GITP Monster Competition XXVIII - Banquet of Beasts

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Banquet of Beasts

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The guests are met, the feast is set. May'st hear the merry din!

Winter approaches and it is time for celebration! The table groans beneath the weight of a succulent repast. Upon the platters the feast itself arises, for it is a beastly banquet of comestible creatures with a dash of dragon and a pinch of pegasus. You are the chef of creation, so set your imagination to preheat and cook up an idea!

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

The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will continue until Midnight of December 21st (EST).

Soon after a poll will be opened for everyone to vote for their favorite that will last until New Years.



Rules

1. You will be creating an 'original' D&D monster. A being in some way tied to food and/or drink in any way you wish to interpret. You may be as silly as you like with your entry, but it must still be usable and the same quality as a serious one is expected.

Examples
Figgy Pudding (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4049389&postcount=11)
Peanut Butter Golem (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94843)
Yule Pig (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1694928&postcount=16)

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

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

Lore

Plot Hook/Story if any

[RS14]

Gingerbread Giant
Huge Giant
HD: 14d8+84 (147hp)
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Init: +1
AC 19 (10 + 7 Natural + 1 Dexterity + 3 Hide Armor - 2 Size); touch 9; flat-footed 18
BAB +10; Grp +29
Attack: Club +19 melee (2d6+11) or Snowball +19 ranged touch (entangles)
Full-Attack: Club+19/+14 melee (2d6+11) or Snowball +19 ranged touch (entangles)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks: Snowball Throwing, Gingerbread Transformation
Special Qualities: Scent, Cold Resistance 10, Fire Resistance 5
Saves Fort +15 Ref +5 Will +7
Abilities Str 32, Dex 13, Con 23, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: Craft (Food) +24, Craft (Leatherworking) +10, Diplomacy +10, Survival* +18, Intimidate +17, Climb +28
Feats: Iron Will, Brutal throw, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Knock-Down
Environment: Cold Mountains and Hills
Organization: Solitary, gang (2-5), party (5-8 plus one barbarian or ranger of 1st-4th level plus a field-kitchen), Tribe (15-25 plus two barbarians rangers of 1st-6th level plus one cleric of 4th to 8th level)
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Chaotic Evil
Advancement: by character class; Favored Class: Barbarian
Level Adjustment: --

Gingerbread Giants are huge, reclusive beings who in deepest winter descend from their mountain camps to satiate their taste for finely-cooked confectionery. While they return with as many captives, and even entire buildings, as their cart can carry, they often kill in excess of what they can eat. They are particularly notorious for the grisly meals they leave prepared from the remains of their victims.

Gingerbread Giants' skin is a freckled blue-gray. They favor fur-lined clothing of simple construction, although such clothing is often decorated with boastful depictions of the wearer's feats.
Their hair is usually tied back loosely, and their pupils have shrunk to protect them from the glare of sunlight on snow. Adult males are about 18ft tall and weigh about 7000lbs. Adult females are slightly shorter and lighter. They do not typically live beyond 200 years old.

Snowball Throwing: (Ex) A Gingerbread Giant can throw snowballs as other giants throw rocks. These have a range increment of 120ft, and can be thrown up to 5 range increments. They hit with a ranged touch attack. These do not deal damage, although they may be used to dislodge climbing or balancing foes.
Additionally, as a free action, a Gingerbread Giant can transform a held snowball into a ball of soft icing, as for a cake. This is thrown in the same manner as a snowball, and functions as a tanglefoot bag. This is a supernatural ability.

Gingerbread Transformation: (Su) As a full-round action, a Gingerbread Giant can transform a 20x20x20ft3 cube of an existing stone, wood, or earthen building into gingerbread. Glass will be turned into a thin sugar crust. Detailing may be transformed into icing. The contents of the building, such as furniture, and including the inhabitants of the building, are unaffected by the transformation. The building retains structural integrity, despite all logic, but gingerbread has no hardness and only 2 hit-points per inch of thickness.

Gauntlets: A Gingerbread Giant often wears heavy, enchanted canvas or leather gauntlets. Merciful gauntlets are popular, often with further enchantments such as flaming. In addition to their properties as weapons, such gauntlets protect the wearer's hands from intense heat, up to 20 points per round.

Skills:
A Gingerbread Giant has a +4 racial bonus on Craft(Food) checks by virtue of its keen sense of smell. They also have a +4 racial bonus on survival checks when tracking by scent.

Combat

Gingerbread Giants on the hunt are confident, and prefer to attack small towns in the early morning hours without warning. After a successful hunt, however, they will return with all speed, only stopping to ensure that all pursuers have all been killed. If attacked in their own camp, particularly outside of winter, they are even less aggressive. They will eliminate immediate threats, but will almost always retreat to a more remote location as soon as they can.

When on the hunt, they typically attack at dawn and without warning, first by transforming buildings into gingerbread, which they can easily crush. Humans and livestock will be battered into unconsciousness, and the giants hang their victims from their belts until they can be stuffed into the sacks or cages of the field-kitchen. They prefer to capture victims alive, but are willing to kill if necessary.

If fighting on the defensive or in ambush, they first pelt their foes with sticky balls of confectionery. A small number of giants will then attack with clubs or gauntlets, while others remain in reserve to pelt any foes not immobilized by the first volley.

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

Lore
DC24:
This is a Gingerbread Giant. They are aggressive hunters with the ability to transform buildings and people into confectionery. This reveals all Giant traits.
DC29:
Gingerbread Giants can throw large balls of sticky confectionery to entangle their foes. When hunting, they never stay long before retreating into the mountains.
DC34:
A raiding party usually pulls a cart containing their spoils, as well as the magic items they use for cooking. They will pursue without mercy anyone who manages to steal any of these tools.

Plot Hooks:

As any connoisseur of baked goods will tell you, Gingerbread Giants make the finest cake known to man. They will pay handsomely if anyone is able to procure these goods in large quantities.
With the kingdom locked in a deep winter, food runs low in many remote villages. Someone hatches a scheme to abandon a hamlet to the giants and to harvest gingerbread from the ruined buildings once they have left. But where will they strike? Will they really return home with nothing but scrawny livestock and gingerbread? And can the starving peasants be protected from other dangers as they converge on the gingerbread town from all around the countryside?
These devastating wintertime attacks have gone on long enough. Race to intercept a party of the giants before they can return with their wagon and spoils to their mountain-top camp. If this fails, the heroes' task will become more difficult, as they must enter the camp and destroy the wagon and its tools.
A tribe of giants has abandoned the mountains and taken to sailing by barge upon icy, lowland rivers. Using spells and their culinary abilities, they have proven able to trap or sink other boats almost at will. Even worse, they have discovered that by disguising themselves as cargo, they can pass almost unnoticed if they choose. Find them, sink their barge, drive them back to the mountains, and make them think twice before returning next winter.


Field-Kitchen

The field-kitchen is a massive, two-wheeled cart pulled by a single Gingerbread Giant. It is used to prepare meals and to carry food, drink, and cooking supplies, as well as a few items which provide magic effects otherwise unavailable to a hunting party. A typical tribe will only have one such kitchen, and these items, which they have no ability to replace, will be jealously protected. Adventurers who manage to steal or destroy any of these items (not an easy task, given their size) will likely find find an entire tribe hot on their heels as long as the trail lasts. These magic items may include some or all of the following:

Feasting Cage: Living creatures imprisoned in this cage are magically fed and gain weight at a rate of approximately 2lb per day to the natural maximum for their race. Additionally, they are cured of all diseases, sickness, nausea, and poison. They must remain in the cage for at least a day for these properties to take effect. The cage can accommodate up to four medium creatures, or one large creature. The lock is at least of good quality (DC 30) and possibly of Superior quality (DC 40). The bars can be broken with a DC 32 strength check. It weighs about 1600lbs.
Gelatin Pot: This huge cauldron is filled with a thick brown fluid. Any creature immersed in the fluid must make a DC12 fortitude save each round or die and instantly transformed into a sweet gelatin. The cauldron weighs approximately 20,000lbs full, or 10,000lbs empty. If spilled, it refills over the course of a day.
Vampiric Wine: This keg is just large enough to accommodate a medium creature. If filled with water, the victim does not drown, but rather is dealt 1d2 constitution damage daily as his or her blood is drawn out to create a potent wine. The longer the victim remains in the keg, the stronger the wine -- the victim is not immune to this, and is likely to emerge in an intoxicated state. The keg weighs 3000lbs full or 1000lbs empty.



For your convenience:
Begin Open Game Content:

Combat Expertise
When you use the attack action or the full attack action in melee, you can take a penalty of as much as -5 on your attack roll and add the same number (+5 or less) as a dodge bonus to your Armor Class. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. The changes to attack rolls and Armor Class last until your next action.

Knock-Down
Whenever you deal 10 or more points of damage to your opponent in melee, you make a trip attack as a free action against the same target.


Scent

This extraordinary ability lets a creature detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.
A creature with the scent ability can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at three times these ranges.
The creature detects another creature’s presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If it moves within 5 feet of the scent’s source, the creature can pinpoint that source.
A creature with the Track feat and the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.
Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.
Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail for air-breathing creatures. Water-breathing creatures that have the scent ability, however, can use it in the water easily.
False, powerful odors can easily mask other scents. The presence of such an odor completely spoils the ability to properly detect or identify creatures, and the base Survival DC to track becomes 20 rather than 10.


End Open Game Content
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[BisectedBrioche]

Of all the things you should be wary of in the colder environs of this world, beware the Bitterbug. This otherwise innocuous pest can be deadly to those who find themselves craving something sweet. They produce an irresistible substance known as Sugar Oil, for its sweet taste and flammable properties (the later of which these creatures have fortunately yet to harness). The insect's uses of the chemical (which despite its name, is actually an alcohol) are threefold: firstly, it prevents it from freezing due to its property of lowering the freezing point of water, secondly its toxic nature provides the vermin with a more effective means to defend itself. The final use is more sinister. The sweet taste lures creatures into eating it, allowing it to release its eggs as it is chewed which soon hatch and live within their new host. - Frozen Flora and Fauna, by Ethyl I Coal

Bitterbug
Size/Type: Fine Vermin
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 5ft. (1 square)
Armor Class: 20, touch 20, flat-footed 18 (+8 size, +2 dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: 0/-20
Attack: Bite +4 (1d4-4) melee
Full Attack: Bite +4 (1d4-4) melee
Space/Reach: ½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Sugar Oil Bite
Special Qualities: Vermin Traits, Anti-freeze, Irresistibly Sweet, Bitterbug Infection
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +2, Will 0
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 14, Con 10, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: none
Feats: none
Environment: Any Cold
Organization: Lone, Nest (2-5), Infestation (10-20)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral

Bitterbugs are small insects which live in frozen climates. A newly hatched bitterbug resembles a dark blue beetle about 3mm in length. As they mature they grow to 10 to 15mm and the soft blue carapace is coated in a much harder pastel coloured shell, the most common colour being a paler blue with more uncommon red, green and yellow, rare pink and even rarer black shells also existing. Bitterbugs produce a sweet (but toxic) substance known as Sweet Oil, which it uses to defend itself from predators, the cold and, almost paradoxically, to encourage other creatures to ingest it. A mature bitterbug will have most of its body cavity filled with eggs (this being the main reason for its increase in size). All bitterbugs are female and essentially identical genetically, with the colour of their shell decided by the contents of their host's gut. Any creature which attempts to eat a bitterbug (as the foolish may be tempted to, due to the sweet aroma the emit) will find that the creature tastes disgusting (more specifically, like the insides of their host), however by then a number of eggs are released into the host's mouth and may be swallowed. The reason for this is simple; while the bitterbug is capable of preventing itself from being frozen, it still requires a warm environment to breed in, to this end it attempts to have it's eggs swallowed by other creatures so they can hatch as they pass through its digestive system. Unfortunately the large amounts of Sugar Oil they produce make this rather dangerous for the host. Some races which live in the frozen wastes where these creatures are found collect the sugar oil, for use as a defrosting agent, fuel and poison.

Sugar Oil Bite (Ex) The bite of a bitterbug injects a small amount of sugar oil. Save DC 10, initial damage 1d2 int and 1d2 dex, secondary 1d2 con.

Vermin Traits Vermin have the following features.
8-sided Hit Dice.
Base attack bonus equal to ¾ total Hit Dice (as cleric).
Good Fortitude saves.
Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die, if the vermin has an Intelligence score. However, most vermin are mindless and gain no skill points or feats.

Vermin possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
Mindless: No Intelligence score, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Proficient with their natural weapons only.
Proficient with no armor.
Vermin breathe, eat, and sleep.

Anti-freeze Bitterbugs have a +6 racial bonus to cold related saves and are immune to any cold related damage.

Irresistibly Sweet (Ex) Any creature with a sense of smell which comes within 10 feet of a bitterbug must make a DC 10 will save or spend the next round trying to pick up and eat the bitterbug unless there is some immediate danger or other pressing issue nearby. Any creature which makes a successful bite attack or attempts to place a bitterbug in their mouth will immediatly spit it out due to the foul taste. While in their mouth the bitterbug releases its eggs, some of which are swallowed because of the gag reflex, causing the victim to risk contracting Bitterbug Infection. If the Bitterbug dies due to damage from a bite attack it still lives long enough to release its eggs. A bitterbug's egg sack can hold enough eggs for three infections a day. Even if it is unable to release its eggs, it still get's spat out due to the taste.

Bitterbug Infection (Ex) If a bitterbug successfully has a creature swallow its eggs then they will hatch in the stomach and make their way through its digestive system. The insects themselves do no harm but release a large dose of sugar oil as they mature. The illness has an infection DC of 10 (constitution based), an incubation period of 1 day as the eggs hatch and deals 1d4 points of con damage on a failed save. The save must be made once a day. If a character fails three saves in a row then they must make another or they go permanently blind.

Farming Bitterbugs

Some arctic communities farm bitterbugs for their oil. They do this by placing adult bitterbugs into a series of leather tubes in the shape of a digestive tract suspended in water which is heated by a fire. Adult bitterbugs are coaxed into laying eggs into them which are allowed to mature inside the apparatus. Once the adult bitterbugs have emerged from the other end of the device it is disassembled and the oil is collected.

The device takes a craft DC of 20 to build any craft skill may be used as long as it is related to working with physical materials (e.g. armour and weaponsmithing, carpentry, etc). It costs 20gp to buy the raw materials or they can be gathered with a DC 15 survival check. After placing the bitterbug eggs in the device must be left for 1d4+1 days (until after all the bitterbugs have emerged) with someone maintaining the fire to keep it warm. When this is done the device is disassembled (no check needed). 1d6 vials of Sugar Oil can be extracted from the tubes. A further 1d10 (which will have soaked in) can be extracted from the leather with a successful alchemy check (DC 20). Sugar Oil sells at 50gp a vial, this cost can be inflated in hot climates (where it cannot be produced due to the lack of bitterbugs) and even more so in mild climates (where there may be a need for it in winter).

One vial of Sugar Oil can act as a poison (see description for the Bitterbug's bite), alternatively it can be mixed with 1 pint of water to make a solution which can melt up to 1 foot cubed (or one a square patch) of non-magical ice on contact. It may also be burnt, with one flask (5 vials can fill one flask) of Sugar Oil lasting four times as long as lanturn oil.

Combat

Bitterbugs will not actively attack creatures. If they cannot get them to attempt to swallow them they will simply run. They rarely use their bite unless their enemy is a similar size to them (diminutive or smaller) and has no chance of making an effective host.

Lore

{TABLE=head]DC|Lore

10|This is a bitterbug, a small poisonous insect (reveals vermin traits and effect of poison)
15|It gives off a scent which causes creatures to eat it (reveals all abilities)
25|Some cultures extract the toxic substance it produces for its usefulness as a weapon and for melting ice (reveals details of Sugar Oil extraction).[/TABLE]

Plot Hooks


The PCs are hired by a group of arctic nomads to gather some bitterbugs for them to extract the Sugar Oil from.
A wizard needs Sugar Oil for some experiments. She commisions the PCs to travel to a nearby Tundra to find the means of its production.
A plague of bitterbugs has infested a arctic settlement. The PCs are hired to find the cause before someone dies of an infection.

[Bhu]

work in progress

Edible Golem
Medium Consruct
Hit Dice: 3d10+20 (36 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+10 Natural), touch 10, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+8
Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d8+2)
Full Attack: 2 Slams +4 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 5ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Constrict (2d8+4)
Special Qualities: Construct Traits, Dark Vision 60’, Damage Reduction 10/Magic, Immunity to Magic, Low Light Vision, Mindless
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or Group (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -----

”We wuz out foragin’ when we came up on this Halfling encampment. Lil’ squatty bastards left their chuckwagon unguarded and me an’ Chuck we thinks “Well sir…guess that foods ours now”. Then this thing made out of cabbage beats Chuck like a ragdoll, and some sort of cheese monkey choked me into unconsciousness. Damn I hate them Halflings...”


Halflings are known for their prowess with cuisine, not so much so for their abilities as a military force. Particularly hard hit are the cooks and guards for the food stores. Bigger races tend to run them over to get the Halflings prized vittles. And consequently this makes the Halflings pretty ticked off.

After several years of this some enterprising Halfling Wizard made the first Edible Golem. Edible Golems can be composed of any hard foodstuff (cheese, jerked and smoked meats, vegetables, mushrooms), and are basically a 6 foot high figure composed of the aforementioned edibles. Created to guard the food stores, a code word chosen at creation (and given to the Golems “owner”) will immediately disassemble the Golem into its component parts. As long as the food is part of the Golem it never spoils, and it can even move and defend itself thus freeing up guards for other purposes.

This makes them ideal Golems as they can be eaten, are cheap to make, and don’t go Berserk. They are a staple of many armies now in tribute to the Halflings success with using them.


Improved Grab (Ex): If the Golem successfully hits with it’s Slam Attack it may immediately make a Grapple Check as a Free Action without provoking an Attack of Opportunity. If successful it may then Constrict. Edible Golems get a +4 Racial Bonus to Grapple checks. Unlike normal this ability may be used on creatures the same size class as the Golem.

Constrict (Ex): An Edible Golem does 2d8+4 damage with a successful Grapple Check.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): An Edible Golem is immune to any spell or spell like ability that allows Spell Resistance, with one exception. If Purify Food and Drink is cast on the Golem it heals 1d6 hit points of damage.

Combat: Edible Golems aren’t very tactical combatants being mindless and all. They generally just waltz up to whatever enemy is closest, initiate a Grapple, and squeeze till dead. Rinse, repeat. It’s effective though. Many is the opposing military man who has suffered the dismay of being beaten down by a cheese Golem.


Construction: An Edible Golem is made from 300 pounds of some sort of foodstuffs (average cost around 120 GP). Unlike normal Golems, Edibles aren't constructed, they are temporarily animated by means of the right spell.


Create Edible Golem
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4, Food 4
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 Full Round Action
Range: Close (25 ft. plus 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Animates 1 Edible Golem
Duration: 1 hour/level

This spell animates 1 Edible Golem for the duration of the spell. When created you designate one "owner" who will control the Golem, and a code word which may disassemble it before the spell ends (speakign the word is a Swift Action).
Focus is 300 pounds some sort of food. This Focus can only be used for 1 Golem at a time, for more Golems, you need more food.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcane) can learn a little about the Edible Golem. When the character makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs:

{table]DC|Lore
10|The Halflings sometimes have Constructs guarding their food.
15|The Constructs guarding the Halflings food stores ARE food.
20|The magic making Edible Golems is cheap, but fairly short in duration and must be renewed regularly.
25|If you can get the Golem's "owner" to spit out the right word, the Golems will disassemble into harmless victuals. [/table]



Plot Hook
The Edible Golems your base has been relying upon to guard the food (i.e. themselves for the most part) have somehow been awakened by an unknown enemy, and they no longer disassemble when the code word is given. Somehow you must discover what is going on, keep the base in food in the meantime, and manage to imprison the Golems long enough to do the first two tasks.
Every night someone near a local restaurant dies. Every morning the restaurateur find blood on his cabbages. He has told no one of this, and has hired the PC's to find out what is going on before the authorities do. One night they notice a strange figure leave the restaurant with what looks like a very deformed man under a greatcoat and heavy clothing. The deformed man does not speak or respond to anyone but his partner. And he simply stinks of garlic...
Yesterday was the best day of your groups life. You defeated bad guys, got a good haul, and had a blast with the local tavern wenches. In the morning however you find out the tavern wenches who were sleeping downstairs are all beaten up, the food is gone, your money is stolen, and everyone who was there claims that cheese people robbed the place while you were all passed out drunk. You're having a bit of a hard time accepting their explanation, but the place does seem Limburgery today...
Local Halfling Wizard King Codpuncher (that doesn't sound megalomaniacal in any way...) has hired the PC's to test out his security. In reality he's bored and wants to see someone beaten up by the various food based Golems running around his trapped underground mansion. Darn sneaky them Halflings.

[DragonTounge]

Eggnog Elemental
Diminutive Elemental (Water)
Hit Dice1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 15ft. (3 squares)
AC: 13 (+2 size, +1 dex), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12
Attack: Slam +0 melee (1 damage)
Full Attack: 2 slams +0 (1 damage)
Face/Reach: 1ft./0ft.
Special Attacks: Food Poisoning
Special Qualities: Animate Nog, Nogin Sense
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 7, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +5, Disguise +7
Feats: Deceitful
Environment: Cities (mainly cups on dinner tables)
Organization: Solitary or Group (2-8)
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: Diminutive (1-3 HD), Tiny (4-6 HD), Small (7 HD)

Animate Nog [Ex]
Once per day an eggnog elemental can make any ½’ cube of eggnog become animated as a Eggnog Elemental. The newly animated Eggnog Elemental can’t use it’s animate nog power for 1 day after being summoned, but remains animated until destroyed. Dead eggnog elementals can be reanimated and this ability can be used while swallowed.

Nogin Sense [Ex]
Eggnog elementals can sense any eggnog or other eggnog elementals within 60 feet of it.

Food Poisoning [Nat]
If an eggnog elemental is swallowed it gives whomever swallowed it food poisoning until the eggnog elemental is retched out. While under the affect of food poisoning whomever swallowed the eggnog elemental takes a -2 to attack and 1 point of damage every round. A character can take a move action to attempt to retch out the eggnog elemental with a successful DC 11 fortitude check (constitution based). A eggnog can exit a character at any time it wishes and it can suppress this power as long as it wishes.

Combat
Eggnog elementals usually waits in a cup of someone to drink it. If it is drunk it begins by animating any eggnog within 60 feet (starting with other eggnog that has been drunk) then using food poisoning on the character that swallowed it. If the eggnog elemental is retched up or is caught before being drank it will animate any eggnog near it before attacking fiercely. Eggnog elementals never flee from a fight, instead fighting the enemy no matter how grave the odds. In combat they reanimate any fallen eggnog warriors the turn they are stricken down.

Lore
{table=head]DC | Lore (Local)

10 | What you are looking at is not a delicious drink, but an eggnog elemental, a quickly spreading nuisance to civilization ever since a horrible red fur cloaked sorcerer elf unleashed it upon the world.

15 | Drinking an eggnog elemental can have disasterous results as it will infect you with food poisoning. [/table]

[adanedhel9]

Chef's Mage™ Brand Fully Automatic Kitchen

"Now we've seen how the Chef's Mage brand Fully Automatic Kitchen can cook gourmet meals for your whole family in minutes. And how it can clean up after your holiday party — that means no more dirty dishes, ever! So I know you're all thinking, 'what am I waiting for? I've got to have one!'

"But wait! There's more!

"If you buy the Fully Automatic Kitchen with the Deluxe Pantry Management System, you can halve your grocery bills with no effort — and your dinners have never tasted this good. The Deluxe Pantry Management System uses patented processes to gather ingredients right from your own backyard, fresher than you can get at any market.

"So I know you're all thinking, 'this is too good to be true!' Well, let me show you how it works. These lights here show what your pantry is missing — it seems we're out of pork and butter. Uh oh, I want to serve pork chops tonight, and I'll never have time to get to the market and clean the house! Well, all I have to do, is press this button right here for "pork" and —

"AHH! Don't be alarmed! Just a little technical difficulties; I'm sure the crew will have this straightened out in no time. Now would be a good time to remind you of the Chef's Mage 30-day iron-clad warrenAAAAAGGGHGHHHHH!"

Huge Construct
Hit Dice: 9d10+40 (89 hp)
Initiative: –2
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+12 natural, –2 Dex, –2 size), touch 6, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+20
Attack: Slam +10 melee (3d6+6)
Full Attack: Two slams +10 melee (3d6+6)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulf, enticing aroma, improved grab, launch knives
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., energy resistance 10/fire, produce food
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 6, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any urban
Organization: Solitary, restaurant (2–4)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 8–10 HD (Huge); 10–17 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

The dull metal cube unfolds into a boxy contraption, full of gears, belts, knives, and flames. Two bulky appendages ending in many-geared pincers emerge from opposite sides of the hull. As the various components start spinning and turning, an irresistible aroma of roasted meat and gravy wafts towards you.

Created by an ingenious, if reckless, wizard during the rise of the city of Conneteur, these strange machines once held a place in every kitchen in the city. Unfortunately, design failures eventually led to their catastrophic failure and the downfall of the city. Now, they roam the forgotten streets, gathering herbs and vegetables and hunting whatever game they can get.

Fully Automatic Kitchens make no distinction between different sources of meat, as they can cook nearly any fresh or preserved flesh. As such, they can pose significant risk to any creatures (even humanoids) that encounter them.

Fully Automatic Kitchens understand the rudiments of Common, though their vocabulary is quite limited beyond culinary purposes.

Combat
A Fully Automatic Kitchen attacks any creature that it can use to prepare a meal; it will not even acknowledge most constructs, undead, elementals, or other creatures with no usable flesh. Once it has attracted its prey using Enticing Aroma, it attacks until it can engulf the prey and cook it. If the prey proves resistant to Enticing Aroma, it will attempt to use Launch Knives to down the creature.

A Fully Automatic Kitchen can cook the equivalent of one Large creature per twenty-four hours; once it has obtained that amount of flesh it generally ignores any other creature for the remainder of the day.

Enticing Aroma (Ex): A Fully Automatic Kitchen emits smells of freshly cut fruit, roasted meat, and warm cakes. Any creature with a sense of smell that comes within 60 ft. of a Fully Automatic Kitchen finds himself inexorably drawn to the Kitchen (Will DC 15 negates; creatures with the Scent ability suffer a –4 penalty on the saving throw). Such creatures can take no actions except to move closer to the Kitchen, although they can defend themselves normally. If the Fully Automatic Kitchen takes an obvious offensive action (usually by attacking or using Launch Knives) against an affected creature, that creature gets a new saving throw against the aroma.

The Fully Automatic Kitchen can suppress or resume this ability as a swift action. The saving throw is Wisdom-based.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the Fully Automatic Kitchen must hit a Large or smaller opponent with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the foe the following round.

Engulf (Ex): The Fully Automatic Kitchen can try to engulf a grabbed opponent of Large or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once engulfed, the opponent takes 2d6+3 points of slashing damage plus 1d6 points of fire damage per round from the Kitchen’s culinary equipment. An engulfed creature can escape by making a grapple check, though this still leaves the creature bound by the Kitchen's arms.

Any creature that dies while engulfed by the Full Automatic Kitchen is then incorporated into the Kitchen's next meal. The Kitchen leaves any non-edible parts (bones, weapons, armor, clothes, etc) in a pile 1d4 minutes after killing the creature.

The Fully Automatic Kitchen's internal chambers can hold 1 Large creature, 4 Medium creatures, 16 Small creatures, 64 Tiny creatures, or 256 Diminutive creatures.

Launch Knives (Ex): Three times per day as a swift action, a Fully Automatic Kitchen can launch a flurry of knives at all opponents within 30 ft. The knives deal 3d6 piercing and slashing damage (Reflex DC 12 halves). The save DC is Dexterity-based.

Produce Food (Ex): 1d6x10 minutes after engulfing and killing a Medium (or equivalent) creature, the Fully Automatic Kitchen creates one meal. The food created is always of the highest quality (regardless of what it's made of), completely free of any contaminants, and extremely nourishing. This meal can feed four Medium creatures for one day.

Whenever possible, the Fully Automatic Kitchen serves the meal in a dining room, restaurant, or similar locale; if no such area is available, the Kitchen simply places the food in neat piles on a clear patch of ground.

Regardless of how many creatures the Fully Automatic Kitchen consumes, it can only create 4 such meals per day.

Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can research Fully Automatic Kitchens 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 19: A Fully Automatic Kitchen is a construct that converts freshly-gathered vegetation and freshly-gathered meat into exquisite cuisine.

DC 24: A Fully Automatic Kitchen generates aromas that have been known to cause people to completely forget everything else.

DC 29: Beyond its generally tough metal exterior, Fully Automatic Kitchens have been treated to be fire-resistant.

Plot Hooks

Fully Automated Kitchens infest the ruins of Conneteur, where they were first created. Anyone who enters the city will encounter them at some point or another.

An enterprising young artificer has found plans for constructing a Fully Automatic Kitchen, has built a prototype, and is ready to begin mass production.

The heirloom signet ring of a noble family was lost when a Fully Automatic Kitchen consumed a young family member. The family is willing to pay a considerable sum to recover it.

[Enlong]

"By Kord, I hate Wizards. Years o' magical research, the 'smartest' minds in th' whole world, and what do they do with their spare time? Make more and more of the most ****ed up monsters for us hardworkin' folk to have to fight. FOR FUN! Who else would make a monster out of ****ing chewing gum?!"
~Billard Stonehead, disgruntled Fighter.

Gumwad

Huge Ooze
Hit Dice: 10d10+60 (115 HP)
Initiative: -5
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 3 (-2 size, -5 dex), touch 3, flat-footed 3
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+21
Attack: Slam +8 melee (2d6+4)
Full Attack: Slam +8 melee (2d6+4)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Gumball, Constrict 2d6+4, Improved Grap, Pop
Special Qualities: Sticky Body, Sticky Hold, Stretchy grip, Blindsight 60 ft., Split, Ooze Traits.
Saves: Fort +9, Ref -2, Will -2
Abilities: Str 16 , Dex 1, Con 22, Int NA, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary, Pair, or Mouthful (3-4)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: 2-4 Everlasting Gobstoppers
Alignment: N/N
Advancement: 11-15 HD (Huge); 16-30 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: N/A

A Gumwad is an animated blob of formerly-delicious chewing gum that has taken on a life and instincts of its own, thanks to magical interference with the raw materials. This creature hides in moist, damp caves, usually near underground water sources, waiting for prey to come to its doorstep. A thing of pure instinct, this creature of food now lives to eat.

Ability descriptions

Sticky Body (EX):
The gumwad’s body is moist and very very sticky. The gumwad can move along walls and ceilings at its land speed, and can stay on a surface of any angle without falling.

Sticky Hold (EX):
A Gumwad has a very sticky body. It has a +3 bonus to Grapple checks. In addition, any creature making a melee attack against the Gumwad must succeed on a DC 21 strength check or have their weapon stick to the Gumwad’s body and be wrested from their grip. If the creature attacking the Gumwad is using a natural weapon, then the Gumwad can instead make a grab attempt against the attacking creature if they fail the strength check. The save DC for this ability is Constitution-based.

Stretchy Grip (EX):
When the Gumwad attacks, its pseudopod stretches out the full 20 feet before snapping back to the creature itself. When the gumwad grabs an object, or successfully grabs a creature with its Improved Grab, that object or creature is pulled to the Gumwad’s position, unless the object is heavier than the Gumwad, in which case the Gumwad is pulled to the object’s position. This ability can be used on large features like walls or columns as a form of movement.

Gumball (EX):
Every 1d4 rounds, the Gumwad can spit a blob of its form at a foe. Treat this attack as a thrown splash weapon, except the Gumwad has a +3 racial bonus to the attack. Any creature hit by the effect of a Gumball takes 1d4 bludgeoning damage and is Entangled. Any square without a creature in it that is effected by the splash becomes coated with gum. Any creature moving into a gummed square becomes entangled. The gum dries and becomes useless in 1d6 rounds. A creature entangled by this attack can break free by succeeding on a dc 20 strength check as a Standard action.

Pop (EX):
When a Gumwad dies, its body inflates rapidly as it takes in large amounts of air, before exploding violently, sending pink goo in every direction. All creatures within 20 feet of the Gumwad upon its death take 2d6 points of force damage, and are Entangled. Succeeding on a DC 20 Reflex save halves the damage and negates the entanglement, and succeeding on a DC 20 Fortitude Save prevents a creature from being Deafened. A creature entangled by this attack can break free by succeeding on a dc 20 strength check as a Standard action.

Split (Ex)
Slashing and piercing weapons deal no damage to a Gumwad. Instead the creature splits into two identical gumwads, each with half of the original’s current hit points (round down). A gumwad with 10 hit points or less cannot be further split and dies if reduced to 0 hit points.

Constrict (Ex)
A Gumwad deals automatic slam damage with a successful grapple check.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a gumwad must hit with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.


Combat
A gumwad waits for its prey to come to it, and uses its ability to stick to walls to its fullest. A gumwad will lie in wait on the ceiling above the entrance to a room. When it senses prey approaching, it readies itself to get the surprise. Once a creature comes within reach, the gumwad will surprise it with a slam attack, and uses its Improved Grab and Stretchy Grip to pull the creature up to the ceiling with it, and use its Constrict to kill it. If this tactic fails or the Gumwad’s prey escapes its grip, it will attempt to keep the prey from escaping by hitting it with Gumballs as often as it can and attempting to grab it repeatedly. Once split, each piece of the Gumawd will persue a different creature, if possible, while one piece will attempt to hide on the ceiling or other hard-to-reach places in order to ensure the survival of the creature. When it senses that death is near, a Gumwad will wade into as big a group as possible, to maximize the effectiveness of Pop.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-

A typical Gumwad measures about 15 feet across and about 3 feet thick. It weighs somewhere around 3000 pounds.

Lore
DC 15:
A strange new breed of ooze that lives in moist caves, the Gumwad is a creature made of living chewing gum.

DC 20:
A Gumwad's body is sticky and stretchy, allowing it to trap prey from long distances.

DC 25:
The Gumwad can trap its foes by spitting blobs of gum that can tie up targets or turn the floor into a sticky trap.

DC 30:
When it dies, a gumwad explodes violently, blasting its killers with compressed air and showering them with sticky goo.



Plot Hook/Story

A Wizard who specializes in food-based magic has gone on a rampage. His castle is guarded by, among other things, Gumwads.

[afroakuma]

Chocolate Truffle
Small Plant
HD 6d8+24 (51 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Init: +1
AC 13; touch 12; flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)
BAB +4; Grp -2
Attack Slam +3 melee (1d6-2 and sugar rush)
Full Attack Slam +3 melee (1d6-2 and sugar rush) and shake +6 ranged (1d4 + 1 Wis and caffeination)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Sugar rush, caffeination
Special Qualities Delicious, alluring, SR 20, fire vulnerability, plant traits
Saves Fort +9 Ref +3 Will +2
Abilities Str 7, Dex 13, Con 18, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 18
Skills -
Feats -
Environment Any urban
Organization Solitary, gift (4-8) or box (12)
Challenge Rating 5
Treasure None
Alignment Always neutral
Advancement 7-10 HD (Medium); 11-16 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment -

Chocolate truffles are delightful little mushrooms that only wish to spread gluttony, insomnia and addiction to saccharides.

A chocolate truffle appears as a 3 foot tall mushroom with a perfectly spherical cap. Its stalk is a powdery medium brown, coated in cocoa, and its cap is a rich dark chocolatey color. Two whitish spots of concentrated cocoa butter resemble eyes.

Chocolate truffles grow in urban areas, especially around confectioners' and bakers' districts. They thrive on flour, fats & sugars. Once grown to a reasonable size, they begin spreading cheerful insaccharination, getting entire communities addicted to sugar and chocolate, and thereby forcing up production of the very foodstuffs that they so enjoy.

Slain truffles are often served at banquets, which may start the process anew.

Chocolate truffles cannot speak.

Combat
Chocolate truffles shake cocoa into the air to excite nearby creatures to come closer, where it will slam into them with its sweet chocolatey weight. It hops away from sources of heat as fast as possible. Their shake attack sends cocoa-covered spores out to a range of 15 ft.

Sugar Rush (Ex) Creatures struck by the chocolate truffle's slam attack get a taste of the sweet, sweet chocolatey goodness. This inflames their passions. Affected creatures must succeed on a Will save (DC 17) or take 1 point of temporary Intelligence and Wisdom damage and be compelled to attack the truffle again on their next turn. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Caffeination (Ex) Creatures struck by the chocolatey spores of the truffle's shake attack inhale the caffeinated goodness. They must make a Will save (DC 17) or be affected by the caffeine. Creatures so affected gain 5 temporary hit points and a temporary +2 bonus to Str and Dex. 1d4 rounds later, these bonuses and hit points are lost and affected characters become fatigued. Most people so affected desire to approach the truffle. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Delicious (Ex) The chocolate truffle smells & tastes wonderful. Creatures that strike the truffle with a melee attack take a -1 cumulative morale penalty to further attacks against the truffle for the next hour and must make a Will save (DC 17) or become fascinated. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Alluring (Ex) The chocolate truffle gets a +4 bonus to any Charisma-based checks.

Fire Vulnerability (Ex) Chocolate truffles take double damage from fire effects.

Chocolate Truffle Lore

DC 10 Chocolate truffles are delicious. They make a wonderful addition to any feast.

DC 15 Chocolate truffles contain an addicting substance that tires out the body after a temporary energy boost.

DC 20 The natural sugars of a chocolate truffle can wear down the mind over time.

DC 25 Poorly tempered chocolate melts easily; chocolate truffles are no exception.

[RTGoodman]

Angel of Sustenance


Medium Outsider (Angel, Extraplanar, Good)
Hit Dice: 8d8+32 (68 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares); fly 80 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 24 (+5 Dex, +2 natural, +7 deflection), touch 22, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+10
Attack: mace of light +15 (1d8 + 1d6 + 4 non-lethal damage)
Full Attack: mace of light +15/+10 (1d8 + 1d6 + 4 non-lethal damage)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Divine rejuvenation; mace of light; spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Angel traits; armor of the divine; darkvision 60 ft.; DR 5/evil; immunity to acid, cold, and petrification; low-light vision; Outsider traits; protective aura; resistance to electricity 10 and fire 10; tongues
Saves: Fort +10 (+14 vs. poison), Ref +11, Will +11
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 21, Con 19, Int 14, Wis 20, Cha 24
Skills: Diplomacy +18, Disguise +18, Heal +15, Knowledge (Religion) +13, Knowledge (The Planes) +13, Listen +16, Profession (Chef) +16, Sense Motive +16, Spot +16
Feats: Ability Focus (Divine Rejuvenation), Improved Initiative, Intuitive Attack (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Intuitive_Attack,BE)BoED
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral Good
Advancement: 9-14 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +6


The elderly woman before you seems like all the other volunteers here at the soup kitchen, though she seems to have an odd twinkle in her eye. Suddenly, three slavering orcs burst into the hut, obviously intent on evil deeds. The old woman, however, doesn’t scream, and before your eyes transforms into a glowing angelic being with feathery wings and a calm visage. The orcs stop immediately, as the being summons a glowing mace, pointing it at the orcs and commanding them to flee.

Almost all Good-aligned Outsiders feel it is their duty to help mortals and relieve suffering. Some, though, take this as their primary mission. Among these are the angels of sustenance, a race of angels who travel the Material Plane to bring food to the starving, warmth to the cold, and healing to the sick. Paragons of self-sacrifice, an angel of sustenance will willingly sacrifice itself to help those under its care.

In most cases, angels of sustenance can be found in the slums of major cities, in farming communities hard-hit by drought or pestilence, or other similar areas, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and otherwise helping the community. With their natural ability to disguise themselves as humans, though, they are able to perform these selfless duties without attracting undue attention. In some cases, heroes lost in the wilderness or otherwise in dangerous situations are said to be visited by angels of sustenance who provide them with food and, perhaps more importantly, a boost to morale that urges the heroes onward to the completion of their goals.

Angels of sustenance avoid combat where possible, as it leads to unnecessary suffering, but when forced to do so they fight with divine wrath. An angel of sustenance usually opens combat with its divine rejuvenation ability, to help allies and hinder enemies, and summons its mace. In subsequent rounds, it may lash out at enemies with its mace of light or use its cure light wounds spell-like ability or its divine rejuvenation again. If things look bad, an angel of sustenance will call for its allies to flee while it tries to hold off the enemy or enemies as long as it can, sacrificing itself should the need arise.

An angel of sustenance’s natural attacks, as well as any weapon it wields, are considered Good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.


Combat

Armor of the Divine (Su): An angel of sustenance is a creature of pure good, and its holy aura provides it with protection. The angel has a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma modifier.

Divine Rejuvenation (Su): An angel of vigor always serves to relieve the suffering of those around it. As a standard action, the angel can create a 30-foot emanation of radiant energy centered on the angel that aids its allies and hinders enemies. Allies in the burst (but not the angel itself) gain 2d8 temporary hit points; are healed of the exhausted, fatigued, nauseated, and sickened conditions; and gain a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks for 5 rounds. Allies are also healed of all non-lethal damage that is the result of starvation or thirst.

Enemies in the burst must make a DC 23 Will save or be dazed for one round and dazzled for 1d4+1 rounds thereafter. (The save is Charisma-based.) Creatures that succeed on the save are still dazzled for 1d4 rounds.

Mace of Light (Su): An angel of sustenance usually tries to avoid combat, but when forced to fight it can summon a celestial weapon of pure light. The mace of light functions as a +2 merciful mace that can only be wielded by the angel of sustenance. (If the mace leaves its hand, it disappears.) An angel can re-form a mace that has been disarmed, dispelled, or otherwise removed as a free action on its next turn.

Outsider Traits: An angel of sustenance’s Outsider type provides it with the following traits – darkvision out to 60 ft.; the inability to be raised or resurrected (except via limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection); proficiency with all simple and martial weapons; and the need to breathe, but not to eat or sleep.

Protective Aura (Su): Allied creatures within 20 feet of an angel of sustenance gain a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against evil effect and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet and caster level equal to the angel’s HD. This aura can be dispelled, but the angel can create it again as a free action on its next turn. (The defensive benefits from the circle are not included in the angel’s statistics block.)

Spell-Like Abilities: At-Will – create food and water, disguise self, purify food and drink; 3/day – cure moderate wounds, neutralize poison, remove disease; 1/day – heroes’ feast. The caster level for an angel of sustenance’s spell-like abilities is equal to its HD.

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

{table=head]DC | Result
18 | Angels of sustenance are Good Outsiders that delight in feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and generally bringing aid to the downtrodden. This reveals all Outsider and Angel traits.
23 | The angels, though they prefer peace, are not above aiding their charges with strength of arm. They are protected by the force of their divine nature, have a host of protective and healing abilities, and can even summon weapons made of pure light.
28 | Some say that angels of sustenance exude a protective aura that aids those among them, and that in battle they utilize radiant, divine power to aid their allies and hinder their foes.
[/table]

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Plot Hooks

• As the party is traveling through the slums of the city during a thick snowstorm, they manage to take shelter in a large warehouse that seems to have been converted into a makeshift homeless shelter and soup kitchen. An old woman stirs a large cauldron of food seemingly by herself, and brings cheer to all around. The heart-warming scene is interrupted though, forcing the PCs to come to aid of both the homeless and the elderly cook.

• A large, evil empire has made the lives of its common citizens miserable. Slave caravans carry off men, women, and children, the rulers take the majority of the food for themselves, and the plague sweeping across the land hasn't been stopped because of the recent decree that all clerics must worship the gods of the state means most of the real healers have fled. However, in several hamlets, new healers have appeared, and the government has noticed, sending out strike teams to destroy them. One such team arrives in a hamlet at the same time as the party, instigating a mad dash to find and either protect or kill the stranger.

• Lost in a snowstorm and suffering from a notable lack of food, the party's hopes have faded. From the snow, a small child appears, bearing with it a basket full of seemingly endless amounts of food. The child is willing to share and aid the party, so long as they aid him in return by helping a lost woman find her way home.

[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=5520655#post5520655).

Good luck!