LordVyreth
First Post
I decided to try converting the monsters from the Gamecube game Eternal Darkness to D&D rules. Here's the first part of the conversion. If i get a positive response, I'll try to get some of the later monsters, too. I'd like opinions from people who did and didn't play the game.
Vyreth
Eternal Darkness Information:
All Children of the Ancients have some properties in common. All have the Sanity Damage and Critical Vulnerability traits. Except for Zombies, all are also Children of Matter (Chaturgha,) Ulyoth (Magic,) or Xellotath (Sanity.) Children of Mantarok also theoretically exist, but since they are not dealt with in the context of the game, their exact properties are up to the individual's imagination. The exception are Zombies, who sometimes are
Children of Mantarok, which are essentially regular zombies with the other Children of the Ancients properties.
(Su) Sanity Damage: All Children of the Ancients that have some sort of visual ability possess a gaze attack. Thus, most normal living beings, as well as undead and constructs, have this ability, but creatures that rely on tremorsense or blindsight as their only means of detection do not. Sanity Damage works as a normal gaze attack, but it only affects the first person who is affected. After that, it will not work again for 1d4 rounds. At that point, it will again affect the first person to look at the monster, or one at random if multiple targets are in range. The attack causes a certain amount of sanity damage, with a Will save for half.
Essentially, Sanity Damage is like Wisdom Ability Damage in most ways. It affects a character's Will Saves, Wisdom checks and relevant skills, Divine spellcasters, and so on. However, Sanity Damage doesn't cause the victim to fall into a coma if their Wisdom drops to 0 as a result. Instead, no more Sanity Damage can be taken, but the character takes 1 point of damage per Hit Die/level for every point of sanity damage taken until some of the sanity damage can be healed. The sanity damage has another nasty side effect. When a person is reduced to 75% or less Wisdom as a result of it, they start having hallucinations. Some of these are constant, but fairly minor. For example, the character can see blood spurt from the walls or ceiling, hear footsteps, or have strange voices whisper in their ears in some alien, twisted language. The lower the Wisdom gets, the more extreme the effects, to the point where the victim sees statues turn their heads to watch him or her, paintings and other artwork appear to be scenes of horror, the whole world appears skewed at an angle or tinted blood red, and the voices are now a constant stream of demonic laughter or weeping. Those around the victim will notice that he or she is increasingly agitated. They might start mumbling to themselves, or even screaming about seemingly random things. Every minute or so, this damage can manifest as something more extreme. The character must make a Will Save, with the DC equal to 10 + the amount of Sanity Damage taken - the amount of Wisdom remaining. Upon failing a check, the character is effectively dazed for 1d4 rounds. During that time, the victim imagines him/herself in some sort of usually horrible vision. They could imagine themselves surrounded by monsters, or shrunken to nothing, or sinking into the ground like quicksand, or their head and limbs start to literally explode. At the end of the dazed period, the character suddenly realizes this vision isn't really happening, and can act as normal again…until the next failed check.
Sanity Damage can be recovered like any ability damage. For example, the restoration spells can be used, and it also recovers with rest. In addition, killing a monster with the Sanity Damage ability can help boost one's sanity. The recovered amount is equal to half the monster's maximum, so a monster with a 1d4 Sanity damage gaze will give the user 2 more points of Sanity back. Normally, this can be used to more or less keep one's sanity at an even amount. However, some unusual effects can do sanity damage above and beyond the normal gaze effects. In addition, when dealing with a group of adventurers, it's entirely possible that someone other than the person
affected by the sanity damage performs the kill, wasting the possible recovery.
(Ex) Critical Vulnerability: All children of the ancients are affected by critical hits, and other abilities like critical hits, like favored enemy and sneak attacks. This is even true for monsters that are normally immune, like undead or constructs. In addition, the limbs these beings are surprisingly easy to sever. There is a 50% chance that any critical hit will sever a limb. If so, roll randomly to see if it is a hand or head. Besides removing any attack associated with the limb (slams for arms, bites for heads, etc.) removing a head will normally afflict the creature with blindness, and remove any chance of using further sanity damage. Of course, if the creature is a living being normally susceptible to critical hits, decapitation also usually kills it.
(Ex) Effects of the Ancients: Each of the three main children add additional effects to the creature. A child of matter has two more Hit die than an equivalent creature, and has +4 Strength. In addition, all damage from natural weapons are treated as if the creature was one size larger. For example, a weapon that normally does 1d4 damage now does 1d6. Children of magic gain +4 intelligence. In addition, every successful attack that they do drains one randomly chosen spell of the highest level from a spellcaster. It drains 4d4 power points from psionic beings instead of
levels. From non-spellcasters, it does 1d4 points of Intelligence damage. These drained points of spells can be regained using normal means. Children of sanity cause additional sanity damage equal to their normal gaze effect,
with the same save for half.
Mantarok Zombie
Medium-Sized Undead
Hit Dice: 2d12+3 (16 hp.)
Initiative -1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 11 (-2 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: Slam +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Undead, Critical Vulnerability, partial actions only, Fire
Vulnerability.
Saves: Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 8, Con -
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 11
Feats: Toughness
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization Gang (2-5,) squad (6-10,) or mob (11-20,)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: 3 HD.
Unlike most Children of the Ancients, the zombies are blessed with additional powers beyond the standard abilities of their kind. The exceptions to this rule are the Children of Mantarok, who only have the standard Ancient powers
of Sanity Damage and Critical Vulnerability, as described above, and stronger sense of self than most zombies, which comes from their link to their dying quasi-god.
Combat:
Mantarok Zombies fight like all typical zombies; with no tactics, and simply use numbers and mindless force against their foes.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a Zombie of Mantarok is 1d4 points of damage, with a DC of 11 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet.
(Ex) Fire Vulnerability: Mantarok zombies are extremely flammable. When exposed to any fire-based attack, they must make a Reflex Save (DC 14,) or get caught on fire, as described in the DMG. This is even true of normally
instant fire effects, like fireballs and swords with the flaming descriptor.
Chaturgha Zombie
Medium-Sized Undead
Hit Dice: 4d12+3 (29 hp.)
Initiative -1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 11 (-2 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: Slam +6 melee
Damage: Slam 1d8+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Fast healing 2, Undead, Critical Vulnerability, partial
actions only.
Saves: Fort +1, Ref 0, Will +5
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 8, Con -
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 11
Feats: Toughness
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization Gang (2-5,) squad (6-10,) or mob (11-20,)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: 3 HD.
Chaturgha zombies are more powerful than most zombies. They appear better preserved than most zombies, but their musculature is completely visible, as if they had been skinned.
Combat: Chaturgha zombies are unusually ferocious, and like all Children of the Ancients, have a stronger sense of self due to the power they gain from their master. They still lack the mental prowess for more complicated tactics than charge and attack.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a Zombie of Chaturgha is 1d4 points of damage, with a DC of 12 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet.
(Ex) Fast Healing: Unlike normal fast healing, a zombie of Chaturgha can regenerate lost limbs. Limbs are regrown 1d4 rounds after they are lost
Ulyoth Zombie
Medium-Sized Undead
Hit Dice: 2d12+3 (16 hp.)
Initiative -1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 11 (-2 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: Slam +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+1 and Magic Drain
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage, Singing, Magic Drain
Special Qualies: Undead, Critical Vulnerability, partial actions only.
Saves: Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 8, Con -
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 11
Feats: Toughness
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization Gang (2-5,) squad (6-10,) or mob (11-20,)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: 3 HD.
While most children of Ulyoth are unusually intelligent, the zombies of Ulyoth are as mindless as an average zombie. Ulyoth zombies look like they were drowned, and tend to have blue skin, and a bloated form covered with
fungus.
Combat:
Ulyoth zombies fight with the same mindless tactics that all zombies use. They tend to attack in numbers, to maximize the effects of their singing.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a Zombie of Chaturgha is 1d4 points of damage, with a DC of 11 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet.
(Ex) Singing: Zombies of Ulyoth are filled with a deadly mix of volatile gasses. When reduced to 0 or more hit points, a zombie of Ulyoth will remain standing for one round. During that time, they will start uttering a wailing
noise, which has been morbidly called singing by those who fought them. After 1 round, or after taking any other damage, the zombie will explode, doing 2d6 points of damage to all within a 5-foot radius. This effect can be
halved with a reflex save at DC 10. Even worse, if any other zombies are caught in the blast, they will automatically explode as well, doing the same damage to all within their 5-foot radius. A zombie who has been decapitated
will lose this ability, as the gas has safely been released through the neck.
Xellotath Zombie
Medium-Sized Undead
Hit Dice: 2d12+3 (16 hp.)
Initiative -1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 11 (-2 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: Slam +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+1 and Sanity Damage
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Undead, Critical Vulnerability, partial actions only, Spectral limbs.
Saves: Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 8, Con -
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 11
Feats: Toughness
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization Gang (2-5,) squad (6-10,) or mob (11-20,)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: 3 HD.
Xellotath zombies look like they have been partially mummified.
Combat:
While not very powerful physically, their general immunity to the debilitating effect of lost limbs and their sanity-draining attacks make them powerful foes.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a Zombie of Chaturgha is 1d4 points of damage, with a DC of 11 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. In addition, the normal attacks of a Xellotath Zombie have this same effect.
(Su) Spectral Limbs: While a Xellotath zombie can be critically hit like a normal Zombie of the Ancients, the normal lost of attacks or vision/sanity damage gaze does not occur. Instead, lost limbs are instantly replaced with
incorporeal ones that work as well as the originals. These cannot be severed, and will last until the zombie is destroyed.
(Ex) Fire Vulnerability: Xellototh zombies are extremely flammable. When exposed to any fire-based attack, they must make a Reflex Save (Dc 14,) or get caught on fire, as described in the DMG. This is even true of normally
instant fire effects, like fireballs and swords with the flaming descriptor.
Bonethief (Base)
Medium-Sized Aberration
Hit Dice: 5d8+10 (32 hp.)
Initiative +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
Attacks: 2 Claws +6 melee
Damage: Claw 1d4+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage, Improved Grab, Implant
Special Qualies: Critical Vulnerability.
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +5
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con 14
Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 14
Skills: Disguise +10*, Hide +11, Move Silently +11, Spot +7
Feats: Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or Gang (2-5,)
Challenge Rating: 4 (5 for any of the three standard types.)
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 3-8 HD. (medium,)
9-15 (large.)
While zombies have unusual powers in addition to standard abilities of the three ancient types, bonethiefs and all other creatures have only the standard abilities. Thus, only the based abilities are listed, and the other abilities can be applied as appropriate. If desired, these base types can be called the Mantarok variants, since this would continue the pattern of the zombies, which have no other unique properties. One minor exception appears in Xellototh Bonethiefs. They start with spectral heads, similar to those of decapitated Xellototh Zombies, which means that any critical hit that targets the head has no effect, doing no damage. This isn't enough of a benefit to warrant a CR bump higher than that of a normal Child of Xellototh, however.
Bonethiefs are among the most insidious servants of the ancients. With their powers, they can serve as shock troops, or subtly invade human society, and attack it from the inside. Bonethiefs speak common and at least one other
language, which usually is the typical language of the region, to better blend in with the populace.
Combat: Most bonethiefs that are encountered are already inside a humanoid host, and attack only when their host is destroyed, or is in the process of looking for a host. They are fond of using the after-effects of their host's
destruction to drain their enemy's sanity, before moving in to finish the job. When attacking, they dislike standing still, preferring to leap towards his enemy, and grapple with his claws.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a bonethief is 1d6 points of damage, with a DC of 13 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. Bonethiefs who are children of Chaturgha have a DC of 14, due to the higher HD.
(Ex) Improved Grab: If a bonethief hits an opponent of its size or smaller with either claw, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action. The grapple check is made at +6. If it succeeds, it can automatically hit with both claw attacks on future attempts. The bonethief can also take a -20 penalty to his grapple check, to hold the opponent with only one hand.
(Ex) Implant: If a bonethief kills an opponent while grappling it, it can burrow into the body as a free action. It can also enter a dead body normally as a standard action, but only if the body has been dead less than 4 rounds, and it is still relatively solid. The body must be the same size as the bonethief. Clever bonethiefs can also enter willing humanoid undead (like zombies of their own kind.) Once inside the body, it can control it perfectly. Attempting to discover that a person is actually a bonethief takes a Spot check opposed by the bonethief's disguise check, though
alignment detection and similar abilities can usually find them. The bonethief can even make the creature attack, using the creature's strength and dex modifiers and its own base attack bonus. If it chose to enter an active creature, like a zombie, it has no control over the creature, and merely has to wait as the monster attacks or acts normally. A dead body controlled by a bonethief has 2d8+3 hit points, just like a normal zombie. When a bonethief's host is killed, the bonethief bursts from the corpse in a sudden burst of gore. The effect is so horrific that it inflicts 1d6
points of sanity damage to all within a 30 foot radius, with the same save DC as the normal sanity damage gaze. In addition, anyone who witnesses it and has taken any sanity damage as a result occasionally sees signs of other
bonethiefs in innocent beings. To their eyes, these beings might suddenly utter a noise better suited to an insect, its laugh might seem less innocent and more horrific, or a mundane action (like making a meal,) could suddenly
appear hideous (the ingredients could appear to be human organs, for example.) This has no in-game effect, but paranoid players may act on these urges anyway.
*Bonethiefs gain a +10 bonus to disguise checks when inside a human host, and tend to take 10 on this check when not in immediate combat.
Horror (Base)
Large Aberration
Hit Dice: 10d8+40 (85 hp.)
Initiative +0
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 19 (-1 Size, +10 natural)
Attacks: 2 Claws + 13 melee
Damage: Claw 1d6+7
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage, Electric Shock
Special Qualies: Critical Vulnerability.
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +7
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 11, Con 19
Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 15
Skills: Climb +20, Jump +20, Swim +13
Feats: Power Attack
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or Gang (2-5,)
Challenge Rating: 7 (8 for any of the three standard types.)
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 11-16 HD. (large,)
17-30 (huge.)
Horrors are the most typical enforcers that the ancients use. Built of little but muscle, horrors are more than enough to destroy most foes, especially with their electric shock ability. All horrors have three heads or the biological equivalent, making decapitating attacks less useful.
Combat: Horrors are not subtle tacticians. Their typical tactic is to walk up to something while firing electric shocks, and then pounding their enemy to a bloody mess when in close range.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a horror is 1d8 points of damage, with a DC of 17 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. Horrors who are children of Chaturgha have a DC of 18, due to the higher HD.
(Su) Electric Shock: Horrors are living electric generators, making them extremely dangerous foes at close range. Every 1d4 rounds, a horror can fire an electric beam as a free action. When there is an enemy within melee
range, it makes this as a standard touch attack using its normal attack bonus (+13.) When at a distance, this is instead a ranged touch attack, making it much easier to avoid due to the horror's low dexterity. The bonus for this
attack is only +6. Either way, the attack does 2d6 points of electric damage on a successful hit.
Trapper
Tiny Aberration
Hit Dice: 1/2d8 (2 hp.)
Initiative +2 (Dex)
Speed: 20 ft.
AC: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
Attacks: None
Damage: 0
Face/Reach: 2.5 ft. by 2.5 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Dimension Trap
Special Qualities: Lesser Tremorsense
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 10
Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills: Listen+12*
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or Swarm(2-5.)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: None.
Trappers are the least among the children of the ancients. Lacking all but the most basic intelligence, Trappers are so primitive that they don't even have the usual properties of the three Ancients. Lacking eyes, they can't even inflict sanity damage, and have no true attacks. However, they are also conductors of power, extra-planar energy, and can use it as a powerful, if suicidal, defensive weapon.
Combat:
Lacking any apparent need to eat or sleep, Trappers simply wander their territory, and foolishly attack any who enter their range of sensation.
(Su) Dimension Trap: All Trappers have a planar link to a tiny pocket dimension, which was formed from the residual energy of the Ancients. When a Trapper feels threatened, it will rise its tail, and start uttering a warning
rattle. If the enemy stays within the area for more than 1 round, or it moves within ten feet of the trapper, it will release the energy, which will shift anything not helpful or friendly with the trapper within a thirty foot radius. The targets get a Reflex save (DC 12,) but only if farther than twenty feet away. Whether or not the attack is successful, it is instantly lethal to the trapper.
The pocket dimension that trappers are linked to is a hellish place, filled with tiny scraps of land that seemingly float sheer emptiness. A creature trapped here will be presented with four choices, three of which are surprisingly beneficial. After traveling 30 feet from the start, the creature can try to go to either the land mass of matter, of mind, or sanity, or just go right to the exit. However, the choice changes frequently, requiring a Dex check (DC 10) to end up in the right path, or it will be one of the others at random. Those who end up in one of the normal paths will have to fight either 1d4 zombies of the same type as the trapper (66% of the time,) or a horror of the same type (33% of the time.) After fleeing or defeating these forces, which initially appear 20 feet away, they can travel 30 feet to a rejuvenation pool, and regain either 4d4 points of damage (if in the body route,) either one lost spell or 1d4 points of intelligence (mind route,) or 1d4 points of sanity (sanity route.) They can then travel 60 feet to reach the dimension’s exit.
The exit is guarded by 1d4 more zombies of the trapper’s type, which appear 10 feet away. 30 feet from the beginning of the final area, there is an exit where the creature can exit. The victim will appear at the exact spot he/she/it left, though probably a few rounds later. In addition to simply using the magical paths available to the player, a trapped being could simply fly the 150 feet from the beginning to the end of the dimension. However, dimension door and teleport will not work, as there is no astral or ethereal plane.
(Ex) Lesser Tremorsense: Trappers lack vision, but can detect vibrations from walking on the ground. However, while their senses are precise, they aren't perfect. It can detect anything within 10 feet perfectly. However, from 10
to 30 feet away, it has difficulty. It must make Listen checks, opposed by the enemy's Move Silently check, to sense an enemy at this range.
*Trappers gain a +8 racial benefit to Listen checks.
Guardian (Base)
Large Aberration
Hit Dice: 15d8 + 30 (97 hp.)
Initiative +5 (+1 Dex, 4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 10 ft. or fly 50 ft. (perfect)
AC: 18 (+1 Dex, -1 size, +8 natural)
Or 16 (+1 Dex, +2 size, +3 deflection,)
Attacks: Claw +13 or None.
Damage: 1d6 + 3
Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Or 2.5 by 2.5/0 ft.
Special Attacks: Sneak Attack, Spells, Spell-like Abilities, Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Alternate Form, Defense Orbs
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +12
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 12, Con 15
Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 16
Skills: (based on 56)
Move Silently +16, Hide +12, Concentration +17, Knowledge(any) +14
Feats: Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (any 1,) Lightning Reflexes, Great Fortitude
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary, Gang (2-5,) or Community (20-100)
Challenge Rating: 13 (14 for any standard type.)
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always chaotic evil.
Advancement: 16 HD (large,)
17-32 HD (huge,)
33-45 (gargantuan.)
Guardians are the main officers in the armies of the ancients. They are the most intelligent of the regular forces, and when not directly in combat with the forces of order, they are the only ones who live in and maintain some semblance of a community. Their sneaky nature makes them efficient assassins as well. Guardians look much different based on their “parent;” guardians of matter look like hideous red spider or scorpion-like insects, guardians of mind look like floating manta rays (replace normal movement with fly 10 ft. perfect,) and guardians of sanity look like two beastial bodies joined together at a headless neck. The latter type of guardian has visual receptors elsewhere in its body, where the Sanity Damage emits. The base form of a guardian is unknown.
Combat:
Guardians are not close-range fighters. They prefer to either sneak up on enemies in their incorporeal form, and then sneak attacking, or using their servants or summoned allies to keep enemies at bay while using magic from a distance. Because guardians have stronger limbs and an even more alien organic structure than usual, their limbs lack the normal weakness towards easy severing.
(Ex) Sneak Attack: Guardians can sneak attack as 11th level rogues, doing an extra 6d6 points of damage on flanked or flat-footed enemies.
(Sp) Spells: Guardians cast spells as a 11th level cleric. They don’t gain extra domain spells or effects, but spells in the Chaos, Evil, Death, and Trickey domains can be prepared as normal cleric spells. They can’t spontaneously cast.
(Sp) Spell-like abilities: Guardians can cast the following spells at will: electric orb, wall of force, dispel magic, and summon monster. The spells all work as if cast by a 12th level sorceror, with a few exceptions. The wall of force can only be cast around the guardian, and instead of the normal hemisphere effect, it resembles a pentagon. In addition, it is visible, and can be dispelled. Summon Monster works as normal summon monster spells, but can only be used to summon one zombie of the same type as the guardian. All of the guardian’s spell-like abilities require a unique verbal component, which consists of an unearthly voice speaking alien words, which apparently works similar to mortal spellcasting.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a guardian is 1d8 points of damage, with a DC of 20 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. Guardians who are children of Chaturgha have a DC of 21, due to the higher HD.
(Su) Alternate Form: As a free action, the Guardian can become an incorporeal ball of energy. While in this form, the character gains the incorporeal subtype, has the second movement rate, and AC listed above, and is treated as a tiny creature. It can’t attack, use any spells or spell-like abilities, use the defense orbs, or cause sanity damage while in this form, and is usually used only to travel or escape attacks. Unlike most incorporeal beings, guardians are not totally silent; they make a noise similar to a constant demonic cough while in this form. A guardian can even enter this form when it isn’t its turn, immediately after taking damage. It usually does this right after being successfully attacked, to try and avoid future attacks. Returning to corporeal form takes a standard action that provokes an Attack of Opportunity.
(Su) Defense Orbs: Unlike most supernatural abilities, this power provokes an attack of opportunity, and has the same verbal component as its other spell-like abilities. When used, 5 defensive orbs surround the guardian. This effectively blocks up to 5 attacks, or 5d6 points of damage. For example, five attacks from darts, each doing 1 point of damage, will destroy the shield, and 1 attack that does more than 18 points of damage usually does as well. Similarly, if an attack does more than 6 points of damage, it takes off excess shielding for every six points of damage done. For example, if 15 points of damage are done to the shield, and that amount is less than the total amount the shield blocks, it will still take three orbs off.
Greater Guardian (Base)
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice: 18d8 + 54 (138 hp.)
Initiative +1 (Dex)
Speed: 20 ft.
AC: 23 (+1 Dex, +12 natural)
Attacks: Bite +16.
Damage: 1d6 + 3 and dazing
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Dazing Bite, Summoning, Chaos Mist, Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Wing Shields
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +13
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 13, Con 17
Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 18
Skills: (based on 58)
Spot +22, Listen +22, Concentration +21, Knowledge (planes) + 6
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Alertness, Dodge, Toughness, Great Fortitude
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or Gang (2-5,)
Challenge Rating: 14 (15 for any standard type.)
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always chaotic evil.
Advancement: 19-20 HD (medium,)
17-32 HD (large,)
33-54 (huge.)
Despite their names, greater guardians are not really much more powerful or assume a higher leadership role than normal guardians. However, they are more strongly tied to the physical forces and the very essence of chaos embodied by the ancients. Greater Guardians resemble bipedial, skeletal birds, with very strong black wings that hang on disturbingly human arms.
Combat:
Guardians are more comfortable with close quarters fighting than the lesser guardians, but still prefer to fight from a distance and use its summoned allies and sanity-draining powers to finish its victims for them. When forced to fight, it usually tries to bite, and then follows with its summon ability. Like normal guardians, their strange physiology removes the normal vulnerability to critical hits most children of the ancients have.
(Su) Dazing Bite: A strange aura emanates from the greater guardian. When it successfully strikes an enemy, this aura infests the mind with chaos. The victim must make a Will Save (DC 21,) or be dazed for 1d4 rounds.
(Sp) Summoning: A greater guardian is an expert at summoning servants. It essentially casts a summon monster spell as a 13th level sorceror at will. However, it can only summon trappers, zombies, bonethieves, or horrors of the same type as the greater guardian. It can also summon other creatures with the appropriate children of the ancients template, as long as the final CR of the creature doesn’t exceed 8. The greater guardian can have as many Hit Dice of creatures summoned at any one time as the greater guardian itself has. This usually means it can only have 18 HD normally. It can only summon one creature per use of the spell, regardless of the CR of the monster.
(Su) Chaos Mist: A greater guardian constantly emits a light fog around it in a 30-foot radius. This mist contains some essence of the ancient, and actively blocks the sight of enemies. Thus, the greater guardian and all creatures of the same ancient type have half-cover while in the area of the fog. The fog immediately dissipates when the greater guardian dies.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a greater guardian is 1d4 points of damage, with a DC of 23 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. Greater guardians who are children of Chaturgha have a DC of 24, due to the higher HD. Unlike other children of the ancients, this is a constant effect; affecting all creatures in the area who don’t hide their eyes, and repeating this effect every round until it dies. Upon dying, a greater guardian heals eight points of sanity damage for the killer, and half that for all allies still in the greater guardian’s gaze area.
(Ex) Wing Shields: The wings of a greater guardian are stronger than steel. As a free action, the greater guardian can say the wings are providing protection from 50% of the field, like a shield spell. This gives the creature a +7 armor bonus from attacks in that direction.
Lifethief
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice: 25d8 + 125 (237 hp.)
Initiative +7 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 32 (+3 Dex, +19 natural)
Attacks: 2 claws +25, or life touch +22.
Damage: 1d4 + 6
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Life touch, Create spawn, Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Lesser Improved Invisibility, Regeneration 5, Source of Power
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +17
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 17, Con 20
Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 17
Skills: (based on 78)
Hide +28, Move Silently +28, Jump + 16, Climb +16, Swim +14
Feats: Weapon Focus (claws and life touch,) Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Power Attack
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary,
Challenge Rating: 16.
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always chaotic evil.
Advancement: 21-75 HD (medium,)
Lifethiefs are among the greatest servants of the ancients. They are literally nothing but perfect killing machines, designed to sneak into an enemy’s lair or base of operations, and tirelessly hunting the enemy and his or her allies. All lifethieves are tied to the normal form of reality closer than most, and lack the standard abilities of the individual ancients.
Combat:
Nearly invincible, a lifethief prefers to attack from ambush. It will sneak up on its prey invisibly, and then attack. If the enemy is alone, it prefers to use its life touch power; otherwise, it will usually try to slash the enemy apart with its claws. If reduced to half life, it will usually flee, only to regenerate at its source of power and strike again while the enemy is still recovering from its last attack.
(Su) Life Touch: Instead of its normal attacks, the lifethief can make one ranged touch attack with a maximum range of 10 feet, and no distance ranges. If this hits, the victim must make a Will Save (DC 25,) or take one negative level and be stunned. The lifethief can maintain this mentally draining lock for as long as it wants, but the victim gets another Will save ever 1d4 rounds to break the stunning effect. If the Lifethief is attacked, it must make a Concentration check equal to 10+the damage taken to maintain the hold, or the victim is immediately freed. Otherwise, the victim will continue to take 1 negative level a round until killed, and the lifethief will heal 5 hit points every round the hold is maintained. When maintaining the Life Touch, a lifethief loses its lesser improved invisibility power.
(Su) Create Spawn: A creature killed by a lifethief’s Life Touch attack will rise 1d4 rounds later as a wight under the lifethief’s control.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a lifethief is 1d10 points of damage, with a DC of 25 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. When using its lesser improved invisibility, the lifethief can’t use its gaze attack; the short gaps whenever it attacks are not enough to cause the effect. However, if someone can see invisibility normally, they are subject to the damage.
(Sp) Lesser Improved Invisibility: The lifethief is under a permanent improved invisibility effect. It can be dispelled as if cast by a 16th level sorceror, but the lifethief can simply put it up again as a free action. However, it fails slightly whenever the creature attacks. Because of this, the victim of the attack doesn’t suffer the normal flatfooted penalties when fighting an invisible enemy, unless totally unaware of the lifethief’s presence. Similarly, an attacker who readies an attack to attack the lifethief the instant it reveals itself will not have to guess at the creature’s position or worry about the normal full concealment invisibility grants. The invisibility also fails when the creature is using its Life Touch or when regenerating at the Source of Power.
(Su) Regenerate: The lifethief doesn’t take normal damage from any source. However, the regenerate instantly ceases if its Source of Power is destroyed.
(Su) Source of Power: All lifethiefs have weaker than normal ties to their masters, but can strengthen this tie with a specially anointed object, normally a stone obelisk or similar totem item. It takes a lifethief an hour to create such a device, which can’t be interrupted. The object can’t be portable, and it can only have one Source of Power at a time. The source of power is what gives the lifethief its regeneration ability. Even better, if a lifethief is within five feet of a Source of Power, it can take a full round action to make its regeneration five times as powerful for a round! This act removes the creature’s invisibility for that round, and provokes an attack of opportunity. Destroying the Source of Power makes a lifethief a much weaker enemy, and is generally the first target for those who know what they are up against. A typical Source of Power has hardness 10 and 60 hit points, but this varies from time to time. Extremely powerful lifethiefs are known to take special material with them, and take extra time to carve ones out of magically enhanced adamantium or similar materials.
Template:
Any of the three Children of the Ancients templates can be added to any non-outsider or elemental. Humanoids, change their type to monstrous humanoids, all other living beings change their type to aberration. Monstrous humanoids, aberrations, undead and constructs are unchanged.
HD: Change to (monstrous humanoid type,) or (aberration type.) Give children of matter 2 extra Hit Dice.
Attacks: If a child of matter, all natural attacks are treated as if the creature was one size higher. Children of mind gain the magic drain ability to all natural attacks, and children of sanity gain sanity damage equal to their special attack.
Special Attacks: All children of the ancients with some sort of visual ability gain the sanity damage ability. The amount of damage is based on the hit die of the creature as indicated on the table below.
HD Sanity damage
Up to 4 1d4
5-9 1d6
10-19 1d8
20+ 1d10
Zombies, and only zombies, with this template also gain Singing if they are children of mind.
Special Qualities: All children of the ancients gain Critical Vulnerability. Zombies, and only zombies, may gain other abilities as well. Unmodified children of the ancients gain fire vulnerability, children of matter gain fast healing 2, and children of sanity gain spectral limbs and fire vulnerability.
Abilities: Children of matter gain +4 strength unless it’s a non-ability. Children of mind gain +4 intelligence unless it’s a non-ability.
CR: For base children of the ancients, CR is +1 normally, or unchanged if the creature lacks visual ability.
For any of the three main children types, CR is +2 normally, or unchanged if the creature lacks visual ability.
Alignment: Creatures with intelligence scores of less than 3 or a non-ability in Intelligence change a good alignment to neutral, but are otherwise unchanged. Creatures with intelligence scores of 3 or higher are always chaotic evil.
Vyreth
Eternal Darkness Information:
All Children of the Ancients have some properties in common. All have the Sanity Damage and Critical Vulnerability traits. Except for Zombies, all are also Children of Matter (Chaturgha,) Ulyoth (Magic,) or Xellotath (Sanity.) Children of Mantarok also theoretically exist, but since they are not dealt with in the context of the game, their exact properties are up to the individual's imagination. The exception are Zombies, who sometimes are
Children of Mantarok, which are essentially regular zombies with the other Children of the Ancients properties.
(Su) Sanity Damage: All Children of the Ancients that have some sort of visual ability possess a gaze attack. Thus, most normal living beings, as well as undead and constructs, have this ability, but creatures that rely on tremorsense or blindsight as their only means of detection do not. Sanity Damage works as a normal gaze attack, but it only affects the first person who is affected. After that, it will not work again for 1d4 rounds. At that point, it will again affect the first person to look at the monster, or one at random if multiple targets are in range. The attack causes a certain amount of sanity damage, with a Will save for half.
Essentially, Sanity Damage is like Wisdom Ability Damage in most ways. It affects a character's Will Saves, Wisdom checks and relevant skills, Divine spellcasters, and so on. However, Sanity Damage doesn't cause the victim to fall into a coma if their Wisdom drops to 0 as a result. Instead, no more Sanity Damage can be taken, but the character takes 1 point of damage per Hit Die/level for every point of sanity damage taken until some of the sanity damage can be healed. The sanity damage has another nasty side effect. When a person is reduced to 75% or less Wisdom as a result of it, they start having hallucinations. Some of these are constant, but fairly minor. For example, the character can see blood spurt from the walls or ceiling, hear footsteps, or have strange voices whisper in their ears in some alien, twisted language. The lower the Wisdom gets, the more extreme the effects, to the point where the victim sees statues turn their heads to watch him or her, paintings and other artwork appear to be scenes of horror, the whole world appears skewed at an angle or tinted blood red, and the voices are now a constant stream of demonic laughter or weeping. Those around the victim will notice that he or she is increasingly agitated. They might start mumbling to themselves, or even screaming about seemingly random things. Every minute or so, this damage can manifest as something more extreme. The character must make a Will Save, with the DC equal to 10 + the amount of Sanity Damage taken - the amount of Wisdom remaining. Upon failing a check, the character is effectively dazed for 1d4 rounds. During that time, the victim imagines him/herself in some sort of usually horrible vision. They could imagine themselves surrounded by monsters, or shrunken to nothing, or sinking into the ground like quicksand, or their head and limbs start to literally explode. At the end of the dazed period, the character suddenly realizes this vision isn't really happening, and can act as normal again…until the next failed check.
Sanity Damage can be recovered like any ability damage. For example, the restoration spells can be used, and it also recovers with rest. In addition, killing a monster with the Sanity Damage ability can help boost one's sanity. The recovered amount is equal to half the monster's maximum, so a monster with a 1d4 Sanity damage gaze will give the user 2 more points of Sanity back. Normally, this can be used to more or less keep one's sanity at an even amount. However, some unusual effects can do sanity damage above and beyond the normal gaze effects. In addition, when dealing with a group of adventurers, it's entirely possible that someone other than the person
affected by the sanity damage performs the kill, wasting the possible recovery.
(Ex) Critical Vulnerability: All children of the ancients are affected by critical hits, and other abilities like critical hits, like favored enemy and sneak attacks. This is even true for monsters that are normally immune, like undead or constructs. In addition, the limbs these beings are surprisingly easy to sever. There is a 50% chance that any critical hit will sever a limb. If so, roll randomly to see if it is a hand or head. Besides removing any attack associated with the limb (slams for arms, bites for heads, etc.) removing a head will normally afflict the creature with blindness, and remove any chance of using further sanity damage. Of course, if the creature is a living being normally susceptible to critical hits, decapitation also usually kills it.
(Ex) Effects of the Ancients: Each of the three main children add additional effects to the creature. A child of matter has two more Hit die than an equivalent creature, and has +4 Strength. In addition, all damage from natural weapons are treated as if the creature was one size larger. For example, a weapon that normally does 1d4 damage now does 1d6. Children of magic gain +4 intelligence. In addition, every successful attack that they do drains one randomly chosen spell of the highest level from a spellcaster. It drains 4d4 power points from psionic beings instead of
levels. From non-spellcasters, it does 1d4 points of Intelligence damage. These drained points of spells can be regained using normal means. Children of sanity cause additional sanity damage equal to their normal gaze effect,
with the same save for half.
Mantarok Zombie
Medium-Sized Undead
Hit Dice: 2d12+3 (16 hp.)
Initiative -1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 11 (-2 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: Slam +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Undead, Critical Vulnerability, partial actions only, Fire
Vulnerability.
Saves: Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 8, Con -
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 11
Feats: Toughness
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization Gang (2-5,) squad (6-10,) or mob (11-20,)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: 3 HD.
Unlike most Children of the Ancients, the zombies are blessed with additional powers beyond the standard abilities of their kind. The exceptions to this rule are the Children of Mantarok, who only have the standard Ancient powers
of Sanity Damage and Critical Vulnerability, as described above, and stronger sense of self than most zombies, which comes from their link to their dying quasi-god.
Combat:
Mantarok Zombies fight like all typical zombies; with no tactics, and simply use numbers and mindless force against their foes.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a Zombie of Mantarok is 1d4 points of damage, with a DC of 11 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet.
(Ex) Fire Vulnerability: Mantarok zombies are extremely flammable. When exposed to any fire-based attack, they must make a Reflex Save (DC 14,) or get caught on fire, as described in the DMG. This is even true of normally
instant fire effects, like fireballs and swords with the flaming descriptor.
Chaturgha Zombie
Medium-Sized Undead
Hit Dice: 4d12+3 (29 hp.)
Initiative -1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 11 (-2 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: Slam +6 melee
Damage: Slam 1d8+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Fast healing 2, Undead, Critical Vulnerability, partial
actions only.
Saves: Fort +1, Ref 0, Will +5
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 8, Con -
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 11
Feats: Toughness
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization Gang (2-5,) squad (6-10,) or mob (11-20,)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: 3 HD.
Chaturgha zombies are more powerful than most zombies. They appear better preserved than most zombies, but their musculature is completely visible, as if they had been skinned.
Combat: Chaturgha zombies are unusually ferocious, and like all Children of the Ancients, have a stronger sense of self due to the power they gain from their master. They still lack the mental prowess for more complicated tactics than charge and attack.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a Zombie of Chaturgha is 1d4 points of damage, with a DC of 12 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet.
(Ex) Fast Healing: Unlike normal fast healing, a zombie of Chaturgha can regenerate lost limbs. Limbs are regrown 1d4 rounds after they are lost
Ulyoth Zombie
Medium-Sized Undead
Hit Dice: 2d12+3 (16 hp.)
Initiative -1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 11 (-2 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: Slam +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+1 and Magic Drain
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage, Singing, Magic Drain
Special Qualies: Undead, Critical Vulnerability, partial actions only.
Saves: Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 8, Con -
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 11
Feats: Toughness
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization Gang (2-5,) squad (6-10,) or mob (11-20,)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: 3 HD.
While most children of Ulyoth are unusually intelligent, the zombies of Ulyoth are as mindless as an average zombie. Ulyoth zombies look like they were drowned, and tend to have blue skin, and a bloated form covered with
fungus.
Combat:
Ulyoth zombies fight with the same mindless tactics that all zombies use. They tend to attack in numbers, to maximize the effects of their singing.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a Zombie of Chaturgha is 1d4 points of damage, with a DC of 11 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet.
(Ex) Singing: Zombies of Ulyoth are filled with a deadly mix of volatile gasses. When reduced to 0 or more hit points, a zombie of Ulyoth will remain standing for one round. During that time, they will start uttering a wailing
noise, which has been morbidly called singing by those who fought them. After 1 round, or after taking any other damage, the zombie will explode, doing 2d6 points of damage to all within a 5-foot radius. This effect can be
halved with a reflex save at DC 10. Even worse, if any other zombies are caught in the blast, they will automatically explode as well, doing the same damage to all within their 5-foot radius. A zombie who has been decapitated
will lose this ability, as the gas has safely been released through the neck.
Xellotath Zombie
Medium-Sized Undead
Hit Dice: 2d12+3 (16 hp.)
Initiative -1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 11 (-2 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: Slam +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+1 and Sanity Damage
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Undead, Critical Vulnerability, partial actions only, Spectral limbs.
Saves: Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 8, Con -
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 11
Feats: Toughness
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization Gang (2-5,) squad (6-10,) or mob (11-20,)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: 3 HD.
Xellotath zombies look like they have been partially mummified.
Combat:
While not very powerful physically, their general immunity to the debilitating effect of lost limbs and their sanity-draining attacks make them powerful foes.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a Zombie of Chaturgha is 1d4 points of damage, with a DC of 11 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. In addition, the normal attacks of a Xellotath Zombie have this same effect.
(Su) Spectral Limbs: While a Xellotath zombie can be critically hit like a normal Zombie of the Ancients, the normal lost of attacks or vision/sanity damage gaze does not occur. Instead, lost limbs are instantly replaced with
incorporeal ones that work as well as the originals. These cannot be severed, and will last until the zombie is destroyed.
(Ex) Fire Vulnerability: Xellototh zombies are extremely flammable. When exposed to any fire-based attack, they must make a Reflex Save (Dc 14,) or get caught on fire, as described in the DMG. This is even true of normally
instant fire effects, like fireballs and swords with the flaming descriptor.
Bonethief (Base)
Medium-Sized Aberration
Hit Dice: 5d8+10 (32 hp.)
Initiative +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
Attacks: 2 Claws +6 melee
Damage: Claw 1d4+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage, Improved Grab, Implant
Special Qualies: Critical Vulnerability.
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +5
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con 14
Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 14
Skills: Disguise +10*, Hide +11, Move Silently +11, Spot +7
Feats: Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or Gang (2-5,)
Challenge Rating: 4 (5 for any of the three standard types.)
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 3-8 HD. (medium,)
9-15 (large.)
While zombies have unusual powers in addition to standard abilities of the three ancient types, bonethiefs and all other creatures have only the standard abilities. Thus, only the based abilities are listed, and the other abilities can be applied as appropriate. If desired, these base types can be called the Mantarok variants, since this would continue the pattern of the zombies, which have no other unique properties. One minor exception appears in Xellototh Bonethiefs. They start with spectral heads, similar to those of decapitated Xellototh Zombies, which means that any critical hit that targets the head has no effect, doing no damage. This isn't enough of a benefit to warrant a CR bump higher than that of a normal Child of Xellototh, however.
Bonethiefs are among the most insidious servants of the ancients. With their powers, they can serve as shock troops, or subtly invade human society, and attack it from the inside. Bonethiefs speak common and at least one other
language, which usually is the typical language of the region, to better blend in with the populace.
Combat: Most bonethiefs that are encountered are already inside a humanoid host, and attack only when their host is destroyed, or is in the process of looking for a host. They are fond of using the after-effects of their host's
destruction to drain their enemy's sanity, before moving in to finish the job. When attacking, they dislike standing still, preferring to leap towards his enemy, and grapple with his claws.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a bonethief is 1d6 points of damage, with a DC of 13 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. Bonethiefs who are children of Chaturgha have a DC of 14, due to the higher HD.
(Ex) Improved Grab: If a bonethief hits an opponent of its size or smaller with either claw, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action. The grapple check is made at +6. If it succeeds, it can automatically hit with both claw attacks on future attempts. The bonethief can also take a -20 penalty to his grapple check, to hold the opponent with only one hand.
(Ex) Implant: If a bonethief kills an opponent while grappling it, it can burrow into the body as a free action. It can also enter a dead body normally as a standard action, but only if the body has been dead less than 4 rounds, and it is still relatively solid. The body must be the same size as the bonethief. Clever bonethiefs can also enter willing humanoid undead (like zombies of their own kind.) Once inside the body, it can control it perfectly. Attempting to discover that a person is actually a bonethief takes a Spot check opposed by the bonethief's disguise check, though
alignment detection and similar abilities can usually find them. The bonethief can even make the creature attack, using the creature's strength and dex modifiers and its own base attack bonus. If it chose to enter an active creature, like a zombie, it has no control over the creature, and merely has to wait as the monster attacks or acts normally. A dead body controlled by a bonethief has 2d8+3 hit points, just like a normal zombie. When a bonethief's host is killed, the bonethief bursts from the corpse in a sudden burst of gore. The effect is so horrific that it inflicts 1d6
points of sanity damage to all within a 30 foot radius, with the same save DC as the normal sanity damage gaze. In addition, anyone who witnesses it and has taken any sanity damage as a result occasionally sees signs of other
bonethiefs in innocent beings. To their eyes, these beings might suddenly utter a noise better suited to an insect, its laugh might seem less innocent and more horrific, or a mundane action (like making a meal,) could suddenly
appear hideous (the ingredients could appear to be human organs, for example.) This has no in-game effect, but paranoid players may act on these urges anyway.
*Bonethiefs gain a +10 bonus to disguise checks when inside a human host, and tend to take 10 on this check when not in immediate combat.
Horror (Base)
Large Aberration
Hit Dice: 10d8+40 (85 hp.)
Initiative +0
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 19 (-1 Size, +10 natural)
Attacks: 2 Claws + 13 melee
Damage: Claw 1d6+7
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Sanity Damage, Electric Shock
Special Qualies: Critical Vulnerability.
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +7
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 11, Con 19
Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 15
Skills: Climb +20, Jump +20, Swim +13
Feats: Power Attack
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or Gang (2-5,)
Challenge Rating: 7 (8 for any of the three standard types.)
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 11-16 HD. (large,)
17-30 (huge.)
Horrors are the most typical enforcers that the ancients use. Built of little but muscle, horrors are more than enough to destroy most foes, especially with their electric shock ability. All horrors have three heads or the biological equivalent, making decapitating attacks less useful.
Combat: Horrors are not subtle tacticians. Their typical tactic is to walk up to something while firing electric shocks, and then pounding their enemy to a bloody mess when in close range.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a horror is 1d8 points of damage, with a DC of 17 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. Horrors who are children of Chaturgha have a DC of 18, due to the higher HD.
(Su) Electric Shock: Horrors are living electric generators, making them extremely dangerous foes at close range. Every 1d4 rounds, a horror can fire an electric beam as a free action. When there is an enemy within melee
range, it makes this as a standard touch attack using its normal attack bonus (+13.) When at a distance, this is instead a ranged touch attack, making it much easier to avoid due to the horror's low dexterity. The bonus for this
attack is only +6. Either way, the attack does 2d6 points of electric damage on a successful hit.
Trapper
Tiny Aberration
Hit Dice: 1/2d8 (2 hp.)
Initiative +2 (Dex)
Speed: 20 ft.
AC: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
Attacks: None
Damage: 0
Face/Reach: 2.5 ft. by 2.5 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Dimension Trap
Special Qualities: Lesser Tremorsense
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 10
Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills: Listen+12*
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or Swarm(2-5.)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Advancement: None.
Trappers are the least among the children of the ancients. Lacking all but the most basic intelligence, Trappers are so primitive that they don't even have the usual properties of the three Ancients. Lacking eyes, they can't even inflict sanity damage, and have no true attacks. However, they are also conductors of power, extra-planar energy, and can use it as a powerful, if suicidal, defensive weapon.
Combat:
Lacking any apparent need to eat or sleep, Trappers simply wander their territory, and foolishly attack any who enter their range of sensation.
(Su) Dimension Trap: All Trappers have a planar link to a tiny pocket dimension, which was formed from the residual energy of the Ancients. When a Trapper feels threatened, it will rise its tail, and start uttering a warning
rattle. If the enemy stays within the area for more than 1 round, or it moves within ten feet of the trapper, it will release the energy, which will shift anything not helpful or friendly with the trapper within a thirty foot radius. The targets get a Reflex save (DC 12,) but only if farther than twenty feet away. Whether or not the attack is successful, it is instantly lethal to the trapper.
The pocket dimension that trappers are linked to is a hellish place, filled with tiny scraps of land that seemingly float sheer emptiness. A creature trapped here will be presented with four choices, three of which are surprisingly beneficial. After traveling 30 feet from the start, the creature can try to go to either the land mass of matter, of mind, or sanity, or just go right to the exit. However, the choice changes frequently, requiring a Dex check (DC 10) to end up in the right path, or it will be one of the others at random. Those who end up in one of the normal paths will have to fight either 1d4 zombies of the same type as the trapper (66% of the time,) or a horror of the same type (33% of the time.) After fleeing or defeating these forces, which initially appear 20 feet away, they can travel 30 feet to a rejuvenation pool, and regain either 4d4 points of damage (if in the body route,) either one lost spell or 1d4 points of intelligence (mind route,) or 1d4 points of sanity (sanity route.) They can then travel 60 feet to reach the dimension’s exit.
The exit is guarded by 1d4 more zombies of the trapper’s type, which appear 10 feet away. 30 feet from the beginning of the final area, there is an exit where the creature can exit. The victim will appear at the exact spot he/she/it left, though probably a few rounds later. In addition to simply using the magical paths available to the player, a trapped being could simply fly the 150 feet from the beginning to the end of the dimension. However, dimension door and teleport will not work, as there is no astral or ethereal plane.
(Ex) Lesser Tremorsense: Trappers lack vision, but can detect vibrations from walking on the ground. However, while their senses are precise, they aren't perfect. It can detect anything within 10 feet perfectly. However, from 10
to 30 feet away, it has difficulty. It must make Listen checks, opposed by the enemy's Move Silently check, to sense an enemy at this range.
*Trappers gain a +8 racial benefit to Listen checks.
Guardian (Base)
Large Aberration
Hit Dice: 15d8 + 30 (97 hp.)
Initiative +5 (+1 Dex, 4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 10 ft. or fly 50 ft. (perfect)
AC: 18 (+1 Dex, -1 size, +8 natural)
Or 16 (+1 Dex, +2 size, +3 deflection,)
Attacks: Claw +13 or None.
Damage: 1d6 + 3
Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Or 2.5 by 2.5/0 ft.
Special Attacks: Sneak Attack, Spells, Spell-like Abilities, Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Alternate Form, Defense Orbs
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +12
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 12, Con 15
Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 16
Skills: (based on 56)
Move Silently +16, Hide +12, Concentration +17, Knowledge(any) +14
Feats: Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (any 1,) Lightning Reflexes, Great Fortitude
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary, Gang (2-5,) or Community (20-100)
Challenge Rating: 13 (14 for any standard type.)
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always chaotic evil.
Advancement: 16 HD (large,)
17-32 HD (huge,)
33-45 (gargantuan.)
Guardians are the main officers in the armies of the ancients. They are the most intelligent of the regular forces, and when not directly in combat with the forces of order, they are the only ones who live in and maintain some semblance of a community. Their sneaky nature makes them efficient assassins as well. Guardians look much different based on their “parent;” guardians of matter look like hideous red spider or scorpion-like insects, guardians of mind look like floating manta rays (replace normal movement with fly 10 ft. perfect,) and guardians of sanity look like two beastial bodies joined together at a headless neck. The latter type of guardian has visual receptors elsewhere in its body, where the Sanity Damage emits. The base form of a guardian is unknown.
Combat:
Guardians are not close-range fighters. They prefer to either sneak up on enemies in their incorporeal form, and then sneak attacking, or using their servants or summoned allies to keep enemies at bay while using magic from a distance. Because guardians have stronger limbs and an even more alien organic structure than usual, their limbs lack the normal weakness towards easy severing.
(Ex) Sneak Attack: Guardians can sneak attack as 11th level rogues, doing an extra 6d6 points of damage on flanked or flat-footed enemies.
(Sp) Spells: Guardians cast spells as a 11th level cleric. They don’t gain extra domain spells or effects, but spells in the Chaos, Evil, Death, and Trickey domains can be prepared as normal cleric spells. They can’t spontaneously cast.
(Sp) Spell-like abilities: Guardians can cast the following spells at will: electric orb, wall of force, dispel magic, and summon monster. The spells all work as if cast by a 12th level sorceror, with a few exceptions. The wall of force can only be cast around the guardian, and instead of the normal hemisphere effect, it resembles a pentagon. In addition, it is visible, and can be dispelled. Summon Monster works as normal summon monster spells, but can only be used to summon one zombie of the same type as the guardian. All of the guardian’s spell-like abilities require a unique verbal component, which consists of an unearthly voice speaking alien words, which apparently works similar to mortal spellcasting.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a guardian is 1d8 points of damage, with a DC of 20 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. Guardians who are children of Chaturgha have a DC of 21, due to the higher HD.
(Su) Alternate Form: As a free action, the Guardian can become an incorporeal ball of energy. While in this form, the character gains the incorporeal subtype, has the second movement rate, and AC listed above, and is treated as a tiny creature. It can’t attack, use any spells or spell-like abilities, use the defense orbs, or cause sanity damage while in this form, and is usually used only to travel or escape attacks. Unlike most incorporeal beings, guardians are not totally silent; they make a noise similar to a constant demonic cough while in this form. A guardian can even enter this form when it isn’t its turn, immediately after taking damage. It usually does this right after being successfully attacked, to try and avoid future attacks. Returning to corporeal form takes a standard action that provokes an Attack of Opportunity.
(Su) Defense Orbs: Unlike most supernatural abilities, this power provokes an attack of opportunity, and has the same verbal component as its other spell-like abilities. When used, 5 defensive orbs surround the guardian. This effectively blocks up to 5 attacks, or 5d6 points of damage. For example, five attacks from darts, each doing 1 point of damage, will destroy the shield, and 1 attack that does more than 18 points of damage usually does as well. Similarly, if an attack does more than 6 points of damage, it takes off excess shielding for every six points of damage done. For example, if 15 points of damage are done to the shield, and that amount is less than the total amount the shield blocks, it will still take three orbs off.
Greater Guardian (Base)
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice: 18d8 + 54 (138 hp.)
Initiative +1 (Dex)
Speed: 20 ft.
AC: 23 (+1 Dex, +12 natural)
Attacks: Bite +16.
Damage: 1d6 + 3 and dazing
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Dazing Bite, Summoning, Chaos Mist, Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Wing Shields
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +13
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 13, Con 17
Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 18
Skills: (based on 58)
Spot +22, Listen +22, Concentration +21, Knowledge (planes) + 6
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Alertness, Dodge, Toughness, Great Fortitude
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or Gang (2-5,)
Challenge Rating: 14 (15 for any standard type.)
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always chaotic evil.
Advancement: 19-20 HD (medium,)
17-32 HD (large,)
33-54 (huge.)
Despite their names, greater guardians are not really much more powerful or assume a higher leadership role than normal guardians. However, they are more strongly tied to the physical forces and the very essence of chaos embodied by the ancients. Greater Guardians resemble bipedial, skeletal birds, with very strong black wings that hang on disturbingly human arms.
Combat:
Guardians are more comfortable with close quarters fighting than the lesser guardians, but still prefer to fight from a distance and use its summoned allies and sanity-draining powers to finish its victims for them. When forced to fight, it usually tries to bite, and then follows with its summon ability. Like normal guardians, their strange physiology removes the normal vulnerability to critical hits most children of the ancients have.
(Su) Dazing Bite: A strange aura emanates from the greater guardian. When it successfully strikes an enemy, this aura infests the mind with chaos. The victim must make a Will Save (DC 21,) or be dazed for 1d4 rounds.
(Sp) Summoning: A greater guardian is an expert at summoning servants. It essentially casts a summon monster spell as a 13th level sorceror at will. However, it can only summon trappers, zombies, bonethieves, or horrors of the same type as the greater guardian. It can also summon other creatures with the appropriate children of the ancients template, as long as the final CR of the creature doesn’t exceed 8. The greater guardian can have as many Hit Dice of creatures summoned at any one time as the greater guardian itself has. This usually means it can only have 18 HD normally. It can only summon one creature per use of the spell, regardless of the CR of the monster.
(Su) Chaos Mist: A greater guardian constantly emits a light fog around it in a 30-foot radius. This mist contains some essence of the ancient, and actively blocks the sight of enemies. Thus, the greater guardian and all creatures of the same ancient type have half-cover while in the area of the fog. The fog immediately dissipates when the greater guardian dies.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a greater guardian is 1d4 points of damage, with a DC of 23 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. Greater guardians who are children of Chaturgha have a DC of 24, due to the higher HD. Unlike other children of the ancients, this is a constant effect; affecting all creatures in the area who don’t hide their eyes, and repeating this effect every round until it dies. Upon dying, a greater guardian heals eight points of sanity damage for the killer, and half that for all allies still in the greater guardian’s gaze area.
(Ex) Wing Shields: The wings of a greater guardian are stronger than steel. As a free action, the greater guardian can say the wings are providing protection from 50% of the field, like a shield spell. This gives the creature a +7 armor bonus from attacks in that direction.
Lifethief
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice: 25d8 + 125 (237 hp.)
Initiative +7 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 32 (+3 Dex, +19 natural)
Attacks: 2 claws +25, or life touch +22.
Damage: 1d4 + 6
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Life touch, Create spawn, Sanity Damage
Special Qualies: Lesser Improved Invisibility, Regeneration 5, Source of Power
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +17
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 17, Con 20
Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 17
Skills: (based on 78)
Hide +28, Move Silently +28, Jump + 16, Climb +16, Swim +14
Feats: Weapon Focus (claws and life touch,) Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Power Attack
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary,
Challenge Rating: 16.
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always chaotic evil.
Advancement: 21-75 HD (medium,)
Lifethiefs are among the greatest servants of the ancients. They are literally nothing but perfect killing machines, designed to sneak into an enemy’s lair or base of operations, and tirelessly hunting the enemy and his or her allies. All lifethieves are tied to the normal form of reality closer than most, and lack the standard abilities of the individual ancients.
Combat:
Nearly invincible, a lifethief prefers to attack from ambush. It will sneak up on its prey invisibly, and then attack. If the enemy is alone, it prefers to use its life touch power; otherwise, it will usually try to slash the enemy apart with its claws. If reduced to half life, it will usually flee, only to regenerate at its source of power and strike again while the enemy is still recovering from its last attack.
(Su) Life Touch: Instead of its normal attacks, the lifethief can make one ranged touch attack with a maximum range of 10 feet, and no distance ranges. If this hits, the victim must make a Will Save (DC 25,) or take one negative level and be stunned. The lifethief can maintain this mentally draining lock for as long as it wants, but the victim gets another Will save ever 1d4 rounds to break the stunning effect. If the Lifethief is attacked, it must make a Concentration check equal to 10+the damage taken to maintain the hold, or the victim is immediately freed. Otherwise, the victim will continue to take 1 negative level a round until killed, and the lifethief will heal 5 hit points every round the hold is maintained. When maintaining the Life Touch, a lifethief loses its lesser improved invisibility power.
(Su) Create Spawn: A creature killed by a lifethief’s Life Touch attack will rise 1d4 rounds later as a wight under the lifethief’s control.
(Su) Sanity Damage: The Sanity Damage for a lifethief is 1d10 points of damage, with a DC of 25 for half the effect. The range is 30 feet. When using its lesser improved invisibility, the lifethief can’t use its gaze attack; the short gaps whenever it attacks are not enough to cause the effect. However, if someone can see invisibility normally, they are subject to the damage.
(Sp) Lesser Improved Invisibility: The lifethief is under a permanent improved invisibility effect. It can be dispelled as if cast by a 16th level sorceror, but the lifethief can simply put it up again as a free action. However, it fails slightly whenever the creature attacks. Because of this, the victim of the attack doesn’t suffer the normal flatfooted penalties when fighting an invisible enemy, unless totally unaware of the lifethief’s presence. Similarly, an attacker who readies an attack to attack the lifethief the instant it reveals itself will not have to guess at the creature’s position or worry about the normal full concealment invisibility grants. The invisibility also fails when the creature is using its Life Touch or when regenerating at the Source of Power.
(Su) Regenerate: The lifethief doesn’t take normal damage from any source. However, the regenerate instantly ceases if its Source of Power is destroyed.
(Su) Source of Power: All lifethiefs have weaker than normal ties to their masters, but can strengthen this tie with a specially anointed object, normally a stone obelisk or similar totem item. It takes a lifethief an hour to create such a device, which can’t be interrupted. The object can’t be portable, and it can only have one Source of Power at a time. The source of power is what gives the lifethief its regeneration ability. Even better, if a lifethief is within five feet of a Source of Power, it can take a full round action to make its regeneration five times as powerful for a round! This act removes the creature’s invisibility for that round, and provokes an attack of opportunity. Destroying the Source of Power makes a lifethief a much weaker enemy, and is generally the first target for those who know what they are up against. A typical Source of Power has hardness 10 and 60 hit points, but this varies from time to time. Extremely powerful lifethiefs are known to take special material with them, and take extra time to carve ones out of magically enhanced adamantium or similar materials.
Template:
Any of the three Children of the Ancients templates can be added to any non-outsider or elemental. Humanoids, change their type to monstrous humanoids, all other living beings change their type to aberration. Monstrous humanoids, aberrations, undead and constructs are unchanged.
HD: Change to (monstrous humanoid type,) or (aberration type.) Give children of matter 2 extra Hit Dice.
Attacks: If a child of matter, all natural attacks are treated as if the creature was one size higher. Children of mind gain the magic drain ability to all natural attacks, and children of sanity gain sanity damage equal to their special attack.
Special Attacks: All children of the ancients with some sort of visual ability gain the sanity damage ability. The amount of damage is based on the hit die of the creature as indicated on the table below.
HD Sanity damage
Up to 4 1d4
5-9 1d6
10-19 1d8
20+ 1d10
Zombies, and only zombies, with this template also gain Singing if they are children of mind.
Special Qualities: All children of the ancients gain Critical Vulnerability. Zombies, and only zombies, may gain other abilities as well. Unmodified children of the ancients gain fire vulnerability, children of matter gain fast healing 2, and children of sanity gain spectral limbs and fire vulnerability.
Abilities: Children of matter gain +4 strength unless it’s a non-ability. Children of mind gain +4 intelligence unless it’s a non-ability.
CR: For base children of the ancients, CR is +1 normally, or unchanged if the creature lacks visual ability.
For any of the three main children types, CR is +2 normally, or unchanged if the creature lacks visual ability.
Alignment: Creatures with intelligence scores of less than 3 or a non-ability in Intelligence change a good alignment to neutral, but are otherwise unchanged. Creatures with intelligence scores of 3 or higher are always chaotic evil.
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