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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cleon" data-source="post: 8282566" data-attributes="member: 57383">How's this for the Sand-Shifters?Desert Giant Sand-ShiftersSome desert giants have the ability to summon tribal ancestors who fossilized so long ago crumbled into sand. They are called sand-shifters because of how the desert sand shift aside as the ancestral spirits rise from the ground to fight for their people once again. The summoning grants the petrified ancestor's spirits temporary bodies formed from rock and powder. Sand-shifters are also able to summon giant-sized riding creatures called stony steeds and these are the only sand-beings that can be summoned by an immature sand-shifter (see below). Sand-shifters are no more likely to become spellcasters than ordinary desert giants.Adult sand-shifters have a Charisma score of at least 15 and the following special ability:Sand-Shifting (Sp)[or Su?*]: If a sand-shifter is in a desert area that was once inhabited by their tribe they can summon 2d3 petrified ancestors to rise from the sand (see below for details). Alternatively, they can summon either 2d8+8 stony steeds (see below) or 1d3 petrified ancestors with 1d8+4 stony steeds. This ability is usable once per week and requires a summoning ritual that take 1 minute to complete; if interrupted the sand-shifter does not lose that week's use and can start the ritual again from the beginning. Beings summoned from the shifting sand may remain on this plane of existence for up to 2 hours as long as the sand-shifter remains conscious; they immediately vanish back to the afterlife if the sand-shifter is killed or knocked out. Summoned creatures are dismissable by the sand-shifter. This ability is the equivalent of a 7th-level spell.Immature sand-shifters are normally desert giant children. They summon stony steeds for the tribe's warriors to ride into battle and then are kept far away from danger, often with a single adult desert giant relative to protect them. Although child sand-shifter are meant to be non-combatants they sometimes carry weapons. If armed, they will only have spears and/or javelins – lances and hurling spears are prizes a desert giant earns when attaining adulthood.Immature sand-shifters may be Medium size (Str 17, Con 15, NA +8) or Large size (Str 21, Dex 12, Con 17). They have 7 Hit Dice, Charisma 13 and their other abilities are the same as an adult desert giant plus the following special ability:Junior Sand-Shifting (Sp)[or Su?*]: This ability is the equivalent of a 5th-level spell. It works like the ability of an adult sand-shifter but summons 1d8+8 stony steeds.Sand-Shifter Petrified AncestorsA petrified ancestor has identical attributes to a desert giant, including all its equipment, except its type is Outsider ([Earth?], Extraplanar) rather than Giant (Earth?). The spirit of a petrified ancestor willingly returns to the prime material to aid its descendants. It will fight under the command of the sand-shifter who summoned it, but is motivated by loyalty not magical control. They are more like cohorts than beings conjured via a summon monster spell. It can freely disobey the sand-shifter if ordered to do anything it disapproves of, particularly actions it considers deeply dishonorable or harmful to the tribe. If the offense is truly severe a petrified ancestor may even attack the sand-shifter who summoned it, although the sand-shifter will usually dismiss it first.Sand-Shifter Stony SteedsA stony steed manifests as a Huge terrestrial creature equipped with a saddle suitable for a Large giant. Its form normally matches whatever mount the sand-shifter's tribe prefers, typically an elephant, giant horse or dire camel, but it can take the form of any now-deceased steed a tribe member once owned and rode into battle. This includes legendary mounts that might never have existed, provided the sand-shifter knows of them. Thus, stony steeds may be conjured in bizarre shapes such as enormous arthropods, dragons, wingless griffons, granite lions, skeletons, wheeled thrones and clockwork zebras.Whatever their form, all stony steeds have the following statistics:Stony Steed (Huge Magical Beast (Earth, Extraplanar); Hit Dice: 6d10+30 (63 hp); Init: +1; Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares); AC: 18 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +9 natural) touch 10, flat-footed 17; Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+17; Attack: Hoof +7 melee (1d8+3*); Full Attack: 2 hooves +7 melee (1d8+3*); Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.; Special Attacks: —; Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent; Saves: Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +5; Abilities: Str 24, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6; Skills: Listen +4, Spot +4; Feats: Endurance, Iron Will, Run; CR: 3)*A stony steed's hoof attack is treated as a secondary attack and adds only half the steed's Strength bonus to damage.Carrying Capacity: A light load for a stony steed is up to 1,400 pounds; a medium load, 1,401-2,800 pounds; and a heavy load, 2,801-4,200 pounds. A stony steed can drag 21,000 pounds.</blockquote>

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