[PEACH] [Monster] Pale Man

[Neek]

I just got Pan's Labyrinth on DVD, and when watching it, there was this creature in there, the Pale Man, which seemed to be an awesomely designed creature. It was an interesting thing, having eyes in its hands, and moving as slow.

This is actually my first stab at homebrewing a monster, so bear with me if I've miscalculated its CR. If it's any good, let me know if I should submit into the MitP.

Pale Man

Medium-sized Aberration [Extraplanar]
Hit Dice: 6d8+18 (Average 45)
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Initiative: -1 (-1 Dex)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 Dex, +6 natural); touch 9; flat-footed 15
Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +4/+10 (+4 BAB, +1 Str, +4 Improved Grapple, +1 Weapon Focus (Grapple))
Attack: 2 claws +5 (1d6+1)
Full-Attack: 2 claws +5 (1d6+1), Bite +5 (1d4+1, 19-20)
Space/Reach: 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: Gluttonous Grapple, Rake
Special Qualities: Feast (Sp), Darkvision (Su), Frightful Presence (Su), Invitation (Sp)
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +5
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 8, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 15
Skills: Intimidate +5, Listen +4, Profession (Cook) +3, Search +2, Spot +6
Feats: Improved Grapple, Multi-Attack, Weapon Focus (Grapple)
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary (1), Convent (2-5)
Challenge Rating 6
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: HD 7-10 (Large)

Pale Men are vile creatures that inhabit large dungeon chambers which they have decorated. They are flesh-eating, always consuming and always hungry but bound to its lair at all times. A Pale Man's favorite food is children, but will enjoy any meal when it can. They are voracious eaters, able to consume a medium size creature in short time.

A Pale Man stands about five or six feet tall, and have faces that lack a nose or eyes. Rather, only a blood-stained toothy maw and two holes for nostrils feature its face, and its chin hangs with jowls. The creature wears no clothes, and has white, flabby skin. Its arms are long and thin, and tipped with sharp black claws. Its legs are gaunt and bony, and it moves with a slow gait. In the center of each hand is an eyeball with a deep red iris.

When first encountered, the Pale Man sits at the head of a long table that is covered in a grand buffet and drinks. Bowls overflow with seasoned, cooked meat, or hang with giant grapes and dates. Flagons of wine and steins of beers sit atop as well. Surrounding the room, there are paintings and murals, generally, however, of cannibalistic acts--the Pale Man cutting up children, cooking them, eating them. It is not sure whether the Pale Men themselves produces these works, or they are placed in here as a warning to others. None have ever witnessed and lived to tell about what the Pale Men do alone.

In the room, there stands a pile of 'treasure' of previous people who have entered the dungeon--generally just shoes and other small items. The Pale Man remains totally still, unaware and uncaring of its surroundings, that is, until someone either touches it or consumes even the smallest bite or smallest sip from the feat.

Pale Man can understand Common, but cannot speak it. They can only speak Abyssal.

Spoiler

Show

Combat
The Pale Man will always go for the tastiest target first, but won't consume it immediately. The youngest of the party is always considered first, and it will make a straight path, attempting to bring down anything in its way. The creature relishes in agonizing its main course, so it will torture and kill those around it first.

As the creatures hands contain its eyes, it is considered blinded if it grapples a creature with both arms. It can independently see with both eyes, and so does not suffer any penalties if it has a creature grappled with one hand, and is looking with the other.

Gluttonous Grapple (Su) The Pale Man may make a bite attack as a free action if it succeeds either grappling a creature, or begins the round grappling another creature. A Tiny or smaller creature can be swallowed whole by a Gluttonous Grapple; when the Pale Man succeeds at grappling a Tiny or smaller creature, it automatically takes bite damage and is considered to be swallowed. Every round it is in the stomach, it takes 1d4+1 acid damage. The swallowed creature may attempt to cut its way out out. Doing so requires at least 10 points of Slash or Pierce damage against the stomach wall (AC 13).

Rake (Su) The Pale Man attacks with both it claws at no penalty if it begins the round grappling a creature. The Pale Man must already be grabbling, it cannot grapple and rake a creature in the same round.

Special Qualities

Feast (Sp) Once per day, as a spell-like ability, the Pale Man can summon forth an entire feast of food, containing various foods and drinks. The effective caster level of this ability is equal to the Pale Man's HD, and uses its Charisma bonus as a Sorcerer. When a creature approaches less than 10 feet from the table, he must make a Will save (DC 20) or become enamored by the feast before him and will consume as much as he desires. He ignores any attempts to be dissuaded, and will ignore even the Pale Man itself, and is momentarily considered immune to its Frightful Presence. This is a mind-affecting Enchantment (Compulsion).

Darkvision (Su) A Pale Man has Darkvision of 60 feet. In order to use it, it must hold its hands up to where its eyes should be; this is considered to be a move-equivalent action.

Frightful Presence (Su) When the creature begins to animate and moves, its general appearance is enough to strike a shaking fear into the people in its lair. Any creature within 30 feet, the HD of which is lesser than or equal to the HD of the Pale Man must succeed at a Will save (DC 15), or be shaken for 5d6 rounds. If the roll is failed by greater than 10, the creature is frightened.

Invitation (Sp) The Pale Man, once per month as a spell-like ability, may attempt to send out an invitation to its lair to a random child that lives within a 20 mile radius from the lair. The effective caster level of this ability is equal to one half the Pale Man's HD, rounded down, and uses its Charisma bonus as a Sorcerer. The child must succeed at a Will save, DC 15, or be compelled to travel to the lair.

Advancement The Pale Man can grow in size to a Large creature. When it becomes Large, it can swallow whole up to Medium sized creatures using its gluttonous grapple; the minimum damage to cut a way out is increased to 20.

Criticisms? Clarifications?

[DracoDei]

What is the range of the attraction of the feast? 30'? 100'?

Who does it hire to do its murals or can it do them itself (if so where does it get the materials?)? Perhaps make this Permanent Image or Hallucinatory Terrain?

You didn't actually include the rules block for Swallow Whole ability.

Since its eyes are in its hands is it blind while grappling?

I would change the name of "Rake" for clarity since that ability name usually means something different.

[Neek]

What is the range of the attraction of the feast? 30'? 100'?

I didn't really consider this, which is a bit of a problem. The text states that when a creature approaches, I'm going to say if they get 10 feet to the table. That's close enough, but not too far either.

Who does it hire to do its murals or can it do them itself (if so where does it get the materials?)? Perhaps make this Permanent Image or Hallucinatory Terrain?

Something I hadn't considered, also. I would probably guess that either in Convents they would (one of them might have Cooking swapped out for Painting). Other possibilities would be, others have put those murals in there as a warning. A Pale Man only attacks if you attack it or take food from the table. I'll include the various possibilities in the fluff.

You didn't actually include the rules block for Swallow Whole ability.

Since its eyes are in its hands is it blind while grappling?

I shall. And you are correct; it is blind when it grapples.

I would change the name of "Rake" for clarity since that ability name usually means something different.

Not really. I reworded the Rake ability from the SRD, which I believe I captured the mechanics still:

A creature with this special attack gains extra natural attacks when it grapples its foe. Normally, a monster can attack with only one of its natural weapons while grappling, but a monster with the rake ability usually gains two additional claw attacks that it can use only against a grappled foe. Rake attacks are not subject to the usual -4 penalty for attacking with a natural weapon in a grapple.

A monster with the rake ability must begin its turn grappling to use its rake—it can’t begin a grapple and rake in the same turn.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

*applauds*

Bravo. I was actually going to stat this, but you did a fantastic job. These guys are definetely one of the most interesting critters in a fantasy movie I've yet seen and CREEP-AY!

Some of the numbers are off as follows:

Armor Class: (-1 Dex, +6 natural); touch 9; flat-footed 15

Need to mention its Armor Class is 15.

Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +4/+9

Being an aberration its Base Attack should be +3.

Full-Attack: 2 claws +4 (1d6+1), Bite +4 (1d4+1, 19-20)

As a secondary natural attack its bite should be -1. I'd just give it Multiattack as a bonus feat to shore it up.

Skills: Skills: Intimidate +4, Listen +3, Profession (Cook) +2, Search +1, Spot +5

Bit of a typo there (2 Skills:)

Also, this fellow here can be given another skill rank or two. Should have 14 before stat mods.

Everything else seems in order, though you need to mention what the save DC's of its special attacks are based off of.

Personally I'd increase it to 6 HD. Just seemed to be a bit tougher than a HD 4.


And thats it. Again, great job.

[Neek]

Thank you. I appreciate the feedback! I went in and changed some of the errors, corrected a few typos... and also included what ability and what caster level the spell-like abilities are considered. I did add the multi-attack, and I also increased the HD to 6 and brought its CR up with it.

I wonder how this would actually hold in an encounter.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Thank you. I appreciate the feedback! I went in and changed some of the errors, corrected a few typos... and also included what ability and what caster level the spell-like abilities are considered. I did add the multi-attack, and I also increased the HD to 6 and brought its CR up with it.

Be sure to up the saves and attacks to go along with the new HD.

[Neek]

Fixed that, thanks for reminding me. :P

[Khantalas]

Hmm... I love how this creature speaks Abysmal. Which means he is really bad at speaking, I guess.

Did you by any chance mean Abyssal, rather than Abysmal?

[henebry]

Having seen the movie myself, I applaud your idea.

But seems to me it should be statted as an Outsider, not an Aberration. It is not a creature of the Prime Material Plane. It is a demon. As you yourself recognize in giving it the ability to speak Abyssal.

[Neek]

On second thought (and the DVD extras on Pan's Labyrinth), you are correct. Outsider would fit this better than Aberration. Let me fix that.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Wha? I thought it extremely good as an abberation. It might need the extraplanar subtype, but I wouldn't change it to outsider at all.

[Neek]

I prefer that to Outsider. I changed it since it seemed to fit better the backstory of the creature, but it definitely does raise its power a bit too much (too many skill points, higher save bonuses across the board, raised BAB; I liked it better as an Aberration [Extraplanar]). I know I'm being wishy-washy about my decision...