Fae-o-matic. You find the folklore, I make the beasty!

[Mulletmanalive]

@Mythmage: I would greatly appreciate any material you can give me; most of the stuff I've found outside Wikipedia and a few folklore sites dedicated to specific areas is mostly recycled stuff from Soraya books [a witchcraft author with a tendency for transplanting traditions and "reimagining" things]...

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General Note: This was made using Bhu's Kaiju-maker and is epic. I can't and won't even bother trying to create an MV analogue for this. Note also that i've arbitrarily increased the CR by 1 to account for the fact that I just wanted it to have the Increased Size upgrade but needed certain other Special Qualities.

Ibantei, a Daikaiju from Mt Inawashiro:

Yes, a quick sketch from my own hand. Be nice!

Every adventurer has "those days;" the ones where nothing seems to go right and you wonder if you got into the business for the right reasons. Saving villages isn't as profitable as you'd hoped, especially when the thing you're saving it from is a giant bear-bird hybrid thing that's set to cause a volcanic erruption the first chance it gets.

As I said...Those Days.

Ibantei:
Colossal Plus Kaiju
Hit Dice: 50d12 [max] + 1250 (1,850 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40ft (8 squares), Burrow 40ft
Armor Class: 37 (+3 Dex, -16 Size, +40 Natural), -3 touch, 34 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +50/+95 (+50 BAB, +25 Str, +20 Size)
Attack: Peck +60 (6d6 +25, crit 19-20/x2 +1d6 + Death, Fort DC 60/Neg)
Full Attack: Peck +60 (6d6 +25, 19-20/x2) AND 2 x Claws +54/+49 (3d8+25 plus Improved Grab)
Space/Reach: 40ft/40ft
Special Attacks:

• Cone of Fire [Standard, 80ft Cone, 20d6 Fire, Ref DC 60/Half, Once every 1d4 rounds, Fort DC 55 or take -4 on all rolls for 1d6 rounds, Fort DC 60 or Nauseated for 1d3 rounds],
• Frightful Presence [Constant, 360ft Emanation, Will DC 60 or Shaken 2d6 rounds [5+ HD] or Panicked 2d6 rounds [<4 HD]],
• Rake [+54 Rake (3d4+12)],
• Shockwave [Standard, 150ft emanation, Ref DC 60 or fall prone and suffer 4d6 damage],
• Swat [Any flying creature struck by an attack, Ref DC 35 or crash]
• Trample [Full action, 5d12+25, Ref DC 60/Half]

Special Qualities: Dissolve, DR 30/Epic, DR 50/Natural, Darkvision 180ft, Immune: Disease, Fire, Poison and Mind-affecting, Invulnerable 20, Overnight Healing, Resist Acid 50, Cold 50, Electricity 50, and Sonic 50, SR 39, Stench [Constant, 90ft emanation, Those entering the area, Fort DC 60 or Nauseated for 1d6+4 minutes], Tremorsense 360ft, Tweening - Unique
Saves: Fort +52, Ref +30, Will +30
Abilities: Str 60/+25, Dex 16/+3, Con 60/+25, Int 5/-3, Wis 16/+3, Cha 40/+15
Skills: Climb +30, Intimidate +66
Feats: Burning Attack^Kaiju, Cleave, Clinging Breath^{Metabreath +1, Draconomicon}, Devastating Critical [Peck]^{Epic, Draconomicon}, Enlarge Breath^{Metabreath +1, Draconomicon}, Extra Natural Attack x2^Kaiju, Great Cleave, Improved Critical [Peck], Improved Grab^Kaiju, Lingering Breath^{Metabreath +2, Draconomicon}, Maximise Breath^{Metabreath +3, Draconomicon}, Overwhelming Critical [Peck]^Epic, Penetrate DR [Adamantine]^Epic, Power Attack, Rake^Kaiju, Rapidstrike[claws]^{Savage Species}, Reeking Attack^Kaiju, Swat^Kaiju,Tectonic Breath^Below, Weapon Focus [Peck]
Environment: In and around Mt Inawashiro
Organization: Soliary (seemingly Unique)
Challenge Rating: 29
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: 51-60 Colossal

Ibantei resembles a massive agglomeration of bear and bird, though unlike an Owlbear, it has the llong bill of a heron or crane and some of the physiological shape to boot. Its limbs appear too slender for its bulky body and it moves with the distinctive bob of both species. It rears up to its full height, dragging its useless furry wings along behind it, preparing to breath.

Ibantei is a Pyroplastivore, an eater of ash. It draws the vast majoirty of its nutrition from brief trips to the real world where it triggers a volcanic eruption and consumes as much fallout as it can in the time it has, before retreating to digest for a few centuries.

Combat:
If attacked, Ibuntei uses its powerful breath weapon, usually augmented by Tectonic Breath, to deal as much damage as possible. It also makes great use of its vicious peck to gobble down large numbers of targets quickly if it needs to, though it has trouble digesting them. It is usually forced to regurgitate such victims and incinerate them with its breath weapon to make them nutritious to it. It rarely bothers fighting if not actually wounded, however, so it'd take some major charcoal for the beast to even notice your presence most days.

Special Abilities:
Dissolve: If slain, Ibantei breaks down into a mass of magma. This can be REALLY bad news for those who were attacking it in melee. See the DMG for details on spreading lava flows.

Overnight Healing (Ex): Kaiju are notoriously difficult to hurt, and keep hurt. 8 hours of rest completely heals any hit point or ability damage a Kaiju has taken.

Tweening: Like many massive creatures, Ibantei is bound by a very specific form of liminal in order to move in and out of the Hedge. In order to tween, Ibuntei must move into a position on the Hedge mountain corresponding to Mt. Inawashiro where no human eyes fall. For this reason, he usually tweens in the dead of night. He must then wait there until the furst human eyes fall on the mountain, something he knows instinctively, and then move out from behind the mountain into view. This is complex as Ibantei is significantly smaller when within the Hedge itself.

Inside the Hedge, Ibantei has the stats of a 10HD Owlbear, though it retains its Special Attacks and Qualities. Slaying Ibuntei in the Hedge is only slightly easier because he has a Burrow speed of 160ft when inside the fa realm, making him very difficult to catch.

Tectonic Breath [Metabreath, Kinda]
You have the power to transform your expelled fire into magna, making it more difficult to resist.
Prerequisites: Con 15, Clinging Breath
Description: When within 20 miles of a source of lava or magma, even magically summoned stuff, you may use this feat to get around some of the far to common fire resistance. When you use Clinging Breath, half of your primary damage and all of your secondary damage counts as being Bludgeouning. In the latter case, this is because the victim is being crushed by hot rock as it contracts. Metabreath +0

Ok, not doing Lore on this one because I have no idea what you might use such a beast for in a game. In MV, you could go on a mission to try and deal about 300 damage to it in one go, probably from the inside, with explosives but if it woke up, you'd have cloverfield on your hands [seriously, how the hell was that thing not getting hurt by tank killer missiles?]. Next up is the Patupariarehe, which are probably going to end up as a race.

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

Any material presented inside Spoilers listed as "MV Versions", along with all pictures above, are Copyright under the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License. All other text and game materials are free to use under the terms of the OGL and are designated Open Content.

[MythMage]

Well, I always recommend monstropedia and Encyclopedia Mythica, but if you can ask for more specific information I can give better help.

[The Tygre]

Quick question, Mullet: If you get a chance, are you ever gonna' finish tidying up that there d20 Hound of the Wild Hunt?

[Mulletmanalive]

Quick question, Mullet: If you get a chance, are you ever gonna' finish tidying up that there d20 Hound of the Wild Hunt?

Fixed the Initiative, Given it a tentative CR of 13 and done a little tidying up to bring it back to 3.5 standard.

[The Tygre]

Much thanks. Great work on the Questing Beast, by the by.

[Mulletmanalive]

Much thanks. Great work on the Questing Beast, by the by.

No problem; I hadn't actually realised those were missing.

Thanks on the QB. I find the damn thing outright unsettling now that i've finished it, which must be a good sign, considering the source material...

[NakedCelt]

Up Next:

1. Patupaiarehe [tall albino vegan vampires? from New Zealand...Not sure what to do with Ponaturi

Ponaturi are basically a marine variant of patupaiarehe, I think. They tend to be more unambiguously evil (where patupaiarehe are roughly as often mysteriously benevolent as mysteriously malevolent) and are described as having claws, which are not generally mentioned for patupaiarehe. Given that Maori came from the Pacific Islands, the ponaturi are probably the older version.

[Mulletmanalive]

I've putted a picture on the kaiju!

[Akal Saris]

Awesome, thanks man! Totally made my day

[Yuven]

Sucks to be the questing beast! everyone get an overwhelming urge to slay you? that is not good for a beasts survival xD

[Mulletmanalive]

You'll note that they only really have a need to lay the thing out.
it'll generally not actually die from the experience. That's based on the obsession that it inspires; gazes are innately suppressable anyway

Edit: I knew i forgot something. A surviving spawn is supposed to grow into a new beast at the next full moon, a bit like the thing in the Hellboy movie. I'll put that in when i remember and it isn't 1:30 am...

The Fae subtype already covers this. If the Questing Beast is killed, another one comes into existance, in this case probably growing from one of the spawn that makes its escape or was abandoned elsewhere. It's a feature of the Dissolve ability.

[Kallisti]

You mentioned Native American spirits?

I haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if this is already redundant, but it'd be nice to see stats for the spider-spirits that supposedly dwell in dreamcatchers. According to the Ojibway legend, the stone in the center of a dreamcatcher represents a spider-spirit lurking in the web of the dreamcatcher to consume nightmares. Being benign spirits, they let good dreams pass by, and some dreamcatchers even have a gap or a hoop suspended in the web to let good dreams pass through.

[Mulletmanalive]

Wikipedia is noticably unhelpful on that count and i can't find anything on the two sites that Mythmage gave me. You got anything that actually gives info about the spider spirits in question? Otherwise, i can paw through Bhu's linkfests at some point...[groan]

[MythMage]

I haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if this is already redundant, but it'd be nice to see stats for the spider-spirits that supposedly dwell in dreamcatchers. According to the Ojibway legend, the stone in the center of a dreamcatcher represents a spider-spirit lurking in the web of the dreamcatcher to consume nightmares. Being benign spirits, they let good dreams pass by, and some dreamcatchers even have a gap or a hoop suspended in the web to let good dreams pass through.

Since you say "the" Ojibway legend, I should point out that there are very few subjects about which there is a singular legend, especially in an oral culture such as most or all Amerindian cultures have been. Though I've heard of the design being modeled on spider-webs by Nokomis, the Grandmother, I've never heard of a spider-spirit suggested to actually dwell inside a dreamcatcher (heck, few of the dreamcatchers I've seen even have stones in the center at all).

I'm afraid I can't find any source for the legend you mentioned either, not even on disreputable personal sites or the like. Was it from a book, perhaps? Or a website Google wouldn't index?

[Mulletmanalive]

Patupaiarehe:
Maori lore is full of references to these elusive beings; tall, lank eldritch beings with great inventiveness and a supreme dislike for both the sun and cooked food. Their legends includes such traits as hypnotic song, an extreme distaste for cooked food and greater inventiveness than the Maori themselves.

D&D Version:

Spoiler

Show

Patupaiarehe Hunter
Medium Humanoid [Patupaiarehe] Warrior 2
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30ft (6 squares)
Armor Class: 11 (+1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+2
Attack/Full Attack: Bow +3 Ranged (2d8‡, Crit x3, Range 100ft) OR Spear +2 (1d8, Crit x3)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Siren [Standard action; Perform check at -1 per 5ft to target vs Level Check. Target moves 5ft closer per point the test is passed by]
Special Qualities: Blindsense 5ft, Light Blindness, Low Light Vision x8 in poor lighting, Nature's Purity, Tweening, Xenophobia
Saves:: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +5, Perform +3, Spot +5, Survival +5
Feats: Track, Siren^B
Environment: Jungle
Organization: Hunt (2-5), Tribe (5-70)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: 1d4 Mundane Items, 1d2 Alchemical Items
Alignment: Usually Neutral
Advancement: By Class [Favoured: Bard]
Level Adjustment:+1

In the bushes, a way off, you can see a tall, slender being that looks like an albino Maori with a shock of red hair. the strange figure moves slowly and makes few sounds as he moves, though the silence is very detectable. he carries a spear and when he notices your presence, looks at you with the disdain fishermen reserve for barnicles.

Patupaiarehe are a breed from which the Maori have learned much and still live in fear of. They lure away Maori women with magical music as part of their rites of passage. Some of these women are never seen again and many are with child when they return. Fortunately for the Maori, most of the time, Patupaiarehe remain in their forests and thanks to their hatred of cooked food, stay far away from their villages.

Combat
Patupaiarehe attack in concert with their hunts mates, always under the cover of darkness. They usually pepper an area they intend to fight in with simple traps such as primative caltrops and spike pits.

Ability descriptions: see below

MV Version:

Spoiler

Show

[B]
Patupaiarehe Hunter
Male Patupaiarehe Thug 2 CP 3
Init: + 4 , Senses: Listen + 7 , Spot + 7 Vision x8 in poor lighting, Blindsense 5ft, Light Blindness
Languages: Patupaiarehe

---

3
Defence: 11 Flatfooted: 10
Hardness: -
HD: 2d10 + 10 Hp: 21
Massive Damage: 10
Thresholds: Green, [ 10 ] Yellow, [ 5 ] Orange, [ 2 ] Red
Fort: + 3 Reflex: + 4 Will: + 1 Psyche: 16

---

3
Speed: 30ft Space: 5 ft Reach: 5 ft
Ranged: Bow +3 (2d8‡, Crit x3, Range 100ft)

Melee: Spear +2 (1d8, Crit x3)

BAB: + 2 Grapple: +3 [+1 class bonus]
Special Actions: Siren [Standard action; Manipulation check at -1 per 5ft to target. Target moves 5ft closer per point the test is passed by], Sneak Attack +1d6
Combat Gear: spear, bow, 20 arrows

---

3
Abilities: Str: 10 Dex: 12/+1 Con: 10 Int: 13/+1 Wis: 11 Cha: 15/+2
SQ: Light Blindness, Midnight Eyes, Nature's Purity, Tweening, Xenophobia

Feats: Siren^B, Track

Skills: Manipulation +2, Hide +7, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Spot +6, Survival +5

---

3
Special Abilities:
See below.

Racial Traits:
Patupaiarehe are a physically capable race, without peer in many respects and the males are taught bewitching skills as part of their rites of passage. In many cases, it is only their specie's utter disdain for that which men make of themselves, of sunlight and cooked food, that keeps them from waging war most horrid. Fortunately, while prone to viciousness and duelling, they are not prone to making trouble in numbers, ever keen to keep men and their burnt offerings from entering their twilight woods.

Patupaiarehe have the following racial traits:

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +4 Charisma. Patupaiarehe are swift, inventive and possessed of overwhelming force of personality. To say that they are scary is something of an understatement.
• Medium. As medium creatures, patupaiarehe suffer no benefits or penalties for their size.
• Fæ blood: Patupaiarehe, while possessing some of the traits of the fæ, are mortal and thus have souls. They forfeit many of the powers that could have been theirs, in exchange for living and breathing and a true emotional range. Whenever it would be beneficial to them, patupaiarehe count as being fæ and thus can travel the Hedge without fear.
• Tweening: While not full fæ, the patupaiarehe have the ability to penetrate the Hedge and move between their homes in the twilight estates and the real world. During the times of dusk and dawn, a patupaiarehe may use a Shift action to enter or leave the Hedge and may then move around within it. They do not get more able to move between the Hedge and other realms as they advance and use this primarily to come out at night so that they may hunt.
• Survivalists: All patupaiarehe have solid skills in fieldcraft, gaining a +2 bonus on Survival checks.
• Siren: Male patupaiarehe gain the Siren feat as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites. Females have the choice of Banal or Siren, whether they meet the prerequisites or not.
• Midnight Eyes: all patupaiarehe gain the benefits of Greater Low Light Vision, being able to see ten times as far in the dark than humans. They still cannot see in pitch darkness but move with such confidence that they seem almost able to. This is represented by Blindsense 5ft, provided by their skin's sensitivity to pressure changes. They lose this for 1d8 rounds if they suffer even 1 point of Fire damage.
• Light Blindness: Patupaiarehe simply can't see by the light of day. They are basically blind under any conditions that are not at least shadowy. They suffer a -10 penalty on perception checks and cannot see more than 20ft. In combat, their enemies count as having concealment [20% miss chance].
• Nature's Purity: Being so connected to nature, patupaiarehe can only eat food as they find it. They find cooked material literally toxic; the mere smell of cooking forces them to make a Fortitude save, DC 8 + their level, or be Nauseated. Those that save are merely sickened. Should they consume cooked matter, they treat it as a poison [3d6 damage and Nauseated (Fort saves, DC 8 + level, every 10 minutes, Shake It Off does not apply)].
• Xenophobic: While obsessed with Mana themselves, patupaiarehe refuse to accept that any other being has Mana. They themselves have a Mana/Social rank of 1d4 + ½ their level and always ignore the mana/social rank of others. If their own is ignored or simply not understood, they must make a Will save, DC 4 + their level, or attack the foe for one round, to the best of their ability.
• Level adjustment: +1
• Combat Potential: +1

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Lore:
Patupaiarehe are subject to being from a very specific region. Outsiders suffer a -20 on their Lore checks unless they have a suitable Knowledge Specialisation. Gather Information is unaffected
{table]DC:|Lore:

2|We stay out of the forests at night

7|Patupaiarehe lurk in the night forests. They have keen eyes an are brutal hunters

12|If you hear music from the woods at night, plug your ears and pray to whatever you believe in

17|It is Patupaiarehe matings that produce the red haired children of our tribes. Their mothers are permanently at the jungle witches' call.

22|Cooked food is sickening to the Patupaiarehe. They are revolted by the smell and are actually poisoned by it.

27|If you make a point of ignoring a Patupaiarehe's mana, they have a tendency to get angry and be reckless, especially the young ones[/table]

There we go, Patupaiarehe, or as i've taken to calling them, Git Elves. I couldn't find any lore on them that made them out to be nice... for Ponaturi, simply apply this race to Sahaugin. Works fine.

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

Any material presented inside Spoilers listed as "MV Versions", along with all pictures above, are Copyright under the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License. All other text and game materials are free to use under the terms of the OGL and are designated Open Content.

[Lord_Gareth]

One idea you might want to consider is the idea of Fae lords and ladies; nobles who claim dominions over specific sections of territory or concepts. The Seelie and Unseelie courts of Ireland can provide some ideas, and I have one of my own that I'd love to see statted into some form of epic-level challenge:

Madam Murder is the Dusk Lady. Her dominions include the setting sun, travel, sailing, trade, war, murder, and portals (such as doors or windows). She unlocks the gates on the far side of the horizon to allow the sun to set each night, collects wayward souls, bestirs violence and conflict, and hunts mortals for sport. Madam Murder enjoys the slow stalk and the taste of her prey's fear, though not as much as she enjoys the rich, heady flavor of their blood after a fresh kill. She may occasionally be seen in the fray of the most vicious battlefields, drinking in the carnage.

Madam Murder is a tall, lean woman with long, unbound red hair and striking green eyes. Her flawless teeth are coated with a thin layer of fresh blood, and she seems to move in small teleportations, being first one location and then, with little explanation, another. She wears leather armor of humanoid skin, studded with the teeth of a thousand Fae knights. Her preferred weapon is an enchanted knife of cold iron; the sentient blade refers to itself as the Omegan.

Murder has been witnessed stepping between planes, teleporting with incredible rapidity, slaying great warriors with single blows, and creating fae-like beings from the corpses of her foes. Her other abilities remain frightfully mysterious.

[Mulletmanalive]

I'm going to politely decline there. There are several reasons:

One, that's a made up fairy being. I'm not doing those here.

Two, i don't do epic. I tried running a game once, found it the most boring and frustrating gaming experience ever because all i could do to challenge people was to throw bigger and bigger critters at them which made the whole thing feel like grinding [that and the stupid arguments about what might have been forseen and what folks may or may not have researched at some point] in a Final Fantasy game.

Three, I'll be making some Lords, but whether i'll be allowed to post them is another question. When i have lore to guide me, they seem like fae. When i'm trying to make them up, my works, like your proposed creature, just don't seem to me like something anyone would actually believe in.

I'll tell you what; when i sort out the Fae-Lord template, PM me and i'll use that as the skeleton of my example. That ok?

Number of times i've re-written this to avoid sounding like a **** rather than just tired...

Edit: ooo, word filter. Sorry! Didn't realise that was a banned word!

[Kallisti]

Since you say "the" Ojibway legend, I should point out that there are very few subjects about which there is a singular legend, especially in an oral culture such as most or all Amerindian cultures have been. Though I've heard of the design being modeled on spider-webs by Nokomis, the Grandmother, I've never heard of a spider-spirit suggested to actually dwell inside a dreamcatcher (heck, few of the dreamcatchers I've seen even have stones in the center at all).

I'm afraid I can't find any source for the legend you mentioned either, not even on disreputable personal sites or the like. Was it from a book, perhaps? Or a website Google wouldn't index?

Sorry. By "the Ojibway legend," I meant "the version of it I heard."

Although come to think of it, I can't seem to recall where... I know I've heard that story, about the spirit that the stone represents and that devours bad dreams, but I don't know where I've heard it.

[MythMage]

I have one of my own that I'd love to see statted into some form of epic-level challenge:

Since Mulletmanalive doesn't want to do original concepts now, I'd be happy to have a crack at it (if you don't mind) - as you can see from my signature, this seems right up my alley. Is there an approximate CR you'd like me to aim for?

(Mulletmanalive, would you prefer I split it to another thread?)

[Mulletmanalive]

You can put it in here if you'd like. I have no objection. I'll start an extra list in the opening post for Fairies from Fiction.

This was originally for "real" fairies [i.e. those people actually believe in] but i got so many helpful suggestions otherwise, it'd be daft not to allow this. Would you like me to put your project link in the first post?

[NakedCelt]

Patupaiarehe:
Maori lore is full of references to these elusive beings; tall, lank eldritch beings with great inventiveness and a supreme dislike for both the sun and cooked food. Their legends includes such traits as hypnotic song, an extreme distaste for cooked food and greater inventiveness than the Maori themselves.

Cheers, Mulletmanalive! That must have taken you a while!

In the interests of strict accuracy I have some purely pedantic endnotes. Pay attention to them or ignore them at your leisure.

Attack/Full Attack: Bow +3 Ranged (2d8‡, Crit x3, Range 100ft)[/b]

Maori prior to European contact had slings, but not bows or arrows.

They lose this for 1d8 rounds if they suffer even 1 point of Fire damage.

They also fear fire generally; perhaps a fire vulnerability would have been good.

They find cooked material literally toxic

In Maori culture, cooking food removes tapu. That's why a building crew in New Zealand will always finish off a job with a barbecue on the site. Patupaiarehe are creatures of tapu.

While obsessed with Mana themselves, patupaiarehe refuse to accept that any other being has Mana.

It needs to be remembered here that mana is a Maori word and a Maori concept. In Maori society, mana is not something oogy-boogy that you only meet in fantasy role-playing games; it's understood as a personal quality that everyone has more or less of, and which corresponds roughly to both one's ability and one's right to command respect. [EDIT: The word appears, for instance, on pamphlets and billboards at election time, corresponding to the phrase "right to vote" on the English side.] You could say that Maori are "obsessed with mana"; it would be just as true, and just as unfair, as saying that Westerners are "obsessed with career advancement".

I couldn't find any lore on them that made them out to be nice...

I guess, as a New Zealander, I have more access to print resources on Maori folklore. It is rather sparse on the Web. There are stories of human people living among the Turehu (which, you may recall, are one of the tribes of patupaiarehe), learning their ways, and even teaching them things, such as how to give birth without killing the mother. Certainly, if offered hospitality by a patupaiarehe, it is far wiser to accept than to decline. Better two weeks in the forest surrounded by pleased patupaiarehe than two seconds in the village surrounded by angry patupaiarehe.

[Mulletmanalive]

NakedCelt: Just like to point out that Patupaiarehe are NOT Maori. I never said they were, just that their cultures were similar. Hence, i think they should be different.

On Bows:
There is a game made by Australian developers based around a Maori warrior making good and I looked it back up after failing to find any sources about Maori weapons and martial culture. In the game you use a bow. Now that you'd told me that the Maori themselves didn't have bows, it seems even more reasonable that Patupaiarehe might have them, having that tasty racial Int bonus...

Hence the bow. You can ignore it if you like, but i wanted them to be advanced. Perhaps my original instinct of giving them spears and atlatl type weapons like the Australian natives used would have been better...

On Fire:
I tried to avoid the whole "they fear fire because they're flammable" schtick on this one. A weakness to the scent of any burning, edible materials and partial blindness on exposure seemed enough to make them want to avoid fire. Combine that with the fact that they're virtually blind near to a fire because of the light output. If you really want a fire vulnerability, that's cool, i'll put one on the 3.5 version.

On Cooking:
So cooking is an exorcism? Huh. Well, I made this version kinda "partly fae" so i'll stick with the toxic thing for the critter but maybe there should be a cultural note that cooked food produces a Protection From Evil effect in a Maori game? Oh, I like that idea! Sucks to be a Patupaiarehe witchdoctor!

On Mana:
This one is actually a mix of the fact that Patupaiarehe ARE obsessed with their status [I basically gave them a reason to dislike strangers] and the fact I didn't fully explain what i meant by Mana. At no point did i say Msori in general were obsessed with it.

I did my research on the term Mana a while back and know exactly what it means and get confused why people use it to mean magic. I use a thing based on Social Ranking on a 0-20 scale in my games. Mana would basically be a slightly more earned version of that in a Maori game. The Patupaiarehe are, as written, obsessed with it; I'm sure that Maori CAN be obsessed with such things but that's personal, isn't it?

It was written to include an additional, albeit minor weakness and to avoid "elves = serene" syndrome. It's easy to ignore someone's social rank if you have no idea what it is, so most men will find these guys a bit homicidal on first contact.

On Hugability:
Well, that's one for your games, I think. If you were to somehow earn a status within the tribe, they'd probably be very accepting, or if perhaps they married a human and ended up stranded in a human tribe, they might change their attitude.

PS: anyone know where i might find stats for a spear thrower/Atlatl?

[MythMage]

You can put it in here if you'd like.

I think I will, once I hear from Lord_Gareth about what CR he's looking for with Madam Murder. I'm not sure if he's thinking something that would scare a significant god, on the level of a powerful abomination (since she seems to be similar to a god in her portfolio and how untouchable she appears) or something that's "just" out of the league of nonepic mortals.

Would you like me to put your project link in the first post?

That would be really cool. Thanks. :)

[NakedCelt]

NakedCelt: Just like to point out that Patupaiarehe are NOT Maori. I never said they were, just that their cultures were similar. Hence, i think they should be different.

On Bows:
There is a game made by Australian developers based around a Maori warrior making good and I looked it back up after failing to find any sources about Maori weapons and martial culture. In the game you use a bow. Now that you'd told me that the Maori themselves didn't have bows, it seems even more reasonable that Patupaiarehe might have them, having that tasty racial Int bonus...

Hence the bow. You can ignore it if you like, but i wanted them to be advanced. Perhaps my original instinct of giving them spears and atlatl type weapons like the Australian natives used would have been better...

Well, the idea of the Patupaiarehe having technology the local humans lack would be in fitting with the stories; they are said to have invented nets, after all. However, you should know there is no evidence of pre-European contact between any Pacific Island group, Maori included, and mainland Australia. Don't be looking at Australian Aboriginal culture; look in the Pacific. Or in South America, there is evidence for Pacific contact with South America.

On Cooking:
So cooking is an exorcism? Huh. Well, I made this version kinda "partly fae" so i'll stick with the toxic thing for the critter but maybe there should be a cultural note that cooked food produces a Protection From Evil effect in a Maori game? Oh, I like that idea! Sucks to be a Patupaiarehe witchdoctor!

I'm afraid a little further research is in order here... tapu is not the same as "evil". Everything in the Maori universe falls somewhere on the tapu–noa spectrum; the head is more tapu than other parts of the body, for instance, so you never sit on a pillow or put a hat on the floor. Tapu is anything you have to be careful about or respectful of.

On Mana:
This one is actually a mix of the fact that Patupaiarehe ARE obsessed with their status [I basically gave them a reason to dislike strangers] and the fact I didn't fully explain what i meant by Mana. At no point did i say Msori in general were obsessed with it.

I did my research on the term Mana a while back and know exactly what it means and get confused why people use it to mean magic. I use a thing based on Social Ranking on a 0-20 scale in my games. Mana would basically be a slightly more earned version of that in a Maori game. The Patupaiarehe are, as written, obsessed with it; I'm sure that Maori CAN be obsessed with such things but that's personal, isn't it?

Well, like I say, mana in Maori culture is like career advancement in ours: it's a measure of achievement, a measure of seniority, a measure of how seriously one deserves to be taken; increasing it is the whole point of the efforts one makes in life. It is both social and personal. It is the underlying drive of society, and as such it is odd to speak of someone being "obsessed" with it as if it were something one could opt out of if one wished. Someone who isn't bothered about their mana is a no-hoper who's given up on doing anything with their life. It would be simpler to say that patupaiarehe just believe they automatically have more mana than any human.

[Mulletmanalive]

Well, the idea of the Patupaiarehe having technology the local humans lack would be in fitting with the stories; they are said to have invented nets, after all. However, you should know there is no evidence of pre-European contact between any Pacific Island group, Maori included, and mainland Australia. Don't be looking at Australian Aboriginal culture; look in the Pacific. Or in South America, there is evidence for Pacific contact with South America.

The Atlatl/Spear Thrower, an item that extends the throwing arm of the user to make a spear throw harder, like the bow, has been invented in a whole bunch of cultures. I didn't mean passed on technology, so much as "low tech-tribal technology for nomads."

Interesting archeological tidbit there.

I'm afraid a little further research is in order here... tapu is not the same as "evil". Everything in the Maori universe falls somewhere on the tapu–noa spectrum; the head is more tapu than other parts of the body, for instance, so you never sit on a pillow or put a hat on the floor. Tapu is anything you have to be careful about or respectful of.

I didn't mean literally evil. The effects of Protection from Evil are duplicated against various enemy forms such as Protection from Aberrations, Protection from Fairies and Zone of Natural Purity[?]. Basic upshot is that you get a +2 save and are immune to charm, compulsion and possession while near cooking food.

From the initial statement, it seemed reasonable that monsters and Patupaiarehe were high Tapu, so the ritual would be focused on them...

Well, like I say, mana in Maori culture is like career advancement in ours: it's a measure of achievement, a measure of seniority, a measure of how seriously one deserves to be taken; increasing it is the whole point of the efforts one makes in life. It is both social and personal. It is the underlying drive of society, and as such it is odd to speak of someone being "obsessed" with it as if it were something one could opt out of if one wished. Someone who isn't bothered about their mana is a no-hoper who's given up on doing anything with their life. It would be simpler to say that patupaiarehe just believe they automatically have more mana than any human.

I did. It states that while Patupaiarehe expect the respect they feel themselves due for their mana, they don't believe anyone else actually has any. I was going for a "you will respect my authoritay/you aren't really people" divide, with the Patu getting angry if this doesn't continue.

Surely one COULD opt out of mana. Every other culture one earth has some form of the hermit arrangement, to varying levels of social niftiness. Anyway, I'm not planning on designing a full campaign setting but this is how the actual Social Rank that this is based on works:

Social Rank:
Everyone, whether they like it or not, has a rank within society. At the very apex, there is the most powerful person in the land and at the bottom, there are criminals who were stupid enough to get caught.

Every human being [or other races, if you're using such] has a social rank measured between 20 at the top and 0, or even minus numbers if reviled. The values corresponding to different things vary harshily between cultures, given that a small tribe of 20 members may well have all 20 ranks present, while comparing a rank of 20 there to the head of an empire is considered silly, despite the fact they have the same levels of respect from their followers [unless you use the assumption of the divine]

Here are rough guidelines for two different cultures:
{table]19th Century Britain|Rank|Native American Tribe|Rank

Criminal|0|Child|1-3

Working Class|1-3|Teenager|4-5

Middle Class|4-6|Wives and women|6-10

Lower Upper Class|7-12|Braves/Skilled Hunters|11-15

Upper Class|13-16|Elders|16-19

Outer Royals|17-19|Shaman/Medicine Practitioner|19

High Government|14-19|Warleader|17-19

Queen|20|Chief|20[/table]

When dealing with someone of another rank, one may choose to exercise your rank or deal with that person on their terms. If you choose to make Rank an issue, both sides add their Social Rank to their parts of whatever Social Skill check is being made [Diplomacy, Intimidate etc].

If you win by this means, you win with all the consequences normally applied but your Social Rank in relation to that person drops by 3.

If you choose not to make Rank an issue, the check is resolved normally, though your opponent has the choice of still enforcing his own.

Ignoring Status:
One or both sides may choose to ignore the status of the other, but this comes with a certain amount of resentment. If you decide that your opponent's rank is meaningless, they gain a floating pool of +1 bonuses equal to their denied rank, to use against you during the remainder of the day. These may be added to their rolls against you as a free action. Multiple points may be used, though no more than their Cha modifier [positive or negative].

Obviously, some people choose to still respect the rank of someone who is ignoring their own to gain these indignation bonuses. There has to be some advantage to politeness and restraint!

Advancing Social Rank:
Increasing your worth in the eyes of your society can vary in difficulty. In the worked examples, becoming a higher rank in the Native American society is simply a case of showing age, bravery and wisdom. A great deed or successful quest might be enough to increase your rank.

As a vague example, perhaps you might gain in rank if you defeat something with an EL greater than you Social Rank...

In the case of the Victorian England, however, you're in for more work. You need finances and to earn the respect of your peers by successfully adopting their ways...

MV has a mechanism for this but the method is left to the GM in other settings.

Another possibility is the Honour mechanic from Oriental Adventures; it has merits simply because of the problems both suffer from self-aggredisement.

Anyway, it was just a suggestion; if you don't like it, don't use it. It does make sense from where i'm sitting without having to specially design an entire setting, which i'm not willing to do right now.

[Mulletmanalive]

Now that i've finished horribly misrepresenting the native peoples of New Zealand, I can get to what i've been waiting for: goblins!

This section includes an introduction, into which i shall place all of the Lore tables [this section, right here], entries for each of the four breeds and elite versions of some of them. I've already sorted out Redcaps, THE Robin Redcap and have full intention of creating Knockers [bluecaps with character levels], Brownies, Pucks and Robin Goodfellow [these last three are all Hobbs of differing levels].

I'm in two minds whether Hags deserve to be a fifth kind of Goblin, simply because they share many of the traits attributed to such creaures in lore.

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

Goblins:
Goblins are a specific breed within the fæ and are one of the most common forms that one can meet. They resemble ugly caricatures of humans, with oversized noses, beady eyes, pointed ears and lopsided, snaggle-toothed grins. For all practical concerns, there are four core breeds of goblin:


Border Goblins [Dunters]:
Border Goblins are the most powerful and malicious of their breed. Almost universally evil on a Biblical level, they possess strength comparable to that of a Hag and attitudes that make them almost worse. Border goblins can be identified by their iron shoes, a useful tool for these sadistic creatures, a thing that allows them to kick you while you are down. The Border Goblins are noteworthy for having an "elite" amongst their number in the form of the Redcaps. These malicious little beasts possess a magical cap that is known to the fæcraft of the Border Goblins, that grants night impossible strength in exchange for removing much of the little control these creatures had over themselves in the first place.

Lore:
{table]DC:|Lore:

3|Dunters are bullying fae that scare children by making knocking and bumping noises in the night

7|Redcaps are strong, impossibly strong

8|Dunters are quick little devils who never fight fair.

9|There was once a creature called Robin Redcap, the mightiest of the Dunters.

12|Killing a Redcap is impossible, though they are afraid of holy symbols

13|Dunters are the largest and most aggressive of the Goblin subbreeds. Their breed has the ability to reach into shadows and pull out cold iron weapons, usually spears they call "Pikes"

14|Robin Redcap was a familiar, who rendered his master immune to blades.

17|Redcaps are a Dunters that have learned to create an item called a Redcap. These hats drive them into unimaginable frenzy and make them impossible to subdue.

18|If you are cut by a Dunter, it will find you again if it wishes to. They can track via blood from inside the Hedge.

19|Robin is a name associated with a character you've never met but know of by reputation. Robin Redcap's reputation involves soaking his hat in the blood of the fallen to fuel his rage.

22|When fighting a Redcap, use cover to minimise his ability to throw things accurately. Avoid melee combat at all costs.

23|Baking Bread is useful to keep a Dunter from tracking you and filling the air with smoke can do wonders in preventing one from drawing more weapons as it cancels the shadows.

24|Robin was the first to discover the method of the redcap and the first to discover its weakness; he couldn't survive when they boiled him in molten lead along with his master

27|Don't bother trying to pull your punches with a Redcap. They feel no pain whatsoever as long as they have that damn hat on [they are immune to Subdual Damage].

28|If you need to avoid a Dunter, stand in the middle of a field. They can't tween within the boundary, only at it. The sound of whistling is highly irritating to Dunters in the Hedge, so it helps if you're being pursued.

29|Robin is now a hardened old devil, having been released from the cauldron by clumsy archaeologists. His gang are under strict orders not to don their hats until combat is joined.

32|Redcaps are genuinely afraid of Holy symbols. A character wielding one can actually Intimidate the beast, despite its frenzy

33|Boiling water and burning grass are both effective against a Dunter and will certainly help hold them at bay, granting a +4 bonus on Intimidate if you're holding a suitable amount of either.

34|Robin personally fears dogs because they dragged him down and let them capture him the first time. Dogs automatically make Intimidate checks against him every round as a Free action and this can cut through his Frenzy.

37|If you can pry the cap off the head of the Redcap, the physical damage that it has already done to itself via its frenzy should subdue it.

39|Robin is how symbolically vulnerable to the lead that entrapped him and prevented his dissolution. Bullets cast from it deal double damage and ignore his formidible defences. This lead is kept in the York Historical Museum.[/table]


Common Goblins
Common Goblins are a species of tricksters, taunters and meanies. As their name indicates, by far the most common breed of goblin. These goblins are more magical than others of their breed, possessing minor telekinesis and other powers, though bound within the bizarre laws of the fæ so that they can only create their mischief when unperceived. Their drug of choice is human irritation and misery, something they gain by moving into homes and businesses and meddling with clinical efficiency.

Lore:
{table]DC:|Lore:

1|Goblins are the spirits of troublemakers who didn't obey their parents.

6|The first Goblins were fallen angels...

11|A Goblin is a small and mean spirited little fairy. They bring cockroaches and horrible pranks with them when they move into your house.

16|Goblins leave distinct scratch marks on the walls where they have passed. They are known for turning milk sour and scaring cows.

21|Goblins, as utter cowards, won't go within 10ft of a cold iron object, like a horseshoe. Hanging them over the doors prevents the things entering but also stops those inside from leaving.

26|Holly-lime is deadly toxic to goblins, though it merely angers more powerful fae. Put in strategic places, it drives away the smarter ones and kills the dumber ones.[/table]


Hearth/Hob-Goblins [Hobbs]:
Hearth Goblins are the most commonly benevolent entities in their breed. Hob-goblins are also by far the ugliest of the goblins, which is saying something. Hobs adopt a home and spend their time at night doing housework and manual labour; they are utter perfectionists in their work and kick out a great deal of work every night. The trouble with having a fairy in your home is that they have somewhat specific rules of politeness, ones that they don't tell you and will punish you for violating.

Lore:
{table]DC|Lore

3|Hobs and Brownies are small goblin type creatures who keep houses looking nice

8|Upset a Hob and you'll regret it

13|When a Hob moves into a house, stock up on honey. Bake it into some bread and spread it onto the stuff

16|There is a specific Hob known as Hobhole Hob who has the ability to dismiss whooping cough

18|Never present clothes to a Hob or thank them. They leave or may even turn nasty

23|Hobs have some impressive magical powers. If one turns nasty, use iron filings and horseshoes to block their abilities if you can. These block line of sight like with spirit powers

26|Hobhole Hob was one of the first witches to come out of a small unseelie courtin northern England. He's been working hard for years to undo a curse done years ago

28|A useful way of driving off a Hob is to repeatedly inform him how good his work is and praise him genuinely [Manipulation at -10], even if he's turned malevolent[/table]

Under Goblins [Bluecaps]:
Under Goblins are a wildly varied set of temperaments but all dwell in caves and mines and seams of material. They have limited ability to shape rock themselves, instead either guiding miners and prospectors to good seams causing them to cut more material from the face, creating extra space for the goblins or else exploiting weaknesses the miners have left, collapsing roofs and the like on the hapless spelunkers.

Lore:
{table]DC:|Lore

3|Sometimes, those working under the ground hear faint knocking sounds. These lead to good ore

8|Knockers collapse tunnels on people without any real reason

13|Under-goblins are one of two tribes; Knockers with their red hats and Bluecaps, who are named for obvious reasons. Bluecaps are helpful unless threatened, Knockers are always dangerous

18|Both kinds of goblin are stuck underground so they encourage others to dig things out, either by collapsing tunnels or leading folk to seams

23|You probably don't want to drive off Bluecaps, but these goblins dislike tin in all its forms. Charms made of it grant a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks

28|Bluecaps dislike the Grand Seam, though Knockers are known for wandering it. The hats of the Undergoblins are their tools for these shifts and if you possess one, you can shift also. Organic trade goods are well thought of indeed within the seam[/table]

[Mulletmanalive]

Goblins, Border [Dunters]:
Dunters are simply put, bastards; monstrous, evil bastards. They are the illegitimate spawn of belief in demons and the assumption that anyone scary must have supernatural assistance in staying that way. The earliest records of such beasts are actually connected to one Robin Redcap, a particularly brutal individual dunter that served as the familiar of lord William de Soulis, a Scottish noble in the time of the Bruce. The being was actually part of the elite of the country and seems to have been bartered into the service of the lord by a skilled witch having bound him.

Not that it would have taken all that much convincing, given that Redcap's duties were murderous and sadistic in the extreme.

Dunters in their basic form are wiry but powerful beings of slightly less than human height. Virtually unarmoured, save for a set of grieves and boots, they wield various weapons of cold black iron, most usually a pike between five and twelve feet in length. The face of a dunter is the most human of the goblins, with a long, broad nose like that of a boxer, slightly undersized eyes that have red "whites" and a gaunt, starved hollowness to their visage. Like all goblins, they have pointed ears.

The most pronounced traits of a Dunter are the sheer strength of their bodies and malice and their frankly terrifying ability to reach into the Hedge or some other place and pull out a weapon or tool of their choice. Often, they use this to keep up a supply of projectiles, but it can make fighting one very difficult. Fortunately for the hunter, there is a very concrete limit to this power; except in rare cases, no goblin can create an item with more than a single part.

D&D Version:

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Medium Monsterous Humanoid [Fae] 3
Hit Dice: 3d10 + 12 (28 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40ft (8 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+1 Dex, +3 Natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: +8 Ranged Pike (1d10+7, x3, Range 20ft) OR +8 Melee Pike (1d10+7, x3)
Full Attack: +8 Ranged Pike (1d10+5, x3, Range 20ft) OR +8 Melee Pike (1d10+7, x3) OR +4/+4 Melee Iron Shoes (1d4+2, x2, +4 damage vs Prone target)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft [10ft with long-pike]
Special Attacks: Guided Shot [Swift action; ranged attacks made this round ignore cover [not total] and range penalties to hit], Sneak Attack +1d6 [Against Flatfooted or Flanked foe, deal +1d6 precision damage]
Special Qualities: Camouflage, Dissolve, DR 8/Cold Iron, Marked Man, Tweening
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str: 20/+5 Dex: 12/+1 Con: 18/+4 Int: 8/-2 Wis: 14/+2 Cha: 6/-2
Skills: Hide +11, Intimidate +14, Move Silently +7, Survival +8 [+12 while in Hedge, +18/+22 when hunting by blood]
Feats: Brutal Throw [Strength on thrown attacks], Frightening Continence [+3 on Intimidate, apply Cha penalty as a bonus when fear might help on social skills]^SA, Track^B
Environment: Border Regions
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Chaotic Evil
Advancement: by class

A Dunter is a wiry little humanoid with bad teeth and a murderous love of combat.

Combat
Dunters attack using thrown pikes until they have their target at their mercy, at which point they will switch to melee. They will escape if things seem to be going against the by fleeing tot he Hedge.

Camouflage [Ex/Su]: When within hilly terrain, including ruins located on them, Dunters may Hide, even if they don't have Concealment: they also receive a Supernal +10 bonus on Hide checks (already included in the stat block).

Cold Iron Draw [Su]: As a Move action, the Dunter may reach into an adjacent shadow and draw out a weapon or tool of their choice made of Cold Iron. The only limit is that this item must be of a single unbroken piece of iron, so no moving parts or chains. No-one is sure how the goblins are able to do this or why they are able to produce something that verges on the civilised but it makes them no friends amongst the other fæ, many of whom find the material to be toxic.

Dissolve: When slain, a Redcap breaks up into a stinking pile of soiled clothes, broken teeth, blood and tears.

Marked Man [Su]: As long as he has smelled your blood, a Dunter can track you from the Hedge, gaining a +10 bonus on Search and Survival checks to do so. He loses the memory of your scent if you can avoid him for 3 days.

Tweening: As a Fae, a Dunter may shift between the real world and the Hedge during Dusk and Dawn and through Physical Boundaries.

MV Version:

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Medium Fæ Beast 3 CP 5
Init: + 2 , Senses: Listen + 2 , Spot +2
Languages: Bad English, Gaelic

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3
Defence: 15 Flatfooted: 10
Hardness: DR 8/Natural
HD: 3d10 + 12 + 18 Hp: 46
Massive Damage: 18
Thresholds: Green, [ 23 ] Yellow, [ 11 ] Orange, [ 4 ] Red
Fort: + 10 Reflex: + 2 Will: + 3 Psyche: 13

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3
Speed: 40ft Space: 5 ft Reach: 5 ft
Ranged: +8 Pike (1d10+5, x3, Range 20ft)

Melee: +8 Pike (1d10+7, x3) AND +3/+3 Iron Shoes (1d4+2, x2, +4 damage vs Prone target)

BAB: + 3 Grapple: +8
Special Actions: Guided Shot [Swift action; ranged attacks made this round ignore cover [not total] and range penalties to hit], Sneak Attack +1d6 [Against Flatfooted or Flanked foe, deal +1d6 precision damage]

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3
Abilities: Str: 20/+5 Dex: 8/-1 Con: 18/+4 Int: 8/-2 Wis: 14/+2 Cha: 6/-2
SQ: Camouflage, Tweening

Feats: Brutal Throw [Strength on thrown attacks], Frightening Continence [+3 on Intimidate, apply Cha penalty as a bonus when fear might help on social skills]^SA, Stealthy, Track

Skills: Hide +11, Intimidate +14, Move Silently +7, Survival +8 [+12 while in Hedge, +18/+22 when hunting by blood]

Possessions: Iron Shoes. Can produce a near limitless supply of Pikes and other Iron weapons

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3
Special Abilities:
Camouflage [Ex/Su]: When within hilly terrain, including ruins located on them, Dunters may Hide, even if they don't have Concealment: they also receive a Supernal +10 bonus on Hide checks (already included in the stat block).

Cold Iron Draw [Su]: As a Move action, the Dunter may reach into an adjacent shadow and draw out a weapon or tool of their choice made of Cold Iron. The only limit is that this item must be of a single unbroken piece of iron, so no moving parts or chains. No-one is sure how the goblins are able to do this or why they are able to produce something that verges on the civilised but it makes them no friends amongst the other fæ, many of whom find the material to be toxic.

Dissolve: When slain, a Redcap breaks up into a stinking pile of soiled clothes, broken teeth, blood and tears.

Marked Man [Su]: As long as he has smelled your blood, a Dunter can track you from the Hedge, gaining a +10 bonus on Search and Survival checks to do so. He loses the memory of your scent if you can avoid him for 3 days.

Tweening: As a Fae, a Dunter may shift between the real world and the Hedge during Dusk and Dawn and through Physical Boundaries.

Redcaps:
Redcaps are the elite of Dunter "society." The ambition of all Border Goblins is to learn the tricks of fæcraft learned by Robin Redcap himself and create a Redcap of their very own. For those blissfully in the dark, a Redcap is a tight skull cap that is sewn together from robin's breasts (the irony was not lost on the inventor) and soaked in the blood of murdered victims. As long as it remains wet, and Border Goblins are more than happy to wound themselves for this, the cap provides them with perverse strength and a junkie's need to kill for their next hit.

A Redcap is basically unkillable in his rage; the key to survival seems to be getting his cap off. Good luck!

D&D Version:

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Medium Monsterous Humanoid [Fae] 3, Barbarian 4
Hit Dice: 3d10 + 4d12 + 42
Initiative: +1
Speed: 50ft (10 squares)
Armor Class: 10 (+1 Dex, +5 Natural, -2 Rage, -4 Frenzy), touch 5, flat-footed 9
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+17
Attack: +17 Ranged Pike (1d10+10, x3, Range 20ft) OR +17 Melee Pike (1d10+15, x3)
Full Attack: +15/+15/+11 Ranged Pike (1d10+12, x3, Range 20ft) OR +13/+13/+8 Melee Pike (1d10+18, x3) AND +11/+11 Melee Iron Shoes (1d4+6, x2, +4 damage vs Prone target)
Special Attacks: Brutal [Once per encounter; auto-succeed on a Combat Manoeuvre],
Guided Shot [Swift action; ranged attacks made this round ignore cover [not total] and range penalties to hit],
Intimidating Strike [Standard; Make attack with -1 to -7 penalty. If attack hits, make free Intimidate check against target with bonus equal to penalty taken.],
Sneak Attack +1d6 [Against Flatfooted or Flanked foe, deal +1d6 precision damage]
Special Qualities: Camouflage, Cold Iron Draw, DR 12/Cold Iron, Dissolve, Marked Man, Rage, Redcap, Tweening
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str: 30/+10 Dex: 12/+1 Con: 22/+6 Int: 8/-2 Wis: 14/+2 Cha: 6/-2
Skills: Hide +14, Intimidate +23, Move Silently +9, Spot +7, Survival +12 [+16 while in Hedge, +22/26 when hunting by blood scent]
Feats: Brutal Throw [Strength on thrown attacks], Frightening Continence [+3 on Intimidate, apply Cha penalty as a bonus when fear might help on social skills]^SA, Intimidating Strike, Quickdraw, Track^B
Environment: Border regions
Organization: Solitary, Gang [1 + 2-20 human brigands]
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Chaotic Evil [damned unhinged too]
Advancement: by class

Busting from the grass is a hideously ugly little being with a wet looking ret hat on his head. He smells disgusting but that's the least of your problems compared to the great black iron pike he's holding!

Combat
Redcaps, while savage, do not don their caps until they have advanced into position. After this, they burst from cover, impaling someone with a thrown pike and then close to start stomping. They aren't sofisticated and only flee if their cap is removed and they happen to still be conscious. Fear the wrath of such a Redcap as they're smarter than they seem, combined with a solid ability to tween.

Special Abilities:
Camouflage [Ex/Su]: When within hilly terrain, including ruins located on them, Redcaps may Hide, even if they don't have Concealment: they also receive a Supernal +10 bonus on Hide checks (this bonus is included in their stat block).

Cold Iron Draw [Su]: As a Free action, the Redcap may reach into an adjacent shadow and draw out a weapon or tool of their choice made of Cold Iron. The only limit is that this item must be of a single unbroken piece of iron, so no moving parts or chains. No-one is sure how the goblins are able to do this or why they are able to produce something that verges on the civilised but it makes them no friends amongst the other fæ, many of whom find the material to be toxic.

Dissolve: When slain, a Redcap breaks up into a stinking pile of soiled clothes, broken teeth, blood and tears.

Marked Man [Su]: As long as he has smelled your blood, a Redcap can track you from the Hedge, gaining a +10 bonus on Search and Survival checks to do so. He loses the memory of your scent if you can avoid him for 3 days.

Rage [Ex]: Redcaps, even before acquiring their disgusting hat of empowerment, are skilled at letting loose. In a Rage, they gain +4 to both Strenth and Constitution, a +2 bonus on Will saves and take a -2 penalty to Defence.

Redcap [Su]: A Redcap is a Fæ-craft item. While it is both soaked in blood and worn, it grants the wearer the effects of Frenzy. This means a +6 bonus to Strength, an extra attack per round, immunity to emotional manipulation, charm and compulsion, Immunity to the effects of Subdual damage, -4 Defence and deals 2 Subdual to the wearer every round. Additionally, while it is worn, the Redcap may remain in a state of Rage for as long as he chooses.

If the cap is removed, all the effects of the Subdual damage accrued comes into effect instantly. Redcaps don't usually don their hats, which they keep in bladders of blood, until they have snuck close to their prey.

Tweening: Redcaps are better at tweening than their lesser brethren, adding Shadows to the Physical Boundaries and Dusk/Dawn of their lessers.

Notes: Under normal circumstances, Class levels count for Fæ DR and Liminal Tweening, but not for spell-like abilities.

MV Version:

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Medium Fæ Beast 3 Brute 4 CP 10
Init: + 4 , Senses: Listen + 2 , Spot +2
Languages: Bad English, Gaelic

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3
Defence: 12 Flatfooted: 6 Uncanny Dodge
Hardness: DR 12/Natural
HD: 3d10 + 4d12 + 42 + 22 Hp: 106 [88 if Rage is lost]
Massive Damage: 22
Thresholds: Green, [ 53/44 ] Yellow, [ 26/22 ] Orange, [ 10/8 ] Red
Resist: Immune: Charm and Compulsion
Fort: + 16 Reflex: + 4 Will: + 7 Psyche: 19

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3
Speed: 50ft Space: 5 ft Reach: 5 ft
Ranged: +17/+17 [or +12/+12/+12] Pike (1d10+10, x3, Range 20ft)

Melee: +17/+17 [or +12/+12/+12] Pike (1d10+15, x3)
AND +12/+12 [+7/+7/+7/+7] Iron Shoes (1d4+5, x2, +4 damage vs Prone target)

BAB: + 7 Grapple: +17
Special Actions: Brutal [Once per encounter; auto-succeed on a Combat Manoeuvre],
Guided Shot [Swift action; ranged attacks made this round ignore cover [not total] and range penalties to hit],
Intimidating Strike [Standard; Make attack with -1 to -7 penalty. If attack hits, make free Intimidate check against target with bonus equal to penalty taken.],
Sneak Attack +1d6 [Against Flatfooted or Flanked foe, deal +1d6 precision damage]

---

3
Abilities: Str: 30/+10 Dex: 8/-1 Con: 22/+6 Int: 8/-2 Wis: 14/+2 Cha: 6/-2
SQ: Camouflage, Tweening

Feats: Brutal Throw [Strength on thrown attacks], Frightening Continence [+3 on Intimidate, apply Cha penalty as a bonus when fear might help on social skills]^SA, Intimidating Strike, Quickdraw, Stealthy, Track

Skills: Hide +14, Intimidate +23, Move Silently +9, Spot +7, Survival +12 [+16 while in Hedge, +22/26 when hunting by blood scent]

Possessions: Iron Shoes. Can produce a near limitless supply of Pikes and other Iron weapons

---

3
Special Abilities:
Camouflage [Ex/Su]: When within hilly terrain, including ruins located on them, Redcaps may Hide, even if they don't have Concealment: they also receive a Supernal +10 bonus on Hide checks (this bonus is included in their stat block).

Cold Iron Draw [Su]: As a Free action, the Redcap may reach into an adjacent shadow and draw out a weapon or tool of their choice made of Cold Iron. The only limit is that this item must be of a single unbroken piece of iron, so no moving parts or chains. No-one is sure how the goblins are able to do this or why they are able to produce something that verges on the civilised but it makes them no friends amongst the other fæ, many of whom find the material to be toxic.

Dissolve: When slain, a Redcap breaks up into a stinking pile of soiled clothes, broken teeth, blood and tears.

Marked Man [Su]: As long as he has smelled your blood, a Redcap can track you from the Hedge, gaining a +10 bonus on Search and Survival checks to do so. He loses the memory of your scent if you can avoid him for 3 days.

Rage [Ex]: Redcaps, even before acquiring their disgusting hat of empowerment, are skilled at letting loose. In a Rage, they gain +4 to both Strenth and Constitution, a +2 bonus on Will saves and take a -2 penalty to Defence.

Redcap [Su]: A Redcap is a Fæ-craft item. While it is both soaked in blood and worn, it grants the wearer the effects of Frenzy. This means a +6 bonus to Strength, an extra attack per round, immunity to emotional manipulation, charm and compulsion, Immunity to the effects of Subdual damage, -4 Defence and deals 2 Subdual to the wearer every round. Additionally, while it is worn, the Redcap may remain in a state of Rage for as long as he chooses.

If the cap is removed, all the effects of the Subdual damage accrued comes into effect instantly. Redcaps don't usually don their hats, which they keep in bladders of blood, until they have snuck close to their prey.

Tweening: Redcaps are better at tweening than their lesser brethren, adding Shadows to the Physical Boundaries and Dusk/Dawn of their lessers.

Notes: Under normal circumstances, Class levels count for Fæ DR and Liminal Tweening, but not for spell-like abilities.

Robin Redcap:

Robin Redcap was the first Border Goblin to discover the secrets of creating the redcap. Such was the impact of this moment that his reputation exploded overnight. He earned his status as "Robin," as a result of his horrible crimes thereafter. His murders as a servant of Lord Soulis were horrifying in the extreme; he led brigands across the north in his master's name and terrorised the locals. Robin was eventually slain by trapping him in a cauldron, filling it with molten lead and then boiling him to death with sufficient witnesses to state that he was slain. The sad part was that he was exhumed by accident in 1872 and has since been resurrected by the workings of a particularly malicious puck.

Nowadays, Robin is a little calmer than he was and much more careful in his planning. He has no intention of getting caught and exorcised like some of his brethren. He has recently been gathering the most dangerous brigands he can find, a collection of his imitators in the ruins of Hermitage Castle, though his intentions are unclear beyond possible self defence.

D&D Version:

Spoiler

Show

Medium Heritor of Robin-hood Monsterous Humanoid [Fae] 3, Barbarian 6
Hit Dice: 3d10 + 6d12 + 63 (118 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: (# squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+3 Dex, +7 Natural Armour, -2 Rage, -4 Frenzy), touch 7, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+21
Attack: +21 Ranged Pike (1d10+12, x3, Range 20ft) OR +21 Melee Pike (1d10+18, x3)
Full Attack: +21/+21/+16 Ranged Pike (1d10+12, x3, Range 20ft) OR +19/+19/+14 Melee Pike (1d10+18, x3) AND +14/+14 Melee Iron Shoes (1d4+6, x2, +4 damage vs Prone target)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft [10 with Longpike option]
Special Attacks: Brutal [Once per encounter; auto-succeed on a Combat Manoeuvre],
Guided Shot [Swift action; ranged attacks made this round ignore cover [not total] and range penalties to hit],
Sneak Attack +1d6 [Against Flatfooted or Flanked foe, deal +1d6 precision damage]
Special Qualities: Being of LegendCamouflage, Cold Iron Draw, Dissolve, DR 19/Cold Iron, Human Form, Marked Man, Momentous Luck, Rage, Redcap, Tweening
Saves: Fort: + 19 Reflex: + 8 Will: + 9
Abilities: Str: 34/+12 Dex:17/+3 Con: 24/+7 Int: 15/+2 Wis: 17/+3 Cha: 16/+3
Skills: Bluff +12, Hide +15, Gather Information +12, Intimidate +20, Manipulate +4/12, Move Silently +10, Spot +10, Survival +14 [+18 while in Hedge, +24/28 when hunting by blood scent]
Feats: Brutal Throw [Strength on thrown attacks], Epic Reputation^B, Multiweapon Fighting, Quickdraw, Track^B, Unnerving Continence [-3 on friendly Social Skill checks, +5 on hostile/fear-based Social checks]^SA
Environment: The Hebredian Border
Organization: Solitary [Unique], Gang [1 + 2-14 Redcaps]
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: Incidental, GM's discretion
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: By Class

Before you stands a Dunter that seems to utterly ooze malavolence. Well, not so much stand as having already impaled one of you with a great iron shaft and about to try to eat the second in line...

Combat
Robin, like all redcaps tries to attack with surprise, attempts to kill spellcasters first using thrown weapons and then closes for the kill.

Being of Legend: Robin is so reputed that if he is slain, his killers have 5 days to convince enough people that he is dead that his reputation states clearly that he is dead. If this is not the case, he will return in the ruins of Hermitage Castle at the end of the fifth night.

Bully the Soul [Su]: Robin Redcap is terrifying. This cannot be understated; such is his mastery of fear that an attempt to defy him can cause most men to grow feeble and die for fear of his retribution. As a Full action, Robin can issue a command, along with a threat so vile that it chills the soul. The target must make a Will save, DC 22 [Cha based, includes Unnerving Continence], or be struck with a Geas. The geas compels them to obey Robin's last command to them. Failure to comply for more and a day deals 1 Mental Wound to the target per day, to a maximum of 4 Wounds [half Robin's HD].

Camouflage [Ex/Su]: When within hilly terrain, including ruins located on them, Robin may Hide, even if he doesn't have Concealment: he also receives a Supernal +10 bonus on Hide checks (this bonus is included in his stats).

Cold Iron Draw [Su]: As a Free action, Robin may reach into an adjacent shadow and draw out a weapon or tool of their choice made of Cold Iron. The only limit is that this item must be of a single unbroken piece of iron, so no moving parts or chains. No-one is sure how the goblins are able to do this or why they are able to produce something that verges on the civilised but it makes them no friends amongst the other fæ, many of whom find the material to be toxic.

Dissolve: When slain, a Redcap breaks up into a stinking pile of soiled clothes, broken teeth, blood and tears.

Human Form [Su]: Like all Heritors of Robin-hood, Robin Redcap can adopt human form. When he does so, he resembles a rough looking man of around 40 with haggard features and eyes that look like they have been constantly crying blood. He is able to function normally, though should he don his Redcap, he basically reverts to his true form.

Marked Man [Su]: As long as he has smelled your blood, a Redcap can track you from the Hedge, gaining a +10 bonus on Search and Survival checks to do so. He loses the memory of your scent if you can avoid him for 3 days.

Momentous Luck [Su]: Robin Redcap has almost unparalleled fortune, though not as strong as say, Puck. He benefits from 6 Fortune points per encounter and may spend them as follows:
{table]Fortune: |Effect:
1 |+3 to Attack, Damage, Skill or Ability check
1 |Double area or duration of a spell like ability or increase dice size by one
2 |Auto-confirm a critical hit
3 |Make an extra Standard action this round[/table]

Rage [Ex]: Robin, even before acquiring his disgusting hat of empowerment, was skilled at letting loose. In a Rage, he gains +4 to both Strenth and Constitution, a +2 bonus on Will saves and take a -2 penalty to Defence.

Redcap [Su]: Robin's Redcap is a Fæ-craft item. While it is both soaked in blood and worn, it grants the wearer the effects of Frenzy. This means a +6 bonus to Strength, an extra attack per round, immunity to emotional manipulation, charm and compulsion, Immunity to the effects of Subdual damage, -4 Defence and deals 2 Subdual to the wearer every round. Additionally, while it is worn, the Redcap may remain in a state of Rage for as long as he chooses.

If the cap is removed, all the effects of the Subdual damage accrued comes into effect instantly. Redcaps don't usually don their hats, which they keep in bladders of blood, until they have snuck close to their prey.

Tweening: Robin can freely tween through dusk/dawn, physical boundaries, the space beneath and shadows.

MV Version:

Spoiler

Show

Medium Fæ Beast 3 Brute 6 CP 15
Init: + 5 , Senses: Listen + 2 , Spot +2
Languages: Bad English, Gaelic

---

3
Defence: 16 Flatfooted: 9 Uncanny Dodge + Improved Uncanny Dodge
Hardness: DR 19/Natural
HD: 3d10 + 6d12 + 63 + 24 Hp: 143 [123 if Rage is lost]
Massive Damage: 24
Thresholds: Green, [ 71/61 ] Yellow, [35/30 ] Orange, [ 14/12 ] Red
Resist: Immune: Charm and Compulsion
Fort: + 21 Reflex: + 8 Will: + 11 Psyche: 34

---

3
Speed: 50ft Space: 5 ft Reach: 5 ft
Ranged: +21/+21 [or +16/+16/+16] Pike (1d10+12, x3, Range 20ft)

Melee: +21/+21 [or +16/+16/+16] Pike (1d10+18, x3)
AND +16/+16 [+11/+11/+11/+11] Iron Shoes (1d4+6, x2, +4 damage vs Prone target)

BAB: + 9 Grapple: +21
Special Actions: Brutal [Once per encounter; auto-succeed on a Combat Manoeuvre],
Guided Shot [Swift action; ranged attacks made this round ignore cover [not total] and range penalties to hit],
Intimidating Strike [Standard; Make attack with -1 to -7 penalty. If attack hits, make free Intimidate check against target with bonus equal to penalty taken.],
Sneak Attack +1d6 [Against Flatfooted or Flanked foe, deal +1d6 precision damage]

---

3
Abilities: Str: 34/+12 Dex: 8/-1 Con: 24/+7 Int: 15/+2 Wis: 17/+3 Cha: 16/+3
SQ: Camouflage, Tweening

Feats: Brutal Throw [Strength on thrown attacks], Close Quarter Fighting [May always make an AoO to prevent a Grapple, even against Improved Grapple and Improved Grab or when Flatfooted.]^CW, Epic Reputation^B, Intimidating Strike, Quickdraw, Stealthy, Track, Unnerving Continence [-3 on friendly Social Skill checks, +5 on hostile/fear-based Social checks]^SA

Skills: Bluff +12, Hide +15, Gather Information +12, Intimidate +31, Manipulate +4/12, Move Silently +10, Spot +10, Survival +14 [+18 while in Hedge, +24/28 when hunting by blood scent]

Possessions: Iron Shoes. Can produce a near limitless supply of Pikes and other Iron weapons

---

3
Special Abilities:
Being of Legend: Robin is so reputed that if he is slain, his killers have 5 days to convince enough people that he is dead that his reputation states clearly that he is dead. If this is not the case, he will return in the ruins of Hermitage Castle at the end of the fifth night.

Bully the Soul [Su]: Robin Redcap is terrifying. This cannot be understated; such is his mastery of fear that an attempt to defy him can cause most men to grow feeble and die for fear of his retribution. As a Full action, Robin can issue a command, along with a threat so vile that it chills the soul. The target must make a Will save, DC 22 [Cha based, includes Unnerving Continence], or be struck with a Geas. The geas compels them to obey Robin's last command to them. Failure to comply for more and a day deals 1 Mental Wound to the target per day, to a maximum of 4 Wounds [half Robin's HD].

Camouflage [Ex/Su]: When within hilly terrain, including ruins located on them, Robin may Hide, even if he doesn't have Concealment: he also receives a Supernal +10 bonus on Hide checks (this bonus is included in his stats).

Cold Iron Draw [Su]: As a Free action, Robin may reach into an adjacent shadow and draw out a weapon or tool of their choice made of Cold Iron. The only limit is that this item must be of a single unbroken piece of iron, so no moving parts or chains. No-one is sure how the goblins are able to do this or why they are able to produce something that verges on the civilised but it makes them no friends amongst the other fæ, many of whom find the material to be toxic.

Dissolve: When slain, a Redcap breaks up into a stinking pile of soiled clothes, broken teeth, blood and tears.

Human Form [Su]: Like all Heritors of Robin-hood, Robin Redcap can adopt human form. When he does so, he resembles a rough looking man of around 40 with haggard features and eyes that look like they have been constantly crying blood. He is able to function normally, though should he don his Redcap, he basically reverts to his true form.

Marked Man [Su]: As long as he has smelled your blood, a Redcap can track you from the Hedge, gaining a +10 bonus on Search and Survival checks to do so. He loses the memory of your scent if you can avoid him for 3 days.

Momentous Luck [Su]: Robin Redcap has almost unparalleled fortune, though not as strong as say, Puck. He benefits from 6 Fortune points per encounter and may spend them as follows:
{table]Fortune: |Effect:
1 |+3 to Attack, Damage, Skill or Ability check
1 |Double area or duration of a spell like ability or increase dice size by one
2 |Auto-confirm a critical hit
3 |Make an extra Standard action this round[/table]

Rage [Ex]: Robin, even before acquiring his disgusting hat of empowerment, was skilled at letting loose. In a Rage, he gains +4 to both Strenth and Constitution, a +2 bonus on Will saves and take a -2 penalty to Defence.

Redcap [Su]: Robin's Redcap is a Fæ-craft item. While it is both soaked in blood and worn, it grants the wearer the effects of Frenzy. This means a +6 bonus to Strength, an extra attack per round, immunity to emotional manipulation, charm and compulsion, Immunity to the effects of Subdual damage, -4 Defence and deals 2 Subdual to the wearer every round. Additionally, while it is worn, the Redcap may remain in a state of Rage for as long as he chooses.

If the cap is removed, all the effects of the Subdual damage accrued comes into effect instantly. Redcaps don't usually don their hats, which they keep in bladders of blood, until they have snuck close to their prey.

Tweening: Robin can freely tween through dusk/dawn, physical boundaries, the space beneath and shadows.

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

Any material presented inside Spoilers listed as "MV Versions", along with all pictures above, are Copyright under the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License. All other text and game materials are free to use under the terms of the OGL and are designated Open Content.

[The Tygre]

Live or die,
Win or lose,
You won't beat me,
I'm Iron Shoes!

Love Border Goblins.

[Mulletmanalive]

Is there a third hellboy cartoon i've not heard about or is that a screen from Full Metal Alchemist or something?

[The Tygre]

It was an animated special on the Blood and Iron DVD. I really need to go buy those movies...