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    Retired Mod in the Playground Retired Moderator
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
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    South Korea
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    Default Re: GITP Monster Competition XXV - Urban Legends

    Busker
    Medium Fey (Shapechanger)
    HD 8d6+24 (52 hp)
    Speed 50 ft. (6 squares); fly 60 ft. (good)
    Init: +5
    AC 18 (+4 Dex, +4 Natural); touch 14; flat-footed 14
    BAB +4; Grp +5
    Attack Shortsword +8 melee (1d6+1, 19-20/x2)
    Full-Attack Shortsword +8 melee (1d6+1, 19-20/x2)
    Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
    Special Attacks Entrance, draining presence, spell-like abilities
    Special Qualities Change shape, low-light vision, immune to sleep and charm effects, noticeable
    Saves Fort +6 Ref +9 Will +10
    Abilities Str 13, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 15, Cha 21
    Skills Balance (+8), Bluff (+16), Climb (+8), Diplomacy (+15), Disguise (+10), Escape Artist (+10), Gather Information (+9), Hide (+9), Knowledge (local) (+13), Listen (+8), Move Silently (+10), Perform (any) (+14), Sense Motive (+10), Sleigh of Hand (+13), Swim (+6), Tumble (+13)
    Feats Weapon Finesse, Unbreakable Will, Persuasive
    Environment Urban
    Organization Solitary
    Challenge Rating 8
    Treasure Standard
    Alignment Lawful evil
    Advancement -

    The creature, its face misshapen and lean, turns towards the mirror and grins as its face changes shape. The creature, now resembling a clown, dons the bell-strewn hat lying on the table next to the mirror and walks out of the door.

    Buskers resemble thin, scaly men with demented faces and reptilian wings to match their claws. However, most of the time they will take the form of an extraordinarily beautiful person, or otherwise depending on the type of act they perform.

    Buskers are a type of evil fey found wherever their forms of entertainment is wanted. They feed off of life energy drained from the people that watch them, making them use their ability to change shape along with their abilities with illusion to enthrall people. The busker takes the shape of a street performer such as: juggling, magic, miming, musical performance, dance, acrobatics, or some other form of street performance.

    After an extended stay in a certain city, a busker often gains celebrity or cult status based on their performances and with the help of their thralls, can often overrun a city or throw it into chaos.

    Buskers are about the same size and weight as humans.

    Buskers can speak Sylvan and Common, along with up to three dialects or languages of the area they live in.

    Combat

    When threatened, a busker will call upon any thralls it currently has at its disposal. If it has no thralls, it will first attempt to charm its attackers while using its flight and shapechange capabilities to ward off any direct attacks. If possible, it will escape.

    Entrance (Sp): Once every 1d6 rounds the busker may attempt to sway its audience even more by performing extraordinarily well for the moment (this may include doing an even more dangerous stunt, pulling off a complicated dance or trick, or simply impressing the audience greatly).
    Anyone watching the busker must make a DC 21 Will save (this does not include the +4 bonus if the target is currently being entranced by the busker’s “noticeable” ability) or become charmed, cheering the busker, engrossed with its act. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

    Draining Presence (Sp): For every minute that anyone watches the busker, they must make a DC 21 Will save or suffer 1 point of ability score damage to their charisma and intelligence scores. Beginning when the viewer’s charisma and intelligence reach zero, they become mindless thralls of the busker, never ceasing to view the busker’s act unless the life of the busker becomes endangered (not even stopping to eat or drink, the busker’s watchers often die off quite quickly). The busker may directly order an important thrall to eat and drink, however. The energy drained from its audience increases the busker’s hit points equal to one hit point per point of ability score damage inflicted.

    The busker must drain at least 10 ability score points per week to survive, and must also absorb this amount per week before gaining the effects in the way of hit points. After succeeding on each save for three consecutive minutes, the viewer ceases to gain negative ability scores and turns its attention away from the busker. The viewer may, however, be enthralled again at any given time.

    When an audience member dies, the busker loses any hit points gained from them. When the busker is slain, any thrall becomes free of the busker’s control and regains any lost intelligence or charisma. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

    Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will–charm person (DC 17), prestidigitation, remove fear, summon instrument; 5/day–minor image (DC 17); 3/day–major image(DC 18); 1/day–dominate person (DC 19). Caster level 8th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

    Change Shape (Su): A busker can assume the shape of any Small or Medium humanoid. In humanoid form, the busker loses its natural attacks. A busker can remain in its humanoid form until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, but a busker reverts to its natural form when killed. A true seeing spell or ability reveals its natural form.

    Noticeable (Ex): Anyone that views the busker must make a DC 21 Will save or become entranced by the buskers act. The viewer will stop whatever it is doing to watch the busker. When being watched by someone who has failed their save, any mind-enthralling effect the busker uses gains a +4 bonus to its DC. If no further attempt to enthrall the target has been made after one minute, the viewer loses all interest that originated from this ability and need only stay if he still finds the performance entertaining.

    Once someone has lost interest in the busker, they may disregard all further saves regarding this ability for the next hour. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.



    Plot Hooks
    • The PCs arrive in a city that, upon first glance, appears entirely normal. However, after a few days they notice the odd, vacant behavior of the townsfolk. Upon further investigation, they learn that an extremely popular singer is responsible for this strange behavior.
    • The local king has been issuing very strange commands as of late, and one of his advisors has hired the PCs to secretly investigate the matter. The king’s jester has also been performing for the king more than usual, according to the informant.
    Last edited by Vaynor; 2008-09-20 at 06:19 PM.
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