagesAquan SQamphibious Ecology Environmentcold and temperate freshwater Organizationsolitary, pair or family (3-6) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Breath Weapon (Su) Any creature that takes damage from a mishipeshu’s breath weapon must succeed a DC 21 Reflex save or be knocked prone. A creature that flies with wings must succeed a DC 21 Reflex save or fall 1d6x10 feet, taking falling damage if it strikes a surface. The save DC is Constitution based. Churning Aura (Su) The waters within 60 feet of a mishipeshu churn violently. They are treated as difficult terrain for all creatures swimming in the aura, and all creatures and objects in the aura must succeed a DC 21 Fortitude save or take 2d6 points of bludgeoning damage a round. Mishipeshu are immune to their own auras, and to the auras of others of their kind. A mishipeshu can suppress or resume this aura as a free action. Stormsight (Ex) A mishipeshu ignores all vision penalties and concealment from magical and mundane weather effects.
[Is there a hulk in the house? As I mentioned previously, the foulspawn didn’t get art in 5e when they were initially converted into starspawn. Some unused art has been posted, and some of the art that’s set to appear in Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse has already made it online before that book’s “official” release date in May, but the starspawn hulk is not among them. So I’m using the 4e pic, which like much of the art in 4e’s Monster Manual is a group shot. Notice the berserker in front, some of the abilities of which I am moving onto the hulk. I like this image; it makes me think that I’ve wandered into a particularly bad neighborhood in Halloween Town.]
Foulspawn Hulk CR 10 NE Aberration This giant humanoid is apparently skinless, its body a seething mass of muscle and tendons. It has no nose and far too many teeth, and does not seem to blink.
Foulspawn hulks are the largest and strongest of the common foulspawn. In Aklo, they are known as turlemoi. Hulks act as brute force and bodyguards for ushemoi incursions, and are fanatically devoted to the foulspawn seers under their care. They are favorably disposed to other foulspawn primarily from a culinary perspective. Without a fowlspawn seer to rein them in, a hulk will happily eat its fellows. Under guidance from a seer, the hulks limit themselves to scavenging carcasses, and help clean up sites of battles and make evidence of the foulspawn difficult to find.
A foulspawn hulk can disrupt tactics with its mere presence. Creatures fighting in melee near a turlemoi start attacking unintended targets. Otherwise, a foulspawn hulk is too dim to have much tactical acumen besides “hit the biggest enemy the hardest”. They prefer to fight in melee, but pitch boulders at foes that keep their distance. Opponents trying to turn a foulspawn hulk’s strength to their advantage are in for a rude surprise. Any attempt to charm or control a foulspawn hulk creates a deadly psychic feedback between the hulk and the caster.
Foulspawn Hulk CR 10 XP 9,600 NE Large aberration (foulspawn) Init+6;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +9 Aurarandom violence (20 ft., Will DC 19) Defense AC24, touch 11, flat-footed 22 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +13 natural) hp126 (12d8+72) Fort+12,Ref+6,Will+11 DR10/magic;Immuneconfusion and insanity effects,divination, mind-influencing effects; Resistcold 10 Defensive Abilities psychic mirror Offense Speed40 ft. Melee2 slams +16 (2d8+7/19-20x2) Rangedrock +11 (2d8+10) Space10 ft.; Reach10 ft. Special Attacks rend (2 slams, 2d8+10 plus tripping rend), rock throwing (80 ft.) Statistics Str24,Dex14,Con23,Int7,Wis7,Cha16 Base Atk +9;CMB+17;CMD29 FeatsCombat Reflexes,Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (slam) SkillsAcrobatics +9 (+13 when jumping), Climb +14, Intimidate +10, Perception +9, Swim +14 LanguagesAklo, telepathy 60 ft. SQmadness, no breath Ecology Environmentany land or underground Organizationsolitary, pair, guard (1-4 plus 1 starspawn seer) or envoy (1-4 plus 1-8 mixed foulspawn) Treasureincidental Special Abilities Aura of Random Violence (Su) All creatures within 20 feet of a foulspawn hulk must succeed a DC 19 Will save whenever they make a melee attack (including natural weapons and touch attacks). If they fail, they attack a random creature within their reach instead of their intended target. This is a mind-influencing confusion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Madness (Ex)Foulspawn use their Charisma modifier on Will saves instead of their Wisdom modifier, and are immune to insanity and confusion effects. Only a miracleorwish can remove a foulspawn’s madness. If this occurs, the foulspawn gains 6 points of Wisdom and loses 6 points of Charisma. Psychic Mirror (Su) Foulspawn hulks are immune to mind-influencing effects. Whenever the foulspawn hulk is targeted by a mind-influencing effect, the creature casting or originating that effect must succeed a DC 19 Will save or take 6d6 points of damage. This is a mind-influencing effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Tripping Rend (Ex) A foulspawn hulk may make a combat maneuver to trip an opponent as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity whenever it uses its rend special attack.
[Commissioned by @glarnboudin. I knew RWBY was a thing, an animated web series thing, but the size of the franchise completely passed me by. There are comic books, manga, multiple video games. And its monsters, the grimm, appear in all of them. The beowolf is an entry-level monster, capable of being slain in large numbers by our heroes in splash pages and the like, but I still wanted them to be tougher than mundane wolves. I’ve also included my (derived solely from browsing wikis) take on the grimm as a whole here, as a subtype.
And yes, RWBY purists, the canon beowolves don’t have a wind breath ability. Given the fairy tale nature of their premise, I wanted to give them some sort of reference to the Big Bad Wolf.]
Grimm The kytons and sahkils are united in their affection for fear and pain, and in their flouting of both morality and mortality. Unlike many other groupings of fiends, they sometimes collaborate, uniting their forces in order to change the cosmos for the worse. One of their most fecund creations are the grimm—foul parodies of animals that feed on negative emotional states. These form in pits of tarry liquid that congeal on the Plane of Shadow, and they can bleed over into the Material Plane where the borders between worlds are thin. On some worlds, they have all but replaced mundane animals. Both kytons and sahkils may keep grimms as guard animals, living torture equipment, and general pets.
All grimm appear as caricatures of the animal form, black with bony spurs and jagged claws. Their heads are skull-like and marked with red lines, and these glow along with their eyes when the creatures are riled. Grimms are as much of shadow as flesh, and when slain dissolve completely, leaving no physical remains. Unlike many other shadowy beings, they have no trouble with bright light, although they prefer the darkness. Grimms are immortal, and some are quite ancient. Although most grimms are barely more intelligent than the animals they resemble, as they age they gain both intelligence and power, and elder grimms can achieve human levels of intellect.
“Grimm” is a subtype of outsider with the following racial traits: Immune to emotion effects Resist acid 10 and cold 10 Negative energy affinity Intimidating Prowess as a bonus feat Animalistic (Ex) A grimm is not proficient with any manufactured weapons. Grimms understand Infernal but cannot speak
Grimm, Beowolf CR 2 NE Outsider (extraplanar) This creature is a vaguely humanoid wolf, its posture stooped and its hands more like paws. It has black fur marked by white bone spurs, and its head is a skull-like mask.
Beowolves are the most common grimms, as wolves are found as figures of fear in many cultures. They are pack hunters, traveling in large groups to sniff out and take down prey. Beowolves are nimble creatures, and often make use of terrain in order to slow down less agile enemies. Their combat strategies are relatively simple, although they can generate gusts of supernatural wind simply by exhaling. Most beowolves use this ability to knock down temporary shelters to feast on the cowering creatures inside.
A beowolf that survives for an extended period of time may grow into an alpha beowolf. Such creatures are Large in size, with 6 HD. An alpha beowolf is a CR 4 creature. Beowolves instinctively follow alpha beowolves and will fight to the death to protect one. Beowolf paws are dexterous enough to grasp rocks and clubs, and some beowolves take Catch Off-Guard or Throw Anything as feats. It would take a very patient instructor to teach a beowolf how to use more complicated weaponry.
Beowolf CR 2 XP 600 NE Medium outsider (extraplanar, evil, grimm) Init+2;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +5, scent Defense AC14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 natural) hp16 (3d10) Fort+3,Ref+5,Will+1 Immuneemotion effects; Resistacid 10, cold 10 Defensive Abilities negative energy affinity Offense Speed 30 ft. Meleebite +5 (1d6+1), 2 claws +4 (1d4+1) Special Attacks huff and puff Statistics Str13,Dex14,Con10,Int3,Wis11,Cha12 Base Atk +3;CMB+4;CMD15 FeatsIntimidating Prowess (B), Nimble Moves, Weapon Focus (bite) SkillsAcrobatics +6, Climb +5, Intimidate +7, Perception +4, Stealth +6, Survival +4 (+8 tracking by scent); Racial Modifiers +4 Survival when tracking by scent LanguagesInfernal (cannot speak) SQanimalistic Ecology Environmentany land and underground (Plane of Shadow) Organizationsolitary, pair, pack (3-12) or horde (13-36) Treasurenone Special Abilities Animalistic (Ex) A beowolf is not proficient in any manufactured weapons. Huff and Puff (Su) As a standard action, a beowolf can exhale a thirty foot line of wind that acts as a gust of wind spell. It may use this ability three times per day, but must wait 1d4 rounds between uses.
[”Hollow skin monster” is a not uncommon body horror trope, but does have some folkloric bonafides, albeit obscure ones. The amixsak is another Yupik monster. I can tell you, it is tempting to just make the World Tour series an “A Book of Creatures” series, but I’m trying to mix it up, and draw art from other sources as well.]
Amixsak CR 8 NE Undead This creature resembles the hollow skin of a walrus, blood oozing from the tears in its flesh. Without muscle or bones, it still moves with grim purpose, slithering along.
If a marine mammal is killed by hunters without the proper rituals to appease its spirit being performed, an amixsak can result. These undead are single minded hunters of humanoids, stalking them from the water and either sinking their boats or pulling them in to drown. Creatures grabbed by an amixsak are thoroughly entwined in their folds of skin, and others trying to help them escape may deal as much damage to the grabbed victim as to the undead monster. Although they form from aquatic creatures, they are surprisingly fast on land, crawling along in an inchworm-like motion.
Amixsak have a dim sapience, enough to help them avoid common ambush tactics and understand the speech of their prey. Like the marine mammals they once were, they often gather together in pods. Because of the variety of sizes of pinnipeds and whales, amixsak come in many sizes, represented with the young or giant templates. A whale that spawns an amixsak is more likely to spawn multiple of the monsters, with each arising from a different sheet of flensed skin and blubber. Only through truly wasteful harvests can a Gargantuan amixsak, the hollow skin of an entire whale, be created.
Amixsak CR 8 XP 4,800 NE Large undead Init+6;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., lifesense 30 ft., Perception +10 Defense AC21, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +10 natural) hp102 (12d8+48) Fort+8,Ref+8,Will+10 DR10/ magic and piercing or magic and slashing; Immunecold, undead traits Offense Speed30 ft., swim 40 ft. Melee2 slams +15 (2d6+7/19-20 plus grab) Space10 ft.; Reach5 ft. Special Attacks capsize, constrict (2d6+10), smother Statistics Str25,Dex15,Con-,Int6,Wis14,Cha18 Base Atk +9;CMB+17 (+21 grapple); CMD30 FeatsDefensive Combat Training, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Stealthy SkillsEscape Artist +9, Perception +10, Stealth +13, Swim +19 LanguagesCommon (cannot speak) SQcompression, entwine Ecology Environmentany aquatic or coastal Organizationsolitary, pair or pod (3-12) Treasureincidental Special Abilities Entwine (Ex) An amixsak wraps so closely against its victims that any attack that targets a grappling amixsak deals half damage to the forsaken shell and half damage to the grappled victim. Apply damage reduction or energy resistance after splitting the damage.
[Much like the sorrowsworn before them, this is a monster family with a weird and shifting pedigree. So much so, in fact, that they have a different name every time they appear! This family of monsters first appeared in 3.5′s Monster Manual V as the ushemoi, subterranean aberrations whose gimmick was hyperspeed Lamarckian evolution. They get tougher the longer you fight them, you see; some of them gain attack bonus and AC the more damage they take, others gain better spellcasting the more spells they cast. This was, clearly, a lot of paperwork for a GM, and so that gimmick was dropped when they reappeared in 4e’s core Monster Manual as the foulspawn. There were five foulspawn, as opposed to only four ushemoi, because there was one for each of the main monster “roles” in the 4e system (controller, brute, soldier, skirmisher, artillery) and they were designed to be used together in encounter building. Their appearances were tweaked slightly, but the foulspawn are clearly built on top of the ushemoi. In Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, they became “starspawn” instead of “foulspawn”, and the abilities of the brute and the soldier were collapsed back into one creature. And they didn’t get illustrations! The only starspawn that gets a picture is the “larva mage”, which is the D&D 5e version of the Worm that Walks. Some of the unused illustrations (like the one above) have made it to the internet, as well as some of the new pictures they’re getting in Monsters of the Multiverse.
So I had a lot of decisions to make with these entries. Which version of the ushemoi/foulspawn/starspawn to use as my base? Which name to give them? What pictures to use? I’m sticking to the 4e foulspawn designation, but giving them ushemoi as an endonym, and the ushemoi species names as type endonyms (although the lashemoi is the least like the grue it eventually became). My base is the 5e statistics, but I am incorporating more of their 4e abilities, because 5e monsters tend to be a little boring mechanically. And I’m making them natives of Aucturn because it seems like a logical place in the Pathfinder setting for them to live. @thecreaturechronicle placed them there as well, as the spawn of the daelkyr, but I’ve made them more “natural” lifeforms from that unnatural world.]
Foulspawn (Ushemoi) The planet Aucturn slumbers. Believed by the maddest sages to be the embryonic form of an Outer God, that mysterious world nevertheless has characteristics of life. And like large organisms the multiverse over, smaller things live on it, surviving on its excretions and relying on it for shelter. These commensal creatures are the foulspawn.
Foulspawn are vaguely humanoid creatures with warped bodies and even more warped psyches. They are spawned in pits where secretions of Aucturn mingle with organic debris, and the larger the wound, the more fecund it is in foulspawn. They call themselves the ushemoi when speaking in Aklo. Foulspawn can be found carrying out strange, destructive missions on multiple worlds, presumably in some way serving the needs of their home planet. As Aucturn is the site of a careful détente between the servitors of the Great Old Ones and the Dominion of the Black, ushemoi may be found among either of these forces, although they are not slavishly loyal to either.
Foulspawn is a subtype of aberration with the following racial abilities: Madness (Ex)Foulspawn use their Charisma modifier on Will saves instead of their Wisdom modifier, and are immune to insanity and confusion effects. Only a miracleorwish can remove a foulspawn’s madness. If this occurs, the foulspawn gains 6 points of Wisdom and loses 6 points of Charisma. No breath (Ex) as the universal monster ability. Telepathy60 ft.
Foulspawn Grue CR 3 NE Aberration This small humanoid creature has stooped posture and wrinkled skin, from which black bristles protrude at irregular intervals. Its hands and feet end in sharp, cracked nails. It has no nose and a fanged maw.
Grues are among the weakest and most numerous of the foulspawn. The bristles that grow off of their bodies are filamentous structures more akin to the contents of a blackhead than anything else, and foulspawn grues spend much of their idle time picking and squeezing at them. Foulspawn grues are fidgety and twitchy in general, and often giggle nervously. They are called “lashemoi” in Aklo.
Foulspawn grues prefer to attack from ambush or alongside larger, more powerful foulspawn. Their madness is contagious, and creatures standing too close to a foulspawn grue suffer from flashes of color, emotional surges and other minor hallucinations. They usually target the weakest seeming individuals, and enjoy drawing out their assaults into extended torment sessions rather than finishing off any one victim. This also helps to spread their maddening bite, which causes more potent confusion. One side effect of the maddening bite is to make its victims target the grue that bit them above other targets, which allows more powerful foulspawn to take advantage of the distraction.
Foulspawn Grue CR 3 XP 800 NE Small aberration (foulspawn) Init+3;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +2 Auraconfounding (20 ft.) Defense AC16, touch 15, flat-footed 12(+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural) hp27 (5d8+5) Fort+2,Ref+4,Will+6 Immuneconfusion and insanity effects Offense Speed30 ft. Melee2 claws +7 (1d4), bite +7 (2d4 plus maddening bite) Spell-like Abilities CL 3rd, concentration +6 3/day—daze monster (DC 14, no HD cap), mind thrust I (DC 13) 1/day—dimension door Statistics Str10,Dex16,Con13,Int9,Wis3,Cha14 Base Atk +3;CMB+2;CMD16 FeatsDodge, Nimble Moves, Weapon Finesse SkillsAcrobatics +9, Climb +6, Escape Artist +9, Perception +2, Stealth +13 LanguagesAklo, telepathy 60 ft. SQmadness, no breath Ecology Environmentany land or underground Organizationsolitary, pair, pack or envoy (2-12 plus 1-8 mixed foulspawn) Treasureincidental Special Abilities Confounding Aura (Su) All creatures other than foulspawn within 20 feet of a foulspawn grue suffer a -1 penalty on all saving throws and a -4 penalty on all concentration checks and Perception checks. This is a mind-influencing confusion effect. Maddening Bite (Su) A creature bitten by a foulspawn grue must succeed a DC 14 Will save or be confused for 1d4 rounds. Any results of “attack nearest creature” are treated as “attack the foulspawn grue that attacked you most recently” instead. This is a mind-influencing confusion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Madness (Ex)Foulspawn use their Charisma modifier on Will saves instead of their Wisdom modifier, and are immune to insanity and confusion effects. Only a miracleorwish can remove a foulspawn’s madness. If this occurs, the foulspawn gains 6 points of Wisdom and loses 6 points of Charisma.
[Commissioned by @justicegundam82. The nagahydra first appeared in the somewhat infamous Serpent Kingdoms for Forgotten Realms in 3.5. Infamous because of the wacky balance issues; it was this book that allowed the exploits of Pun-Pun, a charop build that could become literally immortal by level 6 or so. The nagahydra isn’t that bad, but is pretty close, being originally able to cast one spell per head per round, with no restrictions. That’s a recipe for a TPK, even for a CR 18 monster, but I wanted to capture a certain amount of that flavor. I borrowed a level cap from the spell weaver, which will interact with the number of heads the nagahydra has in what should hopefully be a fun way.]
Nagahydra CR 18 N Aberration This immense serpentine creature has scales of multiple colors and textures, and a ridge of spines running down its back. It has five heads, each of which is human-like but scaled and fanged.
Nagahydras are among the most powerful of naga-kind, and perhaps the most monstrous. They have five heads, which are frequently mismatched, with scale colors and facial features characteristic of multiple species of nagas. They have the hydra-like ability to heal quickly and to grow two heads if one is severed, although accessory heads quickly die back, instead of remaining permanently. Whether the transformation into a hydra-like entity was something done by nagas or to nagas remains unclear—different nagahydras have different explanations, if they bother to discuss this history at all.
Much like other nagas, nagahydras are gifted magic users. Due to the flexibility of their spellcasting, no two nagahydras are likely to have the same tactics or the same spells to draw from. However, they can cast multiple spells at once, using multiple heads to intone different verbal components and make arcane gestures simultaneously. A nagahydra that has grown accessory heads can cast even more spells simultaneously, and some nagahydras with minions or summoned allies instruct them to cut off a head or two to allow them to grow more just before a difficult combat is anticipated.
Most nagahydras live in forest environments, particularly tropical rainforests and tropical seasonal forests. They are carnivores and sit comfortably at the top of the food chain, often choosing other monstrous prey to consume for the sport of it. The alignments of nagahydras vary, but the appearance of the heads they have does not necessarily reflect their alignments. Some with the washed out purples and banded reds of dark and spirit nagas are nevertheless good, and some with the golden scales of guardian nagas are of the foulest evil. Nagahydras are skilled liars and clever conversationalists, and even evil ones like to engage in riddles and stories. Nagahydras have a single personality and motivation no matter their number of heads, although they can engage in multiple separate conversations separately.
Nagahydra CR 18 XP 153,600 N Huge aberration Init+9;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +26, scent Defense AC30, touch 13, flat-footed 25(-2 size, +5 Dex, +17 natural) hp290 (20d8+180); fast healing 15 Fort+18,Ref+15,Will+18 Offense Speed30 ft., swim 40 ft. Melee5 bites +24 (2d6+10/19-20 plus poison) Space15 ft.; Reach10 ft. Special Attacks multicasting, pounce SpellsCL 15th, concentration +22 (+26 casting defensively) 7th(5/day)—creeping doom (DC 24), prismatic spray (DC 25) 6th(7/day)—chain lightning (DC 24), disintegrate(DC 23), heal(DC 23) 5th(7/day)—cone of cold (DC 23), overland flight, spell resistance, waves of fatigue 4th(7/day)—cure critical wounds (DC 21), dimension door, greater invisibility, wall of fire 3rd(8/day)—fireball(DC 21), greater magic fang, heroism,protection from energy 2nd(8/day)—eagle’s splendor, mirror image, scorching ray, see invisibility, spiritual weapon 1st(8/day)—divine favor, expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic missile, shield of faith 0th—acid splash, detect magic,light, mage hand, mending, open/close, read magic, resistance, stabilize Statistics Str30,Dex20,Con30,Int21,Wis23,Cha25 Base Atk +15;CMB+27;CMD42 FeatsArcane Strike,Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes (B), Empower Spell, Eschew Materials (B), Extend Spell, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Spell Focus (evocation), Spell Penetration, Weapon Focus (bite) SkillsAppraise +15,Bluff +22, Fly +16, Diplomacy +22, Intimidate +25, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (dungeoneering, religion) +15, Linguistics +15, Perception +26, Sense Motive +21, Spellcraft +23, Stealth +13, Swim +28; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception LanguagesAbyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal, 10 others SQhydra traits, regenerate head Ecology Environmenttemperate and warm forests Organizationsolitary or nest (2-4) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Fast Healing (Ex) A nagahydra’s fast healing ability is equal to 10 plus its current number of heads (minimum fast healing 15). This fast healing applies only to damage inflicted on the hydra’s body. Hydra Traits (Ex) A nagahydra can be killed by severing all of its heads or slaying its body. Any attack that is not an attempt to sever a head affects the body, including area attacks or attacks that cause piercing or bludgeoning damage. To sever a head, an opponent must make a sunder attempt with a slashing weapon targeting a head. A head is considered a separate weapon with hardness 0 and hit points equal to the nagahydra’s HD. To sever a head, an opponent must inflict enough damage to reduce the head’s hit points to 0 or less. Severing a head deals damage to the nagahydra’s body equal to the hydra’s current HD. A nagahydra can’t attack with a severed head, but takes no other penalties. Multicasting (Ex) A nagahydra can choose to cast multiple spells as a standard action, as long as all of those spells have a casting time of one standard action. Each level of spells cast in a single round requires the use of one head (0th level spells count as 1st level spells for this purpose). If it has more or less heads than its normal number (because of severing or the regenerate head ability), it can cast more or less levels of spells when it casts multiple spells. For example, a nagahydra with its normal allotment of heads could cast a 2nd level and 3rd level spell in the same action, or a 4th level spell and a 1nd level spell, or five 1st level spells. Poison (Ex) Bite—injury;saveFort DC 30; duration1/round for 4 rounds; effect1d6 Con damage; cure2 saves. The save DC is Constitution based. Regenerate Head (Ex) When a nagahydra’s head is destroyed, two heads regrow in 1d4 rounds. A nagahydra cannot have more than twice its original number of heads at any one time. To prevent new heads from growing, at least 5 points of acid or fire damage must be dealt to the stump (a touch attack to hit) before they appear. Acid or fire damage from area attacks can affect stumps and the body simultaneously. A nagahydra doesn’t die from losing its heads until all are cut off and the stumps seared by acid or fire. Heads beyond its usual allotment of five die and are shed 24 hours after growing. SpellsA nagahydra can cast spells as a 15th level sorcerer. It can also cast spells from the cleric list, and from the Scalykind domain. A nagahydra does not gain additional benefits from the sorcerer class, such as bloodline spells, unless it takes levels in sorcerer.
[The mannegishi are Little People found in the legends of the Cree, and are closely tied to the memegwesi of the Ojibwa (of which the above is a picture) and similar entities found throughout Algonquian language-speakers. They are also difficult to find legit information about. The reason for this is my perennial/occasional nemeses as a student of folklore: cryptozoologists.
Karl Shuker, who I thought was better than this, claimed that the Dover Demon was a mannegishi, and thus almost all searches for it turn up pictures of noseless Grey Alien types. The folkloric mannegishi is hairy and wears clothes, as opposed to the naked, hairless Dover Demon, and no authentically Native stories mention traits like glowing eyes or six fingers. The only real link is noselessness, which isn’t found in all mannegishi stories, only those of the Menominee, who live in Wisconsin. A long way from Dover, Massachusetts.
The Native-Languages.org site linked above is the best source of legit information I could find online. Even the Wikipedia page is a chimera of Dover Demon and actual folklore, although there is a tag that states that the page needs to be cleaned up.]
Mannegishi CR 5 CG Fey This little man is scarcely taller than a toddler. He has a round, child-like face, but a beard grows from his chin, and hair protrudes from underneath his clothes.
Mannegishi are fey creatures of rock and rivers. They live in boulders near rapids, where they hunt, fish and gather berries and nuts for their food. Mannegishi act as stewards of these ecosystems, making sure they remain in balance and protecting them from overharvesting or damming. Mannegishi are generally benevolent, but do demand respect. They greatly appreciate gifts of food or trinkets, and those that do not do so are likely to find themselves the victim of pranks.
Despite their small stature, mannegishi are very strong. They augment this strength with magical control over the weight and density of rocks; their stone-tipped spears strike as hard as those of man-size, and the rocks they lob strike with the force of a small catapult. Mannegishi rarely fight to the death unless truly angered, however, preferring to negotiate a settlement or, barring that, run away and hide inside their boulder homes.
Mannegishi are sometimes found living alone, but more often associate in family groups. These groups work together to float canoes carved from stone, a truly baffling sight for the unaware (especially when the mannegishi within are invisible). They are fond of children, and often help children lost in the woods find their way home, or help them discover a good source of food if hungry. As is common with trickster spirits, they themselves are somewhat easy to fool. Mannegishi usually have a good sense of humor about the tables being turned.
Mannegishi Boons and Banes (CL 6th, 3rd level, Will DC 14) Mannegishi are most likely to use their boon on a lost child or someone who properly leaves gifts for them when on the land they consider their charge. A mannegishi often will give its boon while sneaking up invisibly on a beneficiary, with the blessed person only realizing in hindsight that they’ve received magical aid. Their bane they give to those that act callously or destructively towards rivers and stone, but that they think can grow and learn the error of their ways. Boon:You have an uncanny sense of woodcraft. You gain a +4 sacred bonus on Knowledge (geography), Profession (sailor) and Survival checks, and always know which direction is north. This boon lasts for 1 week. Bane:The land itself seems to reject you. You suffer a -4 penalty on Knowledge (geography), Profession (sailor) and Survival checks. You must succeed a DC 14 Will save every night or suffer from nightmares, leaving you without the benefits of rest. This bane lasts for 1 week.
Mannegishi CR 5 XP 1,600 CG Small fey (earth) Init+4;Senseslow-light vision, Perception +9, tremorsense 30 ft. Defense AC19, touch 15, flat-footed 15(+1 size, +4 Dex, +2 armor, +2 natural) hp51 (6d6+30) Fort+7,Ref+9,Will+6 DR10/cold iron or piercing Offense Speed30 ft. Meleespear +7 (1d8+4/x3) or slam +7 (1d4+3) Rangedrock +9 or +7/+7 (2d6+3) Special Attacks rock throwing (50 ft.) Spell-like Abilities CL 6th, concentration +8 At will—invisibility, warp wood (DC 14) 3/day—barkskin, stone call, wood shape 1/day—air walk, control water, stone shape, stone tell Statistics Str16,Dex19,Con20,Int13,Wis13,Cha14 Base Atk +3;CMB+5;CMD19 FeatsPoint Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Rapid Shot SkillsAcrobatics +12 (+20 in wet and slippery terrain),Bluff +10, Climb +10, Knowledge (geography, nature) +8, Perception +9, Profession (sailor) +6, Stealth +16, Survival +9; Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics in wet and slippery terrain LanguagesCommon, Sylvan, Terran SQdensity control,rock hopper, stone hideaway Ecology Environmenttemperate hills and forests Organizationsolitary, pair or family (3-8) Treasurestandard (leather armor, stone spear, 20 pebbles, other treasure) Special Abilities Density Control (Su) A mannegishi can control the density of any stone object it touches. It can make a stone object of up to a 5 foot cube float; larger objects require multiple mannegishi to work in unison. Any stone weapon it wields deals damage as if it were one size category larger. The density remains what the mannegishi desires for 1 minute after the mannegishi stops touching the object. Rock Hopper (Ex) A mannegishi gains a +8 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks made in wet and slippery terrain. It is not counted as flat-footed while balancing, and does not suffer a penalty to its speed. Stone Hideaway (Su) When a mannegishi touches a rock of at least 5 foot square and spends a full round action, it can designate that rock as a stone hideaway. The stone hideaway counts as an extraplanar space with a 20 foot radius, which always remains comfortable in temperature and has a controllable light source as per a tiny hut spell. The entrance is three feet wide, opaque from the outside but transparent from the inside. The stone hideaway is permanent until that mannegishi decides to designate another rock. When it does so, any contents of the previous stone hideaway are shunted outside of the rock without damage.
The look for the Wretched were explicitly based on a plucked chicken crossed with a lamprey. While I was doing these entries, I noticed that of the Sorrowsworn, four out of five of them are grappling based. So I stripped that from the Wretched and gave them a new signature ability. I’ve noticed that the notes on the Sorrowsworn in general are a little low. Are people sick of them all in a row like this? There are two more families of monsters in Mordenkainen’s I’m planning on covering (the starspawn/foulspawn/ushemoi and the variant trolls). Should I alternate between them for variety’s sake?]
Sorrowsworn, the Wretched CR 2 NE Aberration This armless biped has muscular clawed legs and a circular mouth ringed with multiple rows of teeth. Its eyes are large and glistening.
The Wretched are the least of the sorrowsworn, manifesting feelings of self-loathing and guilt. They are rarely found alone, as they are fairly weak and easy meat for other monsters of the Plane of Shadow. In packs, they are truly dangerous, overwhelming a single foe with an onslaught of necromancy-infused bites. They constantly duck and weave underfoot of other sorrowsworn, which sometimes attack them out of irritation. The Wretched never leave the sides of even the most abusive sorrowsworn, as they feel they deserve such ill treatment.
The Wretched CR 2 XP 600 NE Small aberration (extraplanar, sorrowsworn) Init+1;Sensesdarkvision 120 ft., Perception +2, see invisibility Defense AC15, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +3 natural) hp14 (4d8-4) Fort+0,Ref+2,Will+2 Immunehit point damage from mind-influencing abilities; Resistcold 10, electricity 10, fire 10 Defensive Abilities cushioning shadow, harvester of sorrow Weaknessdemoralized Offense Speed40 ft. Meleebite +5 (1d10+1 plus chill bite) Special Attacks pack tactics Statistics Str12,Dex12,Con9,Int5,Wis7,Cha10 Base Atk +3;CMB+2;CMD14 FeatsDodge, Mobility SkillsAcrobatics +5 (+9 when jumping), Climb +5, Perception +2, Stealth +9 LanguagesCommon, Shadowtongue Ecology Environmentany land (Plane of Shadow) Organizationsolitary, pair, gang (3-14) or pack (2-7 plus 2-7 mixed sorrowsworn) Treasureincidental Special Abilities Chill Bite (Su) A creature bitten by a Wretched sorrowsworn must succeed a DC 12 Fortitude save or take 1d6 points of damage and 1 point of Strength damage. An undead creature bitten does not take extra damage, but must succeed a DC 12 Will save or be panicked for 1d4+2 rounds. This is a necromancy effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Cushioning Darkness (Su)In areas of dim light or darkness, a Wretched sorrowsworn gains DR 1/- . Demoralized (Ex) A Wretched sorrowsworn takes an additional -1 penalty whenever it takes a morale penalty to dice rolls. Harvester of Sorrow (Su) A Wretched sorrowsworn heals as a result of the suffering of others. It gains fast healing 4 if at least one creature within 15 feet has one or more of the following conditions: confused, cowering, dying, exhausted, fatigued, frightened, nauseated, panicked, shaken, sickened, staggered, or stunned. Pack Tactics (Ex) A Wretched sorrowsworn can share a space with any one creature with the sorrowsworn subtype without penalty. It is treated as flanking whatever foe that sorrowsworn attacks that round, as if they were in two opposite squares.
[Commissioned by Soluman Blevins. Hadriel first appeared in the 3.0 book Legions of Hell, as the leader of two whole factions of devils, the Submitted and the Obeyed. This was yet another “BDSM is Evil” themed monster, which were a common theme in RPGs trying to be “edgy” in the 90s and 00s. And her backstory, rebelling against the misogyny of Hell, gives her original flavor text something of a girlboss vibe. I have nothing against either BDSM or rebelling against misogyny, so I wanted to make sure there was something genuinely evil about my take on Hadriel. Long story short, Hadriel is a TERF.
There is a 5e conversion of The Book of Fiends, which has rather more of an art budget and is in full color. I don’t like that rendition of Hadriel as much; she’s more conventionally beautiful and doesn’t even have visible bone hooks. Sam Wood’s more extreme take is very cool and very HR Giger meets Clive Barker. I suspect Hadriel might even have been an influence on Magic: the Gathering’s Elesh Norn, with the sweeping headdress and corset of gore.]
Hadriel Duchess of Domination, Lady Cindara, Mistress Concernsaristocracy, radical feminism, sadomasochism DomainsCharm, Evil, Law, Nobility SubdomainsAristocracy, Devil, Lust, Tyranny Worshipersfemale supremacists,noblewomen, slavers Minionserinyes, handmaiden devils, kytons Unholy Symbol a crossed sickle and riding crop Favored Weapon sickle Obediencespend one hour inflicting pain on a sapient creature without killing it. You may use yourself for this purpose if you do not have a subject on hand. Gain a +4 profane bonus on saves against the staggered and stunned conditions. Boons1:eagle’s splendor 2/day; 2: charm monster 2/day; 3: waves of ecstasy2/day (as 6th level spell)
Malebranche, Hadriel CR 21 LE Outsider (extraplanar) This giant humanoid is cruelly thin, with violet skin stretched over bone. Her face is beautiful, but cruel, and a mane of spines grows from the back of her head. Bony hooks protrude from her wrists, and she wears a corset made of bones and a skirt made of tanned leather.
Hadriel, the Duchess of Domination, is a powerful and ambitious devil who became a malebranche on her own initiative. Originally an erinyes, she expected and demanded more power, eventually carving her own body into a stronger and more monstrous form and joining the court of Mephistopheles. In the misogynistic hierarchies of Hell, this entailed acting as a consort to a male pit fiend, who met with a “tragic accident” and had his resources usurped by Hadriel. She has since moved to the Material Plane as her primary base, seeking to sacrifice an entire planet to Hell in order to curry Asmodeus’ favor and gain further advancement. Part of this process has been spurring a cult to form on her behalf, granting her a sliver of divine power.
Hadriel is a sadistic combatant, and although she can end fights in an instant with her mind controlling abilities, prefers to drag them out. She wants to leave enemies broken, beaten and humiliated before making them her slaves. She has two auras, the first inspiring fear and the second an enthralling mental weakness. In melee, she fights with her bone hook and quill-like horns, but rarely fights alone, instead working along with a squad of bodyguards and thralls. She has no compunctions about abandoning a losing battle, leaving her minions behind to die as punishment for their failure.
The Duchess of Domination has shapechanging abilities, and commonly travels the Material Plane under the guise of Lady Cindara, a woman of great wealth and vague royal descent. Lady Cindara is the leader of the Shrieking Violet Society, a women’s club that acts as a front for Hadriel’s cult. Every headquarters is the site of an infernal sigil, part of a plan to transform an entire planet into a magic circle and transport it physically into Hell. Initially, the Shrieking Violet Society seems to be a place for upper class women to converse and advocate for their position, but the more initiated one becomes, the crueler revelations are made. Hadriel’s experiences with misogyny have warped her perspective into a complete reversal, envisaging a perfect society where “proper women” completely dominate men and rule over them with an iron fist. The Shrieking Violet definition of a “proper woman” is narrow, and trans women, gender nonconforming people and others who do not fit their criteria are seen as abominations to be exterminated.
Hadriel stands ten feet tall in her natural form. Her pride prevents her from ever assuming male guise through shapeshifting or illusion magic.
Hadriel CR 21 XP 409,600 LE Large outsider (devil, extraplanar, evil, lawful, malebranche, shapechanger) Init+11;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., detect chaos, detect good, Perception +37, see in darkness, true seeing Aurafrightful presence (60 ft., Will DC 34), heady perfume (10 ft., Will DC 31) Defense AC37, touch 25, flat-footed 26(-1 size, +11 Dex, +5 deflection, +12 natural) hp391 (27d10+243); regeneration 10 (good, silver) Fort+19,Ref+26,Will+24 DR20/good and silver; Immunecharm and compulsion effects, death effects, fire, poison; Resistacid 30, cold 30; SR32 Defensive Abilities pain to pleasure Offense Speed40 ft. Melee2 claws +35 (2d8+9/19-20 plus grab), gore +35 (2d6+9) Space10 ft.; Reach10 ft. Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 2d8+13), utter domination Spell-like Abilities CL 21st, concentration +32 (+36 casting defensively) Constant—detect chaos, detect good, tongues, true seeing At will—charm monster (DC 25), greater command (DC 26), greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. objects only), misdirection(DC 24) 3/day—dream, false vision (DC 26), geas/quest, greater dispel magic, mass inflict pain (DC 27), mass suggestion (DC 27), nightmare(DC 26), veil(DC 27), quickened waves of ecstasy (DC 27) 1/day—irresistible dance, mass hold monster (DC 30), overwhelming presence(DC 30), summon (9th level, 1 devil of CR 20 or lower, 100%), unholy aura (DC 29) Statistics Str28,Dex32,Con27,Int30,Wis25,Cha33 Base Atk +27;CMB+37 (+41 grapple); CMD64 FeatsCombat Casting,Combat Reflexes,Critical Focus,Deceitful,Deflect Arrows (B),Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (claw), Iron Will, Quicken SLA (waves of ecstasy), Persuasive, Power Attack,Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical, Toughness SkillsBluff +45, Diplomacy +45, Disguise +45, Intimidate +45, Knowledge (arcana, history, local, religion) +37, Knowledge (nobility, planes) +40, Perception +37, Perform (oratory) +38, Sense Motive +37, Spellcraft +37, Stealth +37, Use Magic Device +38 LanguagesCelestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 300 ft., tongues SQchange shape (humanoid or animal, greater polymorph) Ecology Environmentany land or urban (Hell) Organizationunique Treasuretriple standard (ring of protection +5, rod of splendor, other treasure) Special Abilities Heady Perfume (Su) Hadriel exudes a cloying scent that clouds the mind. Any creature within 10 feet of Hadriel must succeed a DC 31 Will save or be affected as per a mind fog spell, taking a -10 penalty to Wisdom checks and Will saves while in the aura and for 2d6 rounds thereafter. A creature that succeeds its save is immune to Hadriel’s heady perfume for the next 24 hours. Hadriel may use this perfume even when in another form. This is a mind-influencing compulsion effect, and the save DC is Constitution based. Malebranche Traits (Ex/Su) Hadriel is a malebranche, a powerful unique fiend. She possesses the following traits:
Immunity to charm and compulsion effects, death effects, fire, and poison.
Resistance to acid 30 and cold 30.
Telepathy 300 feet.
Hadriel’s natural weapons, as well as any weapon she wields, are treated as epic, evil and lawful for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Pain to Pleasure (Ex) Hadriel makes no saves against pain effects, but gains benefits instead of penalties. Any damage dealt by a pain effect are treated as temporary hit points that last for 1 hour or until expended. Any penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, skill and ability checks or damage become morale bonuses to those rolls that last for the duration of the effect. Utter Domination (Su) Three times per day, Hadriel can control the will of another creature within 60 feet as a standard action. Treat this as a dominate monster effect (Will DC 34, CL 27th), except that the creature gains no saving throw against actions against their nature. The dominated creature can make a saving throw to resist an obviously self-destructive command, but if it succeeds that saving throw resists that command specifically for the next 24 hours, not breaking the domination effect completely. This is a mind influencing compulsion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based.
[One of the main purposes of me doing a World Tour block is to incorporate a bunch of monsters that I’ve learned about in the years since I’ve had a dedicated folklore block. Lots of new monsters from books I’ve read, and from A Book of Creatures, which is still one of the best monster sites on the internet. This particular nightmare comes from Yupik folklore.]
Itqiirpak CR 16 CN Outsider (extraplanar) This giant floating hand is about as far across as a human is tall. It has a mouth set at the tip of each finger and a larger mouth set in the palm, all of which have gnashing, disturbingly human, teeth.
An itqiirpak, or living fireball, is a chaotic outsider that represents destruction by natural forces. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and meteorite impacts are their favorite, but they also preside over droughts, floods and tsunami. Even though they have a fiery aspect and use fire as a weapon, they are not sensitive to cold, and may even be found swimming in the depths of the sea or in the icy vacuum of space.
Combat with an itqiirpak often begins seemingly at random, with the monster plunging from the sky or rising from the depths, screaming all the while. Each of their mouths is capable of inflicting a deadly bite, the center maw most of all. They can also shoot bolts of fire from their fingers, which they use to blow holes in structures or attack from a distance. They prefer to split their attacks up among as many individuals as possible, but if they are sorely pressed by a single foe, they will grab them in their fist like body and chew them to death.
Although the natural disasters that itqiirpaks preside over appear to be random, they are often engineered by these outsiders. Itqiirpaks control the weather, heat up magma chambers, cause earthquakes, even steer the course of asteroids to send them spiraling towards a planet. Their precise goals are difficult for mortals to comprehend, but they frequently target populations with large numbers of chaotic individuals. Proteans often work with itqiirpaks and defend them. It is possible that the protean choirs use itqiirpaks to create metaphysical raw materials—more chaotic souls entering the afterlife, leading to more quintessence feeding into the chaotic planes.
Itqiirpak CR 16 XP 76,800 CN Large outsider (chaotic, extraplanar) Init+7;Sensesblindsight 120 ft., blindsense 240 ft., blind, detect chaos, Perception +26 Auracloak of chaos (DC 24) Defense AC31, touch 19, flat-footed 25 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +4 deflection, +12 natural) hp237 (19d10+133) Fort+17,Ref+24,Will+21 DR10/stone and lawful; Immunefire, gaze attacks, visual spells and effects; Resistcold 10, electricity 10; SR27 Offense Speed15 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect) Melee5 bites +25 (1d8+7/19-20), great bite +25 (2d8+10/19-20 plus grab) Ranged5 fire bolts +25 touch (4d6) Space10 ft.; Reach5 ft. Special Attacks chew (2d8+10), cumulative fire, powerful blows (great bite) Spell-like Abilities CL 16th, concentration +22 Constant—cloak of chaos (self only), detect chaos At will—dispel magic, fireball (DC 19), wall of fire 3/day—control weather, empoweredflame shield, quickened fireball(DC 19) 1/day—earthquake, fire storm (DC 24), meteor swarm (DC 25) Statistics Str24,Dex25,Con24,Int18,Wis19,Cha23 Base Atk +19;CMB+31 (+35 grapple); CMD43 (cannot be tripped) FeatsCritical Focus,Empower SLA (fire shield), Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved Critical (bite, great bite), Power Attack, Quicken SLA (fireball), Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical SkillsFly +35, Intimidate +28, Knowledge (geography, nature) +23, Knowledge (planes, religion) +26, Perception +26, Sense Motive +26, Stealth +25, Swim +28 LanguagesAbyssal, Celestial, Ignan, Protean SQflight, no breath Ecology Environmentany (Maelstrom) Organizationsolitary, shower (2-4) or storm (5-8) Treasureincidental Special Abilities Chew (Ex) This functions as the constrict special attack, except that the itqiirpak deals bludgeoning, slashing and piercing damage. Cumulative Fire (Su) All fire damage dealt by an itqiirpak’s abilities in the same round is counted as a single attack for the purposes of interacting with fire resistance and hardness. Fire damage dealt by an itqiirpak’s abilities is not halved for any object or creature with hardness. Damage Reduction (Ex) Stone weapons, including weapons made of flint or obsidian, overcome the damage reduction of an itqiirpak (as long as they are also lawful). Fire Bolt (Su) An itqiirpak can shoot a single ray of fire as an attack action and five rays of fire as a full attack action. Treat this as a ranged touch attack with a range of 120 feet and no range increment. A creature struck by one of these rays takes 4d6 points of fire damage. An itqiirpak may fire all of its rays at the same target or at different targets.
[I feel like there’s more thematic overlap between the Lonely and the Lost than there is between the other sorrowsworn. It’s worth noting that this is the sorrowsworn that has the most artistic representation online, in the form of fanart for Critical Role. It’s still somewhat remarkable to me how much of D&D’s public face comes from Critical Role.]
Sorrowsworn, the Lost CR 7 NE Aberration This creature appears like a gaunt humanoid, its face twisted into a wide eyed expression of shock and worry. Its torso is lumpy and asymmetrical, and it has five arms, each ending in a long blade.
The Lost sorrowsworn are anxiety embodied. They jump at shadows, overreact to loud noises, and respond to any stimulus from a stranger with lethal violence. Their mantis like claws grasp and clutch at enemies, and anyone held in their embrace has the Lost’s mental state of perpetual fear imposed on it. Worse yet, if the Lost is injured while it holds its prey, the damage is transmitted psychically to the grappled creature as well. In mixed groups, Lost sorrowsworn are near the bottom of the pecking order, easily bullied by their peers. Lost and Lonely sorrowsworn feed off of each other’s negative emotional states, driving each other to frenzies of panic and despair.
The Lost CR 7 XP 3,200 NE Medium aberration (extraplanar. sorrowsworn) Init+2;Sensesdarkvision 120 ft., Perception +9, see in darkness Defense AC20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +7 natural) hp78 (12d8+24) Fort+6,Ref+8,Will+8 Immune hit point damage from mind-influencing abilities; Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10 Defensive Abilities cushioning shadow, harvester of sorrow Weaknesslingering dread Offense Speed30 ft. Melee5 claws +12 (1d6+3 plus grab) Special Attacks clutching fear, psychic embrace Statistics Str17,Dex15,Con15,Int6,Wis10,Cha12 Base Atk +9;CMB+12 (+16 grapple); CMD26 FeatsDefensive Combat Training, Dodge, Improved Critical (claw), Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Power Attack SkillsClimb +12, Perception +9, Stealth +11, Swim +12 LanguagesCommon, Shadowtongue Ecology Environmentany land or underground (Plane of Shadow) Organizationsolitary or gang (2-7 mixed sorrowsworn) Treasureincidental Special Abilities Clutching Fear (Su) A creature grappled by a Lost sorrowsworn must succeed a DC 17 Will save or be frightened for as long as it is grappled and for 1d4 rounds thereafter. A creature that passes its save is immune to the clutching fear of that Lost for the next 24 hours. This is a mind influencing fear effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Cushioning Darkness (Su)In areas of dim light or darkness, a Lost sorrowsworn gains DR 3/- . Harvester of Sorrow (Su) A Lost sorrowsworn heals as a result of the suffering of others. It gains fast healing 12 if at least one creature within 15 feet has one or more of the following conditions: confused, cowering, dying, exhausted, fatigued, frightened, nauseated, panicked, shaken, sickened, staggered, or stunned. Lingering Dread (Ex) Any fear effect that a Lost sorrowsworn suffers from has double its normal duration. Psychic Embrace (Su) Whenever a Lost sorrowsworn takes damage while grappling an opponent, the opponent must succeed a DC 17 Will save or take the same amount of damage. This is a mind influencing effect, and the save DC is Charisma based.
[Commissioned by @crazytrain48. Back to the weird world of Arduin, which isn’t that much weirder than classic D&D, only a little sideways. If there’s ethereal spiders, why not astral lions? Both the glowing eldritch mane and the eyes in said mane are new to this version.]
Phandelyon CR 6 N Magical Beast This creature looks much like a lion, with shimmering blue fur and a mane made of eldritch energy. Green and gold eyes flicker open and closed through the mane and its claws are coated in silver.
Phandelyons are big cats of the Astral Plane. They are descended from a population of lions that was brought to the Astral through wizardry, and were mutated by the energies that permute that realm. They spend as much time on the Astral and Material Planes, popping back and forth to investigate whatever catches their attention. Both male and female phandelyons grow manes, although the manes of the females are somewhat shorter. The eyes that appear in their manes are fully functional, and allow them to see 360 degrees and across planar boundaries.
A phandelyon’s tactics are much like those of a mundane lion, but are enhanced by its magical abilities. They typically appear from the Astral Plane to make a surprise charge, pouncing on foes, grabbing them and raking them with their back claws. They are cooperative hunters, and multiple phandelyons will pounce on the same prey in order to drag it down. If grievously injured, they typically flee back into the Astral. Most phandelyons are more curious than hostile towards humanoids, but the sight of a dozen blue lions suddenly surrounding a party often means that the humanoids attack first and ask questions later.
On the Astral Plane, no time passes, so a phandelyon only hungers when it spends time on the Material. As such, they need rather less food than mundane big cats, and their prides can get larger and remain stable. They spend the most time in the Material Plane when rearing young—pregnancy, growth and weaning all require time to pass, and thus mothers remain on the Material Plane while pregnant and nursing. The male phandelyons keep watch over their pride from the Astral Plane, staying close by in that transitive realm and ambushing anyone who would attack their cubs. Phandelyon prides can be found almost anywhere, although they typically avoid densely populated areas. For some reason, phandelyons love dwarves (perhaps their beards remind them of a mane), and are often found near the borders of dwarven territories.
Phandelyon CR 6 XP 2,400 N Large magical beast (extraplanar) Init+8;Sensesall-around vision, astral sight, darkvision 60 ft., Perception +14 Defense AC18, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural) hp60 (8d10+16) Fort+7,Ref+10,Will+7 DR10/magic Offense Speed40 ft. Meleebite +11 (1d10+4), 2 claws +11 (1d6+4 plus grab) Space10 ft.; Reach5 ft. Special Attacks eldritch claws, pounce, rake (2 claws +11, 1d6+4) Statistics Str18,Dex18,Con13,Int8,Wis17,Cha11 Base Atk +8;CMB+12 (+16 grapple); CMD26 (30 vs. trip) FeatsAlertness,Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Toughness SkillsAcrobatics +13 (+17 when jumping), Perception +14, Sense Motive +5, Stealth +5, Survival +5; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Perception LanguagesDwarven (cannot speak) SQastral jaunt Ecology Environmentany land (Astral Plane) Organizationsolitary, pair, gang (3-6) or pride (7-20) Treasurenone Special Abilities Astral Jaunt (Su) A phandelyon can enter the Astral Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa, as a swift action three times per day. A phandelyon cannot take other creatures with it between planes. Astral Sight (Su) A phandelyon on the Astral Plane can see onto the Material Plane in a 60 foot radius, and when on the Material Plane can see onto the Astral Plane in a 60 foot radius. Eldritch Claws (Ex) The claw attacks of a phandelyon count as magic and silver for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
[Welcome to Creature Codex: World Tour! It’s been a while since I’ve done a dedicated block of mythological/folkloric entities, and my theme this time around is “no theme in particular”. I’m going to be spending a month on each of the six (inhabited) continents, with the hope of highlighting some cultures and traditions that I’ve otherwise neglected. For example, the Australasia chunk will contain monsters from New Zealand, Melanesia and Polynesia in addition to mainland Australia. I also will be using this opportunity for more “if I ran the zoo” monsters; new stat blocks for monsters I don’t like the official Paizo versions of.
First up is North America, and we’re starting with the aniwye, a giant killer skunk from the Anishinaabe people. This image has been circulating around for a while representing the aniwye, but as near as I can figure, was originally intended to be a honey badger inspired monster. Brent Hollowell’s original art blog is gone, and although most pieces from it have reappeared on his newer official web presence, this one has not. There is an aniwye in D&D 5e through Tome of Beasts 2 by Kobold Press: that one is a shapeshifter, inspired by versions where an ogre is turned into a skunk after he is killed. My version draws from a Cree version of the story where Wolverine kills Aniwye, in which Aniwye has supernatural tracking abilities.]
Aniwye CR 10 LE Magical Beast This creature appears like a skunk the size of an elephant. It has long flat claws on its forelegs, an array of fangs, and a white stripe running along its back. Its stench is eye-watering.
The aniwye is a giant skunk that behaves more like a dragon. They are overlords of wide ranges of woodland territory, demanding fealty and tribute. The domain of an aniwye may have little outward indication of ownership, although aniwye do decorate trailheads and landmarks with trophies taken from their victims. Most aniwye are so territorial that they demand no other sapient creature cross their path, and if they find that one has, will track it down to kill it in retribution. Aniwye are phenomenal trackers, able to follow a trail at top speed without penalty, and gaining supernatural knowledge of the creatures they are tracking.
In combat, an aniwye uses its corrosive blast as much as it can. Its glandular secretions are so powerful that an aniwye stinks without spraying, but the spray is blinding and can corrode through stone, wood and flesh. In between blasts, an aniwye fights with its claws and teeth. They are stubborn combatants, and in defense of their territory typically fight to the death, spraying to the last breath.
Aniwye are voracious omnivores that consume primarily meat, fruit and berries. They have a special fondness for venomous animals and poisonous plants. The tribute they demand of other creatures often takes the form of foods rather than more permanent goods, especially baked, fermented or otherwise prepared. A single male aniwye tends to rule over a larger territory, with several smaller female territories within it. The females remain dispersed except during the winter, when the whole harem typically gathers together. Aniwye are typically less active during the winter, although they do not hibernate.
Aniwye CR 10 XP 9,600 LE Huge magical beast Init+7;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +17, scent Aurastench (30 ft., Fort DC 21) Defense AC23, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +12 natural) hp136 (13d10+65) Fort+13,Ref+13,Will+10 Immuneacid, poison; SR21 Defensive Abilities ferocity Offense Speed40 ft. Meleebite +18 (2d6+7), 2 claws +18 (1d8+7) Space15 ft.; Reach10 ft. Special Attacks corrosive blast (60 foot cone, Ref DC 21, 13d6 acid damage plus blindness, 1d4 rounds), death burst, quarry Statistics Str24,Dex16,Con21,Int10,Wis19,Cha13 Base Atk +13;CMB+22;CMD35 (39 vs. trip) FeatsAlertness, Blind-fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack SkillsClimb +12, Perception +17, Sense Motive +14, Survival +20; Racial Modifiers +8 Survival LanguagesInfernal, Sylvan SQpredictive tracker Ecology Environmenttemperate forest and hills Organizationsolitary, pair or harem (3-6) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Corrosive Blast (Su) The spray of an aniwye acts as a breath weapon, except that it is released from anal glands instead of breathed out. A creature that takes acid damage from an aniwye’s corrosive blast must succeed a DC 21 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d10 minutes. The save DC is Constitution based. Death Burst (Su) When it takes damage that would kill it, an aniwye may use its corrosive blast as an immediate action. If its corrosive blast has not recharged, this blast deals minimum damage (15 on a failed save). Predictive Tracker (Su) When it uses Survival to follow a creature’s tracks, an aniwye learns that creature’s species, age, gender, alignment, class and level or Hit Dice. It may also designate a creature identified in this fashion as its quarry, even if it does not have line of sight to that creature. Quarry (Ex) As a standard action, an aniwye may denote one target within its line of sight, or that it has identified with its predictive tracker ability, as its quarry. Whenever the aniwye is following the tracks of its quarry, it can take 10 on his Survival skill checks while moving at normal speed without penalty. In addition, it receives a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls made against his quarry, and all critical threats are automatically confirmed. It can dismiss this effect at any time as a free action, but it then cannot select a new quarry for 24 hours. If the aniwye sees proof that its quarry is dead, it can select a new quarry after waiting 1 hour.
[Commissioned by @abominationimperatrix. The anchheri is a monster from Uttarakhand, the state in India making up the foothills of the Himalaya. As related in the superb book Ghosts, Monsters and Demons of India, its characteristics have been transplanted into the “acheri”, an “Indian” undead attributed to the Chippewa that does not exist in any authentically native sources. GMDI doesn’t say who’s responsible for this, but I know. The oldest attribution of the “acheri” to “Amerindian tribes” is in Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were by Michael Page and Robert Ingpen. I’ve complained about this book before. Whether this was an intentional alteration (the book has many of those), or a result of lazy scholarship (confusing “Indian” for India with “Indian” for Native American), the damage has been done, and most images of the anchheri online are clad in buckskins. The most accurate pop culture anchheri, possibly because its creators weren’t relying on English language sources, is in Shin Megami Tensei]
Anchheri CR 7 CE Undead This humanoid child has an odd, cruel smile, clawed hands and sunken, glowing eyes. Her skin seems tightly drawn around her bones, and has a hue of decomposition.
An anchheri is both tragic and dangerous, as they are the undead remains of children who died an unnatural death. They hide during the day in mountainous caves and crevices, and descend from the mountains at night to frolic and play. Mortals who join in these games risk being attacked. An adult will usually be just shredded with tiny claws, or put to sleep and its blood drunk, but anchheri are more subtle on their attacks on children. The touch of an anchheri’s shadow spreads plague, and a child who dies from this disease becomes a new anchheri. Thus, a single one of these monsters can become an infestation rapidly, and tales are told of entire villages emptied of children.
Anchheri are difficult to slay without access to magic weapons and divine magic, so some communities have taken to propitiating them instead. Anchheri love gifts; clothing, jewelry and toys are all appreciated. They fear the color red, perhaps because it reminds them of their own blood spilled, and so people wearing red clothing are usually safe from an anchheri initiating attack. Giving an anchheri red clothing, however, is a sure way to insult it and invite violence. The mind of an anchheri is childlike, and they are fairly easy to trick.
An anchheri stands between three and five feet tall. Because of their willowy frames, they are treated as creatures of Small size regardless of height.
Anchheri CR 7 XP 3,200 CE Small undead Init+4;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +10 Defense AC19, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+1 size, +4 Dex, +4 natural) hp85 (10d8+40) Fort+7,Ref+7,Will+6 DR10/magic;Immuneundead traits Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2; Weaknessred aversion Offense Speed30 ft. Melee2 claws +12 (1d4-1), shadow +7 touch (disease) Special Attacks blood drain (1d2 Con), create spawn,sneak attack +3d6 Spell-like Abilities CL 7th, concentration +11 3/day—deep slumber (DC 17), fly, stone call Statistics Str8,Dex18,Con-,Int13,Wis9,Cha18 Base Atk +7;CMB+5;CMD19 FeatsCombat Expertise, Deceitful,Improved Feint, Nimble Moves, Weapon Finesse SkillsBluff +14, Climb +10, Disguise +17, Escape Artist +12, Perception +10, Perform (dance) +6, Stealth +19 LanguagesCommon, Necril Ecology Environmentany land or urban Organizationsolitary, pair, gang (3-6) or party (7-12) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Create Spawn (Su) Any humanoid child killed by an anchheri’s disease rises as a free willed anchheri at the next new moon. Disease (Ex) Bubonic plague—contact; saveFort DC 19; onset1 day; frequency1/day;effect1d4 Con damage, 1 Cha damage, target is fatigued; cure2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Charisma based. Red Aversion (Ex) An anchheri must succeed a DC 20 Will save in order to attack a creature wearing red clothing. If the anchheri fails that save, it cannot attack that creature for the next 24 hours. If that creature attacks the anchheri, the aversion is broken. Shadow Touch (Su) An anchheri can make a touch attack with its shadow as a secondary natural weapon. A creature touched takes no damage, but is exposed to the anchheri’s disease.
[April Fools! “Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue” is a histrionic anti-drug PSA from the early 90s, in which a bevy of cartoon characters try to rescue a teenager from the horrors of drug use. Like Reefer Madness, only with Bugs Bunny and the Muppet Babies. What’s especially funny about the show is that the most stoned-seeming characters are part of this intervention: Winnie the Pooh, Garfield, Alf, Michelangelo (of all the Ninja Turtles!) and Slimer all make appearances.
Rather than use established villains (wouldn’t it have been great to see Cobra Commander dealing crack?), “Cartoon All-Stars” introduces a new character, Smoke, voiced by George C. Scott. Think Hexxus, only with smaller goals and much less horny. This seemed like a good choice for a div, which are fiends of corruption and destruction, and at least theoretically tied to genies. “Druj” is a term for divs in general, meaning “liar”, and Uta specifically is the div of poisoning through food and drink.]
Div, Druj Uta CR 4 NE Outsider (extraplanar) This creature resembles a smoky humanoid from the waist up, tapering away into a trail of vapor from the waist down. Its eyes are yellow and heavy lidded, and the top of its head twists like smoke from a campfire. It is well-dressed, its body seemingly incorporating formal attire.
The druj uta, sometimes just called a smoke div, is a creature that represents the corrupting influence of drug addiction. They are expert pushers and cajolers, getting people to try drugs and facilitating their addictions through both words and magical influence. Once their mark is addicted, the druj uta encourages them to lie, cheat and steal in order to feed their habit, delighting as they descend farther into evil. People who try to intervene are viewed as potential new converts, and a druj uta’s first instinct is to try to talk them into taking drugs as well. Druj utas enjoy corrupting children most of all; the only small blessing is that their div compulsions prevent them from doing physical harm to a child. Gaslighting and mental manipulation are fair game, however, as is attacking anyone who tries to come to the child’s rescue.
Druj utas are physically very weak, barely capable of manipulating physical objects. They are gaseous creatures, and can drift through cracks and crevices, making them difficult to damage with physical weapons. Their touch is infused with negative energy, and they can create a wide variety of magical effects that sap strength and spread poison. Most druj utas are cowards, and would much rather flee than fight to the death.
Druj Uta CR 4 XP 1,200 NE Medium outsider (div, evil, extraplanar) Init+4;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +7, see in darkness Auraaddiction (60 ft.) Defense AC15, touch 15, flat-footed 10 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge) hp42 (5d10+15) Fort+4,Ref+8,Will+4 DR5/good and magic; Immunefire, poison; Resistacid 10, electricity 10; SR15 Defensive Abilities amorphous,protection from good Offense Speedfly 30 ft. (perfect) Meleetouch +9 (2d8+3 negative energy) Spell-like Abilities CL 5th, concentration +8 Constant—protection from good (self only, DC 14) At will—charm person (DC 14), chill touch (DC 14) 3/day—ghoul touch (DC 15), ray of enfeeblement (DC 14), spectral hand 1/day—create drug, poison (DC 17), suggestion(DC 16), vampiric touch Statistics Str1,Dex18,Con16,Int13,Wis10,Cha17 Base Atk +5;CMB+0;CMD15 FeatsDodge, Hover, Persuasive, Weapon Finesse (B) SkillsBluff +10, Diplomacy +12, Fly +15, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (local) +5, Perception +7, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +10 LanguagesAbyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal, telepathy 100 ft. SQsmoke form Ecology Environmentany land or urban (Abaddon) Organizationsolitary, pair or dealership (3-6) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Aura of Addiction (Su) All save DCs to resist or overcome drug addiction made within 60 feet of a druj uta suffer a -2 penalty. Smoke Form (Ex) A druj uta is a gaseous creature. It can fly with perfect maneuverability and squeeze through cracks as narrow as 1 inch with no reduction of speed. It also gains the amorphous defensive ability. However, it is treated as a Tiny creature for the purposes of wind effects. A druj uta can manipulate physical objects, but has a Strength score of 1. Touch (Su) At will, a druj uta can make a touch attack that deals 2d8 points of negative energy damage, plus the creature’s Charisma modifier. This does not heal the undead, only harm the living, as if it were channeling negative energy.
[In Alien Archive, the frujai colony is a CR 19, but has statistics that overall fit more closely to the CR 20 mark in Pathfinder 1e. So I took this opportunity to have my first CR 20 plant!]
Frujai Colony CR 20 N Plant This massive creature resembles a walking, three legged beehive made of filaments and spongy greenish material. At one end, it has a huge scissoring maw. Several chunks of rock slowly orbit in the air around it.
The frujai colony is the stage of the frujai life cycle that is reproductive and intelligent. Without them, new frujai would not grow and hunt, and the workers would not have a place to shelter in the deadly winters of Orikolai. The workers can sneak up on and pursue prey that could otherwise escape the slow and massive colony, and new workers add genetic diversity to the colony’s broods each year. Frujai colonies have a philosophical mindset, viewing themselves as ecological stewards that ensure that the fit survive, the weak are culled, and that nutrients are recycled throughout the planet. This philosophy is sometimes thought of as evil by outsiders, but it is more a matter of profound pragmatism and lack of sentimentality.
A frujai colony can manipulate gravity as easily as moving its own body, and usually keeps a shield of gravitic force around itself to protect itself from hazards. This gravity field also holds a frujai colony’s sole concession to vanity—they decorate the space around them with rocks, bones and other debris that have interesting shapes, colors or patterns. These clatter to the ground if the colony uses its gravity manipulation for other tasks, such as offense or flight. Frujai colonies rarely fight alone. Even in the rare occurrence where all of their workers are dead or foraging, they can create temporary workers out of their own biomass. These disposable soldiers live for only an hour before collapsing into a loose pile of tissue, which the frujai consumes if it is still alive and present.
Although most of the time, a frujai colony is content being accompanied solely by its workers, sometimes they long for more intellectual pursuits. Several frujai colonies may converge during astronomical events such as solstices, equinoxes or comet appearances in order to discuss their findings through their long lives and expound on their personal philosophies. The colonies often trade some of their workers at this time, in the interests of increasing genetic diversity and providing stimulating new experiences for their favored workers (or trying to get rid of less favored ones). Other sapient creatures, if visiting the planet at the time, may participate in these conferences as well, but may find themselves hunted if the frujai colonies decide that they are more useful as a source of calories than as a source of information.
Frujai CR 20 XP 307,200 N Colossal plant Init+4;Senseslow-light vision, Perception +25 Defense AC33, touch 2, flat-footed 33 (-8 size, +31 natural) hp405 (30d8+270) Fort+26,Ref+12,Will+16 Immuneplant traits Defensive Abilities absolute gravity Offense Speed30 ft., climb 20 ft. Meleebite +27 (6d10+12), 2 slams +26 (4d12+12) Rangedgravity anchor +14 touch (15d12+9 force plus maneuver) Space30 ft.; Reach30 ft. Special Attacks control gravity, slough minion Statistics Str34,Dex11,Con28,Int15,Wis18,Cha29 Base Atk +22;CMB+42 (+46 bull rush, reposition, trip); CMD52 (56 vs. bull rush, reposition, 58 vs. trip) FeatsBlind-fight,Dazzling Display, Greater Vital Strike, Hover,Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Shatter Defenses, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bite) SkillsClimb +41, Fly +9, Intimidate +42, Knowledge (dungeoneering, geography) +20, Knowledge (nature) +23, Perception +25, Survival +25, Swim +33 LanguagesAklo, Frujai, telepathy 300 ft. SQaberrant mind Ecology Environmentany forests Organizationsolitary, hive (1 plus 4-40 frujai workers) or communion (2-5 plus 8-200 frujai workers) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Aberrant Mind (Ex) A frujai gains class skills and skill ranks as if it were an aberration. Absolute Gravity (Su) A frujai worker’s control of gravity gives it a +4 bonus to its CMB and CMD involving bull rush, reposition and trip attempts. It can ignore the effects of supernatural gravity control, like reverse gravity and can treat its personal gravity as if it were in light gravity or heavy gravity, if it so chooses. Control Gravity (Su) As a free action at the start of each of its turns, a frujai colony chooses which two of these five effects it can use each round. If it ceases to use an ongoing effect, such as flight or gravity shield, the effect ends immediately. Flight:The frujai colony gains a fly speed of 40 feet (poor maneuverability). If it ceases to use this ability while still in the air, it descends at a rate of 60 feet per round and takes no damage when it lands. Gravity Anchor:As a standard action, the frujai colony can fire a bolt of pure gravity. Treat this as a ranged touch attack with a range of 300 feet and no range increment. A creature struck takes 15d12 points of force damage, plus the frujai’s Constitution modifier, and is subject to a bull rush or trip attempt, as the frujai chooses. The frujai does not move with a creature bull rushed in this manner. Gravity Field: The frujai colony alters gravity in a 60 foot radius within 200 feet of itself. In this area, it can create an area of high gravity or low gravity, or reverse gravity as the spell. Gravity Shield: The frujai colony gains a +4 deflection bonus to its AC and CMD. Gravity Wave: As a standard action, the frujai colony creates a wave of gravity in an 80 foot cone. All creatures in the area take 7d12+9 points of force damage and are pushed back 10 feet. A successful DC 34 Reflex save halves the damage and negates the pushing effect. The save DC is Constitution based. Slough Minion (Ex) As a standard action up to 3 times per day, a frujai colony can take 30 points of damage and create a frujai worker in an adjacent square. This worker exists for 1 hour before dying, if not slain in combat.
[Commissioned by @hiswrathundoesthewicked. This is, to my knowledge, the first attempt at giving one of the Eldest, the fey equivalent of demigods in Pathfinder, a stat block. I borrowed formatting and abilities from the demon lords and empyreal lords in order to do so. Morrigan, or the Morrigan, is an Irish goddess of war and death, and casts a long shadow over modern interpretations of Celtic myth and culture, neopaganism, and the concept of fey in fantasy. So much so that there’s already two Eldest canonical to Pathfinder, Madgh and Shyka the Many, that poach some of her flavor. So I had to make sure that this Morrigan stood out and had a niche.
She also casts a long shadow over horny artists on the internet, although she does come by it more honestly than some other mythological figures. In surviving myths, she does try to seduce Cúchulainn, who refuses her, and has sex with the god Dagda before his battle with the fomorians. Both a Darkstalkers character and a Dragon Age character are named Morrigan in her honor, and both of them wear very revealing clothing. Most artistic depictions of the actual goddess Morrigan also involve deep cleavage, open robes and boobplate. Part of the reason I chose this art was because it looks regal and fierce and not at all sexualized.]
Morrigan The Phantom Queen, Queen of Crows N Eldest Fey of battle, death and scavengers DomainsAnimal, Death, Luck, War SubdomainsBlood, Fate, Feathers, Tactics Worshippersdruids, tengu, warriors Minionsnorns, valkyries, vilderavns Holy Symbol bird skull with blood painted over the eyes Favored Weapon bastard sword ObedienceWash your hands, face and weapons in blood. This can be your own blood or someone else’s. Gain a +4 sacred bonus on saves vs. death effects Feysworn Boons 1. Battle Gift (Sp) deathwatch3/day,spiritual weapon 2/day or vampiric touch 1/day 2. Fight On (Su) You gain ferocity as a supernatural ability. 3. Death to All Foes (Sp) You can cast wail of the banshee once per day.
Eldest, Morrigan CR 28 N Fey This woman is statuesque and muscled, with a cruel beauty. She appears almost entirely human, except that her hands are stained red and end in bird like talons instead of nails. She wears an iron crown and a cloak of black feathers.
Morrigan the Phantom Queen is the fey patron of warfare. Unlike many other powers of war, she is stridently neutral, giving succor or inflicting banes on warriors of any creed, cause or alignment as she sees fit. Her primary interest in war is in generating the dead and feeding her beloved beasts, scavengers all. Although in different places she may be associated with boars and eels, vultures and hyenas, her favorites are the crows, who act as her eyes and ears in the sky, and in whose feathers she is perpetually adorned.
Morrigan is more interested in turning the tides of battles than in fighting herself. She frequently visits battlefields in the form of a crow, using her spell-like abilities and curse of unluck to make a peasant into a hero, a king into a fool, and generally make wars more deadly and more interesting. She may offer her services intentionally to a warrior in exchange for some favor, but just as often bestows her gifts capriciously. In combat, she is deadly with sword and bow, and the grievous wounds she inflicts delay healing from all sources. Morrigan never fights to the death if she can help it, as there are so many other battles to influence and decomposers to feed.
The creatures that serve Morrigan come from all manner of alignments, interpreting her silences and cryptic pronouncements as they see fit. Norns attempt to weave her battles into their tapestries of fate, and she is on good terms with Madgh, their patron. Valkyries and einherji fight for her glorious honor, and take the finest warriors to join their ranks when they die. Vilderavns use her doctrines to destabilize nations and sew dissent among armies. Morrigan has cordial relations with the psychopomps, as she has little interest in the flow of souls. The Horseman of War despises her and views her as competition, but Morrigan pays that position little mind.
Morrigan CR 28 XP 4,915,200 N Medium fey (Eldest, extraplanar, shapechanger) Init+10;Senseslifesense 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +51 Defense AC47, touch 31, flat-footed 47(+10 Dex, +6 deflection, +13 natural, +8 armor) hp682 (35d6+560); regeneration 20 (deific or mythic) Fort+29,Ref+30,Ref+29 DR20/epic and cold iron; Immuneability damage, ability drain, charms, compulsions, curses, death effects, energy drain, fear, poison; Resistacid 30, cold 30, electricity 30, fire 30; SR39 Defensive Abilities cloak of feathers, ferocity,freedom of movement, improved uncanny dodge, recovery Offense Speed30 ft., fly 60 ft. (good) Melee+5 adamantine bastard sword +36/+31/+26/+21 (1d10+20/17-20), claw +25 (1d6+7 plus curse of unluck) or 2 claws +30 (1d6+13 plus curse of unluck) Ranged+5 adaptive composite longbow +33/+28/+23/+18 or +31/+31/+26/+21/+16 (1d8+20/x3) Special Attacks festering critical Spell-like Abilities CL 28th, concentration +39 Constant—freedom of movement, shield of faith At will—astral projection, bestow curse (DC 25), greater teleport, haste (M), heroism (M), rage (DC 24), threefold aspect, vampiric touch (M) 3/day—blade barrier (DC 27) (M), finger of death (DC 28) (M), geas/quest,greater dispel magic, heal (DC 27) (M), harm(DC 27) (M), quickened mass bull strength, summon fey, transformation(B),vision 1/day—animal shapes, mage’s disjunction (M),power word kill (M), wail of the banshee (DC 30) (M) = can use the mythic version of this spell-like ability in her fey realm Statistics Str36,Dex31,Con42,Int30,Wis29,Cha33 Base Atk +17;CMB+28 (+32 disarm, sunder); CMD58 FeatsAlertness,Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Deadly Aim, Disruptive, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Great Fortitude, Greater Disarm, Greater Penetrating Strike, Greater Sunder, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Critical (bastard sword, longbow), Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder, Improved Vital Strike, Penetrating Strike, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Quicken SLA (mass bull strength), Rapid Shot, Spellbreaker, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bastard sword, longbow), Weapon Specialization (bastard sword, longbow) SkillsAcrobatics +48, Bluff +49, Diplomacy +49, Disguise +49, Fly +52, Heal +44, Intimidate +46, Knowledge (local, nature) +48, Knowledge (history, nobility, religion) +45, Perception +51, Sense Motive +51, Stealth +48, Survival +44 LanguagesAklo, Auran, Celestial, Common, Infernal, Elven, Necril, Sylvan, telepathy 300 ft. SQbattle gift,change shape (animal, giant or humanoid, greater polymorph), Eldest traits, visions of murder,warrior fey Ecology Environmentany land Organizationunique Treasuredouble standard (+5 adamantine bastard sword, +5 adaptive composite longbow, 60 arrows, other treasure) Special Abilities Battle Gift (Sp) Morrigan can use her transformationspell-like ability as if it had a range of touch. Cloak of Feathers (Su) When wearing a garment made out of feathers, Morrigan gains a +8 armor bonus to AC without a maximum Dex bonus or armor check penalty, and a fly speed of 60 feet with good maneuverability. This is an effect of Morrigan, not her cloak. Curse of Unluck (Su) Claw—injury;saveWill DC 38; frequency1/hour;effecttarget must reroll any roll decided by the GM and take the worse result; durationuntil removed. The save DC is Charisma based. Morrigan also inflicts this curse with her natural weapons when assuming a form with natural weapons using change shape. Eldest Traits (Ex, or Sp) Morrigan is one of the Eldest, powerful fey lords that rule over domains of the First World. The Eldest have the following traits
The Eldest can grant spells to their worshipers, granting access to four domains and four subdomains
An Eldest’s natural weapons, as well as any weapon they wield, are treated as being epic and any alignment possessed by the Eldest
Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, charm effects, compulsion effects, energy drain and fear effects
Regeneration (Ex) Only damage from a deific or mythic source can deal permanent damage to the Eldest
Rejuvenation (Ex) When an Eldest is slain, they return to life in its realm in 1d10 days. An Eldest may only use this ability once per year—if they are slain again in the meantime, they are slain for good.
Summon Fey (Sp) Three times per day as a standard action, an Eldest can summon up to a CR 20 encounter of fey creatures or Tane (such as bandersnatches, jubjub birds, thrasfyr, sards, etc). This is the equivalent of a 9th level spell.
Festering Critical (Su) Whenever Morrigan confirms a critical hit made against an opponent, that foe must succeed a DC 38 Will save or be unable to heal physical or ability damage from any source for 1 minute. Multiple failed saves increase the duration. This is a curse effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Recovery (Ex) At the end of her turn, Morrigan can automatically shake off any one condition affecting her except for dead. If she is suffering from multiple conditions, she chooses which to remove each round. Visions of Murder (Su) By concentrating, Morrigan can see through the eyes of any crow within 100 miles that she chooses. Warrior Fey (Ex) Morrigan gains 11 bonus combat feats, and is treated as being a 20th level fighter for the purposes of qualifying for feats. She is proficient in all simple and martial weapons, in shields and in all armor.
Fey Realms An Eldest gains the following additional powers while in its realm (the statistics above do not include these abilities):
Mythic: An Eldest functions as a 10th mythic rank creature, including the mythic power ability (10/day, surge +1d12). It may expend uses of mythic power to use the mythic versions of any spell-like ability denoted with an asterisk (*) just as if the ability were a mythic spell.
Use of the following spell-like abilities at will—demand,discern location,fabricate,major creation, and polymorph any object (when used on objects or creatures that are native to the realm, the polymorph duration factor increases by 6).
Use of the following spell-like abilities once per day—dimensional lock*,miracle(limited to physical effects that manipulate the realm or to effects that are relevant to the Eldest’s areas of concern)
Heightened Awareness (Ex): An Eldest gains a +10 insight bonus on Perception checks and Initiative checks.
[The auñ pana is a creature I first heard about through @a-book-of-creatures, and all of the sources I can find for it online are paraphrases of that entry. It’s a monster from the Yanomani, and exists in print in ethnological studies that are difficult to get a hold of. So my version likewise spins off of the short, but intriguing, info on ABOC. They school with other (undescribed) killer fish, which inspired me to give them the powers of a trident of fish command, and they seem to turn people into animals more out of spite than anything, which inspired me to take them in the Mafiosi direction I went. Also, I was recently reminded of The Sign of the Seahorse, a children’s book where a grouper crime boss is the villain.]
Auñ Pana CR 9 LE Magical Beast This creature looks like a fish the size of a rhinoceros, except that it has shaggy hair growing from its sides and belly. It has two slender, disturbingly human-looking arms, and a short snout packed with rows of razor sharp teeth.
The auñ panas are lords of the tropical rivers in which they dwell. A hybrid of arapaima and piranha, they are steady and determined swimmers, but they don’t have to be particularly fast. They use their magical mastery of fish and other aquatic animals to charm them into complacency long enough for them to tear their prey to shreds. Although they are deadly in the water, they can also leave the water and drag themselves on land using their forelimbs (albeit very slowly).
Auñ pana are social among themselves, existing in a strict hierarchy based on age, skill and ferocity. These schools work to control larger territories, and to exact tribute from sapient creatures above and below the water. An auñ pana demands exotic foods (particularly plant or animals that live in dry land), treasure and the occasional life as sacrifices, and disrupt fishing, destroy boats or bridges, and otherwise make life miserable for those that refuse. Like a good protection racket, they do add an element of stability to the lives of their charges, keeping other aquatic monsters at bay unless they join the gang. They also have been known to make examples of those that resist or refuse them by transforming them into animals—pigs and monkeys are popular choices.
Auñ Pana CR 9 XP 6,400 LE Large magical beast (aquatic) Init+5;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +14, scent Defense AC23, touch 14, flat-footed 18 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +9 natural) hp115 (11d10+55) Fort+12,Ref+12,Will+9 Immunepoison;Resistacid 10, electricity 10; SR20 Offense Speed5 ft., swim 40 ft. Meleebite +15 (2d8+5 plus bleed/19-20), 2 slams +15 (1d6+5 plus grab) Space10 ft.; Reach5 ft. (10 ft. with slam) Special Attacks bleed (1d8),fish command Spell-like Abilities CL 11th, concentration +14 Constant—speak with animals 1/day—baleful polymorph (DC 18) Statistics Str21,Dex21,Con21,Int12,Wis18,Cha16 Base Atk +11;CMB+17 (+21 grab or sunder); CMD32 FeatsGreater Sunder, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Stealth), Staggering Critical (B) SkillsIntimidate +14,Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +14, Stealth +14, Swim +17 LanguagesAquan, Common, speak with animals SQamphibious,double damage against objects Ecology Environmentwarm freshwater Organizationsolitary, pair or school (3-8) Treasurestandard Special Abilities Double Damage Against Objects (Ex) An auñ pana that makes a full attack against an object or structure deals double damage to it. Fish Command (Su) Three times per day as a standard action, an auñ pana can attempt to charm animals with a swim speed, as per the charm animal spell (CL 11th). An auñ pana can affect up to 22 HD of animals at a time, but the animals must be within 60 feet and no two animals can be more than 30 feet from each other. An animal can resist this ability with a successful DC 18 Will save—it gets a +5 bonus to this save if it is currently in combat with the auñ pana or its allies. The save DC is Charisma based.
[The first of a two-parter. The frujai is one of the more conceptually interesting monsters in Alien Archive, and one of the most frustrating in practice. A living hive of fungal matter that acts as an ecological shepherd is super cool, but the flavor text refers almost entirely to the reproductive cycle of the drones, which are different from the soldiers that get a stat block, but only barely. And it doesn’t tell us anything about how the soldiers work or where they come from! It also implies that all drones that survive become their own colonies, which seems like it goes against the whole “ecological shepherd” thing. So I’ve collapsed the drone and soldier into a single entity, the worker and made their life cycle somewhat more sensible, incorporating the colony into it and borrowing some more from fungal reproduction (remember, these are supposed to be fungi)]
Frujai Worker CR 12 N Plant This creature looks like an odd flightless bird, or perhaps a dinosaur, composed out of spongy greenish material. Its head sits on a long neck, it has no forelimbs, and its hind limbs end in short claws. A whip like tail lashes behind it.
Orikolai is a strange, toroidal world, and its unusual shape and orbit create drastic varieties in its climates and seasons as it orbits its star. The dominant predators on this world include the frujai, a colonial fungal organism. The most common frujai are the workers. A frujai worker is born in the spring, grown from a spore sewn on a frozen corpse by a frujai colony. The workers grow to a free-living stage on this corpse, then leave and wander in small groups, hunting either independently or in small flocks. In this first summer, they grow to maturity, and then find a frujai colony in the early autumn to join forces with. In some cases, this colony can be its parent, but often they are not. During the winter, the colony takes the strongest of its workers into its own body, allowing them to fuse their cells and fertilize it, creating a new batch of spores to be sown later. A frujai worker that cannot find a colony, or is rejected by its colony and left to fend for itself over winter, becomes cannibalistic. In so doing, if it eats enough of its fellows, it can combine their cells to create a massive body for itself and become a colony of its own. Most workers without a colony die over the winter of starvation or cold, but a few survive to try to join a colony the next spring, and even fewer manage to grow to become a new colony.
A frujai worker can manipulate the forces of gravity, dealing with the fluctuations that come from living on a non-spherical planet. It can increase its personal gravity to deal with low gravity areas, decrease its gravity in high gravity zones, or shoot gravitic bolts at prey in order to damage and push them around. Its primary melee attack is to slam foes with its pointed head—it typically reduces foes to a pulp before engulfing them for easy digestion or to regurgitate into their colony. Despite their strange and animalistic appearances, frujai are sapient. The workers are not very smart, and once they have been adopted by a colony, they typically let the larger, more intelligent frujai do their thinking for them.
Frujai Worker CR 12 XP 19,200 N Large plant Init+2;Senseslow-light vision, Perception +13 Defense AC26, touch 11, flat-footed 24 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +15 natural) hp171 (18d8+90) Fort+16,Ref+10,Will+10 Immuneplant traits Defensive Abilities absolute gravity Offense Speed30 ft., climb 20 ft. Meleeslam +20 (2d6+12) Rangedgravity anchor +14 touch (5d12+5 force plus maneuver) Space10 ft.;Reach10 ft. Special Attacks colony guard Statistics Str26,Dex15,Con20,Int7,Wis14,Cha15 Base Atk +13;CMB+22 (+26 bull rush, reposition, trip); CMD34 (38 vs. bull rush, reposition, trip) FeatsCombat Reflexes,Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Nimble Moves, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Skill Focus (Stealth) Vital Strike SkillsClimb +15, Intimidate +13, Perception +13, Stealth +12, Survival +13 LanguagesFrujai, telepathy 100 ft. SQaberrant mind Ecology Environmentany forests Organizationsolitary, squad (2-8) or hive (4-40 plus 1 frujai colony) Treasureincidental Special Abilities Aberrant Mind (Ex) A frujai gains class skills and skill ranks as if it were an aberration. Absolute Gravity (Su) A frujai worker’s control of gravity gives it a +4 bonus to its CMB and CMD involving bull rush, reposition and trip attempts. It can ignore the effects of supernatural gravity control, like reverse gravity and can treat its personal gravity as if it were in light gravity or heavy gravity, if it so chooses. Colony Guard (Ex) Whenever a frujai colony takes damage, all frujai workers in the range of its telepathy gain a +4 competence bonus on attack rolls and a +10 foot bonus to their move speed for 1 round. Gravity Anchor (Su) As a standard action, a frujai worker can fire a bolt of pure gravity. Treat this as a ranged touch attack with a range of 150 feet and no range increment. A creature struck takes 5d12 points of force damage, plus the frujai’s Constitution modifier, and is subject to a bull rush or trip attempt, as the frujai chooses. The frujai does not move with a creature bull rushed in this manner.
[World Tour includes world movies. It’s my theme, I get to make the rules. Unlike a lot of kaiju fans, I don’t hate the monster design from Godzilla (1998). It’s one of the least objectionable things about that movie. Doing this popped into my head one night when I couldn’t sleep, and so I had to exorcise it with a stat block. These statistics are built around the chassis of Pathfinder’s giganotosaurus. My aim was to place this in a similar power level as the Ultraman monsters I’ve been doing, and at the lower level of that spectrum.]
Zilla CR 16 N Magical Beast This creature resembles an oversized dinosaur, bipedal but with long flexible forelimbs. Spines grow along its back, the largest over its shoulders. Its head is massive and blocky with a large lower jaw and prominent chin.
Zillas are oversized mutant reptiles, possessing of a destructive fecundity. Although they closely resemble dinosaurs, they are actually giant lizards, having assumed a dinosaur like form following exposure to mutagenic energies. A zilla is an amphibious carnivore that hunts fish and whales while at sea, and various megafauna when on land. Despite their immense size, they are surprisingly stealthy, able to control their footfalls, body temperature and other physiological markers to render them harder to detect. Of course, a hundred and fifty foot reptile attracts attention, so they tend to hunt in dense forests, canyons, cities, or other terrains that afford them some cover.
Although a single zilla is a destructive menace, they rarely stay single for long. Zillas are parthenogenetic, and when amply fed can lay more than a hundred eggs at a time. They provision these with food and watch over their young for the first several months of their lives. These young are ravenous, and often resort to cannibalism if they cannot get ample food from other sources. A baby zilla balloons to full size in a matter of three to five years. Treat a baby zilla as a deinonychus with the magical beast type, the amphibious and subtle presence special qualities and a swim speed equal to its land speed. A baby zilla is a CR 4 creature.
Variant Zillas Because of their origins in mutation, many zillas have slightly different abilities. For example, a zilla might lose its roar and swallow whole special attacks in favor of a breath weapon (1d4 rounds, 16d8 fire, 140 foot line, Ref DC 27), or have smaller claws (dealing 1d6 base damage) and a tail slap as a secondary attack (dealing 2d8 base damage).
I agree with you on Zilla’s design. Even if I don’t recognize that as Godzilla at all, I do like that it became a separate creature from the Big G; no sense wasting a good design like that, right?
I feel the same way about the creature designs of the Rampage movie; I don’t recognize any of those critters as George, Lizzie, or Ralph, but they’re still fantastic creature designs!
