Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="demiurge1138" data-source="post: 4072634" data-attributes="member: 7451">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 since4) I've always wanted to do a mind flayer replacementwe 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 8Usually NE Medium aberration (extraplanar)Init +5; Senses blindsight 300 ft, darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; Listen +4, Spot +4Aura sickly glow (30 ft radius, DC 21)DefenseAC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 17    (+5 Dex, +7 natural)hp 82 (11d8+33)Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +11Defensive Abilities internal derangement, no breath; Immune cold, fire, inhaled poisons, gases and diseases; SR 20; Vulnerability light, light sensitivityOffenseSpd 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 grabSpell-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)TacticsBefore 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.StatisticsStr 15, Dex 21, Con 17, Int 22, Wis 18, Cha 22 Base Atk +8; Grp +14Feats Flyby Attack, Improved Grapple (B), Multiattack, Quicken Spell-like Ability (shield), Weapon FinesseSkills Bluff +20, Concentration +17, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +20 (+22 acting), Hide +19, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, planes) +20, Move Silently +19Languages Common, Draconic, Mi-go, Undercommon, telepathy 300ftEcologyEnvironment Any (Dominions of the Black)Organization solitary, cult (2-5) or flight (6-12)Treasure no coins, standard goods, double itemsAdvancement 12-22 HD (Medium), 13-33 HD (Large) or by character classLevel Adjustment—Special AbilitiesExtract 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. EcologyThe 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 SocietyThe 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 LevelsSome 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.TreasureThe 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 10thSlot— Price 24,000 gpDescriptionThis 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.ConstructionRequirements Craft Rod, must be a dweller in darkness, acid arrow, cone of coldCost 12,000 gp, 960 xp.Brain CanisterAura Moderate necromancy and divination; CL 9thSlot—, Price 7,500 gpDescriptionThis 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.ConstructionRequirements Brew Potion, Craft Wondrous Item, gentle repose, telepathic bondCost 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?This thread uses trademarks and/or copyrights owned by Paizo Publishing, LLC, which are used under Paizo's Community Use Policy. We are expressly prohibited from charging you to use or access this content. This thread is not published, endorsed, or specifically approved by Paizo Publishing. For more information about Paizo's Community Use Policy, please visit paizo.com/communityuse. For more information about Paizo Publishing and Paizo products, please visit paizo.com."</blockquote>

Verification