I hope you enjoy the cloister kaida, and I'll see you next week with another monster.
Maddening swirls and
emblems of fire cover this flying lizard-like creature. Its eyes glow with
otherworldly power.
Cloister Kaida CR 4
XP 1,200
CE Tiny dragon
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light
vision; Perception +12
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 15,
flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 37 (5d12+5)
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +8
Defensive Abilities
cloistered; Immune paralysis, sleep;
SR 15
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., fly
60 ft. (good)
Melee bite +3
(1d4–4),
2 claws +3 (1d3–4)
Space 2½ ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks
channel energy 6/day (DC 15, 3d6)
Spell-Like Abilities
(CL 5th; concentration +9)
3/day—invisibility
Cleric Spells
Prepared (CL 5th; concentration +9)
3rd—bestow curse (DC 17), blindness/deafness (DC 17), fireball[D], magic circle against law[D]
2nd—align weapon[D] (chaos only), boiling blood[UM] (DC 16), darkness, hold person (DC 16), produce
flame[D]
1st—bane (DC 15), burning hands[D], detect good,
murderous command[UM] (DC 15), protection from law[D], shield of faith
0 (at will)—bleed (DC 14), detect magic, guidance, resistance
D Domain spell; Domains Chaos, Fire
STATISTICS
Str 2, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 19, Cha 17
Base Atk +5; CMB +6; CMD 12 (16 vs. trip)
Feats Great
Fortitude, Persuasive, Selective Channeling
Skills Diplomacy
+13, Fly +11, Intimidate +13, Knowledge (religion) +16, Perception +12, Sense
Motive +12, Use Magic Device +11; Racial
Modifiers +8 Knowledge (religion)
Languages Common,
Draconic
SQ restore domain
spell
ECOLOGY
Environment any
(temple devoted to its deity)
Organization solitary,
guard (2–5),
legion (6–18)
Treasure incidental
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Channel Energy (Su)
A cloister kaida can channel energy as a 5th-level cleric. It channels positive
or negative energy depending on its current alignment and its deity’s alignment
(this example kaida channels negative energy). Additionally, it can expend two
uses of channel energy to inflict damage to all non-worshippers of its deity or
to heal all worshippers of its deity.
Cloistered (Su)
While within a temple to its deity, a cloister kaida’s spell resistance
increases to 17 against spells cast by divine casters that don’t worship its deity.
The kaida does not benefit from spell resistance against spells cast by divine
casters that worship its deity.
Restore Domain Spell
(Su) As a standard action, a cloister kaida in contact with a divine caster
that worships its deity can expend one of its domain spells to restore the same
domain spell already cast by the divine caster.
Spells A cloister
kaida casts divine spells as a 5th-level cleric. It gains access to two domains
appropriate to the deity it worships and the ability to channel energy, but it
gains no other cleric abilities. The kaida counts as a holy (or unholy) symbol
for purposes of using a focus.
Note: The above
is a sample cloister kaida. There are myriad possibilities based on the deities
they could follow. Typically, they choose detect
spells for at least one opposing alignment and a couple of defensive spells.
Their remaining spells are offensive spells appropriate for their deities.
Cloister kaidas, also informally known as temple dragons,
are miniature defenders of places of worship devoted to the deities they serve.
Their main priority is the protection of the temples’ upper echelons,
especially those that receive divine power from their deities. They remain
invisible and cast defensive spells, if any, on themselves or their charges,
and then use their offensive, non-domain spells on their foes. The kaidas keep
their domain spells in reserve, so they can share the spells with more powerful
divine casters.
If their place of worship falls while they still live—cloister
kaidas have a reasonable sense of self-preservation and are aware of a lost
cause—they attempt to relocate to another temple to the same deity, or they
find a similarly aligned deity to which they adapt. In this case, the kaidas temporarily
lose all cleric-related abilities but can choose a deity within one step of their
current alignment. They find secluded places in their new locations and enter chrysalises,
from which they emerge after one year. During their metamorphoses, they shed skin
embossed with their old holy symbols and adopt the holy symbols appropriate to
their new deities on their new skin.
Cloister kaidas live for nearly 500 years, so it is possible
for a single kaida to migrate in this way from one alignment extreme to another
and back again over the course of its life. The dragons’ longevity also makes
it possible for them to be the only living creatures who remember otherwise
forgotten religions.
Cloister kaidas sometimes leave their familiar surroundings
to undertake missions for their deities. They attach themselves to adventurers
who include at least one worshipper of their deities. In rare cases, cloister
kaidas discover a predilection for adventuring and remain with a group,
provided they have a requisite worshipper. Cloister kaidas usually flee from
groups who no longer have worshippers of their deities, but they expend the
effort to convert someone from a beloved group if a worshipper in the group
died.
A cloister kaida measures 1 foot in length and weighs 15
pounds.
Cloister Kaida Adepts
Cloister kaidas with the advanced creature template or class
levels in cleric gain the granted powers from their chosen domains. Their
effective cleric level is equal to their Hit Dice plus any cleric levels they
possess.
