soylent-crocodile

[soylent-crocodile]

listen if you use my homebrew please PLEASE let me know!!! i'm so curious to hear how they played and i just really love feedback!

[soylent-crocodile]

Bulaqchi (Monster)

(Felt wrong to do the comaqchi without its counterpart. These feel akin to stirge, by way of being big hairy mosquitoes, so I tried to avoid stepping on their toes too much.)

CR1 TN Medium Vermin

Bulaqchi are man-sized mosquitoes native to dry, flat regions. They are social hunters of medium and large game, although they lack the proper tactics of a true pack hunter and simply kill by mobbing. This hunting strategy has put them at odds with the peoples they cohabitate with; they are notorious killers of livestock, and occasional maneaters. They have an aversion to strange or loud noises, and so windchimes and cowbells are used in areas where bulaqchi are common.

Unlike the moquitoes they resemble, bulaqchi maggots are terrestrial, and grow in stashed animal corpses. In nature their population is kept in check by scavengers like jackals and vultures, and a humanoid community that keeps itself clean and disposes of waste and bodies properly is similarly protected, but when scavengers are driven off and hygeine fails, bulaqchi swarms become a real threat.

This shaggy, man-sized insect looks like a wingless mosquito.

Misc- CR1 TN Medium Vermin HD3 Init:+6 Senses: Perception: +2 Stats- Str:12(+1) Dex:14(+2) Con:13(+1) Int:1(-5) Wis:11(+0) Cha:4(-3) BAB:+2 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:14(3d8+3) AC:13 (+2 Dex, +1 Natural) Fort:+2 Ref:+5 Will:+1 CMD:15 Weakness: Vulnerable to Sonic Immunity: Mind-affecting Effects Offense- Sting +3(1d8+2) CMB:+3 Speed:30ft, Climb 30ft Special Attacks: Blood Drain (1d2), Leap Upon Feats- Improved Initiative Skills- Perception +4, Climb +12 (+8 Racial bonus to Climb) Ecology- Environment- Deserts (Temperate) Languages- None Organization- Solitary, Pestilence (3-6) Treasure- None Special Abilities- Leap Upon (Ex)- As a full-round action, a bulaqchi can move up to twice its move speed and initiate a grapple. It gets a +2 bonus to grapple checks made this way.

[soylent-crocodile]

Comaqchi

(The first monster made using my homebrew Vermin rules! You may notice I'm making mostly small monsters; this is because, in Wilds, they're almost all built around a single 'hook', usually a weapon, and have a specific, often singular role in a hunt. Large monsters, comparatively, are designed to be an entire 15 minute encounter by themselves, so they can easily get boated up with abilities. I'm also just more comfortable writing low HD monsters.)

CR1 TN Medium Vermin

Comaqchi are large insects that live in craggy, mountainous cliffs. They are predators, using their superior climbing abilities to ambush prey and stinging them with their sleeping venom. On flat ground, a numbing dose only placates their victim briefly in order for comaqchi to get a better angle and ambush, but a creature on a precarious foothold will lose their grasp and tumble down the mountain, often with fatal results. 

The meat of comaqchi is considered a rare delicacy, as they are surprisingly sweet and said to taste like shrimp. Gathering such meat is risky, however, affording a relatively high price. An intact comaqchi abdomen fetches 100gp among wealthy patrons. 

This pink, twitchy insect stands as tall as a man. Its shrimp-like tail is tipped in a threatening blue stinger…

Misc- CR1 TN Medium Vermin HD3 Init:+2 Senses: Perception: +2 Stats- Str:12(+1) Dex:14(+2) Con:13(+1) Int:1(-5) Wis:11(+0) Cha:4(-3) BAB:+2 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:14(3d8+3) AC:13 (+2 Dex, +1 Natural) Fort:+4 Ref:+5 Will:+1 CMD:15 Immunity: Mind-affecting Effects Offense- 2 Slam +2(1d6+1) or Sting +3(1d4 plus Soporific) CMB:+3 Speed:30ft, Climb 30ft Special Attacks: Soporific (Fort DC11) Feats- Weapon Focus (Slam), Great Fortitude Skills- Perception +4, Climb +12 (+8 Racial bonus to Climb) Ecology- Environment- Mountains (Cold) Languages- None Organization- Solitary, Trio (3) Treasure- None Special Abilities- Soporific (Ex)- A creature hit by a comaqchi’s sting must make a DC11 Fortitude save or become drowsy. At the end of that creature’s next turn, it falls asleep. Creatures fallen asleep this way may make an additional save when they take damage or are stirred by an ally as a standard action. While asleep, they are helpless, take a -10 penalty to perception checks, and cannot make perception checks based on vision. A creature fallen asleep this way wakes naturally after 1 minute.

[soylent-crocodile]

in my opinion the hardest thing about designing CR20+ monsters is feats. i have some praetors half-statted up and they need nineteen feats. i have a sneaking suspicion that this is what the [condition] critical feat line exists for.

[soylent-crocodile]

Homebrew Vermin Rules

Pathfinder First Edition is heavily based on Dungeins and Dragons Third Edition (well, 3.5...), which means that I'm working with a system that has some rules that were written in 2002. One artifact of these bygone days is the Vermin rules. Vermin, curiously, are treated as completely mindless automata. They have no intelligence score at all, the Mindless quality, and cannot take feats or skills. Additionally, for some reason, insects (notoriously hard to swat and easy to poison) have good fortitude saves and bad reflex saves?

As someone who spent hours in her formative years squatting down to watch insects and spiders living their lives, and as someone who has to try and balance these stat blocks, this offends me greatly. So I'm making new rules for Vermin.

This type includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates.

Vermin have the following features.

d8 Hit Die.

Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (medium progression).

Good Reflex saves.

Skill points equal to 2 + Int modifier (minimum 1) per Hit Die. The following are class skills for vermin: Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Stealth, and Swim.

Traits: Vermin possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

Immunity to Mind-Affecting Effects.

Proficient with its natural weapons only.

Proficient with no armor.

Vermin breathe, eat, and sleep.

To retrofit vermin for this, simply apply the difference to their Foritude and Reflex saves and give them a number of feats based on their hit dice. Common feats for Vermin include Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, and Weapon Focus with their natural weapons.

(Also I have only ever heard the word "vermin" used for mammalian pests outside of this context.)

[soylent-crocodile]

I'm also trying to find ways to emulate the sort of speed and attack patterns of these monsters, which is also inspiring some real creativity in my designs!

I've been doing more monster hunter stat blocks, and i gotta say, applying the mechanics of MH's monster design to pathfinder has me getting very creative. Most notably, creatures in monster hunter are built with counterplay in mind- sonic bombs, stunning, elemental weaknesses. It's a great way to stretch my designing muscles, and hopefully it'll lead to more creative designs on my part in the future!

[soylent-crocodile]

I've been doing more monster hunter stat blocks, and i gotta say, applying the mechanics of MH's monster design to pathfinder has me getting very creative. Most notably, creatures in monster hunter are built with counterplay in mind- sonic bombs, stunning, elemental weaknesses. It's a great way to stretch my designing muscles, and hopefully it'll lead to more creative designs on my part in the future!

[soylent-crocodile]

Xu Wu (Monster)

(Fitting Monster Hunter's monsters into Pathfinder 1e's categories is weird. The conceit of Monster Hunter is that almost all of its monsters feel plausible and have scientific explanations, even if those explanations can be a bit shaky. Whether a given monster is an Animal or a Magical Beast/Dragon is something I'm deciding case by case. The xu wu, however, has the in-game role of being a non-elemental, non-modified monster an environment of advanced creatures, so I felt like it HAD to be an Animal.)

CR14 TN Huge Animal

Where magic and the natural world bump against each other, it is often the nonmagical plants and animals who lose out. What can the deer do against a flying, fire breathing drake? How can a wolf eke out a living when petrifying basilisks stalk the woods? Some theologians and philosophers view the xu wu as natural revenge, a means for the Green to lash out at these abominations that ravage it. In truth, however, the xu wu is simply a specialist who evolved to fill a hole in the food chain. Nature does not abhor a dragon, simply a vacuum. 

The xu wu is a terrestrial octopus the size of a large elephant; its top half is covered in a rough texture that resembles bark, and its underside is a bright blue and covered in teeth which point towards a massive central maw. It is an ambush predator, hiding in cracks and crevices below ground and pouncing upon its victims, aiming to restrain them and kill them before they can bring their powerful magical abilities to bear. Its primary weapons in this fight are blades formed from a special mucus that, when extruded into the air, rapidly solidifies into hard, sharp crystals. The rasping teeth that dot its underside are brutally efficient at stripping flesh off a carcass and funneling it into its mouth; large victims of a xu wu are left as flayed, mangled messes, while smaller victims are simply smears of blood. 

Xu wu hunt by touch and smell. Their preferred target is larger animals, and they rarely consider humanoids worth the effort of leaving their ambush place. This has run into problems with adventurers or merchants who wear the hide and bones of large magical animals, however, as they are known to be mistaken for such by the xu wu and killed. Communities that do not do so, however, often benefit from a xu wu’s presence, as they regulate populations of drakes and other large monsters. Some of these cultures venerate the xu wu as a killer of those greater and more powerful than it, and rumors abound of a secret cult of assassins who model themselves on its fighting style.

Xu Wu keep no treasures of themselves, but their nests may be filled with the bones and scales of rare, valuable monsters.

This mammoth cephalopod has a rough craggy texture. Its mantle almost looks like it has a wicked grin and a long, shaggy beard.

Misc- CR14 TN Huge Animal HD20 Init:+14 Senses: Perception:+16 Blindsense 120ft, Scent  Stats- Str:32(+11) Dex:30(+10) Con:8(+4) Int:3(-4) Wis:16(+3) Cha:7(-2) BAB:+15/+10/+5 Space:15ft Reach:15ft Defense- HP:170(20d8+80) AC:33(+10 Dex, +1 Dodge, -3 Size, +25 Natural) Fort:+15 Ref:+21 Will:+13 CMD: Resist: Acid 10, Fire 10, Electricity 10 Immunity: Gaze attacks, Visual effects, Weakness: Vulnerability to Cold Special Defenses:  Offense- 2 Tentacles +21(1d8+11), 6 Limbs +18(1d8+6) or Bite +23(4d8+16 plus Grab) or 4 Bladeshards +22(2d6, 19-20/x2, 60ft) CMB:+27 Speed:50ft, Climb 60ft Special Attacks: Dynamic Tentacles, Bladeshards Feats- Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack, Dodge, Mobility, Power Attack (-4/+8), Feral Grapple Skills- Perception +16, Stealth +23 (+8 Racial to Stealth in environments with lichen or fungus) Special Qualities- Compression, Dragonslayer Ecology- Environment- Mountains, Caves (Temperate) Languages- None Organization- Solitary Treasure- None Special Abilities- Bladeshards (Ex)- As a full-round action, a xu wu may fire four blades of crystalized mucus at its enemies. These are ranged attacks with a distance of 60 feet that deal 2d6 slashing damage each. Dragonslayer (Ex)- A xu wu is specially evolved to hunt and kill powerful magical creatures, dragons most of all. They get a +4 competence bonus to attack rolls targeting creatures with the dragon type, and to saves made against the natural abilities of creatures with the dragon type. Dynamic Tentacles (Ex)- At the start of its turn, a xu wu can choose to shift and manipulate the bladelike structures within its tentacles. It chooses one of the following effects to apply to both tentacle attacks until the start of its next turn;

They gain a crit rate of 18-20

Their reach doubles to 30ft

They gain the Grab special ability

[soylent-crocodile]

Are you going to convert the rest of the 2e hags

Maybe eventually? But they're not my current priority. My current priorities are

A few more themeless monsters to get back into the writing groove

Alien Mephilas from Ultraman (as a malebranche)

Doing my first full class on the Creature Codex (and yes, it will be monster themed)

Figuring out how to, then launching, a Patreon

I don't want to put any timelines on any of these (it made a lot of very ambitious plans in 2023 and they all collapsed with my energy, after all), but I'm hoping that all four of these goals are hit by the end of the year.

[soylent-crocodile]

So I'm still looking at my Blade Beasts stats and fiddling around with the big google doc i have. I have quite possibly the biggest bb post i'll make all prep'd (I just need the art) and I'm looking at my early drafts. And I have a question for you all.

[soylent-crocodile]

Kranodath (Monster)

(A counterpart to the talioth! This one is WEIRD, and it took me a minute in-game to realize what was going on with them. As a side note, in-game these animals are clearly larger than humans, being somewhere between a horse and a medium-sized theropod like dilophosaurus. I think the animals in new Monster Hunter games are a bit exaggerated in size, and almost all of them will be shrank accordingly.)

CR4 Medium Animal HD5

Kranodath are similar animals to talioth; pack hunting raptors that fiercly defend their territory from other, larger animals. Talioth, however, evolved these traits more for defense and intraspecific combat than the purpose of hunting; they instead prefer to hunt soft-bodied animals like fish and amphibians, which they grab using their long, sharp teeth. These delicate instruments are of little use in fighting however, and for that they have a particularly strange arrangement; much of their skull is modified to be a massive crest, which can be closed into a mace-like shape used to slam against the head of potential predators and competitors. Kranodath are preferentially nocturnal, preferring caves and areas of low light where they can rely on the darkness for protection first and foremost.

Kranodath rarely come into contact with humans, except those who collect similar resources like lungfish and giant salamanders. There have been attempts to domesticate kradodath as livestock guardians, but their nocturnal habits and need for wet, marshy land means they tend to die in captivity.

A strange, heavy crest adorns the head of this raptor-like animal. Suddenly, the crest closes around its head to become a mace-like bludgeon.

Misc- CR4 TN Medium Animal HD5 Init:+4 Perception:+10, Scent, Low-light Vision  Stats- Str:19(+4) Dex:18(+4) Con:14(+2) Int:2(-4) Wis:14(+2) Cha:6(-2) BAB:+3 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:33(5d8+10) AC:18(+4 Dex, +4 Natural) Fort:+2 Ref:+8 Will:+3 CMD:21 Special Defenses: Ferocity Offense- Slam +8(3d6+8) CMB:+7 Speed:40ft Special Attacks: Concuss (DC15) Feats- Toughness, Ability Focus (Concuss), Endurance Skills- Perception +10 Ecology- Environment- Underground/Ruins, Bogs and Swamps (Hot) Languages- None Organization- Pack (4-6) Treasure- None Special Abilities- Concuss (Ex)- A creature hit by a kranodath’s slam attack must make a DC15 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 turn. The save is strength based.

[soylent-crocodile]

Talioth (Monster)

(I've been playing Monster Hunter Wilds! I think it's a mixed bag- the monsters look amazing, the worldbuilding is interesting, but the gameplay can feel just a bit too easy for a monster hunter game.

Anyway, I intend this to be the first of many Monster Hunter conversion! The talioth's role is suprisingly helpful, as they prefer attacking large monsters over the player, and that's what they're built as. Also, they just look cool as hell.)

CR4 Medium Animal

Talioth are comparatively small theropods that live in environments alongside larger monsters, like dragons and other, stranger beasts. They've evolved to live in packs in order to defend themselves, and use their large, hooked jaws to latch onto bigger game and tear into their flesh. Talioth are fiercely territorial, using this shredding ability to drive off predators and competitors alike.

They are hostile to humanoids who get close, but do not preferentially hunt them as prey. Because of this, many cultures that live alongside talioth treat them with respect; the presence of a talioth pack can drive off other, more dangerous animals that would pose a greater threat. More settled cultures that rely on livestock, however, may come into contact with these animals, as they are not above hunting down cattle and other large stock.

This large raptor-like animal is defined by a massive serrated beak that looks like it could leave a grisly wound.

Misc- CR4 Medium Animal HD5 Init:+4 Senses: Perception:+10, Scent, Low-light Vision  Stats- Str:16(+3) Dex:18(+4) Con:14(+2) Int:2(-4) Wis:14(+2) Cha:6(-2) BAB:+3 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:33(5d8+10) AC:18(+4 Dex, +4 Natural) Fort:+6 Ref:+8 Will:+3 CMD:21 Special Defenses: Ferocity Offense- Bite +7(1d10+5 plus Grab) CMB:+6 (+2 Racial to grapple) Speed:40ft Special Attacks: Latch, Shred (1d10+5) Feats- Toughness, Weapon Focus (Bite), Endurance Skills- Perception +10 Ecology- Environment- Desert, Plains (Hot) Languages- None Organization- Pack (4-6) Treasure- None Special Abilities- Latch (Ex)- A talioth can grapple a creature of any size, and gets a +4 competence bonus to grapple creatures size large or larger. A creature grappled by a tailoth size huge or larger may take actions as though it were not grappled. Shred (Ex)- When a talioth makes a successful grapple attack, it deals 1d10+5 slashing damage. 

[soylent-crocodile]

Recent evidence points to bohf-bwam as being an undifferentiated larval stage of blade beasts; as these manic creatures learn more about the world, they form opinions and beliefs and pick up quirks and obsessions. Eventually, they encase themselves in metal- often scrap, or that of stolen weaponry- and metamorphose into a young blade beast.

A bohf-bwam who was taught kindness and selflessness above all else may emerge as an excalurge, while one used to torture and hunt innocents may instead emerge as a perasha; one raised with national pride will almost certainly become a surk, and one who forms a close bond to a single companion, or is alternatively struck by loneliness, may come to be a humble espite.

From there, blade beasts may transform again. For some, like the greater espite and the arsurk, such transformations linearly follow from their initial differentiation. Other transformations are more sudden; it is speculated that throatslitters are created by blade beasts whose trust and companionship has been betrayed over and over again. Some theorize that there is a final imago metamorphosis that blade beasts can take, a being that is both the ultimate weapon and the ultimate monster, although none have been discovered so far.

Bohf-bwam (Monster)

(Book of Hours, Flanders; kept in Baltimore, in the Walters Art Museum)

(This is a very old one, created years ago when I first saw this amazing piece of medieval art. I did some minor edits to their statblock, and completely redid their description- they were originally just "no one knows where they come from or what they're thinking, they just cause violence". Nowadays I try to ensure that every creature I make has some kind of story hook to it, rather than being a prepackaged Random Encounter. Enjoy!)

Bohf-bwam are chaotic, violent creatures that spawn in places with high magic potential and a particular veneration for weaponry and martial prowess- typically forming with a hand gripped tightly around a specific and well-adored weapon. Most often they form in the great halls of castles, wielding a displayed ancestral weapon, although more low-tech societies may accidentally create them in camps or villages. Indeed, the bohf-bwam pest problem is hypothesized to be a reason why so many "barbarian" cultures have an aversion to arcane magic, as their love of weaponry can easily produce large groups of these creatures when mixed with magic.

A bohf-bwam's violence is erratic, instinctual, and unplanned; these fits may come and go, and the subject of their violence is typically whatever or whoever is close to them. It is not unheard of for bohf-bwams to be tamed, somehow, by a particularly kind and affectionate person, and such creatures will focus their violent rage on defending the subject of their attention, becoming peaceful- even friendly- in other situations.

Particularly powerful magic weapons may spawn larger, more powerful bohf-bwam. Such creatures gain the Giant and Advanced simple template and lose the oversized weapon ability. Many gain additional spell-like abilities relevant to their weapon- a bohf-bwam wielding a +1 Flaming Sword may have the ability to cast Fireball 1/day, for example.

A small bipedal reptile-like creature scurries forward, a hand wielding an axe where its head would be.  Misc- CR2 CN Small Aberration HD3 Init:+2 Senses: Blind, Blindsense 90ft Perception:+2 Aura: Aura of Martiality 30ft Stats- Str:15(+2) Dex:15(+2) Con:12(+1) Int:4(-3) Wis:6(-2) Cha:13(+1) BAB:+2 Space: 2.25ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:16 (3d8+3) AC:15 (+1 Size, +2 Dex, +2 Natural) Fort:+3 Ref:+3 Will:+3 CMD:13 Immunity: Dazed, Dazzled, Stunned, Confused Special Defenses: Fast Healing 1 Offense- mwk Handaxe +6 (1d6+3) CMB:+2 Speed:20ft Special Attacks: Proficiency with All Martial Weapons Feats- Iron Will, Power Attack Skills- Intimidate +5, Knowledge (local) +1, Perception +2 Spell-like Abilities-  Spiritual Weapon 3/day Special Qualities- Oversized Weapons, Spiritual Echo Ecology- Environment- Any Languages- Aklo (Cannot speak) Organization- Solitary Treasure- None (mwk handaxe) Special Abilities- Aura of Martiality (Su)- Creatures affected by a bohf-bwam’s aura must make a DC13 Will save or be compelled to use any available melee weapon, as opposed to spells and abilities, natural weapons, or ranged weapons, in combat. This is a compulsion effect and the save is hit die based. Aberrations and creatures with intelligence 2 or less are immune to this effect. Oversized Weapons (Ex)- A bohf-bwam wields weapons as though they were a size larger than they are. Spiritual Echo (Sp)- The weapon created by a bohf-bwam’s Spiritual Weapon spell-like ability takes the form of whatever weapon the bohf-bwam is currently wielding in its head-hand. If it is not weilding a weapon, it cannot use its spell-like ability.

[soylent-crocodile]

Blade Beast, Arsurk (Monster)

(Arsurk by anonymous)

(As the names suggest, arsurk are something akin to advanced surk, although they're complex enough that I think they warrant their own stat block. The pistol was an artist's addition that I like and am rolling with, by the way.)

CR5 LN Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Blade Beast, Shapechanger)

Arsurk are an advanced form of surk, a rare metamorphosis that happens when such a soldier shows talent and potential in command positions. Arsurk maintain the love of authority and of nation of a surk, but have taken on a self-import and confidence that the surk lack. No longer will an arsurk deign to be wielded by any recruit; typically, they keep an honor guard that they trust to carry their weapon form, and are quite comfortable wading into battle in their beast form. This tendency means that they're one of the few blade beasts that can be seen actually wielding weapons, rather than use their natural blades.

Arsurk almost invariably find themselves in roles of middle rank; they are quite capable of orchestrating a battle in their favor, but few trust them to make large-scale decisions. This is both because of xenophobia, as an arsurk's nature separates it from nation, and because of their hawkish personalities. An arsurk's philosophy is almost always war for war's sake, and they seem pathologically unable to refuse a battle. Arsurk given high authority may turn on old allies after a war is done, and seek nothing but the complete domination of a defeated enemy, even if it leads both countries to ruin. One with limited reach, however, may simply grumble about peacetime, and find new ways to slake its lust for tactics.

Arsurk advance by class level, with most becoming fighters, cavaliers, or commanders.

This humanoid cuts a regal figure in its commander’s uniform. It has no head to place its hat on, though, and its hand is melded to the shaft of an ornate halberd.

Misc- CR5 LN Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Blade Beast, Shapechanger) HD6 Init:+2 Senses: Perception:+10 Aura:  Stats- Str:18(+4) Dex:14(+2) Con:18(+4) Int:15(+2) Wis:13(+1) Cha:16(+3) BAB:+6/+1 Space:5ft Reach:10ft Defense- HP:57(6d10+24) AC:19(+2 Dexterity, +1 Deflection, +6 Natural Armor) Fort:+9 Ref:+6 Will:+7 CMD:24 Resist: Immunity: Weakness: Special Defenses: Naturally Headless Offense- +2 Allying Slash +10/+5(1d10+9/x3) or Pistol +8(1d8/x4, 20ft Range) CMB:+10 Speed:30ft Special Attacks:  Feats- Power Attack, Lightning Reflexes, Coordinated Maneuvers Skills- Climb +10, Diplomacy +6, Escape Artist +9, Perception +10, Ride +11, Stealth +11, Survival +7, Swim +10 Special Qualities- Blade Form, No Breath, Tactics Ecology- Environment- Urban Languages- Common Organization- Solitary Treasure- Standard Special Abilities- Blade Form (Su)- As a standard action, a blade beast can shift between the form of a creature and an intelligent weapon. An arsurk’s blade form is that of a +2 Allying Halberd with speech, 60ft sight, and empathy. Tactics (Ex)- As a swift action or as part of using its Allying weapon ability, an arsurk can grant an ally within 30ft of it the benefits of a teamwork feat it possesses for 1 minute.

[soylent-crocodile]

Oh that's a fun question. It might just keep fighting the people it percieves as enemies of that entity, both the cultures and governments who were once enemies of its state, but also the former members of their political entity and their descendants, who it now sees as traitors. It might fight for whatever entity succeeds the previous, but I think once a surk knows its allegience, it always considers itself to be fighting for it.

Blade Beast, Surk (Monster)

(Surk by anonymous)

(A couple more blade beasts in the barrel! This started top down when I noticed that Pathfinder has some weapons designed for specific races, and thought that it would be fun to make some appropriate ones. Eventually I asked, well, what would a human typical blade beast be? I landed on the surk. And let me just say, I've met some surks in my time.)

CR2 LN Monstrous Humanoid (Blade Beast, Shapechanger)

A surk is a blade beast that finds itself loyal not to individual adventurers but to countries and governments. As beings of violence and weaponry, this patriotism most often takes the form of enlistment in the military; if their country is engaged in a direct war, a surk gravitates to whatever front is most active and enlists. They are strange cadets, but physically tend to resemble whatever military uniform and ethnic group is typical of their region, and have a passion for service and capability for violence that is hard to deny.

Surk perform well both as members of a squadron and as weapons thereof; they are honored to be wielded by their captain or similar direct superior, and will gleefully access their blade form if it means helping their comrades.

In quieter times, surks find themselves serving as town guards or militas, enforcing law and order within a nation as well as without. A surk believes in the power and veracity of the law without question; anyone who questions it is viewed with suspicion, and anyone who breaks it is treated as an enemy of the surk and the people.

Surk rarely advance beyond their station, being quite content as peons. Those that do, however, do so by level, typically fighter or cavalier.

A humanoid, apparently beheaded, stands in a well worn military uniform. Its hand is fused to the gladius it wields.

Misc- CR2 LN Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Blade Beast, Shapechanger) HD3 Init:+2 Senses: Perception:+6 Stats- Str:14(+2) Dex:14(+2) Con:15(+2) Int:10(+0) Wis:10(+0) Cha:8(-1) BAB:+3 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:25(3d10+9) AC:15(+2 Dexterity, +2 Natural Armor, +1 Deflection) Fort:+4 Ref:+3 Will:+1 CMD:17 Special Defenses: Naturally Headless Offense- +1 Slash +6(1d6+3/19-20x2) CMB:+5 Speed:30ft Feats- Power Attack, Toughness Skills- Climb +8, Escape Artist +5, Perception +6, Swim +8 Special Qualities- Blade Form, No Breath Ecology- Environment- Urban Languages- Common Organization- Solitary, Squadron (4 Human Warrior 3, 1 Surk) Treasure- Standard Special Abilities- Blade Form (Su)- As a standard action, a blade beast can shift between beast form and that of an intelligent weapon. A surk’s blade form is that of a +1 Gladius with speech, 60ft sight, and empathy.

[soylent-crocodile]

Blade Beast, Surk (Monster)

(Surk by anonymous)

(A couple more blade beasts in the barrel! This started top down when I noticed that Pathfinder has some weapons designed for specific races, and thought that it would be fun to make some appropriate ones. Eventually I asked, well, what would a human typical blade beast be? I landed on the surk. And let me just say, I've met some surks in my time.)

CR2 LN Monstrous Humanoid (Blade Beast, Shapechanger)

A surk is a blade beast that finds itself loyal not to individual adventurers but to countries and governments. As beings of violence and weaponry, this patriotism most often takes the form of enlistment in the military; if their country is engaged in a direct war, a surk gravitates to whatever front is most active and enlists. They are strange cadets, but physically tend to resemble whatever military uniform and ethnic group is typical of their region, and have a passion for service and capability for violence that is hard to deny.

Surk perform well both as members of a squadron and as weapons thereof; they are honored to be wielded by their captain or similar direct superior, and will gleefully access their blade form if it means helping their comrades.

In quieter times, surks find themselves serving as town guards or militas, enforcing law and order within a nation as well as without. A surk believes in the power and veracity of the law without question; anyone who questions it is viewed with suspicion, and anyone who breaks it is treated as an enemy of the surk and the people.

Surk rarely advance beyond their station, being quite content as peons. Those that do, however, do so by level, typically fighter or cavalier.

A humanoid, apparently beheaded, stands in a well worn military uniform. Its hand is fused to the gladius it wields.

Misc- CR2 LN Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Blade Beast, Shapechanger) HD3 Init:+2 Senses: Perception:+6 Stats- Str:14(+2) Dex:14(+2) Con:15(+2) Int:10(+0) Wis:10(+0) Cha:8(-1) BAB:+3 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:25(3d10+9) AC:15(+2 Dexterity, +2 Natural Armor, +1 Deflection) Fort:+4 Ref:+3 Will:+1 CMD:17 Special Defenses: Naturally Headless Offense- +1 Slash +6(1d6+3/19-20x2) CMB:+5 Speed:30ft Feats- Power Attack, Toughness Skills- Climb +8, Escape Artist +5, Perception +6, Swim +8 Special Qualities- Blade Form, No Breath Ecology- Environment- Urban Languages- Common Organization- Solitary, Squadron (4 Human Warrior 3, 1 Surk) Treasure- Standard Special Abilities- Blade Form (Su)- As a standard action, a blade beast can shift between beast form and that of an intelligent weapon. A surk’s blade form is that of a +1 Gladius with speech, 60ft sight, and empathy.

[soylent-crocodile]

Maybe I Can Invent A New Monster