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Ethereal Strider

California Nightstriders © Sam Shearon, accessed at "The Dark Arts of Mister Sam Shearon" here

[The Fresno Nightcrawlers are cryptids I've been interested in for a while, but how to mechanically approach them has been a puzzler. After all, they don't have any stories about them. They don't do anything. Just walk eerily across some footage. They remind me of the Pale Green Pants With Nobody Inside Them from the Dr. Seuss story "What Was I Scared Of?", so I wanted them to be more spooky than threatening. @abominationimperatrix suggested the link to phase spiders, and "why would phase spiders keep these guys around?" was the in I used to figuring out their mechanics.

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Ethereal Strider CR 1 N Aberration On first glance, this apparition appears to be no more or less than a pair of white legs. Closer examination reveals the bulbous head and small beady eyes where the “waist” of the legs would be. Its skin and flesh is transparent, revealing strange musculature and bones beneath.

Ethereal striders are strange gregarious detritivores native to the Ethereal Plane. Their mouths are hidden in the pads of their feet, and they feed by walking over organic matter. Many roam freely throughout the Ethereal Plane, shifting to the Material in order to walk among leaf litter, rich soil or decomposing meat before returning to the safety of the Ethereal. Others are “domesticated” by phase spiders, keeping their ethereal webs clean and eggs safe from disease by gently walking over them. These domesticated striders often serve as hunting hounds for phase spiders, looking out for suitable prey in the Material Plane and shifting alongside their masters.

Ethereal striders fight to defend themselves, or at the direction of their handlers. They can use their legs to kick, but the real threat they pose comes from their ability to telepathically transmit feats. Ethereal striders can share teamwork feats, both with each other and with other creatures, turning a seeming mob of creatures into a coordinated fighting force. Ethereal striders are inclined to flee if they feel outmatched, shifting from one plane to another in order to escape pursuit.

Although they are sapient, ethereal striders do not speak. Instead, they communicate telepathically, transmitting simple concepts and emotional messages. With a little patience, they can be befriended by creatures of the Material Plane. Ethereal striders sometimes find adventurers highly amusing, following them in the Ethereal and watching their exploits like a play. Occasionally, they may pop in to assist their entertainment with a shared feat, and scavenge from the party by striding through the spilled blood and entrails of their fallen foes.

An ethereal strider stands about three feet tall and weighs about 60 pounds on average.

Ethereal Strider CR 1 XP 400 N Small aberration (extraplanar) Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., ether sight, Perception +8 Defense AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +1 natural) hp 13 (2d8+4) Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +4 Offense Speed 30 ft. Melee slam +3 (1d4+1) Special Attacks transmit teamwork Statistics Str 12, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 11 Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 12 Feats Precise Strike (B), Skill Focus (Perception) Skills Acrobatics +5, Perception +8 Languages telepathy 30 ft. SQ limited material jaunt, unstoppable stride Ecology Environment any land or underground (Ethereal Plane) Organization solitary, pair, band (3-6) or school (7-24) Treasure incidental Special Abilities Ether Sight (Ex) When on the Ethereal Plane, an ethereal strider can see 60 feet into the Material Plane. When on the Material Plane, an ethereal strider can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane. Limited Material Jaunt (Su) Three times per day, an ethereal strider can enter the Material Plane as a free action. It may remain there for up to 10 minutes before being returned to the Ethereal Plane. If it chooses, it can end this effect as a move action. Teamwork Feat (Ex) An ethereal strider gains a teamwork feat as a bonus feat. Different ethereal striders have different bonus teamwork feats, but they must qualify for the feat. Commonly possessed teamwork feats include Coordinated Defense, Lookout, Precise Strike, Shake It Off and Swap Places. Transmit Teamwork (Su) As a standard action, an ethereal strider can telepathically share its bonus teamwork feat with another creature within 30 feet. This lasts for 1 minute or until the creature is more than 30 feet away from the ethereal strider. An ethereal strider can use this ability three times per day, but cannot share a teamwork feat with more than one creature at a time. If an ethereal strider shares its teamwork feat with another ethereal strider, that ethereal strider can share the feat shared when it uses this ability, or its own bonus teamwork feat, whichever it chooses. Unstoppable Stride (Su) An ethereal strider is immune to naturally occurring difficult terrain, or difficult terrain created by manipulating the Ethereal Plane, such as the webs of phase spiders or the etheric shards spell.