The shopkeeper looked at the leopard-spotted dog sitting outside his shop, and he found himself oddly compelled to leave his shop so he could pet the sad-looking animal. The dog sat there while he consoled it and asked it where its owner was. Suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded to his left, and the dog trotted off toward the sound. The shopkeeper watched the animal wistfully before returning to his shop, where he discovered his most expensive wares had been stolen.

Krenshar-Pei (CR 1)

XP 400
N Medium magical beast
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +6…

DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12; (+2 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1

OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +3 (1d6+1 plus trip) or 2 claws +3 (1d4+1)
Special Attacks malleable skin

STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 13
Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 15 (19 vs. trip)
Feats Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Acrobatics +4 (+12 when jumping), Escape Artist +6, Perception +6, Stealth +4, Survival +1 (+5 scent tracking); Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics when jumping, +4 Escape Artist, +4 Survival when tracking by scent

ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3-12)
Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Malleable Skin (Ex) A krenshar-pei can adjust its skin to slip out of holds more easily, and it can also affect the emotions of other creatures. As a standard action, the creature can draw its skin away from its skull or increase the folds around its face. The first use allows a krenshar-pei to target a creature with cause fear, and the second use targets a creature with charm animal/charm person. Each effect has a save DC of 14, including a +2 racial modifier, and is Charisma-based. A creature that saves against either effect cannot be affected again by the krenshar-pei for 24 hours.

Typical Physical Characteristics

A krenshar-pei looks like a large dog with leopard spots on wrinkled skin. It is 3-4 ft. in length and 2 ft. tall, and it weighs about 75 lb. Atypical for a dog, the creature has retractable, and potentially lethal, claws. Its facial features change depending on its mood or its intent; a contented krenshar-pei has plenty of folds around its face, giving it a more defenseless and approachable appearance, while an angry or hurt creature pulls its skin back away from its skull, giving it a frightening appearance.

Ecology

Krenshar-peis have been bred in a far-off land for centuries, but many of the creatures have escaped or been released into the wild, where they form packs and hunt prey animals. If they face competition for their hunting grounds, they ambush individual competitors until those creatures have died off or fled. Their favorite tactic is to leave a single krenshar-pei out to charm a target, and when the target is suitably distracted, the krenshar-pei’s packmates launch their attack.

Habitat & Society

Krenshar-peis are social creatures and prefer to have companionship—a small pack of the creatures might allow normal dogs to join, and they even accept humanoids as companions. Many rich, bored nobles import the creatures to act as pets or guard animals, and enterprising con artists employ the creature’s charm ability to distract their victims while they rob them.

A 4th level character with the Leadership feat may take a krenshar-pei as a cohort.

[Based on an idea by the lovely Sera Johnson]

(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible)

Trebuchets include a frame from which a long, unbalanced arm (virga) swings. The virga is attached to the frame by means of an axle or pivot point. The longer section of the virga ends in a sling, the shorter in a counterweight. The long end is 3 to 4 times the length of the short end. The whole rests upon a base; the guide chute is attached to the base. For game purposes, the whole weapon can be assumed to weigh 5 times its maximum counterweight load and cost 1 gp/lb.

The counterweight mounts on a swinging connection (a hinge, chains, etc), to the virga. It is often a heavy net or box, strong enough to contain metal spheres, boulders, or other heavy objects…

The sling is literally an oversized slingshot, attached to the virga by rope or a chain, and sturdy enough to withstand the centrifugal force applied to the ammunition.

To fire a trebuchet, the “ingenitor” (or engineer) must prop up the counterweight. Various means have been tried for this. A simple enough means is to empty the weights from it, then pull the long end of the virga to the ground by means of an attached rope. Larger trebuchets have used human hamster wheels. Once in position above the balance point, it is braced (a sturdy log with an attached chain will serve, placed under the counter weight). The counterweight is then refilled. Ingenitor practice with their specific weapons, knowing (and recording) how much counterweight is needed to throw a given weight of ammunition to a given distance. Generally, the counterweight for a shot weighs 80 to 100 times as much as the ammunition load.

Next, the sling is placed in the guide chute. This is a trough, running between the supports of the frame, almost to the prop. The sling is then loaded; ammunition can include metal spheres, boulders, ceramic pots full of flammable materials (or skunk musk, beehives with living bees, rotten fish, etc), dead animals (complete with disease), or whatever else will harm the target. Some objects can be set aflame before launch. Trebuchets are often used against walls, so boulders and metal objects are preferred.

When the ingenitor is ready to fire, he (hopefully) makes sure that everyone is out of the way, and removes the brace (or orders it removed). The counterweight falls, whipping the long end of the virga up. The sling rushes the length of the guide trough with its load, and swings over the machine. With the counterweight at its lowest point, the sling releases its load toward the target. Incidentally, any vertebrate creatures being fired die at this point, their necks broken.

Determining the range and damage achievable by a trebuchet is the subject of many complex formulas available on the internet; there is not room here to reproduce and explain them. A rough and ready rule, simple enough for table top RPGs, is to find the range of a shot by multiplying (the sum of the length of the arm plus the length of the sling plus the height of the pivot point) by the weight of the counterweight, then dividing by the weight of the projectiles. However, this will yield results that bear no resemblance to reality.

The projectile reaches its maximum height at 50% its total range. This should be around 75% of the maximum range for game purposes. A lighter projectile results in a lower trajectory; a heavier projectile flies higher.

To figure damage, find the range for the shot. Multiply by the weight of the shot, and divide by 10. On a hit, roll 3d6 and multiply by that number; the GM may lower damage for soft objects (rotting cows) or increase it for dense ones (lead balls). If multiple projectiles are fired, divide the damage among them; if they are of uneven weights, each one does damage proportional to its percentage of the total weight.

Loading requires one round for each 20 lb. of weight; so, to load 2,000 lb. of counterweight and a 20 lb. projectile takes 101 rounds; crew-served weapons can divide this number by the number of crewmen. This time includes positioning the arm.

Whether attacking a castle, harbor, or the lair of a dragon, a properly crewed trebuchet can greatly improve a force’s chances of success. Its variety of potential ammunition is but one of its many advantages; it can shoot over (or through) castle walls, provide fire and bees to add excitement to the lives of foes, and generally make warfare easier for its users.

(Open Game License)

“The door was thick—made of stone, I think—but I could still hear it. Damn my

The priest sat in silence, casting a long frown over the ninth bowl of oatmeal the warrior had ignored this week.

“When it first touched my ears, it sounded like a barrel of rancid meat was being dumped on a cellar floor all at once. I could hear chunks of wet skin sliding on the ground, settling in cracks between the masonry.” He stopped, licked his teeth, and loosed a hoarse cough. The priest offered a bowl of water to the man, but he refused…

“I opened the door, just a finger’s width, and looked through. It was hideous. Damned, damned hideous.”

A candle sputtered. The wind-stripped bushes outside the monastery clawed at the colored windows.

“Those things—ghouls they call ‘em—they were all standing in a circle. They were hunched over, heaving. The stench overpowered me. I watched while they groaned at each other, stopping only to let mounds of pale flesh burst from their mouths. I could hear it rushing through their throats, the meat pressing against their insides like hands on a sheet hung out to dry. Strings of black muscle dangled from their horrible, horrible crooked jaws after each go.”

The priest clutched the holy symbol beneath his cloak.

“You need to eat, my friend.”

The fighter managed a scowl.

“No. I’m not hungry. I don’t think I’ll ever be hungry again.”

Necromancers and other scholars of the walking dead learn a peculiar fact about their subjects early in their studies.

Because they lack the ability to digest what they eat, zombies and other undead that consume the living inevitably burst. The dead flesh inside of them rots for weeks, bloating until the pressure rends open the creature from within. While rarely dangerous, living creatures that witness such an occurrence describe it as “singularly horrific.”

There is a notable exception to this phenomenon, however. For reasons that elude even the most learned practitioners of the dark arts, ghouls posses a unique reflex that permits them to expel putrefied meat from their insides by vomiting. The leavings of such an act—pools of clotted bile flecked with bits of flesh and bone—serve as an ominous warning for those foolish enough to stumble into places where the living are not welcome.

Ghoul Vomit (Level Variable Obstacle)

Hazard (XP Variable)

Shreds of bloated flesh quiver amid a spatter of hissing bile.

Hazard A 3-by-3 square area of floor is covered in ghoul vomit, which impedes movement and leaves a nauseating stench on those who come into contact with it

Perception
No check is needed to notice a patch of ghoul vomit; living creatures within 20 squares detect the hazard’s odor

Additional Skill (Religion)
◊ DC 15 + 1/2 level – You recognize the hazard as ghoul vomit

Trigger When a creature enters or starts its turn in the hazard’s area of effect, it attacks

Attack
No Action           Melee 0
Target The triggering creature
Attack Level + 3 vs. Reflex
Hit Normal low acid damage by level, and the target is knocked prone; in addition, the ghoul vomit makes a secondary attack against the target:

Secondary Attack Level + 1 vs. Fortitude
Hit The target contracts ghoul stench; while affected, the target and any adjacent living creature take a -1 penalty to Endurance checks, Heal checks, and Fortitude defense per tier; the stench lasts until the target spends a short rest bathing in hot water and tomato paste

Countermeasures
◊ With an Acrobatics check (DC 10 + 1/2 hazard level) and a move action, you can move into a square covered in ghoul vomit without risk of falling; if the check fails or you move more than 1 square, the hazard attacks.

◊ Non-living creatures or creatures that cannot smell are not subject to the ghoul stench’s penalties.

◊ Eladrin and elves gain a +5 bonus to Fortitude against attacks made by the hazard. Half-elves gain a +2 bonus.

◊ Casting the Remove Affliction ritual on a creature affected by the ghoul stench ends the effect.

Upgrade to Elite (Elite XP)

• Increase the size of the hazard to 5-by-5 squares
• Add 2 to the hazard’s attack modifiers
• Increase the damage to normal high acid damage by level

Tactics

As ghoul vomit is harmful to living creatures, they rarely exploit it in the construction of traps.

Intelligent undead, on the other hand, find ghoul vomit to be an invaluable resource for both arcane research and stronghold defense. Highly acidic and dripping with necrotic slime, liches and other necromancers often use ghoul vomit as a catalyst in foul potions and potent elixirs. Undead dungeon lords might also hang censers filled with ghoul vomit throughout their lair to weaken or drive off intruders (aura 2, creatures entering or starting their turn in the aura take a -2 penalty to Fortitude until the start of their next turn).

Phryaxis, a lich infamous for the life-draining rituals she unleashed upon the plane, is said to have erected a vomitorium in which her legion of ghoul servants could regurgitate adventurers devoured in her tomb.

The vault of the Iron Lich, a demilich adept in the building of constructs, is guarded by an iron golem capable of spraying jets of ghoul vomit. The following power replaces the iron golem’s breath weapon power.

Ghoul Vomit Spray (standard; recharge on 6) ◊ Acid, Necrotic
Close blast 3; +25 vs. Fortitude; 2d8+6 acid damage, and the target is knocked prone and contracts ghoul stench (see above); in addition, all squares in the blast are treated as difficult terrain until the start of the iron golem’s next turn

Sample Encounters

Level 4 Encounter (XP 890)

• 2 ghouls (level 5 soldier; Monster Manual)
• 2 patches of ghoul vomit (level 4 obstacle)
• 5 zombie rotters (level 3 minion; Monster Manual)

Level 17 Encounter (XP 8,100)

• 2 abyssal ghoul (level 16 skirmisher; Monster Manual)
• 5 abyssal ghoul hungerers (level 18 minion; Monster Manual)
• ghoul vomit (level 17 obstacle)
• withering grasp (level 15 soldier; “Living Spells,” Dungeon #175)

Level 21 Encounter (XP 16,150)

• elite ghoul vomit (level 21 elite obstacle)
• iron golem with ghoul vomit breath weapon (level 20 elite solider; Monster Manual 2)
• life eater haze (level 22 obstacle; Dungeon Master’s Guide 2)

Now I might be slightly biased, but if you’ve seen Gable’s writeups in Kobold Quarterly, you might not be surprised. This is the man who brought us the 4 Pathfinder “Holy Remix” priests, as well as the “Ecology of the Phantom Fungus.” Now publishing as Zombie Sky Press, his launch titles contain inspired writeups for voodoo, Slavic spirits, and the Cthulhu Mythos: fun, original, easy to adapt to use in any game with a touch of the unworldly—and definitely a surprise for PCs not used to spirit magic in these traditions.

I’m proud to say the Kobold Store is carrying both the 4th Edition Rituals from the Other Side and the Pathfinder RPG Incantations from the Other Side.

In either system, they are well worth your while to check out. And they are hopefully the first of many under the Zombie Sky banner!

Many traps are that much more unexpected and capable when combined with secondary traps. Consider stacking traps, so you catch adventurers off guard when they’re busy dealing with the first trap. Maybe the new addition just slows them down or maybe it’s the coup de grace itself.

Rippling Floor Trap (CR 1)

Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect floor moves (DC 20 Acrobatics check or lose Dexterity bonus to your AC and Reflex saves)

This is a great option when combined with a direct damage trap such as a burning hands trap or a swinging axe trap since it distracts the targets and makes them easier to hit…

Caltrops from Ceiling Trap CR 1

A target’s success at escaping certain traps requires mobility, such as with the bone-crushing boulder trap (http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article2091.php).

It would be terribly unfortunate if something sprung up in the middle of an escape that reduced the PC’s mobility. Consider these next two traps as add-ons for it.

Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect atk +0 melee (1 point of damage and movement is halved); multiple targets (all creatures crossing a 5-ft. square)

This movement penalty lasts for 24 hours, until the creature is successfully treated with a DC 15 Heal check, or until it receives at least 1 point of magical healing. A charging or running creature must immediately stop if it steps on a caltrop. Any creature moving at half speed or slower can pick its way through a bed of caltrops with no trouble.

Launched Tanglefoot Bag Trap CR 1

Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect atk +10 ranged touch (tanglefoot bag)

Enhancements for Magical Traps

Twisting, turning, and knitting magic can make it more difficult for a rogue to find and disable a magical trap.

• Adding +5 to both Perception and Disable Device DCs increases the CR of a magical trap by +2.
• Adding +10 to both Perception and Disable Device DCs increases the CR of a magical trap by +4.

(This post is Product Identity.)

To encourage and reward deeper engagement in marketing their presences at Gen Con, we are awarding marketing fellowships to carefully chosen companies that have submitted A+ level marketing plans demonstrating their preparation for attendance at Gen Con in August. Companies that are recipients of a fellowship are upgraded from a standard 100 square foot booth, to a 200 square foot endcap booth.

Congrats also to NeonCon, the other recipient!

You can read the full announcement at Gen Con Indy’s facebook page. Who’s ready for one incredible convention?

Until the morning of Monday, March 8th, Open Design will be taking part in the annual GM’s Day Celebration Sale at DriveThruRPG. All Design Guides, Gazetteers, and issues of Kobold Quarterly are 25% OFF—that’s “1/4 off for the Fourth.”

Celebrate GM’s Day with us!

Habitat & Society

Continually wandering, with no set layer to call their home, the peacock spawn take refuge on abandoned or unclaimed layers, but even when they find a place of relative safety, they never remain there for more than a year or two at most before moving on, resuming their search. Though their wandering seems aimless, their vision of what their birthplace resembles is a firm dogma among their kind: a warped version of the great mountain of Heaven and a cold, burning pit of lightless flame where the unworthy are blinded and consumed by something too beautiful to exist within reality’s mundane trappings…

In line with this mythology, they view themselves as slivers of perfection, modeled upon their maker’s blinding form, and as such, they disdain most clothing, eschewing anything that would cover their bodies except for armor in times of conflict. They reflect their maker’s reflection, especially in their native environment since in their mythos, the Abyss is simply a chancre, an open sore upon the flesh of a multiverse too sick and too unworthy of the proximity of their most splendid maker who awaits its children at the plane’s heart, a beautiful splinter embedded in unholy flesh.

In the absence of any documented and readily available histories within the Abyss that detail their creator, their racial religious mythology provides the only clue in an obscure entity known as the Peacock Spirit, from which their name derives. Relatively unknown even in the Abyss itself, some scholars and wizards deem the Peacock Spirit to be a reclusive demigod of the Abyss, an alternate name for one of the plane’s more established demon lords, or an independent, obscure one. The peacock spawn reject these ideas as heresies and claim their creator originated on some foreign plane of beauty, rejected and exiled by rivals jealous of her majesty. Cast out, she plummeted to the Abyss, and in the process of her fall, or even her final impact, the peacock spawn were formed from the ashes of that cataclysm like shining fragments of an even more priceless gemstone.

Far and Away

Given their nature, which rejects the very substance of the Abyss itself, and the fine details of their mythos, the archons of Heaven refuse to discuss the subject. The parallels are too close to their own Melek-Taus, and the consequences horrifying. The peacock spawn may be nothing less than the broken fragments of Law shed and hemorrhaged from the Peacock Angel’s flesh when she fell from her celestial glory as Lord of Heaven’s 6th tier—if the archons’ fears are true.

Peacock Spawn (CR 8 )

LN Medium outsider (extraplanar, lawful)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +15

DEFENSE
AC 21, touch 16, flat-footed 15; (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural)
hp 95 (8d10+40); fast healing 5
Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +9
DR 10/chaotic; Immune disease, fire, poison; Resist cold 10, electricity 10

OFFENSE
Spd 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (good)
Melee 2 claws +12 (2d6+4 plus axiomatic wound) or +1 spear +13/+8 (1d8+7/x3 plus axiomatic wound)
Special Attacks blinding glory
Spell-like Abilities (CL 15th)
At will—detect magic, freedom of movement, invisibility, true sight
3/day—dimension door, dispel magic, major image, order’s wrath (DC 21), rainbow pattern (DC 21)

STATISTICS
Str 19, Dex 21, Con 18, Int 16, Wis 20, Cha 25
Base Atk +8; CMB +12; CMD 27
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack
Skills Acrobatics +12, Appraise +8, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +12, Fly +16, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (arcane) +8, Knowledge (geography) +8, Knowledge (planes) +12, Knowledge (religion) +12, Perception +15, Perform +12, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +13, Survival +13
Languages Abyssal, Celestial

ECOLOGY
Environment the Abyss
Organization squad (3-6) or tribe (20 or more)
Treasure standard (+1 spear, other treasure)

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Axiomatic Wound (Su) Any damage inflicted by a peacock spawn (whether through natural attack or weapon) is treated as if from an axiomatic weapon, inflicting an additional 2d6 damage against chaotic creatures.

Blinding Glory (Su) By invoking the power of their mythical creator, once per day a peacock spawn may call forth a blinding column of burning light, emanating from themselves in a 30-ft. radius. Creatures caught within the burst are subject to blindness and 1d6 damage per HD of the peacock spawn (Reflex DC 21 for half damage and to negate blindness; Charisma-based). Other peacock spawn are immune to this effect.

This article contains proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, and characters owned by Paizo Publishing, LLC. This content is used with the express permission of Paizo Publishing, LLC.

When we launched the Kobold Quarterly Adopt-a-Soldier Holiday Contest, we heard some perspectives on gaming in the army from Ed Healy and in the navy from Rich Baker.

SrA Ian McGonigal, one of our two contest winners (along with civilian Jospeh Kramer), recently gave us some insight into gaming among those who slip the surly bonds of Earth as airmen in the United States Air Force.

How and when did you first discover gaming?

One day when I was a kid, I hit the jackpot on one of those amusement park machines that gives tickets that you can turn in for prizes. While looking through the prizes I saw a cool box with awesome artwork… I didn’t even know what it was; I just wanted it for some reason. It turned out to be a module for Middle-Earth Role Playing (MERP) by Iron Crown Enterprises. It came with the equivalent of the player’s guide, a couple of adventures, an epic monster book, dice, maps, and cheesy cardboard miniatures. Because of this impulse buy, I began reading The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. This branched off to Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer, D&D, and eventually Open Design type role-playing. I still have my old MERP books and read them every now and then, though the cardboard figures were lost forever to who knows where.

What’s your current favorite game?

I only get to travel back home to the states once a year and prepare a one-shot d20 Modern game for myself and my friends. I tried 4th edition D&D recently, but have found it to be too much like a large board game and less like a freeform roleplaying game. It is starting to mirror popular MMORPGs in structure; I’m not quite sure how I feel about that. I pathetically cling to 3.5E and my old books. In the last year, I have also developed at addiction to D&D Miniatures as well.

What led you to join the Air Force?

I joined the air force for the educational benefits of the G.I. Bill, so I could avoid massive debt from student loans. The US Air Force takes care of its own. I had no idea I would enjoy my enlistment as much as I have, and I plan to make it a career.

We’ve heard from a soldier and a sailor—what’s the gaming scene like in the air force?

At my current location (Tokyo, Japan), it has been a task to find people interested in tabletop gaming. When I first got here, my supervisor had a small library of gaming books in his room. I met a couple people that I could play CCGs with, but no one on base to roleplay with. I eventually met a group of foreign students from England in downtown Tokyo that had gaming sessions. I have gone a couple times, but because of my work schedule, it is difficult to do. I have heard that RPGs are more popular in stateside bases and especially in deployed locations.

For the times when you aren’t able to game, what other outlets do you have for your hobby?

I’m always looking through my old RPG books to get ideas for future campaigns. I browse the pen-and-paper wikis out there for Open Design additions to current campaign settings. I read a lot of fantasy novels to keep my mind fresh. I read Kobold Quarterly and try to find back issues (getting harder and harder to find), and of course, I browse the KQ blog for the Monday Monsters and other useful Open Design elements.

What role does gaming play in your life?

GM-ing has helped me develop some of the leadership skills I use to this day in the military. Keeping players on task can be difficult in some games, which taught me how to keep track of people and mitigate problems. As a player, roleplaying taught me to work as a team and solve problems; and, of course, it’s a lot of fun. I’m not saying this could work for everyone, but I think my history of playing RPGs with a supportive group helped in conforming to a team setting through boot camp. (But because it is a self-fought battle, no amount of teamwork spirit can amount to being fit.) Recently, I’ve found solitude despite a hectic work schedule by losing myself in fantasy gaming material.

In your experience, what difference does a program like Adopt-a-Soldier make in the lives of military personnel?

I signed up for Adopt-a-Soldier and within a month, someone had already sponsored me! I was amazed at how many Open Design gamers are willing to support us military members overseas and deployed. It’s nice knowing that people care enough to provide me with a service that gets me a copy of the latest magazine quicker than having to wait for the BX to get their shipment—and for free, to boot.

(We were even able to fool those grumpy gnomes.)

Wow, that’s really a nice piece of writing; it’s all practical and no joke. This article alone is worth the price of admission. But even Kobolds can roll a natural 20; let’s see what else is in here.

Either Kobolds have really evolved, or there’s something more going on here. Maybe their three ENnies are well-deserved.

Do I like Kobold Quarterly? As a Gnome, I’ll go on record as saying that the name needs some work; nothing this good should be named after those filthy critters.

That said, actions speak louder than words: I’m subscribing today. It’s that good.

Read the full review at Gnome Stew.

And…

Phillipe Menard, or ChattyDM… talks about spicing up combat encounters in DnD 4ed with skill challenges. Even though I’m not fan of DnD 4ed, I do concede that using skills to affect the outcome of combat is a good idea. I found the article to be a good and intriguing read.

In an article by Scott Gable, he discusses and lays out several specialty priests. What make these unique is how he takes a current base class adds, removes, and modifies features to come up with a specialty priest.

… Monte Cook’s “The Myths and Realities of Game Balance”… article alone is worth the price of the magazine.

…it seems well worth it to both get great material and to support a company that is gathering up and printing great material.

Read the full review at The Bone Scroll.

And…

I really had trouble picking out three articles from the most recent issue of Kobold Quarterly. Not that it’s a bad issue—the exact opposite, it’s amazing! Too good, that I couldn’t just pick three articles.

Telkari, Inevitable of Death… If the fluff wasn’t delicious enough, he also can cause the “clockwork plague” where the victim finds their insides being slowly replaced by clockwork parts.

Elves: The Fallen Ones… Another example of some really fantastic fluff… by John Wick… it takes the backstory of the elves and gives it a bit of a darker look…

This issue of Kobold Quarterly is even better than the last one I looked at…

Read the full review atallgeektout.

We’ve got a little something for everybody. Pick up your own copy of Kobold Quarterly #12. (Or pick up a gift subscription for your favorite gnome.)

The Painful Lure Trap

Using a patch of brainstalk fungus and a simple spike stones spell, the painful lure trap targets the weak of mind.

As soon as the door of a large room opens (or a stony clearing in the woods is entered), a spike stones spell activates, originating at its center. Any creature moving on foot into or through the spell’s area moves at half speed. In addition, each creature moving through the area takes 1d8 piercing damage for each 5 ft. of movement through the spiked area…

At the center of the effect, the brainstalk fungus uses its psychic lure aura to attract victims. Those that fail their DC 12 Will saves will walk toward the fungus and through the spiked area. The creature uses its mind stun ability to disable all who resist its lure.

Painful Lure Trap CR 6

Type magical; Perception DC 29; Disable Device DC 29
Trigger visual (arcane eye); Reset automatic reset
Effect spell effect (spike stones); multiple targets (all who enter area)
Effect psychic lure (DC 12 Will save resists)
Effect mind stun (DC 12 Will save resists)

Defeating the painful lure trap. Destroying the brainstalk fungus is the easiest way to defeat the painful lure trap.

A deadlier painful lure trap. A basic painful lure trap uses only one brainstalk fungus in its design. However, by increasing the number of brainstalks, the DCs of the Will saves increase. The mind stun ability becomes available every round.

Number of brainstalks—New Will save DCs (all effects) (New CR )

• 2—DC 14 Will save (CR 7)
• 4—DC 16 Will save (CR 9)
• 8—DC 18 Will save (CR 11)

(This post is Product Identity.)

The monsters and the new spell system are coming together under the concentrated effort of multiple brainstorms, and we have a whole set of tricks for GMs to make players fear the forest.

Senior patrons are putting a keen edge on their adventure ideas. The first adventure pitches go up for a vote this weekend. Join us as we get started!

______

Sutureflies look like dragonflies with three pairs of gossamer wings, a jagged splinter-wood body, and flashes of bright colors running down their sides.

Margreve folk rarely speak when sutureflies dart through the trees, for these creatures listen for lies and sew the offender’s mouth, nose, and eyes shut. Some say the Old Wood hides nothing but liars, and that is why the Margreve is shrouded in silence. Some say the Margreve uses sutureflies to keep out those who cannot be trusted to follow the Old Ways. Others claim that the Margreve pits sutureflies against its own inhabitants, to smother those who break its covenants and silence those who would reveal its secrets…

Adventurers evidence a suturefly’s handiwork more often than they glimpse one directly. Bodies with sewn mouths and noses lie dead in the underbrush. Mysterious children whose mouths are ringed with black puncture marks observe intruders from afar. And ascetic dryads step from trees, their eyes sewn shut against the evils of civilization.

Sutureflies dart, hover, and strafe with near perfect maneuverability. The common varieties are 6 inches long, but deep woods rangers claim to have discovered detached, 5-ft.-long wings, crushed in the forest detritus.

Suturefly          CR 1/2

XP 200
N Fine vermin
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +1

DEFENSE
AC 22, touch 22, flat-footed 18 (+4 Dex, +8 size)
hp 4 (1d8)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
Immune mind-effecting affects

OFFENSE
Spd 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (good)
Melee touch +12 (sew)
Space 1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks sew
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th)
Constant—detect blasphemy

STATISTICS
Str 1, Dex 19, Con 10, Int —, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +0; CMB -4; CMD 1
Feats Weapon Finesse (B)
Skills Fly +16, Perception +1, Stealth +16
SQ Vermin Traits
Language —

ECOLOGY
Environment Margreve Forest
Organization solitary, wing (2-4), or quiver (5-10)
Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Detect Blaspemy (Su) The most common variety of suturefly attacks any creature that utters an intentional lie, detected as if by a permanent discern lies spell (Will DC 15; CL 5th). Folk of the Outer Margreve release sutureflies from wooden coffers brought to Forest trials to encourage witnesses to tell the truth, and in the Heart of the Wood, a daughter of Baba Yaga polices her “flock” of stolen children with sutureflies. Other varieties have been bred to attack based on verbal triggers other than lies. Black-banded sutureflies detect curses and religious blasphemies. In the Deadfall Swamps of the deep Margreve, a green and gold variety attack briar folk, hags, and any others who allow magic to escape their lips.

Sew (Su) If a suturefly hits with a touch attack, it sews its opponent’s mouth, nose, or eyes closed. With supernatural speed, the suturefly repeatedly pierces the victim’s face, each time threading a loop of the victim’s own skin through the previous hole. These skin loops blacken, shrink, and draw the orifice closed. It takes a full round action and a sharp blade to sever the loops and reopen the orifice. Intense pain and 2 points of damage accompany the procedure (DC 15 Heal check for half). A victim whose mouth and nose have been sewn shut immediately begins suffocating. Victims five or more size categories larger than the suturefly are unaffected by its sew ability.

Tactics

Before Combat Sutureflies dart from hiding to attack with surprise.
During Combat Once it has sewn a mouth closed, it targets the same victim’s nose, unless threatened by another opponent.
Morale A suturefly attacks until it has sewn all of its opponents’ mouths and noses closed. It pursues fleeing opponents for one final attack round.

(This post is Product Identity.)

• Added event-triggered flashbacks designed to encourage camaraderie between the otherwise opposed Viking and monk investigators.
• Based pregens on Cthulhu Dark Ages to tweak/balance things like armor/weapons that don’t work as well with the gaslight era rules.
• Adjusted the BBEGs armor and magical shielding, because the pre-gen Viking brute could really pummel him if reasonably lucky.
• Restructuring the overall scenario to make it easier to read during play, including read-aloud text and streamlined handouts. I discovered very quickly that it was far easier to have all the handouts together, so I could hit Print once. And the read-aloud text helped carry a consistent mood.
• Changed the island map to hide certain locations, which allowed me to make a handout of it.
• Added an optional, harder ending requiring some sacrifice. I ran this version and it made the finale truly memorable.
• Added an option to play in real time. I kicked this option into play about mid-adventure, and my players loved it.

If you’re a fan of the Call of Cthulhu, The Red Eye of Azathoth is definitely worth your attention.

The corners and dark places of the Abyss harbor many things. The list is legion and includes everything from colonies of rogue demodands; the creations of demon-lords like the incorporeal yix’an; unclassified terrors such as the parasitic synx; imprisoned or exiled spawn of evil gods; legacies of the plane’s first lords and those who would supplant or destroy it; and yet other failed successes of the archdaemons. However, of this catalog of horrors, three capture planar scholars’ attention most and the wary eye of others: the peacock spawn, the smoldering host of the Risen, and the children of malignant symmetry…

The Peacock Spawn

We are her children. She who fell from heights unimaginable. She who liberates. She who mocks. She who defiles the naïve. She who shall rise again like the resurgent light of an eclipsed star—hidden but raging—blinding those unworthy who behold its glory.
—Malizrek the Faceted Flame, peacock spawn

The peacock spawn are a race with no home, even among the uncounted layers of the Abyss. Perpetually wandering, they search for their mythical place of origin and the creator that blessed them with life and likewise condemned them to an agonized existence.

Appearing at first glance as idealized, statuesque humanoids, their hands and feet appear scorched and blackened by soot, with hooked, birdlike talons rather than conventional fingers and toes. Further deviating from the humanoid norm, their eyes lack a distinct pupil and swirl with color, like oil on water, and their hair shines like it was spun from burnished brass, bronze, or copper. And then there are the wings that sprout from their backs: not those of an angel or a demon, but guttering wings of flame roaring and moving like living things of their own, giving the peacock spawn the archetypal appearance of fallen celestials.

Walking the Abyss

Among the creatures that wander the Abyss, the peacock spawn are an aberration. Unlike their Abyssal brethren, they don’t seem to belong, and sages often view them as exiles or migrants from some other plane transplanted into the Abyss. Being the source of such thinking, the very essence of the peacock spawn is such that they live in constant agony, pained and weakened by the very nature of the ground they walk upon, identical to the experience of archons, devils, or axiomites.

Lawful to an extreme, and as often neutral as evil, the mind boggles at how such beings originated within the depths of the heart of evil chaos, but that they did, and as disjointed as it might seem, on the rare occasion that they venture to other planes, attempts to banish them only return them to the Abyss. Clearly, something unique led to their creation and the circumstances that have them native to a plane that rejects them on a basic level.

Planar sages long suspected them to be abandoned creations of a long-vanished god or cruel creations of a particularly twisted Abyssal Lord, but the latter seems unlikely. Unlike demons, the peacock spawn have no connection to the souls of the dead. They reproduce among their own kind conventionally, but they do so only in order to maintain the population levels of their distinct tribes which wander the Abyss largely in isolation from one another. Abhorred by other natives of the Abyss, such breeding often follows a pattern of punctuated equilibrium, with periods of stability among the immortal creatures followed by rapid repopulation in the wake of bloody encounters with their abyssal fellows.

… to be continued.

This article contains proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, and characters owned by Paizo Publishing, LLC. This content is used with the express permission of Paizo Publishing, LLC.

1. Loses all sense of hygiene
2. Loses all sense of modesty
3. Large warts (-1 charisma)
4. Acquires a rare, but harmless, skin disease (-1 charisma)
5. Drools constantly
6. Stutters constantly
7. Enlarged body part (e.g. ears, nose, chin, feet, hands)
8. Becomes a pathological liar (will always tell an untruth, even if it is pointless or harmful to do so)
9. Is convinced a common inanimate object is a beloved pet or advisor; talks to it all the time
10. Loses at all games of chance…
11. Obsession (Cleanliness—always washing and avoiding other’s “germs”; Food item; Shiny things; Tidiness—hates messes and will “tidy up” after battles; Wealth acquisition; or Grammar—always corrects others)
12. Sings whenever speaking
13. Contrariness (will disagree or contradict any request or proposal but is easily fooled by “Reverse Psychology”)
14. Has to “go” every 15 minutes
15. Has to write down everything that happens in a journal
16. Thinks is invisible … but is not
17. Cannot say any word that begins with the letter “D”
18. Blinks constantly
19. Only speaks in questions
20. Phobia (PC is shaken whenever confronted by phobia, such as heights, darkness, vermin, reptiles, water , aberrations, undead, spellcasters, outsiders)
21. Indecisive: PC declares action for combat turn and rolls a die; if low, PC must change action to something else
22. All hair falls out
23. Insists on going barefoot all the time
24. Can never finish a sentence (others have to help)
25. Has to use “Huzzah!” in every sentence
26. Equipment wears out twice as fast
27. Nearsighted: -2 ranged attack, x2 range penalties
28. Farsighted: cannot read books
29. Grumpy: -1 to Charisma-based checks
30. Narcoleptic: -2 perception, -4 saves vs. sleep
31. Hiccups constantly: -1 stealth, -1 to charisma based checks
32. Sneezes frequently: -1 stealth, -1 to charisma based checks
33. Sweats profusely
34. Becomes hard of hearing:  -2 initiative
35. Stutters: +20% spell failure
36. Bad Luck: -1 to all d20 rolls
37. Sickly: -4 to saves against disease
38. Clumsy: -2 on reflex saves and Dexterity checks
39. Insecure: -4 to saves against fear
40. Jinxed! 50% chance of -1 to any skill check rolled by any companion within 50 ft. (have the player throw a “jinx die” in front of the player making the skill check, if it comes up low, he’s jinxed!
41. Sleepless (fatigued all the time)
42. Drained: loses 1 hp per character level until lesser curse is removed

(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible)

The project is now more than 85% funded, and it will likely hit the fully-funded mark by March 1, if not sooner.

The price of patronage goes up once the commission is met (and hey, Tim and Eileen announced the first pitch details already, so the first adventure designer will be chosen in March!), so it’s a good idea to sign up today.

Many of these traps comprise multiple smaller traps, and the CR of each is determined separately. Stages should be treated as separate traps (e.g. requiring separate Perception checks). If only a single DC is provided for a check, it applies to all such checks for the trap. These traps either have bait incorporated into them or produce their own when triggered…

Ceiling Snare Drop Trap (CR 1 and CR 5)

Type mechanical; Perception 20; Disable Device DC 20
Trigger location; Reset none
Effect snare (grappled; DC 20 avoids)
Effect atk +15 melee (6d6); multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft. square)
Cost 3,500 gp

This trap creates its own bait by ensnaring victims and hoisting them 10 ft. off the ground and upside down. If the rope used in the snare is pulled on or cut without first disabling the ceiling trap, it will trigger the ceiling to fall.

Self-Destructing Scroll Rack Trap (CR 1 and CR 2)

Type mechanical; Perception 20; Disable Device DC 20
Trigger touch; Reset none
Effect atk +10 ranged (1d3 plus greenblood oil)
Effect alchemist’s fire (1d6 fire damage; DC 15 reflex save for half); multiple targets (all targets within 5 ft. of rack)
Cost 1,500 gp

A favorite of paranoid spellcasters protecting arsenals of scrolls, the self-destructing scroll rack trap seems like a standard trapped scroll rack with a poison dart trap. However, when one of the scrolls is pulled from the rack without first deactivating the secondary trap (either through Disable Device or Perception to find the hidden switch) it smashes a vial of alchemists fire over each scroll effectively destroying the scrolls and burning anyone near the rack.

Gelatinous Room Trap (CR 6 and CR 4)

Type mechanical; Perception 10 and 25; Disable Device DC 20
Trigger touch; Reset manual
Effect atk +20 ranged (6d6 damage); multiple targets (all targets in a 20-ft. line)
Effect gelatinous cube (reflex DC 14 avoids being engulfed)
Cost 10,000 gp

This trap is a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. door with a relatively easy to spot trap of flying debris . The idea is to lure intruders into thinking something important is behind the door. However, the only thing behind the door is a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. room containing a gelatinous cube with a large spring-loaded mechanism behind it that forcefully launches it 10 ft. forward, directly into anyone unfortunate enough to be standing in its way.

The Double Pit Trap (CR 8 and CR 8 )

Type mechanical; Perception 25; Disable Device DC 20
Trigger location; Reset none
Effect 50-ft.-deep pit (5d6 falling damage); pit spikes (atk +15 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d6+5 damage each; DC 20 Reflex avoids); multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft. square)
Effect 50-ft.-deep pit (5d6 falling damage); pit spikes (atk +15 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d6+5 damage each; DC 20 Reflex avoids); multiple targets (all targets in a 20-ft. square)
Cost 8,000 gp

Pits are such a commonplace trap in dungeons that many adventurers carry implements solely for climbing out of them. This pit trap, however, has a secondary effect that is triggered when weight (equal to two Medium creatures) is within 5 ft. of the edge of the pit. This causes the hole to collapse wider and potentially spill even more victims into the pit.

Trap Springer’s Nightmare Trap (CR 1 and CR 16)

Type mechanical and magical; Perception 10 and 34; Disable Device DC 20 and 34
Trigger location and trap disable; Reset none
Effect atk +15 ranged (1d6+6 damage)
Effect spell effect (heightened symbol of death, DC 23 resists); multiple targets (all targets within 60 ft.)
Cost 12,000 gp

This trap wipes out novice adventurers and leaves experts waking up in cold sweat with the memories. A simple and almost-impossible-not-to-find javelin trap hides a devastating heightened symbol of death. A single Perception check (DC 34) is enough to find both traps and identify the danger of disabling the first trap.

The Kitten (CR 15)

Type magical; Perception 34; Disable Device DC 34
Trigger location; Reset none
Effect spell effect (summon monster IX, summons 1 ice devil); spell effect (veil, disguises ice devil as kitten, +34 to Disguise check)
Cost 10,800 gp

The trouble with traps that summon creatures is the tendency for adventurers to simply flee until the spell ends, returning later when the danger has passed. What they don’t expect is for a fluffy white ball of fluffy cuteness to suddenly pop into existence and mew helplessly. Unaware of the disguised devil, many adventurers either ignore or try to help the poor kitten… until it spits out infernal epithets and casts ice spells against them.

(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible)

In a clearing dominated by an enormous tree, a pair of large monkeys sat lazily on a branch until they noticed three men entering the clearing. They shrieked, and the men, seasoned warriors all, ignored the warning and approached the tree. The monkeys dropped to the ground and ran towards these new foes, who drew their swords and prepared to cut down the aggressive creatures. As the monkeys launched their attack, they flickered in and out of reality and delivered vicious bites to the hapless men. After two of the warriors lay dead and the remaining man fled, the victorious animals searched through their victims’ backpacks and grabbed all the shiny items. After a week, the bodies faded from existence, while the survivor faced the terrifying aftereffect of his encounter as his arms periodically disappeared for minutes at a time. Then his legs. Finally, he just winked out for good, leaving nothing but a pile of clothes…

Flicker monkeys, also known as blink monkeys, are not naturally occurring creatures; rather, they were created. No one knows who it was that experimented on these creatures to transplant the abilities of a blink dog into a simian. All that matters is, like many lab monkeys, a few escaped into the wild and now spread a disease that causes its victim to fade from reality.

Flicker Monkey (CR 3)

XP 800
N Small magical beast
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +7

DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12; (+4 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 30 (4d10+8)
Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +2
Defensive Abilities flicker

OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee bite +8 (1d6-2 plus disease)
Ranged thrown object +8 (1d3 plus disease)
Special Attacks flickering throw, disease

STATISTICS
Str 7, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 5, Wis 13, Cha 8
Base Atk +4; CMB +1; CMD 15
Feats Throw Anything, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +14, Perception +7; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics (uses Dex to modify Climb)

ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or band (3-8)
Treasure incidental

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Flicker (Su) As a free action, a flicker monkey may use blink as the spell (caster level 8th).

Flickering Throw (Su) Any object the flicker monkey throws ignores armor 50% of the time, unless the target’s armor prevents attacks from ethereal creatures, in which case the attack ignores armor 20% of the time.

Disease (Ex) Flickering Phage: Bite or thrown object—injury; save Fort DC 14; onset 1d3 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Con damage and the victim must make a Will saving throw (DC 14) at the first stressful situation of the day (such as combat)—failing the save results in 1d6 (+1 for every point of Con damage inflicted by the disease) rounds of uncontrollable flickering for the victim, who benefits from the blink spell; however, he can only hit opponents 50% of the time and has a 20% chance, each round, of dropping a held item; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DCs are Constitution-based. A victim reduced to 0 Con from this disease leaves no body, fading from existence.

Typical Characteristics

A flicker monkey is slightly larger than a typical monkey and has patches of silver-gray fur. The creature is normally docile, but anyone who threatens its territory and ignores its warning shrieks is the target of thrown objects (rocks, feces, or anything else at hand) or vicious bites.

Habitat & Society

Flicker monkeys, as an accidental creation, have no particular ecological niche, but their disposition limits the spread of flickering phage to predators who insist on preying on them. Other than the potential threat the disease poses, flicker monkeys are no different from normal monkeys and mingle freely with them. When a flicker monkey mates with one of its normal cousins, 25% of the offspring will also be flicker monkeys.

Occasionally, evil followers of death or disease gods seek out flicker monkeys to capture and then release into large population centers. These nihilists view contracting flickering phage as a sign of favor from their gods, so they do not concern themselves with protection from the disease.

(Based on an idea suggested by the monkeytastic Patrick Curtin.)

(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible)

“Because Pappy and the boys are out slaying those darn rats in the field for Mr. Hibbins, Mrs. Hibbins is rewarding us with some freshly churned butter. Sally, I need you to go and get the butter, so I can make sweet rolls for after dinner.”

Sally looked at her mother with a smile and headed off to the Hibbins’ home. After a glass of lemonade, Mrs. Hibbins handed her two jars of freshly churned butter and sent her on her way. Suddenly, about halfway home, she heard a noise…

“A SLIME!” she exclaimed as she ran around the gelatinous mass only to trip and break a jar on a rock, unleashing the butter within. Quickly gathering herself and leaping up, she turned in time to see the slime miraculously breaking apart.

In fact, the butter had saved her from being eaten. The slime, on the other hand, was fizzing and popping, unable to escape the dreaded gooey yellow substance. Realizing what had just happened, Sally ran cheerfully home and told her mom, who spread the word to the rest of the villagers at the next town meeting. In the end, the village elders decided to pour butter down the town well in order to kill the slime breeding ground.

The village never had trouble with slimes again. Just a few weeks later, however, a green dragon attracted to the sweet, buttery aroma ate half of the populace.

Butter

Butter only seems to damage those slimes with an especially acidic nature, and such a slime will instantly try to flee from its devastating effects. If a slime is continuously exposed to butter, it will die.

Butter damage is a lingering effect:

• 1 tablespoon or less = 1 damage/1d3 turns
• 1 tablespoon—1 cup = 1d3 damage/2d4 turns
• 1 cup or more = 2d4 damage/1d6+1d4 turns

(Open Game License)

With a fling of spittle and a forbidden gesture of the hand, the victim receives a subtle and annoying minor curse. Effects vary and are not terribly debilitating, but the effect on the superstitious and those in the public eye can be devastating.

Everyone’s heard of “the gypsy curse” or the “evil eye.” Country folk have blamed “the curse” for all kinds of misfortunes: poor harvest, cows not milking, acne, bad luck, unrequited love, diseases, and more. While not seriously debilitating, a minor curse is annoying and frustrating for the subject and any companions. So what exactly happens when a character falls victim to the “evil eye” of a resentful adept or village wise woman? Pick from the table below, roll randomly, or devise your own!

Perhaps, offer a roleplaying bonus of 50 XP times the victim’s character level for a top performance during the game session. A lesser restoration spell will remove the minor curse…

Lesser Curse

School necromancy; Level cleric 2, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration permanent (D)
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

You curse the target with one of the following:

• -2 decrease to an ability score (minimum 1)
• -2 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks
• -4 penalty on one particular category of saving throw, ability check, or skill check (e.g. -4 penalty to Will saves, -4 penalty to Strength checks, -4 penalty to Perception checks)

Effects vary depending on the manifestation of the lesser curse. You may also invent your own curse, but it should be no more powerful than the examples below.

The lesser curse cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with a lesser restoration, break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell. It can be dispelled at will by the caster—usually after some restitution.

One of the following befalls the PC:

1. Character convinced of being a different class
2. Laughs uncontrollably at anything another person says
3. Excessive flatulence (-2 charisma)
4. Itching all over (-1 Dexterity)
5. Very bad breath (-1 charisma to anyone within 10 ft.)
6. Very bad body odor (-1 charisma to anyone within 10 ft.)
7. Attracts insects
8. Attracts animals (specific type: mice, birds, cats, skunks, etc.)
9. Makes bad jokes incessantly
10. Has no inner dialogue
11. Says everything twice
12. Says everything twice
13. Whenever anyone makes a successful skill check, character brags, “I can do better than that…” (or the equivalent)
14. Always eating/drinking
15. Shouts whenever speaking

(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible)

______

Come back next Wednesday for more than 40 additional minor curses!

Tales of the Old Margreve is not one of them; it has rocketed along toward a full commission status faster than any other project to date. While the project is not yet at a green light status, it is now 60% funded, and it will likely hit the fully-funded mark by March 1, if not sooner.

Why the success? Part of it is surely the quality of past projects, part of it the popularity of the Pathfinder RPG. But I think two other factors are also surely at play: 1) The project’s themes make it uniquely suitable for use with any homebrew setting, and easy to import into Golarion, the Forgotten Realms, or other classic fantasy settings. And 2) the lead designers, Tim and Eileen Connors, are well-known for their superior work for both Paizo and Open Design in the past. Reputation matters.

The price of patronage goes up once the commission is met (and hey, we’re starting brainstorming monsters and more already!), so it’s a good idea to sign up today.

Upon a blackwood table stands a glass cylinder with something inside. Two everburning torches set behind the cylinder cause the object contained in the cylinder to cast a long shadow across the room. The shadow twists and turns as the object in the cylinder moves.

If the PCs come closer.

The glass cylinder, filled with a clear fluid, holds the severed, bobbing head of a female aasimar. A bronze plaque before the cylinder announces that the occupant is “Amara Truthspeaker.”

Examining the cylinder closely…

The head is transfixed in a slightly horrified expression; her mouth is sewn shut with silver wire, giving her an odd smile.

The glass cylinder has 5 hp. Detect magic reveals that strong evocation magic leaks from the head’s mouth. If the silver wire is cut, Amara will say her final words.

Final Words Trap CR 10

Type magic; Perception DC 32; Disable Device DC 32
Trigger special (cutting of the silver wire); Reset none
Effect spell effect (blasphemy, DC 20 Will save negates); spell effect (dictum, DC 20 Will save negates); multiple target (all creatures in a 40-ft.-radius spread)

The Last Puzzle Trap CR 10

An engraved wooden frame and a small box holding a hundred puzzle pieces lie on a small table between two comfortable chairs.

Type magic; Perception DC 34; Disable Device DC 34
Trigger special (completing the puzzle); Reset none
Effect spell effect (heightened daylight); spell effect (symbol of death, DC 23 Fortitude save negates); multiple target (all creatures who look at the rune within 60 ft.)

The wooden frame already contains some connected puzzle pieces. Both the frame and puzzle pieces radiate magic—the heightened daylight spell masking the symbol of death. It takes a DC 30 Knowledge (arcane) check to discover the necromancy aura. Completing the puzzle requires two consecutive successes on DC 20 Intelligence checks. Each check takes 10 minutes.

If the puzzle is completed the heightened daylight spell triggers first and then the puzzle forms a symbol of death.

(This post is Product Identity.)

At first glance, a nihilimentis appears as nothing more than a jittering smudge of ectoplasm.  As the viewer concentrates, the wispy material congeals into a vaguely quadruped conglomeration of haphazard, monstrous insect parts…

Nihilimentis Lore

Arcana DC 20:  Nihilimentii were created by the primordials to destroy the intelligent creations of the gods.  As deadly as any dragon, a nihilimentis lashes out at anything that pollutes its territory with psychic vibrations.  Only through intense concentration can one force the monster into solidity and have any hope of defeating it.

Arcana DC 25:  Nihilimentii were once part of a continent spanning swarm, but thankfully, the war and the eons have reduced their numbers significantly.  Nihilimentii are now solitary creatures, driven to the lonely corners of the world and desolate regions of the elemental chaos.

Nihilimentis (Level 15 Solo Controller)

Large elemental magical beast XP 6,000
Initiative +12 Senses Perception +16; darkvision
Mental Drone (psychic) aura 10; creatures in the aura suffer a -2 penalty to initiative; see also blink of an eye
hp 740; bloodied 370
AC 31, Fortitude 29, Reflex 29, Will 26
Saving Throws +5
Speed 8, fly 8
Action Points 2

[M] Ectoplasmic Claw (standard; at-will) ◊ Force
+20 vs. AC; 2d8+6 damage, and ongoing 5 damage (save ends)

[m] Brush with Nihility (minor; at-will) ◊ Psychic
+19 vs. Reflex; the target slides 1 square and suffers a -2 penalty to defences (save ends)

[c] Mindwipe Swarm (standard; recharge on 5, 6) ◊ Psychic
Close burst 2; +17 vs. Will; 2d6+4 psychic damage, and target is dazed (save ends)
Miss—target is slowed (save ends)

Blink of an Eye (immediate reaction, when an enemy within the nihilimentis’ mental drone aura ends its turn without spending a minor action to focus its concentration on the nihilimentis; at-will) ◊ Teleportation

The nihilimentis teleports to a square adjacent to the enemy and makes two ectoplasmic claw attacks; the nihilimentis becomes insubstantial until the end of its next turn

Alignment chaotic evil Languages Primordial
Skills Stealth +17
Str 23 (+13) Dex 20 (+12) Wis 18 (+11)
Con 20 (+12) Int 14 (+9) Cha 18 (+11)

Tactics

A nihilimentis brutally slashes its foes with its quasi-real claws, leaving bits of twitching ectoplasm behind in the wounds. In combat, it closes with the nearest cluster of enemies, positioning itself to utilize mental drone and blink of an eye to the greatest effect.  It first attempts to weaken a pair of foes with brush with nihility before using an action point to blast them with mindwipe swarm.  While waiting for mindwipe swarm to recharge, the nihilimentis spreads its attacks to take advantage of the ongoing damage of its ectoplasmic claw.

Encounter Groups

Nihilimentii are typically solitary but have been known to tolerate the presence of barely sentient constructs, beasts, and undead in their lairs.

Level 18 Encounter (XP 10,000)

• 1 balhannoth (level 13 elite lurker)
• 1 clay golem (level 15 elite brute)
• 1 nihilimentis (level 15 solo controller)

A net is equipped with a trailing rope that can limit an entangled target’s movement. The rules text doesn’t mention it, but a spider attacking with a web has the option to keep a strand connected to the target or just shoot the web as a blob. If the spider decides to keep a strand attached, the web attack works just like a net attack in which the attacker controls the trailing rope. That is, if the spider wins an opposed Strength check the target can only move within the limits that the strand allows.

A net’s trailing rope is 10 ft. long although it’s possible for the net wielder to shorten the rope’s effective length just by holding it somewhere other than the end. In the case a monstrous spider, the connecting strand is as long as the distance between the spider and target at the time the spider made the web attack.

No matter what the actual circumstances, an entangled creature can use a full-round action to escape with an Escape Artist check or tear with a Strength check. See the entangling effect’s description for the entangled creature’s options and for the check DCs. In the case of a monstrous spider, the webbing covering the entangled creature has the hp shown in the spider description. I suggest giving the trailing strand (if there is one) the same hp.

In any case, if an entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make a Concentration check with a DC of 15 + the spell’s level or lose the spell. A net or a monstrous spider’s web is a bit more forgiving (at least according to the net’s weapon description). The Concentration DC is 15 and failure leaves you unable to cast the spell. I suggest, however, that you treat a net or monstrous spider’s web just like any other entangling effect, at least insofar as spell casting is concerned.

Q: If a character uses a summon monster spell and conjures a Medium fiendish monstrous spider, can the caster control the spider directly or do summoner and spider need to have a language in common? Does the spider respond to verbal commands at all?

When it appears, a summoned monster attacks the summoner’s enemies to the best of its ability. There need be no communication between summoned and summoner for that to happen. The summoned monster perceives as enemies exactly the same creatures that the spell caster perceives as enemies at the time the spell is cast, and it decides which enemy to attack based on its own assessment of the situation and the certain knowledge that is must attack. Mindless summoned creatures and those with fairly low intelligence probably just attack the nearest foe.

If the summoner wants the summoned monster to do something other than attack, to attack a specific foe, to maneuver for a better position, to change tactics, or to otherwise act as the summoner directs, there must be some mode of communication between the summoner and the summoned monster. Verbal communication generally is the most precise and reliable. Verbal communication, however, requires a common language or something that provides the equivalent, such as a tongues spell. It’s possible to direct a summoned creature’s actions through gestures, but there’s no guarantee such nonverbal commands would be understood.

Q: Let’s say that the spider from the previous example uses its web attack on a Medium target. The target has a spider climb spell active—is the target still entangled? Would there be a bonus on the saving throw?

Spider climb gives you a climb speed (with all that entails) and enables you to traverse vertical surfaces or even ceilings as well as a spider can. Spider climb does not help you deal with entangling effects, not even from spider webs.

Also, a monstrous spider’s web attack doesn’t allow a saving throw. It works like an attack with a net. The spider can shoot the net up to 50 ft. (range increment 10 ft.). The spider makes a ranged touch attack against a target up to one size category bigger than it, and on a hit, the target is entangled.