GITP Monster Competition XXVI - Spooks and Spirits (Voting Opened)

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Spooks and Spirits

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c273/AwakenedDreamer/RandomStuff/SpiritRealm.jpg

Phantom, specter, ghost and sprite, all rise up to play tonight. Moving through the roofs and halls, unconcerned by solid walls. Of stout wood or chiseled stone, they waltz through to howl and moan. Live like a mist or doornail dead, what hauntings hide within your head?


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

The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will continue until Midnight of October 20th (EST).

Soon after a poll will be opened for everyone to vote for their favorite that will last until Midnight of Halloween.

- UPDATE -
A voting thread has been posted here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5145591#post5145591).



Rules

1. You will be creating an 'original' D&D monster. A being without true form but instead moves through existence with less substance than a breath. As such every entry must possess the incorporeal subtype. These creatures need not be of the dead, or even evil, but are merely more spirit than substance.

Examples
Cryptfire (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46445)
Momeh (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10744)
Red Death (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89573)

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. 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, 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=1499183).

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. Merely adding class levels or templates to an already published or posted creature does not count as a new monster.

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


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[The Vorpal Tribble]

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=1499183).

-=-=-=-

Name

<Size> <Type>
Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed: (# squares)
Armor Class: (), touch, flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple:
Attack:
Full Attack:
Space/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves: Fort +, Ref +, Will +
Abilities: Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
Skills:
Feats:
Environment:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:
Level Adjustment:

Description/background/characteristics

Combat

Ability descriptions

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

-Optional-

Lore

Plot Hook/Story if any

[Owrtho]

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c273/AwakenedDreamer/RandomStuff/SpiritRealm.jpg
(A medium Spirit Gate)

As I entered the room I say in the middle a glowing portal surrounded by spirits floating in circles around it. As I moved to approach it some of the spirits suddenly began expanding their circles. I froze hopping it would resume its previous activity when those that had moved further out suddenly all moved to the exact distance from the portal that I was and began circling. I realized my error to late as one saw me. I ran as fast as I could back out of the chamber and turned to see the fifty additional spirits that had been on the other side of the portal return from their pursuit.

Spirit Gate

Medium Construct (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 40d10 + 20 (240)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 5 (1 square)
Armor Class: 23 (+9 deflection, +4 Dex), touch 23, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +30/+34
Attack: NA
Full Attack: NA
Space/Reach: 5ft/0ft
Special Attacks: Assimilate
Special Qualities: Incorporeal, Construct Traits, Fortified Will, Blind, Range of Influence, Soul Sense, Spectral Healing, Spawn Gate Spirits, Rejoin Spirit, Devour Gate Spirit, Ethereal Portal
Saves: Fort +24, Ref +17, Will +26
Abilities: Str NA, Dex 19, Con NA, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 28
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 30, Knowledge (ghosts) 30, Sense Motive 43
Feats: None
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 25
Treasure: None
Alignment: Any neutral
Advancement: 40HD (Large), 55HD (Huge), 75HD (Gargantuan), 100HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: NA

Note: The advancement intentionally starts at 40HD as they usually have less than the default through use of their spawn gate spirit ability.

The Spirit Gate is a rare being made of a large number of departed spirits. No one is sure what causes them to come in to being or even how to make them artificially. However, that does not stop them from occurring. They appear to be a portal or in larger ones a gateway to the ethereal plane built entirely out of spirits. There are also always spirits flying around it protecting it from those who would do harm, and harvesting souls from others that they might expand upon the gate. These gate spirits are able to join with the gate or separate from it as the gate wills it in order to protect it. Those lucky few who can avoid having their soul stolen in the attempt can successfully use the gate to travel to the ethereal plane, but harder than avoiding the spirits is making it through the pocket dimension that exists within the gate between the two planes. For it is there that the gate converts the captured souls into more of its mindless minions. Fortunately the gate spirits cannot leave the range of influence of the gate, else all would soon be assimilated into it. The gates have however been known to slowly move from one place to another when they feel it in their best interest to do so. Some however are more peaceful and will allow travelers to pass through it either freely or in exchange for a service. Such gates will often still attack those who oppose them or their views.

A medium spirit gate often looks like little more than a portal, however, once they reach a large size they begin looking like ornate gates made of ethereal substance. They often seek nothing but to expand upon them self which they do by assimilating other's souls into them self making them more of its gate spirits.

Combat
Normally upon sensing a creature with a soul entering its area, it will have its gate spirits expand their patrol radius while keeping enough around itself to see if anything comes close. It will then if unable to find it, check its distance. Upon locating a creature it will attempt to steal its soul and will send out more of its gate spirits to accomplish this. There are usually at least 10 gate spirits circling it at any given time.

Assimilate (Ex): If one of its gate spirits brings it a soul, it may swallow it upon a successful grapple check (for which it uses BAB + Dex modifier). If swallowed, the soul is in a pocket dimension between the material plane and the ethereal plane. Every round it must make a will save (DC 10 +1 per 20HD of the spirit gate + Cha Modifier) or take 1 wisdom damage. Upon reaching 0 wisdom, they are turned into a gate spirit of the spirit gate and under its control. They are counted as dead and cannot be resurrected until a wish or limited wish is used to free their soul. Before fully assimilated, a soul may attempt to escape by attacking the inside of the spirit gate. They are treated as if the are unarmed and have non of their equipment (unless it had ghost touch). To escape they must deal 20 damage to the inside of the gate (AC 17), upon which they may exit (to the plane their body is in). They may then attempt to make it to their body and re-enter it without being caught again. Wisdom damage dealt by being trapped in the Spirit gate heals 1 point a round each round you are outside the spirit gate.

Fortified Will: Spirit gates have good Fort and Will saves unlike most constructs.

Blind: Spirit gates are blind. They also lack low-light vision and Darkvision 60 unlike most constructs.

Range of Influence: A spirit gate has a range of influence with a radius equal to its maximum number of possible HD in feet (rounded up to the nearest 5) in all directions. Gate spirits controlled by the spirit gate cannot leave this range. This is also the range of its soul sense.

Soul Sense: A spirit gate is able to sense the exact number of souls within its range of influence (see above to determine range). This does not tell them the direction or distance of the souls. Every 1d6 rounds they may as move action determine the exact distance that a soul is from them. This will not let it know the direction of the souls.

Spectral Healing: A spirit gate heals as normal creatures. It cannot be healed through repairing.

Spawn Gate Spirits: As a standard action a spirit gate may sacrifice 1HD to create 2 gate spirits. These are spawned in squares the spirit gate occupies.

Rejoin Spirit: As a full round action, a spirit gate may rejoin as many pairs of gate spirits occupying squares it occupies to itself. Each pair of gate spirits it rejoins with add 1HD to it. This heals it for the total amount of that HD - ½ the combine damage the two gate spirits have taken (to a minimum of 0 health healed).

Devour Gate Spirit: The spirit gate may devour a gate spirit on a square it occupies to regain 1d3 health per hp it has remaining. This destroys the devoured gate spirit

Gate SpiritsMedium Undead (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 1d12 + X where X is 1/20 the spirit gates maximum possible HD (8.5)
Initiative: +10
Speed: 50 (10 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (+8 Dex, +3 deflection), touch 21, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+8
Attack: Incorporeal touch +8 (1d6 +8)
Full Attack: Incorporeal touch +8 (1d6 +8)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Corrupting Touch, Draining Touch, Improved Grapple, Soul Grab
Special Qualities: Incorporeal, Undead Traits, Blind, Improved Blindsight 5', Hivemind, Limited Range
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +8, Will +3
Abilities: Str 27 (- against non-ethereal), Dex 27, Con NA, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 16
Skills: Tumble 12
Feats: Improved Grapple (B)
Environment: Any
Organization: Group (10 or more)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Same as spirit gate
Advancement: NA
Level Adjustment: NA

Blind: Gates spirits are blind. They also lack and Darkvision 60 unlike most undead.

Improved Blindsight 5' (Ex): This ability functions sort of as a sixth sense and acts as blindsight. Improved blindsight cannot distinguish color, but it does reveal the shape and size of objects and people. Improved blindsight does not allow the creature to read. Gate spirits are immune to blinding and gaze attacks, and deafening does not thwart this ability. Improved blindsight works underwater and in vacuums; negates concealment, invisibility, displacement, and blur effects; and improved blindsight can detect ethereal or incorporeal creatures.

Hivemind (Ex): Gate spirits share a mind with the spirit gate. A Gate spirit is not considered flanked if another gate spirit is able to see any of the creatures flanking it. They use the spirit gate's stats for will saves, intelligence saves, and wisdom saves. All vision (from the blind sight) is shared between the gate spirits and the spirit gate.

Limited Range: A gate spirit cannot leave the range of influence of their spirit gate. If at any time they are forced outside its range they die.

Corrupting Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack deals 1d6 points of damage. Against ethereal opponents, it adds its Strength modifier to attack and damage rolls. Against non-ethereal opponents, it adds its Dexterity modifier to attack rolls only.

Draining Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack drains 1d4 points from any one ability score it selects. On each such successful attack, the ghost heals 5 points of damage to itself. Against ethereal opponents, it adds its Strength modifier to attack rolls only. Against non-ethereal opponents, it adds its Dexterity modifier to attack rolls only.

Soul Grab: A gate spirit may make grapple attempts against creatures with souls despite being incorporeal. If successful it pulls the creature's soul from its body and the soul is treated as being grappled. The soul has the same stats as the creature, but is incorporeal and lacks all equipment that didn't have ghost touch. Unlike most creatures, a gate spirit does not need to remain in place while grappling and may move around at will, forcing the grappled soul to come with it. It may not attack or deal damage while doing this. Opposed grapple checks are still made as normal. If the captured soul escapes, it may attempt to return to its body without being captured again.


Ethereal Portal: A gate spirit is connected to both the material and the ethereal plane. It may be used to travel between the two planes by both ethereal and material creatures. Doing so requires entering through one end and departing through the other.

Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (the planes) or Knowledge (ghosts) can learn more about spirit gates. When the character makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

{table=head]
DC | Result
20 (the planes) | There exist gateways between the material and ethereal plane that are guarded by spirits.
20 (ghosts) | There exist gateways constructed of and guarded by spirits that can be used to travel between the material and ethereal planes.
25 (the planes) | Such gateways are made out of departed souls which seek to gather more souls to expand the gateway.
25 (ghosts) | These gateways are blind but can tell when a soul enters their domain and will often seek to assimilate it (player learns about assimilate and soul grab ability).
30 (the planes) | These gateways are blind but can tell when one enters their domain. (player learns about its soul sense and range of influence abilities)
30 (ghosts) | These gateways are protecting spirits are portions of its substance that it can deploy or recall (player learns about the spawn gate spirit and rejoin spirit abilities)[/table]

Note: If not using the Knowledge (ghosts) skill from ghostwalk, then substitute Knowledge (religion) for it.

Owrtho

[Vaynor]

Spirit of the Woods

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c83/Vaynor/MagicForest02-1.jpg

Gargantuan Undead (Good, Incorporeal)
HD 20d12+43 (173 hp)
Speed Fly 30 ft. (perfect) (6 squares)
Initiative +10
AC 22 (+6 Dex, -4 size, +10 deflection); touch 22; flat-footed 16
BAB +10; Grp –
Attack Incorporeal touch +13 melee (6d6 plus 3d6 holy)
Full-Attack Incorporeal touch +13 melee (6d6 plus 3d6 holy)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 10, forest empathy, great resilience, healing aura, holy vengeance, incorporeal traits, nature’s avenger, undead traits
Saves Fort +6 Ref +14 Will +21
Abilities Str –, Dex 22, Con –, Int 19, Wis 24, Cha 30
Skills Concentration +20, Diplomacy +35, Intimidate +35, Knowledge (nature) +27, Knowledge (geography) +20, Knowledge (religion) +20, Listen +25, Search +21, Sense Motive +32, Spot +25
Feats Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will, Combat Reflexes, Improved Natural Attack (incorporeal touch), Persuasive, Toughness, Negotiator
Environment Any forest
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 15
Treasure None
Alignment Always lawful good
Advancement 21-30 HD (Colossal)

The spirit of the woods resembles a giant, transparent treant, but composed of many trees and plants. A spirit of the woods is formed when a great amount of trees are destroyed, be it due to a forest fire or logging camp. These trees’ spirits collect in the heart of the forest, forming a great mass. Eventually, when enough tree spirits have been amassed, the spirit of the woods is born, attacking whatever is harming the forest and healing whatever damage has been done. Once the direct threat for which it was created has been taken care of, the spirit of the woods remains in its forest to continue protecting it.

Spirits of the woods are kind creatures, but violent and unforgiving if their forest is harmed. A criminal (in their eyes) can refute their sentence, usually death, as a spirit of the woods will listen to any points they have to make. However, if it deems their arguments unworthy, it destroys them.

Spirits of the woods speak Common, Sylvan, and Druidic.

Combat

A spirit of the woods is a peaceful creature, only attacking when its forest is harmed, or will be harmed in the future. A spirit of the woods usually attacks outright, using its offensive spell-like abilities in addition to its incorporeal touch attack to eradicate the threat. If the threat proves tougher than thought, the spirit of the woods will summon additional help with its summon nature’s ally, animate plants, and liveoak spells.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will– call lightning (DC 23), discern lies (DC 24), entangle (DC 21), fog cloud, lesser restoration, remove curse, remove disease, remove fear, summon nature’s ally VI, tongues, true seeing (DC 27); 3/day– animate plants, call lightning storm (DC 25), liveoak, reincarnate; 1/day– awaken (DC 25), control weather
Caster level 19th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Fast Healing (Ex): A spirit of the woods gains fast healing 10 as long as it is in a forest of at least one square mile.

Forest Empathy (Ex): All non-evil denizens of the forest where the spirit of the woods resides are amiable towards the spirit, and are treated as friendly for all purposes when dealing with the spirit of the woods.

Great Resilience: Due to its great size, a spirit of the woods gains 40 bonus HP.

Healing Aura (Sup): Any non-evil creature who has not harmed the woods within 40 yards of the spirit of the woods is healed for 3d6 health every round. Any creature of the plant type, or any plant, is healed for double this amount. This is a passive effect.

Holy Vengeance (Sup): A spirit of the woods deals 3d6 additional holy damage to any creature of evil alignment or who has harmed the forest in any way (included in attack). This damage affects any creature who meets the above criteria, even if the damage would not normally harm them.

Nature’s Avenger (Sup): When within 40 yards of the spirit of the woods, as the healing aura, any evil-aligned creature, or any creature who has transgressed the spirit of the woods’ forest in any way must succeed on a DC 20 Fortitude save or be stunned for that round. The save DC is Charisma-based. This save must be made at the start of each turn in which they are within 40 yards of the spirit of the woods.

Special (Ex): A spirit of the woods, as a good-aligned undead, is immune to damage from holy water, good-aligned magic, turn undead, or any other effect that would normally harm an undead with positive energy. An evil-aligned cleric may turn a spirit of the woods with rebuke undead. Negative energy affects the spirit of the woods the same way positive energy harms other undead.


Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can learn more about spirits of the woods. When the character makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.




DC
Result


15
A large, incorporeal spirit guards the forest.


20
The local forest is guarded by an ancient undead that attacks anyone who harms the forest.




Plot Hooks

A logging company has hired the PCs to combat a guardian spirit that is preventing them from acquiring lumber. When the PCs learn more about the situation, they realize not all is as it seems.
A town has been under attack from animals and plant creatures for weeks, and the PCs have been asked to discern the reason why the forest has been so antagonistic lately.
An old druid tells of a forest where a spirit resides, keeping the area safe from harm.

[Kyace]

Woror

Small Fey (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 9d6+9 (39 hp)
Initiative: +11
Speed: Fly 60' (Perfect) (12 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (+1 size, +7 Dex, +4 deflection), 22 touch, 15 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/--
Attack: Short sword +13 melee (1d4+1/19-20) or Incorporeal touch +12 Melee (1d2 plus 1d6 Charisma damage)
Full Attack:
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities: Cold iron vulnerability, invisibility, lightness, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +13, Will +8
Abilities: Str -, Dex 24, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 18
Skills: Bluff +16, Hide +7, Listen +16*, Move Silently -, Search +5*, Spot +16*
Feats: Combat Reflexes, DodgeB, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: Forests and Graveyards
Organization: Solitary or with bonded creature
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: 1/10 standard plus +1 Ghost Touch Small Short Sword
Alignment: Always neutral good
Advancement:
Level Adjustment: +5

The life cycle of wraiths is fairly well known. However, very few wraiths exist long enough to learn more than the most superficial details of their own species, being destroyed less than ten miles of where they were spawned. Few fey interact with necromancers and undead, so the creation of a woror is limited to areas where these two groups overlap. Rare, but it happens.

When a good fey, like a sprite, is drained by a wraith, what raised isn't corrupted as completely as a more mundane humanoid. This duel-natured being is a woror. Once created, the woror will typically harass the wraith that formed it with simpleminded determination, destroying it or being destroyed by it. Those that win will generally either defend their home forests from future undead, campaign to destroy wraiths wherever they are, or protect a living creature from their former life.

Woror tend to be two feet tall glowing representation of their former body, however they may also appear as two foot diameter glowing insubstantial orbs or become invisible. They have no weight and don't seem to require food, drink or sleep still, however they prefer to rest on sunlit logs and rocks.

Woror speak the same languages they spoke in life, typically Sylvan and Common.

Combat

Incorporeal touch (Su): Any creature struck by a woror's incorporeal touch attack takes 1d2 damage and must make a Will Save (DC 18) or take 1d6 Charisma damage. If the woror is also using the Lightness ability, a creature that fails the will save is also treated as being in direct sunlight for the next round.

Every time a woror deals Charisma damage, they gain 5 temporary hit points. If the woror has suffered any ability drain or damage, instead, they restore 1 point of ability drain or damage for every 5 temporary hit points they would have gotten.

Cold iron vulnerability (Su): Cold iron weapons may strike woror as if it had the Ghost Touch ability. Cold iron shields and armor apply their AC bonus against woror's touch attacks. These items cause great discomfort to a woror even when not used offensively.

Invisibility (Su): A woror may become invisible as a swift action or end their invisibility as a free action. Woror must glow to use their incorporeal touch or lightness special ability, therefore doing so ends their invisibility, however they may use other attacks and stay invisible.

Lightness (Su): A woror may envelope itself in a glowing orb of diffuse light, hiding the form of their former body completely. In this form, they gain a few special qualities. First, if they enter the area of effect of a spell with a darkness descriptor while using the lightness ability, they must make a Will Save against the spell's DC (or the DC the spell would have if it had a DC). On a success, they dispel the darkness spell, on a failure, they are nauseated while in that spell's area of effect and may make no further Will Saves to attempt to end the spell.

Second, any creature that is struck by a woror's incorporeal touch attack while under Lightness and fails the will save, is treated as if they are in direct sunlight for the next round.

Starting or ending this ability is a swift action.

*Woror have +2 Racial bonus to Listen, Search and Spot, included above. The bonus to Hide checks while invisible is not included. As incorporeal, Woror only make sounds when they wish to, making Move Silently checks redundant.

Lore

A successful Knowledge Nature or Knowledge Religion reveals the following information and any lower DC facts.
{table=head]
DC | Result
14|Woror are ghostly fey, usually found near wraiths.
19|Woror will sometimes decide to protect an individual and loathe wraiths.
25|Cold iron sting woror; if hung over a door, they will not pass.
30|A woror is the result of a drained sprite, they devote their new existence to fighting evil Incorporeal.[/table]

[Baron Corm]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/301638809_d30289348b.jpg?v=0

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a bug scampering into the new shipment of food. Only one; that's a new record. This one was pretty big though, maybe it has eaten the others? What you don't realize is that there are worse things than spoiled grain.

Photo taken by this (http://flickr.com/photos/98528214@N00/301638809) person.

Pituku
Size/Type: Medium Outsider (Incorporeal, Evil, Chaotic)
Hit Dice: 13d8+13 (71 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: Fly 70 ft (good)
Armor Class: 23, touch 23, flat-footed 15 (+5 deflection, +8 dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/—
Attack: Incorporeal stingers +21 ranged touch (1d8+8 plus poison) or incorporeal bite +21 melee touch (1d12+8, x4)
Full Attack: Incorporeal stingers +21 ranged touch (1d8+8 plus poison) and incorporeal bite +21 melee touch (1d12+8, x4 plus ghastly sever)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Incorporeal stingers, ghastly sever, possession
Special Qualities: Loumara traits, aura of dread, vulnerability sense, mindless, telepathy (10 miles), damage reduction 5/good and magic
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +16, Will +8
Abilities: Str —, Dex 27, Con 13, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 21
Skills: —
Feats: —
Enviroment: Urban
Organization: Solitary, gang (2-5), or hive (thousands)
Challange Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 14-20 HD (Medium), 21-23 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

A pituku appears to be a cross between a spider and a centipede, with the touch of the Abyss showing in its demonic eyes, wicked stingers located seemingly randomly around its body, and ghostly form. Every pituku has a different coloration, ranging from bright, with random spatters of red, orange, blue, and green all around its body, to dark, with solid contours of black and grey. Though pituku can glide swiftly through the air, their movements create an ominous pitter-patter sound wherever they go, and they occasionally emit a chittering or hissing sound from their mandibles.

Pituku, unlike most outsiders, require food to sustain themselves, and suffer the usual effects of hunger if they go without. They can stave off hunger by feeding on fear, though that is only a secondary food source for them, because it is mostly tasteless and unsatisfying. Their preferred meals are the genitals of humans*.

Most pituku roam the abyssal plane of Thanatos, where they have great hives where thousands of their number chaotically congregate (there are no pituku queens). These hives have no visible entrance, because pituku are incorporeal, making any venture out into the wilderness of Thanatos a deathwish, even if no undead or demons are in sight.

The pituku skulk the streets of Thanatos's cities to feed, but they despise that existence. Human genitals taste so much better than demonic, or worse, undead ones. Pituku take any opportunity they can to get themselves onto the Material Plane. Humans who visit Thanatos should take care that they do not fall asleep.

Once on the Material Plane, the pituku truly feels at home. It has a supernatural sense of the time when humans are most likely to be weak, and even has a way of making its way to large numbers of them (see Possession below). Neither of these abilities have much function on Thanatos, though demons don't like losing their genitals either, so the pituku are still feared.

Pituku have a sort of hive mind which goes beyond the usual demon telepathy. On Thanatos, this means that one pituku equals at least one thousand nearby. On the Material Plane, the number is closer to two to five. In addition, nearby pituku will often work together to accomplish their goals, which is unusual for demons without a slave-driving master. Their hungry hive mind serves as their slave driver.

Pituku speak an insectoid form of Abyssal called Pituku. They cannot understand Abyssal, and mostly communicate only to each other, through telepathy, about nearby prey.

*Humans in particular are delicacies, but the pituku enjoys any creature who sleeps and has an Intelligence score, the closer to 10 the better.


Combat

The pituku will begin combat by throwing its stingers. If it succeeds in blinding its target, it will attempt a ghastly sever attack. If it succeeds, it will then depart, its mission complete. If it is having trouble, the pituku will retreat and take on an easier target. Pituku are not intelligent or complicated beings, and are not capable of resorting to any more advanced tactics, though their natural immunities and insectoid instinct to hide in darkness (and, in the pituku's case, into food) make it so that advanced tactics are not really required.

The pituku's natural weapons are treated as humanbane (+2 enhancement bonus to attack and damage and +2d6 damage against humans).

Incorporeal Stingers (Su)

The pituku can throw stingers from a range of 40 feet (no increment). The stingers deliver a poison which causes so much pain to the eye region of its target that it blinds for 1 round as primary damage and blinds for 1 minute as secondary damage (DC 21, Charisma-based). The listed damage is for any number of stingers thrown.

Ghastly Sever (Su)

The bite of a pituku causes the genital region of the creature to become incorporeal (Will save DC 21 negates, Charisma-based), though this has no mechanical effects other than the obvious (out-of-order!). With the next bite, if they are still incorporeal, the pituku will devour the genitals. This counts as a coup-de-grace attack, except that it does not automatically hit. This attack functions on females just as well as males - the pituku takes a big bite.

The pituku may only use his bite attack against a creature who is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC. While the pituku's maw is jagged and horrible, it is difficult to maneuver into position.

The incorporeality can be cured with a remove curse spell, and the creature's genitals can be restored via a regeneration spell. However, the caster of the spell is automatically placed within the pituku's vulnerability sense (see below), no matter the distance or sleeping status, though the ability won't cross onto a different plane. The pituku will go after the caster regardless of other nearby food sources. The only way to avoid this is by not having genitals.

Vulnerability Sense (Su)

A pituku can sense when a creature within 1 mile is sleeping, and it can sense the type, but not the subtype, of the creature(s). In addition, it receives its Dexterity bonus to melee and ranged damage rolls.

Aura of Dread (Su)

A pituku has an aura of dread surrounding it. Any creature who comes within 20 feet of the pituku must make a Will save (DC 21, Charisma-based) or become shaken until sunrise. This ability only functions at night. A creature who attempts a Knowledge (The planes) check to learn about the pituku receives a penalty on its save, depending on the information learned (see Lore chart).

This ability easily frightens away other insects which might be infesting the pituku's house or food shipment, making them seem safe if the pituku keeps itself hidden.

Possession (Su)

A pituku may possess any food item. The pituku typically uses this ability to hitch a ride on supply caravans which will lead it toward a greater number of creatures that it can use as a food source for itself. It also uses this ability to keep itself hidden while infesting a home.

A slain and preserved or cooked cow would count, but a living cow or a normal corpse of one wouldn't. Likewise, grain harvested by creatures would count, but normal fallen grain or grain still rooted would not.

Incorporeal Traits

Though the pituku is incorporeal, it is not silent. Creatures may make Listen checks to detect it as normal.

Loumara Traits

For those that don't have Fiendish Codex I - Immunity to acid, electricity, and fire; resistance to cold 10, telepathy, incorporeality, and some form of possession.


Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about pituku. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (The planes)
{table=head]DC|Result
10|This creature is a pituku, an incorporeal demon that shares many traits with insects.
15|Pituku belong to the demon caste known as loumara, comprised of the fragmented dreams of dead gods. Loumara are known for their abilities of possession.
18|Healing the wounds caused by a pituku can cause you to become its next target. [-1 on aura of dread save]
21|The main food source for a pituku is human genitals. Pituku hunt for genitals by delivering a blinding poison to their prey. [-1 on aura of dread save]
24|Pituku can possess food items, and often use this ability to make their way towards large concentrations of humans. [-1 on aura of dread save]
27|Pituku have a large range of telepathy, and will invite more pituku to their location if the feeding seems to be plentiful. One pituku is even more frightening because there are probably more nearby. [-1 on aura of dread save]
30|The only way to cause the pituku to go after you through healing is if you restore its victim's genitals.[/table]


Plot Hooks

CR 10: A lone pituku, summoned by a foolish wizard, is roving the streets of a nearby town. Horrible tales have reached the adventurers.
CR 12-18: A gang of 2-5 pituku have gathered around a nearby farm or merchant. Clerical diviners of a goodly god have discovered this, and requested the aid of the adventurers to prevent the pituku from reaching a city.
CR 20: A powerful, sentient pituku has named itself "queen" and has congregated about 100 of its kind to its location. The small hive has taken residence in either a system of caves near a city, or the city's sewers. The queen is a pituku fully advanced to 23 HD, and granted an Intelligence score of 21 by an unknown source (an accidentally unearthed artifact, a meddling demonlord, etc).
CR Epic: A hive of pituku has found a planar rift which they are using to flood into the Material Plane. The adventurers must find some way to exterminate all of the pituku, or send them back to Thanatos, and either seal the rift or prevent the god who dreams them from dreaming.

[DracoDei]

Free Spirit
Small Outsider (Chaotic, Incorporeal,(Funky (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/printthread.php?t=55828)))
HD 13d8+13 (71 hp)
Speed Fly 500 ft. (100 squares) (Perfect)
Init: +11 (+7 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
AC 29; touch 29; flat-footed 29
(+7 Dex, +1 Size, +4 Deflection, (+10 Natural), +7 Insight)
BAB +13; Grp (+8)
Attack Incorporeal Touch +21 (Blinding, Deafening, and 1d3 Wisdom damage; On critical hit can chose to make one point of the damage permanent drain instead)
Full-Attack 8 Incorporeal Touches +21 (Blinding, Deafening, and 1d3 Wisdom damage; On critical hit can chose to make one point of the damage permanent drain instead)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Spell-like Abilities
Special Qualities Unlimited Blindsight, Scent, SR 25, All-Around Vision, Breach Force Effect, Fly on the Wall, Freedom of Movement, Fluid Mind, Greater Mage-Sight, Greater True-Seeing, Improved Evasion, Improved Incorporeality, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Observant, Open Eyes and Ears, See in Darkness, Spell-like Abilities, Telepathy, Trap-finding, Trap-Sense +5, Regeneration 5,
Saves Fort +9, Ref +15, Will +17
Abilities Str (8), Dex 25, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 25, Cha 18
Skills Concentration +10, Hide + 23, Knowledge (The Planes) +23, Knowledge (All others) +15, Listen +27, Perform (Sing) +10, Perform (Dance) +10, Search +24, Sense Motive +10, Spot +27, Spellcraft +20, Tumble +15, Wilderness Lore +10(+25 for tracking)
Feats Alertness, Iron Will, Polyglot(B), Track, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-All-Trades, Skill Focus [Knowledge(The Planes)]
Environment ANY
Organization Solitary, Rubberneckers (2-3), Peanut Gallery (4-10), or Audience (20-100)
Challenge Rating 16
Treasure None
Alignment Always Chaotic, Usually Neutral (Always Funky (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/printthread.php?t=55828) if using the Funky/Square third axis of alignement.)
Advancement 14+ HD

You see a translucent sphere about 2 feet in diameter hovering in mid-air, every part of it is covered in eyes, ears, and other sensory organs. Its gazes combine carefree joy, with an equally strong intensity. Occasionally it deforms to extrude a small psuedopod.

Variously rumored to be creations of Boccob, Olihimara, and Farliaghn, free spirits are literal embodiment of curiosity and inquisitiveness. Traveling the planes as the ultimate and eternal tourists, they are always looking for interesting and unique events to observe, caring not a whit for the subject matter, and deploring books or conversation as being hollow husks compared to actual, first hand observation... except for insight into the mind of the author/speaker, which they lack any better way of accessing (this relative difficulty explains why they are comparatively lacking in insight into the inner workings of the mind). They generally do not interfere, because that would disrupt the situations they are trying to observe, however if they feel that a situation could be made much more interesting with a bit of a "nudge" they will not hesitate to do so. They care only for new sights and such, and as such, bargaining with them can prove difficult. Some try to summon them to use for scouting, but free spirits are especially prone to twisting deals that are not to their liking, and if they don't like the offer they may expend their Wish to escape from the summoning effect.

All-Around Vision (Ex): The eyes covering every part of a free spirit allow it to look in any direction, providing a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks. A free spirit can’t be flanked.

Breach Force Effect(Su): Once per round, as a free action, a free spirit may attempt to move through a force effect. It rolls its Hit-dice+d20 against a DC equal to the caster level of the effect +10. If it fails there is no effect, upon success it may pass through that force effect a single time immediately. If the force effect relocates before the end of its turn, it may pass through it again if it wishes. This allows bypassing or escape (for one round) from Interposing Hand, Grasping Hand, Forceful Hand, as well as passing through a Wall of Force, or Force Cage.

Fly on the Wall(Su): Similar in some ways to the ranger ability "Camouflage" this effect causes creatures to ignore the presence of the free spirit, except that it is not limited to natural environments. A free spirit can use the Hide skill in any sort of surroundings, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment. It takes no penalties to remaining hidden while moving while using this ability. This is an Illusion effect as such it can be overcome/negated by See Invisible, True Seeing, and similar spells and effects.

Freedom of Movement(Su): This continuous ability functions as the spell of the same name. This effect can be dispelled, but the free spirit can create it again as a free action on its next turn.

Fluid Mind(Ex): This ability is much like the slippery mind ability of some of the more accomplished rogues but a free spirit is... well even more "free" and has an even greater ability to wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel it. If a free spirit is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails its saving throw, it can attempt the saving throw again once each following round later at the same DC.

Greater Arcane Sight(Su): This continuous effect is the same as the spell of the same name. This effect can not be dispelled.

Greater True Seeing(Su): As per divine version of True Seeing, but with unlimited range. This effect can not be dispelled.

Improved Incorporeality(Su): When entering or passing through a solid object, a free spirit does NOT need to remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so CAN pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own.

Improved Uncanny Dodge(Ex): A free spirit can react to danger before its senses would normally allow it to do so. It retains its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if it is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, it still loses it Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A free spirit cannot be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the free spirit by flanking it, technically this is negated if the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the free spirit had hit-dice, but their all around vision renders this point moot.

Improved Evasion(Ex): This ability works like evasion, except that while the free spirit still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks it also takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless free spirit does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Observant(Ex): Like Dwarves around stone, and like elves almost anywhere, free spirits have keen powers of observation. This ability grants a free spirit a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual features, such as sliding walls, secret of concealed doors, traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe surfaces, shaky ceilings, and the like. A Free Spirit who merely comes within 10 feet of any of these things can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a Free Spirit can use the Search skill to find traps as a rogue can. A free spirit can also intuit depth, sensing its approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.

Open Eyes and Ears(Ex): Free spirits are made to observe everything without turning away. They cannot be driven mad by any means, up to and including looking upon beings of divine rank from the Far Realms or extended travel in those areas. They are also totally immune to blinding, deafening, numbing, and gaze attacks.

Regeneration(Su): A free spirit takes normal damage from Law-aligned weapons, and from spells or effects with the Law descriptor (Replace Law with Square (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/printthread.php?t=55828) in campaigns using the Funky/Square third axis of alignment)

See in Darkness (Su):A free spirit can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.

Telepathy(Su): Any creature with a language within 100 feet.

Trap-Finding(Ex): A free spirit can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.

Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

A free spirit can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps (presuming it has some way of effecting the trap to disarm it, despite its incorporeal state). A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

A free spirit who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with its companions, if any) without disarming it.

Trap Sense (Ex): A free spirit has an intuitive sense that alerts it to danger from traps, giving it a +5 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +5 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps.

Incorporeal Subtype

An incorporeal creature has no physical body. It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source (except for positive energy, negative energy, force effects such as magic missile, or attacks made with ghost touch weapons).

An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus but has a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (always at least +1, even if the creature’s Charisma score does not normally provide a bonus).

A free spirit can enter or pass through solid objects, and need not remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so can pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own. It can sense the presence of creatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location, but enemies have total concealment (50% miss chance) from it that is inside an object. In order to see farther from the object it is in and attack normally, the incorporeal creature must emerge. An incorporeal creature inside an object has total cover, but when it attacks a creature outside the object it only has cover, so a creature outside with a readied action could strike at it as it attacks. An incorporeal creature cannot pass through a force effect.

An incorporeal creature’s attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against it. Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal creatures cannot make trip or grapple attacks, nor can they be tripped or grappled. In fact, they cannot take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they subject to such actions. Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are triggered by weight.

An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn’t wish to be. It has no Strength score, so its Dexterity modifier applies to both its melee attacks and its ranged attacks. Nonvisual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures. Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.

Spell like Abilities: At Will - Mage Hand, Greater Teleport (Self Only), Plane Shift (Self Only), Locate Object, 3/day - Find the Path, 1/year Wish (Self only, Teleportation Only, No XP cost)

Lore
Knowledge(The Planes) or Knowledge(Religion)
{TABLE=head]
DC|
Lore

23|This is a free spirit, an incorporeal observer of the planes, usually, but not always passive unless its attempts at observation are interfered with. They have formidable powers of travel, but lack the ability to take others with them.
28|No thickness of mundane material, no matter how solid may bar the passage of a free spirit, their minds can throw off mental domination seconds or even minutes after they initially fall to it, and even magical traps often prove most futile in harming them. When sufficiently motivated they can escape even a summoning circle without fail. Their senses are among the finest of all outsiders, piercing all illusions, and even magical darkness as easily as an elf sees under the noon sun, and in every direction simultaneously.
33|Only weapons and spells imbued with the power of Law (GM should substitute Squareness for Law if appropriate), may permanently injure a free spirit.
38|This reveals all traits.[/TABLE]


Ignore this, just storing it here in case I decide to put it back in... Acid Resistance 60, Cold Resistance 20, Electricity Resistance 60, Fire Resistance 120, Sonic Resistance 80,

[BisectedBrioche]

If you're heading out, lad
You best dress yourself well
I don't care if you think I'm mad
Just as your destinations hot as hell

I've seen to many deaths 'o those
Burnt to their deaths
Where their wounds froze
I don't care that its warm in those depths

Its like the learned men say
When the dead are given to much
They come 'n take it away
Boiled to their death cold to their touch

When you enter the furnace
Protect yourself from the cold
Because those burnt to ash
Already took the heat into their fold

-Unknown Author

Furnace Shadow
Size/Type: Medium Undead (Incorporeal, Fire)
Hit Dice: 5d12 (32 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30ft (6 squares)
Armor Class: 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 deflection, +1 dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+3
Attack: Slam melee (1d6)
Full Attack: 2 Slams melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Freezing Touch, Numbing Touch
Special Qualities: Incorporal, Undead and Fire Traits, Invisible, Insensitivity, Brain Freeze, Draw of Warmth
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +6
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con —, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Move Silently 8 (Dex), Search (Wis), Spot (Wis), Listen (Wis), Hide (Dex)
Feats: Track, Stealthy
Environment: Any
Organization: Lone, Pack (2-3), Group (4-8)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil

Furnace shadows are to heat what a normal shadow is to light. They are the spirits of cold blooded creatures, who died from exposure to extreme heat. They inhabit the areas they died in on the astral plane, absorbing all the heat they can creating an icy cold area on the material plane. They jealously guard the area, killing all those who might also be warmed by the heat. They are invisible, but the space they inhabit is instantly filled with ice and mist, unless they position themselves over something warm.

Freezing Touch (Ex) A shadow may make a touch attack against a living creature. If successful the target takes 1d6 points of cold damage.

Numbing Touch (Su) Any creature who makes contact with the shadow (incorporal or not) takes a point of dexterity damage. This lasts for 1d4 rounds. Anyone reduced to 0 dex is frozen in place and takes a point of con drain for each round until they are able to move again.

Incorporal, Undead and Fire TraitsUndead
Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces.
Traits
An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

No Constitution score.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
Proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Undead not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Undead are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.



Subtype Info
Fire
A creature with the fire subtype has immunity to fire. It has vulnerability to cold, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from cold, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

Incorporeal
An incorporeal creature has no physical body. It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source (except for positive energy, negative energy, force effects such as magic missile, or attacks made with ghost touch weapons). Although it is not a magical attack, holy water can affect incorporeal undead, but a hit with holy water has a 50% chance of not affecting an incorporeal creature.

An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus but has a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (always at least +1, even if the creature’s Charisma score does not normally provide a bonus).

An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own. It can sense the presence of creatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location, but enemies have total concealment (50% miss chance) from an incorporeal creature that is inside an object. In order to see farther from the object it is in and attack normally, the incorporeal creature must emerge. An incorporeal creature inside an object has total cover, but when it attacks a creature outside the object it only has cover, so a creature outside with a readied action could strike at it as it attacks. An incorporeal creature cannot pass through a force effect.

An incorporeal creature’s attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against it. Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal creatures cannot make trip or grapple attacks, nor can they be tripped or grappled. In fact, they cannot take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they subject to such actions. Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are triggered by weight.

An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn’t wish to be. It has no Strength score, so its Dexterity modifier applies to both its melee attacks and its ranged attacks. Nonvisual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures. Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.

Invisibility (Su) The Furnace Shadow is invisible, giving it full cover and thus meaning any attack directed at it has a 50% miss chance. This can be negated by true seeing. The square it inhabits is always filled with ice and mist (in a vaguly humanoid form) unless it positions itself over something warm (e.g a warm blooded creature or a fire) thus it is always possible to tell which square it is on.

Insensitivity (Su) If a Furnace Shadow enters the square of another creature they lose their ability to sense changes in temperature, feeling as if they are at their most comfortable. They take a -2 penalty on reflex saves to avoid Fire or Cold damage and -2 on survival checks related to extreme temperatures. This is in addition to the effects of the shadow's Numbing Touch ability.

Brain Freeze (Su) Anyone who sees a Furnace Shadow has their very mind chilled by the sight. They must make a Will save (DC 14, charisma based) or take 1 point of damage to both intelligence and wisdom. This damage is undone when the shadow is defeated or after 24 hours (whichever is sooner). Anyone who makes their will save is immune to that shadow's brain freeze for 24 hours.

Draw of Warmth (Su) Any cold blooded creature killed by a Furnace Shadow rises after 1d6+1 days as another Furnace Shadow. Resurrecting or incinerating the corpse of the victim prevents this.

Combat

A Furnace Shadow will initially attempt to kill its victims quietly, using its Insensitivity ability to slowly freeze a victim to death. If it is discovered then it will attempt to finish off the one it was stalking before moving on to the next target. If possible it will allow cold blooded opponents to flee, so as not to have to share its territory with another Shadow.

Lore

{TABLE=head]
DC|
Lore

15|This is a Furnace Shadow, an undead creature which absorbs all the nearby heat, freezing those nearby. Like all undead they are hostile to the living.
25|They are the spirits of cold blooded creatures who burned to death.
30|They will avoid killing cold blooded creatures as they dislike the idea of sharing their territory with another spirit.[/TABLE]

[Lord_Gareth]

Sons/Daughters of Silence

Medium Humanoid (Augmented Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 5d8 +10 (32 HP)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 40 ft.(8 squares), Fly speed 40 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 20 (10 +3 dexterity + 4 chain shirt +3 incorporeal deflection), 16 touch, 17 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+10
Attack: Incorporeal touch attack +6 melee, 2d8+3 20x2 critical or by weapon
Full Attack: Incorporeal touch attack +6 melee, 2d8+3 untyped damage 20x2 critical or by weapon
Space/Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Bestow Incorporeality, Traitor's Tongue, Steal Speech
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Selective Incorporeality, Devour Sound, Sound Immunity, Total Silence
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14 , Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16
Skills: Hide +11, Listen +8, Perform (Sing) +11
Feats: Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, Improved Grapple (Bonus)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or Gang (2-6)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement: By class level (Favored class: rogue)
Level Adjustment: +2

A silent, phantasmal woman stands before you, smiling sadly. You open your mouth to ask her what is wrong and realize, to your horror, that you cannot speak.

The Sons and Daughters of Silence were, at one point, human monks who studied the idea of silence and sound as a path to enlightenment. Long ago, one of them made a pact with an otherworldly lord (some say Titania of the Seelie, others place the blame at the feet of Asmodeus himself) to understand the true nature of silence and sound, and the order became cursed with the inability to make sound. Like sound, however, they could float through walls, pass unseen, or even kill.

Now the Sons and Daughters of Silence wend their individual ways through the world, no longer bound by any common brotherhood or goal, stealing speech where they may get it and glorying in it with song.

Sons and Daughters of Silence, while ageless, still tend to think in human terms and will often help humanoids who strike their fancy if placated with offers of song or breath. Sons and Daughters of Silence hold a special love for bards and minstrels of all types, and attack those who would molest or destroy such people without mercy or remorse.

Combat

Special Attacks - Bestow Incorporeality (Su): Once a Son or Daughter of Silence has established a grapple on an opponent, they may, as a swift action, render their victim incorporeal as long as the grapple continues. As long as their victim is incorporeal, they have no Strength score and are weightless - a Son of Silence's typical use of this ability is to drop the victim into the earth or a wall, then release them, shunting them into the nearest open space and dealing them 1d6 points of damage per square moved in the interim.

Bestow Incorporeality affects the equipment of the Son/Daughter of Silence, as well as the equipment of creatures they choose to use the ability upon.

Traitor's Tongue (Su) - A Son or Daughter of Silence warps sound and speech around themselves. All spells with verbal components cast within 30 feet of them have a 75% chance to fail, and normal verbal communication is impossible; words become randomly replaced or simply refuse to leave the lips of their speakers. Sons and Daughters of Silence are immune to this ability and may suppress or resume it as a free action.

Steal Speech (Su) - As a standard action, a Son or Daughter of Silence may attempt to steal the speech from all beings within twenty feet. Those affected must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 of the Son/Daughter's hit dice + Son/Daughter's charisma modifier) or be rendered mute for 24 hours or until the Son or Daughter of Silence is slain. At the end of the 24 hour period, they make a second save; failure indicates that they are struck permanently mute unless healed by a restoration, greater restoration or wish spell. Once they have stolen speech this way, a Son or Daughter of Silence may speak for ten rounds,

Special Qualities - Selective Incorporeality (Su) - Sons or Daughters of Silence are treated as incorporeal only whenever it benefits them; they may affect the physical world whenever they choose to, have a Strength score whenever it is beneficial to do so, et cetera. They may choose to act as both corporeal and incorporeal at the same time; that is, they may choose to exercise their Strength score, wear equipment, use weapons, and grapple while still remaining immune to physical attacks and being able to pass through objects.

Devour Sound (Su) - A Son or Daughter of Silence is normally mute, but they can temporarily overcome this limitation. Whenever they are in the area of a spell that deals sonic damage, they may speak for one round per caster level of the spell. Additionally, if they slay a living creature that has a language, they may steal its breath as a free action and become capable of speech for a number of rounds equal to that creature's hit dice. A Son or Daughter of Silence typically spends its time singing when it has the ability to.

Sound Immunity (Ex): Sons and Daughters of Silence take no damage from sound-based attacks and are immune to deafness and language-dependant abilities (such as suggestion).

Total Silence (Su): Sons and Daughters of Silence cannot make sound directly or indirectly unless benefitting from their Steal Speech or Devour Sound abilities. Anything they do will make no sound whatsoever; shattered glass will fall to the ground in utter silence, stone will break with no noise whatsoever. This ability will not silence other beings near them, however; a human stabbed by a Daughter of Silence will still scream, for example, even if their body makes no noise when it hits the floor.

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

Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) can learn more about Sons and Daughters of Silence. When the character makes a skill check, the following information is revealed, including that from lower DCs.

{table=head]
DC | Result
22 (Arcana) | This is a Son/Daughter of Silence, an incorporeal humanoid who can still affect the physical world. This reveals the traits of the incorporeal subtype.
27 (Arcana) | Sons and Daughters of Silence are cursed to never make sound unless they can steal it. This reveals the Steal Speech and Devour Sound abilities.
32 (Arcana) | Sons and Daughters of Silence can make their victims incorporeal and often do so to capture or kill their opponents. It's hard to say what you mean around them. This result reveals the Traitor's Tongue and Bestow Incorporeality abilities
37 (Arcana)| Sons and Daughters of Silence may breed with other humanoids or each other; the result is inevitably a Son or Daughter of Silence. This result reveals all other special abilities.
[/table]

The Auditioners - Three Daughters of Silence have petitioned to join a bardic academy, which is in an uproar. On the one hand, they have openly declared that they will accept any civilized being who petitions for membership, but on the other, many of their students fear sabatoge or having their music stolen from them. The board has reached a compromise; have a third party investigate these auditioners to see if their intentions are pure.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

This is frightening, Gareth. I swear that I didn't see your post before creating this concept...more proof that we think along exactly the same lines, and yet so vastly differently at the same time. That said, the pair would make for an interesting partnership, I think. A Daughter of Silence, followed by the words she would speak, if only she could...


Unspoken Chorus

Fine Undead (Incorporeal Swarm)
Hit Dice: 8d12 (52 HP)
Initiative: +4
Speed: Fly speed 60 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 29 (+8 size, +4 dexterity, +7 deflection), 29 touch, 25 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/—
Attack: Swarm (1 Wisdom Drain plus Dreadful Murmurs)
Full Attack: Swarm (1 Wisdom Drain plus Dreadful Murmurs)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. / 0 ft.
Special Attacks: Choir of Madness, Dreadful Murmurs, Frenzied Whispers, Silent Winds, Swarm Attack
Special Qualities: Lifesense 150ft, Undead Traits, Swarm Traits, Immune to Weapon Damage, Formless Being
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str —, Dex 19, Con — , Int —, Wis 11, Cha 25
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 9+ HD
Level Adjustment: —

A quiet, disconcerting whisper dances lightly across the still air, it's haunting tones impossible to distinguish. Voices join the lilting chorus, full of sadness, fury, and desperation...then all is engulfed in a furious cacophony of toneless sound, and the world sinks into darkness and insanity.

Anyone will tell you that unspoken words carry a great weight, but few realize how close to the truth they are. Words have a life of their own, and those thought but not spoken are denied the existence that is their right. These strange spirits are found in speech, song, and thought; bound together in verse, prose, rhyme, and conversation. Yet they are not harmless, for there is nothing on this earth that can destroy or create more than the power of speech. They carry a madness; a driving urge to be spoken, to pass their unspoken message on to the world at large...and woe betide the one caught within an Unspoken Chorus' maddening embrace.

Combat

Unspoken Choruses are mindless entities, driven on only by their ability to sense life and their thirst to make themselves known. They will envelop a foe, following them unrelentingly until their maddening whispers consume their victim...and then the Unspoken Chorus moves on, always searching, never satisfied.

Choir of Madness (Su): Any creature reduced to 0 Wisdom by an Unspoken Chorus is rendered permanently insane as if affected by an Insanity spell. Nothing short of a Wish or Miracle spell can reverse this effect. Often a new Unspoken Chorus is spawned during this occurrence, as the words the ruined victim would have spoken in life take form. This effect, however, is left up to DM judgment. This is a mind-affecting attack.

Swarm Attack (Ex): Any creature occupying the same space as an Unspoken Chorus at the end of the Unspoken Choruses turn takes 1 point of Wisdom Drain. This is a sonic, mind-affecting attack.

Dreadful Murmurs (Su): Any creature that begins its turn occupying the same space as an Unspoken Chorus must make a Will save (DC 21) or have its mind flooded with haunting whispers. The save DC is Charisma based. A creature so affected does nothing but stagger about, clutching his or her head, and cannot take actions, mental or otherwise, for 1 round. During this time the victim suffers -4 penalty to Armor Class and a -10 penalty on Reflex saves, and does not receive any shield bonuses to its Armor Class. The victim provokes attacks of opportunity each round on its turn. This is a sonic, mind-affecting attack.

Frenzied Whispering (Su): Any creature that occupies the same space as an Unspoken Chorus cannot speak comprehensibly (even if the listener is under the effects of a Comprehend Languages spell), and automatically fails all Listen checks as the frenzied voices fill the air about it. Additionally, all spells with verbal components automatically fail if the caster is within the Unspoken Chorus.

Lifesense (Ex): Unspoken Choruses cannot see like normal being, but they unerringly know the location and actions of any and all living beings within 150ft.

Formless Being (Ex): Unspoken Choruses are naturally invisible, and are treated as such for all purposes. They also have no actual form, and, as such, a See Invisibility spell or similiar effect reveals nothing more than a slight shimmer in the air, detectable only with a Spot check (DC 25).

Silent Winds (Ex): Unspoken Choruses make no sound, accidental or intentional, until they have engulfed a victim, at which point they remain audible only to creatures within their grasp.


{table=head]
DC | Result
20 (Divine) | Sages often speak of the magic contained in words, and some obscure legends even give them a life of their own.
25 (Divine) | This may be an Unspoken Chorus, a mindless entity of words that never reached the air, now striving to make their messages known. They are formless, incorporeal creatures of speech alone, impossible to glimpse or feel.
30 (Divine) | Unspoken Choruses drive their victims to utter madness with their sinister whispering, and do not relinquish their grasp even when faced with destruction.
[/table]

[Lappy9000]

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/lego12340/PeanutReaper.jpg

Peanut Reaper
Medium Undead (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 8d12 (52 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: Fly 30 ft (perfect) (10 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+4 Dex, +4 Deflection), 18 touch, 14 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +4 /-
Attack: Thresher Scythe +8 Melee (2d4/x4) [force]
Full Attack: Thresher Scythe +8 Melee (2d4/x4) [force]
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Force Nuts, Mixed Nuts
Special Qualities: Blindsight 40 ft, immunities, incorporeal traits, nutty, +2 turn resistance, undead traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +9
Abilities: Str -, Dex 18, Con -, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 18
Skills: Concentration +12, Hide +15, Intimidate +15, Listen +25, Search +6, Sense Motive +9
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Thresher Scythe)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, Cluster (2-3), or Bar Mix (4-10 plus 1d4 dire squirrel skeletons)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 9-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -

Floating almost lazily towards you is what appears a legume roughly the shape of the number eight (known as a peanut in layman's terms), clothed in a menacing black cape with skull clasps. Pulsing with evil nuttiness, it appears to be only half there, as you can see right through it. The vicious bean totes an elaborate scythe with ease as it suddenly rushes towards you.

Few know the true origins of the mysterious peanut reaper. Some arcane scholars suspect that they are the result of a long-forgotten plant-like race, driven into insanity by some unknown cataclysm. Others believe that the peanut reapers are the forces of death incarnate, masquerading in the innocent form of a peanut. Still others say that they are just the result of some nutty wizard's boredom. What is known about the peanut reapers is that they despise all life, and strive to spread their nuttiness throughout the world.

Peanut reapers cannot speak but understand Common and Abyssal.

Combat

Peanut reapers are not known for tactical knowledge. Most simply rush into combat, attacking the closest target, and begin slashing away with their thresher scythes. Peanut reapers typically fight to the death, however if one has their thresher scythe lost or destroyed, they will attempt to flee, firing force nuts at any pursuers.

Force Nuts (Su): As a standard action, a peanut reaper may release three peanuts of pure force, each of which deals 1d4 points of force damage to specified targets within 30 ft. The peanut strikes unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat or has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a creature can’t be singled out. Inanimate objects are not damaged by the spell.

Mixed Nuts (Su): Once every 1d6 rounds, a peanut reaper may release six random nuts of varying energies as a standard action to specified targets within 30 ft. Use the following table to determine the nuts released. A target may make a DC 18 Reflex save for half damage.

{table=head] 1d8 | Nut | Damage Type

1-2 | Cashew | 1d4 Fire

3-4 | Macadamia | 1d4 Acid

5-6 | Pistachio | 1d4 Cold

7-8 | Walnut | 1d4 Electricity
[/table]

Spell-Like Abilities (Su): 3/day-inflict moderate wounds (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/inflictModerateWounds.htm) (DC 16). Caster level 4th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Blindsight (Ex): Peanut reapers can sense all foes within 40 feet as a sighted creature would. Beyond that range, they treat all targets as having total concealment.

Peanut reapers are susceptible to sound- based attacks, however, and are affected normally by loud noises and sonic spells (such as ghost sound or silence). Negating a peanut reaper’s sense of hearing reduces this ability to normal Blind-Fight (as the feat). If this sense is negated, a peanut reaper is effectively blinded.

Nutty (Ex): Peanut reapers are wholly nuts. Anyone who attempts to read the thoughts of a peanut reaper or otherwise study its mind must make a DC 18 Will save or suffer the effects of an insanity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/insanity.htm) spell.

Immunities: Peanut reapers are immune to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight. In addition, the peanut reaper’s insanity grants them immunity from all mind-affecting spells and effects.

Skills: A peanut reaper has a +10 racial bonus on Listen checks.

Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (religion) can learn more about peanut reapers. When the character makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

{table=head] DC | Result

15 | Peanut Reapers are strange peanut-like undead that exhibit all undead and incorporeal traits.

20 | The thresher scythes wielded by peanut reapers do force damage and are greatly prized among the undead legumes. Destroying or stealing it will cause the peanut reaper to flee.
[/table]

Plot Hooks
Members of a local village who stray too far into the nearby woods have started vanishing mysteriously. Many farmers have spotted what they describe as 'hooded ghosts' and a strong scent of peanuts permeating the fields.
A cluster of peanut reapers guards an iron door within a nearby cave covered in mysterious nut-shaped runes. Oddly, the normally chaotic peanut reapers have been patrolling the caverns duitifully, never leaving their posts. A local wizard has hired the PC's to investigate, perhaps the secret to Peanutbutter Golems lies withing the caves!

[Stormthorn]

"And travellers, now, within that valley,
Through the red-litten windows see
Vast forms, that move fantastically
To a discordant melody,
While, like a ghastly rapid river,
Through the pale door
A hideous throng rush out forever
And laugh—but smile no more."
-Edgar Allan Poe "The Haunted Palace"

Dismal Haze
Gargantuan Outsider(Incorporeal)
HD: 20d8+60 (150)
Speed: Fly 30ft. (perfect) (6 squares)
Init: +12
AC: 15 (-4 size, +4 dexterity, +5 deflection); touch 15; flat-footed 11
BAB: +20/-
Attack: Incorporeal Touch +20 melee (2d8 plus Despairing Touch)
Full-Attack: Incorporeal Touch +20 melee (2d8 plus Despairing Touch)
Space 20 ft. Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks: Advanced Mindfire Disease, Despairing Touch, Blast Into Memory
Special Qualities: Outsider Traits, Darkvison 60ft, Blindsense 60 ft, incorporeal traits, Immune to Fear, Immune to Sleep, Immune to Death Effects, Disease, Poltergeist, Silent and Dark fog, Darkened Land, Indirect Contact
Saves: Fort +15 Ref +16 Will +13
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 20, Wis 12, Cha 20
Skills: Listen +22, Hide +28, Search +20, Survival +15, Intimidate +20, Sense Motive +40, Knowledge(planes) +20, Knowledge(arcane) +12, Spot +16, Concentration +20, Diplomacy +12
Feats: Ghostly Grasp, Omen of Storms(b), Ability Focus (Blast Into memory), Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, Blind-Fight, Superior Initiative(b)
Environment: Any (see below)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure -- (although their chosen nest may have valuable items)
Alignment True Neutral or Neutral Evil
Advancement 21-30 HD Gargantuan, 31-40 HD Colossal

The cellar door slowly swings wide revealing a horrific sight: An indistinct ghostly mass filling more than half the space and stretching up to pass through the ceiling. It is suddenly clear now that the mist in the dining room must have been the top of this creature extending up out of the cellar. Several fist-sized transparent eyeballs suddenly flick open on the surface of the mass and focus on you, registering surprise and then annoyance. Wine barrels in the cellar suddenly spring to life and begin attacking while the mass rushes up and foreword, flowing all around you and then up out of the cellar. As you pass through it a sharp unexplainable pain grips your chest and a feeling of utter sadness settles upon you.

Dismal Haze (which is both singular and plural) are otherworldly planar nomads, who are born on planes of death, shadow, or nothingness, and who slowly migrate to the Prime Material plane as they mature. How they travel from plane to plane is unknown but summoning pacts or portals left open too long may explain their appearances in our world. Once here they gravitate to areas that are old, either abandoned or far from civilization, and strongly associated with death. Crumbling graveyards, ancestral crypts, and generational manners are the locations they most value for their nest. Once nested it is very difficult to get a Dismal Haze to leave. The land around the nest of a dismal haze is somewhat effected by its presence, but they are most known for their amazing control over weather. A Dismal Haze can cause overcast or stormy weather in a range spanning dozens of miles with even more bizarre and powerfully phenomena occurring in the area immediately surrounding their nest.

If disturbed, and aggressive or angered Dismal haze will often attack by animating objects and then targeting the area of battle with Wall of Thorns before attacking personally.

Dismal Haze do not need to breathe or sleep, although it has been observed that they often do sleep during the day, and become active around sunset. They do eat, but Dismal Haze subsist only on the emotional remnants of the people who lived and died in the area of their nest. A Dismal Haze that is actively seeking food may begin combat by using its Blast Into Memory ability, allowing it to feed on the emotional energy of its victims death.

Dismal Haze usually take up an area roughly equal to a 20ft cube. They have no weight.
Dismal Haze do not speak out-loud, but they understand common, undercommon, celestial, infernal, abyssal, and all elemental-plane languages.

Combat

Note- Save DC are charisma based in determining difficulty unless otherwise noted.

Blast Into Memory (Su)- Once per day a Dismal Haze may tear down the boundary between life and death. This manifests in a 60ft cone and all living creatures struck by said cone must take a DC 27 Fort. Save or by slain instantly. The body of any being slain this way bursts apart in a cloud of vapor and at the exact same time a Permanent Image under the control of the Dismal Haze appears where the creature had been standing.

Indirect Contact - A Dismal Haze may cast Magic Mouth, Dream, or Ghost Sound at will as spell-like abilities as a 10th level caster.

Poltergeist – As supernatural abilities the Dismal Haze may cast Anime Objects, Obscuring Mist, Unseen Servant, Dancing Lights, Gust of Wind and Wall of Thorns at will as a 20th level caster.

Darkened Land (ex)- A Dismal Haze can alter the land within one mile of its chosen nest. This land is always under the effects of Control Weather and Hallucinatory Terrain spells in control of the Dismal Haze. The Haze may cast Blight as a free action as a 20th level caster within this area.

Despairing Touch (ex) – Any creature struck by a Dismal Haze must make a DC 22 (wisdom-based) will save or be affected as though the target of a successful Crushing Despair spell for ten minutes.

Disease (ex) – Dismal Hazes carry a disease that is spread by inhaling any part of their vapor-like form or by being exposed to their nest environment for too long: Advanced Mindfire (Inhaled DC 18 (fort save), 1 day Incubation, 1d6 Int damage)

Silent and dark fog (ex) – Any being occupying the same space as a Dismal Haze is Silenced (as though by the spell) with no save allowed if the Dismal Haze wills it to be so. Any being occupying the same space as a Dismal Haze is protected as if in an Obscuring Mist.

Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Planes) can learn more about spirits of the woods. When the character makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
DC15: This is a Dismal Haze, an incorporeal outsider. Their presence causes storms.
DC20: Dismal Haze feed on the emotional remenants of dead beings and can manipulate the weather directly around its chosen feeding ground or nest.
DC25: Dismal Haze are highly intelligent and capable of magical communication. They often attack by animating objects.
DC30: They have the ability to instantly kill a person and create an illusionary replacement.

Note: The Omen of Storms feat causes bad weather in a 50 mile area and causes feelings of dread strong enough to force animals to save or be Shaken every day. Its from an issue of Dragon Magazine.

[Deadgirlslikeme]

Still a Work In Progress, Critiques and Advice Welcomed

Desgracia
Medium Outsider, (Incorporeal, Evil, Chaotic)
Hit Dice: 8d8 + 8 (44hp)
Initiative: +3 (Dex)
Speed: 40ft(8 squares), 60ft fly (perfect) [12 squares]
Armor Class: 20 (10 +7 (Cha), +3 (Dex)), 20 touch, 17 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+3, +11/+6
Attack: -
Full Attack: -
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Aura of Misfortune, Bad Karma, Bad Luck Roulette, Drain Luck
Special Qualities: Immune to Bad Luck, Darkvision 60ft,
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +8
Abilities: Str -, Dex 16 (+3), Con 12 (+1), Int 16 (+3), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 24 (+7)
Skills: (8+3)x4 + (8+3)x7 = 121
Feats: 1st, 3rd,6th
Environment: -
Organization: Single, Pair, Troop of Misfortune (4-12)
Challenge Rating: ??
Treasure:
Alignment: Always CE
Advancement: By class
Level Adjustment:

Description/background/characteristics

Combat
Special Attacks –
Aura of Misfortune (Su): As a physical embodiment of bad luck a Desgracia projects an aura of misfortune affecting any who enter it. Any non-construct, living creature that enters the aura suffers a negative modifier to all rolls made while inside the aura. The modifier is -1/4HD of the Desgracia rounded down, minimum -1, while the area of the aura is 10ft/HD of the Desgracia, centered on the Desgracia.
Bad Karma (Su):
Bad Luck Roulette (Su):
Drain Luck (Su):

Special Qualities –

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

-Optional-

Lore

Plot Hook/Story if any

[Bhu]

work in progress


Bubba The Headless Chicken
Tiny Undead (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 5d12 (32 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Fly 30 ft (6 squares), Perfect
Armor Class: 17 (+2 Size, +3 Dex, +2 Deflection), touch 17, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-10
Attack: -
Full Attack: -
Space/Reach: 2 ½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Terrifying Appearance, Malevolence, Chickens Curse, BAWK!
Special Qualities: Undead traits, Dark Vision 60’, Manifestation, Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance +4, Unnatural Aura, Lifesense
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +6
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 16, Con -, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14
Skills: Bluff +8, Gather Information +8, Hide +11, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (Local) +9, Listen +10, Move Silently +11, Search +11, Sense Motive +10, Spot +10
Feats: Ability Focus (Chickens Curse), Ability Focus (BAWK!)
Environment: Any
Organization: Unique
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: 6+ HD (Tiny)
Level Adjustment: -----


The setting: The jail of the small farming village of Tater. In it's only cell sits a lone, surprisingly well-groomed Orc. A ghostly chicken enters through the wall.

”Hmm..An Orc..and one who doesn't run away screaming just at the sight of me...don't get too many of your kind 'round here.”

"You must be Bubba."

"Ayuh."

"Is it just me or are all the local farmers crazy?"

Naw, tain't you. They's damn crazy. You should see the things I've seen. Would curdle your blood. Say, why ain't you runnin' in fear anyways?"

"Paladin of St. Cuthbert."

"Yeah, we definitely don't get many of your kind round here."

A farmer enters

"Greetin's ya filtheh Orc scum. We's gonna test yew fer witchcraft tonight."

"And what does this entail?"

"Whelp, first we's gonna burn ya. If'n ya don't burn, yer a witch, and then we hang ya. If'n ya do burn yer just a filthy Orc and ya go to meet Jebus."

"I'm gonna try a wild stab at logic here just for the hell of it: If burning doesn't kill me, what makes you think hanging will?"

"Cuz everyone knows witches magic don't work 'gainst no ropes."

"Riiiiiiighttttt....say have you met Bubba?"

"Bawk."

"AAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

The farmer exits the building

"Well that was fun. Guess I'll work on escaping now..."

"What you doin' in a farming town like this anyway?"

"Your former owner escaped and asked the Church for revenge. He mentioned you being a ghost and all, but he forgot to mention the locals were all insane. What did they kill you for? Witchcraft?

"Naw, they found out I was a transvestite."

"Seriously?"

"Yup. This here roosters comb is fake. Or at least it was in life."

"I hesitate to ask this, but does this town have any more surprises I should know about?"

"Well...the sheep are planning a bloody revolution in 2 days. But beyond that, no things are pretty darn dull 'round here."

Once upon a time there was a poor farming village named Tater. It was peopled with...well...poor farmers. Jim Bawb was the best chicken farmer there, and his prize winning chickens won the countries competitions year after year. Jim and his sons had to go through some pretty interesting times what with all those other chicken farmers trying to sabotage them and all (hence why he still wasn't rich after winning all those competitions). One year his prize hen Mathilda was kidnapped after rumors that a curse hung over her head. Jim Bawb never found out the source of these rumors, but he did find Mathilda, now known as Bubba. It seems somehow during the missing hours Mathilda was gone she became Awakened, and couldn't remember how. She also knew she wanted to be a rooster. Talked about it for hours. To anyone who would listen. Even convinced someone to make her a rooster costume.

While Jim Bawb was trying to come to grips with his prize hens apparent lifestyle changes, a mob stormed his farm. They said he'd committed sins against Jebus. Jim Bawb knew there was a new cult in town, but he hadn't paid attention since local religions came and went. Apparently this one had finally taken hold and gotten violent. They cut Bubba's head off, and Jim Bawb went into hiding with relatives before they burned him for witchcraft.

Before long Bubba came back, floating through the night air. Sometimes he was headless, sometimes he wasn't. Sometimes he carried the head under his wing. For a fairly new ghost he seemed unusually powerful at inspiring fear. Bubba began to wonder if the curse rumors were true. He helped Jim Bawb escape by distracting the townsfolk to cover him (he possessed several people who did some very unusual things, and were subsequently punished with very unusual exorcism rites). Bubba is a little concerned for the townsfolk now. It isn't their fault they're dumber than monkeys, and whoever started this new religion was taking advantage of the poor folks. Time to go hire some professionals to fix this...


Terrifying Appearance (Su): Any living being within 60' of Bubba must make a DC 20 Willpower Save (Save DC is Charisma Based with a +6 Racial Bonus) or be Frightened for 2d6 rounds. If they successfully make their Save they are Shaken for 1 round instead, and are immune to Bubba’s Terrifying Appearance for 24 hours.

Malevolence (Su): Identical to the Ghost ability listed on page 118 of the Monster Manual.

Chicken’s Curse (Su): Once per day Bubba can curse an opponent within 60' as a Standard Action. This spell is otherwise identical to Bestow Curse in all aspects except it's effect: Once per day at random, the victims pants will fly off and he will spend one round doing his best impression of a chicken laying an egg. Except he actually will be laying an egg. If said egg is kept warm and safe for 1 week it will hatch a Cockatrice. Bubba doesn't use this curse very often, unless he feels the victim is a real scumbag, and he usually warns people to dispose of the eggs, and what will happen if they don't.

BAWK! (Su): Once per day at the stroke of Midnight Bubba can unleash a tremendous Bawk that resounds for miles. He doesn't do it very often unless someone has ticked him off. The BAWK! is a standard Action, and can be heard by everything within a 10 mile radius. Anything within 100' must make a DC 16 Willpower Save (Save DC is Cha Based) or be Shaken for 2d6 rounds. If they are within 30' they are Frightened instead. If they are within 10' they are both Frightened and Deafened. If the Save is successful they are Shaken for 2 rounds regardless of how close to Bubba they are.

Manifestation (Su): Identical to the Ghost ability listed on page 118 of the Monster Manual.

Rejuvenation (Su): Identical to the Ghost ability listed on page 118 of the Monster Manual. In order to lay Bubba to rest the PC’s must find out the origin of the curse that has created him. And then convince him to go. He seems really intent on hanging around actually.

Unnatural Aura (Su): Animals will not come within 100' of anyone possessed by Bubba, and Panic if forced to do so (they remain Panicked so long as Bubba is within Range).

Lifesense (Su): Bubba may automatically sense Living creatures within 100' as thought he had Blindsight. He also automatically knows the strength of their life force as if he had cast Deathwatch.

Skills: Bubba gets a +8 Racial Bonus on Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot checks.

Combat: Bubba rarely involves himself in combat as it’s easier to hide until the big folk go away with all their nasty spitting Cleric types talking about heatherns and damnation and sin and such. If chased intently he will likely use his Curse or Malevolence abilities to teach them a lesson by harassing them till they stop.


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

Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Local) can learn a little about Bubba if they are from Tater. When the character makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs:

{table]DC|Lore
10|Bubba was a famous local prize winning chicken in a farming village named Tater.
15|Somehow Bubba became aware (i.e. awakened), and dire predictions of a curse upon him were whispered about. Possibly to prevent his further participation in competitions (Does anyone really believe someone would go through such enormous effort? I mean really...).
20|Bubba was subsequently executed for crimes against nature (i.e. transvestism) by a crazed mob, and returned more unnatural than before.


Plot Hook
Jim Bawb has just barely escaped town after Bubba's death. He appeals to the PC's for help in getting his farm back, and for enacting a hideous bloodstained revenge on the townsfolk for killing Bob. He claims the PC's can have a cow made from solid copper if they win the day for him. The PC's are probably likely to think him insane unless they have enough ranks in Knowledge: Local to recognize Jim Bawb. He'd also like them to get someone to resurrect Bubba, who seems content with being a ghost.
Word has it there's a cult in the small farming village of Tater thats burning people for witchcraft. They're definition of witchcraft seems a little vague and is usually described as "anything we don't cotton to". Concerned authorities have asked the PC's to investigate. Well okay thats a little bit of a fib. Concerned authorities have actually asked the PC's to "find whichever drunken incest victim started this whole mess and beat him to within an inch of his life". They'd also like them to look into rumors of a headless ghost chicken. There's money in sideshow freaks these days.
The PC's are approached by a floating dead chicken who (after they stop screaming and calm down) asks them to find out the truth of the circumstances behind his awakening, and the subsequent source of the rumors he was cursed. Cause being undead he probably was cursed now that he thinks about it. He'd also like them to find who started the cult now causing trouble in Tater.
The Glitter Festival is the premier transvestite/female impersonator/general weirdness showcase of the land, and it's always been Bubba's desire to attend. He has the minor problem though, that anyone seeing him starts screaming like they've seen a ghost. Well at least a ghost thats malicious in intent. He'd like the PC's to fix this problem for him if they could, without resurrecting him. He kind of likes being dead. Plus he's a scheduled Judge for the Best Orc Transvestite competition, and he's worried people will try to harm him somehow. The Judges get attacked every year, and Bubba thinks someone will resurrect him, and bump him off a second time in the hopes he won't come back as a ghost this time.

[adanedhel9]

Ethercat
Large Magical Beast (Extraplanar, Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 8d10+16 (60 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: Fly 40 ft. (8 squares) (perfect)
Armor Class: 13 (+1 deflection, +3 Dex, –1 size), touch 13, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/—
Attack: Incorporeal claw +10 melee (1d8)
Full Attack: 2 Incorporeal claws +10 melee (1d8) and incorporeal bite +5 melee (2d6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Extradimensional claws
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., ethereal traits, incorporeal traits, manifestation, pounce
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +5
Abilities: Str —, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +9, Spot +8
Feats: Altertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will
Environment: Ethereal Plane
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pride (6–10)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: 9–12 HD (Large); 13–20 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

A feline form, vaguely reminiscent of a tiger, prowls the dense jungle. Its entire figure only seems to be partially present as it silently passes through trees and undergrowth. When it leaps at its prey, long claws, blacker than night, extend from its outstretched paws.

Ethercats are powerful hunters from the Ethereal Plane. They can manifest on the Material Plane at will, although in incorporeal form.

Despite being a creature of the Ethereal Plane, ethercats need Material sustenance. Their lairs, breeding grounds, and nurseries are well-protected in the Ethereal, but their hunting grounds are exclusively on the Material Plane. They hunt just about anything, including humanoids, and have not developed the fear of blades and traps that their material counterparts have.

Due to their Ethereal nature, training an ethercat is nearly impossible. A potential trainer would have to spend a significant amount of time on the Ethereal Plane, where the cats could be controlled and taught from a young age. A truly trained ethercat would be exorbitantly expensive.

Note on Statistics: The statistics above reflect an ethercat on the Material Plane. An ethercat on the Ethereal Plane has the following adjustments:

Type: Loses both the incorporeal and extraplanar subtypes.
Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, +4 natural, –1 size), touch 12, flat-footed 13
Grapple: +14
Attack: Claw +9 melee (1d6+2)
Full Attack: 2 claws +9 melee (1d6+2) and bite +4 melee (1d8+1)
Special Qualities: Loses the "incorporeal traits" special quality
Strength: 14


Combat
Unlike their physical counterpars, ethercats have no reason to fear the herd or take advantage of terrain. When they see potential prey, they attack. Once in combat, each ethercat tries to use Extradimensional Claws to drag its target back to the Ethereal Plane to finish it off.

Extradimensional Claws (Su): An ethercat's claws have a curious effect on Material creatures. If the ethercat hits with both incorporeal claw attacks, its target immediately shifts to the Ethereal Plane (Will DC 16 negates). Once on the Ethereal Plane, the prey may make a new Will save at the beginning of each round to return to the Material Plane. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Manifestation (Su): An ethercat dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When an ethercat manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ethercat 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 ethercat can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ethercat always moves silently. A manifested ethercat remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ethercat can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ethercat’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.

Pounce (Ex): If an ethercat charges a foe, it can make a full attack.

Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) or Knowledge (the planes) can research ethercats to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from the lower DCs.

DC 18: Ethercats are predators from the Ethereal Plane that come to the Material Plane to hunt.

DC 23: Beware the ethercat's claws, which can trap you on the Ethereal Plane.

DC 28: Even while on the Material Plane, ethercats continue to exist partially on the Ethereal. While this makes them difficult to attack from the Material, they are considerably more vulnerable on the Ethereal.

Plot Hooks
A barely competent big-game hunter has managed to trap an ethercat in a forcecage and is bringing his prize back to the big city.

A local organized crime boss has begun to use "trained" ethercats to dispose of bodies. Unfortunately, the boss does not have nearly as much control over them as he believes.

Due to their diet, the gnomes of the Redtop Mountains are a particularly tasty treat for the ethercats, a fact about which the ethercats are about to find out.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

This month's contest has come to a close. A voting thread has been posted here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5145591#post5145591).

Good luck!

-=-=-=-=-

Deadgirlslikeme's entry has been disqualified for being incomplete at the contest's end.