Frightful Fridays! Megapede

Hello, and welcome to this week's Frightful Fridays! One of my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/FrightfulFridays--yes, it's a shameless plug) patrons suggested a "millipede" made up of multiple centipedes, and the idea evolved from there. It became a swarm of centipedes with the ability to take the form of a gigantic centipede capable of crushing opponents. Plus it electrifies victims. In short, it's fun all around for characters.

I hope you enjoy this week's monster, and I'll be back with another monster next week. Thanks for reading!

Oddly, Google wasn't very forthcoming on the search for "centipede made of centipedes"

The “skin” of this massive centipede ripples. The ripples derive from thousands of centipedes comprising this creature.

Megapede      CR 9

XP 6,400

N Tiny magical beast (swarm)

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +19

Aura electricity (5 ft., 1d6 electricity)

DEFENSE

AC 24, touch 24, flat-footed 20 (+8 deflection, +4 Dex, +2 size)

hp 102 (12d10+36)

Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +4

Defensive Abilities swarm traits, wrest metal; Immune cold, mind-affecting effects, negative energy

Weaknesses vulnerability to electricity

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

Melee swarm (3d6 plus 5d6 electricity, distraction, and poison)

Space 20 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks distraction (DC 18), megapede crush (3d6 plus 2d6 electricity, DC 16), poison, slough centipedes

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 7

Base Atk +12; CMB —; CMD —

Feats Deadly Finish^UC, Great Fortitude, Improved Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness

Skills Climb +12, Perception +19, Stealth +17

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or warm land

Organization solitary or pair

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Megapede Crush (Ex) As a full round action, a megapede can coalesce itself into a long centipede form, allowing it to trample all creatures in a 50-foot line (allowing a chance to evade the trample or make an attack of opportunity as per the trample ability), starting at any square occupied by the megapede. At the end of this action, the megapede returns to its 20-foot space at the line’s terminus.

Megapede Poison (Ex) Swarm—injury; save Fort DC 18; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 2d4 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves.

Slough Centipedes (Ex) As a standard action, a megapede can dislodge enough centipedes to create a centipede swarm in at least one adjacent square. This reduces the megapede’s hit point total by the centipede swarm’s hit points and reduces the megapede’s space by 5 feet; it also loses access to its megapede crush ability. If a megapede ends its turn in the same square as the centipede swarm, it can reincorporate the swarm into its mass, adding the swarm’s current hit points to its total and increasing its space by 5 feet again. A megapede cannot reduce its space below 10 feet by means of this ability.

Vulnerability to Electricity (Ex) Spells or effects that deal electricity damage to a single target affect a megapede; the electricity damage is unadjusted (not dealing +50% damage) in this case. Spells or effects that deal electricity damage and affect an area deal twice the electricity damage to a megapede. However, a megapede takes no electricity damage from another megapede's attacks or abilities.

Wrest Metal (Ex) The electrostatic field holding the megapede together also interacts with metal weapons. If a metal weapon strikes a megapede it receives a free disarm attempt that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Its effective CMB for the attempt is +16.

A discovery by a wizard who wished to create a gigantic gestalt creature in the image of its component creatures, centipedes turned out to have the best aptitude for the electrostatic process binding them together. The resultant megapedes were loosed into the world to wreak havoc. The process gives them a modicum of intelligence as the component creatures can rapidly exchange information throughout the whole, allowing them to use basic tactics. Megapedes typically attack like typical swarms but they also jolt creatures which enter their electrical fields. They can launch out into a centipede-like form to target difficult-to-reach opponents, and they are capable of expelling centipedes from the gestalt to independently attack foes. Megapedes are carrion eaters, but they are aggressive enough to kill creatures and wait for decay to set in.

Megapedes spawn by breaking off a piece of their collective, which holds a lesser electrostatic field, when they encounter a large number of centipedes. This smaller unit absorbs the independent centipedes and grows into a full-sized creature in an hour-long process. 

Frightful Fridays! Spear Turtle

Hello, and welcome to this week's Frightful Fridays! I had this one done much earlier, but life intervened and delayed publication. Theodric (who is a new father again, congratulations!) passed the below image along to me, and I thought it would be fun to have a turtle that can catch prey at a distance to make up for its slow speed.

I hope you enjoy the spear turtle, and I'll see you next week with another monster. Thanks for reading!

A couple of notes

1. Voting for Here Be Monsters 3 ends tomorrow. Please consider a vote if you haven't done so already. Voting Booth Link

2. I'm doing a little giveaway for 3rd-party Pathfinder RPG material, plus some publishers have jumped in to sweeten the deal. Check out the thread here

3. My Patreon is still going. You get to see each week's monster early, and I will be collecting them into PDFs for patrons on a three-month basis. Patreon Link

If only I knew how to use Photoshop...

This oversized turtle has a rock-like carapace and powerful jaws. It’s most astonishing feature is the bony tongue it flicks out of its mouth at a great distance.

Spear Turtle      CR 3

XP 800

N Large animal (aquatic)

Init +0; Senses low-light vision; Perception +8

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 9, flat-footed 15 (+6 natural, –1 size)

hp 30 (4d8+12)

Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2

DR 2/bludgeoning

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., swim 30 ft.

Melee bite +6 (2d6+4 plus grab) or tongue +6 (1d8+4 piercing plus spearing tongue)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (15 ft. with tongue)

STATISTICS

Str 19, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 9

Base Atk +3; CMB +8 (+12 grapple); CMD 18 (22 vs. trip)

Feats Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack

Skills Perception +8, Swim +12

SQ amphibious

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or warm water

Organization solitary, pair, or bale (3–8)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Spearing Tongue (Ex) When a spear turtle makes a successful attack with its tongue, it receives a free grapple check to impale its victim. If it succeeds at this check, it can retract its tongue, pulling the victim 5 feet towards the turtle. It does not need to make additional checks to maintain the grapple with its tongue; it deals no additional damage, but it reels its victim 5 feet closer. Unsuccessful attempts to escape the grapple deal 1d8 points of piercing damage. While the turtle has an opponent speared, it can only make a bite attack against its speared opponent.

Many animals have adaptations to overcome shortcomings in their ability to hunt and survive, and spear turtles are no exception. To compensate for their slow speed on the land and in the water, they possess a telescoping, barbed tongue, allowing them to attack and hook prey from surprising distances. The barbs extend outward immediately after the tongue strikes a target. The difficult-to-remove spear allows the turtles to pull prey toward them simply by retracting the tongue. Retracting the tongue also retracts the barbs, allowing the turtles to employ their powerful bites.

Spear turtles live in coastal areas and primarily hunt fish and aquatic mammals, since they have greater maneuverability under water. If hunting proves sparse, they move on land to attack prey, which often brings them into conflict with humanoids living near the shore. While not particularly aggressive, hungry turtles attack humanoids if no other prey presents itself. In more populated areas, they often find themselves at odds with humanoids for fish and other mutual prey. Spear turtles typically shift to other locations when competition becomes too fierce.

Typical spear turtles measure 8 feet wide and 9 feet long, and weigh 800 pounds. Like many turtles, they are long-lived, reaching lifespans of up to 60 years.

Spear Turtle Animal Companions

Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 20 ft., swim 30 ft.; AC +6 natural; Attack bite (1d8) or tongue (10-ft. reach, 1d6); Ability Scores Str 15, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 9; Special Attacks grab, spearing tongue (1d6).

7th-Level Advancement: Size Large; AC +4 natural; Attack bite (2d6) or tongue (15-ft. reach, 1d8); Ability Scores Str +4, Con +2; Special Attacks spearing tongue (1d8).

More Free Monsters! (repost)

The reveals for the latest Here Be Monsters contest are out. Please check them out and consider voting after you've had a chance to read through them. Voting ends on the 12th!

(reposting because I shouldn't have been doing this while I was distracted by my day job, and I forgot that the reveals were being done hourly)

Monster 1: Strife Wasp
Monster 2: Voidweaver
Monster 3: Eon-Scarred Probe
Monster 4: Void Herald
Monster 5: Star Cinder

And finally...

VOTE!

Frightful Fridays! Faerie Dragon Noble

Hello and welcome back to another Frightful Fridays! Blog boss Theodric the Obscure pointed out the below illustration to me, and it screamed faerie dragon, but not just any faerie dragon. So, I statted up a faerie dragon noble, considerably more powerful than lesser faerie dragons, but not extremely powerful in the draconic scale.

I hope you enjoy the faerie dragon noble, and I'll be back next week with another monster. Thanks for reading!

Also Two Items of Note
I'm giving away stuff, and I'm asking for your money (or just general support). First, the now annual tradition of Christmastime third-party giveaway is taking place, and a lot of other publishers have jumped in, making it really awesome. All you have to do is sign up here: http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u1sd?taigs-Twelve-Days-of-Third-Partymas-Year-Two, and the drawings will start on the 13th.

Next, I am pushing my Patreon (the mind-control masters at Patreon compel it). Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/FrightfulFridays

You can find this cool illustration here

Wisps of fog and strange, colorful images surround this multi-colored dragon with insect-like wings. A glimmer of whimsy tinges its practiced, haughty expression.

Faerie Dragon Noble      CR 7

XP 3,200

CN Medium dragon

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+6 Dex, +4 natural)

hp 84 (8d12+32)

Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +10

Immune paralysis, sleep; SR 19

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., fly 90 ft. (perfect), swim 50 ft.

Melee bite +14 (1d8+2), 2 claws +14 (1d6+2)

Special Attacks breath weapon (15-ft. cone, euphoric bliss, Fort DC 18 partial, usable every 1d4 rounds), phantasmal knockout

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th; concentration +12)

   At will—greater invisibility

   1/day—break enchantment, summon (level 4, 1d3 faerie dragons 73%)

Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 8th; concentration +12)

   4th (4/day)—phantasmal killer (DC 20)

   3rd (6/day)—deep slumber (DC 17), loathsome veil^UM (DC 19)

   2nd (7/day)—haunting mists^UM (DC 18), hideous laughter (DC 16), mirror image

   1st (7/day)—charm person (DC 15), color spray (DC 17), grease, silent image (DC 17), ventriloquism (DC 17)

   0 (at will)—acid splash, arcane mark, dancing lights, detect magic, flare (DC 14), ghost sound (DC 16), mage hand, open/close (DC 14)

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 23, Con 19, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 19

Base Atk +8; CMB +10; CMD 26 (30 vs. trip)

Feats Greater Spell Focus (illusion), Spell Focus (illusion), Weapon Finesse, Wingover

Skills Appraise +15, Bluff +15, Diplomacy +15, Escape Artist +14, Fly +18, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (nature) +13, Knowledge (nobility) +13, Perception +15, Sense Motive +15, Stealth +13, Swim +14, Use Magic Device +15

Languages Aklo, Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan; telepathy 200 ft.

SQ faerie dragon hive mind

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or warm forests

Organization solitary, pair, coterie (3–6), or court (7–12 plus 10–30 faerie dragons)

Treasure double

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Breath Weapon (Su) Creatures failing the breath weapon’s Fortitude save are stunned for 1d4 rounds and then staggered for 1d6 rounds. For the duration, affected creatures are immune to spells and effects with the emotion descriptor. Creatures succeeding at the Fortitude save are instead sickened for 1d4 rounds and gain a +6 morale bonus on saves versus spells and effects with the emotion descriptor for the duration.

Faerie Dragon Hive Mind (Su) As long as there are two or more faerie dragons (ordinary or noble), including at least one faerie dragon noble, within 200 feet of each other, if one faerie dragon in the group is aware of a particular danger, they all are. No faerie dragon in the group is considered flanked or flat-footed unless all of them are.

Phantasmal Knockout (Sp) A faerie dragon noble can choose to make a victim of its phantasmal killer spells unconscious (and stable at -1 hp) instead of killing the victim. When it does so, the dragon can implant a suggestion as per the spell triggered suggestion^ACG, with a duration equal to a year and a day or until completed.

Spells A faerie dragon noble casts spells as an 8th-level sorcerer.

While faerie dragons tend toward independence except with respect to their clans, they respect all elder faerie dragons, especially those who have undergone the metamorphosis to faerie dragon noble. Faerie dragons who have accrued considerable power create a chrysalis of primal matter, from which they emerge a year later as noble specimens; the dragons jealously guard the secret to this transformation process. Faerie dragons try to assume a more serious attitude after their change, but they often fall into the same stunt pulling antics as lesser faerie dragons. The escalating pranks the nobles carry out among themselves often involve large portions of their forest homes and including unsuspecting neighboring communities.

As liaisons to fey courts, faerie dragon nobles don’t have to leave the fun behind, but they prove exasperating to more serious fey. When the time comes to be serious, though, the dragons immediately make the switch, becoming terrifying in their intensity. They prefer not to use lethal force even in dire situations, even learning to temper their most dangerous spell, phantasmal killer. When implanting a suggestion within the strange dreams the dragons’ modified phantasms impart, they typically cause victims to perform highly embarrassing in front of as large an audience as possible.

Frightful Fridays! has a Patreon

Hello Frightful Fridays! readers. I've jumped into the Patreon pool to support my monster creations. I appreciate any and all pledges, which will help me stay on a more consistent schedule. After all, I can't skip six weeks when I've got people paying for monsters. I can promise I will withhold none of the monsters I work on for patrons. There is a reward level that puts monsters on hold for two months, but those monsters will make their way to the blog for all to enjoy. I respect my readers and my friend who allowed me to virtually take over his blog, and I don't want to put up a paywall for content.

In short, free monsters will continue to appear on the blog, and the Patreon is mostly a tip jar and an incentive to continue to produce monsters in a more timely manner. I hope you'll consider a pledge or passing the word along. Thanks!

https://www.patreon.com/FrightfulFridays

Frightful Fridays! (Thanksgiving Week Spectacular) Pyton

Hello and welcome back for the final Thanksgiving week monster! I hope those of you who celebrated had a good holiday and Black Friday is treating you OK, whichever side of the counter you happen to be on. The overstuffed feeling from Thanksgiving is both a pleasant and painful feeling, so today's monster plays on that theme, coinciding with the kytons' MO. The original plan was to have a weird pie-throwing monster that causes its victims to explode after eating the pie. It wandered from goofy to creepy as I continued to work on its design. I hope you like the result.

Thanks for reading all week! I'll have an announcement later today, after you've had time to "digest" this monster. Also, please don't forget to enter a monster for this year's Here Be Monsters contest. We've received some great entries, but we definitely have room for more! http://aswordforhire.blogspot.fi/2016/11/here-be-monsters-3-from-beyond-stars.html

Chains covered in eerily enticing pastries and pies cover the bulk of this corpulent humanoid, but its flesh oozes through the chain links. A pleasant smell, tinged with a hint of rot, wafts from the creature.

Pyton      CR 4

XP 1,200

LE Medium outsider (evil, extraplanar, kyton, lawful)

Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 (–1 Dex, +8 natural)

hp 45 (6d10+12); regeneration 2 (good weapons and spells)

Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +5

Defensive Abilities sweet flesh; DR 5/good or silver; Immune cold; Resist fire 10

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft.

Melee spiked chain +9/+4 (2d4+4), bite +4 (1d6+4 plus grab)

Special Attacks overfeed, unnerving gaze (30 ft., DC 15)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +14)

   At will—putrefy food and drink^APG (DC 13)

   3/day—feast of ashes^APG (DC 15)

STATISTICS

Str 17, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 15

Base Atk +6; CMB +9 (+13 grapple); CMD 18

Feats Endurance, Power Attack, Spell Focus (transmutation)

Skills Craft (alchemy) +11, Diplomacy +11, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (planes) +11, Perception +12, Profession (cook) +12, Sense Motive +12, Sleight of Hand +8

Languages Common, Infernal

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Plane of Shadow)

Organization solitary, pair, buffet (3–8)

Treasure standard (gourmet food, culinary recipes, etc.)

SPECIAL ABILTIES

Feats of Ashes (Sp) A creature that eats flesh from the pyton staves off the starvation effect from the pyton’s feast of ashes for 1 day.

Overfeed (Ex) A pyton can feed its flesh or food on hand to a helpless creature or one it has pinned. The victim must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or become painfully full. On the first failed save, the victim becomes sickened for 1d4 rounds. On the second failed save, the victim becomes nauseated for 1d6 rounds and then sickened for 1d4 hours. On the third failed save, the victim becomes paralyzed for 1d8 rounds, nauseated for 1d6 minutes, and then sickened for 2d6 hours. On the fourth failed save, the victim dies. If all conditions have expired for the victim, it acts as if it had failed one fewer saving throw; after 24 hours, the number of saves resets completely. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Sweet Flesh (Su) A creature that successfully bites a pyton (or is fed via its overfeed special ability) must succeed at a DC 15 Will save or continue to make bite attacks against the pyton. A creature with bite attacks that count as silver or good does not suppress a pyton’s regeneration. This is a mind-affecting, compulsion effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Unnerving Gaze (Ex) A creature that succumbs to a pyton’s unnerving gaze becomes sickened for 1d6 rounds as it imagines itself eating flesh from the pyton and from its companions. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Pytons are gourmands among kytons, sampling flesh from a variety of creatures and spreading the pleasure and pain of gluttony to others. They also enjoy the exquisite pain caused by others feasting on their bodies. Pytons insinuate themselves among their prey, offering delicious meals tainted with their flesh and with judicious use of feast of ashes. They then welcome creatures hungry for more, binding their dinner guests in chains and feeding them until their bodies burst through the chains, killing them. Pytons bring victims to the threshold of death by overfilling their bodies with high-quality food and then allow their stomachs to settle for a couple of hours before repeating the process.

Frightful Fridays! (Thanksgiving Week Spectacular) Murducken

Hello, and welcome back to this week's mini monster marathon. Today's monster is in celebration of that most atrocious of creations, the turducken, but this one is undead and can explode into its components to wreak further havoc.

I hope you enjoy the murducken. I'll wrap things up tomorrow with an actual Friday monster. Happy Thanksgiving! I am truly thankful for my readers.

Oddly, I couldn't find the exact image I wanted, but this will do nicely.

This denuded turkey oozes rotting flesh. Its herky-jerky movements belie its speed and adroitness.

Murducken      CR 5

XP 1,600

NE Small undead

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)

hp 52 (7d8+21)

Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +6

DR 5/good or piercing; Immune fire, undead traits; Resist electricity 10

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy)

Melee 2 slams +10 (1d6+3 plus ghoul fever and grab)

Special Attacks bursting split

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +10)

   1/day—grease (centered on murducken only)

STATISTICS

Str 17, Dex 19, Con —, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 16

Base Atk +5; CMB +7 (+11 grapple); CMD 21

Feats Improved Initiative, Outflank^APG, Precise Strike^APG, Weapon Focus (slam)

Skills Acrobatics +10, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +14, Fly +2, Perception +5; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +8 Escape Artist

ECOLOGY

Environment any land

Organization solitary, pair, or feast of death (3–6)

Treasure incidental

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Bursting Split (Ex) Once per day as a standard action, a murducken can burst into its necromantic poultry components with an attendant spray of gore and bones. All creatures within 20 feet of the murducken must attempt a DC 16 Reflex save. On a failed save, a victim takes 4d6 points of piercing and slashing damage, is nauseated for 1d4 rounds (and sickened for an additional 1d6 minutes afterwards), and subject to the murducken’s ghoul fever. On a successful save, a victim takes half damage and is sickened for 1d6 rounds.

   This ability replaces the murducken with three component creatures. A component creature is the same as the base murducken but has half its hit points and takes a –2 penalty on attack and damage rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks.

Disease (Su) Ghoul Fever: Slam—injury; save DC 16; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d4 Con and 1d4 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Charisma-based. A humanoid who dies of ghoul fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight, while a humanoid of 4 Hit Dice or more rises as a ghast. An animal or magical beast with 4 or more Hit Dice rises as a murducken. A creature who returns as an undead creature in this way is independent of other undead creatures and retains none of the abilities it possessed in life.

Grease (Sp) A murducken is immune to its own grease spell-like ability and can move through greased squares without penalty. This immunity does not apply to other castings of grease.

Terrifying abominations created from terrifying abominations, murduckens are ghastly creations seeking to spread disease and directly destroy the living. The duplicitous creatures look like ordinary turkeys filled with duck and chicken meat, but their lack of intellect and impatience usually lead to them blowing their disguise before they can fool potential victims. In ghoul enclaves, murduckens are created and hunted as part of a horrifying unholy day, where powerful murduckens usually lay waste to dozens of ghouls before being wrestled down and devoured.

Murducken Creation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lay the boned chicken skin-side down on a platter and season liberally with salt, pepper, Creole seasoning, and pureed ghoul flesh. Lay the boned duck skin-side down on top of the chicken and season liberally with salt, pepper, Creole seasoning, and pureed ghoul flesh. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Lay the boned turkey skin-side down on a flat surface. Cover with a layer of cold Flesh and Oyster Dressing and push the dressing into the leg and wing cavities so they will look as if they still have bones in them.
3. Lay the duck on top of the turkey skin-side down and cover it with a layer of unnaturally cold dressing. Lay the chicken on top of the duck skin-side down and cover it with a layer of unnaturally cold dressing.
4. With the help of an assistant, bring the edges of the turkey skin up and fasten them together with toothpicks. Add the bones back to the unholy mass of flesh. Use kitchen string to lace around the toothpicks to help hold the stuffed turkey together. Carefully place the murducken, breast up in a large roasting pan.
5. Roast covered for 4 hours or until the murducken is golden brown. Continue to roast uncovered for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted through the thigh registers 180 degrees F. and a thermometer inserted through the stuffing registers 165 degrees F. Check the murducken every few hours to baste and remove excess liquid. There will be enough pan juices for a gallon of gravy.
6. Cast animate dead and enjoy!

(Base recipe courtesy of http://allrecipes.com/recipe/13874/turducken/)

Frightful Fridays! (Thanksgiving Week Spectacular) Culinary Kaida

Hello, and welcome back to this week-long monster jamboree. My mind turns toward food as I approach the Thanksgiving holiday in America, and I also realized it had been quite a while since the previous kaida on this blog. So, the two ideas came together in the culinary kaida, guardian (and consumer) of food. Given its voracious appetite, this dragon might be of use against tomorrow's monster.

I hope you enjoy the culinary kaida, and I'll see you tomorrow with a scary Thanksgiving-themed creature. Thanks for reading!

Oh yeah! I don't think I've nagged you enough about the Here Be Monsters Contest. Enter today!!! (or at least by the deadline)

http://aswordforhire.blogspot.fi/2016/11/here-be-monsters-3-from-beyond-stars.html

I couldn't find a rotund dragon with a chef's hat, but this one was irresistible

This portly, aquamarine dragon breathes out smoke smelling of exotic spices.

Culinary Kaida      CR 2

XP 600

LN Tiny dragon

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +6

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)

hp 22 (3d12+3)

Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +3

Immune disease, ingested poison, paralysis, sleep

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)

Melee bite +7 (1d3–4 plus dehydration), 2 claws +7 (1d2–4 plus starvation)

Space 2½ ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks breath weapon (30-ft. cone, blindness and sickness, Reflex DC 12 partial, usable every 1d4 rounds)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th; concentration +14)

   At will—detect poison, prestidigitation, purify food and drink (DC 13)

   3/day—create food and water

   1/week—heroes' feast

STATISTICS

Str 2, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16

Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 9 (13 vs. trip)

Feats Endurance, Weapon Finesse

Skills Appraise +7, Craft (alchemy) +7, Diplomacy +9, Fly +10, Intimidate +3 (+11 in kitchens), Perception +6, Profession (cook) +11, Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft +6; Racial Modifiers +8 Intimidate (in kitchens), +8 Profession (cook)

Languages Common, Draconic

SQ this is my kitchen

ECOLOGY

Environment any urban

Organization solitary or pair

Treasure standard

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Breath Weapon (Su) Creatures failing the Reflex save against a culinary kaida’s breath weapon are blinded for 1 round and sickened for 1d6 minutes. Creatures that succeed at the Reflex save are not blinded and only sickened for 1d6 rounds.

Dehydration (Su) If a culinary kaida successfully bites an opponent, the victim must succeed at a DC 12 Fortitude save or become dehydrated. On the first failure, the creature is treated as if it had gone 24 hours without water. On each successive failure, the creature is treated as if it went an additional 4 hours without water. Once the cumulative hours exceed its Constitution score, it must make a Constitution check (DC equal to 10 + the number of hours beyond its Constitution score) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage as per the thirst rules. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Starvation (Su) If a culinary kaida strikes an opponent with a claw, the victim must succeed at a DC 12 Fortitude save or starve. On each failure, the creature is treated as if it had gone 1 day without food. If the cumulative days (including any from actual starvation) exceed 3 days, the creature must make a Constitution check (DC equal to 10 + the number of days beyond 3) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage as per the starvation rules. The save DC is Constitution-based.

This Is My Kitchen (Su) When a culinary kaida is in a kitchen or other setting where cooking primarily occurs, it gains a +8 bonus on Intimidate checks. Additionally, it does not suffer a penalty from being a smaller size than its target in such settings.

Culinary kaidas preserve the edibility of food and water, ensuring others cannot become ill from eating food and drinking liquids they oversee. When they have the time and inclination, they also prepare elegant meals, rivaling those created by renowned chefs. A typical culinary kaida is 2 feet long from snout to tail, has a 3-foot wingspan, and weighs 20 pounds (thanks to their healthy appetites).

Thanks to their expertise with food and drink, culinary kaidas often end up in kitchens and other food preparation locales, where they quite often take charge. Many kaidas are authoritarian figures in the kitchens they supervise and berate those who fail to maintain the high standards set by the dragons. In kitchens where culinary kaidas have less experience than the head chefs, the dragons often argue about cooking and preparation with their superiors. A rarer path for the kaidas takes them to royal palaces where they act as food tasters, using their detect poison spell-like ability to protect nobility. These opportunities remove them from food preparation but allow them to enjoy exquisite dishes; they still can’t resist occasional visits to kitchens to “improve” the quality of food made there.

In combat, culinary kaidas prefer to incapacitate foes, usually by starving or dehydrating them. Once they have subdued their opponents, they create food and water to restore them to health. The kaidas also use their breath weapons—filled with strong spices that induce blindness and nausea in creatures exposed to the breath weapon—to debilitate their foes.

A 7th-level lawful or true neutral spellcaster with the Improved Familiar feat and at least 3 ranks in Profession (cook) can select a culinary kaida as a familiar. Provided the creature remains well-fed, it happily travels with the spellcaster.

Frightful Fridays! (Thanksgiving Week Spectacular) Inferno Treant

Hello, and welcome back to this Thanksgiving week of monsters. Keeping with the nature theme and jumping on a nicely coincidental fall theme, and thanks to a suggestion from my daughter, the inferno treant displays all the colors of autumn but in a destructive manner. I really like the image of a continually burning tree flanked by fire elementals also shaped like trees laying waste to a nearby village--unless some adventurers can stop the onslaught.

I hope you like the inferno treant, and I'll be back tomorrow with another monster. Thanks very much for reading!

***ALSO: You still have until Saturday to enter your monster in the latest Here Be Monsters contest! http://aswordforhire.blogspot.fi/2016/11/here-be-monsters-3-from-beyond-stars.html

The lightning makes it more ominous.

Every inch of this massive tree is on fire, giving it a distinctive yellow, orange, and red glow.

Inferno Treant      CR 6

XP 2,400

CN Huge plant

Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +9

DEFENSE

AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +8 natural, –2 size)

hp 76 (9d8+36)

Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +6

Immune fire, plant traits

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft.

Melee 2 slams +12 (1d8+7 plus 1d6 fire and burn)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks burn (1d6, DC 18)

STATISTICS

Str 25, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 17, Cha 14

Base Atk +6; CMB +15 (+17 sunder); CMD 27 (29 vs. sunder, can't be tripped)

Feats Dazzling Display, Improved Sunder, Intimidating Prowess, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam)

Skills Intimidate +15, Perception +9

Languages Common, Ignan, Treant

SQ burning trees, double damage against objects

Environment any forest

Organization solitary, pair, or wildfire (3–8)

Treasure incidental (fireproof gems, jewels, and magic items)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Burning Trees (Sp) An inferno treant can convert up to two trees within 120 feet into medium fire elementals. The trees require 1 full round to become fire elementals, after which they can act as normal. While an inferno treant can create as many fire elementals as it wishes, it can only control two at a time. If the treant moves out of range or is destroyed, the fire elementals it created collapse into a pile of ash.

Double Damage Against Objects (Ex) An inferno treant that makes a full attack against an object or structure deals double damage.

Inferno treants do not seek to protect the forests from which they derive. Instead, they carry out vengeance for destruction caused to their forest homes, typically through the careless use of fire by intelligent creatures. The treants gather a force of fire elementals from trees surviving a wildfire and track the responsible parties to their source, where the treants and elementals can lay waste to the community and ostensibly prevent future thoughtless destruction. Typical treants find inferno treants abhorrent and just as destructive as (if not more) the creatures liable for the accidental creation of the fiery treants. Treants normally aid in destroying inferno treants to preserve what they can, but, if their wrath has been provoked, they are content to let their conflagrative relatives wreak destruction.

Dead inferno treants often leave an acorn or another similar nut that looks like a large ember. Destructive druids procure these nuts to cultivate groves of inferno treants, which appear to be normal trees (or merely animated trees) until someone applies fire to them. These objects are worth 500 gp to interested parties and require a DC 21 Knowledge (nature) check to recognize their value.

Frightful Fridays! (Thanksgiving Week Spectacular) Primal Unicorn

Hello and welcome to a special edition of Frightful Fridays! Each day this week, I'll be posting a monster, including a fun Thanksgiving critter. I'm thankful for all my readers, and I want to make up for some missing weeks, so I'm creating this small run. I hope you enjoy them, starting with the primal unicorn. I've seen plenty of antithetical unicorns (all evil and negative and such), and I've worked on my share, but I wanted to do something close to nature. Luckily, friends posted the below image, and it re-triggered that desire.

I hope you like the primal unicorn, and I'll see you tomorrow with another monster. Thanks for reading!

ALSO: You still have a few days to enter your monster in the latest Here Be Monsters contest! http://aswordforhire.blogspot.fi/2016/11/here-be-monsters-3-from-beyond-stars.html

We're in charge, today.

This rhinoceros, covered in greenish wool, sports a massive horn.

Primal Unicorn      CR 4

XP 1,200

N Large magical beast

Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +11

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 (+8 natural, –1 size)

hp 42 (5d10+15)

Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +6

DR 5/piercing or wood

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft.

Melee gore +9 (2d6+7)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks blood rage, powerful charge (4d6+14), striding charge, trample (2d6+10, DC 17)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +13)

   At will—create food and water

   3/day—animal growth (DC 19), entangle (DC 15)

   1/day—remove disease, summon nature's ally IV, tree stride

STATISTICS

Str 21, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 20, Cha 19

Base Atk +5; CMB +11 (+13 bull rush); CMD 21 (23 vs. bull rush, 25 vs. trip)

Feats Improved Bull Rush, Intimidating Prowess, Power Attack

Skills Knowledge (nature) +9, Intimidate +9, Perception +11, Stealth –4 (+4 in forests), Survival +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Knowledge (nature), +8 Stealth in forests, +4 Survival

Languages Sylvan (can't speak)

SQ wild empathy +13, woodland stride

ECOLOGY

Environment any forest

Organization solitary, pair, crash (3–6)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Animal Growth (Sp) Once per day, a primal unicorn can quicken its animal growth spell-like ability as per the Quicken Spell-Like Ability feat, but only when it uses animal growth on itself.

Blood Rage (Ex) A primal unicorn can attempt a DC 16 Will save at the beginning of its turn to voluntarily end its rage. The save DC is Constitution-based (and based on the rage’s increased Constitution).

Striding Charge (Su) Once per day, a primal unicorn with its tree stride spell-like ability active can charge from a tree to which it transports as part of its full-round action.

Wild Empathy (Su) This ability works like the druid’s wild empathy class feature. A primal unicorn has a +4 racial bonus on wild empathy checks, and a primal unicorn with class levels granting wild empathy adds its racial modifier to wild empathy checks.

Woodland Stride (Ex) This works like the druid’s woodland stride ability. Additionally, a primal unicorn’s charge is not hindered by trees, and it does not harm trees when it charges.

Primal unicorns are more physically imposing specimens compared to typical unicorns. Rather than an equine form, primal unicorns take a rhinoceros shape. They weigh 2,500 pounds, stand 4 feet tall, and are 7 feet long.

Primal unicorns are in tune with their forest homes and protect all creatures who live there, animal, fey, and humanoid alike. Regardless of a creature’s alignment, primal unicorns give them equal protection, provided the creature respects other forest residents, and, most importantly, the forest itself. Primal unicorns react violently to outside destruction caused to their forests and usually lead a charge of animals to repel despoilers. Other than chasing egregious destroyers, primal unicorns rarely leave their homes. Because of their insular dispositions, primal unicorns have faded from public conscience as more proactive creatures such as unicorns and many “anti-unicorn” variants take the stage.

Foes who mistake the primal unicorns’ rhino-like appearance for slow, lumbering attacks meet unpleasant surprises when the unicorns charge at incredible speeds, nimbly dodging trees as they run. Primal unicorns often use their tree stride spell-like ability in the morning to give themselves an extra advantage for most of day, allowing them to maneuver other trees to get better charge lanes.

A new monster contest!

Here Be Monsters is holding another contest, this time featuring monsters from outer space! It's the same crew as last year (Jacob W. Michaels, Mikko Kallio, and myself judging, with monster maven Adam Daigle as the guest judge), and this year's angle promises to be a lot of fun.

Please consider entering. I look forward to seeing your monsters from beyond the stars!

http://aswordforhire.blogspot.fi/2016/11/here-be-monsters-3-from-beyond-stars.html

Frightful Fridays! Flabberghast

Hello, and welcome back to a new edition of Frightful Fridays! (slightly delayed) This week's monster goes against my normal appreciation for gnomes and fey by bringing out an undead monstrosity focused on fey (and gnomes thanks to their bloodline). It's still a potentially nasty monster against other characters, too.

I hope you enjoy the flabberghast, and I'll be back later with another monster. Thanks for reading!

This neat monster illustration can be found here

This skeletal creature’s bones fade into a set of withered brambles where its legs should be. It has alternatively bony and branch-like horns protruding form its skull.

Flabberghast    CR 6
XP 2,400
CE Medium undead
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +15
Aura aura of despair (10 ft., DC 17)

DEFENSE

AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 67 (9d8+27)
Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +9
Defensive Abilities evasion; DR 5/cold iron; Immune undead traits; Resist cold 20, electricity 10; SR 17
Weaknesses compulsion vulnerability

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)
Melee 2 claws +11 (1d6+2 plus 1d6 Cha damage), gore +10 (1d8+2)
Special Attacks broken beauty, create spawn, feybane, rend (2 claws, 1d6+3)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +12)
   3/day—dancing lights, faerie fire
   1/day—confusion (DC 16), deep slumber (DC 16), entangle (DC 14), glitterdust (DC 15), major image (DC 16)

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 19, Con —, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 17
Base Atk +6; CMB +8; CMD 22
Feats Combat Casting, Lightning Reflexes, Vital Strike, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Bluff +12, Fly +12, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (nature) +12, Perception +15, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +11, Stealth +14
Languages Aklo, Common, Sylvan

ECOLOGY

Environment any land

Organization solitary, pair, reprisal (3–6)

Treasure standard

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Aura of Despair (Su) Any creature within or entering a flabberghast’s aura must succeed on a DC 17 Will save or take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability and skill checks, and weapon damage for as long as it remains within the aura. A creature that successfully saves is immune to the same flabberghast’s aura for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

   Additionally, a flabberghast suppresses spells and effects granting morale bonuses within its aura, but it does not dispel them.

Broken Beauty (Su) If a flabberghast confirms a critical hit with its claws, in addition to inflicting 1d6 points of Charisma damage, it deals 1d2 points of Charisma drain (DC 17 Will save negates). If the flabberghast successfully drains Charisma, it gains a temporary +1 enhancement bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks, and save DCs for its spells and abilities. These bonuses stack with each other and last for 1 hour. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Compulsion Vulnerability (Su) A flabberghast generally enjoys an undead creature’s immunity to mind-affecting effects, but it still falls prey to the seemingly bizarre rules governing fey. It must attempt a Will save against a spell or effect with the compulsion descriptor, and it incurs a –4 penalty on such saves.
Create Spawn (Su) If the flabberghast kills a gnome or a fey creature, either through damage or by reducing the creature to 0 Charisma, the creature returns as a flabberghast one hour later. Other creatures killed by a flabberghast rise as ghasts.
Feybane (Su) Once per day as a swift action, a flabberghast can imbue its gore attack with the bane (fey creatures and gnomes) weapon ability for 1 minute.

Fey are no strangers to undeath and several of their number fall prey to vampires, spectres, and other foul creatures. However, flabberghasts are undead unique to fey. Typically resulting from fey creatures brought low by the backstabbing machinations omnipresent in faerie courts, flabberghasts return to a twisted form of unlife, embittered against all other fey. This hatred also applies to humanoids with fey origins such as gnomes. Flabberghasts prefer targeting the objects of their ire over other creatures but are not so overwhelmed by rage to ignore obvious threats. Ultimately, the creatures wish to diminish all beauty in the world and often stop just short of killing foes to force them to suffer (at least temporarily) with disfigurations.

Despite, or perhaps because of, their antipathy toward fey, flabberghasts ally with unseelie fey to destroy their opponents. Only powerful nobles deal with flabberghasts, because the creatures almost invariably seek to betray their allies, usually after bolstering their numbers.

Frightful Fridays! Stubby Squid

Hello, and welcome to a beeelated Frightful Fridays! Life got extremely busy, and I missed working on new critters for the blog. But this little squid spoke to me, and I was compelled to return this week to put it out there.

I hope you enjoy the stubby squid, and I shall be back sooner than two month's time with another monster. Thanks for reading!

Read about this cutie over here

This miniature purple squid has large, expressive eyes. It waves its tentacles seemingly in greeting.

Stubby Squid    CR 4
XP 1,200
CN Diminutive aberration (aquatic)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 17, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +4 size)
hp 42 (5d8+20); fast healing 2
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +7
Defensive Abilities amorphous; Resist acid 10; SR 16

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee 4 tentacles +10 (1d4–4 plus attach)
Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks attach, dehydrate, mind swap
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +8)
   3/day—water breathing (other creatures only)

STATISTICS

Str 3, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 16
Base Atk +3; CMB +2 (+6 grapple); CMD 8 (16 vs. grapple and trip)
Feats Go Unnoticed^APG, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Bluff), Weapon Finesse^B
Skills Bluff +11, Escape Artist +11, Perception +11, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +20, Swim +17
Languages Aklo, Common
SQ amphibious, symbiosis

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate and warm oceans
Organization solitary, pair, or raft (3–12)
Treasure incidental

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Attach (Ex) The suckers on a stubby squid’s tentacles latch onto a target with surprising tenacity. The squid gains a +4 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks to maintain a grapple, and a +8 racial bonus to CMD against grapples.
Dehydrate (Ex) A stubby squid attached to a creature halves the amount of time (12 hours plus 1/2 Constitution score) the creature can go without water. Additionally, the DC for the Constitution check to avoid nonlethal damage from dehydration increases by +2 for each previous check.
Fast Healing (Ex) A stubby squid loses fast healing when it is out of salt water.
Mind Swap (Su) As a full-round action, a stubby squid can trade minds with a creature to which it is attached. This functions as magic jar, except the two minds trade bodies. An unwilling target can resist this ability with a DC 15 Will save. The mind swap lasts for 1d4 hours or when the squid ends the effect as a free action, whichever is sooner. If a creature saves against the effect, this particular stubby squid cannot attempt it again with the creature for 24 hours The save DC is Charisma-based.
Symbiosis (Ex) While a stubby squid is attached to a creature, the creature gains the spell resistance and acid resistance possessed by the squid. The creature cannot voluntarily lower the spell resistance. Likewise, the squid enjoys energy resistances and immunities possessed by the creature.

Stubby squids are not animals despite their outward appearance. Instead, they are intelligent lifeforms with alien minds. They indulge in their curiosity by attaching themselves to fast-moving oceanic creatures or obviously non-aquatic specimens. If they feel they have approached friendly creatures, they attempt to convince the creatures to carry them along. They otherwise just attach themselves to their targets and hope for the best. Regardless, they entice potential hosts with their conveyed protection from acid and spells, as well as the ability to breathe water (typical stubby squids can provide water breathing to a single creature for a full day). Squids with a positive symbiotic relationship inform their hosts of their need for water when they leave the sea and the potential for dehydration as they drain water from their hosts.

In aquatic environments, stubby squids work together peacefully. Outside their watery homes, they become extremely competitive over precious water resources. The squids are instinctively aware of other squids, even those hidden on a host’s body. The squids assert their intelligences over their hosts, sequestering their hosts’ minds away in their bodies, to engage in proxy battles. When their hosts die in these bizarre combats, the squids find the nearest available creatures to possess and continue their conflicts. Warring stubby squids wipe out settlements ill-equipped to handle them, typically with only one squid-hosting “survivor” remaining.

Frightful Fridays! Fog Golem

Hello, and welcome back to a new Frightful Fridays! After skipping a week for GenCon, I'm back with a foggy golem for you. It's a walking cloudkill, which should be a lot of fun for GMs, but not so much fun for characters.

I hope you enjoy the fog golem, and I'll be back next week with another monster. Thanks for reading!

This neat illustration can be found here

This creature’s dark grey humanoid shape barely stands out in the enormous fog bank billowing around it as it moves.

Fog Golem      CR 9

XP 6,400

N Huge construct

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., fog vision, low-light vision; Perception +10

Aura fog cloud (20 ft.)

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 8 (+8 Dex, +1 dodge, –2 size)

hp 118 (12d10+52); fast healing 5

Fort +4, Ref +12, Will +6

DR 10/adamantine and magic; Immune construct traits, critical hits, elemental composition, magic, sneak attacks

OFFENSE

Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee 2 slams +18 (elemental strike)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks engulf (DC 18, elemental strike and cloudkill)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +14)

   Constant—gaseous form

STATISTICS

Str 7, Dex 27, Con —, Int —, Wis 15, Cha 14

Base Atk +12; CMB +12; CMD 31 (can't be tripped)

Feats Dodge, Mobility, Toughness, Weapon Finesse

Skills Fly +12, Perception +10, Stealth +0 (+16 in fog); Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +16 Stealth in fog

ECOLOGY

Environment any land

Organization solitary, pair, or bank (3–6)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Elemental Composition (Ex) A fog golem can change its composition to a particular energy type as a move action. It can select acid, cold, electricity, or fire. It is immune to the chosen energy type. If the golem’s controller is not available to command it to change its composition, it changes to protect itself from the most recently used energy type to damage it. If it has not been damaged, it changes composition to bypass resistances or immunities enjoyed by its foes; in this case, it chooses acid, cold, electricity, and fire in order. The golem starts a typical encounter with an acid composition.

Elemental Strike (Ex) A fog golem’s slam attacks deals 2d6+12 points of damage based on the chosen energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire) for its elemental composition.

Engulf (Ex) A fog golem deals its elemental strike damage to all targets it engulfs, and it subjects them to the effects of the cloudkill spell (DC 17 Fortitude partial). The save DC to avoid being engulfed includes a +4 racial bonus. The save DC for the cloudkill effect is Charisma-based.

Fog Cloud (Ex) Fog surrounds a fog golem as per the fog cloud spell. If the fog is dispersed, the golem regenerates it at the end of its next turn.

Fog Vision (Ex) A fog golem can see perfectly well in fog and clouds.

Immunity to Magic (Ex) A fog golem is immune to spells and spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance. Certain spells and effects function differently against it, as noted below.

• ·        A gust of wind spell (or any spell increasing wind speed that targets the fog golem) slows a fog golem (as per the slow spell) and suspends its fast healing for 1d4 rounds, with no saving throw.
• ·        A solid fog spell (or any spell replicating solid fog) targeting a fog golem slows it and negates its DR (magic, but not adamantine) and immunities to critical hits and sneak attacks for 1d6 rounds, with no saving throw. If the spell deals energy damage, the golem takes damage from the spell, unless its elemental composition ability grants it immunity.

Whereas a single elemental spirit animates most golems, a minimum of one elemental spirit for each of the four elements animate fog golems. Fog golems guard locations where their ability to pass through tiny spaces make them more valuable than other golems. While they are mindless, they are capable of adapting their energy signatures to effectively combat opponents reliant on or protected against specific energy types. Acid-imbued fog golems’ caustic fluid sizzles when it condenses, cold-imbued golems form stinging icy crystals, electricity-imbued golems crackle angrily, and fire-imbued golems release ash and smoke rather than fog.

CONSTRUCTION

A fog golem’s body consists of specially treated gases infused with all four elements. The gases must be treated with oils worth 2,000 gp.

FOG GOLEM

CL 9th; Price 62,000 gp

Construction

Requirements Craft Construct, cloudkill, gaseous form, geas/quest, limited wish, creator must be at least caster level 9th; Skill Craft (alchemy) or Knowledge (nature) DC 19; Cost 32,000 gp

Frightful Fridays! Star Conqueror

Hello, and welcome back to another edition of Frightful Fridays! (Saturday edition) My friend Jason asked me to stat up Starro, one of the first Silver Age comic book supervillains. I realized I hadn't ever done a comic book creature for the blog, and this seemed like a suitable choice for the first such monster.

I hope you enjoy the star conqueror, and I'll hopefully have a monster lined up for this Friday. Thanks for reading!

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Several smaller starfish attend this enormous purple starfish. A malevolent eye glares from the center of the being.

Star Conqueror      CR 18

XP 153,600

NE Gargantuan aberration

Init –2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +39

DEFENSE

AC 34, touch 4, flat-footed 34 (–2 Dex, +30 natural, –4 size)

hp 322 (28d8+196); fast healing 10

Fort +16, Ref +7, Will +20

DR 10/—; Resist acid 30, cold 30, electricity 30, fire 30, sonic 30; SR 29

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft. (perfect), swim 90 ft.; starflight

Melee 2 slams +29 (8d6+12/19–20)

Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks energy projection, spore release

Statistics

Str 35, Dex 6, Con 24, Int 21, Wis 18, Cha 17

Base Atk +21; CMB +37; CMD 45 (49 vs. trip)

Feats Alertness, Bludgeoner^UC, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Critical Focus, Greater Feint, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Feint, Magical Aptitude, Outflank^APG, Persuasive, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical

Skills Bluff +31, Diplomacy +21, Fly +17, Intimidate +38, Knowledge (arcana) +36, Knowledge (geography) +33, Perception +39, Sense Motive +36, Spellcraft +40, Use Magic Device +35

Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 180 ft.

SQ hive mind, no breath

ECOLOGY

Environment any

Organization invasion (star conqueror plus 1–6 greater star spores and 3–12 lesser star spores)

Treasure none

Special Abilities

Energy Projection (Ex) When a spell dealing energy damage does not bypass a greater star spore’s spell resistance or energy resistance, it stores the energy damage. It can store up to 60 points of damage in this way. As a standard action, it can release the energy through up to 6 rays, with which it makes touch attacks against one or more targets. The total stored damage is divided evenly between the individual rays.

Hive Mind (Ex) As long as one star spore is within 300 feet of a star conqueror, if one of the group is aware of a particular danger, they all are. The star conqueror is only considered flanked or flat-footed when all of the group is.

Spore Release (Ex) Once per hour as a full-round action, a star conqueror can release 1d4 greater star spores and 2d4 lesser star spores. Its maintains telepathic communication with spores it releases regardless of distance, unless they are on different planes.

Starflight (Su) A star conqueror can survive in the void of outer space. It flies through space at an incredible speed. A trip within a single solar system takes 3d20 hours, while a trip beyond the solar system takes 3d20 days (or more, at the GM’s discretion). If the star conqueror does not know the way to its destination, the time increases drastically.

This oversized starfish floats in the air. An eye protrudes from the top of the starfish, while the underside has a maw filled with serrated teeth.

Greater Star Spore      CR 14

XP 38,400

NE Large aberration

Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +31

DEFENSE

AC 28, touch 8, flat-footed 28 (–1 Dex, +20 natural, –1 size)

hp 210 (20d8+120); fast healing 5

Fort +12, Ref +5, Will +16

DR 5/—; Resist acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, fire 20, sonic 20; SR 25

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft. (perfect), swim 90 ft.

Melee 2 slams +23 (6d6+9/19–20 plus grab)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks energy projection

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +22)

   At will—dominate monster (DC 21)

STATISTICS

Str 29, Dex 8, Con 22, Int 17, Wis 18, Cha 15

Base Atk +15; CMB +25 (+29 grapple); CMD 34 (38 vs. trip)

Feats Alertness, Bludgeoner^UC, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Greater Feint, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Feint, Outflank^APG, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Intimidate)

Skills Bluff +22, Fly +28, Intimidate +31, Knowledge (arcana) +26, Perception +31, Sense Motive +28, Spellcraft +26, Swim +17

Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal; telepathy 120 ft.

SQ hive mind

ECOLOGY

Environment any

Organization solitary, pair, or dominance (3–6)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Dominate Monster (Sp) A greater star spore can only use its dominate monster spell-like ability when it pins a creature or maintains a pin. It uses this ability as a move action. If the star spore is removed from its victim, the dominate monster spell ends.

Energy Projection (Ex) When a spell dealing energy damage does not bypass a greater star spore’s spell resistance or energy resistance, it stores the energy damage. It can store up to 60 points of damage in this way. As a standard action, it can release the energy through up to 6 rays, with which it makes touch attacks against one or more targets. The total stored damage is divided evenly between the individual rays.

Hive Mind (Ex) As long as there are at least two star spores, or one star spore and the star conqueror, within 300 feet of each other, if one of the group is aware of a particular danger, they all are. No star spore in a group is considered flanked or flat-footed unless all of them are.

This smaller starfish floats in the air. While less powerful than its brethren, it nonetheless radiates a palpable menace.

Lesser Star Spore      CR 10

XP 9,600

NE Small aberration

Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22

DEFENSE

AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 23 (+1 Dex, +12 natural, +1 size)

hp 127 (15d8+60); fast healing 2

Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +13

DR 5/—; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10, sonic 10; SR 21

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft. (perfect), swim 90 ft.

Melee 2 slams +17 (4d6+4/19–20 plus grab)

Special Attacks energy projection

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +16)

   At will—dominate person (DC 16)

STATISTICS

Str 19, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 18, Cha 13

Base Atk +11; CMB +14 (+18 grapple); CMD 25 (29 vs. trip)

Feats Cleave, Combat Expertise, Greater Feint, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Feint, Outflank^APG, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam)

Skills Bluff +16, Fly +29, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (arcana) +19, Perception +22, Swim +12

Languages Common; telepathy 90 ft.

SQ hive mind

ECOLOGY

Environment any

Organization solitary, pair, or minor dominance (3–8)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Dominate Person (Sp) A lesser star spore can only use its dominate person spell-like ability when it pins a creature or maintains a pin. It uses this ability as a move action. If the star spore is removed from its victim, the dominate person spell ends.

Energy Projection (Ex) When a spell dealing energy damage does not bypass a greater star spore’s spell resistance or energy resistance, it stores the energy damage. It can store up to 40 points of damage in this way. As a standard action, it can release the energy through up to 5 rays, with which it makes touch attacks against one or more targets. The total stored damage is divided evenly between the individual rays.

Hive Mind (Ex) As long as there are at least two star spores, or one star spore and the star conqueror, within 300 feet of each other, if one of the group is aware of a particular danger, they all are. No star spore in a group is considered flanked or flat-footed unless all of them are.

The star conqueror is a unique being whose sole aim is to dominate the known universe. It does this by unleashing thousands of star spores, which look nearly identical to it, on a planet and letting them seek out creatures they can enslave. Once the entire populace of intelligent creatures has star spores controlling it, the conqueror moves on to the next inhabited planet to continue the process. The star conqueror can carry hundreds of star spores on it and shelter them in the depths of space. It also produces a hundred new spores per day.

Star spores control their hosts to protect them and destroy any opposition. A host benefits from the star spores’ immunities and resistances, but star spores just fly to another potential host when previous hosts die. Star spores usually attach to their hosts’ faces, making it very easy to spot creatures under their control. Occasionally, when their desire for subterfuge overcomes their arrogance, they find subtler locations on their victims, such as the chest or back, to which they attach.