HellHound
ENnies winner and NOT Scrappy Doo
Psionic Hags
Thought of as dark witches and mutated sorceresses, not all hags are actually wielders of arcane magic. Some women with psionic prowess find themselves torn apart from within by these powers, pushed out of their own communities, exiled and forgotten. The anger and imbalance builds up within them until their psychic shriek of pain and hatred can be heard by another psionic hag who takes them in and teaches them new ways.
Not all would-be psionic hags take this education kindly, seeing the ‘parental’ hag as the evil and twisted monster it is. But such objections are rarely noted by the adopting hag, who will often dominate the woman into the training, treating her as a prisoner more than a child and apprentice. The ‘parental’ hag offers no succour, no support, only a new target for the new hag’s hatred. It is out of this hatred, deprivation and solitude that the powers of the psionic hag erupt, twisting her in mind and body, making her tall and powerful, but also aged and spiteful. Once they become true psionic hags, the passage of time no longer ages them, but only seems to mature and hone their hatred and power.
Psionic hags exemplify those aspects of older women that most would shirk from. They are gaunt and thin, with loose skin, long noses, strange body hair and pendulous breasts. They have traded their humanity and beauty for great power.
Some rare psionic hags are not trained by a parental hag, but instead change themselves to this form through burning hatred and isolation. These are rare creatures, but often even more powerful than their brethren, for few have the potential to transform themselves in this way without help along the path.
Psionic Hag, Dust
Dust hags are beasts of the desert, where women have fled from their families, unwanted, or where they have been dragged out by their erstwhile communities in order to die. They live in crevasses in desert rock, small caves and some just lie in the desert wind and allow the sand to cover them over. These shrivelled monsters are nearly twice the height of man, with pale brown, weathered skin drawn tightly over their form. All their features are cruel and angular, sharp and wind-burned, their eyes are sunken, dark and bloodshot, their arms disproportionately long, reaching to their knees. Hands and fingers are long and thin, while their feet are wide and leathery to make running across the sand easier. Dust hags with ‘children’ typically lair near to an oasis or a forgotten desert well, in order to feed their ‘child’ the minimum of water it needs to survive until the metamorphosis.
Dust hags are quiet and stealthy, watching for mortal travellers and keeping a close eye on those who travel through their homes. They keep to the shadows and sand, watching for individuals to pick off and eat from a group, or terrifying pack animals away from camps in order to eat them and strand travellers to the desert’s mercy. For the dust hag knows the desert is without compassion for the races of men. Sometimes a dust hag will run through a camp during a sandstorm or strong wind, striking out against all around her as she runs screaming through the storm, tearing through armoured foes with terrible teeth and claws, and destroying stores of water and food.
Dust hags need no water nor food to survive, they instead drink the blood of their few kills for sustenance. Because of this hunger for blood, rare is the dust hag who will strike from a distance instead of attacking a target in melee with surprise.
Dust hags are known to keep other desert animals as pets and guards if they live near an area that can support wildlife. Those that live in the driest inhospitable depths of the desert, however, travel alone, for few can survive for long without water nor food.
Sample Dust Hag
This example uses a Val level 8 psion, level 6 soul knife as the base creature.
Terru Val’Assante, the Dune Reaper
Terru was the matriarch of a Val’Assante family originally from Nevanne, the Scarlet City, perched on the stark crags of the northern mountains of Coryan. But fortune worked against her family, and four sons were lost to her in the legions. In the hope of finding once again the blessing of Illiir, Terru dragged her family from its estates and began the pilgrimage into the blessed lands to visit the twelve citadels of the pantheon and then the first city. Many sacrifices were called upon for the pilgrimage, and some properties had to be sold as well as a family business. Upon the pilgrim trails, however, the family was ambushed by raiders who took Terru captive with the hopes of ransoming her back to the family or the empire. However, once Terru was no longer among them, her family did not embark on any quest to rescue her nor to speak to her captors, instead they retreated from the blessed lands, cursed her for wasting their time, and returned to their estates. Her captors finally abandoned her also to the desert where she wept through the night. In the morning the sun struck her without the protection of tent nor caravan for the first time, and she shrivelled under the glare, seeing it as the light of Illiir staring down upon her in her failure and loss. The very god whom she was travelling to placate was now killing her. It was then that she swore against Illiir and the pantheon, while the dust of the desert choked her and buried her, and the sun beat her down, but not into submission. And it was there that her ‘mother’ found her and brought her through the transformation.
Terru Val’Assante, the Dune Reaper, dust hag level 8 val psion (savant), level 6 souknife.
Large Monstrous Humanoid (augmented humanoid)
Hit Dice: 8d8+6d6+98 (154 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 40 feet (8 squares), 60 feet (12 squares) with speed of thought and 5 or more power points.
Armor Class: (-1 size, +5 Dex, +11 natural), touch , flat-footed
Base Attack / Grapple: +10 / +15
Attack: +2 keen dagger +12 melee (1d6+3, 17-20 / x2)
Full Attack: +2 keen dagger +12 melee (1d6+3, 17-20 / x2), claw +5 melee (1d6+1), bite +5 melee (1d6+1)
Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft.
Special Qualities: Blindsight, low-light vision, soulknife abilities, spell-like abilities, val bloodline.
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +9, Will +10
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 20, Con 24, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 18
Skills: Autohypnosis +13, Concentration +18, Diplomacy +9, Hide +16, Knowledge (psionics) +13, Knowledge (religion) +8, Move Silently +20, Psicraft +9, Tumble +18
Feats: Blind Fight, Craft Dorje, Extend Power, Great Fortitude, Inertial Armor, Master Dorje, Psionic Charge, Scribe Tattoo, Speed of Thought x2, Stealthy
Environment: Desert
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: Normal
Alignment: Neutral evil
Level Adjustment: +5
Possessions: Dorje of lesser body adjustment ( 50 chg), dorje of body adjustment (50 chg), dorje of burning ray (12 chg), psionic tattoo of burst, psionic tattoo of catfall, psionic tattoo of steadfast gaze, 11 point Crystal Capacitor, ‘skinshank’ (Large +2 keen dagger).
Powers Known (Manifester Level 11, 106 Power Points): 0 – astral glimpse*, burst, catfall, control shadow, detect psionics, far hand, friendly touch* (DC+4), missive, talons; 1 – control light, lesser body adjustment, mass static* (DC +5), muddle* (DC +5), sleep of the warden*; 2 – body adjustment, invisibility, seal of the savant*, see invisibility, sever the tie (DC +9); 3 charm monster (DC +7), greater concussion, negate psionics, whitefire (DC +5); 4 – greater seal of the savant*, inertial barrier, telekinesis (DC +11); 5 – brilliant blast (DC +12), greater domination (DC +9).
* from Jungles of the Mind
Soulknife Abilities: Mind Blade (create psionic +3 short sword at will), Sneak Attack (+3d6 damage), Imbed Power (up to level 3 power in the mind blade), Throw Mind Blade (30 ft. range increment), Imbed Attack (psionic attack mode in the mind blade), Sever Life (imbedded attack mode deals Con damage), Free Draw (creating the mind blade is a free action).
Val Bloodline Abilities: Blinding Light of Truth (discern lies 3 / day)
Creating a Dust Hag
“Dust hag” is a template that can be added to any female humanoid that is capable of manifesting psionic powers.
A dust hag uses all of the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The base creature’s size increases to “Large” (the ability modifiers for this size increase are already figured into those given under Abilities, below) unless it was bigger. The creatures type changes to monstrous humanoid (augmented humanoid). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves or skill points.
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future psion Hit Dice to d8.
Speed: Increase base speed to 40 ft. If the creature has better movement rates from its normal form, use those instead.
Armor Class: A dust hag has a +11 natural armor bonus or the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is better.
Attack: The dust hag has two claw attacks and a bite attack, and the claws are the primary natural weapon. If the base creature can use weapons, the dust hag retains this ability. A dust hag fighting without weapons uses a claw attack when making an attack action. When it has a weapon, it usually uses the weapon instead.
Full Attack: A dust hag fighting without weapons uses both claws and its bite when making a full attack. If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack and its bite as a natural secondary attack. If it has a hand free, it uses a claw as an additional natural secondary attack.
Damage: The dust hag’s bite attack and claw attacks both inflict 1d6 damage or the base creature’s claw and bite attack damage, whichever is better.
Space / Reach: The dust hag’s space/reach becomes 10 ft. / 10 ft., unless it was greater.
Special Qualities: A dust hag retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below:
Low-light vision (Ex): The dust hag can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of shadowy illumination. It retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Blindsight (Ex): 100 ft. range, this is typically used to move and attack from within the blinding confines of a desert sandstorm.
Spell-like Abilities (Sp): The dust hag can manifest the following psionic abilities as a sorcerer of a level equal to her hit dice at no power point cost, each three times per day: Gust of Wind (as the spell), Spike Stones (as the spell), Control Winds (as the spell) and Speak with Animals (but only with desert creatures).
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: +4 Strength, +6 Dexterity, +8 Constitution, +4 Wisdom, +4 Charisma.
Skills: Dust hags gain a +6 racial bonus to Survival checks.
Feats: A dust hag gains the following bonus feats: Blind-Fight, Scribe Tattoo, Great Fortitude, Stealthy.
Environment: Desert.
Organization: Solitary or Pair.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +3.
Alignment: Usually neutral evil.
Advancement: Same as base creature.
Level Advancement: Same as the base creature +5.
Thought of as dark witches and mutated sorceresses, not all hags are actually wielders of arcane magic. Some women with psionic prowess find themselves torn apart from within by these powers, pushed out of their own communities, exiled and forgotten. The anger and imbalance builds up within them until their psychic shriek of pain and hatred can be heard by another psionic hag who takes them in and teaches them new ways.
Not all would-be psionic hags take this education kindly, seeing the ‘parental’ hag as the evil and twisted monster it is. But such objections are rarely noted by the adopting hag, who will often dominate the woman into the training, treating her as a prisoner more than a child and apprentice. The ‘parental’ hag offers no succour, no support, only a new target for the new hag’s hatred. It is out of this hatred, deprivation and solitude that the powers of the psionic hag erupt, twisting her in mind and body, making her tall and powerful, but also aged and spiteful. Once they become true psionic hags, the passage of time no longer ages them, but only seems to mature and hone their hatred and power.
Psionic hags exemplify those aspects of older women that most would shirk from. They are gaunt and thin, with loose skin, long noses, strange body hair and pendulous breasts. They have traded their humanity and beauty for great power.
Some rare psionic hags are not trained by a parental hag, but instead change themselves to this form through burning hatred and isolation. These are rare creatures, but often even more powerful than their brethren, for few have the potential to transform themselves in this way without help along the path.
Psionic Hag, Dust
Dust hags are beasts of the desert, where women have fled from their families, unwanted, or where they have been dragged out by their erstwhile communities in order to die. They live in crevasses in desert rock, small caves and some just lie in the desert wind and allow the sand to cover them over. These shrivelled monsters are nearly twice the height of man, with pale brown, weathered skin drawn tightly over their form. All their features are cruel and angular, sharp and wind-burned, their eyes are sunken, dark and bloodshot, their arms disproportionately long, reaching to their knees. Hands and fingers are long and thin, while their feet are wide and leathery to make running across the sand easier. Dust hags with ‘children’ typically lair near to an oasis or a forgotten desert well, in order to feed their ‘child’ the minimum of water it needs to survive until the metamorphosis.
Dust hags are quiet and stealthy, watching for mortal travellers and keeping a close eye on those who travel through their homes. They keep to the shadows and sand, watching for individuals to pick off and eat from a group, or terrifying pack animals away from camps in order to eat them and strand travellers to the desert’s mercy. For the dust hag knows the desert is without compassion for the races of men. Sometimes a dust hag will run through a camp during a sandstorm or strong wind, striking out against all around her as she runs screaming through the storm, tearing through armoured foes with terrible teeth and claws, and destroying stores of water and food.
Dust hags need no water nor food to survive, they instead drink the blood of their few kills for sustenance. Because of this hunger for blood, rare is the dust hag who will strike from a distance instead of attacking a target in melee with surprise.
Dust hags are known to keep other desert animals as pets and guards if they live near an area that can support wildlife. Those that live in the driest inhospitable depths of the desert, however, travel alone, for few can survive for long without water nor food.
Sample Dust Hag
This example uses a Val level 8 psion, level 6 soul knife as the base creature.
Terru Val’Assante, the Dune Reaper
Terru was the matriarch of a Val’Assante family originally from Nevanne, the Scarlet City, perched on the stark crags of the northern mountains of Coryan. But fortune worked against her family, and four sons were lost to her in the legions. In the hope of finding once again the blessing of Illiir, Terru dragged her family from its estates and began the pilgrimage into the blessed lands to visit the twelve citadels of the pantheon and then the first city. Many sacrifices were called upon for the pilgrimage, and some properties had to be sold as well as a family business. Upon the pilgrim trails, however, the family was ambushed by raiders who took Terru captive with the hopes of ransoming her back to the family or the empire. However, once Terru was no longer among them, her family did not embark on any quest to rescue her nor to speak to her captors, instead they retreated from the blessed lands, cursed her for wasting their time, and returned to their estates. Her captors finally abandoned her also to the desert where she wept through the night. In the morning the sun struck her without the protection of tent nor caravan for the first time, and she shrivelled under the glare, seeing it as the light of Illiir staring down upon her in her failure and loss. The very god whom she was travelling to placate was now killing her. It was then that she swore against Illiir and the pantheon, while the dust of the desert choked her and buried her, and the sun beat her down, but not into submission. And it was there that her ‘mother’ found her and brought her through the transformation.
Terru Val’Assante, the Dune Reaper, dust hag level 8 val psion (savant), level 6 souknife.
Large Monstrous Humanoid (augmented humanoid)
Hit Dice: 8d8+6d6+98 (154 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 40 feet (8 squares), 60 feet (12 squares) with speed of thought and 5 or more power points.
Armor Class: (-1 size, +5 Dex, +11 natural), touch , flat-footed
Base Attack / Grapple: +10 / +15
Attack: +2 keen dagger +12 melee (1d6+3, 17-20 / x2)
Full Attack: +2 keen dagger +12 melee (1d6+3, 17-20 / x2), claw +5 melee (1d6+1), bite +5 melee (1d6+1)
Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft.
Special Qualities: Blindsight, low-light vision, soulknife abilities, spell-like abilities, val bloodline.
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +9, Will +10
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 20, Con 24, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 18
Skills: Autohypnosis +13, Concentration +18, Diplomacy +9, Hide +16, Knowledge (psionics) +13, Knowledge (religion) +8, Move Silently +20, Psicraft +9, Tumble +18
Feats: Blind Fight, Craft Dorje, Extend Power, Great Fortitude, Inertial Armor, Master Dorje, Psionic Charge, Scribe Tattoo, Speed of Thought x2, Stealthy
Environment: Desert
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: Normal
Alignment: Neutral evil
Level Adjustment: +5
Possessions: Dorje of lesser body adjustment ( 50 chg), dorje of body adjustment (50 chg), dorje of burning ray (12 chg), psionic tattoo of burst, psionic tattoo of catfall, psionic tattoo of steadfast gaze, 11 point Crystal Capacitor, ‘skinshank’ (Large +2 keen dagger).
Powers Known (Manifester Level 11, 106 Power Points): 0 – astral glimpse*, burst, catfall, control shadow, detect psionics, far hand, friendly touch* (DC+4), missive, talons; 1 – control light, lesser body adjustment, mass static* (DC +5), muddle* (DC +5), sleep of the warden*; 2 – body adjustment, invisibility, seal of the savant*, see invisibility, sever the tie (DC +9); 3 charm monster (DC +7), greater concussion, negate psionics, whitefire (DC +5); 4 – greater seal of the savant*, inertial barrier, telekinesis (DC +11); 5 – brilliant blast (DC +12), greater domination (DC +9).
* from Jungles of the Mind
Soulknife Abilities: Mind Blade (create psionic +3 short sword at will), Sneak Attack (+3d6 damage), Imbed Power (up to level 3 power in the mind blade), Throw Mind Blade (30 ft. range increment), Imbed Attack (psionic attack mode in the mind blade), Sever Life (imbedded attack mode deals Con damage), Free Draw (creating the mind blade is a free action).
Val Bloodline Abilities: Blinding Light of Truth (discern lies 3 / day)
Creating a Dust Hag
“Dust hag” is a template that can be added to any female humanoid that is capable of manifesting psionic powers.
A dust hag uses all of the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The base creature’s size increases to “Large” (the ability modifiers for this size increase are already figured into those given under Abilities, below) unless it was bigger. The creatures type changes to monstrous humanoid (augmented humanoid). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves or skill points.
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future psion Hit Dice to d8.
Speed: Increase base speed to 40 ft. If the creature has better movement rates from its normal form, use those instead.
Armor Class: A dust hag has a +11 natural armor bonus or the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is better.
Attack: The dust hag has two claw attacks and a bite attack, and the claws are the primary natural weapon. If the base creature can use weapons, the dust hag retains this ability. A dust hag fighting without weapons uses a claw attack when making an attack action. When it has a weapon, it usually uses the weapon instead.
Full Attack: A dust hag fighting without weapons uses both claws and its bite when making a full attack. If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack and its bite as a natural secondary attack. If it has a hand free, it uses a claw as an additional natural secondary attack.
Damage: The dust hag’s bite attack and claw attacks both inflict 1d6 damage or the base creature’s claw and bite attack damage, whichever is better.
Space / Reach: The dust hag’s space/reach becomes 10 ft. / 10 ft., unless it was greater.
Special Qualities: A dust hag retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below:
Low-light vision (Ex): The dust hag can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of shadowy illumination. It retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Blindsight (Ex): 100 ft. range, this is typically used to move and attack from within the blinding confines of a desert sandstorm.
Spell-like Abilities (Sp): The dust hag can manifest the following psionic abilities as a sorcerer of a level equal to her hit dice at no power point cost, each three times per day: Gust of Wind (as the spell), Spike Stones (as the spell), Control Winds (as the spell) and Speak with Animals (but only with desert creatures).
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: +4 Strength, +6 Dexterity, +8 Constitution, +4 Wisdom, +4 Charisma.
Skills: Dust hags gain a +6 racial bonus to Survival checks.
Feats: A dust hag gains the following bonus feats: Blind-Fight, Scribe Tattoo, Great Fortitude, Stealthy.
Environment: Desert.
Organization: Solitary or Pair.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +3.
Alignment: Usually neutral evil.
Advancement: Same as base creature.
Level Advancement: Same as the base creature +5.
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