GITP Monster Competition LVII - Spirited Away

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Spirited Away
http://www.german.leeds.ac.uk/RWI/2005_6project3/WWW/section1/images/erlkoenig.jpg
"My father, my father, and dost thou not see,
How the Erl King is showing his daughters to me?"
"My darling, my darling, I see it alright,
'Tis the aged grey willows deceiving thy sight."

"I love thee, I'm charm'd by thy beauty, dear boy!
And if thou aren't willing, then force I'll employ."
"My father, my father, he seizes me fast,
For sorely the Erl King has hurt me at last."

- Der Erlkönig, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


In the myriad of planes and realities, there exist creatures for whom the barriers between worlds part easily. Some amongst this number delight in these otherworldly travels and, like many travelers abroad, have occasion to bring back souvenirs...



_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/


The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will continue until the 29th of May.

Soon after a poll will be opened for everyone to vote for their favorite that will last until June 9th. Again, apologies for the delay, and for the overlap the voting for this contest will have with the next contest.



Rules

1. You will be creating an original D&D creature. This creature will, in some manner, steal individuals, thoughts, dreams, objects, or some other part of the material plane and carry it back to the creature's native realm. Be it trickster fairy, alien abduction, ethereal filcher, or something else entirely, the creature must somehow make off with something from our world, and secret it away to another realm of existence.

2. The entry must include name, complete stat-block, physical description, basic background information, and detailed combat behavior if any. A plot hook or similar in addition is optional but encouraged. Incomplete entries will be disqualified upon the deadline.

3. Entries must be 3.5 edition, using the standard format listed below (not that new one seen in the Monster Manual IV-V, except for a lore section which is encouraged).

4. Post all entries on this thread. Do not post conversation here. Any and All Comments and discussions will take place on a separate thread here (this is a link) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10470789#post10470789).

5. One entry per participant. No double-teaming.

6. Entries copied from some other source (splatbook, alternate website, etc) will be disqualified. All entries must be a new creation, not one already posted. Adding class levels to an already published or posted creature does not count as a new monster. Nor does adding templates. There must be an original base creature devoid of any template added on as the actual entry. Samples of the original base creature with a template may be posted in 'addition' but will not be judged.

7. No reserving posts. Feel free to post a creature and tweak it, but you have to have the basic beast already done.

8. Please state if you do not want critiques, otherwise other participants will likely give a rundown of your build in the chat thread.

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[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Vorpal Tribble's Guide To Making Monsters (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43009)

As well, here is the standard 3.5 monster format. Only complete entries will be accepted. If there are any questions feel free to ask me or post queries in the GITP Contest Chat Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8753819#post8753819).

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No Parsed Stat Block Code
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Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
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Description/background/characteristics

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Ability descriptions

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- Optional -

Lore

Plot Hook/Story if any

Name

<Size> <Type>
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Speed: (# squares)
Armor Class: (), touch, flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple:
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Saves: Fort +, Ref +, Will +
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
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Description/background/characteristics

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- Optional -

Lore

Plot Hook/Story if any

[unosarta]

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/357/0/e/_alien__by_lilibandicoot-d35hnd7.jpg

Tchidda

Small Aberration (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 8d8+24 (60 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares)
Armor Class: 21, touch 18, flat-footed 17 (+4 Dex, +3 Natural, +3 Deflection, +1 Size)
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+1
Attack: Pipe +11 melee (1d6-1 plus Poison)
Full Attack: Pipe +11/+6 melee (1d6-1 plus Poison)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath of Distilled Fragrance, Addictive Poison, Touch of Chaos, Gamble With Fate, Gate of Mirrors
Special Qualities: Sweet Scent, Cloak of Midnight, Merchant of Souls
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +7
Abilities Str 8, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: Diplomacy +18*, Bluff +10, Profession (Merchant) +20*, Profession (Gambler) +20*, Knowledge (the Planes) +14
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse, Ability Focus (Breath of Distilled Fragrance)
Environment: Limbo
Organization: Solitary, or Caravan (4-10)
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Usually Chaotic Neutral
Advancement: by HD; 9-12 HD (Small); 13-17 HD (Medium); 18+ HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: --

The Tchidda appear as strange, almost fish-like creatures, with long, sharp pipes that they constantly smoke. Their skin is a sort of orange red, and covered in short bristles. They have beady, black eyes, and a curved, constantly smirking mouth. Their nose is short, with tiny nostrils on the side, rather than below as in the case of most humanoid esque creatures. They are roughly two to two and a half feet high, and weigh somewhere in the range of 40 to 60 pounds, depending on the size of the Tchidda. Their arms and legs are tiny and thin, barely able to support their rather rotund stomach. Fortunately for the Tchidda, they have a long, billowing cloak that covers most of their body, and they can weave illusions through the smoke of their pipe to disguise their form.

The Tchidda are the alien creations from Limbo, the plane of chaos who peddle in the souls of the desperate and lesser creatures. They fall upon creatures when they are most vulnerable, at a time of great sorrow, loss, or desperation, and offer them a choice; they will pay them in great power, for the cost of their soul. They collect souls, and covet them beyond all things.

Tchidda also love to cause creatures to become addicted to their pipe smoke. It has intense addictive properties, causing any who breath it in to go into almost immediate withdrawal, both physically and mentally. They sell their pipe smoke in small concentrated quantities to addicts who live in the larger planar cities.

Tchidda are especially ruthless gamblers, stalking from city to city in different guises and forms, going to the gambling dens, the dice halls, and the smoking houses and smoking their long, sharpened pipes while winning all of the money the house has to offer.

Tchidda never back down to a wager, as long as they have manipulated the stakes to their liking. Offer them a gamble, and they will almost certainly take you up on your offer.

Tchidda, unlike many of the denizens of limbo, are rather organized. Their demeanor and personal outlook in life belie that fact, but their card halls in Sigil are some of the most famous, and they have built huge, golden cities in Limbo, dedicated entirely to the more seductive pleasures and to gambling. There, they run the towns, and the money flows freely from tourists pockets into those of the Tchidda. They are notorious in most every plane, and many do not trust the word of a Tchidda for that very reason.

The Tchidda also function as merchants, travelling across the planes peddling their smoke, or any number of various black market goods, including weapons, armor, secrets, and souls. They rarely sell the souls they collect, usually storing them away in the great vaults of the Silver Cities, where the greatest treasures that the Tchidda have collected are held. Many of the goods they peddle they win in dice halls or gambling dens, especially secrets.

Their dialogues tend to be very sycophantic, with kowtowing and compliments coming from the Tchidda. If the customer disrespects the Tchidda, however, they will be quick to show their anger. The Tchidda speaks every language (see; Merchant of Souls). Their voices tend to be high-pitched and soothing.

Combat
Tchidda tend to be very forthright in combat. They like to be quick and dirty, not wanting to sully their reputations as professionals by fighting, or at least fighting for very long or very openly. They will oft try to pull opponents out of the establishment in which they are currently peddling or gambling, in order to not inconvenience the owner or customers. They tend to be very dirty fighters, using the smoke from their pipes to confuse and disorient their opponents, and stabbing and slicing with their long, sharpened pipes in order to poison and injure their opponents. Usually they will leave the corpse in a nearby alley (never close enough to implicate the establishment wherein they fight started), with the telltale sickly sweet scent denoting that the corpse was a victim of a Tchidda. Tchidda are proficient with their pipes. Their pipes count as short swords for the purposes of weapon finesse and other related feats, and deal piercing damage.

Breath of Distilled Fragrance (Ex): The Tchidda’s breath is highly addictive, and sickeningly sweet. It sells for the highest prices in the Silver Cities, the pleasure palaces created by the Tchidda in Limbo. As a standard action, the Tchidda may breath out a fog of sweet smoke, cloying at the lungs of others. The smoke functions as the Obscuring Mist spell, but lasts for 5 rounds, and is instead 30 feet by 30 feet. Any non-Tchidda that remains in the cloud must make a Fortitude save (DC 19) every round or become addicted to the smoke. The save is Constitution based, and includes a +2 racial bonus. Creatures addicted to the Tchidda’s smoke take 2d6 non-lethal damage every hour that they do not breathe in the smoke, and they take 1 Wisdom damage each week that they do not breathe in the smoke. This wisdom damage cannot bring the target below 1 Wisdom. Given the chance or opportunity, the addict must use every means available to them to gain a breath of the smoke. The Tchidda may only use this ability every 1d4 rounds. A remove disease spell or a Heal check (DC 25) will remove the physical addiction (including the Wisdom damage), although it takes 2d6 weeks of therapy before the mental need for the smoke is gone.

Addictive Poison (Ex): The Tchidda may coat his weapons in a poison that functions in a similar way to his breath, but that is much more concentrated, and highly toxic. The Tchidda may coat his weapons in the poison as a swift action. The poison deals 1d4 initial Constitution damage, and 2d4 secondary Strength and Dexterity damage. A successful Fortitude save (DC 17) negates both damages. The save is Constitution based. A creature who fails their save undergoes the same effects as if they had become addicted to the Tchidda’s smoke. The weapon coating lasts for 3 rounds, or until the weapon successfully deals damage to an opponent, whichever comes first.

Touch of Chaos (Su): The Tchidda may introduce chaos into any situation, causing the pleasantly mundane to become abstract and abnormal. As an immediate action, the Tchidda may roll a d6 when an opponent would make a standard or move action, and have the opponent instead do the result of the roll on the following table. The Tchidda may only use this ability once per encounter.

{table=head]Result|Effect


1|Fall prone


2|Teleport 30 feet in any direction (chosen at random)


3|Turn into a chicken for 3 rounds*


4|Attack the opponent’s nearest ally


5|Become panicked for 3 rounds


6|Babble incoherently about chickens[/table]
*while in chicken form, the opponent can do nothing but move and squawk.

Gamble With Fate (Su): The Tchidda may take a chance with fate, and allow his own luck to affect the outcomes of his actions. He may, three times per encounter, reroll any roll or check as a free action. He must take the result of the second action. In addition, whenever he is attacked, he may roll a d20, and add a number equal to his armor class minus ten to the roll to determine his armor class. A natural 20 is considered an automatic miss.

Gate of Mirrors (Su): The Tchidda has perfected the ability to travel the planes by way of mirrors. The Silver Cities are covered in mirrors, causing them to shimmer with otherworldly refractions from the denizens of Limbo. The Tchidda may cast Plane Shift to the plane of Limbo as a full round action as long as they are touching a mirror. Tchidda often carry mirrors for this very purpose. They must end the Plane Shift in Limbo adjacent to a mirror (usually in the Silver Cities). They may use this ability to plane shift to any plane, and without ending adjacent to a mirror, but doing so is instead an hour long ritual. The Tchidda always may transport any goods of value (including souls) that they intend to sell or bring back to the Silver Cities using this ability without adding to the total weight transported.

Sweet Scent (Su): The Tchidda’s scent is so sickeningly sweet that it can interfere with the immune systems of those around him. All creatures within 30 feet of the Tchidda take a -4 penalty to all Fortitude saves. This does not affect Tchidda creatures.

Cloak of Midnight (Su): The Tchidda is enshrouded in a cloak of midnight, which protects him from harm, and mixes in with the smoke from his pipe, allowing him to create illusions and change the appearance of his form. The Tchidda gains a Deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to his Intelligence modifier. In addition, the Tchidda is constantly affected by the Disguise Self spell, but he can change his illusory size to any size that is no more than two size categories larger than his size category, and no smaller than his size category.

Merchant of Souls (Su): The Tchidda is the ultimate merchant of souls. In exchange for a soul, he can grant others one ultimate wish or desire, although it comes at a price. The Tchidda may, in exchange for the target’s soul, cast the Limited Wish spell for a target, with a caster level of 15. The target may choose any effect, but his soul and body start to wither thereafter (this does not need to be specified when making the bargain), as their soul has been separated from their body. They take 1d6 ability drain to every ability score every week after having their soul taken from them. Only a Remove Curse, True Resurrection, Wish, or Miracle spell may stop this effect, but it starts up again 2d4 weeks later unless the target has their soul returned to them. The Tchidda may not forfeit their own soul for this effect, and they are immune to any effect created by this ability. The Tchidda have developed a strange sort of magic in order to facilitate in the bargaining of souls. The Tchidda may communicate with any creature, whether through speech, telepathy, hand signals, a series of puffs of smoke, or what have you, and that creature will understand perfectly, even if they don't know the hand signals, the language, or any other factor that the Tchidda uses. The Tchidda must intentionally be attempting to communicate with another creature to be so understood.

Skills: The Tchidda gains a +8 racial bonus to all Diplomacy, Profession (Merchant), and Profession (Gambler) checks.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Lore
{table=head]DC|Lore|Abilities

18|The Tchidda are interplanar merchants and gamblers|Gate of Mirrors

23|The Tchidda’s smoke is highly addictive|Breath of Distilled Fragrance, Addictive Poison, Sweet Scent

28|The Tchidda especially loves dealing in souls|Merchant of Souls, Cloak of Midnight

33|The Tchidda live in great cities in the plane of Limbo where they have gambling, drinking, and all of the more seductive pleasures|Gamble with Fate, Touch of Chaos[/table]

Plot Hooks

The gambling den next to the palace has been getting a strange customer, recently. He wins every game he plays in, and he smokes a long pipe. Customers have been complaining about him, accusing him of cheating, but never taking it past that point. No one knows exactly what he looks like, only that he wears a dark cloak that hides most of his facial features. They also say that the pipe smoke is disgustingly sweet, and that it has put some of the customers off their game, recently. The owner of the den wants the party to deal with this fellow before the king’s brother comes to play in his bi-monthly dice game.

Someone has been killing all of the prominent gamblers, murdering them a few blocks from the dens where they tend to gamble. No one knows who is doing it, but they say that the corpses have a sickly sweet smell, and are covered in puncture wounds. Healers and coroners who have examined the body say that the victims were poisoned, but the poison is completely unfamiliar to them. The constable wants the party to find out who is doing this, and bring them in for justice.

The leader of the Mage’s Guild has been wasting away, after the miraculous recovery of his daughter, after many years in an devastating coma. It is rumored that he dealt with black magics in order to bring her back, but no proof has been found. The party’s contact in the Mage’s Guild wants them to find out what happened to the leader, and try to help him recover.

[Cheesy74]

Transient
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/82992.jpg
Medium Outsider
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+3 masterwork studded leather, +2 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+5
Attack: Short sword +5 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: 2 short swords +5 melee (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Phase
Special Qualities: Dextrous Combatant, Hide in Plain Sight
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +3
Abilities Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 12
Skills: Appraise +7, Bluff +6, Disguise +6, Hide +8*, Move Silently +8, Open Lock +8, Search +7, Sleight of Hand +8, Tumble +8, Use Rope +8
Feats: Spring AttackB, Combat Reflexes
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary, pair, or squad (1 Rogue 5 and three Rogue 1s)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard plus Handy Haversack
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1

*Bonus improves to +12 in shadowy illumination or darkness.

Transients are a deep gray-skinned race of humanoids native to the Plane of Shadow. Though their settlements and societies remain on the Plane of Shadow, their economy revolves around theft from the Prime. Slavery of humanoids on the prime material is their biggest industry, with great prestige awaiting those who can capture powerful, skilled, or exotic specimens, but transients are never picky about what they steal, taking anything valuable enough to warrant its theft.

Combat
Any transients encountered on the Prime are there to steal rather than kill, but they are nevertheless skilled combatants, using their incredible speed and dexterity rather than any strength to keep opponents on their toes. When capturing a mark, they will waste no time and immediately attempt to phase them onto the shadow plane where they can be more easily subdued.

Phase (Su): Transients are effective at thievery mainly because of their ability to straddle the material and shadow planes. They can shift freely between the shadow plane and prime material plane as a move action, taking themselves and up to a heavy load with them. By taking a standard action instead, they can take a single living being with whom they are in contact along with them. They may take along an unwilling target up to one size larger than them by initiating a grapple with them first. Unwilling targets receive a DC 12 Will save to resist phasing unless they are pinned, in which case they receive no save. This DC is charisma-based.

Dextrous Combatant (Ex): Transients are extremely light on their feet and take full advantage of this in combat. They take no penalty for two-weapon combat with two light weapons and may make an attack with each weapon during a spring attack. In addition, they add their dexterity in place of their strength to both their attack and damage rolls.

Peerless Camouflage (Ex): Transients can move at full speed (and can even run) while hiding, taking no penalties on Hide checks due to movement.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): A transient can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as they are within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a transient can hide themselves from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. They cannot, however, hide in their own shadow.

Transients as Characters
Transients become adventurers for most of the same reasons humans do - wanderlust, escaping a bad past, or to seek fortune. They almost always adventure alone, relying on their Phase ability if things become too much for them to handle. Some may gain class levels from their training in conventional transient society, in which case they usually perform missions with lower-level transients as their leader. Almost all of them have levels in skillful classes such as rogue, swordsage, or scout.

Transients gain the following racial traits:
--+4 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, +2 Intelligence
--Outsider: Transients are outsiders native to the Plane of Shadow.
--Medium: As Medium creatures, transients have no special bonus or penalty due to size.
--Racial Hit Dice: A transient begins with two levels of outsider, which provides 2d8 hit dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3.
--Racial Skills: A transient’s outsider levels give it skill points equal to 5 × (8 + Int modifier). Its class skills are all Dexterity-based skills and Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Bluff (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Racial Feats: A transient's outsider levels give it one feat.
--Transients receive Spring Attack as a bonus feat.
--+4 racial bonus on hide checks in anything less than bright illumination.
--Transient base land speed is 30 ft.
--Phase: The ability works as previously described, but its DC scales with the transient's character level, equaling 11+1/2 level+cha modifier.
--Special Qualities (See above and previous note): Phase, Dextrous Combatant, Peerless Camouflage, Hide in Plain Sight
--Automatic Languages: Common, Shadespeak. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages such as Druidic).
--Level Adjustment +1: Transients are more powerful than most races, and therefore gain experience slower than most.

-===========-
Transient Description
Personality: Transients typically have a very pragmatic view of the world, seeing everything as a business opportunity or twisting things to their advantage habitually. Though they will kidnap and enslave humanoids on the prime given the opportunity, they hold no special grudge against them and will gladly trade with them in other circumstances. They are ruthless negotiators, tradesmen and businessmen and see no problem with crushing others beneath their heel for a leg up. They are especially noted for a lack of the slightest sympathy for their slaves. Their society considers them property, and it is extremely unusual and a serious social faux pas to treat them as anything more than that.
Physical Description: Transients are slightly shorter and lankier than humans, standing between 4' 8" and 5' 10" tall and weighing between 90 and 150 lbs. Their faces are more feral than humans, appearing closer to goblins. Their bodies are entirely hairless except for their heads, which grow wispy gray hair. Transient men are incapable of growing facial hair. Their skin is a dull, matte gray that is closer to black than white, and their eyes are typically golden, though they can be any of a variety of colors such as white, green and brown. Transient clothing is strictly utilitarian, usually fairly tight to the skin, especially if they are on an expedition.
Relations: Transients deal very openly with all other intelligent races on the plane of shadow, often serving as a middleman for trade between warring factions. They also deal with the shadier underbelly of the Prime, with Transient goods having a reputation for being extremely high caliber and extremely overpriced. As a whole, they have no quarrel with any intelligent races, though their actions have made them the enemy of most governments on the Prime.
Alignment: The ruthlessness of transients leads them more toward evil than good. They have a lack of respect for the law of the Prime, but are extremely respectful of previously negotiated terms of agreement. They twist contracts where they can, but they will never outright violate them. Most transients are neutral on the law-chaos axis, though they tend very slightly toward law.
Religion: Transients are, by and large, irreligious. Some businessmen so inclined venerate deities of good fortune or trade, but they are rare.
Language: The native tongue of transients is Shadespeak, a language based mostly on hisses, hums, and whispers, sounding similar to a whistling wind when spoken fluently. It is considered culturally expected to know Common due to extensive trading with the Prime, though transients still maintain a breathy, whispering voice while speaking this foreign tongue.

[NakedCelt]

BYVANT

Byvants are rag-tag pranksters and kidnappers, originating from the Widdershins World, the home plane of the trickster god Hobinet. (In a standard D&D campaign, the best analogue to the Widdershins World is the Plane of Shadow, followed by the Chaos of Limbo. Campaigns that use the plane of Faerie are well-suited to these creatures.) Seldom evil as such, a byvant's idea of fun is to spirit an unsuspecting humanoid away to the Widdershins World and keep it as a pet.
Byvants speak Hobinese (Draconic in a standard D&D campaign), though madaes seldom manage complete sentences. Nicklins, dunnans, and goodfellows also typically speak Common, Elven, and Sylvan.

{table=head]|Nicklin|Dunnan|Madae|Goodfellow
Size/Type|Small Outsider (Extraplanar, Shapechanger)|Medium Outsider (Extraplanar, Shapechanger)|Medium Outsider (Extraplanar, Shapechanger)|Medium Outsider (Extraplanar, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice|1d8 (4 hp)|1d8 (4 hp)|5d8+10 (50 hp)|9d8+9 (49 hp)
Initiative|+2|+5|+2|+5
Speed|30 ft. (6 squares)|40 ft. (8 squares)|50 ft. (10 squares)|40 ft. (8 squares)
Armour Class|13 (+1 size, +2 Dex), touch 13, flat-footed 11|11 (+1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 10|14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12|15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple|+2/-4|+1/+2|+5/+8|+9/+10
Attack|Sap +1 melee (1d4-1 nonlethal)|Dagger +2 melee or ranged (1d4+1)|Bite +8 melee (1d6+3)|+1 club +11 melee (1d6+2) or shortbow +10 ranged (1d6/×3)
Full Attack|Sap +1 melee (1d4-1 nonlethal)|Dagger +2 melee or ranged (1d4+1)|Bite +8 melee (1d6+3)|+1 club +11 melee (1d6+2) or shortbow +10 ranged (1d6/×3)
Space/Reach|5 ft./5 ft.|5 ft./5 ft.|5 ft./5 ft.|5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks|Spell-like abilities|Spell-like abilities|Improved grab, throttle|Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities|Alternate form, damage reduction 5/silver, darkvision 60 ft., illusion resistance +2, plane shift|Alternate form, damage reduction 5/silver, darkvision 60 ft., illusion resistance +2, plane shift|Alternate form, damage reduction 7/silver, darkvision 90 ft., illusion resistance +4, plane shift, scent|Alternate form, damage reduction 10/silver, darkvision 120 ft., illusion resistance +5, plane shift, spell resistance 15
Saves|Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +3|Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +2|Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +5|Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +8
Abilities|Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 14|Str 12, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 12|Str 16, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 8|Str 12, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16
Skills|Bluff +9, Disguise +9, Escape Artist +6, Gather Information +6, Hide +10, Listen +3, Move Silently +6, Sleight of Hand +6, Spot +3|Bluff +8, Disguise +8*, Escape Artist +5, Gather Information +5, Hide +5, Move Silently +5, Sleight of Hand +5|Bluff +13, Escape Artist +10, Hide +14, Intimidate +7, Jump +11, Listen +3, Move Silently +14, Spot +3|Bluff +19, Disguise +19*, Escape Artist +13, Gather Information +18, Hide +15, Intimidate +15, Move Silently +15, Sense Motive +14, Sleight of Hand +16
Feats|Alertness|Improved Initiative|Alertness, Track|Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Gather Information, Sleight of Hand), Stealthy
Environment|Widdershins World of Hobinet|Widdershins World of Hobinet|Widdershins World of Hobinet|Widdershins World of Hobinet
Organization|Band (1–2 goodfellows, 5–12 madaes, 6–10 dunnans, 12–16 nicklins)|Band (1–2 goodfellows, 5–12 madaes, 6–10 dunnans, 12–16 nicklins)|Pack (8–20) or band (1–2 goodfellows, 5–12 madaes, 6–10 dunnans, 12–16 nicklins)|Band (1–2 goodfellows, 5–12 madaes, 6–10 dunnans, 12–16 nicklins)
Challenge Rating|1/2|1|3|7
Treasure|Standard|Standard|1/2 standard|Standard plus hat
Alignment|Usually chaotic neutral|Usually chaotic neutral|Usually chaotic neutral|Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement|By character class|By character class|6–10 HD (Medium)|By character class
Level Adjustment|—|—|—|—[/table]

COMBAT
Byvants commonly attack in bands led by a single goodfellow. Lacking in blunt force, they are sophisticated ambush hunters. A typical raid begins by surrounding the intended victims under the power of the goodfellow's invisibility ability. Dunnans in animal form, and madaes, then stage rapid hit-and-run attacks, while nicklins and more dunnans sneak up on the victims and employ their daze and colour spray powers. The goodfellow will augment the chaos with major images, overpower the intended abductee with hideous laughter, turn them invisible, then disguise himself as the abductee using his alternate form ability and lead the party astray while the other byvants carry the real victim off.

Byvant Traits
Byvants share the following traits:
Alternate Form (Su): A byvant can assume an alternate form as indicated in its entry. While in alternate form, it gains the speed, physical ability scores, natural armour, and natural attacks of the new form, replacing its own. It can remain in this form until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, but a byvant reverts to its natural form when killed. A true seeing spell or ability reveals its natural form. When using its alternate form ability, a byvant gets a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks.
Illusion Resistance (Su): A byvant has a racial bonus, as indicated in the table, on Will saves to disbelieve illusions. Additionally, it may make a Will save with the same racial bonus to see invisibility as the spell, if it knows there is an invisible creature about. The same racial bonus further applies to Spot checks to see through disguises.
Plane Shift (Su): When a group of at least six byvants, including at least one goodfellow with a hat, is gathered together, they can jump from the Widdershins World to any other plane; they may carry with them up to one changeling for every four byvants.
From the other plane they can only return to the Widdershins World, and the group must include all the same byvants that made the outward journey. The group can carry back up to one abductee for every four byvants.

Nicklin
This creature is the same size and general body shape as a goblin, but with the angular features of an elf. It is attired as a jester.
Nicklins delight in causing mayhem and mischief for their own amusement; if their victims feel otherwise, it merely shows their lack of humour. They squabble frequently among themselves, but will collaborate for the sake of a prank.

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—daze (DC 12), ghost sound. Caster level 2nd. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Alternate Form (Su): A nicklin can assume the shape of (one particular) Tiny animal.
Skills: A nicklin has a +3 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks.

Dunnan
This creature might be an elf, but that it is over six feet tall – and that elves are blessed with elegant dress sense, whereas this creature has wrapped itself haphazardly in garish ribbons and painted the remaining areas of exposed skin in black and white.
Dunnans have little sense of responsibility and less of decorum, preferring to spend their time in drunken frivolity. They follow the lead of goodfellows chiefly because goodfellows throw the best parties.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—colour spray (DC 12), dancing lights, ventriloquism (DC 12). Caster level 5th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Alternate Form (Su): A dunnan can assume the shape of any Small, Medium, or Large animal with horns or antlers; goats and deer are favourites.
Skills: A dunnan has a +3 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks.

Madae
This creature resembles a large hound, black on one side and white on the other, with glowing eyes.
Madaes are animalistic byvants, lacking in brains and magical might, but physically strong and tireless in the chase.

Improved Grab (Ex): A madae that hits an opponent with its bite attack can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to throttle the opponent on the following round.
Throttle (Ex): A madae bites a grabbed opponent's throat, choking it. In addition to dealing normal damage, the opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or fall unconscious. The save DC is Strength-based. This ability does not affect creatures that are immune to critical hits.
Alternate Form (Su): A madae can assume the shape of a Medium constrictor snake, or that of a Medium eagle.
Skills: A madae has a +4 racial bonus on Bluff checks to feint in combat, and on Hide and Move Silently checks.

Goodfellow
While broadly human, and endowed with a fine curling moustache, this motley-garbed creature's chin, nose and ears all appear unnaturally long and pointed. It sports a slightly battered black top hat.
Goodfellows are the leaders of byvant thieving bands; it is rare to encounter more than three together. They mastermind and command abduction raids to the other planes. They are seldom malevolent, but thoroughly unconcerned about the disruption they cause to their victims' lives – it's all in good fun (for them).

Spell-like Abilities: At will—hideous laughter (DC 14), hypnotic pattern (DC 14), invisibility (self only unless wearing its hat). 3/day (if wearing its hat)—major image (DC 16). 1/day (if wearing its hat)—irresistible dance (DC 18). Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Alternate Form (Su): A goodfellow can assume the shape of any Small or Medium humanoid. The goodfellow's hat is not changed in the new form, and must be removed and hidden if it is not to be a giveaway.
Skills: A goodfellow has a +4 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks.

Goodfellow's Hat
This black top hat grants its wearer enhanced magical abilities. Objects placed in the hat for more than an hour polymorph permanently into other objects (never creatures) of the same size. The new form is a mundane item chosen randomly by the DM and is never of greater gp value than the original.
When worn by a goodfellow byvant, the hat grants the spell-like ability to cast major image three times a day, irresistible dance once a day, and extends the goodfellow's ability to cast invisibility to subjects other than itself. Any other wearer may cast either minor image or invisibility once, after which the hat will not work again for that wearer. If the wearer is not a byvant, an elf, a gnome, or any kind of fey, she must make a Fortitude save (DC 19) upon using the hat's power or be subject to a baleful polymorph effect (the new form chosen randomly by the DM).

Changeling

This creature appears to be a life-size baby doll, clumsily assembled from straw and rags. Its head bears a lump of smeary clay, crudely sculpted into a crying infant face.
Sometimes, byvant raids come not for adult victims, but for babies. In this instance, a changeling is always left in the abductee's place. If the changeling is forced back to its natural form (without destroying it) and brought to the altar of a temple to Hobinet, the real infant is automatically restored. Otherwise, the parents face a long and gruelling extraplanar voyage hunting down the byvants in question.
Changelings do not speak, but understand Hobinese (Draconic) and Common.

Tiny Construct (Extraplanar, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 2d10 (11 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)
Armour Class: 12 (+2 size), touch 12, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-9
Attack: Bite +1 melee (1d4-2)
Full Attack: Bite +1 melee (1d4-2)
Space/Reach: 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Cry
Special Qualities: Alternate form, construct traits, darkvision 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +1
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 11, Con —, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 14
Skills: Bluff +8, Disguise +8
Feats: Ability Focus (Cry)
Environment: Widdershins World of Hobinet
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement: 3–6 HD (Tiny)
Level Adjustment: —

COMBAT
A changeling will mimic an infant of the first humanoid species it sees, snare a victim to care for it, and slowly weaken the wills of all it encounters through its never-ending, snivelling cry.
Cry (Su): Anyone within hearing range of a changeling must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or take 1 point of Wisdom damage. The nearest victim to the changeling must make a further DC 15 Will save or fall prey to a suggestion that he protect the changeling from all attacks and feed it a constant stream of food. The save DCs are Charisma-based. The save must be repeated for each hour of exposure; the changeling's carer, however, is immune to further Wisdom damage so long as he remains under the suggestion. This is a sonic mind-affecting effect.
Alternate Form (Su): A changeling can take the form of an infant of any humanoid species, though usually of sickly, starving aspect – provided it still has more than half its original hit points (6 hp). If it falls below this total, it automatically returns to its natural form and ceases to cry.
Skills: A changeling has a +4 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks.

("Wait, what? Hobinet? Widdershins World? What are you talking about?")
THE EIGHTFOLD COSMOSIn eternal ages past, the only world was the chaos of the Infinite Void. But the Eight Gods, seeking order and peace, built a cosmos of eight interlinked planes – one each – which would resist the encroachment of the Void indefinitely. Each constructed their own plane according to their own desires, until there was no chink in the armour of the Cosmos. [Any DM worth her salt will add "Or so they thought" at this point. The encroachment of the Void, however, is not relevant to the Widdershins World or the byvants.]
Because they were born of the Void, each of the Eight has a little of its darkness in their innermost soul. Urda and Donnovar, though kindly, can be capricious; Hobinet and Manthis are deceptive; Azri and Turon are belligerent; Arken and Krona are cold and proud.

The gods, and their planes, are as follows:
{table=head]Deity|Epithets|Alignment|Portfolios|Plane|D&D analogues
Urda|The Earth Mother, the Mother|Neutral good|Earth, life, fertility, crops|The Fecund Earth of Urda|Material Plane, Bytopia
Hobinet|The Trickster, the Thief-God|Chaotic neutral|Illusions, shapeshifting, jests|The Widdershins World of Hobinet|Shadow Plane, Limbo
Arken|The All-Seeing, the Wanderer, the First Mage|Neutral|Magic, knowledge, languages, travel|The Bottomless Library of Arken|Mechanus, Outlands
Manthis|The Beguiler, the Lady of Pleasure, the Harlot|Chaotic good|Love, passion, pleasure, joy|The Sensual Paradise of Manthis|Elysium, Arborea
Azri|The Light-Bearer, the Maiden, the Dragon-Slayer|Lawful good|Light, healing, purity, truth|The Cleansing Fire of Azri|Plane of Fire, Positive Energy Plane
Turon|The Avenger, the Warmonger|Lawful neutral|Vengeance, war, justice|The Unceasing Battlefield of Turon|Acheron, Ysgard
Donnovar|The Great Giver, the Storm Lord|Chaotic good|Generosity, mercy, weather|The Bountiful Cloudscape of Donnovar|Ysgard, Beastlands
Krona|The Ender of All Ills, the Crone, the Lady of Death|Neutral|Death, sleep, fatigue, time|The Peaceful Underworld of Krona|Ethereal Plane, Arcadia
||Evil (all)|Senseless destruction, madness|The Infinite Void|Negative Energy Plane, Astral Plane[/table]
Urda is depicted as a middle-aged woman, usually pregnant or with a baby at her breast. Her temples are low, thatched buildings, always with a garden and a grove of trees nearby. Urda's clerics wear humble peasant garments and go barefoot. Gardening is a sacrament to Urda. Farmers and foresters worship her. The Fecund Earth is a world of forests and farms, villages and towns, and the homeworld of the common races and animals. Hobinet is depicted as a jester in pied clothing. His temples are curtained theatres, hung with distorting mirrors and other surprises. Hobinet's clerics wear motley, tags, and bells. Street theatre is a sacrament to Hobinet. Rogues, and those who live lives of drudgery, worship him. The Widdershins World is a plane of strange illusions, wild magic, and moving landscapes, where nothing is what it seems. Arken is depicted as a noble mage with ravens' wings and a staff of power. His tall-spired temples are libraries of arcane knowledge. Arken's clerics wear dark robes embroidered with sigils. Magic is a sacrament to Arken. Wizards, scholars, and travellers worship him. The Bottomless Library is a vast city, with countless books, scrolls, and tablets, and mysterious inscriptions covering every surface. Manthis is depicted as a curvaceous nude woman. Her temples, clerics, and sacraments cannot be described in detail on a "family" website; suffice to say that seductive scents and alluring veils are generally present. The lovelorn worship her. The Sensual Paradise is a tropical ocean of coral reefs and sunny islands. Azri is depicted as a white-robed maiden with a gleaming sword. Her temples are white inside and out, with magnificent coloured windows. Azri's clerics wear white robes with gold trim. Cleaning and healing are sacraments to Azri. Paladins, and those in need of healing, worship her. The Cleansing Fire is a sea of roiling flame below, a kaleidoscope of positive energy above. Turon is depicted as a grim warrior in bloody armour. His temples are fortresses with weapons in great store. Where the worship of Turon has official sanction, his clerics wear bright armour and red capes; where it is frowned on, they creep about in black; in either case, they carry masterwork swords. Slaying evildoers is a sacrament to Turon. Soldiers and those who believe themselves wronged worship him. The Unceasing Battlefield is a training-ground where warriors slay one another in endless battles and duels and are returned to life to fight again. Donnovar is depicted as a jolly old man with a large beard. His temples are feast-halls, always open to the needy. Donnovar's clerics wear red and green robes. Giving gifts to the poor is a sacrament to Donnovar. Poor people, and those with money and uneasy consciences, worship him. The Bountiful Cloudscape is a place of wild storms and howling wind, but with great castles and halls full of treasure and food. Krona is depicted as an elderly woman in a black hood, leaning on a stick. Her temples are built of stone and dark within, and flanked by tombs. Krona's clerics wear black hooded robes. Burying the dead is a sacrament to Krona. The bereaved worship her. The Peaceful Underworld is a land of quiet mists, where the dead enjoy their long-earned rest. There is no deity in the Infinite Void, but evil magicians and those who lust for ungodly power worship its vile insanity. It is a swirling maelstrom of destructive forces, the haunt of aberrations and the undead, eternally seeking to find a crack in the shell of the Eightfold Cosmos by which they can tear it apart.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Looking great so far, everyone. A small bump here to see if we get any other submissions. :smallbiggrin:

[The Dark Fiddler]

http://ravereader.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dw_curse-of-the-black-spot-siren.jpg

Wellness Spirit

Medium Outsider (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 8d8+8 (40 HP)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+3 dex, +4 deflection), 17 touch, 14 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+8
Attack: Diseased touch +11 (poison or disease)
Full Attack: Diseased touch +11 (poison or disease) or draining touch +11 (2d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Diseased touch, draining touch, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., doctor's sense, immunity to disease and poison, peaceful presence
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +7
Abilities Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 18
Skills: Concentration +12, craft (alchemy) +12, diplomacy +15, heal +15, knowledge (nature) +12, listen +12, spellcraft +12, spot +12, survival +12,
Feats: Weapon finesse, skill focus (heal), great fortitude
Environment: Positive Energy Plane
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: -

Your attacker lays dead before you, but not without a price. You look woefully at the sword currently protruding from your spleen and collapse, the pain too much to bear. You close your eyes and accept your fate, feeling a calm wash over you. Before you fade away into the merciful grasp of death, you hear a compassionate voice above you. "Do not worry, I shall heal you."

Wellness spirits are beings made from positive energy that retrieve and heal those near death. They live in their hospitals, contained within their own demiplane in the positive energy plane, designed to shield their patients from the harmful energies outside. They rarely care for those wounded because of a fight they started themselves, or those who have others nearby to care for them, but have been known to whisk away specific individuals they take a liking too at the slightest sign of poor health.

Once a wellness spirit has a creature in its care, it will refuses to give up its patient until the end of its natural life, believing that its own care is the best thing for them. They will defend their patients to the death.

Wellness spirits spend roughly an hour every day searching for new patients on the material plane. When one is found, they will plane shift them back to their hospital, following shortly thereafter, and will care for them as intensely as any other patient. Wellness spirits rarely find more than one patient a week, and often go as often as three months without a new patient to care for.

Combat

Wellness spirits rarely fight, preferring to care for their patients. The exception is when one comes to claim their friend that was taken, when the wellness spirit will respond with violence only if it cannot persuade its opponent to leave peacefully (or submit to its care).

Against a solitary foe, a wellness spirit will typically attempt to paralyze its foe and drain them to death. Against a group, it instead shows more tact, feigning peace until it is possible to weaken its foe with poison and disease.

Diseased Touch (Ex): When a wellness spirit cures somebody, it takes the diseases and poisons into its own body. When threatened, it can channel these into any foe it touches as a touch attack. This attack takes a standard action and provokes an attack of opportunity. Any foe that is hit by it must make a fortitude save (DC 18, charisma based) or be inflicted either by a poison that deals 1d3 strength and dexterity damage as its primary and secondary damage or one of the following diseases at random: blinding sickness, cackle fever, filth fever, mindfire, red ache, or shakes.

Draining Touch (Su): As a standard action, a wellness spirit may also drain the energy of a foe it touches. Any foe hit by this touch attack takes 2d6 damage. The wellness spirit heals damage equal to that inflicted.

Doctor's Sense (Su): A wellness spirit is constantly able to sense when creatures it can see are injured. It can instantly tell whether any creature it looks at is poisoned, diseased, cursed, or suffering from some natural disability (such as blindness), as well as whether the creature has less than 10% of its HP remaining. The wellness spirit also knows how the creature obtained its injuries.

Peaceful Presence (Su): A wellness spirit exude a calming aura everywhere it goes. Any creature within 60 feet not already actively engaged in combat must make a will save (DC 18, charisma based) or be affected by the calm emotions spell. The effect lasts until the creature leaves the area of the aura, and for one minute after, or until the wellness spirit is provoked into combat. Any creature that exits the area of the effect and enters again must make another will save, regardless of whether they succeeded previously.

Additionally, even creatures who are actively fighting a wellness spirit have difficulty attacking it, granting it a deflection bonus equal to its charisma modifier.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - create water, cure/inflict minor wounds, purify food and drink; 3/day - cure/inflict light wounds, delay poison, plane shift, remove fear; 1/day - bear's endurance, create food and water, cure/inflict moderate wounds, hold person, lesser restoration, remove paralysis, remove disease; 1/week - remove blindness/deafness, remove curse; 1/month - regenerate

All save DCs are charisma based, and all spells are cast with a caster level equal to the wellness spirit's HD. Cure and inflict wounds of the same level share uses per day.

[TheGeckoKing]

Pale Serpent
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu89/Gecko-King/serpent_by_Murata.jpg
serpent by Murata

Gargantuan (Long) Magical Beast (Psionic)
Hit Dice: 14d10+98 (175 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 40ft (8 squares), Climb 20ft, Swim 30ft
Armor Class: 20 (-4 Size, +6 Dex, +10 Natural), touch 10, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+36
Attack: Bite +10 Melee (3d6+10 plus Poison)
Full Attack: Bite +10 Melee (3d6+10 plus Poison) plus Slam +10 (2d8+10).
Space/Reach: 20ft/15ft
Special Attacks: Hypnotic Eyes, Spirit Away, Poison
Special Qualities: Aura of Sympathy, Darkvision 60ft, Damage Reduction 5/-, Low-Light Vision, Unseen.
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +4
Abilities Str 30, Dex 22, Con 24, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 18
Skills: Autohypnosis +12, Balance +27, Bluff +21, Climb +16, Hide -8, Knowledge (Nature) +20, Listen +21, Move Silently +23, Spot +4
Feats: Ability Focus (Aura of Sympathy), Deadly Spittle*, Spit Venom*, Pervasive Gaze*, Virulent Poison**
Environment: Swamp
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Any Neutral
Advancement: 15-20HD (Gargantuan); 20-25HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: -
*Feat is from Serpent Kingdoms.
**Feat is from Savage Species.

A slithering movement slips though the mangrove swamps, seemingly coming from nowhere. At once, you feel a rush of air and in a massive gnarled tree hangs a pale white serpent with red-rimmed eyes. It calls to your group in a hollow voice;
"Won't you come here and be my friend?"
For some disturbing reason, as your eyes are blurred with a multitude of colors, you cannot help yourself but oblige the serpent's request.

The Enigmatic Pale Serpents, known also as Sorrow Vipers and Misery Adders, are some of the most saddening creatures in all of existence. They are massive pale snakes with red rimmed eyes, said to have occurred from the Pale Serpent's constant crying for loneliness.
The Pale Serpent is special in that is has a magical aura that makes its prey want to come closer and closer and closer to it out of its own volition, a good way of attracting said prey before the Serpent sinks its teeth into the prey's flesh, or burns its psyche with its mind-ruining poison.
However, the trade-off is that Pale Serpents react rather nastily to their fellow Serpent's auras, reviling the presence of their own flesh and blood. While they are never violent towards one another, a Pale Serpent cannot stand to be in the presence of another Pale Serpent, and so from days after birth when this aura activates itself the Pale Serpent is left abandoned and alone, to live out a miserable life of constant loneliness over the (possibly) thousands of years a Pale Serpent can live for.
To this end, somehow the Pale Serpents developed ways of mesmerizing and entrapping creatures, in order to keep it company. A Pale Serpent's eyes can fascinate weak-minded creatures with a psychedelic color show, and a Pale Serpent's touch can turn a creature into a hollow version of themselves known as a Misty Companion, bound to the Pale Serpent for a short while.
Most sages are sure that a Pale Serpent's Hypnotic Eyes are just a natural adaptation to trap prey, but no-one is quite sure who gave the Pale Serpents the quite frankly strange ability to make Misty Companions, not even the Pale Serpents who have had this ability since even they can remember.

A Pale Serpent speaks Common, Sylvian, and Undercommon in a sorrow-filled, hollow voice.

Combat

Aura of Sympathy (Su): A Pale Serpent constantly has an Sympathy (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Sympathy) effect on themselves, to lure in its "prey", with a DC 23 Will Save to resist. To other Pale Serpents, this ability functions as an Antipathy (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Antipathy) spell instead. The Sympathy version of this ability does not function if the Pale Serpent cannot be seen, like if its Unseen ability is still active. The Antipathy version that affects Pale Serpents still works, regardless of visibility. This ability is Cha Based.

Hypnotic Eyes (Su): A Pale Serpent has a Gaze Attack that creatures must make a DC 21 Will Save against or become under the effects of a Hypnotic Pattern (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Hypnotic_pattern) with a Caster Level of 14. A creature affected by this ability will still try to walk closer to the Pale Serpent because of its Aura of Sympathy, but otherwise takes penalties for being fascinated as normal. A creature that averts their eyes from a Pale Serpent's Hypnotic Eyes, they only have a 25% chance of avoiding to make a Will Save against the Pale Serpent's gaze attack, because of the Pale Serpent's Pervasive Gaze feat. This ability is Cha Based.

Spirit Away (Su): A Pale Serpent may make a touch attack with the intention of taking a new friend for themselves. If the touch attack is successful, the attacked creature must make a DC 21 Will Save or be turned into a Misty Companion (see below). A creature that successfully makes a save against this ability is immune to this ability for 24 hours. Other Pale Serpents are immune to this ability. This ability is Cha Based.

Poison (Ex): The Pale Serpent has a Poisonous Bite that deals an initial and secondary damage of 1d6 Wis, with a DC 26 Fortitude Save. This ability is Con Based. A Pale Serpent is immune to its own poison.
Because of the Pale Serpent's Spit Venom and Deadly Spittle feats, it can spit its venom up to 30 feet as ranged touch attack, or in a 15ft cone-shaped burst. Its poison functions as a contact poison in addition to its usual delivery method. The effects are otherwise the same as if the Pale Serpent had delivered it in their normal fashion. This attack requires a standard action.

Unseen (Su): The Pale Serpent is constantly effected by Greater Invisibility effect, with a Caster Level of 14. The Pale Serpent may dismiss this effect (and reactivate it) as a free action, normally to use its Aura of Sympathy. This ability, for some reason, does not work on children under the age of 14, and so small children are normally the first to disappear to a Pale Serpent's Spirit Away ability, so the Serpent may keep hidden from said children's parents.

Skills: A Pale Serpent has a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks, and A Pale Serpent has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. Pale Serpents also have a +16 racial bonus on Balance checks. They also have a +16 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Lore
{table=head]DC|Lore

24|A Pale Serpent is a magical snake that can make its prey come to it, although Pale Serpents cannot stand each other's presence. Reveal the Pale Serpent's Aura of Sympathy and Hypnotic Eyes abilities.

29|A Pale Serpent's venom is corrosive to the mind, and it can spit it across a short distance. Reveal all of the Pale Serpent's ability corresponding to its Poison ability (including the benefits of its Spit Venom/Deadly Spittle feats).

34|A Pale Serpent can sneak up on adults with ease, although small children can see the Pale Serpent, and a Serpent avoids harming children at all costs, as it does with most creatures that are not its prey. Reveal the Pale Serpent's Unseen ability.

39|A Pale Serpent's touch can spirit away a creature, turning them into a Misty Companion. Reveal the Pale Serpent's Spirit Away ability.

44|The ways to bring back a creature turned into a Misty Companion are to convince the Pale Serpent that made it that way to let go of its new friend, which can verge from the arduous to the impossible, or to break the enchantment and risk the wrath of the Pale Serpent, or lastly to kill the Pale Serpent and try to Raise the poor victim.[/table]

Misty Companions
A creature that fails their save against a Pale Serpent's Spirit Away ability (see above) is magically connected to the Pale Serpent and simultaneously shunted into incorporeality. A Misty Companion gains the Incorporeal Subtype and the Ghostly Grasp feat (Libris Mortis) as a bonus feat (ignoring prerequisites), while they are a Misty Companion. The Misty Companion is also under a constant Charm Monster effect, and perceives the Pale Serpent as its best friend and most loyal companion. A Misty Companion can not and will not move more than 100ft from its Pale Serpent, regardless of what magics are used to control it.
Sadly, this cannot last, and after 1d8 weeks the Misty Companion fades away and dies, lost to the world unless a Resurrection, Wish or Miracle spell is used.
A spell caster of sufficient power can prevent this fading away by breaking the effect via a Break Enchantment, Wish or Miracle spell, which restores the former Misty Companion back to normality, breaking the Charm Monster effect and removing the Incorporeal subtype and Ghostly Grasp bonus feat. This however, is heavily discouraged against. A Pale Serpent that has a companion takes away in this way will enter a frenzy of unrepentant overkill, razing entire towns in anger.
If one does not want to infuriate a Pale Serpent, but cannot bargain for a Misty Companion's freedom, then there is the option of killing the Pale Serpent. If this happens, the Misty Companion suddenly loses their Incorporeal subtype and their Ghostly Grasp bonus feat, and then dies. Thus, they can be brough back to live via Raise Dead and other spells of that nature.
The last way to secure a Misty Companion's freedom is for a Pale Serpent to voluntarily relinquish their friendship (a free action for the Serpent). This nearly always takes the use of Bluffing, Diplomacy, or outright Intimidation, normally bargaining the Misty Companion's freedom for another person to take as its companion, or maybe an object the Pale Serpent desires. Upon gaining what it desired, a Pale Serpent will keep to its side of the bargain and in a flood of tears will give its friend a hug, a goodbye, and release it from its misty grip, as if the effect had been broken via a Break Enchantment spell.

Plot Hooks:
Coming Soon!

[Admiral Squish]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/Lissa-QUON/comicscans/019.jpg
Tommy Rawhead
“We goblins been around a long time. Some are good. Some are bad like me. But ol‘ Tommy? He‘s the worst of all.” -Butterworm, goblin bandit.

Large Monstrous Humanoid (Goblinoid)
Hit Dice: 16d8+160 (232 HP)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 32 (+8 dex, +10 natural, +5 deflection, -1 size), 23 touch, 25 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+30
Attack: Claw +26 melee (2d6+10)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +26 melee (2d6+10) and Bite +24 melee (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Bog Walk, Hundred-Fold Curse, Slither and Squeeze
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +18, Will +9
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 26, Con 30, Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 20
Skills: Hide +29, Intimidate +24, Move Silently +29, Survival +23, Swim +29
Feats: Track, Combat Reflexes, Stealthy, Power Attack, Cleave, Multiattack
Environment: Cool Swamps
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Always Chaotic Neutral
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: -

Out of the roiling marl rises a horrible creature. I‘s back is high, arched, and stooped forward, a row of flattened spines running down it‘s spine. It‘s large head is devoid of hair, with a powerful, lipless jaw lined with sharp teeth and glittering black eyes. The skin of it‘s head is sloughing off, like some undead monstrosity, exposing muscle, blood and bone along it‘s scalp. The whole creature is vaguely humanoid, but only barely. Long legs hold it‘s massive body up, and unnaturally long, reaching arms tipped in blood-stained talons reach out, strips of flesh still dangling from them.

It is said that long ago, Tommy Rawhead was a hobgoblin. But somehow, through sheer evil and bloodlust, Tommy changed himself into something different, something horrible. Tommy was most famous for his least-savory behavior, which was stalking, torturing and finally eating humanoids. Particularly children. He peeled the flesh from his fingertips and sharpened the bone to give himself talons, and filed his teeth to points to better tear flesh. But still, no matter how terrible he was, Tommy was still a mortal.

Nobody is entirely sure what made him finally change, but something happened. Tommy became something more powerful, but less human. He lingered beyond death, fueled by the souls of those he had consumed. Throughout the centuries, Tommy ‘Rawhead’ became a legend, a boogeyman used to scare children into behaving. But they say that ol’ Tommy is still out there, seeking new victims to grab and drag down to his lair below the marl-bog.

Tommy rawhead’s lair is an extra-dimensional space connected to every bog it the material plane. It takes the shape of a sunken cave, filled with the odor of death, with piles of skulls and bloody bones strewn about. Tommy himself sleeps in a pile of his victim’s skulls. Tommy speaks common, goblin, and abyssal.

Combat:

Despite his appearance as a hulking brute, Tommy Rawhead is a cold, calculating hunter. He emerges from his lair to hunt humanoids. He will stalk his victims for hours, even days, terrorizing them and savoring their fear. When he finally catches them, he grabs them and drags them to his lair. Once there, he prefers to eat slowly, letting his prey struggle and scream. Eventually, the victim's bloody bones are added to the piles around his lair, and Tommy prepares to hunt again.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Tommy Rawhead must hit with a claw attack. He can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Hundred-Fold Curse (Su): Tommy Rawhead has been cursed, hexed, and blasted by so much magic throughout the ages that any new magic simply slips off him. Tommy Rawhead is immune to any spell that allows spell resistance.

Slither and Squeeze (Su): Despite his huge size, Tommy Rawhead shows an unnatural ability to worm through the smallest openings and hide in places obviously too small for him. His fingers reach up drainpipes, and his entire bulk can fit into a closet or under a bed. Treat Tommy Rawhead as a tiny-sized creature for the purposes of determining squeezing, openings he can fit through, and adequate cover for hiding. Tommy Rawhead takes no size penalty to hide checks.

Bog-Walk (Su): Tommy rawhead's lair does not exist in any particular bog. In truth, his lair is a pocket dimension if it's own. Tommy Rawhead can enter or exit his lair from any bog on the material plane. If Tommy Rawhead is slain, his lair can only be accessed by diving into a bog carrying or wearing a piece of Tommy Rawhead's body.

[Melayl]

Morrin (aka Thief of Sight, Eye Stealer, Sight Collector)

Medium Outsider
Hit Dice: 12d8+12 (66)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+4 chain shirt, +3 Dex), Touch 13, Flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +12 / +17
Attack: +13 longsword (1d8), quarterstaff (1d6), or flail (1d8) or grapple or by magic item
Full Attack: +13/+8/+3 longsword or flail or quarterstaff, or grapple with Extract
Space/Reach: 5 ft
Special Attacks: Extract Eyes, Implant Eyes, Spell-like abilities, Voyeuristic Vision
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, DR 10/Cold Iron, Secure Vision, SR 20, Tongues
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +14, Will +14
Abilities Str 12, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 17, Cha 20
Skills: Appraise +10, Bluff +19, Concentration +10, Disguise +11, Knowledge: Arcana +13, Knowledge: The planes +13, Knowledge: Nature +13, Knowledge: Dungeoneering +13, Search +13, Sense Motive +18, Spot +13, Spellcraft +18, Use Magic Device +19
Feats: Improved Grapple, Magic Device Attunement (CM), Combat Focus (PH2), Combat Vigor (PH2)
Environment: Pocket dimension off of the Astral plane
Organization: Solitary, City (100-200 – home plane only)
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: Double Standard (half in magic items) (only carry half)
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: By class (any)
Level Adjustment:

In their natural state, morrin appear as lanky, bald humanoids. Their skin is a dark grey in color and their over-large eyes seem to lock avariciously on your own. Other eyes of various sizes blink at you from all over their body. Outside of their home plane, morrin typically wear chain shirts and carry a staff, sword, or flail.

Morrin are the ultimate voyeurs. They love to watch, and collect eyes to watch from. Prestige in morrin communities comes from the number of eyes a morrin owns, as well as their rarity, power, method of collection, and viewing variety.

Some morrin like to collect their eyes by force, wresting them from unwilling "donors" in combat. These often prize eyes from dangerous creatures (like adventurers), or those with gaze abilities.

Some morrin prefer to bargain with the donors of their collected eyes, and the harder the bargain, the greater the value. Morrin often make use of their Limited Wish ability to complete their bargains, with the caveat that if the donor regains their vision/eyes, the bargain is negated. These prefer eyes of intelligent, crafty individuals (like adventurers), as well as "common" folk. It is not unusual for a morrin who is unable to make a deal to resort to theft or combat to take the eyes the covet.

Some morrin prefer to steal their eyes from unwitting donors, often as they sleep or engage in normal activities, using their Invisibility and Disguise Self abilities to get close to their donors. These are often less discriminating in their choice, but many prefer crafty, observant creatures (like adventurers) and children.

Those that know of morrin also know that they see much, and may bargain with them for knowledge...

Morrin are medium humanoids, and may speak any language thanks to their Tongues ability.

Combat

Morrin are as likely to engage in conversation and bargaining as they are in combat.

Morrin that engage in combat often try to start battle invisible or displaced. They make able use of any magic wands, staves, or other magic items in their possesion, particularly those that will distract or otherwise hamper their opponents. Morrin will typically try to close in and grapple and Extract the opponent's eyes. A morrin rarely trys to kill their opponents, since eyes from live donors are much more useful and valuble to them. After Extracting one or two sets of eyes, a morrin will typically Teleport or Plane Shift away with their prize. They will similarly flee if sorely injured or the battle is otherwise going against them.

Extract Eyes (Su): Upon establishing a successful grapple, a morrin may attempt to extract the eyes of the donor, requiring a second successful grapple. If unwilling, the donor may attempt a DC 26 Fortitude save (10+racial HD, Charisma-based) to resist the extraction. The donor loses any benefit they may have had from their eyes (sight, gaze attack, etc). The morrin may choose to extract up to two eyes at a time. If the donor receives a Regenerate spell or effect, their eyes are returned, and the morrin loses them. If the donor recieves some other form of vision (magical or through Implanted eyes), the morrin still retains the Extracted eyes. The extraction is painless, and they eyes remain whole and intact for as long as the morrin lives, no matter what happens to the donor. If they eyes are Implanted in someone other than the morrin, the eyes remain whole and intact for as long as the recipient lives. If both the morrin and the donor are dead, the eyes crumble to dust, unless they are in the possesion of another morrin.

Implant Eyes (Su): As a full-round action, a morrin may choose to add any donor eyes to any location on his body. Implantation is painless. A morrin gains any and all benefits and penalties those eyes may have given the donor (darkvision, low-light vision, gaze attack, lightblindness, etc), whether or not the donor still lives, and can see through all of his eyes (normal and implanted) simultaneously. For every pair of eyes added, the morrin gains a +1 to Search and Spot checks, and increases his field of view by 90 degrees. If a morrin has 3 or more added pairs of eyes, they are no longer subject to flanking. A morrin suffers no penalty for having multiple fields of view.
Additionally, a morrin may choose to Implant donated eyes into a willing recipient (often as part of an exchange for the recipient’s eyes, and usually only from deceased donors, since Voyeristic Vision does not work when the donor is dead). The recipient receives any and all benefits and penalties from the eyes as the donor did.

Secure Vision (Ex): Morrin are immune to all gaze spells and abilities and sight-based spells and abilities (i.e. Blinding Beauty, Blindness, etc), and have True Seeing and Greater Arcane Sight in effect at all times, regardless of what eyes they are using.

Spell-like Abilities: Caster level 12th, all save DC’s Charisma-based:
At will – Disguise Self, Invisibility (self only), Greater Teleport (once per round only)
3/day – Displacement, grant up to 3 Limited Wishes (to non-morrin only), Scrying
1/day - Plane Shift

Tongues (Su): Morrin may communicate with any creature that has a language, as per the Tongues spell, at any time.

Voyeuristic Vision (Su): As a standard action, on touching a donor’s eyes, a morrin may, [I]as long as the donor is still living, view what the donor would “see” at that time, if they had retained their eyes. A morrin may spend 1 hour in concentration to "rewind" back through what a donor’s eyes have ever seen or “seen”, to a specific time and view from that time, as long as the donor still lives. It takes an additional hour to reset back to "real time" viewing or to a different point in the viewing timeline.

-=-=-=-=-=-
Plot Hooks
The PC's have just killed a mighty foe when a very angry morrin teleports to the scene to demand compensation for his loss...

A PC has often remarked upon how much he wants a particular item/fling/ bit of information, when a stranger approaches to ask just how much they're willing to trade...

The PC's are approached by someone wishing to hire them to track down and kill (or retrieve the eyes from) a particular creature. Their employer is a morrin seeking revenge on a creature that reneged on a deal...

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

This is effectively your 48 hour warning, everyone. If you have any last-minute submissions or edits, get 'em done!

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

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