Tag: Plane of Shadows

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Pathfinder: Spectre Spawn

Back when I was creating Shadowsfall, I wanted it to feel both familiar yet different. One way I wanted to accomplish this was by making higher and lower level versions of existing monsters. By allowing players to encounter a monster that is normally not seen until higher levels, it gives the feeling that this monster is more common, that this type of danger is more prevalent then say your average goblin. Similarly, by making a higher power version of the monster, you are saying that conditions are right for it to flourish and grow.

Take the spectre as an example. This classic monster is only in Pathfinder as a level 7 monster. However, by making its spawn a CR 5 monster, you can have groups of level 3 take it on and live, albeit they will be wiping their brows and healing up afterwards, but that is the point of a weakened monster. The players get experience with that kind of monster so when the face off against the normal monster, they have an idea of what they will be facing and not only be better prepared but also be weary of its deadly powers, especially if they realize that the higher CR monster looks like it can dish out more pain. Not only that, by encountering a spawn, you know that something must have spawned it, meaning there is more danger to come.

Before we share with you the spectre spawn’s stat block, I would like to point out that the Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane is on sale at the JBE Shop for 75% off their regular price along with just about all of our other Pathfinder PDFs. If you prefer your Pathfinder books in print, head over to DriveThruRPG/RPGNow and order our Pathfinder books for 20% off. This is the last day of the sale so grab it now!

Spectre Spawn CR 5

XP 2,400
LE Medium undead (incorporeal)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +15
Aura unnatural aura (30 ft.)

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+1 deflection, +3 Dex)
hp 33 (6d8+6)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +8
Defensive Abilities incorporeal, channel resistance +2; Immune undead traits
Weaknesses resurrection vulnerability, sunlight powerlessness

OFFENSE

Speed fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Melee incorporeal touch +8 touch (1d6 plus energy drain)
Special Attacks create spawn, energy drain (1 level, DC 14)

STATISTICS

Str -, Dex 16, Con -, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 13
Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 18
Feats Blind-Fight, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (touch)
Skills Fly +11, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (history) +11, Knowledge (religion) +11, Perception +15, Stealth +12, Survival +9
Language Common

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, gang (1 spectre or spectre lord and 2-5 spectres spawns), or swarm (2-4 spectres or spectre lords and 5-10 spectre spawns)
Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Create Spawn (Su) Any humanoids slain by a spectre spawn becomes a spectre spawn themselves in 1d4 rounds. Spawn so created possess the above spectre spawn stats. A spectre spawn created by a spectre spawn are under the command of the spectre or spectre lord that created the spectre spawn and remains enslaved until its death, at which point the spectre spawn become a full-fledged and free-willed spectre (as described in the Bestiary). A spectre spawn does not possess any of the abilities it had in life.
Resurrection Vulnerability (Su) A raise dead or similar spell cast on a spectre spawn destroys it (Will negates). Using the spell in this way does not require a material component.
Sunlight Powerlessness (Ex) A spectre spawn is powerless in natural sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) and flees from it. A spectre spawn caught in sunlight cannot attack and is staggered.
Unnatural Aura (Su) Animals, whether wild or domesticated, can sense the unnatural presence of a spectre spawn at a distance of 30 feet. They do not willingly approach nearer than that and become panicked if forced to do so unless a master succeeds at a DC 25 Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check. A panicked animal remains so as long as it is within 30 feet of the spectre spawn.

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5e: Shadow Elemental

In our quest to increase the number of creatures you can bring to the table with the conjure spells, the most obvious place to expand is the number and type of basic elementals in existence. My interests in the shadow lands means a shadow elemental should be in the game. Naturally that also means there’s a light elemental somewhere but we’ll save that for another day. Today I just hope you enjoy this one.

Remember to check out all our Fifth Edition products at the JBE Shop, DriveThruRPG/RPGNow, Paizo, and the Open Gaming Store. Supporting us helps us to bring you more monsters every Wednesday and other blog posts throughout the week.

Shadow Elemental

Large elemental, neutral

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24)
Speed 0 ft., fly 90 ft. (hover)

STR 14 (+2) DEX 20 (+5) CON 14 (+2)
INT 6 (–2) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 6 (–2)

Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
Damage Resistance bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses see in darkness, passive Perception 10
Languages Shadowspeak
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Aura of Darkness. All non-magical light in a 20-foot radius from the elemental is treated as 1 level lower (bright light is dim light, dim light is darkness).
Light Blindness. The shadow elemental is blinded when in bright light.
See in Darkness. The shadow elemental can see in dim light and darkness like a human can in bright light.
Shadow Form. The shadow elemental can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Actions

Multiattack. The elemental makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed a DC 15 saving throw or be blinded by shadows until the start of the shadow elemental’s next turn.
Douse Light (Recharge 4–6). A shadow elemental’s touch puts out nonmagical light sources (such as flames) of Large size or smaller and magical light sources of 3rd level or lower. The elemental can dispel magical light sources of 4th level or higher it touches with a Wisdom ability check against a DC of 10 = the spell’s level; a successful check dispels the light (as dispel magic).

Few things are as symbolic of Shadowsfall as a shadow elemental. They are dark, dangerous, all-concealing, and fatal to those unprepared for such an encounter. Summon one at your own peril.
—Irodia, “Collected Knowledge on the Shadow Realm”

Composed of physical darkness, a shadow elemental wings its way about the shadowlands concealed in a deeper darkness. It is truly the horror of midnight imagings, but reports typically describe a black four-legged creature with only a pair of slitted eyes and a toothy grin clearly discernible. The elemental glides through the darkness as easily as a ghost through the ether. Swallowing any light encountered, it prefers to strike targets from this natural concealment catching them unaware.

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Pathfinder: Phantasm Swarm

Swarms are a pain in the butt. Physical weapons are of not much use against them if at all. Spells that target only a single creature are downright useless. You have to rely on area effect spells to take them out. Otherwise, you’re running away.

Incorporeal creatures are a pain in the butt. Physical weapons are of little use. Spells that don’t deal force damage or positive energy are not very effective. You’re have to rely on a small selection of spells and certain divine casters to take them out. Otherwise, you’re running away.

So when creating the Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane, I thought why not combine the two. That would make a monster that is just downright terrifying and perfect for a higher level game. The only thing that would make it even worse is if one of those classes you would normally rely upon were less effective. That would be evil! The result of that is below.

You can find this creature and more that are equally awesome in the Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane at the JBE Shop. This book is also available at DriveThruRPG/RPGNow, Paizo, and the Open Gaming Store.

Phantasm Swarm

A cloud of dark malevolent energy manifests itself as a roiling mass of angry skulls and grasping hands. The parts move and act as one – a single entity driven to destroy all that is holy.
PHANTASM SWARM CR 12
XP 19,200
CE Tiny undead (incorporeal, swarm)
Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +32

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 23, flat-footed 16 (+4 deflection, +6 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 size)
hp 102 (12d8+48)
Fort +8, Ref +12, Will +14
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2, incorporeal, swarm traits; Immune undead traits; SR 20 (divine spells only)

OFFENSE

Speed fly 40 ft (perfect)
Melee swarm (1d8 Wisdom damage)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks distraction (DC 22), hatred of religion (+2 Wis)

STATISTICS

Str —, Dex 23, Con —, Int 13, Wis 22, Cha 18
Base Atk +9; CMB +13; CMD 28
Feats Dodge, Hover, Improved Initiative, Improved Lightning Reflexes, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus (Stealth), Step Up
Skills Fly +33, Knowledge (religion) +16, Perception +27, Spellcraft +16, Stealth +35
Languages Aklo, Common
SQ divine spell resistance

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Plane of Shadows)
Organization solitary, pair, or mass (3-5)
Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Divine Spell Resistance (Su) A phantasm swarm has spell resistance against divine spells equal to 8 + its total HD. Arcane spells are not subject to this spell resistance.
Hatred of Religion (Su) The only thing a phantasm swarm hates more than religious holy/unholy symbols are those bearing them. The Wisdom damage dealt by the swarm attack is increased by +2 if the targeted creature possesses some kind of obvious holy/unholy symbol or channels energy.
Wisdom Damage (Su) A phantasm swarm’s attack deals 1d8 points of Wisdom damage to a living creature. This is a negative energy effect. A creature dies if this Wisdom damage equals or exceeds its actual Wisdom score.
It is done. These souls will never reincarnate nor will they be at peace. We have made them an offer and they chose to reject it. They refuse to work for us; they will have all eternity together to regret their decision. It is too late for them to reconsider now. Their souls are now damned for all time. Let them writhe in torment and remember their loss with no end. Pain is all they shall ever know.
– Thykan Rast, cleric of Asmodeus, “Ledger of Souls”
It is said that souls that reach their final reward forget their earlier lives. Less known is that souls forbidden from this reward never forget. Over the course of centuries, clusters of these tortured souls have gathered together on the Plane of Shadows to form a phantasm swarm, an entity more powerful than just the combined ectoplasmic energy of the souls alone. Its collective hatred for priests and all divine casters—the living intermediaries to the afterlife—gives a phantasm swarm power. The ghostly lynch mob now seeks revenge.
A phantasm swarm, armed with all its loathing of divinity, will attack any creature it identifies as an agent of a deity, regardless of the religion or alignment. Wearing a holy/unholy symbol or simply invoking the name of a deity may be enough for a phantasm swarm to exact retribution for its wretched state of disembodied unrest on a worshipful creature.
Magic bludgeoning weapons deal half damage to a phantasm swarm. All other magic weapons deal one quarter damage. Mundane weapons do no harm this furious soul cloud.

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Pathfinder: Memitim Psychopomp

When it comes to ferrying the dead off to their afterlife, preventing them from haunting the living, I think Christmas. Well, a Dickens-inspired Christmas, at least. Of course there’s the holiday classic movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, or the 80’s variation I grew up on, One Magic Christmas. In more recent times my times my wife is a huge fan of the The Family Stone. What can I say, Christmas entertainment always involved quite a bit of death when I was a kid. That and someone saying, “you’ll shoot your eye out,” but that is beside the point.

Not long ago, I concluded a series where I was expanding the list of monsters on the summon monster lists. Well, given the season and my odd association, I submit the memitim psychopomp to be added to the summon monster IX list, if you are including Pathfinder Compatible supplements on the list of monsters you be summoned to the battlefield.

Psychopomp, Memitim

One arm covered in heavy metallic armor and the other covered in rune-like tattoos, this winged figure is both escort and executioner of the lost.

Memitim CR 14
XP 38,400
N Huge outsider (extraplanar, psychopomp)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, spiritsense 60 ft.; Perception +28

DEFENSE

AC 29, touch 14, flat-footed 23 (+5 armor, +6 Dex, +10 natural, -2 size)
hp 199 (19d10+95)
Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +17
Defensive Abilities hidden body; DR 15/adamantine; Immune death effects, disease, poison; Resist cold 10, electricity 10; SR 28

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee +1 mighty cleaving speed scythe +22/+22/+17/+12/+7 (3d6+7/19-20/x4)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th; concentration +18)
At Will–dispel magic, halt undead (DC 17), vampiric touch
3/day–bestow curse (DC 18), quickened dispel magic
1/day–finger of death (DC 21), undeath to death (DC 20), wavesof exhaustion

STATISTICS

Str 19, Dex 22, Con 20, Int 16, Wis 23, Cha 18
Base Atk +19; CMB+25; CMD41
Feats Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Critical (scythe), Hover, Master Craftsman (Craft [weapons]), Quicken Spell-Like Ability (dispel magic), Spell Penetration, Vital Strike
Skills Craft (weapons) +25, Diplomacy +26, Fly +24, Intimidate +26, Knowledge (religion, planes) +25, Perception +28, Sense Motive +28, Stealth +20
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal, Shadowspeak, Undercommon
SQ ghost touch

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Plane of Shadows, Purgatory)
Organization solitary
Treasure standard (huge +1 mighty cleaving speed scythe, huge +4 full plate armor (arm only), other treasure)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Armor While a memitim wears no armor, its left arm is made out of metal armor. Because it is a part of the memitim, it takes none of the penalties of wearing armor. If this arm is cut off, a huge size creature can wear it immediately as the arm from a suit of Huge +4 full plate armor. The arm possesses a maximum Dex bonus of +1, armor check penalty of -7, 35% arcane spell failure, no reduction in base speed, and weights 40 lbs.

Ghost Touch (Su) A memitim treats all natural and wielded weapons as if it had the ghost touch ability.

Hidden Body (Su) It is harder to score additional damage against the memitim due to the concealment provided by its long robe. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on the memitim, there is a 50% chance that the attack deals normal damage.

Spiritsense (Su) A memitim notices, locates, and can distinguish between living and undead creatures within 60 feet, just as if it possessed the blindsight ability. When the god of life and death selects a being to die. The marked one meets his death at the place and time appointed. Should his soul or body continue on and become one of the unliving, the memitim returns it to its intended destination—by force, if necessary.

This psychopomp first appeared in the JBE release Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane. Download this monster book today at the JBE Shop.

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Pathfinder: So How Many Monsters Are Included?

All month long, you can grab all of JBE’S Pathfinder Compatible releases from 2009 to 2016 for $20. This begs the question: how many monsters are included? For that matter, how many trap? And spells? And what else? 

Well, we have the answers. In this great bundle, you will get:

  • Over 150 new and varied monsters
  • More than 150 new spells
  • Upwards of 130 new magic items
  • Well over 200 class options, including archetypes, bloodlines, mysteries, orders, spirits, talents, discoveries, tricks, animals companions
  • Countless feats
  • About 30 new vehicles
  • Over 35 traps
  • 20 new and expanded playable races
  • And much, much more

Download all of our Deadly Delve Adventures for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game at DriveThruRPG/RPGNow, the OpenGamingStore, and Paizo.com.

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Pathfinder: JBE’s Big Book of Everything

March to an Amazing Sale

Jon Brazer Enterprises is offering for the month of March everything we produces for Pathfinder from our first book all the way to the end of 2016 for the crazy price of only $20. That is over 90% off the regular price. This includes some of the highest rated monster books produced for Pathfinder, more than 16 new and expanded player races, exceptional adventures, details on the Plane of Shadows, some of the best options for your spellcaster, imaginative vehicles, all the rules needed for exploring a region and establishing a kingdom, and much, much more. With all of these, your only limit is your imagination.

For $20, you get these great books:

Book of Beasts

  • Legendary Foes
  • Monster Variations
  • Monsters of the River Nations
  • Monsters of the Shadow Plane
  • Wandering Monsters 1
  • War on Yuletide

Book of Friends and Foes

  • Assassins in the River Nations
  • Ratfolk of the Ruins
  • Under the Mountain

Book of Heroic Races

  • Advanced Androids
  • Advanced Catfolk
  • Advanced Changelings
  • Advanced Elans
  • Advanced Gillmen
  • Advanced Favored Class Options
  • Advanced Lizardfolk
  • Advanced Merfolk
  • Advanced Samsarans
  • Advanced Skinwalkers
  • Advanced Tengus
  • Advanced Wyrwoods
  • Advanced Wyvarans
  • Compendium
  • Half Faerie Dragons
  • Reapers
  • Seedlings

Book of Magic

  • 10 Arcanist Exploits
  • 10 Undead Spell Words
  • 7 Spellcaster Feats
  • Energy Words Revisited
  • Gemhancements
  • Insurgency of Summer
  • Patron Hexes
  • Pirate Spells
  • Signature Spells 1
  • Signature Spells 2
  • The Lost Spell Words

Book of Multifarious Munitions

  • 10 Pirate Ships
  • Vehicles of War

Book of the Faithful

  • Celtic Subdomains
  • Oracle Mysteries
  • Power of Prayer
  • The Worshiping Swords

Deadly Delves Adventures

  • Along Came a Spider
  • Doom of the Sky Sword
  • Quests of the Sands
  • Reign of Ruin
  • Rescue from Tyrkaven
  • To Claw the Surface
  • Encounters and Maps: Cave of Kobolds

Riyal’s Research

  • Haunts
  • Traps

Shadowsfall

  • Favored Class Options
  • Guide to Umbral Kobolds
  • Shadow Plane Player’s Companion
  • Shadowsfall Legends: Pawn, Deception and Sacrifice
  • Shadowsfall Legends: Storm of Shadows
  • Shadowsfall Legends The Gem that Caught Fire
  • Temple of Orcus

Other

  • Book of the River Nations: Complete Player’s Reference for Kingdom Building
  • Cavalier Mounts
  • Treasury of the Sands

Grab this deal all through March at the OpenGamingStore, DriveThruRPG/RPGNow and coming soon to Paizo.com

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Sale: One Day Only $2 Sale on Pathfinder, Traveller, 5e, and 13th Age

Book of Beasts: Legendary Foes (PFRPG)

Book of Beasts: Legendary FoesToday only, we are running a $2 Sale on all of our items currently on sale that normally sell for more than $4. That is a minimum of 50% off the regular price and as much as 80% off. That’s right, you can get our PDFs that are normally $10 for the rock bottom price of $2. This mean for Pathfinder you can grab for $2:

d66 CompendiumFor Traveller, be sure to grab:

For 5th Edition, don’t miss out on:

For 13th Age, download right now:

Don’t forget everything else we have on sale right now on the Christmas in July Sale going on right now at DriveThruRPG/RPGNow.

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The “Not the GM’s Day Sale” Going on NOW

Book of Beasts: Legendary FoesThe Not the GM’s Day Sale is going on right now at d20PFSRD.com. Take 30% off all our releases over $1. That means 30% off the Book of the River Nations, 30% off Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane, 30% off Book of Heroic Races: Reapers, 30% off Book of Beasts: Legendary Foes, and even, oh myyy, 30% off Treasury of the Sands, our latest release of Magic Items designed for the Mummy’s Mask AP.

All this and much more going on now at d20PFSRD.

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Pathfinder: Our Present To You

Shadowsfall: Shadow Plane Player's CompanionIt’s the holiday season, whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Boxing Day or the Winter Solstice or Festivus or any others. Our present to you this season is a $2 sale on printer Shadowsfall books. As the days grow shorter, play on the Plane of Shadows, where high noon looks light twilight and a blood red moon shines on a good night. Grab the Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane and Shadowsfall: Shadow Plane Players Companion in print today for a holiday miracle of a price.

Order the Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane and Shadowsfall: Shadow Plane Players Companion, each for $2 today. Also be on the lookout for other One-Day Free Downloads throughout the month.

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Pathfinder: Favored Class Options for Non-Favored Races

Shadowsfall: Favored Class OptionsLets face it. Some races get the short end of the stick. Races that are not in the core rulebook are treated as second class races. They do not have much in the way of archetypes, favored class options, etc.

So we at JBE decided to do something about that. For all the non-core book races mentioned in the Shadowsfall: Shadow Plane Player’s Companion, we gave them a full list of favored class options for you to use in any game, even if it is not Shadowsfall. We covered all classes in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook and the Advanced Player’s Guide, as well as the Magus and Gunslinger. Additionally we included support for the four classes in Psionics Unleashed, the Time Thief, Time Warden and the Malefactor. Here are just a few of those favored class options.

Dhampir
Druid: Add +1/4 to the damage of a bite attack.
Paladin: Add a +1/3 bonus on saving throws against death effects.
Soulknife: Add +1/3 on critical hit confirmation rolls when using mind blade (maximum bonus of +5). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.

Drow
Gunslinger: Add +1/6 to the dodge bonus granted by the gunslinger’s nimble class feature (maximum increase of +2).
Monk: Add +1 to the monk’s CMD when resisting a dirty trick and +1/2 to the number of stunning attacks he can attempt per day.
Time Thief: When using the steal time temporal talent, add +1/2 to the effective class level of the time thief, but only to determine the ability’s duration.

Fetchling
Cavalier: Add 5 feet to your mount’s darkvision (to a maximum of 30 feet). If your mount does not have darkvision, the mount gains darkvision 5 feet. If the cavalier ever replaces his mount, the new mount gains this bonus to its darkvision distance.
Psion: Add 1/4 power known from the psion power list. This power must be at least one level below the highest power level the psion can manifest.
Witch: The witch’s familiar gains resistance 1 against either cold or electricity. Each time the witch selects this reward, he increases his familiar’s resistance to one of those energy types by 1 (to a maximum of 10 for any one energy type).

Wayang
Cleric: Add +1/4 to the character’s channel resistance. If the cleric does not possess channel resistance, add channel resistance +1/4.
Magus: Add +1/2 point of cold damage to magus spells that deal cold damage.
Malefactor: Add a +1/4 bonus to your aura of misfortune ability.

Download Shadowsfall: Favored Class Options today from DriveThruRPG/RPGNow, Paizo.com, or at d20PFSRD.