Nobody expects to fight a psychic derro fetus in a cage.

Paizo’s newest developer Adam Daigle has unleashed the beast! Midgard Bestiary:  Pathfinder RPG Edition is out today, with 100 entries – 50  new monsters and new art, plus 50 favorites from the last five years of Kobold Quarterly and Open Design, updated for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. First the AGE Bestiary, and now Pathfinder. Is any RPG safe from the kobolds? (Spoiler: no.)

You’ll find Foes from the Free City of Zobeck, the empire of the ghouls, the courts of the shadow and river fey, the Old Margreve forest, and the Ironcrags. Use them in the Midgard campaign setting, Golarion, your own campaign world, or any other fantasy setting.

Over the past several days, we’ve been posting the entries we received for the Seize the Tin Crown contest. These will each be only lightly proofread so that you, our voting public, have a chance to judge them based on your own criteria. After we post the last of the entries, we’ll be calling for you all to vote. The winner will seize the tin crown! Oh, the power!

Watch yourself in Zobeck! The clockwork stalker might be waiting for you.

The Clockwork Stalker

The glint of red lenses in the darkness, the ominous clicking of a set of giant, metal mandibles: these are the only warnings that precede this clockwork creature. Its hulking body resembles that of a giant ant, with six legs and a smooth, iron-colored carapace.

You’ve seen him showing up in Friday’s Funny. Now you can roll with him in your game! It’s Thppgrg, the long-suffering goblin minion of Dark Lord Torkelheim. Take a look at Boomer’s statistics for Thppgrg, whose first diary entry takes you into the world of the strategically important fountain and theoretically important fountain room.

Thppgrg, Long-Suffering Goblin Minion of Dark Lord Torkelheim
CR 1 & 5/6 (AKA 1.8333…)
XP 550-ish
Goblin warrior 1, illusionist 1, bard 1
LE Small humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4

DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 size)
hp 15 (1d10 + 1d6 + 1d8+3)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +4

A cunning, vicious beast, the shadow claw strikes fear into the hearts of travelers everywhere. Originally an attempt by a cabal of wizards to engineer the perfect guard animal, the shadow claw now stands as an example of the consequences of hubris. See more about the shadow claw before diving into its statistics and tactics.

Shadow Claw

Level 8 Brute

Large natural beast

350 XP

HP 107; Bloodied 53; Initiative +8

AC 20; Fortitude 21, Reflex 20, Will 17; Perception +10

Speed 10 (walk); Darkvision

A cunning, vicious beast, the shadow claw strikes fear into the hearts of travelers everywhere. Originally an attempt by a cabal of wizards to engineer the perfect guard animal, the shadow claw now stands as an example of the consequences of hubris.

Appearance

A typical shadow claw stands 7 ft. tall at the shoulders and weighs 300 pounds, all of it solid muscle. Its entire body is covered in thick, black fur that fades to a deep gray on its underbelly. It has a long, muscular tail that both aids in balance and can be used as a bludgeon in combat.

The shadow claw’s powerful legs allow it to run at high speeds, and each leg is equipped with terribly sharp claws. This combination of sharp claws and brawny legs allow the shadow claw to easily tear the flesh off its prey. The shadow claw’s mouth is filled with razor-sharp teeth and equipped with powerfully muscled jaws, allowing it to bite or rip the head clean off of even large animals.