Hello and welcome to this rain-delayed Frightful Fridays! OK, so rain wasn't the only thing delaying monster entries, but I'm back with an owl which has been exposed to the darkest secrets of the universe and has returned to share these secrets with everyone--regardless of whether they want to know. Even a brief glance into the creature's star-filled eyes induces mild insanity.
Also, Theodric has returned to the blog, breaking up the interminable monster posts. It means I'll have to share again, and I'm happy for it. Check out his latest post here: Swords & Wizardry: It's what I'm running.
I hope you enjoy the fundamentowl, and I'll be back again with another monster. Thanks for reading!
This giant owl’s feathers are a uniform gray; its blue eyes,
displaying unrecognizable constellations of stars, have an almost magnetic
pull.
Fundamentowl CR 8
XP 4,800
CN Small magical beast
Init +13; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light
vision; Perception +10
DEFENSE
AC 22, touch 20,
flat-footed 17 (+5 Dex, +4 insight, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 95 (10d10+40)
Fort +11, Ref +12, Will +0
Defensive Abilities
improved evasion, improved uncanny dodge; Immune
cold
OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft., fly
60 ft. (average)
Melee 2 claws +16
(1d4–1 plus grab)
Special Attacks
gaze (30 ft., DC 19), grab (Medium), inject knowledge, mental broadcast
Spell-Like Abilities
(CL 10th; concentration +14)
3/day—dimension door, hold monster (DC 19)
1/day—divination
STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 21, Con 19, Int 16, Wis 5, Cha 18
Base Atk +10; CMB +14 (+18 grapple); CMD 27
Feats Agile
Maneuvers, Dimensional AgilityUC, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative,
Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +11,
Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, geography, history, nature, planes, religion)
+20, Perception +10, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +17; Racial Modifiers +8 Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, geography,
history, nature, planes, religion), +8 Perception, +8 Sense Motive, +4 Stealth
Languages Aklo,
Common, Sylvan; telepathy 100 ft.
SQ strange
knowledge
ECOLOGY
Environment any
land
Organization
solitary, pair, or curiosity (3–6)
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Gaze (Su) Creatures
failing a DC 19 Will save take 1d4 points of Wisdom damage from a
fundamentowl’s gaze. A creature that failed its save must attempt a second save
to avoid 1 point of Wisdom damage converting to 1 point of Wisdom drain.
Inject Knowledge (Su)
If a fundamentowl begins its turn grappling a creature, it forces a stream of
information into the creature. A victim failing a DC 19 Will save takes 1d6
points of Wisdom damage (and must attempt a second save to avoid converting 1
point of Wisdom damage to 1 point of Wisdom drain), but it can take 20 on a
single Knowledge skill check it makes within 24 hours and can make the check
untrained. A creature gains a use of this boon for each failed save against
inject knowledge.
Mental Broadcast (Su)
If a fundamentowl is affected by a mind-affecting spell or effect and it fails
its Will save, it broadcasts the spell or effect to all creatures within range
of its telepathy. Affected creatures must also attempt the Will save (the save
DC is unchanged by this ability) or suffer the same effects.
Strange Knowledge
(Ex) All Knowledge skills are class skills for a fundamentowl.
Additionally, the fundamentowl receives a +4 insight bonus to its AC and
initiative.
Fundamentowls are one-time familiars which sought knowledge
beyond what they gained while serving witches or wizards. These familiars
traveled to faraway locations where reality bled away and revealed the secrets
of the universe. While they gained considerable knowledge, their minds warped
and they went mad. The familiars, shaped into owls for unfathomable reasons,
returned to their homes and give in to their compulsions to share their secrets
with other creatures, regardless of the detrimental side effects. Imparting
knowledge, even forcibly, takes a burden off their minds at least for a while.
Fundamentowls also locate familiars and tantalize them with hidden vistas of
information denied to them by their masters, thus repeating the cycle.
