More Support from the Author of the Cloven Hoof Syndicate

Almost too late for a Mythopoeic Monday posting, but I just got word about something that went live today: a support article from Rambler and Friend of the Blog, Paris Crenshaw.  Head on over to the Clockwork Gnome site and get "Arcane Assistance in the Conduct of Criminal Investigations" under Supplemental Articles.  I also notice how much Allen has prettied the site up.  Nice.

If you're interested in quality product for the Pathfinder RPG, PF Beginner's Box, or Swords & Wizardry, and haven't all ready, take a look around.

Scroll-Eating Moth

For the second installment of today's Frightful Fridays!, I turn from the immense, mind-boggling entity that owns the dark tendrils to a tiny critter that will still make your characters' lives miserable--especially if they carry arcane scrolls. Flash pointed me to this real-life creature, the Venezuelan Poodle Moth, and I figured that it should have something cooler than just its good looks. Riffing on the cloth-eating tropes associated with moths, I decided to give it the ability to "eat" scrolls it detects with its continual detect magic. Really mean GMs could have this creature destroy an entire supply of scrolls without anyone noticing, considering the moth's high Stealth bonus, but I can't imagine there are any GMs like that out there.

Thanks for your patience with me during my skipped week. I will definitely be back next week with a new installment of Frightful Fridays!

Found here

This moth looks like a cross between a normal moth and a poodle. It sits on a scroll, the scroll’s runes disappearing while the moth’s feelers twitch wildly.
Scroll-Eating Moth CR 4
XP 1,200
N Diminutive magical beast
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, detect magic; Perception +10

Defense
AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +4 size)
hp 37 (5d10+10)
Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +3
Immune chosen energy

Offense
Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (good)
Melee bite +13 (1d2–3 plus 2d6 chosen energy)
Special Attacks arcane burst, scroll eating

Statistics
Str 4, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 17
Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 12 (20 vs. trip)
Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus
Skills Fly +18, Perception +10, Spellcraft +2 (+14 when absorbing a scroll), Stealth +23; Racial Modifiers +12 Spellcraft when absorbing a scroll

Ecology
Environment temperate or warm urban
Organization solitary, pair or milling (3–12)
Treasure absorbed spells

Special Abilities
Arcane Burst (Su) A scroll-eating moth can detonate itself as a last resort. It deals its chosen energy damage equal to 2d6 times the number of stored spell levels it has remaining.
Chosen Energy Immunity/Damage (Su) At the beginning of its turn, a scroll-eating moth chooses an energy type; it gains immunity to that damage and deals 2d6 damage of that energy type when it successfully bites an opponent. If it absorbs energy or deals energy damage it loses a stored spell level. When the moth chooses a new energy type, it loses the benefits from the previously chosen energy type.
Scroll Eating (Su) A scroll-eating moth constantly detects magic, and it is particularly drawn to arcane scrolls. If the moth starts its turn within 5 feet of an arcane scroll, it can absorb its energy at a rate of spell levels equal to its Wisdom bonus (minimum 1). It must remain within 5 feet of the scroll long enough to drain all the spell levels, or it must start the process over again. If the moth drains the scroll, the scroll becomes blank, as if the spell contained within were cast, and the moth adds the spell’s level to its stored spell levels, up to a maximum of its Charisma modifier times Hit Dice (15 levels for a typical moth). When a scroll-eating moth starts an encounter it typically has a number of stored spell levels equal to its Hit Dice. The moth cannot drain energy from a divine scroll.

Originally intended by their creators to be a weapon against rival wizards, scroll-eating moths bred true and now present a threat to all arcane spellcasters, especially those who rely on portable scrolls to augment their might. A scroll-eating moth is a mere 4 inches long and weighs 8 ounces (moths laden with arcane energy can weigh up to 2 pounds).

A scroll-eating moth possesses sophisticated senses that allow it to find the meals it most desires. The moth does not starve if deprived of arcane scrolls; it resorts to eating nectar, cloth and paper like moths of its original stock. Once it discovers a scroll, it flies directly to it and attempts to surreptitiously absorb the arcane energy permeating the scroll. The creature possesses a surprisingly high intelligence and long lives (up to a 50-year lifespan), so it knows how to avoid the scroll’s owner since it takes several seconds to digest the scroll’s energies. Only when it is caught and feels threatened will it attack—adding whatever energy type it instinctively feels is the most appropriate (usually fire).

Either intentionally, or as a weird side effect of their scroll absorption ability, a scroll-eating moth retains knowledge of the spells contained within the scrolls it drains. It does not have the intelligence to use the scrolls, but someone who captures a moth can extract spells contained within the moth and place them on new scrolls. This requires a Spellcraft check with a DC equal to 20 + the spell level, and spells such as identify reveal the spells the moth holds.

Creatures who hunt arcane spellcasters employ scroll-eating moths, ensnaring the creatures first by laying out attractive scrolls and then finding a way to communicate with the moths and convincing them of a greater bounty. Rumors persist of offshoots that can absorb divine spells, spells from spellbooks or magical energy from cloth magic items; the weirdest rumor holds that a “moth of holding” flies around eating items it then stores within its extradimensional space.

Dark Tendril

Welcome back to a much delayed Frightful Fridays! For this week's first feature, I'm working from an image that Theodric the Obscure uncovered. This one intrigued me quite a bit, and my imagination wandered to the concept of these tentacles as stand-alone creatures in one sense, but they actually are part of a greater, more terrifying whole. Days after the adventurers scramble to eradicate these dark tendrils that appear one night all over their home town (or a town they coincidentally happen to be passing through), the tentacles reappear to menace the town or perhaps follow the characters around. Eventually, the characters should realize that the tentacles aren't autonomous creatures; instead they belong to another more powerful creature.

I hope you enjoy the dark tendril, and I'll be back in a few hours with the second feature (to make up for missing a week)! 

Image Source

This black, worm-like creature does not have obvious eyes, but it seems to find its way around with no problem. Additionally, rather than having a tail, the creature just ends apparently at its midsection.
Dark Tendril CR 10
XP 9,600
NE Large aberration (evil, extraplanar)
Init +7; Senses blindsight 100 ft.; Perception +16
Aura frightful presence (40 ft., DC 19)

Defense
AC 24, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+7 Dex, +8 natural, –1 size)
hp 127 (15d8+60)
Fort +11, Ref +14, Will +13
Defensive Abilities amorphous, DR 15/good; Immune cold, poison, mind-affecting effects; Resist electricity 20

Offense
Speed 50 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee slam +19 (4d6+13 plus grab and 1d4 Constitution drain)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks constrict (2d6 plus 1d4 Con drain), incomprehensible mind
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +17)
3/day—black tentacles

Statistics
Str 28, Dex 25, Con 18, Int —, Wis 19, Cha 15
Base Atk +11; CMB +21 (+25 grapple); CMD 38
Feats Great Fortitude(B), Lightning Reflexes(B)
Skills Climb +17, Escape Artist +19, Perception +16, Sleight of Hand +19, Stealth +19; Racial Modifiers +12 Escape Artist, +12 Perception, +12 Sleight of Hand, +16 Stealth
SQ compression, rejuvenation

Ecology
Environment any terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, or mass (3–8)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Constitution Drain (Su) A dark tendril’s attack potentially steals its victim’s life essence to feed the creature controlling the dark tendril. When a dark tendril hits with its slam attack or while it constricts its victim, the victim must succeed at a DC 21 Fortitude save, or the dark tendril drains 1d4 Con. A dark tendril gains no temporary hit points from the Con drain.
Incomprehensible Mind (Su) A dark tendril is essentially mindless, but characters can telepathically access the alien mind controlling it. However, anyone who does so must succeed at a DC 19 Will save or become stunned for 1 round. The save DC is based on the dark tendril’s Charisma.
Rejuvenation (Ex) Destroying a dark tendril only temporarily works while its parent creature lives. A new dark tendril replaces the destroyed creature in 2d4 days.

An unknowable, other-dimensional creature settles on a town and extrudes its tentacles throughout town to feed itself and literally feel out the town’s defenses. If nothing stops the creature, it devastates the town within a week, leaving no real evidence of its attack once it withdraws its dark tendrils. A manifested dark tendril weighs 400 pounds and ranges in length from 5 feet to 15 feet.

While a dark tendril is mindless and sightless in and of itself, it has sophisticated senses that allow the creature to transmit detailed impressions of its surroundings to the entity controlling it. Depending on the controlling creature’s desires, a dark tendril will attack or attempt to sneakily scout around. The creature can twist and contort itself to enter many areas normally inaccessible to something of its size, and it can even reconfigure itself in an attempt to steal items of value. The controlling entity does this to increase tension in the location it plans to invade and to possibly sow discord among the residents. Finally, a dark tendril can cast off some of its material to create an effect equivalent to casting black tentacles, which it uses to restrain problematic foes.

When a dark tendril is reduced to 0 hit points, its controller becomes aware of the tendril’s “death” and withdraws the damaged tentacle back to its home dimension. Observers note that the dark tendril disappears when it is slain. Those who slay a dark tendril certainly gain the parent entity’s attention and may find themselves the target of more dark tendril attacks later.

Raiders of the Dead Sea Scrolls!

Dr. Jones & the Case of the Fishian Tablets

Before the Christmas holidays, I got in town just in time to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit in Fort Worth.  Last year, Google announced their sponsorship of the project to digitize the scrolls.  Consequently, the most important site for study of the scrolls now is the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library.  Instead of succumbing to the easy out of making directly for the Wikipedia article, I invite you to check out some of the links below to learn more.

The Digital Sea Scrolls at The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Scrolls From the Dead Sea: The Ancient Library of Qumran and Modern Scholarship, Smithsonian website

Who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?

Virtual Jewish Library: Dead Sea Scrolls

USC’s West Semitic Research Project: Dead Sea Scrolls

BYU’s Maxwell Institute on the Dead Sea Scrolls

Naturally, the trip excited not so much any temptation I entertained as a young man to devote myself to textual criticism (God bless those so committed, who preserved me from such an occupation that would have strained my eyes and likely driven me insane), but the ol’ mythopoeic mind.  These old scrolls, fragile and some incredibly difficult to read, are worth an incredible amount of money even in fragmentary condition.  So, take away #1: scrolls are treasure.  Sound familiar, gamers?  Spell-casting classes certainly value scrolls for their ability to replicate spell-casting and as supplements to the power of such classed characters.

DSS scholarship is, among other things, one of the most massive efforts in human history to reconstruct the texts that were represented in the scrolls.  Technology has gone a long way to extend naked human powers in recovering texts that would have otherwise been unrecoverable.  What would things be like in another world, one in which these were magical texts and the reader had the ability to cast Read Magic?  I like the idea of ancient scrolls that were in such a condition that only by casting Read Magic could the spells on them be accessed.  I like to imagine illegible characters on a darkened parchment clearly shining with arcane power and lacunae caused by insects or environment being filled-in by ghostly runes.  Take away #2: Read Magic could be cool in-game.

Biblical texts, compendiums and commentaries on biblical texts, and other texts which governed the DSS community make up the majority of the scrolls.  But a stand-out among them is the Copper Scroll.* That’s right, not a scroll of parchment (animal hide) or papyrus (the ANE forerunner of paper)—or other likely candidates as needed according to milieu such as rice paper, stone, or clay—but of copper.  And unlike the other texts, the Copper Scroll is essentially a verbal treasure map for multiple locations.  Take away #3: Get creative with the materials of special scrolls.  And take-away #4: Yes, sometimes scrolls can be treasure maps or media to provide other sorts of clues or information that PCs need.  (In addition to the image above, check out this portion of the scroll before cleaning.)

As always, I advocate learning more about our own world to inform our construction of other worlds.  A cache of texts could make an entire treasure horde.  And if Doctor Who and Avatar the Last Airbender are heeded, a library can make a great adventure setting.  I once GMed an adventure in which an ancient culture put all of their secrets in symbolic knot-work (inspired by Incan Quipu) that were preserved on frames in their treasure vault, protected by a dungeon complex.  What creative uses have you made or seen of texts as treasure?

Happy last Mythopoeic Monday of 2012, and to all Ramblers and readers, a very Happy New Year!

*And yes, Jim Barfield sounds kind of crazy to me.  Have fun!

Frightful Fridays! Mashup Spectacular

Happy (and Frightful) Holidays to you! As promised, I've got two mashups to present this week, the xenomorphosaurus rex (as named by Theodric himself) and the squiger. They exist on opposite ends of the challenge rating spectrum, but don't be fooled by the squiger--it can be pretty ferocious in its own right.At any rate, I hope you enjoy both of them.

I'm travelling next week, so the last Frightful Fridays! of 2012 might be delayed by a day. Thanks as always for reading!

Original found here

What at first appears to be a typical tyrannosaurus soon takes on a horrifying aspect with spiky protrusions all along its body, and a maw that opens up to reveal a smaller, toothy mouth within.
Xenomorphosaurus Rex CR 18
XP 153,600
NE Gargantuan aberration
Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +41

Defense
AC 32, touch 12, flat-footed 26 (+6 Dex, +20 natural, –4 size)
hp 350 (28d8+224); regeneration 20 (fire)
Fort +17, Ref +17, Will +20
Defensive Abilities improved evasion; Immune acid, cold, poison; Resist electricity 20, sonic 20

Offense
Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +31 (6d6+28/19–20 plus 4d8 acid and grab), tail slap +26 (4d6+7 plus trip)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks acid blood, lingering acid, powerful bite, swallow whole (4d6 bludgeoning plus 4d8 acid damage, AC 20, 35 hp)

Statistics
Str 38, Dex 23, Con 26, Int 11, Wis 18, Cha 9
Base Atk +21; CMB +39 (+43 grapple); CMD 55
Feats Bleeding Critical, Critical Focus, Critical Mastery(B), Diehard, Endurance, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus (Intimidate), Skill Focus (Perception), Stunning Critical
Skills Climb +45, Intimidate +44, Perception +41, Stealth +25; Racial Modifiers +8 Intimidate

Ecology
Environment any land
Organization solitary, pair, or troop (3–8)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities
Acid Blood (Ex) If a slashing weapon deals damage to a xenomorphosaurus rex, the creature sprays acid from the wound towards its attacker up to a range of 60 feet. The acid deals 2d8 damage, which a successful DC 38 Reflex save negates. The save DC is Strength-based.
Lingering Acid (Ex) If a xenomorphosaurus rex deals acid damage (through acid blood, its bite attack, or to a swallowed victim who has escaped), the acid remains on its victim for one more round, dealing 1d8 damage at the beginning of the xenomorphosaurus rex’s next turn, unless the acid is completely washed off.
Powerful Bite (Ex) A xenomorphosaurus rex’s adds twice its Strength modifier to its bite damage.

A xenomorphosaurus rex is terror incarnate—the most terrible of dinosaurs mixed with xenomorph DNA. Fortunately, very few of the creatures exist, but when more than one gathers, devastation on a large scale follows. A xenomorphosaurus rex is slightly smaller than its tyrannosaur forebear, weighing 13,000 pounds and measuring 35 feet long.

Remarkably stealthy for its size and possessing great cunning, a xenomorphosaurus rex draws intelligent prey into its lair with an obvious display of treasure. It then plays a sadistic game of cat and mouse with any adventurers who investigate the lair. It attempts to quietly pick off a straggler at the outset, and then escalates its attacks to cause its victims to panic, as if the creature savors the taste of terrified prey. Fortunately, the xenomorphosaurus rex is the only known hybrid creature of its kind, and a certain elephantine race has taken interest in its appearance, virtually guaranteeing its eventual extinction.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Squiger CR 2
XP 600
N Small magical beast
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +10

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 size)
hp 19 (3d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +3

Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +5 (1d4+1), 2 claws +5 (1d3+1)
Special Attacks grab (Medium), pounce, rake (2 claws +5, 1d3+1)

Statistics
Str 12, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +3; CMB +5 (+9 grapple); CMD 16 (20 vs. trip)
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Improved Initiative
Skills Climb +13, Perception +10, Stealth +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception

Ecology
Environment temperate or warm forests
Organization solitary, pair, or scurry
Treasure incidental

A squiger seems at first to be another weird wizard-created crossbreed, but it is in fact a naturally occurring creature, insofar as a magic-rich world can be natural. A squiger is bigger than its squirrel counterpart—about as large as a housecat. Its oversized head features a tiger’s long incisors and, it has sharp, retractable claws.

A squiger has a squirrel’s curiosity and inclination to get into places it should not, but it backs that up with a ferocity that would deter most commoners who might try to shoo the creature away. A squiger is a terrific climber that lairs in the bole of a large tree where it stores nuts, dead birds and rodents, and shiny items such as coins and gems.

Rumors persist of a dire squiger, which is the size of a normal tiger and has saber-like teeth. None have actually been sighted, however.

A spellcaster can choose a squiger as a familiar. The spellcaster must have a neutral component to her alignment along at least one axis, must be at least caster level 7th, and must have the Improved Familiar feat.

Looking for Lilith

Folks may remember my interest in Lilith.  (See here, here, and here.)  I love George MacDonald's novel named after her.  I remember seeing a Lilith collection at Lucky Dog Books (back when they were Paperbacks Plus) a couple of years back, and when I went back for it, it was gone.  Wondering what I missed, I went looking for the book online, and found Elaine Cunningham's Lilith Unbound.  I thought that must have been the book, but when I saw it was published in 2011, I figured that it is unlikely that this was only a year ago and that it must have been at least two.  So, anybody have any ideas what I was looking at?  Or want to recommend anything else in the Lilith category?

It's so nice to have moments to relax and even blog a little note.  I hope everyone else is soon in this place.  If it were not for the holidays, I'm not sure how those of us in academia would keep going.

Frightful Fridays! Goliath Etherfish

It's Friday, so that means another Frightful creature for your enjoyment! Thanks again to Flash, I'm back to nature--this time he provided a picture of the goliath tigerfish, which eats smaller crocodiles and attacks the rare human. I figured I'd turn things up just a little by creating a larger version that attacks from the Ethereal Plane. Hopefully, characters will be truly horrified when a 15-foot-long fish with foot-long teeth materializes from out of nowhere and attacks.

I hope you enjoy this installment of Frightful Fridays! Next week I hope to provide you with an early Christmas gift in the form of a mash-up double feature. Thanks for reading!

This improbably large, mottled grey fish appears out of thin air to attack. It opens its maw, revealing numerous teeth each the length of a short sword.

Goliath Etherfish             CR 8

XP 4,800

CE Huge magical beast (extraplanar)

Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +9

Defense

AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 natural, –2 size)

hp 104 (11d10+44)

Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +4

Offense

Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft.

Melee bite +16 (3d8+6/19–20 plus bleed and grab), tail slap +10 (2d6+3)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks bleed (1d6), ethereal jaunt, regurgitate, swallow whole (2d6+3 bludgeoning damage, AC 14, 10 hp)

Statistics

Str 22, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 11

Base Atk +11; CMB +19 (+23 grapple); CMD 33

Feats Dodge, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Mobility, Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus (bite)

Skills Perception +9, Stealth +4, Swim +20

SQ ethereal swim

Ecology

Environment warm seas or Ethereal Plane

Organization solitary, pair, or flotilla (3–12)

Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Ethereal Jaunt (Su) A goliath etherfish can shift from the Etherial Plane to the Material Plane as a free action, and it can shift back as a move action (or part of a move action). Creatures the etherfish has swallowed whole travel with it. Otherwise, this ability functions like ethereal jaunt (CL 16th).

Ethereal Swim (Ex) A goliath etherfish can move its swim speed in any direction on the Ethereal Plane.

Regurgitate (Ex) When a goliath etherfish swallows 4 Medium creatures (or the equivalent in a mix of Large, Medium and Small creatures), it regurgitates the contents of its stomach into the Ethereal Plane. This does no damage to disgorged victims, but a character may resist this by forcing the etherfish to succeed at a grapple check to dislodge the character.

A goliath etherfish would make for a frightening predator in the seas of the Material Plane, but the fact it can attack its prey from the Ethereal Plane makes it even more terrifying. The creature prefers its sustenance comes from the Material Plane, so it launches occasional attacks in populated areas to fill its stomach with as many victims as possible. If it finds a bounty of prey, it fills itself up, disgorges victims on the Ethereal Plane, and then returns to grab more. A goliath etherfish is 15 feet long and weighs roughly 1 ton.

No scholar has been able to ascertain the goliath etherfish’s origins. Most scholars speculate the progenitors were a group of terrestrial fish that got swept up in an ancient interplanar portal. The etherfish not only adapted to their new environment, but they also kept their ties to the Material Plane—ties they exploit to hunt for prey.  The creature’s remarkable Dexterity, especially considering its size, owes to its adaptation to the currents of the Ethereal Plane.

Desperate planar travelers who are knowledgeable about goliath etherfish attempt to present themselves as tempting meals for an etherfish. They allow the creature to return to the Ethereal Plane and either wait for the creature to regurgitate them or cut themselves free. This method of travel is inexpensive but fraught with danger.

Frightful Fridays! Scorned One

Welcome once again to Frightful Fridays! This time, the feature is on its (f)rightful night. This week's image inspired me to create an undead creature created from the fallout of an affair (either the former lover, or the new lover to whom the person having the affair will not commit). A "scorned one" manifests when it takes its own life or is murdered as a result of the affair, and it seeks revenge on its former lover. Once it achieves this goal, it sows discord in its former community and strings along another victim or two, before departing for other towns where it can continue killing without drawing suspicion to itself.

My intention was to create a monster that could be the center of a smaller arc in a campaign. A trusted NPC announces to the characters that he is smitten with a young lady and cannot get her out of his mind. The relationship proceeds as the characters adventure, but, each time they meet with the NPC, something seems "off." Eventually, the characters discover victims of the scorned one and must rush to save the NPC. Likewise, a scorned one could be a one-off foe using its emotional manipulation aura to assist a more powerful creature.

If you end up using a scorned one (or any of the other Friday Frights), let me know in the comments section. See you next week!

This beautiful woman suddenly transforms into a hideous creature whose face is all teeth. Meanwhile, the erstwhile suitor with her seems oblivious to her transformation.

Scorned One CR 7

XP 3,200

NE Medium undead (shapechanger)

Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16

Aura emotional manipulation aura

Defense

AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural)

hp 85 (10d8+40)

Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +10

Immune undead traits

Offense

Speed 30 ft.

Melee bite +12 (1d6–1/19–20 plus attach and 1d2 Wisdom drain), 2 claws +12 (1d4–1 plus poison)

Special Attacks enthrallment, 1d2 Wis drain, poison

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +14)

   At will—detect thoughts (DC 16)

   3/day—charm person (DC 17, includes a +2 racial bonus)

Statistics

Str 8, Dex 21, Con —, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 19

Base Atk +7; CMB +12; CMD 22

Feats Agile Maneuvers, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Persuasive, Weapon Finesse

Skills Diplomacy +21, Disguise +17 (+27 while using change shape ability), Intimidate +17, Perception +16, Perform (dance) +17, Sense Motive +14, Sleight of Hand +12, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers +10 Disguise while using change shape ability

Languages Common, Elven

SQ change shape (alter self), courtly demeanor

Ecology

Environment any urban

Organization solitary (alone or with enthralled suitor)

Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Courtly Demeanor (Ex) A scorned one treats Diplomacy and one Perform skill as class skills.

Emotional Manipulation Aura (Su) A scorned one emits an aura that changes the emotional state of creatures within 60 feet. A scorned one chooses one of the following effects (which it can change after 1 minute): calm (per calm emotions), despair (per crushing despair) or fear (affected creature gains the shaken condition). Anyone within the aura's radius must make a DC 19 Will save to avoid having their emotions manipulated; a character who succeeds at the save is immune to the scorned one's aura for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Enthrallment (Su) A character under the influence of a scorned one's charm person sees it in its changed form rather than its true form, even if the scorned one reveals its form to others. If a scorned one chooses, it can exempt a charmed character from its emotional manipulation aura.

Poison (Ex) Claws—injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Str; cure 1 save. The save DC is based solely on a scored one's Hit Dice.

Wisdom Drain (Su) When a scorned one succeeds at a bite attack, it drains 1d2 Wisdom from its victim. For each point it drains, it heals 5 hit points.

Rarely when the victim of an affair decides to take his or her own life as a result of the affair, overwhelming feelings of betrayal and abandonment reanimate the corpse and create a scorned one. The resulting creature's new appearance no longer resembles that of the former humanoid; instead, it has an immense maw taking up most of its face, dripping talons in place of its fingernails and telltale signs of the suicide method it used. However, a scorned one can change its shape to look like a normal humanoid—an ability it uses to gain revenge on its former partner and to inflict the same pain and suffering on others.

The first order of business for a scorned one is to destroy the person who betrayed it. It slowly works itself into its victim's life, using detect thoughts to create an appearance its victim finds attractive. A scorned one prefers to hold off using its charm person ability with the expectation that its target will follow the same behavior that ultimately led to its creation. The creature allows its target to court it, but, showing a surprising patience for its revenge, it remains coy for a while to heighten its victim's desire. A scorned one  eventually "relents" and agrees to consummate the relationship, at which point it reveals its true form and attempts to slay its victim.

After a scorned one kills its first victim, it wanders through its former community and delights in manipulating the emotions of those around it. A character's only encounter with a scorned one might be the sudden recollection of a painful or frightening memory. The creature enjoys observing the reactions to the emotional misery it inflicts; after a minute it usually converts its aura to a calming one, so it can remain above suspicion while further confusing the victims of its manipulation. After tiring of this activity, a scorned one seeks out another victim to lure into the facade of a relationship and ultimately kill.