When Erik Mona says to keep 'em coming, I listen! These guys were also inspired by a name-drop in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting.
Twigjack
Springing from the bushes is a strange creature that looks like a bundle of sticks grown into a crude humanoid shape. It cackles and capers and tears a long jagged splinter from its body, holding it like a javelin.
Twigjack CR 3
Usually CE Small Fey
Init +5; Senses Listen +7, low-light vision, Spot +7
Defense
AC 19, touch 16, flat-footed 14
(+1 size, +5 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 27 (6d6+6)
Fort +3, Ref +10, Will +5
DR 5/cold iron and slashing
Resist cold 10, electricity 10; Vulnerable fire
Offense
Spd 30ft (6 squares), climb 20ft, woodland stride
Melee 2 claws +9 melee (1d4+2)
Ranged splinterspear +9 ranged (1d4+2)
Space 5ft; Reach 5ft
Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6
Tactics
Before Combat twigjacks stalk their prey for a few hours to better savor their terror, making sure to stay out of sight. If multiple twigjacks are present, they surround their chosen victims.
During Combat twigjacks move constantly from combat, peeling splinterspears from their body to hurl at a victim, then moving to find new cover to hide in. If engaged in melee, they tumble constantly in order to keep opponents moving, and always flank when possible. They concentrate their attacks on unarmored opponents and anyone using fire.
Morale twigjacks are reckless and violent, but know when they’re beaten. A twigjack will usually retreat once reduced to 10 or less hit points, finding some inaccessible location to hide in, nurse its wounds, and plot revenge.
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 21, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 14
Feats Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Weapon Finesse
Skills Balance +14, Climb +16, Hide +15*, Jump +11, Listen +7, Move Silently +12, Spot +7, Tumble +14
Base Attack+3; Grapple +1
Languages Sylvan
Ecology
Environment Temperate forests
Organization Solitary, gang (2-5) or exploit (1-2 plus 1-3 assassin vines or 1 shambling mound)
Treasure Standard
Advancement By character class
Level Adjustment +2
Special Abilities
Sneak Attack (Ex) A twigjack does an extra 1d6 points of damage when striking a flat-footed or flanked foe. This works exactly as the rogue ability of the same name.
Splinterspear (Su) A twigjack can tear from its body long sharp splinters, which it throws at its foes. These are treated exactly as Small javelins, except that a creature struck by a splinterspear must make a DC 18 Reflex save or have the spear lodge in its flesh. Lodged splinterspears impose a -1 penalty on attacks, saves and checks per spear. The save DC is Dexterity based.
Lodged splinterspears can be safely removed with a DC 20 Heal check; otherwise, removing a splinterspear does an extra 1d6 points of damage.
A twigjack can use its Quick Draw feat to create splinterspears as a free action; twigjacks without this feat must spend a move action to create a splinterspear, just like drawing a thrown weapon.
Woodland Stride (Su) A twigjack can move without penalty or damage in any natural undergrowth. It still is impeded by magically-manipulated undergrowth, such as that created by an entangle or plant growth spell.
Skills *A twigjack receives a +8 racial bonus on all Hide checks made in forested areas.
A twigjack has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks, and can take 10 on Climb checks even when rushed or threatened.
Cruel fey that delight in ambush and torment, twigjacks are the bane of loggers and kindly druids alike. A twigjack stands about three feet tall and is quite light for its size, weighing little more than 20 pounds. Twigjacks float.
Ecology
Twigjacks are carnivorous, and they prefer the meat they consume to be seasoned liberally with fear. A twigjack’s territory can often be identified by the animal carcasses impaled on branches—twigjacks often kill for sheer sadism rather than hunger, but save these kills for a later snack. They are not above scavenging, and twigjacks are often found in conjunction with monstrous plants living in their forests, such as assassin vines and shambling mounds. These associations are sometimes no more than a twigjack stealing the kills of these plants, but can also blossom into seemingly paternal relationships, with the twigjack tending to its plants with great care, driving blundering mortals into their paths, helping them murder and maim, and leaving enough of their victims to compost the plants. Only the most evil of druids will tolerate twigjacks, and twigjacks respond in kind, harrying druids in their forests and sneaking into their campsites to murder sleeping animal companions.
Habitat and Society
Twigjacks are native to the temperate forests of Avistan, the darker and more remote the better. They delight in nothing more than murder, and will gladly associate with one another in order to kill larger targets and more efficiently. There is nothing twigjacks hate more than good-aligned sylvan creatures, and a twigjack’s forest will either be bare of elves, centaurs, unicorns and the like, or such creatures will find themselves severely embattled. Lumberjacks are also favorite targets of twigjack mayhem.
Twigjacks delight in treasures, keeping their favorite baubles on themselves at all times and storing the rest of them in animal dens, hollows in trees and the like. They have watched enough adventurers to know that some items contain magic, and delight in potions or wearable items that increase their stealth or defenses. Twigjacks are asexual, and do not mate; a twigjack that is very well-fed can tear off part of its body and plant it like a cutting. This twigjack seedling appears as a thorny bush for six months, during which time its parent occasionally waters it with blood. After this time, the new twigjack uproots itself and begins its own life of mayhem, either joining its parent or finding its own territory to terrorize.
Twigjacks with Class Levels
Unlike many fey, which tend towards mysticism and magic, twigjacks are brutal, visceral creatures that delight in combat. Most twigjacks with class levels are rangers or rogues, and both classes are considered favored classes. Twigjack rangers tend to favor the ranged combat style, as it allows them to throw more splinterspears more effectively. Twigjack rangers prefer favored enemies such as humans, animals, elves or magical beasts. They rarely, if ever, have an animal companion.
The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting is copyright 2008 Paizo Publishing. Copyright 2008 Nicholas Herold.