LOTRfan
2010-11-02, 08:13 PM
This creature is based off of the yee naaldlooshii of Native American folklore.
Skinwalker
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Shapechanger)
Hit Die: 5d8+20 (43 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 13, flatfooted 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+7
Attack: Claw +7 melee (1d8+2 damage)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +7 melee (1d8+2 damage), or cursing blowgun +8 ranged (1 damage plus curse)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Flay
Special Qualities: Skin-change, Detect Thoughts, Woodland Stride, Regeneration 5, Weakness to Ash, Mimic Sound, Cursing Blowgun, ScentLycanthropy Carrier
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +7
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +11, Hide +13, Move Silently +13
Feats: Power Attack, Run(B), Stealthy
Environment: Temperate Forests
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Neutral Evil
Advancement: By Character Class
Level Adjustment: +7
This creature, almost completely naked except for a ring of pelts around its waist, looks very similar to a human with animalistic features. It has glowing yellow eyes, and large claws dripping with blood.
Skinwalkers are nasty creatures, originally descended from humans. These beasts used dark and sinister magic to transform themselves into supernatural creatures. Skinwalkers are very dangerous monsters who have been hunted by humanoids for years. They despise their human relatives, and have been responsible for many brutal murders dedicated as sacrifices to woodland gods.
Skinwalkers have many advantages that make them even more horrifying. They are incredibly fast, and have razor-sharp claws used to rip the skins off of targets. They also have the ability to mimic any sound they have ever heard, and have tricked many victims by mimicking loved ones. Some legends even tell that Skinwalkers can read the minds of their foes, gaining an even larger combat advantage. By far their most terrifying ability, however, is their ability to transform into animals.
By wearing the skins of creatures they have killed, they turn into the animals while retaining their own intelligence. This has lead to the persecution of many druids, who some believe are on the verge of becoming Skinwalkers. The similarities are astounding, but most of the more well-researched people believe that the Skinwalkers’ ancestors used a different method to become monsters.
Skinwalkers have proportions similar to that of humans, and speak both Common and Sylvan.
Combat
Skinwalkers usually enter combat in strong animal forms, before transforming back into its natural form to flay the enemy alive.
Cursing Blowgun (Ex): Skinwalkers can make their blowguns shoot cursed needles without having levels in a spellcasting class. These needles are cursed using the bone dust of humanoids, and are described below.
Detect Thoughts (Su): A Skinwalker can continuously use detect thoughts as the spell (caster level 10th; Will DC 13 negates). It can suppress or resume this ability as a free action. The save DC is Wisdom-based.
Flay (Ex): On passing a successful grapple check, the Skinwalker may rip chunks of skin off of an enemy within one size category of itself (small, medium, or large), dealing 1d4 constitution damage.
Mimic Sound (Ex): A Skinchanger can mimic any sound it has heard with a successful bluff check (with a +5 modifier if it has heard the sound within the past week). Listeners are entitled to a sense motive check (DC Skinwalker’s result) to see past the ruse.
Regeneration: Fire deals normal damage to a skinwalker. If a skinwalker loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 3d6 minutes. The creature can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.
Skin-change (Su): This ability functions like a 15th level druid’s wildshape ability (animals only), except they can stay in the animal form indefinitely and is usable at-will. In addition, the Skinwalker must be in possession of the skin of the animal it wants to change into. Skinchangers can only transform into creatures who have twice as many HD as the Skinchanger or less. This does not stack with the Druid's wildshape ability.
Weakness to Ash: If the Skinwalker is shot with an arrow or crossbow bolt that has been dipped into a pile of ash within the past three hours, the Skinwalker must make a fortitude save (DC 10+damage dealt), or die instantly.
Woodland Stride (Ex): A Skinwalker may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
Lycanthropy Carrier: Whatever gave these creatures their unique ability to shapeshift also gave them a terrible disease. Skinwalkers are believed to be the original carriers of lycanthropy, but, oddly enough, they cannot spread it. If a Skinwalker was to have a child with a humanoid, however, the child is born as a natural lycanthrope (based off of the last animal the Skinwalker changed into before its conception).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Magical Weapon
Cursed Blowguns of Death
These blowguns are made by Skinwalkers. They cover the needles in the dust of humanoid bones. Twice a day, when the needles are covered by the dust, they curse those shot with them with one of two effects: paralysis for 1d10 rounds, or instant death. The Fort save DC is 18.
Strong necromancy; CL 18th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Finger of Death; Price 16,602 gp; Cost 8,301 gp +665 XP
Does anyone have any suggestions on the CR? Do any improvements need to be made?
Skinwalker
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Shapechanger)
Hit Die: 5d8+20 (43 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 13, flatfooted 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+7
Attack: Claw +7 melee (1d8+2 damage)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +7 melee (1d8+2 damage), or cursing blowgun +8 ranged (1 damage plus curse)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Flay
Special Qualities: Skin-change, Detect Thoughts, Woodland Stride, Regeneration 5, Weakness to Ash, Mimic Sound, Cursing Blowgun, ScentLycanthropy Carrier
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +7
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +11, Hide +13, Move Silently +13
Feats: Power Attack, Run(B), Stealthy
Environment: Temperate Forests
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Neutral Evil
Advancement: By Character Class
Level Adjustment: +7
This creature, almost completely naked except for a ring of pelts around its waist, looks very similar to a human with animalistic features. It has glowing yellow eyes, and large claws dripping with blood.
Skinwalkers are nasty creatures, originally descended from humans. These beasts used dark and sinister magic to transform themselves into supernatural creatures. Skinwalkers are very dangerous monsters who have been hunted by humanoids for years. They despise their human relatives, and have been responsible for many brutal murders dedicated as sacrifices to woodland gods.
Skinwalkers have many advantages that make them even more horrifying. They are incredibly fast, and have razor-sharp claws used to rip the skins off of targets. They also have the ability to mimic any sound they have ever heard, and have tricked many victims by mimicking loved ones. Some legends even tell that Skinwalkers can read the minds of their foes, gaining an even larger combat advantage. By far their most terrifying ability, however, is their ability to transform into animals.
By wearing the skins of creatures they have killed, they turn into the animals while retaining their own intelligence. This has lead to the persecution of many druids, who some believe are on the verge of becoming Skinwalkers. The similarities are astounding, but most of the more well-researched people believe that the Skinwalkers’ ancestors used a different method to become monsters.
Skinwalkers have proportions similar to that of humans, and speak both Common and Sylvan.
Combat
Skinwalkers usually enter combat in strong animal forms, before transforming back into its natural form to flay the enemy alive.
Cursing Blowgun (Ex): Skinwalkers can make their blowguns shoot cursed needles without having levels in a spellcasting class. These needles are cursed using the bone dust of humanoids, and are described below.
Detect Thoughts (Su): A Skinwalker can continuously use detect thoughts as the spell (caster level 10th; Will DC 13 negates). It can suppress or resume this ability as a free action. The save DC is Wisdom-based.
Flay (Ex): On passing a successful grapple check, the Skinwalker may rip chunks of skin off of an enemy within one size category of itself (small, medium, or large), dealing 1d4 constitution damage.
Mimic Sound (Ex): A Skinchanger can mimic any sound it has heard with a successful bluff check (with a +5 modifier if it has heard the sound within the past week). Listeners are entitled to a sense motive check (DC Skinwalker’s result) to see past the ruse.
Regeneration: Fire deals normal damage to a skinwalker. If a skinwalker loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 3d6 minutes. The creature can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.
Skin-change (Su): This ability functions like a 15th level druid’s wildshape ability (animals only), except they can stay in the animal form indefinitely and is usable at-will. In addition, the Skinwalker must be in possession of the skin of the animal it wants to change into. Skinchangers can only transform into creatures who have twice as many HD as the Skinchanger or less. This does not stack with the Druid's wildshape ability.
Weakness to Ash: If the Skinwalker is shot with an arrow or crossbow bolt that has been dipped into a pile of ash within the past three hours, the Skinwalker must make a fortitude save (DC 10+damage dealt), or die instantly.
Woodland Stride (Ex): A Skinwalker may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
Lycanthropy Carrier: Whatever gave these creatures their unique ability to shapeshift also gave them a terrible disease. Skinwalkers are believed to be the original carriers of lycanthropy, but, oddly enough, they cannot spread it. If a Skinwalker was to have a child with a humanoid, however, the child is born as a natural lycanthrope (based off of the last animal the Skinwalker changed into before its conception).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Magical Weapon
Cursed Blowguns of Death
These blowguns are made by Skinwalkers. They cover the needles in the dust of humanoid bones. Twice a day, when the needles are covered by the dust, they curse those shot with them with one of two effects: paralysis for 1d10 rounds, or instant death. The Fort save DC is 18.
Strong necromancy; CL 18th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Finger of Death; Price 16,602 gp; Cost 8,301 gp +665 XP
Does anyone have any suggestions on the CR? Do any improvements need to be made?