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Alright. So I wanted to do more monsters, to polish up my skills and because I haven't done any in a long time. And the inspiration here is multi-fold.
1) Paizo's Pathfinder Chronicles line has really sweet monsters in it.
That explains the genesis of the whole "Pathfinder Bestiary" project - it'll be a place for me to post monsters with flavor from Paizo's campaign setting. As for the first entry:
2) In module J1: Entombed with the Pharoahs, there's mention of the "Dwellers in Darkness", strange beings from outer space that have manipulated civilization.
3) One of Paizo's RPG Superstar entries paid lip service to the Dwellers in Darkness as "crustacean cephalopods".
This got me thinking. Dwellers in darkness = mi-go. Simple! And since
4) I've always wanted to do a mind flayer replacement
we come to this.
Dweller in Darkness This horrible thing appears as a nightmarish hybrid of crustacean and fungus. Its head is mostly crab-like elements with a hint of nautilus, all tendrils and antennae before bulging, milky eyes. The body is roughly barrel-shaped and asymmetrical, with cancerous lumps growing from beneath cracks in its smooth grayish-red chitin. Six long legs with myriad joints are support it, each ending in three grooved claws. An overlong tail coils around and behind it, tipped in a five pronged stylet that quivers with malign anticipation. Membranous wings fold over its back, and sickly phosphorescence exudes irregularly from its body.
Dweller in Darkness CR 8
Usually NE Medium aberration (extraplanar)
Init +5; Senses blindsight 300 ft, darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; Listen +4, Spot +4 Aura sickly glow (30 ft radius, DC 21) Defense AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 17
(+5 Dex, +7 natural) hp 82 (11d8+33) Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +11 Defensive Abilities internal derangement, no breath; Immune cold, fire, inhaled poisons, gases and diseases; SR 20; Vulnerability light, light sensitivity Offense Spd 30 ft; fly 100 ft (average) Melee tail +13 melee (1d8+2) and four claws +11 melee (1d4+1) Ranged sickly beam +13 ranged touch (exhaustion) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft (10 ft with tail) Special Attacks extract brain, improved grab Spell-like Abilities (CL 11th)
At will—suggestion (DC 19)
3/day—deeper darkness, quickened shield
1/day—charm monster (DC 20), mind fog (DC 21), nightmare (DC 21), plane shift (DC 23) Tactics Before Combat A dweller in darkness expecting combat always fights in an area under the effects of deeper darkness and mind fog, where its blindsight and spell-like abilities will be most useful. It will have its sickly glow active. During Combat A dweller in darkness begins by casting a quickened shield, then charming the member of the party it deems to be most susceptible (usually a fighter or rogue-type). It then uses this charmed ally to distract its foes. It uses suggestion to break up formations, send enemies running or make them shed their armor. If it has room to maneuver, a dweller in darkness makes Flyby Attacks in the hopes of grappling a knowledgeable wizard or cleric and extracting their brain for further study. Morale Dwellers in darkness are cowardly. They flee if reduced to 30 hp, either by flight or (if circumstances are truly dire) by plane shifting back to the Dominions of the Black. Statistics Str 15, Dex 21, Con 17, Int 22, Wis 18, Cha 22 Base Atk +8; Grp +14 Feats Flyby Attack, Improved Grapple (B), Multiattack, Quicken Spell-like Ability (shield), Weapon Finesse Skills Bluff +20, Concentration +17, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +20 (+22 acting), Hide +19, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, planes) +20, Move Silently +19 Languages Common, Draconic, Mi-go, Undercommon, telepathy 300ft Ecology Environment Any (Dominions of the Black) Organization solitary, cult (2-5) or flight (6-12) Treasure no coins, standard goods, double items Advancement 12-22 HD (Medium), 13-33 HD (Large) or by character class Level Adjustment—
Special Abilities Extract Brain (Ex) A dweller in darkness can remove a pinned opponent’s brain with the clever blades tipping its tail as a standard action. The pinned foe must make a DC 17 Fortitude save or have its brain removed; on a successful save, the victim takes 1d4 points of Intelligence drain from the trauma. A creature whose brain is removed is effectively dead, unless it does not require a brain (such as an undead) or has multiple heads. The brain itself is still, horrifyingly, alive; it is engulfed by the hollow within the dweller in darkness’ tail and preserved in an oily secretion for up to a week before it finally dies. The save DC is Strength based.
Improved Grab (Ex) In order to use this ability, a dweller in darkness must hit a Large or smaller opponent with its tail attack. It can then make a grapple check as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it pins its opponent, it may then try to extract the opponent’s brain.
Internal Derangement (Ex) Although a dweller in darkness has vital organs, they correspond to those of no sane being. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored against a dweller in darkness, there is a 50% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and the damage is instead rolled normally. Dwellers in darkness are also immune to effects dealt by bleeding, such as the ability damage caused by a weapon with the wounding special quality.
Light Sensitivity (Ex) Although they do not rely on such primitive senses as sight, the dwellers in darkness are irritated by light. A dweller in darkness is dazzled in bright light or within the radius of a daylight spell.
No Breath (Ex) A dweller in darkness does not breathe, and is therefore immune to inhaled poisons, gases and diseases.
Sickly Beam (Su) At will as a standard action, a dweller in darkness may concentrate its sickly glow into a greenish beam with a range of 150 ft (no range increment). A creature struck by this beam must make a DC 21 Fortitude save or be exhausted for one minute; a creature that passes the save is fatigued. A creature already fatigued that becomes fatigues by the sickly beam instead becomes exhausted. A dweller in darkness loses its sickly glow in the round it fires a sickly beam. The save DC is Charisma based.
Sickly Glow (Su) The phosphorescent glow of a dweller in darkness wearies the hearts of living creatures; all living creatures caught within a 30 ft radius of a glowing dweller in darkness must make a DC 21 Fortitude save or be fatigued for one minute. A creature that successfully saves against this effect is immune to the sickly glow of that dweller in darkness for 24 hours. This glow generates no real illumination, but can be faintly seen even through magical darkness. The save DC is Charisma based.
Vulnerability to Light (Ex) Searing light and light based spells deal damage to a dweller in darkness as if it were undead. Light-based spells and effects that do not do extra damage to the undead deal 150% damage to a dweller in darkness.
Fantastically alien and unspeakably cruel are the dwellers in darkness. They call themselves “mi-go”, and they strive insatiably for dark knowledge of the workings of the multiverse. A dweller in darkness is about fifteen feet long—the vast majority of this length is in their coiling tails—with a wingspan of fifteen to twenty feet. When standing on its clawed limbs, a dweller in darkness stands between five and six feet high. They weigh between 100 and 200 pounds.
Ecology
The mi-go do not appear to require physical sustenance; the mere act of accumulating knowledge seems to be all that they require. Although they are telepathic, and usually use this form of communication with lesser beings, some dwellers in darkness seem to pride themselves on being able to learn the languages of men and monsters of Golarion, speaking in tinny, buzzing voices. The mi-go’s own language is a sort of semaphore conducted via their phosphorescence. Their relationships with other alien creatures is unknown; some sages speculate that the dwellers in darkness fly into the depths of the sea to commune with the aboleths, and others claim that the man-like denizens of Leng are either their greatest allies or their scheming rivals. What is generally agreed upon, however, is that the mi-go’s greatest enemy are the strange and skeletal shining children, whose very presence burns their flesh.
Habitat and Society
The dwellers in darkness are native to a realm they call “The Dominions of the Black”, which may be another planet, another plane, or the darkness between the stars. They view Golarion as merely a laboratory, manipulating its denizens to glean unknowable secrets before extracting their brains for further study. Those that learn of the plots of the dwellers in darkness are pursued insatiably, subjected to nightmares and other tortures before finally being slain and their brains harvested. They are adept at disguising themselves through both magical and mundane means as ordinary mortals to further their plots.
The dwellers in darkness are generally cooperative among one another, with all members of a cult or flight deferring to the most intelligent member, often a wizard. However, all the individuals in a flight of dwellers in darkness may have their own agendas behind the surface, engaging in long-term plots to gain intellectual advantage over their fellows.
Dwellers in Darkness with Class Levels
Some dwellers in darkness advance by character class, rather than merely growing in size and physical power. These mi-go generally prefer the path of wizardry or sorcery, allowing them greater study of the mysteries of arcane magic. Mi-go wizards rarely specialize, preferring to not exclude any schools of magic from their research. Some dwellers in darkness are known to become clerics, worshiping strange and obscure gods the ken of which is (thankfully) known to no mortal.
Treasure
The dwellers in darkness crave exotic magical and technological items, and will collect them from charmed or slain foes to study. Mi-go wizards are also known for their own mastery of magical craft, often creating items using magic of multiple schools. Two items favored by the dwellers in darkness are detailed below.
Arcturn Mist Projector
Aura Moderate evocation; CL 10th Slot— Price 24,000 gp Description
This thick rod is about two feet long, and made from transparent quartz. Through the quartz, a roiling column of purple gas can be seen. This item was made by the dwellers in darkness to simulate and weaponize the caustic and freezing atmosphere of Arcturn, a ringed planet in Golarion’s solar system. When activated as a standard action, the Arcturn mist projector fires a 120 ft line of purple mist; all creatures in the area must make a DC 19 Reflex save or take 5d6 points of cold damage and 5d6 points of acid damage; creatures that save successfully take half damage.
An Arcturn mist projector functions three times per day. It only works in the claws of a dweller in darkness—any other creature that attempts to use it must make a DC 25 Use Magic Device check. Construction Requirements Craft Rod, must be a dweller in darkness, acid arrow, cone of cold Cost 12,000 gp, 960 xp.
Brain Canister
Aura Moderate necromancy and divination; CL 9th Slot—, Price 7,500 gp Description
This item takes on the form of an opaque metal canister filled with thick translucent syrup and labeled (when in use) with the name and notes on the victim encased within it. The dwellers in darkness use these canisters to hold stolen brains, which remain preserved as per a gentle repose spell and alive forever. A brain in one of these canisters may take no action, not even mental ones, but may be communicated with by any creature with telepathy. The brain is in no way obligated to cooperate, although skills and mind-influencing effects may be used to foster communication. Being encased in a brain canister is a harrowing experience; a body returned to its brain may be brought back to life with a raise dead spell (regardless of the age of the corpse), but the brain must make a DC 19 Will save or be rendered permanently insane (as the spell). A brain canister can be used but once—if the brain is removed, the magic is expended and the canister becomes worthless. Construction Requirements Brew Potion, Craft Wondrous Item, gentle repose, telepathic bond Cost 3750 gp, 300 xp
Copyright 2008 Nicholas Herold. The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting is copyright 2008 Paizo Publishing.
Demiurge out.
Edit: The Pathfinder Community Use stuff is out! So I figure I should get involved, register, etc, right?
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Lizard, Horned Spirestalker This lizard is the size of a bison, with a thick tail and a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth. Horns and spines grow from its skull and back, their vivid green color contrasting with the dull brown of its scales.
Lizard, Horned Spirestalker CR 3
Always N Large animal
Init +1; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +4, Spot +4 Defense AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 15
(-1 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural) hp 32 (5d8+10) Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2 Offense Spd 40ft, climb 40ft, expert climber Melee gore +9 melee (1d8+6 plus disease) and bite +3 melee (1d6+3) Space 10ft; Reach 5ft Tactics Before Combat Horned spirestalkers prefer to strike at prey from higher ground, using their amazing climbing ability to get the drop on prey. They prefer to attack lone individuals rather than heavily armed groups. During Combat A horned spirestalker maintains higher ground at every opportunity, seeking to gore its prey to death. Morale Horned spirestalkers retreat when reduced to half hit points but try to remain close, so as to pick up the scent of an opponent succumbing to their disease. Statistics Abilities Str 22, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 15, Cha 5 Base Attack +3; Grp +11 Feats Track, Weapon Focus (gore) Skills Climb +22, Listen +4, Spot +4, Survival +6 (+10 when tracking by scent) Ecology Environment Warm and temperate deserts Organization solitary, pair or mating scrum (2-10 plus one advanced 10 HD horned spirestalker) Treasure none Advancement 6-15 HD (Large) Level Adjustment—
Special Abilities Disease (Ex) Tiny portions of coral break off of the horns of a horned spirestalker whenever they strike an opponent. Creeping coral sickness: Fortitude save DC 14 negates, incubation 1 day. Damage 1d4 Dexterity. The save DC is Constitution based. Horned spirestalkers are immune to this disease.
Expert Climber (Ex) The unique physiology of gecko feet allow horned spirestalkers to climb any surface, no matter how slick or sheer. In effect, they are treated as constantly being under a natural version of the spider climb spell. This ability also provides them with an additional +8 bonus on Climb check, which stacks with their racial bonus.
Photosynthesis (Ex) The symbiosis between horned spirestalkers and their coral horns provides the lizards with most of their nutrition. A horned spirestalker does not require food on any day in which it receives at least two hours of natural sunlight. It still requires the ordinary amount of water for a Large quadruped.
Skills Horned spirestalkers have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. They can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. A horned spirestalker also gains a +4 racial bonus on any Survival check made to follow a trail by scent.
Even larger relatives of the Varisian giant gecko, horned spirestalkers are desert lizards that share an unusual symbiotic relationship with a species of bloodthirsty coral. A horned spirestalker generally grows to nine feet long, but breeding females are much larger—up to fifteen feet long in some specimens. Their horns may reach a span of five feet.
Ecology
Horned spirestalkers dwell in the desolate reaches of the Storval Plateau, where food is scarce, and as such have entered a bizarre tri-part symbiosis with a species of desert coral and the algae that lives within the coral. This coral, unlike most unassuming members of its kind, requires blood on which to live, but still carries in it photosynthetic algae. The horned spirestalker feeds the coral on its own blood, while the algae provides the lizard with sugars. The coral and algae both benefit from increased protection from desperate grazers by growing from the horned spirestalker’s skull and vertebrae.
The coral is so bloodthirsty that bits of it that break off in the flesh of those gored by a horned spirestalker will grow virulently in their new host. Unlike the horned spirestalker, whose blood can control the growth of the coral, other animals and humanoids are overtaken, constricted under the weight of the coral growing from their skeletons until they collapse and die of thirst or suffocation. Horned spirestalkers use this to their advantage, goring a foe and retreating up a sheer plateau wall, then tracking down the poor afflicted victim and feasting on their helpless form days later.
Horned spirestalkers rarely need to eat—thanks to the sugars provided by the algae that grows in their horns—but do take meat on occasion, especially during the mating season. Then, the ordinarily solitary horned spirestalker males gather in great scrums around a giant breeding female. The males feed on meat in order to have more energy for their brutal fights, which sometimes leave piles of dead lizards in their wake. Horned spirestalker females lay clutches of up to fifty eggs, the majority of which are male, and guard these eggs .
Horned Spirestalkers and the Shoanti
The Shoanti people respect the horned spirestalker, and treat them with the same respect as they do any other large predator. The Shoanti use horned spirestalkers to make their klars, a combination weapon and shield derived from their boxy skulls; since horned spirestalkers are so dangerous, most of these skulls are collected from scavenging the victims of a mating scrum. Some families of the Spire clan consider them totem animals, and the initiation ceremony for achieving adulthood in these families culminates in the killing blow dealt to a horned spirestalker. These great ritual hunts may last upwards of a week. In these tribes, medicine men and shamans know how to brew a salve from the horned spirestalker’s own blood useful in treating the creeping coral sickness.
Coral Salve
Applying this sticky red paste to the skin of a victim of creeping coral sickness grants them a +4 bonus on any saving throws made to resist that disease’s effects for the next 24 hours. Prerequisites Craft: alchemy DC 20 Cost 20 gp
Copyright 2008 Nicholas Herold. The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting is copyright 2008 Paizo Publishing.
These are very nice! Any chance of the gray dragon mentioned in Pathfinder #4?
The unstatted dragons from Pathfinder 4 are indeed very tempting. I've never written up a true dragon, though - that'd take some doing. And there's a few more rattling around in my skull that I want to get to first.
Bring me in! I wanna see what's gonna come out of this thread. I wonder if we can suggest the various homebrewed monsters to Paizo, such as those in the new and interesting dragons thread?
__________________ Visit my Sardior and the Gem Dragons group at community.wizards.com/sardior
Caustic Drake This creature resembles an enormous snake with the head of a dragon and piercing yellow eyes. Its body is covered in overlapping green and grey scales, and its tail ends in a fan-like fin. Its two short arms bear webbed claws.
Caustic Drake CR 7
Usually NE Large Dragon (Aquatic) Init +5, Senses darkvision 60ft, low-light vision, Listen +14, scent, Spot +14 Defense AC 23, touch 10, flat-footed 22
(-1 size, +1 Dex, +13 natural) hp 85 (9d12+27) Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +6 Immune acid, paralysis, sleep DR 5/magic Offense Spd 30ft, swim 50ft Melee bite +13 (2d6+5 plus 1d6 acid, 19-20x2) and 2 claws +8 melee (1d4+2) Ranged caustic spittle +9 ranged touch (3d6 plus entangle) Space 10ft Reach 5ft (10ft with bite) Special attacks Caustic spittle Spell-like abilities CL 9th
At will—speak with animals, speak with plants
3/day—speak with dead (DC 16), suggestion (DC 16) Tactics Before Combat If it knows trouble is coming, a caustic drake uses its speak with spell-like abilities to gather information about its opposition. They prefer to attack from hiding, from the water, and with numbers of disposable minions at their beck and call During Combat A caustic drake usually opens combat with its caustic spittle, targeting an obvious spellcaster if it can. It prefers to use its suggestions on heavily armored opponents, forcing them to take off their armor or go for a swim. Morale Cowards at heart, caustic drakes will flee if reduced to half of its hit points. If cornered, they will begrudgingly fight to the death. Statistics Abilities Str 20, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 16 Base Attack +9; Grp +18 Feats Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot Skills Bluff +15, Diplomacy +17, Disguise +3 (+5 acting), Hide +9, Intimidate +17, Listen +14, Move Silently +13, Spot +14, Survival +14, Swim +13 Languages Boggard, Common, Draconic, tongues SQ amphibious Ecology Environment Warm and temperate marshes Organization Solitary, grudge (2-3) or kingdom (1 plus 2-12 boggards or lizardfolk) Treasure double standard Advancement 10-18 HD (Large), 19-27 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment—
Special Abilities Caustic Spittle (Su) As a standard action once every 1d4+1 rounds, a caustic drake can spit a bolus of sticky acid at a range of 100 feet with no range increment. A creature struck by this attack takes 3d6 points of acid damage and is entangled for the next three rounds. During this period, on the caustic drake’s turn, the victim takes an additional 1d6 acid damage. The acid damage from multiple caustic spittle attacks stacks, but the entanglement does not. A pint of alcohol washes off the spittle before the duration expires.
Tongues (Sp) A caustic drake is affected at all times as if by the tongues spell. This effect can be dispelled, but the drake can create it again as a free action on its turn.
Skills A caustic drake has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The most intelligent and cunning of the drake species, caustic drakes are petty tyrants that take over primitive tribes of humanoids in order to collect tribute and attention. The average caustic drake is about fifteen feet long and weighs half a ton, but they can grow much larger.
Ecology
Carnivores, caustic drakes will eat anything that creeps, crawls or swims in the muddy waters they call home. They prefer not to do their own hunting, either relying on bullied servitors to do all the hard work, or stealing kills from other swamp predators such as manticores, hydras and trolls. True dragons despise them as they do all drakes, and will gladly kill them if they get the chance. As such, caustic drakes are smart enough to avoid the attentions of dragons at all costs, avoiding their territories and abandoning their schemes if a dragon gets involved.
Habitat and Society
Caustic drakes are amphibious, and prefer to lair beneath the water’s surface, where they know many of their enemies are at a disadvantage. Their dens tend to be labyrinthine complexes of muddy tunnels, which the serpentine drakes can navigate with ease. In the center of these mazes, it is said, lay great riches.
The preferred society of a caustic drake is as the leader of a tribe of savage humanoids. Due to their habitat, they prefer boggards and lizardfolk, but orcs, swamp goblins and even primitive human tribes are all worthy of their attentions. A caustic drake will generally infiltrate a tribe with charm and tact rather than brute force, using honeyed words, promises of riches and a few carefully placed suggestions to carve out a niche as a tribe’s adviser, ruler or even god. Once it has a tribe under its control, the caustic drake will use them to fatten its belly and coffers, rewarding the people who serve it just enough to avoid rebellion.
Caustic drakes are inherently social creatures, but their arrogance and cruelty means that they despise each others’ company. Caustic drakes will only work together on controlling especially large and powerful groups of humanoids, and these associations are generally rife with in-fighting and power plays. Caustic drakes are poor parents, generally laying their eggs in a hard-to-reach location and abandoning them.
Copyright 2008 Nicholas Herold. The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting is copyright 2008 Paizo Publishing.
I'm a little unsure of the CR of these guys. Although their AC is low and so are their hit points, they're really really fast, putting them out of reach of a lot of attackers, and have good defensive abilities to boot. I could easily be convinced to elevate them to a CR 8. What do you think?
Lightning Drake In the blink of an eye, it appears. A biped, it runs on muscular legs with a long stiff tail stretched behind it. Its neck is long, and its head is mostly mouth, with two rows of long teeth. The creature has wings, but they have atrophied into little more than stumps. Its scales are dappled yellow and brown. The air around it crackles palpably with electricity.
Lightning Drake CR 8
Usually CE Large Dragon (Electricity)
Init +4 Senses darkvision 60ft, Listen +10, low-light vision, Spot +10 Defense AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 14, Dodge, Mobility, 20% miss chance for ranged attacks
(-1 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural) hp 82 (11d12+11) Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +9 Defensive Abilities electric body, lightning shield; Immune electricity, paralysis, sleep Vulnerability rapid metabolism Offense Spd 90ft Melee bite +16 (1d8+9 plus 1d6 electricity plus stun) Space 10ft; Reach 10ft Morale Before Combat A lightning drake prefers to attack from ambush, trying to sneak close to prey before being spotted. During Combat Lightning drakes make hit and run attacks against the target with the least armor, hoping to stun it quickly. If multiple lightning drakes are present, they will split up their attacks until one opponent is stunned, and then gang up on the defenseless victim. Morale Lightning drakes are ferocious, but not too stupid to run. They retreat if reduced to less than 15 hit points, relying on their speed to leave difficult prey far behind. Statistics Abilities Str 22, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 13 Base Attack +11; Grapple +21 Feats Ability Focus (stunning bite), Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack Skills Balance +18, Hide +8*, Jump +44, Listen +10, Move Silently +12, Spot +10, Tumble +18 Languages Draconic Ecology Environment Warm plains Organization Solitary or pair Treasure none (but see below) Advancement 12-22 HD (Large), 23-28 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment— Special Abilities Electric Body (Su) A creature striking a lightning drake with a melee weapon must make a DC 16 Reflex save or take 2d6 electricity damage from the charge that constantly surrounds it. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. Creatures striking a lightning drake with a metal weapon take a -2 penalty to this save. The save DC is Constitution based.
Lightning Shield (Su) Any ranged attack targeting a lightning drake suffers a 20% miss chance, as per the entropic shield spell. Effects that work at a distance, like area of effect spells, do not suffer this penalty.
Rapid Metabolism (Ex) A lightning drake requires three times the food and water as a normal creature its size, or else it begins to starve or dehydrate. In addition, lightning drakes suffer the secondary damage of a poison 1 round after exposure instead of 1 minute. The incubation period for any disease infecting a lightning drake is 1 round, and a lightning drake must make saves to avoid taking damage every hour instead of every day.
Stunning Bite (Su) A creature bitten by a lightning drake must make a DC 18 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1d3 rounds. The save DC is Constitution based.
Skills A lightning drake gains a +4 racial bonus on all Balance, Jump and Tumble checks.
*A lightning drake gains a +8 racial bonus to all Hide checks made in tall grass or heavy undergrowth.
Fast and voracious predators, lightning drakes are a scourge on the environment, despised by true dragons and druids alike. A lightning drake is fifteen feet long on average, with half of that length their stiff tail. They are light for their size, weighing 400 pounds.
Ecology
Lightning drakes are strict carnivores. Although they are skilled at ambush, they often rely on their incredible speed to run down fleeing prey. Their wings, seemingly useless, are in fact very useful, acting as stabilizers while the drake is running and creating lift to aid their jumps.
Although a lightning drake will kill and eat just about anything larger than a rat, they prefer big game. This often puts them in conflict with humanoids, as both livestock and humanoids themselves fall into this range. Their rapid metabolism makes them unwelcome additions to the savannas they inhabit; lightning drakes either kill and eat or chase away other predators, destroy populations of herbivores and drink water holes dry before moving on to a new territory to ravage.
Lightning drakes have no natural enemies, but plenty of unnatural ones. Dragons, ashamed because of their rumored connections to the blasphemous and blood-polluting grey dragons, view them as dangerous vermin, and exterminate them as they do all drakes. Druids consider lightning drakes a blight on the landscape, and do their best to kill them to protect ecosystems. They compete with gnolls for food resources, and gnolls hate lightning drakes because they have a nasty tendency to eat their slaves before the gnolls get a chance to.
Habitat and Society
Lightning drakes live in warm plains and savannas, although these places tend to desertify in the wake of a traveling lightning drake. Their constant hunger means that they usually view other lightning drakes as competition rather than partners, although if hunting is especially rich they may travel in pairs. They are not caring parents, but they hardly have to be. A lightning drake hatchling is already ready to run, and grows to full maturity in about 8 months. Their exhausting lifestyle leads to a short lifespan; most die by five years of age, and ten year old lightning drakes are very rare specimens (and may be greatly advanced in Hit Dice).
Lightning drakes are too stupid for a complex society—they tend to think like an animal predator, albeit an especially cunning and dangerous one. The closest they come to culture is a vague veneration of The Kill, and they are known to say a quick prayer before eating. Their faith is enough to make them occasional allies of more intelligent evil clerics, especially those that follow Rovagug and Lamashtu, whose dominion over destruction and monsters appeals to these dim creatures. A cult of one of these evil gods gains a powerful ally indeed in a lightning drake, albeit one that requires a lot of investment in food and water.
The Lightning Heart
The heart of a lightning drake crackles with electricity, and it can invest one that eats it with a temporary echo of the lightning drake’s power. If the heart of a living lightning drake is torn from the creature (on a successful coup de grace) and consumed within one round, it grants the one that eats it the benefits of a haste spell for the next 24 hours. During this period, the user of the lightning heart has the rapid metabolism quality of the lightning drake, and when the duration elapses, must make a DC 16 Fortitude save or be exhausted, regardless of how much sleep she has received.
A lightning heart can be preserved with a gentle repose spell and will sell for 3,000 gp. Many good communities find this practice distasteful, but their sale is rarely banned.
Copyright 2008 Nicholas Herold. The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting is copyright 2008 Paizo Publishing.
Frost Drake Swooping down from the sky is a dragon-like creature covered in a thick coat of white fur, although scales the color of old bone show through. A long tongue laps eagerly within its toothed beak. Its tail snaps, flinging jagged quills dripping with a pale blue liquid.
Frost Drake CR 5
Usually LE Medium Dragon (Cold)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60ft, Listen +10, low-light vision, Spot +10 Defense AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14
(+4 Dex, +4 natural) hp 57 (6d12+18) Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +6 Immune cold, paralysis, sleep Vulnerability fire Offense Spd 20ft, fly 60ft (average) Melee bite +8 (1d6+2 plus 1d6 cold) and talons +3 (2d4+1) Ranged 3 ice shards +10 (1d4+2 plus fatigue) Special Attacks attach, blood drain Tactics Before Combat A lone frost drake prefers to attack lone individuals, but they are emboldened by numbers. Upon spotting a potential victim, frost drakes will stalk the unfortunate for hours, waiting to strike until the victim settles down to rest. During Combat Frost drakes maintain their distance from opponents, filling them with frosty shards before swooping in to drink their blood. They prefer to attach to opponents fatigued or exhausted by their initial volley. Morale Frost drakes know the value of retreat—they will flee if reduced to fifteen hit points, or if their opponents persist in fighting them with fire. The exception is an attached frost drake, which will not flee until it drinks its fill of blood or is slain. Statistics Abilities Str 14, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 11 Base Attack +6; Grapple +8 Feats Hover, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot Skills Hide +13*, Listen +10, Move Silently +13, Spot +10, Survival +10 Languages Draconic, Giant Ecology Environment Cold mountains and hills Organization Solitary, pair, flight (3-6) or brood (6-36) Treasure Half coins, double goods, standard items Advancement 7-12 HD (Medium), 13-18 HD (Large) Level Adjustment— Special Abilities Attach (Ex) A frost drake that hits an opponent with its bite attack latches on with its powerful jaws. An attached frost drake loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. It can be struck with weapons, or grappled itself. In order to remove an attached frost drake by grappling, the opponent must pin the frost drake.
Blood Drain (Ex) A frost drake deals 1d4 points of Constitution damage every round it remains attached, as it drinks the foe’s blood. A frost drake will drink 8 points of Constitution before willingly detaching to digest it. If a frost drake consumes more than 8 points of Constitution from a foe, it grows sluggish from the large meal and is treated as fatigued until it rests for eight hours.
Ice Shards (Ex) A frost drake can fire three ice shards from its tail as a standard action (each shard requires a separate attack roll). This attack has a range of 100 feet with no range increment. A creature struck by an ice shard must succeed a DC 16 Fortitude save or be fatigued for one hour. If a creature fails another save against the ice shards during this duration, it is instead exhausted for one hour. Additional failed saves reset the duration, but do not instill further penalties. Creatures that are immune to cold are immune to this fatigue. The save DC is Constitution based.
A frost drake can fire only eighteen ice shards in a 24 hour period.
Skills *A frost drake receives a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks made in ice or snow.
Vampires of the frozen north, frost drakes descend upon lone travelers and remote villages alike to slake their thirst for blood. A frost drake is about five feet long, with a wingspan of ten feet. Light, they weigh on average 50 pounds.
Ecology
Frost drakes are sanguivorous; they drink blood. They tend to feed on large mammals, such as mammoths, mountain aurochs and avalanche llamas, but will incorporate humanoids and giants into their diet as well. It is rumored that frost drakes prefer the blood of children, but this is unconfirmed—it would make sense, however, for the canny predators to focus on weaker targets. This is not to say that frost drakes feed solely on blood. If frost drakes kill a victim through blood loss, they will gladly eat its flesh, focusing on organs such as the heart and liver. They cannot process plant matter of any sort, and so kills of frost drakes are often recognizable by the stomach and intestines carefully torn from the carcass and discarded.
Being top predators, frost drakes are in competition with other carnivores of the icy climes they prefer, such as winter wolves and yetis. The rivalry between yeti and frost drakes exceeds that of simple competition, however; for reasons unknown both species will go out of their way to kill the others’ young, disrupt their ambushes, and raid each others’ treasures.
Habitat and Society
Frost drakes prefer ice and snow, as is suggested by their elemental affinities, and nest in remote, deep caves on mountains above the tree line. The most social of the drakes, frost drakes live in large groups, with several families living in association. Despite their cruelty, frost drakes are excellent parents and care for wounded or sick individuals, regurgitating blood for members of the family too weak to hunt.
The caves of frost drakes are perilous places; they are chosen for inaccessibility, and many are laden with pits and other crude traps. They also reek of ammonia—frost drakes urinate constantly due to their need to stay light and their all-liquid diet. Frost drakes love treasure, especially red gems, and take what they can carry into their caves.
Copyright 2008 Nicholas Herold. The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting is copyright 2008 Paizo Publishing.
The horned spirestalker was mentioned in Pathfinder #1 under "Gecko, Giant", as well as in the equipment list of both the Rise of the Runelords and Curse of the Crimson Throne Players' Guides.
The elemental drakes are mentioned in Pathfinder #4's article "Dragons of Golarion".
You have reviewed my sloppy work, and I still haven't reviewed yours? Shame on me!
Anyway, I think all your drakes are on mark, as for what concerns CR. I especially like the Lightning Drake, and I will be using it sometime in my games. As for the Dwellers in Darkness, well... creepy, and with a great Lovecraftian flavour to them.
Damn. The change to ENWorld v2 means that I can't edit thread titles! So there's no way to alert people to new updates. Hopefully, you guys see this.
Thunder Drake Massive and powerful, this draconic beast strides forwards on four powerful legs bound by the membranes of its wings, giving it an odd, scuttling gait. The thing has two heads bristling with horns, both of which snap and slaver and stare with milky eyes the size of shields. The creature is deathly pale in color, and is as tall as a house.
Thunder Drake CR 14
Usually N Gargantuan Dragon Init +4; Senses darkvision 120 feet, superior low-light vision, Listen +1, Spot +32 Defense AC 26, touch 6, flat-footed 26
(-4 size, +20 natural) hp 216 (16d12+112) Fort +17, Ref +10, Will +11 Immune paralysis, sonic, sleep DR 10/magic; SR 24 Offense Spd 30ft (6 sq), climb 30ft, fly 120ft (poor) Melee 2 bites +25 (3d6+12 plus 1d8 sonic) and 2 claws +19 melee (1d8+6) Special Attacks roar, thunderous rend Space 20ft; Reach 15ft (20ft with bites) Tactics Before Combat A thunder drake prefers to attack from ambush, swooping down on unsuspecting foes. During Combat A thunder drake opens with its roar, scattering and deafening the opposition. It then lands and engages in melee with the largest, most edible-looking opponent, tearing it apart with a thunderous rend. Morale Thunder drakes are stupid, but know when they are beaten. They flee if reduced to 30 or less hit points. Statistics Abilities Str 35, Dex 11, Con 24, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 7 Base Attack +16; Grapple +40 Feats Ability Focus (roar), Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Snatch, Weapon Focus (bite) Skills Climb +20, Hide +7, Move Silently +19, Spot +32 Languages Understands Draconic Ecology Environment Temperate mountains and underground Organization Solitary or pair Treasure Half standard Advancement 17-32 HD (Gargantuan), 33-48 HD (Colossal) Level Adjustment— Special Abilities Roar (Su) A thunder drake can roar as a standard action, shaking the very earth. All creatures within a 120 foot radius of a roaring thunder drake must succeed a DC 27 Fortitude save or be deafened and inflicted with pain for 1d4 minutes. This pain imposes a -4 penalty on all attack rolls, skill checks and ability checks, as per the symbol of pain spell. All creatures on the ground within 120 feet of a roaring thunder drake must also make a DC 27 Reflex save or be knocked prone. This is a sonic effect. The save DC is Constitution based.
Superior Low-Light Vision (Ex) A thunder drake can see five times as far as a human in dim light.
Thunderous Rend (Ex) When a thunder drake hits a single target with both bite attacks, it pulls the foe apart whilst rumbling, creating numbing vibrations in its enemy’s body. This deals an extra 6d6+18 damage and the foe must make a DC 25 Fortitude save or be stunned for one round. The save DC is Constitution based.
Skills Thunder drakes have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.
The largest and strongest of the drake species, thunder drakes are barely sapient creatures with little motivation other than constant hunger. These monsters are over forty feet long and weigh more than six tons.
Ecology
Whereas the other drakes are believed by draconic scholars to be the corruption of the blood of true wyrms by their distaff and neglected cousins the gray dragons, thunder drakes are rumored to be the hybrid descendants of gray dragons and non-draconic beasts, such as the sonic-using ythraks or the great leathery-winged reptiles of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. Thunder drakes do certainly have dull minds, but their massive size and hunger mean they are often the dominant predator wherever they lair, feeding on megafauna, giants and entire villages of humanoids. They are hunted in turn by true dragons, who find their very existence a grave insult, and adventurers, usually seeking to avenge the aforementioned villages of humanoids.
Habitat and Society
Their minds barely above the level of animal instinct, thunder drakes have little in the ways of a society. Their territories are large and well-maintained, and unless seized with the urge to mate (which occurs perhaps once every forty years), they will chase away other thunder drakes. A mating pair of thunder drakes will court and hunt together for upwards of one month before mating and going their separate ways—the hunts of a pair of thunder drakes include such prey as entire enclaves of stone giants or herds of mammoths. Thunder drakes have no parental care—eggs are hidden somewhere safe, then abandoned. Hatchlings can fly within minutes of their birth, and disperse rapidly. Unless killed by violence, a thunder drake can live upwards of five hundred years.
Thunder drakes are comfortable both above and below ground. In the Darklands, they lair in the largest of caverns and abysses, in order to have enough room to stretch their wings. Above ground, they prefer large caves as lairs, but prowl mountain slopes and soar over canyons to find food. They are nocturnal, using their immense eyes to pick out sleeping herds and the lights of travelers.
Treasure
Although thunder drakes are dim, they share the draconic lust for treasure. Any interesting trinket they don’t accidentally overlook and swallow gets dragged back to their lairs. In addition, the horn of a thunder drake can be used as a material component in the creation of a horn of blasting, a horn of fog or a horn of Valhalla—if so used, the price to create the magic item in question is halved.
Copyright 2008 Nicholas Herold. The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting is copyright 2008 Paizo Publishing.
Alright, this next one is sort of a weird area, conversions-wise. The book Classic Monsters Revisited has suggestions on variants of the monsters therein, with information on their statistics, but no full stat block.
This next one, the koblak, is the full statistics of a bugbear variant. I've followed directions pretty closely, although I've added some of my own flavor and a few abilities on top. Enjoy!
Koblak
This large goblin-like humanoid is hunched over and emaciated, although its arms and legs are taut with muscles. Its boar-like hide is grey and patchy, and its enormous eyes glow orange in the light
Koblak CR 6
Always NE Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60ft, Listen +0, low-light vision, scent, Scent of Fear, Spot +16 Defense AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 20
(+6 natural, +3 Dex, +4 masterwork hide shirt) hp 52 (8d8+16) Defensive Abilities gravetouched; Immune fear, mind-influencing effects DR 10/grave dirt (see gravetouched); Vulnerability gravetouched Offense Spd 30ft (6 squares) Melee masterwork scythe +11/+6 (2d4+6, x4) Ranged javelin +9 (1d6+4) Space 5ft; Reach 5ft Special Attacks master of fear Spell-like Abilities CL 8th
At will—clairaudience/clairvoyance, speak with dead (DC 16)
1/day—phantasmal killer (DC 17) Morale Before Combat A koblak never enters combat unprepared if it can help it, using its clairaudience/clairvoyance spell-like ability to scout out its opponents. During Combat A koblak savors its opponent’s fear, using its master of fear ability to weaken and scatter its foes. They use their phantasmal killer on the smallest, weakest-looking opponent, timing their magical assault to make the most dramatic impact Morale Koblaks have already died once, and tend not to believe it will happen again. They only flee if reduced to 10 or less hit points, or at half hit points if faced with opponents wielding weapons rubbed in grave dirt. Regardless, a wounded koblak will often hide a short distance away, using clairaudience/clairvoyance to track their enemies and murder them in their sleep. Statistics Str 18, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 17 Base Attack +6; Grapple +10 Feats Power Attack, Scent of Fear*, Skill Focus (Intimidate) Skills Hide +10 (+8 with ACP), Intimidate +17, Move Silently +10 (+8 with ACP), Spot +16 Languages Common, Goblin, Infernal SQ create spawn Ecology Environment Cold and temperate hills and forests Organization Solitary, gang (1 plus 2-8 bugbears) or haunting (1 plus 1-4 attic whisperers) Treasure Standard plus masterwork hide shirt and masterwork scythe Advancement By character class Level Adjustment +5 Special Abilities Create Spawn (Su) A child slain by a koblak rises as an attic whisperer (see Pathfinder #1) within 1 day of death. A koblak can control Hit Dice of attic whisperers up to 4 times its Hit Dice (or 32 HD, or 5 attic whisperers for an average koblak).
Gravetouched (Su) A koblak has been graced by the powers of death, and are invested with the power of undeath. A koblak is healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if it were undead. Koblaks also have damage reduction 10 against any weapon that has not been anointed with the dirt of a fresh grave; grave dirt takes a standard action to apply, and a weapon so coated retains its potency against a koblak for 24 hours.
Master of Fear (Ex) A koblak can make an Intimidate check as a move action. An opponent that fails its opposed level check is shaken for five rounds, not one. A creature successfully intimidated by a koblak must make a Will save (DC 17) or be frightened for one round in addition; success means that the creature is still shaken for five rounds.
Skills A koblak has a +8 racial bonus on all Spot checks.
Feats The Scent of Fear feat allows the koblak to track by scent and pinpoint creatures by scent within 30 feet. In addition, it gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls against shaken or frightened opponents and can detect them at twice normal Scent range. It gains a +2 bonus on all Will saves when within 120 feet of a shaken or frightened opponent, and cannot be caught flat-footed by any shaken or frightened opponent. This feat first appeared in Pathfinder Chronicles: Classic Monsters Revisited
Koblaks are the leaders of the bugbears, hideous monsters blessed by the powers of death. The average koblak would stand almost 7 feet tall if they ever stood upright, but are constantly stooped. They weigh almost 200 pounds. They often ritually scar themselves in order to enhance their hideous appearance.
Ecology
On rare occasion, Charon, the Horseman of Death, will bless a pregnant bugbear. Rather than giving birth to her usual litter, she will bear only one stillborn whelp. This grey and twisted wretch will first draw breath an hour after its birth, and will be changed for the worse by its brush with death. They can see around hills and through walls, learn the secrets of those they have slain, and even kill using fear itself. This eldritch power corrupts koblaks, making them even crueler and more sadistic than the average bugbear.
Koblaks are despoilers and predators of humans, preferring to strike the most vulnerable—children. There is no meat sweeter to a koblak than that of a newborn babe, and these dead children soon join their killer as twisted undead monsters. Koblaks are obligate predators; if a koblak cannot hunt humans, it will merely mutilate their livestock, selecting limbs and organs as much for the dread they will inspire in farmers the next morning as for flavor and nutrition.
Habitat and Society
Like all bugbears, koblaks tend to be loners, preferring the freedom of solitude when stalking human prey. If a koblak is especially lucky, it will be attended by a family of attic whisperers, undead children that obey its commands of murder and mayhem. Some koblaks attain leadership positions in large families of bugbears, leading small groups in organized campaigns that leave entire villages empty of life. Koblaks can be found wherever there are humans to terrorize.
Koblaks as Characters
Most koblaks prefer to advance as rogues, and rogue is the koblak’s favored class. These koblaks oftentimes enter the assassin prestige class. Koblaks that become leaders of bugbear tribes tend to become clerics of Charon, gaining access to the Death, Evil, Knowledge and Water domains.
The Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting and the koblak is copyright 2008 Paizo Publishing.
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