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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