#gotham bestiary

[littlemissonewhoisall]

Gotham Bestiary: Minyad Angel

Angel, Minyad

This lithe figure’s shadowy form, glassy black eyes, batlike wings, and mouthless face all give it a somewhat fiendish appearance, but its body language gives off a strangely gentle and nonthreatening impression.

Minyad Angel CR 14

XP 38,400

NG Medium outsider (angel, extraplanar, good)

Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +29

Aura protective aura

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DEFENSE

AC 28, touch 18, flat-footed 20 (+7 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural; +4 deflection vs. evil)

hp 199 (19d10+95)

Fort +11, Ref +18, Will +16; +4 vs. poison, +4 vs. evil

DR 10/evil, Resist electricity 10, fire 10, Immune acid, cold, petrification

Defensive Abilities anticipate action; SR 23

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OFFENSE

Speed 60 ft., fly 120 ft. (good)

Melee +2 holy unarmed strike +25/+20/+15/+10 (1d8+6) or +2 holy merciful unarmed strike +25/+20/+15/+10 (1d8+1d6+6 nonlethal)

Ranged +2 holy shuriken +28/+23/+18/+13 (1d3+6) or +2 holy merciful shuriken +28/+23/+18/+13 (1d3+1d6+6 nonlethal)

Special Attacks merciful strikes

Spell-Like Abilities: (CL 15th)

At will- darkness, deep slumber (DC 17), detect evil, discern lies (DC 18), dispel evil (DC 19), greater teleport, plane shift (DC 19), remove disease, shield other

3/day- death ward, suggestion (DC 17)

1/day- atonement, greater forbid action (DC 19)

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STATISTICS

Str 19, Dex 25, Con 20, Int 16, Wis 21, Cha 19

Base Atk +19, CMB +23, CMD 40

Feats Dodge B, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Unarmed Strike B, Improved Vital Strike, Lightning Stance, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Snatch Arrows, Stunning Fist, Vital Strike, Wind Stance

Skills Acrobatics +29, Bluff +26, Diplomacy +26, Fly +33, Intimidate +26, Knowledge (Planes) +25, Perception +29, Sense Motive +29, Stealth +29; Modifiers +4 Fly

Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal (cannot speak); truespeech

SQ silent speech

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ECOLOGY

Environment any (good-aligned planes, the Maelstrom)

Organization solitary, pair, or colony (3-6)

Treasure double

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SPECIAL ABILITIES

Anticipate Action (Su) As a free action once per turn, a minyad can attempt to anticipate the actions of one creature within 30 ft by making a Sense Motive check with a DC equal to 15 + the creature’s Hit Dice + its ranks in Bluff. If the minyad succeeds, then it can anticipate the creature’s actions until the minyad’s next turn. After the targeted creature makes an attack or casts a spell, but before the result of the spell or attack is revealed, the minyad can make a combat maneuver check to cancel the action. If the maneuver is successful, the attack is wasted or the spell is lost.

Merciful Strikes (Su) All weapons wielded by a minyad are treated as a +2 weapon with the merciful and holy weapon properties, including its unarmed strikes. In addition, the minyad’s unarmed strikes deal damage equivalent to that of an 8th-level monk.

Silent Speech (Su) A minyad has no mouth, and cannot speak aloud, but it is able to use its truespeech ability through gestures and body language as if it were speaking.

In the cosmology of the outer planes, evil is often seen as something inherent to a being’s nature. The lower planes are seen as being composed of pure malevolence, and as such everything spawned from the essence of those planes is evil in its entirety. The truth is less simple, however, and though it is rare good beings can arise from the lower planes, though not without difficulty.

On rare occasions, an evil outsider is able to recognize its own lack of agency in its moral choices, and thus achieve a state of enlightenment that allows them to reject that fiendish nature and become something else. These fiends spontaneously metamorphose over the course of several days, and emerge into the higher planes as minyads.

Minyades are champions of redemption and change, seeking to guide evil beings to the same enlightenment that allowed them to escape the shackles of their home planes. As such, despite their impressive power they tend to avoid killing even the most horrific of creatures, knowing from their own experiences that even things born of pure evil can be redeemed. The only exception to this merciful nature is against qlippoths, for their primordial evil is beyond any salvation, and a minyad usually strives to eliminate them on sight.

[littlemissonewhoisall]

Gotham Bestiary: Cryogen

This was probably the easiest of the bunch. Given Mr. Freeze’s general appearance and demeanor, undead was the obvious choice, and from there the abilities and lore basically wrote themselves. Not nearly as esoteric as some of the later stuff I have planned. 

Cryogen

This pale blue corpse’s hollow eye sockets burn with an eerie red light. Frost accumulates on the ground as it walks unflinchingly forward.

Cryogen                                                          CR 6 XP 2,400 NE Medium undead (cold) Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft. _______________________________________________________________________

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+1 dodge, +8 natural) hp 76 (9d8+36) Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +10 DR 5/magic Immune cold, undead immunities Weaknesses vulnerability to fire _______________________________________________________________________

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft.; icewalking Melee slam +12 (1d8+9 plus 1d6 cold) Ranged ice beam +6 touch (2d6 cold plus numbing cold) Special Attacks cryogenic suspension _______________________________________________________________________

STATISTICS

Str 22, Dex 10, Con -, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 16 Base Atk +6, CMB +12, CMD 22 Feats Dodge, Improved Natural Attack (slam) B, Iron Will, Lighting Reflexes, Power Attack, Toughness Skills Intimidate +15, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (engineering) +10, Perception +14, Sense Motive +14 Languages Aklo, Common _______________________________________________________________________

ECOLOGY

Environment any cold Organization solitary Treasure double _______________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Cryogenic Suspension (Su) As a full-round action, a cryogen can attempt to place a creature slowed by its numbing cold into suspended animation. This acts as the cryokinetic stasis wild talent, save that it can affect non-willing creatures that fail a DC 11 Reflex save, and can be dispelled by fire spells and spell-like abilities of 2nd level or lower.

Ice Beam (Su) A cryogen can fire freezing beams of energy from its hands. An ice beam is a ranged touch attack that does 2d6 cold damage, with a range increment of 30 feet.

Icewalking (Su) This ability works like the spider climb spell, but the surfaces the cryogen climbs must be icy. The cryogen can move across icy surfaces without penalty and does not need to make Acrobatics checks to run or charge on ice.

Numbing Cold (Su) A creature struck by a cryogen’s ice beam must make a DC 13 Fortitude save or be slowed, as per the spell, with a Caster Level equal to the cryogen’s hit dice. The save DC is Wisdom-based.

There is nothing more bitter than the cold loneliness of a broken heart. While this pain usually passes with time, on rare occasions a grief-stricken mortal is unable to let go and is consumed utterly by sorrow. These individuals waste away from grief, rising again as the icy horrors known as cryogens.

Obsessive and implacable, these creatures seek out memories of their former lives, from treasured possessions to old living spaces, sealing them away in icy vaults and guarding them jealousy against any who would attempt to disturb them. When this inevitably is not enough to fill the hole in their hearts, they turn to seeking out and kidnapping their former loved ones, or even people who simply remind them of those they cared about in life. The cryogen reacts violently to any who attempt to impede their search, and endlessly pursue revenge against those who manage to liberate their “family”.

[littlemissonewhoisall]

Gotham Bestiary: Lamia Harlequin

This one was a fun one. When trying to figure out how a Harley-themed monster would work, as soon as I had the idea of “hyena centaur” I knew it would be the way to go. It wasn’t too much of a stretch after that to connect the monster to the various lamia sub-species in Pathfinder, though I didn’t want to make this one evil like the others. In the end I think I found a good compromise between villain and hero with the lore of this one. Not so sure about the cackle ability, though, it might be a bit too powerful. 

Lamia Harlequin

This bizarre creature looks like a pale-skinned woman with multicolored hair from the waist up, but with the body of an enormous spotted hyena from the waist down. She chuckles unnervingly to herself as she drags an enormous hammer behind her.

Lamia Harlequin                                           CR 8 XP 4,800 CN Large monstrous humanoid Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision _______________________________________________________________________

DEFENSE

AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +6 natural, -1 size) hp 95 (10d10+40) Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +9 Immune confusion _______________________________________________________________________

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft. Melee +1 earth breaker +14/+9 (2d6+7/x3), 2 claws +8 (1d4+2) Special Attacks cackle, pounce Space 10 ft. Reach 5 ft. Spell-Like Abilities: (CL 10th)

At will- disguise self, ghost sound, ventriloquism

3/day- charm monster (DC 13), lesser confusion (DC 13)

1/day- confusion (DC 16) _______________________________________________________________________

STATISTICS

Str 19, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 14 Base Atk +10, CMB +15, CMD 30 (34 vs. trip) Feats Ability Focus (Cackle), Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Toughness Skills Acrobatics +15, Intimidate +15, Perception +16, Sense Motive +13, Stealth +18, Survival +16 Languages Abyssal, Common SQ undersized weapons _______________________________________________________________________

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate deserts and hills Organization solitary, pair, or pack (1 plus 5-15 gnolls and 3-6 hyeanodons) Treasure standard (+1 earthbreaker, other treasure) _______________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Cackle (Su) Three times per day as a full-round action, a lamia harlequin can cackle madly, affecting all creatures in a 30-foot radius. Allied creatures who hear this cackle gain a +2 morale bonus to attack and weapon damage for 1d4 rounds, while enemy creatures must make a DC 16 Will save or be shaken for 1d6+1 rounds.

Considered bizarre and erratic even by other lamiae, lamia harlequins are often pariahs who wander the wastes alone, only rarely tolerating the company of their own kind. Though every lamia harlequin is afflicted with apparent madness, they are by far the most personable of lamia-kin, bearing little ill-will towards humanoid races and only preying upon them when roused to anger.

Though usually solitary, a lamia harlequin will rarely “adopt” a tribe of leaderless gnolls, installing herself as the new leader of the pack, often adopting a motherly attitude towards the gnolls. Though rarely malicious herself, she will fight to the death to protect her charges, even against those with legitimate grievances towards them.

A typical lamia harlequin stands over 7 feet tall, measures 8 feet long, and weighs over 700 pounds.

[littlemissonewhoisall]

Gotham Bestiary: Drake, Songbird

I was inspired by an old commission that @thecreaturecodex​ did where they made an undead creature for Pathfinder themed around Mysterio. I thought the idea of taking a comic character and theming a D&D/Pathfinder monster on them was really neat, and so over the last couple of days I started working on designing monsters based on Batman and his supporting cast and rogues gallery. 

So far I’ve got three of them full statted up, with over a dozen more concepts that I am refining. I’m trying to make them both very much themed on the characters but also creatures that could be fit into someone’s home game without breaking the setting. Here’s the first one, a literal drake based on Tim Drake:

Drake, Songbird

This miniscule dragon is covered in red and brown feathers, like a draconic robin. It chirps inquisitively as it darts through the air with graceful ease.

Songbird Drake                                                    CR 2 XP 600 CG Tiny dragon Init +4; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +8 _______________________________________________________________________

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +2 size) hp 19 (3d12) Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +5 Immune paralysis and sleep, sonic Defensive Abilities evasion _______________________________________________________________________

OFFENSE

Speed 15 ft., fly 30 ft. (good) Melee bite +9 (1d3-1), tail slap +4 (1d3-1) Special Attacks harmonic breath, studied combat Space 2 ½ ft. Reach 0 ft. (5 ft. w. tail) _______________________________________________________________________

STATISTICS

Str 8, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 18, Wis 15, Cha 14 Base Atk +3, CMB +0, CMD 14 Feats Ability Focus (harmonic breath), Iron Will Skills Acrobatics +7, Appraise +10, Bluff +8, Fly +18, Knowledge (Local) +10, Linguistics +10, Perception +8, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +18, Use Magic Device +8; Racial Modifiers +8 Fly, +8 Stealth Languages Auran, Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan SQ inspiration, speed surge _______________________________________________________________________

ECOLOGY

Environment any temperate Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3-7) Treasure standard _______________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Harmonic Breath (Su) As a standard action, a songbird drake can concentrate its song into a localized blast of sound. This attack has a range of 60 feet and does 2d4 points of sonic damage (Reflex DC 13 half) in a 5-foot radius spread. Creatures that fail their saves are deafened for 1d4 rounds. After using this ability, the songbird drake must wait 1d6 rounds before it can be used again. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Inspiration (Ex) Five times per day, as a free action, a songbird drake can add 1d6 to a skill check or ability check it has just rolled. The songbird drake can only use inspiration once per skill or ability check. This acts as the investigator’s inspiration class feature, save that a songbird drake cannon use its inspiration on attack rolls.

Speed Surge (Ex) Three times per day as a swift action, a songbird drake may draw on its draconic heritage for a boost of strength and speed to take an additional move action in that round.

Studied Combat (Ex) A songbird drake can use a move action to study a single enemy that it can see. Upon doing so, it gains a +1 insight bonus on melee attack rolls and as a bonus on damage rolls against the creature for a number of rounds equal to its Intelligence modifier (4 for a typical songbird drake). As a free action when making a melee attack against the target of its studied combat, the songbird drake can make a studied strike, dealing an additional 1d6 points of damage and ending its studied combat.

Songbird drakes are a rare and unusual species of drake known found in various temperate regions. Unlike most of their kind, which tend to be brutal and unintelligent, songbird drakes are almost entirely good-natured and extremely intelligent, to the point where some scholars believe they are not true drakes at all. Supporters of the songbird drake’s status as a true drake often point to their speed surge ability, shared among all drakes, as the main point in their favor, but indeed in almost every other way they are unlike any other drake species.

Clever and inquisitive, songbird drakes are often drawn to mysterious and unsolved events, seeking out the truth with surprising determination and ferocity for their small size. This occasionally leads them to encounter humanoid investigators. In some cases, the tiny dragons will see their larger counterparts as rivals, and rush to solve the present mystery before the investigator. In other cases, they will attempt to work with their would-be rivals, rarely taking no for an answer as they follow their new “partner” around giving advice and collecting clues. While some may consider this behavior irritating, only a fool would ignore the drake’s insight.

A good-aligned spellcaster of 7th level or higher with the Improved Familiar feat can take a songbird drake as a familiar.

An average songbird drake is 3 feet long and weighs 9 lbs.