#augmented humanoid

Look at the powers my research gave me!

Artwork by PALOWNAKAMURA on DeviantArt.

This is very much designed as a modern or futuristic scifi monster, although there's nothing about it that wouldn't work in a setting like Final Fantasy 14. A chushacrawler - taking its name from the Japanese word for "injection" - is the result of scientific research that involved kidnapping, studying, and draining the power of magic users to try to artificially recreate their abilities. Magitech augmentation, in other words. But the experimental augmentation didn't go so well, and this specimen (or perhaps scientist) no longer resembles or qualifies as a human.

Chushacrawler - CR 12

What's left of what apparently used to be a human is held together by mechanical fasteners and buzzing energy fields. Its head is intact but discolored, while its torso has been mostly replaced by machinery. It has a pair of huge, metal arms that are covered in spine-like electrical conduits and have massive claws at the ends. The machinery on its arms is surrounded by floating bubbles of energized fluid.

XP 19,200 N Medium aberration (augmented humanoid) Init +5 Senses darkvision 120 ft.; Perception +20

DEFENSE

AC 25, touch 16, flat-footed 19 (+5 Dexterity +1 dodge, +9 natural) hp 147 (14d8+84) Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +15 Defensive Abilities fluid burst

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (average) Melee 2 claws +16 (4d6+5/19-20 plus 2d6 bleed plus dexterity damage (DC 22)) Ranged 4 electric rays +15 touch (3d6 electricity plus stagger (DC 20)) Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks blood healing, dexterity damage, moving wall of force Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th; concentration +17)     At will—wrathful mantle (+3 resistance, already cast)     3/day—wall of force (see moving wall of force)     1/day—straightjacket (CMB +19, DC 27 to escape)

STATISTICS

Str 21, Dex 21, Con 20, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 10 Base Atk +10; CMB +15; CMD 31 (cannot be tripped) Feats Critical Focus, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved Critical (claws), Toughness, Weapon Focus (claws) Skills Acrobatics +22, Fly +22, Heal +17, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (engineering) +20, Knowledge (nature) +15, Perception +20, Spellcraft +8

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Blood Healing (Ex) When a chushacrawler deals bleed damage to a target within 10 ft., it regains hit points equal to the bleed damage dealt, and recovers one point of ability score damage.

Dexterity Damage (Ex) A chushacrawler's claws deal 1 point of Dexterity damage unless the target succeeds on a DC 22 Fortitude save. This damage is doubled on a critical hit. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Electric Rays (Su) As a full-round action, a chushacrawler can fire four rays as ranged touch attacks at targets within 100 ft. All targets must be within 30 ft. of each other. Each ray deals 3d6 electricity damage, and a target hit by a ray must succeed on a DC 20 Fortitude save or be staggered for 1d3 rounds. The save DC is Intelligence-based.

Fluid Burst (Ex) When a chushacrawler takes slashing, piercing, or acid damage, its body bursts with a spray of disgusting fluid. Creatures within a 10-ft. radius of the chushacrawler must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save against poison or take 1 point of Strength damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Intelligent Spell-like Abilities A chushacrawler's spell-like abilities have verbal and somatic components, and are based on Intelligence instead of Charisma.

Moving Wall of Force (Sp) A chushacrawler's wall of force is visible.

I can save them. And I intend to do so. I intend to make them mine, in exchange for returning their memories and sanity to them. And this will be my city, filled with the accursed walking dead whose sunken eyes still remember life, whose hearts still remember what it was like to be loved by the living.  But now I love them.  My Ashfallen.

Artwork by Oukawa Yuu on Seiga.  Badly edited by me.

The Lady of Ash is a faction leader in my dark fantasy setting of Vorseah, and her stat block reflects a character who is mostly involved in preventing fights, not winning them. If the artwork looks familiar, you probably remember it from the Vampire's Daughter monster that I posted; this is the same character, 600 years later.

The unusual combination of ancient youth dhampir vampire is what happens when someone is born into a vampire family and gets killed by vampire hunters as a child, and then gets raised into undeath as a full vampire by her surviving family members.

Her unique vampire power grants her the ability to awaken undead, in place of dominating humanoids. She uses this power to form a small civilization of intelligent undead. She has little concern for whether the undead she awakens are, or were, good people - she only wishes to provide them the same freedom over their destiny that living creatures possess. She wishes for both herself and her people, the Ashfallen, to get along peacefully with others, whether they be crusading paladins or evil necromancers. Despite that seemingly benevolent goal, her powers and her upbringing have warped her view of the value of life, and she isn't a good person. She has no empathy for the living, only a desire to avoid conflict with them.

However, she lacks the ability to create vampire spawn, and doesn't desire to create new undead regardless. She relies on her allies to subdue undead and allow her to use her powers on them.

When faced with violent undead, she uses her Command Undead ability to stop combat, and then uses Awaken Undead later at her leisure when the target has been secured and restrained. Against living targets, she charms or dominates them instead of fighting. She virtually never uses her energy drain or blood drain attacks; even if forced into combat against something like an aberration or outsider that she can't dominate, she'll either flee or rely on others to fight for her.

She always has her Umbral Shield trick implanted in herself, and begins battle with her other two mesmerist tricks already implanted in her allies. Typically she implants Compel Alacrity in melee allies and Mesmeric Mirror in spellcasting allies.

Have I ever mentioned that I hate making NPCs that use character classes? This stat block has too many special abilities. Some of it is the vampire template's fault.

Lady of Ash - CR 12

Avoiding the light from the window is what appears to be a young girl in a dress with long black hair and a white hat.  She has unusually pale skin, and the hanging oil lamp casts no shadow on the opposite wall.

XP 19,200 Dhampir, ancient youth vampire, spirit walker mesmerist 11 LE Small undead (augmented humanoid) Init +7 Senses darkvision, low-light vision; Perception +23

DEFENSE

AC 27, touch 17, flat-footed 23 (+3 Dex, +2 deflection, +1 dodge, +7 natural, +3 shield, +1 size) hp 141 (11d8+88); fast healing 5 Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +16; +2 vs. disease and mind-affecting, channel resistance +4 DR 10/magic and silver Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 5 Weaknesses vampire weaknesses (except sunlight weakness) Immune undead traits

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., spider climb Melee slam +10 (1d3+1 plus energy drain) Special Attacks awaken undead (11 HD/day, DC 22), blood drain, children of the night, command undead (8/day, DC 22), energy drain (2 HD, DC 22), hypnotic stare (-3 Will/Perception/Sense Motive/initiative/concentration/DC vs. Diplomacy/DC vs. Intimidate, 5 or 3d6 damage, 50 ft.), mesmerist tricks (3 at a time, 11/day)

Racial Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th; concentration +18)     1/day—charm person (DC 20), command (DC 20)

Mesmerist Spells Known (CL 11th; concentration +18)     4th (3/day)—dominate person (DC 23), serenity (DC 23), speak with haunt     3rd (6/day)—appearance of life, charm monster (DC 22), dispel magic, nondetection     2nd (6/day)—aversion (DC 19), command undead (DC 21), detect thoughts (DC 19), knock, suggestion (DC 21)     1st (7/day)—adoration, hide from undead (DC 18), innocence, mindlink, sow thought (DC 20), undetectable alignment     0 (at will)—daze (DC 18), detect magic, message, open/close, touch of fatigue (touch +10, DC 17), unwitting ally (DC 18)

STATISTICS

Str 12, Dex 16, Con —, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 24 Base Atk +8; CMB +8; CMD 23 Feats Bouncing Spell, Command Undead (see text), Extended Stare, Extended Stare, Demoralizing Stare, Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Focus (enchantment), Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness Skills Bluff +37, Diplomacy +23, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (arcana, local, history, nobility, religion) +6, Linguistics +5, Perception +23, Perform (oratory) +9, Sense Motive +26, Spellcraft +9, Stealth +15, Use Magic Device +14; Racial Bonuses +10 Bluff, +10 Perception, +8 Sense Motive, +8 Stealth Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Infernal, Necril, Orc Gear potion of inflict serious wounds x2, Lily Sunhat, +2 reflecting mithral buckler, ring of eloquence (dwarven, elven, gnome, halfling), amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +2 SQ bold stare (allure, distraction, susceptibility), change shape (dire bat or wolf, beast shape II), gaseous form, glib lie, undead inception, shadowless, spider climb

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Awaken Undead (Su) In place of a vampire's Dominate ability, the Lady of Ash has the supernatural ability to soothe and awaken undead creatures and break a necromancer's control over them.  She can use this on up to 11 HD (a number equal to her own hit dice) of undead creatures per day.  This does not cause the undead to become under her control, but it breaks effects such as Command Undead, grants the undead creature an intelligence score if it doesn't have one (typically the same score they had in life), and changes its alignment back to what it was in life.

To use this ability, the Lady of Ash must touch the target as a full-round action.  An undead creature makes a Will saving throw against this effect, DC 22.  If the creature is under the control of a necromancer or other undead, the Lady of Ash must also succeed on a caster level check with a DC of 10 + the hit dice of the creature exerting control over her target.  On a successful saving throw, or if the Lady of Ash fails the caster level check, this ability has no effect.  The save DC is Charisma-based.

A creature affected by Awaken Undead rolls a d100.  On a roll less than or equal to the Lady of Ash's hit dice, it becomes friendly toward her.  On an 80-89 it becomes hostile to her, and on a 90-100 it becomes confused and self-destructive.  Otherwise, the soothed creature becomes indifferent toward the Lady of Ash. A creature that is affected by Awaken Undead more than once (for example, by being placed under the control of another necromancer and then awakened again) retains its original result.

Blood Drain (Su) A vampire can suck blood from a grappled opponent; if the vampire establishes or maintains a pin, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage. The vampire heals 5 hit points or gains 5 temporary hit points for 1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to its full normal hit points) each round it drains blood.

Command Undead (Su) As a standard action, 8 times per day, the Lady of Ash can enslave undead within 30 feet. Undead receive a DC 22 Will save to negate the effect. The save DC is Charisma-based. Undead that fail their saves fall under her control, obeying her commands to the best of their ability, as if under the effects of control undead. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist her command. The Lady of Ash can control any number of undead, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed her mesmerist level. If an undead creature is under the control of another creature, the Lady of Ash must make an opposed Charisma check whenever her orders conflict.

Continued Animation (Su) Three times per day, when the Lady of Ash is using hypnotic stare on a humanoid target and the target dies, as an immediate action the Lady of Ash can force the target’s soul to remain in the body. The Lady of Ash can then control the target as if using dominate person for 5 rounds. The creature gains 22 temporary hit points and continues acting as though it were alive and conscious until it loses those temporary hit points or the duration expires.

During this time, the creature counts as undead, but it can’t be healed by negative energy. The target receives a DC 22 Will saving throw to avoid this effect and die normally. The save DC is Charisma-based.

This ability ends immediately if at any point the target’s body is completely destroyed (such as by disintegrate) or restored to life.

Change Shape (Su) A vampire can use change shape to assume the form of a dire bat or wolf, as beast shape II.

Children of the Night (Su) Once per day, a vampire can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or 2d6 wolves as a standard action.  These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.

Gaseous Form (Su) As a standard action, a vampire can assume gaseous form at will, as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Hypnotic Stare (Su) The Lady of Ash can focus her stare on one creature within 50 feet as a swift action.  That creature takes a –3 penalty on Will saving throws, concentration checks, initiative checks, Perception checks, Sense Motive checks to oppose Bluff, and to the DC of Diplomacy and Intimidate checks made against it.  The Lady of Ash can maintain her stare against only one opponent at a time; it remains in effect until she stares at a new target, the opponent dies, the opponent moves farther than 50 feet away, or the Lady of Ash is reduced to 0 hit points.  The Lady of Ash can remove the memory of her stare from the target’s mind; The creature doesn’t remember that it was affected (nor does it realize that it is currently being affected) unless the Lady of Ash allows it. 

The hypnotic stare is a psychic effect, and relies more on the focus of the Lady of Ash than the target's perception of her stare.  It can’t be avoided in the same ways a gaze attack can.  She can use this ability even while blinded, but must succeed at a DC 20 concentration check to do so.  The penalties from multiple mesmerists’ stares don’t stack, nor do they stack with penalties from witches‘ evil eye hexes.  This is a mind-affecting effect, but can affect undead, ignoring their immunity to mind-affecting abilities.

Once per round, when a creature affected by the Lady of Ash's hypnotic stare takes damage, she can increase the damage by 5, or by 3d6 if she dealt the damage herself, and the target must succeed on a DC 22 Will save or become shaken for 1 round. This is precision damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit. The save DC is Charisma-based.

An undead target affected by the Lady of Ash's hypnotic stare loses its immunity to her mind-affecting spells and abilities.

Shadowless (Ex) A vampire casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.

Mesmerist Tricks (Su) As a standard action, the Lady of Ash can implant a mesmerist trick in herself or a willing ally she touches.  She can do this up to 13 times per day, and can have up to 3 tricks implanted at a time.  The trick remains dormant until either it is triggered or the next time the Lady of Ash regains her spells.

As a free action usable even when it’s not her turn, the Lady of Ash can trigger this trick under the conditions listed for that trick.  The subject must be within 210 feet of the Lady of Ash for her to trigger the implanted trick.  She doesn’t need line of sight, but anything that blocks telepathic contact prevents her from triggering tricks.

The mesmerist tricks the Lady of Ash knows are as follows:

Compel Alacrity The mesmerist can trigger this trick whenever the subject begins its turn within an enemy’s reach. The subject can move 20 feet as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. The subject can’t move farther than her speed in this way. The movement from this trick doesn’t count against the subject’s movement speed for that round. Mesmeric Mirror The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject is attacked or becomes the target of a spell that requires an attack roll. Three duplicates of the subject appear, and the attacker must determine randomly which it hits (as mirror image). Each image lasts for 11 minutes or until destroyed. This is an illusion (figment) effect. See in Darkness The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject moves into an area of darkness. The subject gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet for 1 minute. Telepathic Link The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject and her allies are outnumbered in combat. For 1 minute per mesmerist level, the subject and the mesmerist can communicate telepathically. If the subject and the mesmerist are more than 210 feet apart, the telepathic connection is severed and cannot be regained unless the trick is implanted again. The mesmerist and the subject must share a language to be able to communicate. Umbral Shield The mesmerist can trigger this trick whenever the subject would be exposed to harmful bright light (such as sunlight is to a vampire). Once triggered, the subject ignores any harmful effects of bright light or sunlight for 1 minute.  The subject is immune to the dazzled condition while this trick is in effect. Unwitting Messenger The mesmerist describes a recipient to the subject while implanting this trick, then recites a verbal message no longer than 55 words. The subject of unwitting messenger has no memory of the message or the target recipient. When the subject encounters the specified recipient, the subject repeats the message verbatim, but does not recall speaking the message or its contents. This trick ends if not triggered within 24 hours. The subject of unwitting messenger can be fooled by mundane disguises or illusions, causing her to deliver the message to the wrong recipient.

Reflecting Buckler Once per day, the Lady of Ash can use her buckler to reflect a targeted or ranged attack spell targeting her back at its caster. Area spells, touch range spells, and other spells not directly targeting her are not affected.

Vampire Weaknesses Vampires cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from mirrors or strongly presented holy symbols. These things don’t harm the vampire—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against that creature. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a vampire can overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally each round it makes a DC 25 Will save.

Vampires cannot enter a private home or dwelling unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so.

Reducing a vampire’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn’t always destroy it (see vampiric fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay vampires. Each round of immersion in running water inflicts damage on a vampire equal to one-third of its maximum hit points—a vampire reduced to 0 hit points in this manner is destroyed. Driving a wooden stake through a helpless vampire’s heart instantly slays it (this is a full-round action). However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the head is also severed and anointed with holy water.

Normally, exposing any vampire to direct sunlight staggers it on the first round of exposure and destroys it utterly on the second consecutive round of exposure if it does not escape. However, the Lady of Ash's lily sunhat prevents her from being harmed by sunlight.

How’s the view up there, from your ebony tower?

Nobles of Ink are outsiders, native to the Shadow Plane.  While much of the Shadow Plane is full of dangerous undead, much more of it is a twisted mirror of the material plane, along with twisted mirrors of humanoid societies, cities, governments, and castles.

It bothers me, therefore, that there are so few humanoid-adjacent creatures native to the Shadow Plane.  Not every single settlement in the world can be run by a fetchling or vampire.

Nobles of Ink govern some of these settlements, as a rare species that established themselves as an elite class of rulers long ago.  They have no special abilities that allow them to keep their positions by force; instead, they seem to have an incredible innate adeptness at clever political maneuvering.  They ensure that those under their rule are happy and well-protected.

Nobles of Ink don’t procreate in a traditional way.  Instead, they carefully choose someone to appoint as their successor to govern their domain, and transform that person irreversibly into a Noble of Ink.  A Noble of Ink is considered either an augmented humanoid or augmented outsider, depending on what the base creature was.

The basic Noble of Ink is below, but it wouldn’t be uncommon to find one with class levels.

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Noble of Ink - CR 1/3

Standing in the parlor is what appears to be a woman made entirely out of inky black shadows, wearing a fine red dress of the latest fashion.  It’s impossible to make out any of her features; her face is like looking at a black silhouette.

XP 135 LN Medium outsider (augmented humanoid or outsider) Init -1 Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +3

DEFENSE

AC 9, touch 9, flat-footed 9 (-1 Dex) hp 7 (2d10-4) Fort +1, Ref -1, Will +6 Defensive Abilities reverting form

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft. Melee unarmed strike -1 (1d3-3 nonlethal)

STATISTICS

Str 5, Dex 8, Con 7, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 14 Base Atk +2; CMB -1; CMD 8 Feats Skill Focus (Diplomacy) Skills Bluff +11, Diplomacy +14, Knowledge (history, local, nobility, planes) +7, Sense Motive +12, Stealth +3; Racial Bonuses +4 Bluff, +4 Diplomacy, +4 Sense Motive Languages Common, Infernal, Necril Gear fancy clothes and jewelry worth 600 gp

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Reverting Form (Ex) Any non-magical physical effect applied to a noble of ink which has a Fortitude save ends after 1d4 rounds, even if it would normally be permanent or instantaneous.  If a magical physical effect which has a Fortitude save is applied to a noble of ink, the noble of ink receives a new Fortitude save every 1d4 rounds (in addition to any save that the effect might normally allow) to end it early, even if the effect would normally be permanent or instantaneous.  This does not apply to damage.

Shadow Blend (Su) In any illumination other than bright light, a noble of ink blends into the shadows, giving it concealment (20% miss chance).  A noble of ink can suspend or resume this ability as a free action.

Create Noble of Ink (Su) By performing a ritual which requires spending 1000 gp of fine ink, a noble of ink can undergo a week-long process to turn a willing creature into another noble of ink, who must be a humanoid or native outsider.  The noble of ink and the other creature must remain in physical contact for the entire week.  At the end of the process, the creature is transformed into a noble of ink, but keeps its original ability scores, class levels, skill ranks, and feats.

Vampires with blood magic are a great combination.

Artwork by Zaza on Twitter.  From Z/X Zillions of Enemy X, copyright Nippon Ichi.

I wanted a blood mage vampire to use as a miniboss.  There’s a blood mage wizard archetype in Pathfinder, but it’s only interesting for the player who has it, and doesn’t work well if you try to give it to enemies.  An enemy spending HP to apply metamagic isn’t something that players can really interact with.  I wanted to make something that actually changed how players approached the fight.  As a result, many of this creature’s abilities manipulate the PCs’ blood, not its own blood.

Blood mage vampires were humanoid spellcasters in life with some affinity for blood magic; often a bloodrager, sorcerer, or blood mage wizard.  A blood mage vampire is sometimes formed when a vampire attempts to turn such a spellcaster into a vampire, but the process goes haywire, draining the original vampire into a withered husk as its evil life force is absorbed into the newly created vampire.  While other vampires often manipulate the minds of their prey, a blood mage vampire’s special power gives it a degree of control over living creatures’ bodies instead.

Although conceptually a half-elf variant vampire, this creature doesn’t actually have any of the class levels it had in life, and is instead built as a unique creature, the same way that a standard vampire spawn is.  It lacks several typical vampire abilities, including fast healing and gaseous form (although it still enters a gaseous form if reduced to 0 hit points).

Vampire Blood Mage - CR 8

XP 4,800 CE Medium undead (augmented humanoid, elf, human) Init +7 Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent 60 ft. (living creatures only); Perception +19

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +4 shield) hp 94 (8d6+64) plus 18 temp Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +8 Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, vampiric escape DR 10/magic and silver Immune undead traits Resist cold 10, electricity 10 Weaknesses vampire weaknesses

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.; Fly 30 ft. (average) Melee bite +8 (1d6+2 plus energy drain), wing +3 (1d4+1 plus energy drain) Special Attacks blood drain, children of the night, create spawn, energy drain (1 level, DC 21)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th; concentration +15)     Constant—blood armor, shield     1/day—blood biography (DC 19), blood kinesis (DC 23, CMD +15; see text)     3/day—manipulate blood globules (see text), vampiric touch (touch +6), waves of blood (DC 20, CMD +15)     5/day—draw blood (DC 19; see text)     At will—darkness, detect magic, dispel magic, light, mage hand, maximized false life (already cast), message, read magic

STATISTICS

Str 15, Dex 16, Con —, Int 21, Wis 10, Cha 24 Base Atk +6; CMB +8; CMD 21 Feats Hover, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Spell Focus (Necromancy) Skills Bluff +26, Fly +14, Knowledge (arcana, religion) +16, Knowledge (history, local) +13, Perception +19, Sense Motive +8, Spellcraft +16, Stealth +11, Use Magic Device +15; Racial Modifiers +8 Bluff, +8 Perception, +8 Sense Motive, +8 Stealth Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic SQ change shape (dire bat or wolf, beast shape II), shadowless Gear headband of alluring charisma +4

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Vampire Weaknesses Vampires cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from mirrors or strongly presented holy symbols. These things don’t harm the vampire—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against that creature. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a vampire can overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally each round it makes a DC 25 Will save.

Vampires cannot enter a private home or dwelling unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so.

Reducing a vampire’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn’t always destroy it (see vampiric escape). However, certain attacks can slay vampires. Exposing any vampire to direct sunlight staggers it on the first round of exposure and destroys it utterly on the second consecutive round of exposure if it does not escape. Each round of immersion in running water inflicts damage on a vampire equal to one-third of its maximum hit points—a vampire reduced to 0 hit points in this manner is destroyed. Driving a wooden stake through a helpless vampire’s heart instantly slays it (this is a full-round action). However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the head is also severed and anointed with holy water.

Vampiric Escape (Su) If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, a blood mage vampire assumes gaseous form (caster level 5th) and attempts to escape.  In gaseous form, it has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.  It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed.  (It can normally travel up to 9 miles in 2 hours.)  Additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect.  Once at rest, the blood mage vampire is helpless.  It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless.

Blood Drain (Su) A blood mage vampire can suck blood from a grappled opponent (including one grappled by its Blood Kinesis spell); if the blood mage vampire establishes or maintains a pin, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage. The blood mage vampire heals 10 hit points or gains 10 temporary hit points for 1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to its full normal hit points) each round it drains blood.

Change Shape (Su) A blood mage vampire can use change shape to assume the form of a dire bat or wolf, as beast shape II.

Children of the Night (Su) Once per day, a blood mage vampire can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or 2d6 wolves as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the blood mage vampire for up to 1 hour.

Create Spawn (Su) A blood mage vampire can create spawn out of those it slays with blood drain or energy drain, provided that the slain creature is a humanoid. The victim rises from death as a normal vampire or vampire spawn in 1d4 days (the blood mage vampire’s choice). This vampire or vampire spawn is under the command of the blood mage vampire that created it, and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. A blood mage vampire may have only a single vampire or vampire spawn enslaved in this way; any additional slave it creates becomes a free-willed undead. A vampire may free an enslaved vampire or vampire spawn in order to enslave a new slave, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Energy Drain (Su) A creature hit by a blood mage vampire’s bite gains one negative level. This ability only triggers once per round, regardless of the number of attacks a blood mage vampire makes.

Shadowless (Ex) A blood mage vampire casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.

Draw Blood (Sp) Five times per day as a standard action, as a spell-like ability, a blood mage vampire can drain blood out of any number of targets within 30 feet that have taken slashing or piercing damage in the past 24 hours and not healed that damage yet.  This deals 2d8 damage to each such target, and causes them to begin bleeding for 1d8 bleed damage.  A successful Fortitude save (DC 19) halves the damage and negates the bleed effect.

For each target that takes damage in this way, a globule of blood flies into the air and begins to spin around the blood mage vampire.  A blood mage vampire can have any number of blood globules at a time.  These globules last for 1 minute.

This spell has no effect on creatures that don’t have blood.  This is considered a 3rd-level necromancy spell.  Spell resistance applies.

Manipulate Blood Globules (Sp) Three times per day as a standard action, as a spell-like ability, a blood mage vampire can drink any number of blood globules created by the Draw Blood spell to heal itself for 1d6 hit points per globule, and simultaneously launch any number of the globules that it doesn’t drink at targets within close range (45 ft.).  Each globule launched in this way becomes one missile and deals 1d4+1 piercing damage, striking unerringly unless the target has total cover or total concealment.  This effect counts as Magic Missile for the purposes of abilities like the Shield spell that interact with Magic Missile.

Alternately, as a swift action, as a spell-like ability, a blood mage vampire can drink or launch a single blood globule.

This is considered a 2nd-level necromancy spell.  Spell resistance applies.

Blood Kinesis (Sp) Once per day as a standard action, as a spell-like ability with a duration of concentration, a blood mage vampire can take control of a living target’s blood, gaining control over the target’s body (but not its mind).  On the initial casting, the target receives a Fortitude saving throw (DC 23) to resist control.  If the target succeeds on the initial save, it suffers no effects and the spell ends.  If the target fails on the save, it is paralyzed for the duration of the spell.

Each round while concentrating on the spell, the blood mage vampire can choose to either make a combat maneuver check to reposition or grapple the target (including pinning or damaging the target if it is already grappled), or force the target to take a standard action of the blood mage vampire’s choice.  If the blood mage vampire makes a combat maneuver check, its CMB is +16 (its caster level plus its Charisma modifier).  If the blood mage vampire forces the target to take a standard action, the action must be a purely physical one that involves no mental actions, since the blood mage vampire can only control the target’s body and not its mind, and the target receives another Fortitude save to resist performing the action (DC 23).

This spell has no effect on creatures that don’t have blood.  This is considered a 5th-level necromancy spell.  Spell resistance applies.

Maximized False Life (Sp) When a blood mage vampire casts false life as a spell-like ability, it can maximize the effect as if with the Maximize Spell metamagic, without increasing the casting time (typically granting 18 temp hp)

Who dares plunder the final rest of the Sin-Carver?  Your sins are at an end.

Artwork by Adnan Ali on Artstation.

Here’s another crazy boss fight for you.

A sin-carver mummy was pledged in life to the eradication of what it perceived as sin, through any means necessary.  After great battles against both demons and humans, it was laid to rest as a hero, along with its armor and weapon.  But those who enter its tomb should beware - the forces of sin have defiled its place of final slumber, and now it rises for vengeance.

This is a high level mummy lord with the powers of both a hell knight and a cleric, and then some more unique powers on top of that.  Some of the mummy lord abilities were altered to make them more fun and dynamic.  Hopefully it’s obvious that this is designed to be a boss fight, though if you have a level 20 party and want to make them fight a group of eight of these things, I’m not going to tell you what to do.

It would be totally reasonable to give this boss a cool unique weapon, or some unique cursed armor or other cursed magic items, maybe putting its Carve Away Sin ability or Sin’s Revenge ability on a magic item.  But that would just be loot, and wouldn’t affect the encounter, so I didn’t include that in its gear.

Its constant aura sight effect lets it automatically know which target to use Smite Chaos on.  It saves the Good Fortune ability for important saving throws or other defensive rolls, and if that fails, then the Hell Knight Aegis feat is a neat alternative to legendary resistance.

It uses its Harm spells to heal itself when below half hit points, moving into an area of Lingering Sandstorm Wrath to safely heal if possible.  Even on rounds when it heals, Opportunistic Dread Bolt allows it to also do some damage as well.

If the players are trying to flee from a sin-carver mummy, it uses the Scar hex on one or more of them, and thereafter uses the Unnerve Beasts hex and the Nightmares hex on them from long distance, leaving the target cursed for defiling the mummy’s tomb.  It doesn’t use its hexes otherwise.

It lacks a typical mummy lord’s Undead Mastery ability that takes control of other undead.  A sin-carver mummy prefers to destroy other undead if they’re not already loyal to it.

Sin-Carver Mummy - CR 16

The fully armored figure rises from the sarcophagus, sword in hand.  Glowing sin runes adorn the pauldrons of his armor and the flat of his blade.

XP 76,800 Unique human mummy lord, divine scourge cleric 12 / hell knight 2 LE Medium undead (augmented humanoid, human) Init +5 Senses aura sight, darkvision 60 ft., deathwatch; Perception +17 Aura great despair (30 ft., DC 26)

DEFENSE AC 30, touch 17, flat-footed 24 (+9 armor, +1 deflection, +5 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural) hp 208 (12d8+2d10+140) Fort +18, Ref +12, Will +18 Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, hell knight aegis (1/day), rejuvenation, sin’s revenge DR 10/— Immune cold, electricity, undead traits

OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 unholy bastard sword +21/+16/+11 (1d10+14/19-20 plus insidious mummy rot plus purging wave plus carve away sin; +2d6 vs. good creatures) or slam +20 (5d6+13 plus insidious mummy rot plus purging wave plus carve away sin) Special Attacks channel rot, hexes (blight, scar, nightmares), insidious mummy rot (DC 19), lingering sandstorm wrath (DC 26, 8d8 fire and slashing), purging wave, spontaneous casting (inflict), opportunistic dread bolt

Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 12th; concentration +21)     6th—eyebite (DC 26), greater bestow curse (touch +22, DC 26), harm (touch +22, DC 26, carve away sin) x2     5th—break enchantment, dispel evil (DC 24), dispel good (DC 24), greater contagion (DC 25), slay living (DC 25) x2     4th—divine power, freedom of movement, poison (touch +22, DC 24) x2, spit venom (ranged touch +14, DC 24) x2     3rd—bestow curse (touch +22, DC 23), dread bolt (ranged touch +14, DC 21, carve away sin ) x5, sands of time (DC 23)     2nd—aid, dread bolt (ranged touch +14, DC 21, carve away sin) x5, silence (DC 21)     1st—bane (DC 21) x8     0th—detect magic, detect poison, purify food and drink, read magic

Spell-like Abilities (CL 14th; concentration +23)     Constant—aura sight, deathwatch

STATISTICS Str 28, Dex 20, Con —, Int 12, Wis 28, Cha 28 Base Atk +11; CMB +20; CMD 37 Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Heavy Armor Proficiency, Hell Knight Aegis, Lightning Reflexes, Martial Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Focus (necromancy), Toughness Skills Intimidate +26, Knowledge (religion) +18, Knowledge (planes) +16, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft +18, Perception +17, Stealth +17; Racial Modifiers +8 Intimidate, +8 Sense Motive, +8 Stealth Languages Common, Necril, Thassilonian SQ aura (evil, law), curse domain, good fortune, hell knight order (order of the scourge), hell knight armor 1 Gear +1 unholy bastard sword, mwk mithral hell knight plate, ring of protection +1, 1200 gp worth of ruby

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Hell Knight Aegis (Su) Once per day as a full-round action, a sin-carver mummy can give its Hell Knight armor the broken condition.  Upon doing so, it is affected by one of the following spells of its choice (caster level 14): break enchantment, neutralize poison, remove disease, or remove paralysis.  Once it has used this benefit, its armor must be repaired as normal to restore its full bonus to its Armor Class and return its armor check penalty to normal.

A sin-carver mummy can use this ability even if paralyzed, helpless, or otherwise unable to act.

Great Despair Aura (Su) All creatures within a 30-foot radius that see a sin-carver mummy must succeed at a DC 26 Will saving throw or be paralyzed with fear for 1 round, then shaken and unable to willingly move towards the sin-carver mummy for the following 1d4 rounds.  Whether or not the saving throw is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by the same sin-carver mummy’s great despair aura ability for 24 hours.  This is a mind-affecting paralysis and fear affect.  The save DC is Charisma-based.

Rejuvenation (Su) One day after a sin-carver mummy is destroyed, the necromantic energies that created the abomination begin to rebuild its body. This process takes 1d10 days. If the body is destroyed before that time passes, the process starts anew. After this time, the sin-carver mummy awakens fully healed in its tomb. To permanently destroy a sin-carver mummy, it must be destroyed and then its remains must be targeted by consecrate, hallow, and then dispel evil, cast in consecutive rounds and in that order.

Channel Rot (Su) A sin-carver mummy can deliver its insidious mummy rot through melee weapon attacks, its slam attack, and any natural attacks it possesses.

Insidious Mummy Rot (Su) Curse and disease—slam; save Fortitude DC 26; onset 1 minute; frequency 1/day; effect 2d4 Constitution and 2d4 Charisma damage; cure —.

Insidious mummy rot is both a curse and disease, and can be cured only by first removing the curse and then curing the disease.  Even after the curse element of insidious mummy rot is lifted, a creature suffering from it cannot recover naturally over time.  Anyone casting a conjuration (healing) spell on the afflicted creature must succeed at a caster level check (DC 26), or the spell is wasted and the healing has no effect.  Anyone who dies from insidious mummy rot transforms into a pile of sand and cannot be raised by means other than resurrection or greater magic.

Purging Wave (Su) When a sin-carver mummy performs a melee attack, it also creates a shockwave in a 15-foot cone in the direction of its target.  All creatures in this region must succeed on a DC 22 reflex save or take 2d8 force damage and be pushed back 5 feet.  Immediately after doing this, the sin-carver mummy can move five feet as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity; this does not have the normal limitations of a five-foot step.  The save DC is Strength-based and includes a -4 racial penalty.

Lingering Sandstorm Wrath (Su) Three times per day as a standard action, a sin-carver mummy can exhale a blast of superheated sand in a 40-foot cone.  The blast deals 8d8 fire damage and 8d8 slashing damage and blinds targets for 2d4 rounds.  A successful DC 26 Reflex save halves this damage and negates the blindness.  The save DC is Charisma-based.

The area affected by a sin-carver mummy’s sandstorm wrath becomes filled with superheated sand particulate which floats in the air for 3 rounds.  Creatures other than the sin-carver mummy which enter this area or end their turn in it take an additional 2d8 fire damage with no save.

Smite Chaos (Su) Once per day, a sin-carver mummy can call out to the powers of law to aid it in its struggle against chaos.  As a swift action, the sin-carver mummy chooses one target within sight to smite.  If this target is chaotic, the sin-carver mummy adds its Charisma bonus (typically +9) to its attack rolls and adds +2 to all damage rolls made against the target of its smite.  If the target of smite chaos is an outsider with the chaotic subtype, a chaotic-aligned aberration, or a fey, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 4 points of damage  Regardless of the target, smite chaos attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.

In addition, while smite chaos is in effect, the sin-carver mummy gains a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma modifier (typically +9) to its AC against attacks made by the target of the smite.

If the sin-carver mummy targets a creature that is not chaotic, the smite is wasted with no effect.   The smite chaos effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the sin-carver mummy rests and regains its uses of this ability.

Good Fortune (Ex) Twice per day, as an immediate action, a sin-carver mummy can reroll any one d20 roll it has just made before the results of the roll are revealed.  It must take the result of the reroll, even if it’s worse than the original roll.

Spontaneous Casting (Su) A sin-carver mummy can “lose” any prepared cleric spell that is not an orison or domain spell in order to cast any inflict spell of the same spell level or lower (an inflict spell is any spell with “inflict” in its name).

Sin’s Revenge (Su) When a sin-carver mummy is subjected to a spell or spell-like ability that allows for a Will saving throw, and succeeds on that save, as an immediate action the sin-carver mummy can cast Bestow Curse (DC 22) as a spell-like ability on the enemy that targeted it, as long as that enemy is within 100 feet.  Bestow Curse gains a range of 100 feet when cast in this way, and requires a ranged touch attack as if being cast with the reach spell metamagic.

Opportunistic Dread Bolt (Su) When a creature moves within close range (55 ft.) of a sin-carver mummy, as an attack of opportunity, it can cast Dread Bolt as a cleric spell against that target.  A sin-carver mummy can only use this ability while it has Dread Bolt prepared as a cleric spell, and the spell is expended as normal.

Carve Away Sin (Ex) A sin-carver mummy gains a +2 profane bonus on attack rolls and deals 2d6 additional damage whenever it makes an attack to deal lethal damage to a living humanoid or evil outsider.

Scar (Su) A sin-carver mummy can hex a target to scar it.  The target may make a Will save (DC 25) to resist this hex.  The sin-carver mummy can use its Unnerve Beasts and Nightmares hexes on the scarred target at a range of up to 1 mile, and it is considered to have a body part from the target for the purpose of scrying and similar divination spells.  This scar persists through disguises and shapechanging.

The sin-carver mummy can withdraw this hex from a target as a move action at any range.  The sin-carver mummy can maintain 4 scars at once; once it reaches this limit, it must remove the scar from a current victim in order to mark another.  Effects that remove curses can remove the scar.

Unnerve Beasts (Su) A sin-carver mummy can hex a target within its line of sight (or within 1 mile if the target is affected by its Scar hex) to unnerve beasts.  The target becomes offensive to animals (DC 25 Will negates). Animals become distraught and aggressive in the victim’s presence—horses buck, dogs snap and bark, bulls charge, and so on.  The hex lasts a number of hours equal to the witch’s Intelligence modifier.  A creature that saves against the hex cannot be affected by the hex for 1 day. The reaction of the animals is a mind-affecting charm effect, but the hex on the target is not.

Blood is too precious a thing in these days of dishonourable peace.

Artwork by Zero_Q_0q on Twitter.

This is a vampire lord with a custom antipaladin archetype that trades away Smite Evil for an ability called Smite Blood, and trades spellcasting for an ability called Well of Corruption.  Both of these are AOE effects designed to make players have to think harder about their positioning and keep moving.  This vampire is designed to be a pretty significant boss fight - between touch of corruption and fast healing, it’s going to be difficult for a party to outdamage his healing, and they might actually have to burn through his entire healing supply before they can finish the fight.

Of course, that makes save-or-die abilities way more powerful than they usually are, so I gave him a unique magic item to deal with that - The Hands that Pump the Heart.

Of all the variant vampires I made recently (although I’m not done posting them), this is the strongest one, and is also the only one where I didn’t modify the vampire template at all.  For the most part, that’s because I think the vampire template is too strong, and so I nerfed certain aspects of it (usually the Dominate ability) for the other vampires I posted.  But at CR 12, at-will Dominate Person is less unreasonable, and I felt like the strongest of these vampires should have access to the full arsenal of traditional vampire abilities.

This creature’s powerful equipment combined with the fact that I didn’t nerf the vampire template boosts it up by 1 challenge rating.

Like all of my enemies with class abilities, I included simplified descriptions of the class abilities so you don’t have to look them up.

Vampire Lord of Corrupting Blood - CR 12

XP 19,200 Half-elf unique antipaladin vampire 10 CE Medium undead (augmented humanoid, human, elf) Init +5 Senses low-light vision, darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22 Aura cowardice and despair (10 ft.)

DEFENSE

AC 28, touch 12, flat-footed 26 (+10 armor, +1 Dex, +1 dodge, +6 natural) hp 109 (10d10+50); fast healing 5 Fort +15, Ref +10, Will +11 Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, vampiric fast healing DR 10/magic and silver Immune undead traits Resist cold 10, electricity 10 Weaknesses vampire weaknesses

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft. Melee +1 ranseur +20/+15 (2d4+13/×3) or mwk longsword +19/+14 (1d8+8/19–20) and slam +13 (1d4+8 plus energy drain) or slam +18 (1d4+8 plus energy drain) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with ranseur) Special Attacks blood drain, channel positive energy (DC 19, 5d6), children of the night, create spawn, dominate (DC 19), energy drain (2 levels, DC 19), touch of corruption (5d6, 10/day), smite blood 4/day (2d6 bleed, 30 ft.), well of corruption

Antipaladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +14)     At will—detect good

STATISTICS

Str 26, Dex 12, Con —, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 18 Base Atk +10; CMB +18 (+22 disarm); CMD 30 (32 vs. disarm) Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness, Cleave, Extra Lay on Hands, Improved Channel, Power Attack, Quick Channel, Weapon Focus (ranseur) Skills Bluff +12, Intimidate +25, Knowledge (arcana, nobility, history) +8, Knowledge (religion) +12, Perception +22, Sense Motive +22, Stealth +1; Racial Bonuses +8 Bluff, +8 Perception, +8 Sense Motive, +8 Stealth Languages Abyssal, Aquan, Common, Elven, Necril, Infernal SQ aura, code of conduct, fiendish boon (weapon +2, 2/day), cruelties (fatigued, diseased, cursed), unholy resilience, change shape (dire bat or wolf, beast shape II), gaseous form, shadowless, spider climb Gear +1 dastard full plate, +1 ranseur, masterwork longsword, belt of giant’s strength +4, the hands that pump the heart, unholy symbol, 600 gp

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Touch of Corruption (Su)

As a standard action, or as a swift action targeting itself, 10 times per day, a vampire lord of corrupting blood can surround its hand with a fiendish flame, causing terrible wounds to open on those it touches.  This is a touch attack which causes 5d6 negative energy damage to a living target or heals 5d6 hit points to an undead target.

When this ability is used to deal damage, the target must also succeed on a DC 19 Fortitude save or be either fatigued, diseased (as if affected by Contagion), or cursed (as if affected by Bestow Curse), caster level 10.  The vampire lord of corrupting blood chooses which effect to apply when making the attack.  The save DC is Charisma-based.

Channel Negative Energy (Su) By spending two of its uses of Touch of Corruption as a standard action, or by spending four uses as a move action, a vampire lord of corrupting blood can channel negative energy as a cleric.  It can choose to either deal 5d6 negative energy damage to all living creatures within 30 feet, or heal 5d6 hit points to all undead creatures within 30 feet.  Targets receive a DC 21 Will save to halve the damage taken.  The save DC is Charisma-based.

Aura of Cowardice and Despair (Su) All enemies within 10 feet of a vampire lord of corrupting blood take a –4 penalty on saving throws against fear effects, and a -2 penalty on all other saving throws.  Creatures that are normally immune to fear lose that immunity while within the aura.

Fiendish Boon (Su) Twice per day, as a standard action, a vampire lord of corrupting blood can increase a held manufactured weapon’s enhancement bonus by +1 and grant it the keen, flaming, or vicious property for 10 minutes.  This imparts no bonuses if the weapon is held by anyone other than the vampire lord of corrupting blood.

Well of Corruption (Su) As a free action once per round, three times per day, a vampire lord of corrupting blood can place a Well of Corruption on the ground, covering a 10-foot radius.  All living creatures within this area take 1.5x as much damage from bleed and negative energy effects while they are in the area, and for 1 additional round after leaving the area.  Undead creatures are unaffected.  A well of corruption lasts for 1 minute.

Smite Blood (Su) As a swift action, four times per day, a vampire lord of corrupting blood can choose a living target with blood that it can see, and smite the blood of that target.  Whenever the vampire lord of corrupting blood attacks the smote creature and deals damage, the smote creature and all other enemies within 30 feet of it take 2d6 bleed damage.  (Multiple bleed effects do not stack, but an affected creature takes the bleed damage immediately each time a bleed effect is re-applied.)  The smite remains in effect until the target dies or the vampire lord of corrupting blood rests and regains its uses of this ability.

Additionally, a vampire lord of corrupting blood’s +1 dastard full plate gives it a +2 profane bonus to AC against the target of smite blood (which counts as smite good for this purpose).

Blood Drain (Su) A vampire lord of corrupting blood can suck blood from a grappled opponent; if the vampire lord of corrupting blood establishes or maintains a pin, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage. The vampire lord of corrupting blood heals 5 hit points or gains 5 temporary hit points for 1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to its full normal hit points) each round it drains blood.

Change Shape (Su) A vampire lord of corrupting blood can use change shape to assume the form of a dire bat or wolf, as beast shape II.

Children of the Night (Su) Once per day, a vampire lord of corrupting blood can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or 2d6 wolves as a standard action.  These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.

Create Spawn (Su) A vampire lord of corrupting blood can create spawn out of humanoids it slays with blood drain or energy drain. The victim rises from death as a vampire in 1d4 days. This vampire is under the command of the vampire lord of corrupting blood that created it, and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. A vampire lord of corrupting blood may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit become free-willed undead. A vampire lord of corrupting blood may free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Dominate (Su) A vampire lord of corrupting blood can crush a humanoid opponent’s will as a standard action. Anyone the vampire lord of corrupting blood targets must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire lord of corrupting blood’s influence, as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th, DC 19). The ability has a range of 30 feet.

Energy Drain (Su) A creature hit by a vampire lord of corrupting blood’s slam gains two negative levels. This ability only triggers once per round, regardless of the number of attacks a vampire lord of corrupting blood makes.

Gaseous Form (Su) As a standard action, a vampire lord of corrupting blood can assume gaseous form at will (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Shadowless (Ex) A vampire lord of corrupting blood casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.

Spider Climb (Ex) A vampire lord of corrupting blood can climb sheer surfaces as though under the effects of a spider climb spell.

Vampire Weaknesses Vampires cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from mirrors or strongly presented holy symbols. These things don’t harm the vampire—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against that creature. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a vampire can overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally each round it makes a DC 25 Will save.

Vampires cannot enter a private home or dwelling unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so.

Reducing a vampire’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn’t always destroy it (see vampiric fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay vampires. Exposing any vampire to direct sunlight staggers it on the first round of exposure and destroys it utterly on the second consecutive round of exposure if it does not escape. Each round of immersion in running water inflicts damage on a vampire equal to one-third of its maximum hit points—a vampire reduced to 0 hit points in this manner is destroyed. Driving a wooden stake through a helpless vampire’s heart instantly slays it (this is a full-round action). However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the head is also severed and anointed with holy water.

For my 100th monster, please enjoy the final boss of my four year long dark fantasy campaign, which ended two weeks ago!

Artwork by Kimbears on Twitter (though they’ve since deleted this post), badly edited by me.

My four year long dark fantasy campaign ended just two weeks ago, and happened to approximately coincide with the milestone of the 100th monster I’ve posted here!  So I thought it would be fitting to post the monstrously over-designed three-page-long stat block of that campaign’s final boss on this blog.  Her impressive magic items and unique powers, especially her legendary actions, increase her CR by +3.

This former human sorcerer was transformed into a powerful half-devil, gaining the powers (and to some degree, the appearance) of a barbed devil, as well as six arms and spined wings.

Personally, I also included six Arcane Cannons in the fight, as well as the Disguised Formian Vizier which was disguising itself as the princess and dominated by her through the use of an artifact.  Hard to keep a sorcerer alive without allies on the field, insane infernal powers or not - although she can also summon an ice devil, so that helps.

In battle, she holds her scythe in two hands, uses a mithral buckler with the same hand she uses to hold her phantasmal gem, holds her two metamagic rods in two of her hands, and keeps her sixth and final hand free for spellcasting and claw attacks.  As a result, she can only make one of her two claw attacks when the battle begins - but as soon as a metamagic rod is depleted, she drops it, and if she has a chance to stow the phantasmal gem in her bag after she’s done with illusion spells, she does so.  Once she’s done either of those two things, she has two hands free and can use both claws if needed.

Although she has incredible destructive powers and a focus on evocation and enchantment spells, this boss tries to start the fight with trickery, using Persistent Image to create a duplicate of herself and Ventriloquism to disguise her verbal spell components so they sound like they’re coming from the illusion.  She has a lot of other buff spells and summoning spells, which she casts on herself for as long as this illusion can keep the PCs’ attention away from her.

She can do a lot of useful things with her legendary actions, but if the temporary hit points from False Life have been depleted, she prioritizes replenishing them rather than using any kind of offense or other buffs.  Similarly, she uses Inspire Greatness as often as possible, sacrificing only level 1 or 2 spell slots for it and potentially even re-casting it before it’s worn off, in order to regain the temporary hit points from it any time they’ve have been depleted.  Because of her low hit points, she relies on her multiple sources of renewable temporary hit points to survive.

She begins the battle with Grand Destiny already cast, and saves it to use on saving throws.  She uses her Legendary Resistance against major conditions if Grand Destiny doesn’t do the job.

If a character locks her into melee combat, she uses a legendary action to move away.  If for some reason she can’t escape, however, it turns out that Smite Good is astonishingly effective for a sorcerer with three natural attacks plus a weapon, especially if she’s also cast Haste on herself.

Her unique magic item, The Princess’s Red Cape, gives her a health refill and a final phase when the battle is getting grim for her.  Activating the cape’s second command word destroys it 2 rounds later, lowering her AC and saving throws by 2.

It’s possible she has some spell with an expensive material component that I forgot to include.  Just assume she has enough material components to cast it once.

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Princess of the End - CR 22

Before your eyes, the top half of the princess’s dress is shredded to pieces as she sprouts four additional arms covered in white spines, as well as a pair of similarly spine-covered wings.  She shrieks, “Finally!  It worked! After so many tries!”

XP 614,400 Unique Half-Fiend Human Sorcerer 17 LE outsider (augmented humanoid, devil, evil, human, lawful, native) Initiative: +6 Senses darkvision 60 ft., see invisibility; Perception +13

DEFENSE

HP: 198/198 (17d6 + 136), 27 temp HP (from maximized false life) AC: 33, touch 19, flat-footed 26 (+6 Dex, +2 deflection, +1 dodge, +4 mage armor, +4 natural, +6 shield) Fort +17, Ref +16, Will +17 Defensive Abilities barbed defense, legendary resistance (3/day), heroic legends, take your best shot DR 10/magic Immune poison Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 30 (10 without Resist Energy), elec 10

OFFENSE

Speed: 30 ft., fly 60 ft. Melee: +3 flaming scythe +19/+14 (2d4+10/x4 plus 1d6 fire), 2 claws +13 (1d6+2 plus fear), bite +13 (1d4+2) or 2 claws +15 (1d6+5 plus fear), bite +13 (1d4+2) Touch Spells: Touch +16 Ranged Touch Spells: Touch +17 Special Attacks fear, legendary actions, maximized false life

Half-Fiend Spell-Like Abilities (CL 17; concentration +24)     1/day—Darkness, Desecrate, Unholy Blight, Poison, Contagion, Blasphemy, Unholy Aura, Horrid Wilting, Summon Monster IX (fiends only)

Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 17; concentration +24)     8th (4/day)—Prediction of Failure (DC 25), Stormbolts (DC 26), Sympathy (DC 27)     7th (7/day)—Greater Age Resistance, Mass Demanding Message (DC 26), Mass Hold Person (DC 26), Magic Army (+3)     6th (7/day)—Hellfire Ray (2 rays), Disintegrate (DC 23), Repulsion (DC 25), Geas     5th (7/day)—Damnation Stride (DC 22), Summon Infernal Host (1 magaav or 1d4+1 gaavs), Grand Destiny (already cast), Greater Command (DC 24), Persistent Image (DC 22)     4th (7/day)—Fear (DC 23), Shout (DC 22), Locate Creature, Threefold Aspect (already cast (young adult))     3rd (8/day)—Fireball (DC 21), Haste, Heroism (+3 on self, already cast), Stinking Cloud (DC 20), Major Image (DC 20), Nondetection, Suggestion (DC 22)     2nd (8/day)—Force Wave (CMB +26), Summon Monster II, Resist Energy (+30, already cast (fire)), Scorching Ray (3 rays), See Invisibility (already cast), Hidden Presence (DC 19), Locate Object, Alter Self, False Life (already cast, maximized)     1st (8/day)—Burning Hands (DC 19), Mage Armor (already cast), Alarm, Charm Person (DC 20), Ventriloquism, Expeditious Retreat, Vocal Alteration, Moment of Greatness     0th (at will)—Detect Magic, Message, 7 others

MODIFIED STATISTICS

Without mage armor, threefold aspect, heroism, grand destiny, resist energy, and see invisibility, the princess of the end has the following statistics: AC 28, touch 18, flat-footed 22, Resist fire 10, hp 181, Fort 13, Ref 12, Will 15, Dex 20, Con 22, Wis 16, CMB +13, CMD 31 All Skills -3 lower

STATISTICS

Str 20, Dex 22, Con 24, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 25 BAB +8, CMB +16, CMD 32 Feats: Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Eschew Materials, Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Heighten Spell, Heroic Defiance, Iron Will, Multiattack, Persuasive, Quicken Spell, Shield Focus, Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Focus (evocation), Toughness Skills Bluff +15, Diplomacy +34, Fly +20, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (arcana, planes) +9, Knowledge (history, nobility) +11 (+18 vs. humans), Perception +13, Spellcraft +20 Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal SQ heroic echo, imperious bloodline Gear The Princess’s Red Cape, intermediate metamagic rod of widen spell, intermediate metamagic rod of empower spell, phantasmal gem, +3 flaming scythe, +4 mithral buckler, belt of physical perfection +4, headband of mental superiority +4 (diplomacy, intimidate), amulet of natural armor +3, diamond dust worth 8500 gp, silver crescents worth 500 gp, crushed pearls worth 6000 gp, canine statuettes worth 50 gp, 355 gp

SPECIAL ATTACKS

Legendary Actions (Ex) The princess of the end has three legendary actions per round, which reset at the beginning of her turn.  At the end of any other creature’s turn, the princess of the end can use certain abilities by spending legendary actions.  The princess of the end can only use a single ability in this way at a time, which may cost one or more legendary actions.

The princess of the end can use the following abilities by spending the listed number of legendary actions:    1 action—Melee attack    1 action—Attempt to escape from grapple    1 actions—Disengage and fly up to fly speed    3 actions—Maximized False Life (see text)    1-3 actions—Cast a Sorcerer spell of the same spell level as the number of legendary actions spent

Maximized False Life (Sp) When the princess of the end casts Maximized False Life as a legendary action, she can maximize the effect of a False Life spell she casts as if with Maximize Spell metamagic, without increasing the spell level or casting time, and without knowing the Maximize Spell feat.  Maximized False Life only uses a 4th level spell slot instead of 5th when cast in this way.

Legendary Resistance (Ex)

Three times per day, when subjected to an effect which allows for a saving throw, the princess of the end can choose to automatically succeed on the saving throw roll.  Alternately, when subjected to an effect which allows for spell resistance, she can spend a use of Legendary Resistance to ignore the effect.

Six Arms (Ex) The princess of the end has six arms.  She can make claw attacks with any of her six hands that are free, but can only make two claw attacks per round.  She can use a manufactured weapon in each hand, but takes stacking penalties as if using two-weapon fighting for each weapon beyond the first.

Smite Good (Su) Once per day, as a swift action, the princess of the end can smite good as an antipaladin of the same level as her hit dice.  The smite persists until the target is dead or the princess rests.  The princess of the end gains +7 attack, +7 AC, and +17 damage against a specific good-aligned target, and bypasses any DR her target possesses.  If the target of smite good is an outsider with the good subtype, a good-aligned dragon, or a good creature with the Aura or Aura of Good class feature (such as cleric, paladin, or warpriest) the bonus damage is doubled for her first successful attack.  The attack and AC bonuses are based on her Charisma.

Imperious Bloodline Arcana (Su) Whenever the princess of the end casts a harmful spell, she gain a bonus equal to the spell’s level on Intimidate checks made against any creature adversely affected by that spell until the end of her next turn.  Adversely affected typically means damage, but it can also mean debilitating effects or conditions.

Take Your Best Shot (Su) If the princess of the end is targeted by a harmful spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability and suffers no or reduced harm from it, whether because of a successful saving throw, spell resistance, the attack missing, or some other protection, as an immediate action she can make an Intimidate check to demoralize the creature that produced the effect, but only if the creature that used the harmful effect is within 30 feet and can clearly see and hear her.

Heroic Echo (Su) Morale and competence bonuses cast on the princess of the end are +1 point more effective. If the bonus affects multiple targets, she can spend an immediate action to grant them all this +1 extra bonus.  This affects the Heroism and Grand Destiny spells that she begins having already cast on herself.

Heroic Defiance (Ex) Once per day as an immediate action, the princess of the end can delay the onset of one harmful condition or affliction (such as panicked, paralyzed, stunned, and so on), including permanent and instantaneous conditions. Activating this ability delays the onset of the condition until the end of the princess of the end’s next turn, after which time the condition takes its normal effect. This ability has no effect on hit point damage or ability damage.

Barbed Defense (Su) A creature that strikes the princess of the end with a melee weapon, an unarmed strike, or a natural weapon takes 1d8+5 points of piercing damage from her barbs. Melee weapons with reach do not endanger a user in this way.

Fear (Su) The princess of the end's fear attack affects any creature she damages with her claws.  A DC 24 Will save resists this effect, otherwise the victim becomes frightened for 1d4 rounds.  This is a mind-affecting fear effect.  The save DC is Charisma-based.

Impale (Ex) The princess of the end deals 3d8+7 points of piercing damage to a grabbed opponent with a successful grapple check, and each round she maintains the grapple (at the end of the grappled creature's turn), if she uses at least two hands to do so. She can grapple an enemy with two hands while still using the others for attacking, spellcasting, and her shield.

Heroic Legends (Su) The princess of the end may inspire greatness or inspire heroics as a bard of her sorcerer level by sacrificing a spell slot as a swift or move action. The effect lasts a number of rounds equal to twice the sacrificed spell’s level.  These performances are mind-affecting abilities and rely on audible and visual components.

Inspire Greatness (Su) The princess of the end can use her performance to inspire greatness in herself or up to 3 willing allies within 30 feet, granting extra fighting capability.  To inspire greatness, all of the targets must be able to see and hear the princess.  A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), 23 temp HP, a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves.  The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependent.

Inspire Heroics (Su)

A vampire who uses your blood for more than just food.

Artwork from Last Embryo, by Momoco.

This is a slightly higher level version of my CR6 Blood Magic Tinkerer.

There are several different types of vampires already in Pathfinder, but for the last couple of months I’ve been making some new ones.  Not all vampires are the same, after all, even in the official bestiary books.  Even within the same immediate family of vampires, it can be possible for some of their mind-control powers to manifest differently than others.  Which is good, because at-will Dominate Person is bullshit.

This one has at-will quickened bouncing Murderous Command instead, which is actually a higher level spell, but it’s still vastly weaker against a typical party of mostly-humanoid PCs.  Attacking an ally for one round is a lot less deadly than attacking them non-stop for the next several days.  Despite that, I think the normal vampire template is extremely overpowered, and so this creature lacks several other vampire abilities as well (such as several of the feats and most of the natural armor).

The Bloody Chain item she carries is probably her most reliable way of grappling a foe and using her Blood Drain ability, but she should give the chain to an ally if possible, since she has a lot of other things to spend her turn on besides throwing it.

The rogue levels mostly give her the Quick Trapsmith rogue talent and the free weapon finesse feat, but don’t miss the 2d6 sneak attack that’s hidden in her special attacks.   Vampires are extremely good at escaping fights - they can turn into gaseous form, turn into bats, climb walls, and regenerate HP each round - so she could easily have several rounds to use Quick Trapsmith while being chased.  If she’s in melee, obviously just attack instead, preferably with the classic spellstrike spell combat combo.

Fun fact, the Pathfinder rules for crafting traps are idiotic.  It normally costs 250 GP and several months of work to create a CR 1 trap such as a bear trap or arrow trap.  (Selling the bear traps for 2 GP at the general store can’t possibly be a sustainable business.)  The Quick Trapsmith rogue talent reduces the time but not the cost.  Redesigning Pathfinder’s trap crafting rules is not within the scope of this creature’s stat block, so I went ahead and gave her enough materials to do that six times.

Blood Magic Tinkerer - CR 8

This golden-haired young lady - or at least young-looking - wears a red and black dress, matching her blood red eyes.  Blood pours slowly out of a cut on her wrist into a glyphed bowl on the table in front of her, which is covered in half-finished magical trinkets.

XP 4,800 Half-elf vampire magus 3 / unchained rogue 3 / fighter 1 NE Medium undead (augmented humanoid, elf, human) Init +4 Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +19 (+20 to find traps or avoid surprise)

DEFENSE

AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural; +1 vs. traps) hp 71 (6d8+1d10+35); fast healing 5 Fort +11, Ref +9 (+10 vs traps), Will +5 Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, evasion DR 10/magic and silver Immune undead traits Resist cold 10, electricity 10 Weaknesses vampire weaknesses

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft. Melee slam +10 (1d4+4 plus energy drain) Special Attacks arcane pool: imbue weapon, children of the night, cooperative blood drain, create spawn, energy drain (2 levels, DC 17), rogue talent (quick trapsmith), sneak attack 2d6, spell combat (–2 attack), spellstrike

Magus Spells Prepared (CL 3rd; concentration +8 (+10 while using spell combat with slam attack))     1st—chill touch (DC 16), shield, shocking grasp, true strike, unseen servant     0th (at will)—arcane mark, detect magic, mending, read magic

Spell-like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +9)    At will—quickened bouncing murderous command (DC 15)

STATISTICS

Str 13, Dex 18, Con —, Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 18 Base Atk +5; CMB +6 (+9 to disarm, trip, sunder); CMD 21 Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Lunge, Master Craftsman, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (slam), Toughness Skills Bluff +19, Craft (jewelry, traps) +14, Disable Device +14, Knowledge (arcana, engineering) +14, Knowledge (history, nobility, religion, planes) +11, Perception +19 (+20 to find traps or avoid surprise), Sense Motive +16, Spellcraft +14, Stealth +12; Racial Modifiers +8 Bluff, +10 Perception, +8 Sense Motive, +8 Stealth Languages Abyssal, Caligni, Common, Draconic, Elven, Necril, Shadowtongue, Sphinx SQ arcane pool (6 points, +1), finesse training (slam), magus arcana (natural spell combat), spider climb Gear bloody chain, scroll of arcane sight, scroll of waves of blood, mwk chain mail, cloak of resistance +1, spell component pouch, spellbook (contains all 0-level spells and all prepared spells as well as the following: 1st—blend, floating disc, reinforce armaments, reduce person, true skill, unseen servant, waterproof), 1500 GP worth of trap-building materials

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Arcane Pool: Imbue Weapon (Su) 6 times per day, as a swift action, the blood magic tinkerer can grant her slam attack or any weapon she is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute.  This bonus can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5.   Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.

The blood magic tinkerer can only enhance one weapon or natural attack in this way at one time.   If she uses this ability again, the first use immediately ends.

Spell Combat (Ex) The blood magic tinkerer can cast spells and use a weapon or natural weapon at the same time.  This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast.  To use this ability, the blood magic tinkerer must have one hand free.  As a full-round action, she can attack with a light or one-handed melee weapon or her slam attack at a –2 penalty, and can also cast any magus spell with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty).

She gains a +2 bonus on concentration checks while using Spell Combat with her slam attack.

If she casts this spell defensively, she can decide to take an additional penalty on her attack rolls, up to 5, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on her concentration check.  If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty.  She can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attack first.

Spellstrike (Su) Whenever the blood magic tinkerer casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, she can deliver the spell through any weapon she is wielding or through her slam attack as part of a melee attack.  Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, the blood magic tinkerer can make one free melee attack with her weapon or slam attack as part of casting this spell.  If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell.  If the blood magic tinkerer makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attacks.  This attack uses the weapon’s critical range, but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.

Trapfinding (Ex) The blood magic tinkerer can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.

Quick Trapsmith (Ex) As a full-round action, the blood-magic tinkerer can create one of the following CR 1 traps at a location within her reach: arrow trap, bear trap, poisoned dart trap, or swinging axe trap. The bear trap must be placed on the ground, while the other options must be placed on the wall with a triggering mechanism on a specific 5-foot square on the ground (both the wall and the triggering mechanism must be within her reach, although she can make a five-foot step in the middle of the action to reach both).

The blood magic tinkerer can attempt a Sleight of Hand check when setting up a trap in this way to prevent onlooking creatures from seeing the exact location of the triggering mechanism or the bear trap.  A creature that fails its Perception check still sees the trap being set up, but does not know its exact location.

The blood magic tinkerer cannot use this ability while polymorphed, in gaseous form, or otherwise unable to access her gear.  She can use this ability 6 times before the trap materials in her gear are expended, using up 250 GP of materials with each use.

Quickened Bouncing Murderous Command (Sp) At will, the blood magic tinkerer can cast Murderous Command as a spell-like ability as if modified by the Quicken Spell and Bouncing Spell metamagic feats.

Cooperative Blood Drain (Su) The blood magic tinkerer can suck blood from a grappled opponent, including one grappled by another creature or a magical effect (such as the Bloody Chain she carries).  If she successfully establishes a grapple against an opponent that is already grappled, or if she establishes or maintains a pin, she drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage.  The blood magic tinkerer heals 5 hit points or gains 5 temporary hit points for 1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to its full normal hit points) each round she drains blood.

Change Shape (Su) The blood magic tinkerer can use change shape to assume the form of a dire bat made out of blood, functioning as Beast Shape II except that she also gains the compression universal monster ability.

Children of the Night (Su) Once per day, the blood magic tinkerer can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or 2d6 wolves as a standard action.  These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve her for up to 1 hour.

Create Spawn (Su) The blood magic tinkerer can create spawn out of those she slays with blood drain or energy drain, provided that the slain creature is humanoid.  The victim rises from death as a vampire in 1d4 days.  This vampire is under the command of the blood magic tinkerer, and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction.  The blood magic tinkerer may have no more than 10 enslaved spawn; any spawn she creates that would exceed this limit become free-willed undead.  She may free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Gaseous Form (Su) As a standard action, the blood magic tinkerer can assume gaseous form at will (caster level 5th), but can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Shadowless (Ex) The blood magic tinkerer casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.