Page 169 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations
P. 169

Size  and  Type:  Animals  or  vermin  with  this  template   Full Attack: Swarm (2d6 plus infestation); in coalesced form,
               become magical beasts, but otherwise the creature type is   4 kukris +11 melee (1d4/18–20) or 4 spines +11 melee (1d4
               unchanged. Shadow creatures encountered on the Material   plus infestation)
               Plane have the extraplanar subtype and are native to the Plane   Space/Reach: 10 ft./—; or 5 ft./5 ft. in coalesced form

               of Shadow.                                        Special Attacks: Distraction, infestation, warp flesh
                 Speed: As base creature × 1-1/2.                Special Qualities: Coalesced form, immortality, immunity
                 Special Qualities: A shadow creature retains all the special   to disease, immunity to weapon damage, low-light vision,
               qualities of the base creature, and also gains the following:  swarm traits
                 — Resistance to cold equal to 5 + 1 per Hit Die, to a maxi-  Saves: Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +9
               mum of 15.
                                                                 Abilities: Str 1 (10 in coalesced form), Dex 20, Con 16, Int
      CHAPTER 8  NEW   MONSTERS    — Darkvision out to 60 feet.  Skills: Concentration +15, Diplomacy +5, Heal +13, Knowledge
                                                                   20, Wis 12, Cha 17
                 — Low-light vision.
                                                                   (arcana) +17, Knowledge (any one) +17, Listen +13, Sense
                 — Shadow Blend (Su): In any conditions other than full
                                                                   Motive +13, Spot +13
               daylight, a shadow creature can disappear into the shadows,
               giving it total concealment. Artificial illumination, even a
                                                                                                     B


                                                                   Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse
               light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability, but a   Feats:  Ability  Focus  (warp  flesh),  Graft  Flesh †,  Improved

               daylight spell will.                                † New feat described on page 216.
                 Shadow creatures also have one additional special ability   Environment: Temperate forests
               for every 4 Hit Dice they possess (minimum of one additional   Organization: Solitary, gang (2–4 swarms), or colony (5–12
               ability) chosen from the following list:            swarms)
                 — +2 luck bonus on all saving throws.           Challenge Rating: 7
                 —Cause Fear (Sp): 1/day. Caster level 5th. The save DC is   Treasure: Standard
               Charisma-based.                                   Alignment: Usually chaotic good
                 —Damage reduction 5/magic.                      Advancement: By character class
                 —Evasion, as the rogue class feature.           Level Adjustment: +8
                 —Fast healing 2.
                 —Mirror Image (Sp): 1/day. Caster level 5th.    This cloud of pale green mist defi es the laws of nature, coiling
                 —Plane Shift (Sp): 1/day, to or from the Plane of Shadow only.   and  roiling  almost  with  a  mind  of  its  own.  Long,  dark  green
               Caster level 15th.                                spines the size of a rapier blade, up to four at a time, constantly
                 If the base creature already has one or more of these special   form and dissolve within the cloud. Suddenly, it collapses in on
               qualities, use the better value.                  itself to take on the crude form of a fl ying eight-limbed creature.
                 Skills: Same as base creature. Shadow creatures gain a +6   The four upper limbs end in long spines, and the four lower limbs
               racial bonus on Move Silently checks.             end in tiny, four-fi ngered hands. Its roughly humanoid torso is
                 Feats: Same as the base creature.               covered with dark green plates, and its head is a writhing mass
                 Environment: Plane of Shadow.                   of tendrils.
                 Organization: Same as the base creature.
                 Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.  The silthilar are an unusual form of colonial intelligence found
                 Treasure: Same as the base creature.            only in the most tangled and remote forests of the world.
                 Alignment: Usually neutral evil.                They are all that remains of a proud and ancient race of sylvan
                 Advancement: Same as the base creature.         creatures that had mastered the art of grafting and shaping

                 Level Adjustment: Same as base creature +2.     living flesh to suit their own needs. Their world crumbled eons
                                                                 ago when their research unleashed a terrible magic plague.
                                                                 Silthilar wizards, in an act of desperation, worked a powerful
                                            SILTHILAR            spell that separated their minds from their failing bodies. The

               Fine Aberration (Shapechanger, Swarm)             spell shattered their minds into millions of tiny motes of flesh
               Hit Dice: 9d8+27 (67 hp)                          and bone, each of which served as a vessel for a single piece of

               Initiative: +9                                    silthilar lore. Alone, a single piece of flesh or bone was nothing
               Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 40 ft. (perfect)    more than quiescent lore, but together, the particles formed

               Armor Class: 23 (+8 size, +5 Dex), touch 23, flat-footed 18; or   a powerful hive mind capable of organizing thousands upon

                 23 (+5 Dex, +8 natural) in coalesced form       thousands of similar particles into a single entity.
               Base Attack/Grapple: +6/–10 in coalesced form       Today, the silthilar exist as these hive-mind swarms. In their
               Attack:  Swarm  (2d6  plus  infestation);  in  coalesced  form,   new form, the silthilar are free to pursue their research and
                 kukri +11 melee (1d4/18–20) or spine +11 melee (1d4 plus   experiments without fear of disease or old age. Fortunately,

                 infestation)                                    their curiosity about the flesh is tempered by their respect for
                                                                 life. With the notable exception of rogue swarms, most silthilar
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