Door #2: The School
KABLOO: School. Why did it have to be school?
KLAUS: I don't know, but my arcane kenning tells me that tonight's gift is here.
JAMPA: Jampa saw the windows glowing, too!
KLAUS: My arcane kenning says shut up.
TODDY: All I "ken" is that I'm ready for some treasure! After two days of freezing my ears off in the wagon, all I've got from this trip so far is one gingerbread cookie and the smell of yeti on my clothes. Today's the day for lucre, world! You owe me!
TODDY: Well, well, well, Mr. Door! We meet again. Have I introduced you to my old friend Wedge? Oh, I have? And you didn't like him? Well, guess who's coming to dinner?!
With a mighty heave, Toddy drives his axe into the door....
tink.
KABLOO: "Tink?" Axes don't go "tink." They go, "vwrommKANGkschhhAhh Oh Gods my head!"
TODDY: Not Wedge. Well, not always. Swing this big son-of-a-bitch at a door just right, and instead of breaking it down, it just "tinks" against it and pops the lock.
KLAUS: How ingenious! But couldn't you just pick the lock?
TODDY: Sure. And you could wear a a regular hat, but here you are, flopping in the wind. It's about style. Now everybody hush up. It's dark, so we're going in rogue-style.
JAMPA: No books? Just church stuff? Jampa is not sure this school is accredited.
KLAUS: It looks like a religious school. Probably a fine one, too, until this place was abandoned. Judging from the fact that the holy symbol is still hanging, the congregation must have left this place in a hurry.
KABLOO: For an amnesiac, you know a lot of random crap. You jerking us around, Klaus? Are you on the lam or something?
TODDY: Hold on, did anybody see that? No? Either I'm hallucinating again, or my keen elven senses just picked up something coming out of the corner--
ALL: Aaaaah!
JAMPA: Jampa knew it! A scary ghost! And a little boy ghost, too! Fight is too emotionally complicated for Jampa!
KLAUS: No, that's not a ghost exactly--we just need to get out of here quickly--
But before the adventurers can retreat, the creature begins a hymn of haunting beauty, and in a polychromatic flash, a tangle of cords and candles fills the school!
KABLOO: Useless wizards! Super-powered, well-read, and terminally patient! Make your Knowledge check before we're all trapped next time, you feeb!
KLAUS: I tried! It's called a "choir boy," and it's some kind of gestalt undead made from the souls of innocents. They think that they're in heaven or purgatory or somewhere and that we're demons!
JAMPA: Jampa is not a demon, boy ghost! Let Jampa go and Jampa will give you ghost chocolates!
KABLOO: You've been hiding ghost chocolates?!
JAMPA: Shh, little snow man! Jampa is only bluffing. No chocolates going to die on Jampa's watch!
KLAUS: Toddy, you're free!
TODDY: Rogue, remember? When you spend as much time staggering as I do, you have to cultivate your Reflex save. But what do I do?
KLAUS: It's not a ghost! It's just silvery, not actually intangible! Just lay into it!
TODDY: You heard the man, Wedge....
CLANG!
TODDY: Barely dented it without sneak attacking. What did you people send me into a fair fight for? I can't work in these conditions! Somebody get your slow ass over here and help me flank it!
JAMPA: Jampa is on fire! Why?! Jampa is confused and smoking!
KLAUS: This blasted tangle is too much for us, Toddy! It's up to you. But maybe we can summon a flanking partner for him, Kabloo?
KABLOO: Sure, old man! There's acid up my nose and I'm pretty sure that green candle just dosed me with sarin gas, but let me see what I can whip up!
KABLOO: Summon Giant Spider!
TODDY: Nice one, snowman. That ought to keep the little twerp busy for a while.
But, turning to the summoned spider, the undead child distorts his ethereal song into a shriek of panic and pain; the air seems to ripple as the piercing scream tears through the spider, slaying it in an instant!
KLAUS: ... It seems that I neglected to mention what scholars call "The Song of Faith and Fear."
KABLOO: Damn it, Klaus.
TODDY: Send more spiders! Anything! I'm making progress, but if this thing starts focusing on me, I swear to the gods, I'm going to run back to the tavern and get an early start on mourning your tragic deaths.
KLAUS: Steady on, Toddy, I'll send you something!
KLAUS: Summon Pseudonatural Scorpion!
KABLOO: Aren't those pseudonatural summons a little... mind-breaky?
KLAUS: Sorry, that's what I've got. Just try not to look at it too--
JAMPA: Aargh, Jampa's eyes! Jampa hates school!
TODDY: Aaaand it's dead. More summons, spellbots! Work for your loot!
KABLOO: Summon Giant Caterpillar!
TODDY: A caterpillar? What's that supposed to do?
KABLOO: Threaten that thing for one round and then get blown away by sonic damage. Just like anything else I summon.
TODDY: Yeah, okay, just keep 'em coming, smart-ass.
KLAUS: Summon Juvenile Camel!
KABLOO: Summon Octopus!
KLAUS: Hey, you can't summon an octopus into an environment that can't support it.
KABLOO: It's an intertidal octopus that crawls up on shore to hunt for snails. Suck on my Knowledge (nature), laws of magic!
KLAUS: Running out of summons... Summon Dire Hermit Crab!
KABLOO: Summon Space Monkey!
SPACE MONKEY: I am a thinking creature!
KABLOO: Summon Huge Mushroom!
KLAUS: A mushroom? Really?
KABLOO: A huge mushroom! I'm still working on the spell. We'll see who's laughing when I figure out how to give it teeth.
TODDY: That's it, you magnificent fungus, just keep him distracted... got him!
With a burst of cold, metallic chill, the choir boy dissipates along with his prismatic tangle, plunging the abandoned choir room once more into darkness.
JAMPA: (panting) Jampa can stand up... Is it over? Is little boy ghost gone?
KLAUS: Not permanently, but he'll be dispersed long enough for us to leave. I wish there were more we could do for the poor kids, but that's a job for a cleric. Look, it's the gift!
TODDY: Hot damn! Now let's get back to the tavern and talk about how we're going to split this loot. The way I see it, this fight was about 90% me, and that space monkey accounts for most of the other 10%....
To be continued on Day 3....
The Crunch: The Beneviso ("Choir Boy"), Wedge the Pick Axe and The Holiday Sock
The big rules item today is the beneviso, colloquially known as a "choir boy," a gestalt undead formed by pre-ethical souls who died with childlike visions of a promised heaven binding them to each other and to a shadow of life. Merry Christmas!
I've also got a little write-up for Wedge, Toddy's trusty lock-picking axe, and the holiday sock, a simple stocking-like wondrous item courtesy of RonarsCorruption from the paizo.com forums.
Beneviso (Choir Boy)
CR 8
XP 4,800
N Large undead
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
N Large undead
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
Defense
AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+2 Dex, +4 deflection, +1 dodge, +4 natural, -1 size)
hp 91 (11d8+44)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +10
DR 5/good
Immune undead traits Resist sonic 30
AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+2 Dex, +4 deflection, +1 dodge, +4 natural, -1 size)
hp 91 (11d8+44)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +10
DR 5/good
Immune undead traits Resist sonic 30
Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Melee slam +7 (1d8)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks prismatic tangle, song of faith and fear
Melee slam +7 (1d8)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks prismatic tangle, song of faith and fear
Statistics
Str 10, Dex 15, Con --, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +8; CMB +9; CMD 21
Feats Alertness, Dodge, Iron Will, Nightstalker, Stealthy, Toughness
Skills Fly +16, Knowledge (religion) +2, Perception +11, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +8 (+14 in areas of shadowy illumination)
Languages Common
SQ fatal disillusion, rejuvenation, spell reflection
Str 10, Dex 15, Con --, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +8; CMB +9; CMD 21
Feats Alertness, Dodge, Iron Will, Nightstalker, Stealthy, Toughness
Skills Fly +16, Knowledge (religion) +2, Perception +11, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +8 (+14 in areas of shadowy illumination)
Languages Common
SQ fatal disillusion, rejuvenation, spell reflection
Special Abilities
Fatal Disillusion (Su)
When a beneviso touches or is touched by a creature with an aura of good (e.g., a good-aligned cleric), it must make a Will save (DC equal to 15 + 1/2 the good creature's hit dice) or realize its delusion and disolve permanently. The beneviso suffers a -2 penalty to the roll against a creature who touches it with an appropriate holy symbol and a -2 penalty against a creature who shares the religion the beneviso followed in life. These penalties may stack.
When a beneviso touches or is touched by a creature with an aura of good (e.g., a good-aligned cleric), it must make a Will save (DC equal to 15 + 1/2 the good creature's hit dice) or realize its delusion and disolve permanently. The beneviso suffers a -2 penalty to the roll against a creature who touches it with an appropriate holy symbol and a -2 penalty against a creature who shares the religion the beneviso followed in life. These penalties may stack.
Prismatic Tangle (Su)
As a standard action, a beneviso can create a tangle of dark green cords studded with multicolored candles. This tangle extends in a 30-foot-radius spread from the beneviso, providing dim illumination to the area and creating an effect identical to entangle (CL 10th, DC 18). Entangled targets suffer from the light of a random candle at the beginning of each turn. At the beginning of each target's turn, roll randomly on the following table to determine the effect; each effect has a save DC 18, which is Charisma-based.
1 Red Candle. 5 points fire damage (Reflex half).
2 Orange Candle. 10 points acid damage (Reflex half).
3 Yellow Candle. 20 points electricity damage (Reflex half).
4 Green Candle. Poison (Frequency 1/rd. for 6 rd.; Init. and Sec. effect 1 Con/rd.; Cure 2 consecutive Fort saves).
5 Blue Candle. The target's flesh begins to turn to a valueless but gold-like substance, inflicting 3d4 Dexterity damage (Fortitude negates).
6 Indigo Candle. Confused for one turn (Will negates).
7 Violet Candle. Sent to an illusionary extradimensional paradise for 1d4 rounds (Will negates).
8 Struck by two lights. Roll twice more, ignoring any “8” results.
A prismatic tangle lasts for 10 rounds. It does not move with the beneviso. A beneviso can create a prismatic tangle at will, but may only sustain one at a time. When a beneviso creates a prismatic tangle, any other tangle that he has created vanishes instantly.
Rejuvenation (Su)In most cases, it's difficult to destroy a beneviso through simple combat: the “destroyed” gestalt spirit restores itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. The only way to permanently dissolve a a beneviso is by triggering its fatal disillusion quality (see above).
Song of Faith and Fear (Su)
As a standard action, a beneviso can sing a haunting hymn that has one of the following two effects. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
As a standard action, a beneviso can sing a haunting hymn that has one of the following two effects. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Song of Faith: This serene and childlike song disorients all living creatures within a 60-foot-radius burst. Creatures within the area suffer 1d2 Wisdom damage; a DC 18 Will save negates. This is a sonic mind-affecting effect.
Song of Fear: This frightened, horrible wail targets a single creature within 60 feet, inflicting 8d6 sonic damage and the shaken condition. A DC 18 Fortitude save halves this damage and negates the fear effect. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. However, the sonic damage from this attack can affect mindless creatures and even objects, despite their immunity to fear.
Spell Reflection (Su)
A beneviso's tarnished silvery surface makes it immune to spell effects of 3rd level or lower as per lesser globe of invulnerability. Spells blocked by this effect that are subject to turning as per spell turning are turned back upon the caster rather than being negated outright. This ability does not function on any spell or ability with the good or healing descriptors.
A beneviso's tarnished silvery surface makes it immune to spell effects of 3rd level or lower as per lesser globe of invulnerability. Spells blocked by this effect that are subject to turning as per spell turning are turned back upon the caster rather than being negated outright. This ability does not function on any spell or ability with the good or healing descriptors.
Ecology
Environment any urban or ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or choir (3-8)
Treasure incidental
Environment any urban or ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or choir (3-8)
Treasure incidental
When young children die, their spirits sometimes linger in confusion. Deluded by their own childlike visions of the afterlife that they were promised by parents and priests, these innocent souls, too young to be either good or evil, tragically fuse to form a beneviso, a large, childlike manifestation of undead faith. Benevisi haunt their places of religious instruction, often appearing in ruined temples or in the recesses of religious orphanages.
A beneviso, commonly known as a "choir boy," believes that it is in purgatory or in some afterlife paradise. It interprets the living as demonic or devilish intruders and fights to protect itself accordingly, using what it believes are holy powers and resistances, but are actually negative energy effects filtered through the lens of delusional faith. Though corporeal, benevisi can reform like ghosts after their destruction. They only way to put them to rest for good is to shatter their faith by confronting them with true righteousness. Returning to the site of a ruined church or school to disperse a beneviso is one of the saddest missions of mercy that an undead-hunting cleric or paladin might undertake.
New Magic Weapon
Wedge the Pick Axe
Aura faint transmutation; CL 3rd
Slot none; Price 4,320 gp;Weight 12 lbs.
Description
This unconventional medium-sized greataxe, its single wedge-like head engraved with flowing arcane designs, serves both as a weapon and as an oversized lock-pick. In battle, Wedge functions as a +1 greataxe. Three times per day, as a standard action, the wielder may swing Wedge at a door or other portal in order to unlock it. Instead of inflicting damage, Wedge strikes with a delicate "tink" sound and the wielder makes a Disable Device check to unlock the door. The wielder gains a +3 enhancement bonus to the check and suffers no penalty for lack of tools. Even wielders untrained in Disable Device can use Wedge in this way, using their unmodified Dexterity modifier in place of a Disable Device bonus. Wedge can open up to three locks on a single door with one swing; in the case of multiple locks, the wielder rolls against each lock separately.
Construction Requirements
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, knock; Cost 2,320 gp
The Gift
Holiday Sock
(courtesy of RonarsCorruption from the Paizo forums)
Aura faint conjuration; CL 1st
Slot none; Weight 1 lb; Price 250 gp
Aura faint conjuration; CL 1st
Slot none; Weight 1 lb; Price 250 gp
Description
This large red sock is trimmed with white, and most of the time seems empty. Each day, at dawn it magically fills with small foodstuffs and trinkets, worth no more than 1gp. This food is enough to feed one Medium creature for the day.
This large red sock is trimmed with white, and most of the time seems empty. Each day, at dawn it magically fills with small foodstuffs and trinkets, worth no more than 1gp. This food is enough to feed one Medium creature for the day.
The trinkets are functional tools and toys, but made of simple
materials and not durable. They can be used to provide a +1 circumstance
bonus to one skill check before falling apart.
Construction
Requirements
Craft Wondrous Item, create food and water, prestidigitation; Cost 125 gp
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