Looking for interesting Keening Spirit build

[ericlboyd]

Greetings,

I'm looking for advice on an interesting NPC keening spirit build. Keening spirits are defined in City of the Spider Queen. They are basically a variant banshee built as a template. They are technically a type of ghost with a predefined list of special attacks and special qualities. (Much more interesting than the generic "banshee" monster in MM2.)

I'm looking to build a gold elf female keening spirit.

I looked at this Ghost Guide (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?446187-The-Ghost-Guide), and it had some interesting ideas to combine a ghost (frightful moan) with the siren prestige class, which requires an innate, sonic, mind-affecting ability. However, unlike a "standard ghost with frightful moan", the keening spirit has an innate, sonic ability, but it's not mind-affecting. I'm not sure if there's a feat or something to make a sonic ability mind-affecting.

I also looked at the variant harbinger bard class (Dragon #337, page 93). While it has a supernatural sonic, mind-affecting ability (instill fear), I'm not sure it counts as "innate." (Does "innate" mean racial ability?)

So, I'm not seeing a great keening spirit [augmented gold elf] bard / siren build. Any suggestions?

Any other suggested builds that would make for a cool gold elf keening spirit NPC? (Doesn't have to be a bard. Duskblade might fun. Really anything elf-appropriate.)

[Maat Mons]

Discussion of what "innate" means is generally centered on the Supernatural Transformation feat. But I believe there's an FAQ that says it means "derived from race." I don't think there's a way to add the Mind-Affecting descriptor to anything, because it would usually only serve to increase the number of things that can counter an ability.

[ericlboyd]

Well, in case anyone's interested, I ended up exploring the warlock class, which I haven't really used much. Stat block format follow that of the ghost in "Fortress of the Yuan-ti." Comments welcome.

Lady Yaereene Marstarym CR 10
Female keening spirit [augmented gold elf] warlock 8
CN Medium undead (elf, incorporeal)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +11, Spot +11
Languages Common (Vyshaannar dialect), Elvish, Hulgorkyn, Seldruin
Aura fear (60-ft. radius, DC 17, as fear, CL 8th)
AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 15 or
(+2 Dex, +5 deflection when manifesting)
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (ethereal encounters)
(+2 Dex, +6 armor)
Miss Chance 50% (incorporeal)
hp 52 (8 HD); fiendish resilience (fast healing 1), DR 2/cold iron
Immune sleep effects, undead immunities
Resist +4 turn resistance
SR 21
Fort +2 (+4 vs. enchantments), Ref +4 (+6 vs. enchantments), Will +7 (+9 vs. enchantments)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Melee incorporeal touch +8 (1d8+0)
Melee touch +6 (1d8+0) (ethereal encounters)
Melee +1 elven thinblade +7 (1d8+1/18-20/x2) (ethereal encounters)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +6; Grp +6
Atk Options Eldritch Claws, Maximize Spell-Like Ability (eldritch blast)
Special Actions eldritch blast 4d6 (CL 8th, +8 ranged touch)
Combat Gear bracers of the entangling blast, scepter of the xeg-yi (10 charges, Use Magic Device DC 20, +8 ranged touch) (ethereal encounters)
Invocations Known (CL 8th, see Book 3: Magic):
Least (at will)—baleful utterance, dark one’s own luck, miasmic cloud
Lesser (at will)—eldritch chain, flee the scene
Spell-like Abilities (CL 8th):
At will—detect magic
Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con —, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 21
SQ manifestation, rejuvenation, undead traits
Feats Eldritch Claws, Maximize Spell-Like Ability (3/day, eldritch blast), Reverberation
Skills Bluff +11, Concentration +16, Diplomacy +9, Disguise +5 (+7 in character), Hide +10, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Listen +11, Search +12, Sense Motive +6, Spot +11, Spellcraft +10, Use Magic Device +16 (+18 with scrolls)
Possessions +1 elven chain mail, +1 elven thinblade

Destructive Touch (Su) If Lady Yaereene hits a living target with her incorporeal touch attack, she deals 1d8 points of damage. Against ethereal opponents, she adds her Strength modifier to attack and damage rolls. Against material opponents, she adds her Dexterity modifier to attack rolls only.

Fear Aura (Su) Lady Yaereene is shrouded in a dreadful aura of death and evil. Any creature within a 60-foot radius that looks at her must succeed at a Will save (DC 19) or be affected as though by a fear spell (CL 8th).

Keening (Su) Lady Yaereene’s most dreaded weapon is her wail or keen. This ability functions like the wail of the banshee spell, but it affects any number of creatures within a 30-foot spread centered on the keening spirit. A successful Fortitude save (DC 21) negates the effect. A keening spirit can use this ability only once per day.

Manifestation (Su) As a ghost, Lady Yaereene dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, she cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When Yaereene manifests, she partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently.
As a manifested ghost, she can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where it is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. Yaereene’s incorporeality helps protect her from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.
When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on non-ethereal targets.
A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes.

Rejuvenation (Su) If she would otherwise be destroyed, Lady Yaereene returns in 2d4 days if she makes a successful DC 16 level check (1d20 +8). Yaereene’s reason for existence is claim the throne of vanished Illefarn. As that throne was destroyed long ago, if permitted to place the Crown of Illefarn upon her brow, she can then be permanently destroyed.