#magical creatures everywhere SQ

[lunasilvermorny]

Magical Creatures Everywhere SQ (Where I basically fangirl over Barnaby and Professor Kettleburn 90% of the time...)

But, as usual, we start with some bad photoshop edits!

MC: Acromantula?

Kettleburn: Chimaera?

Charlie: DRAGON!

:)

And now, to the SQ!

(with all the characters that I tagged. I promise I don’t just tag stuff without reason!)

It started with Charlie.

Yep, that’s going to be a good one.

Also, regarding what he said - you do realize that would be fatal for the students, if there were a real dragon. right? Nope, he doesn’t care.

Sane people?

So it’s good we’re the Loony Squad!

If Trelawney were here, she’d say it means:

Also, I want to point out - Charlie, Liz, Barnaby and Professor Kettleburn all in one location? This is my dream SQ!

Just the two of you took all the creatures in one go?

Whatever happened, you deserve it.

Of course he’s happy about it.

Be honest, you freed them, didn’t you?

MC: Y-you want me to help you?... HA! SUCK IT, LIZ!

Liz: ...?

MC: I still love you, though!

So, headcanon here - I feel like Luna has this special ability when it comes to animals. Yeah, it’s pretty much canon that she loves creatures, but my MC has something beyond that.

She has a special connection, not just with her pets or creatures she adopted, but any animal she encounters. It’s not like being a Parselmouth, she doesn’t directly understand the meaning of what they’re saying (except for Owls, since that’s her Animagus form), but she can feel what they want to communicate to her, and animals have a higher tendency to trust her, even wild ones. That’s the reason she can approach even dangerous creatures with confidence, because she makes them trust her and so they don’t attack most of the times.

So yeah, she’s perfect for this SQ.

Yep, that’s definitely it.

You let them loose, come on, be honest.

That’s one of the best days of your life, isn’t it?

You’d think they prefer a living tree...

Normally I’d choose the option with the book, but this time I have to go with the more headcanon leaning option - she’d probably try to talk to them in a soothing voice to calm them down.

I do have to say, it’s going to be pretty disappointing if this entire quest is just a fetch quest and nothing more.

Magic!

They look like cat grandpas.

MC: You’re going to tell Papa?

You should really know the difference, as a professor.

Wait, so you do know?

Sure... let’s go with that.

Fine, you know.

MC: 

Why does he look so terrified? Poor thing.

Grass?

You too? Wow, that’s almost overwhelming.

MC:

Aww, it’s so cute.

Oh...my god.

Anybody else hear - “Ooh, heaven is a place on earth.“ playing in their heads?

It’s not funny, it’s amazing. She just found her heaven!

Throw Barnaby into the mix and it’d be perfect.

Very convincing...

I wouldn’t call it maturity, just sheer happiness.

Oh wow. Umm.. Thank you?

That’s impossible!

Crazy idea - have you thought about using magic? You know, since you are wizards!

Back off, Filch.

Probably...

The truth?

Okay, MC, don’t freak out.

MC:

What do you mean “pretend”? You’re already a puppy.

Also, look at him!

Ah, my heart is so full right now.

Sure thing, mate.

She’s not thinking about the task, but about how she’s going to gather them all in her dorm room.

This is adorable! I can’t handle it... I just want to watch him all the way through this task.

And the Crup that sleeps next to him... Okay, THIS is MC’s heaven.

(Also, Barnaby Jr. and that Crup behind them! So damn cute!)

Because he’s a cold-hearted, murderous Death Eater.

Your soul is too pure for your family, Puppy.

That’s a bad thing, Lizard.

Alright...

Oh, you precious angel...

You do that!

Anything for Papa.

MC: Well, obviously.

Again, crazy idea...

MAGIC!

Oh yeah, that’s how he lost his eye, right?

Oof. That’s rough, buddy.

Not the moustache!

I love that that’s her reaction to what he said.

This SQ is so damn cute, I can’t...handle...it...!

It’s all fun and games, until you figure out he was behind Dumbledore’s death all along. His thirst for power knows no boundaries.

Haha, nice one, JC.

I like that.

Yeah, and questionable judgement about children’s safety.

You don’t have any authority here anymore, old man! The bowtruckle is in charge now.

So, wait...

My first instinct was for her to blame herself, but I don’t think it’s really necessary. I doubt Dumbledore would actually be mad about this whole thing.

It’s probably best to tell him the truth. (Also - blue book!)

Because they tried to move them all in one go. It was inevitable...

See? He appreciate her honesty and instead of getting mad, he’s glad she helped.

Throwing yourself under the bus is not always the best solution.

Injuries? Oof... Well, at least Papa would be happy.

Jesus Christ, Merula. If you actually hurt a creature, I would never accept any type of your redemption arc!

Is that why, in the past, you suggested making creatures fight each other for your entertainment and even straight up killing them? If that’s your kind of love, please, save it for people only.

You do you, Puppy.

What does it say about me, if it actually interest me?

It’s supposed to be a joke about Rowan’s dorkiness, but it’s a really interesting premise for an essay.

Because Dumbledore asked for more, you cheap.

The option “You’re a generous person” is just objectively wrong, also, she’s not a major suck up.

Mmm... He does have empathy, even though he’s trying to hide it. Maybe the first option?

I know he doesn’t like children, but he can’t really leave them injured like this when he has the supply for their medications.

Time to impress Papa.

Don’t worry, she aspires to become a healer, so you’re in good hands.

Yeah, and don’t forget who helped you out - your favorite student and mentee!

I want him to tag along, but maybe he should rest a bit. We don’t want him to lose another limb. (OR DO WE?)

Dammit, I’m not sure he’s going to like that answer. I hope he wouldn’t find it too boring.

That’s not a satisfied Papa...

Dammit.

Oh.

Wait, so it was the right choice?

MC: Yes! Suck it, Liz!

Liz: Seriously?

MC: Sorry, love.

That’s a big snail. I can’t wait for MC to have one of those!

Is that a huge Niffler next to Merula?

What the-?

Also, Ben is not terrified - that’s the spirit, buddy!

Wait, didn’t he say something about it earlier?

Yeah, at the beginning of the quest:

Barnaby can see into the future, confirmed!

Merula alert:

Dammit. Barnaby can see the future - busted.

I really don’t get how people can look at this screenshot and think- oh, she’s amazing.

She’s laughing at the thought of ruining people’s lives.

That’s not endearing, that’s a major character flaw and shouldn’t be celebrated.

Not to mention, a stupid plan that’s easily reversible, so she’s not just being a huge douche, she’s also being really dumb.

Mean and dumb - some people’s type, apparently.

I’m sorry, she’s just so incredibly pathetic.

Even if you like “the bad guy” type in stories, she’s incapable of even doing that correctly.

Unless you like the type that constantly humiliate themselves and showing how incompetent they are, because if so - she’s your ideal character!

Girl, you have serious issues.

Oh look, it took us 3 seconds to fix.

You’re such a mastermind, Merula.

I’m sorry, was that supposed to be a threat?

Oh, honey...

MC: DUMBLEDORE!! SHE’S HERE! THE ONE THAT DID ALL THE MESS!

To be fair, Merula is so incompetent that I doubt she’d be able to hurt anyone on purpose...

No one is going to believe you, you nimrod!

Are you really in a position to judge anyone else’s appearance, Ismelda?

Characters in this SQ: Let’s test your knowledge.

MC, a Ravenclaw:

Wow, muggles are really the true victims in this SQ, aren’t they?

Yeah, skip...

Eyes.

You’re not very reassuring, Mr. Diggory.

That’s better. Thanks, buddy.

Wait, it’s getting gradually better... Does this mean-?!

Awww! Papa’s stamp of approval!

Aww, it’s such a cutie pie!

Obviously.

That can’t be good...

Oh, right. Stalling...

Fine, but in the headcanon, she did it on her first try.

Here we go... Such a good boy.

Instant BFFs!

Thanks, Papa.

We did it! (Not that there was any real challenge, but still...)

Aww, such a nice little SQ.

Conclusions:

I really like this one. 

I spent most of my time just fangirling over Barnaby and Professor Kettleburn, which is not necessarily a bad thing, in my eyes.

I did find it a bit boring at times, but mostly it was just cute and wholesome.

I really enjoyed the company of Barnaby and Liz, though I wish they’d included them more in the plot of the SQ and not just the background. Also, I wish Charlie had a bigger role.

But overall - really cute. Good job, JC.

Bonus:

Not part of the SQ, but I just love how they sit together.

It makes much more sense to me that Barnaby would hang out with Liz than Ismelda or Merula.

[thecreaturecodex]

So-ut

Image by Thomas Baxa, © TSR Inc.

[The so-ut is also known as the rampager, which is the name it appears under in 3e and 4e. The 3e version (from Monster Manual II) strips away a lot of its magical defenses, and is an application of the “beast” type that appeared in 3.0 (most “beasts” were things like dinosaurs or rocs, bulettes, purple worms--creatures with the ecological niches of ordinary animals but stranger anatomy or abilities). This is pretty ridiculous--a reptilian bulldog centaur with acid claws and a compulsion to destroy metal objects is much stranger than, say, an owlbear. They’re aberrations, says I.]

So-ut CR 12 CE Aberration This creature vaguely resembles a reptilian centaur, with a distorted humanoid face growing from a muscular torso. Its feet are elephantine, and its arms end in oversized claws, dripping a greenish ichor.

A so-ut is called “rampager” in many languages, because it seems to exist only to destroy. They are artificial lifeforms, created as terror weapons in an ancient war. So-uts hate all man-made structures, and are particularly enraged by the presence of metal items. A so-ut will tear apart a city to smash a few iron nails, and they are seen as anathema by blacksmiths and metalworkers everywhere.

In combat, a so-ut focuses on metal armor and weapons first, people second. Only if reduced to below half of its hit points will it cease making sunder attempts above all other strategies. The acid in their claws can corrode flesh as easily as it does metal, however, and they have a venomous bite that saps the strength from muscle. A so-ut has no ranged capacity, and creatures keeping a safe distance can fight it more easily—but this is easier said than done in combat against a creature as swift as a horse with a hide that repels all but adamantine weapons.

So-uts are nocturnal, burying themselves in the sand to sleep by day. They eat both meat and the corroded shards of metal left behind in their rampages. They carry no treasure and leave little behind, but bold scavengers follow in their wakes to feed on the leftovers or pick off the wounded survivors of a so-ut attack. They have no allies and cannot be controlled, although some evil creatures do attempt to steer them in the direction of their own enemies.

So-ut   CR 12 XP 19,200 CE Large aberration Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +12, scent Aura frightful presence (60 ft., DC 21) Defense AC 27, touch 11, flat-footed 26 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +16 natural) hp 147 (14d8+84) Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +11 DR 10/adamantine; Immune acid, mind-influencing effects, poison; SR 23 Defensive Abilities ferocity Offense Speed 50 ft. Melee 2 claws +17 (2d6+8 plus 2d6 acid), bite +17 (3d6+8 plus poison) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (5 ft. with bite) Special Attacks corrode item, trample (2d8+12, Ref DC 25) Statistics Str 26, Dex 15, Con 23, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 21 Base Atk +10; CMB +19 (+23 sunder); CMD 31 (33 vs. sunder, 35 vs. trip) Feats Greater Sunder, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Vital Strike Skills Perception +12, Survival +12 Languages Aklo (cannot speak) SQ double damage against objects, ruin walker Ecology Environment any deserts and underground Organization solitary Treasure none Special Abilities Corrode Item (Ex) The acid dealt by a so-ut’s claw attacks ignores the points of hardness of stone or metal items or creatures. A creature wearing metal armor, or a creature made of metal, that is struck by a so-ut’s claw attack must succeed a DC 23 Reflex save or the acid sticks to the armor, dealing 2d6 points of damage at the end of the so-ut’s turns for the next 1d4 rounds. Acid stuck in this way can be washed off with at least a gallon of water. The save DC is Constitution based. Double Damage Against Objects (Ex) If a so-ut makes a full attack action against a object or structure, it deals double damage. Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 23; duration 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d4 Str damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution based. Ruin Walker (Ex) A so-ut ignores difficult terrain created by rubble or debris.

[missnight0wl]

Do you place any of the time limited side quests at a different year from the game? For example, i think it makes sense for the Howling Halloween sq to be set after the sq with the forgetfulness potion in year 3 rather than year 1. The first Christmas sq also takes place in year 1, even though MC wouldn’t know Bill at that point. The patronus sq makes a reference to Mc being a legimellion even though they wouldn’t find that out till later.

I kind of stopped trying to fit all the TLSQs into my story at some point, but I still can’t help wondering where they belong into the canon story. And yeah, probably most of them don’t make sense where they’re placed by the devs (or at least would make more sense somewhere else). Now, I’ll try to keep it short, but I’m gonna comment on pretty much every TLSQ, so… beware.

YEAR 1:

Hagrid’s Birthday. It should’ve been at least Y2. Merula comments at one point that Dumbledore probably wants to give MC 100 House points (which really makes sense only after we got points at the end of Y1), and MC’s bond with Hagrid was much closer in Y2, so they’d indeed be the right person to throw his birthday. Especially that Hagrid canonically was born on December 6th, so in Y1, MC knew him only for three months.

Howling Hallowe’en. All right, so I personally HATE this TLSQ because MC duelling Greyback is stupid no matter their age. But if it has to exist, then as you said, it should’ve happened after “Penny For Your Thoughts”, so not before Y3. I believe Scarlett was supposed to die between Y2 and Y3, so before that, it doesn’t make sense that Penny’s fear of werewolves is so great. It also takes away from the relationship between Penny and Chiara (if Penny didn’t experience the death of her friend, it’s not that meaningful that she overcomes her prejudice for Chiara).

Christmas at Hogwarts. It CAN’T happen before Y2. When Rowan mentions Bill for the first time, MC doesn’t even know who he is. How would it make sense if they spent Christmas together a year earlier? Personally, I think it should be Y3 when MC’s friendship with both Bill and Tonks was closer already.

YEAR 2:

The Weird Sisters. This one should probably be Y4, even if only because of the Sisters’ age. Myron is supposed to be one year older than Bill, meaning that in MC’s Y4, Myron was in his last year. Orsino is supposed to be the same age as Percy, so at the same time he was in his second year – a bit young to be on the band, but possible (more likely than in his first year if you ask me).

Hosting the Beauxbatons. I guess it could stay in Y2, but MC talks quite a lot about the Cursed Vaults and how great they are at solving mysteries, so I believe that Y3 or even Y4 would make more sense.

Chiara’s TLSQ. It happens a year after the Halloween events, so it should be Y4.

Christmas at the Burrow. Again, since it happens a year after the previous Christmas TLSQ, it should be Y4. It goes well with Charlie coming to Hogwarts to rescue us because he and MC got pretty close in Y4 (working on the Forest Vault and all).

Meet the Malfoys. Lucius came to Hogwarts because the school governors were alarmed by the things going on at school, so it has to be after the Vault of Ice. Although, I’d argue that two vaults are more likely to be a reason for concern, putting the quest in Y4. Also, in MC’s second year, Draco was only five! He looked and acted more like a 7/8-years-old.

YEAR 3:

Become an Animagus. A friendly conversation with both Barnaby and Tulip at the very beginning of the quest suggests Y4.

The Frog Choir. It could stay in Y3 since Tulip acts rather uncertain about her friendship with MC. The problem is that it triggers too early. When I played with my second MC a while ago, I’m pretty sure it triggered even before I learnt from Tulip that she worked with Merula.

Flying Solo. It should be Y5 (I imagine that becoming an Animagus would take at least all Y4). There’s the whole conversation where Talbott talks about Rakepick’s white owl. In Y3, Merula thinks she’s about to meet Snape, but then, the mention of school owls doesn’t really make sense – it was definitely written with Rakepick in mind, so I just don’t understand why they placed it in Y3.

YEAR 4:

Become a Prefect. No complaints here.

Magical Creatures Everywhere. As far as I remember, there was nothing that wouldn’t really fit here, so I guess we’re also clear.

Celestial Ball. It’s a bit odd to have a ball when there’s the Sleepwalking Curse at school, but… sure, we can go with this.

Grand Pranksters. Yeah, I believe it all works here again. Tonks and Tulip are pretty close friends already, Rita returned like a couple of months after her second SQ (when we blackmailed her about being an unregistered Animagus). Even Ismelda’s part is okay since she was also one of the optional people to borrow a broom from.

The Patronus TLSQ. It probably should be Y5. The Legilimency scene you mention doesn’t happen if you do the quest in Y4, but the fact that it exists (and it’s quite developed) suggests that the quest was written with Y5 in mind. Again, I don’t understand why it was placed earlier.

First Date. I mean… sure.

YEAR 5:

Sir Cadogan. It definitely belongs to Y5 since it talks about Beatrice being trapped in the portrait. However, similar to the Frog Choir, it triggers too early. I believe it triggers in chapter 6 now. It’d make more sense after our fight in the Library (to remind MC how important it is to work with their friends) and after we found Scabbers in front of the Vault of Ice – so around chapter 14. In the TLSQ, Rakepick revived the Ice Knight, so MC shouldn’t have been that surprised seeing the cursed ice around the castle in the main story. Also, when they searched the Icy Corridor with Jae, it sure sounded like they weren’t there since Y2.

O.W.L.s. No complaints here.

Valentine’s Day. NOPE! Just nope. There’s no way Penny would care about stupid Valentine’s Day while Beatrice was trapped in the portrait. Similar goes to MC who was worried about both Haywood sisters AND they were anxious about finding Jacob in the next vault. Moreover, THERE’S NO WAY Rakepick would allow Lockhart to waste the time of her apprentices. I don’t know where else it fits better, but quite frankly, I don’t care.

The All-Wizards Tournament. I mean, I’m not mad about it being in Y5, but I actually like it better when I think that Hagrid and Kettleburn organised it to distract everyone after Rowan’s death. I’d say it’s more meaningful in Y6.

Festival Fun. Very similar arguments as for the First Date. Although, I suppose it could’ve happened on its own in Y5, just without the dating element.

YEAR 6:

The Dragon Sanctuary. Honestly, it’d probably make more sense as the summer holidays event or even post-graduation, but I guess Y6 is not bad.

The Headkid. Yep, makes sense.

[cyberkevvideo]

Monster Conversion - Two Underground Monsters (PF 2e to PF 1e)

Yesterday, I released a revised version of the blessed ring. I say revised, because my published version was not like that one, but it’s also been years since I first did conversions, and I’ve gotten a lot better. Case in point, I’ll be releasing two monsters today from Pathfinder 2e’s bestiary, converted to 1e. I did them both in only a matter of hours. A few years ago, that might have taken me days to do. Experience really does make all the difference.

The reason I’m doing this is simply because last Thursday, I made the comment on Paizo forum that two monsters that I’d witnessed in the 2e Bestiary would make perfect additions for “Throne of Night”, had they been released in some way back during Pathfinder 1e. The next day (Friday), I asked around to see if anyone had already converted them. No one had. So, with my own words eating at me, I decided to take it upon myself to convert these two creatures.

They are about as balanced as possible, given the circumstances. Not everything can be perfect, but they’re not so overpowered that a party of four of the proper level and wealth couldn’t successfully defeat them, or at least hold their own for a period of time. Even the latter one is based on an average d20 roll of 10 being added to the Disguise DC, which is how Paizo implemented the numbers they had in the first place. Everything assumes “average”.

The creatures I converted today are the drakauthix and grikkitog. I even managed to keep them at the same CR.

All art used comes directly from Archives of Nethys.

I hope everyone’s staying safe right now, and not venturing away too far or for too long.

--- I do not have a Patreon or a Kickstarter, but I do have a Ko-Fi  page (linked) for those who are looking to support me monetarily. There is no pressure  or obligation to do so. ---

Before we get into things, I’ll be linking each creature to its original stat block. This way you can read up on their lore, description, etc, as well as do a side-by-side comparison to see what was changed and what was kept.

I will say that it helped immensely that there were already monsters in various bestiaries 1 through 6 with similar abilities that I could take, revised, and reuse. As well, Universal Monster Rules are a thing in Pathfinder 1e, so some of the 2e abilities were renamed to fit those. No sense in making up new mechanics when perfectly good ones already exist.

First up is the drakauthix, a fungus creature that looks like a huge floating mushroom with tentacles and spore clouds.

DRAKAUTHIX    (CR 9; 6,400 XP) N Huge plant Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, sporesight 60 ft.; Perception +17 DEFENSE AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +12 natural, –2 size) hp 115 (11d8+66) Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +7 Defensive Abilities obscuring spores, plant traits; DR 10/slashing Weaknesses vulnerability to fire OFFENSE Speed fly 20 ft. (good) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (30 ft. with tentacle) Melee 4 tentacles +13 (1d8+7 plus grab) Special Attacks pull (tentacle, 15 feet), spore tendrils (R-DC 20) STATISTICS Str 25, Dex 14, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10 Base Atk +8; CMB +17; CMD 30 Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Stealth), Toughness, Whirlwind AttackB Skills Acrobatics +12, Fly +9, Perception +17, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers +10 Acrobatics, +10 Perception, +10 Stealth Languages Undercommon (understands but cannot speak) SQ create sporelings SPECIAL ABILITIES Create Sporelings (Su) A spore-infested creature that dies, becomes host for a sporeling colony (small drakauthix), over the course of 1d4 rounds. As the infested body strikes the ground below, it bursts and releases a cloud of spores, unleashing the sporelings that immediately scuttle up the cavern walls to cling to its ceiling and grow. Each sporeling harvests enough material from the body it emerged from to grow to its full size over a few days. After it has done so, the drakauthix detaches from the cave ceiling and seeks out its first meal in the cavern below. Obscuring Spores (Su) Whenever the drakauthix takes at least 10 points of slashing damage, it releases a cloud of brown spores that mimics the effect of obscuring mist for 1 minute, centered around the drakauthix. This cloud of spores does not move with the drakauthix, nor is it displaced by its movement. Sporesight (Ex) The drakauthix exudes a cloud of spores that it uses to see as blindsight, but it only functions in areas without strong wind currents. Sporesight does not function underwater. Spore Tendrils (Su) The tendrils that cover the drakauthix’s body reach out and infest adjacent creatures, dealing 2d6 points of damage from the spores, plus 1d3 points of damage per round for 3 rounds as the spores grow into fuzzy mold. A creature that is currently grappled by the drakauthix takes a –4 circumstance penalty to this save. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Harvesting a Drakauthix: Some Darklands-dwelling creatures, such as duergars, hunt drakauthixes for their flesh, which has a unique flavor with a peppery aftertaste. Subterranean races also make ink from drakauthixes by burning their carcasses, then grinding and pressing the ashes for a long time until a silvery substance congeals.

-------------------------------------------

Next we have the horrifying grikkitog. This is definitely a thing of nightmares, and the fact that it can infest and infiltrate numerous aspects of rock and earth, making it so much scarier and more of a threat, just adds another level of terror and complexity to a fight. This, is a great way to introduce something Lovecraftian to an adventure. All those rocks, stalagmites, and stalactites growing eyes and mouths, chewing down on the party. All the while everyone has to seek out the original core to even damage it, which is cleverly disguised. This, is what I meant when I said I kept it as balanced as possible with average rolls. I mentioned this before in a previous entry when I discussed skill challenges. An “average” skill DC for a level 14-15 party of four is 29, and a “hard” one is 36. These increase by 2 if there’s 5 or more in the party. I erred on the side of caution. That doesn’t make this thing any less monstrous though.

GRIKKITOG     (CR 14; 38,400 XP) NE Huge aberration (earth) Init +8; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +28 Aura infestation (120 ft.) DEFENSE AC 29, touch 12, flat-footed 25 (+4 Dex, +27 natural, –2 size) hp 190 (20d8+100) Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +17 DR 10/adamantine OFFENSE Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., earth glide Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. Melee bite +22 (4d8+12/19–20 plus grab plus bleed) Special Attacks barbed maw, bleed (1d8) STATISTICS Str 26, Dex 19, Con 21, Int 14, Wis 21, Cha 20 Base Atk +15; CMB +25; CMD 39 (43 vs. grapple) Feats Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Deceitful, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bite) Skills Acrobatics +19, Bluff +20, Climb +25, Disguise +22 (+26 to imitate stone), Knowledge (planes) +20, Perception +28, Stealth +13 (+21 Stealth in stony areas), Survival +28, Swim 16; Racial Modifiers +4 Climb, +4 Disguise to imitate stone, +8 Stealth in stony areas Languages Terran SQ implant core, magical strike, manifold vision SPECIAL ABILITIES Barbed Maw (Ex) A grikkitog can extend its barbed teeth and fully impale a creature that is two or more size categories smaller than the grikkitog (a Medium or smaller creature for the typical grikkitog). This ability effectively adds the grab universal monster ability to the grikkitog’s bite attack against such a creature, but if the grikkitog successfully “grabs” a foe in this manner by impaling it on the teeth, the grikkitog does not gain the grappled condition. An grikkitog’s options while grappling a foe in this way are limited—it can either move while grappling the foe, or it can whip its body and attempt to fling the foe as if using the Awesome Blow feat (the damage dealt by this is equal to its bite damage). A grikkitog can impale up to three Medium-sized (or six Small-sized) creatures at a time with its maw, while continuing to attack normally with its bites. Earth Glide (Ex) A burrowing grikkitog can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing grikkitog flings the aberration back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save. Implant Core (Ex) The grikkitog implants its core into an adjacent section of earth or stone, melding seamlessly and changing its visual appearance to match the surrounding rock. It’s immobilized but automatically succeeds at its Disguise check to impersonate the stone around it; creatures actively searching for it can still attempt Perception checks against its Disguise DC as normal. A grikkitog can release its implantation as a free action, which has the manipulate trait. A grikkitog’s infestation aura and manifold vision are only active while implanted. Infestation Aura (Su) While its core is implanted, a grikkitog infests all earth and stone within 120 feet, as long as there is a contiguous physical connection between the earth, including stone objects touching on the ground. This effect spreads even if the grikkitog does not have line of effect, though it can affect earth or stone on the surface and exposed to the air only if at least part of its core is exposed as well. Within the aura, it can grow maws and eyes everywhere. It can make bite attacks against any creature, originating from any earth or stone in the aura adjacent to that creature. Determine cover from the origin point of the attack, not from the grikkitog’s core. Magical Strike (Ex) A grikkitog’s bite attack is treated as a magic weapon for the purposes of damage reduction. Manifold Vision While its core is implanted, the grikkitog can see through the eyes it creates throughout the area of its infestation aura, gaining the benefits of all-around vision.

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If used in someone’s game, let me know. I hope someone can make the most use of these converted creatures in an underground campaign, and ruin the day of their PCs.

[punkpuppydragon]

So for world building June I’m also gonna try to do @ladytabletop‘s b-b-b-bonus prompts, the first one is to “ Pick an individual, location, creature, or plant that is unique to your world and describe them and their significance (or lack thereof) to the world.”

Summit is a town of roughly 20 thousand people in 6 sq. miles of Union county, New Jersey.  Like about 50% of the locations in Jersey, it’s named after the hills that are literally everywhere in this state (the other half are named after trees or bodies of water).  During the nonsense, the entire town was thrown into the air as huge chunks of the ground told gravity what they really thought of it.  The survivors and new settlers simply couldn’t resist, and renamed the town Plummit.  

The year is now 2046, 30 years after the Nonsense, and Plummit has grown into a flourishing community of humans and fae.  During the gravity wells formation, the chunks of the town thrust into the air were by no means evenly distributed, so Plummit is actually comprised of a series of islands, rather than a single landmass.  Over time some of these islands have been connected with engineering or magic, making the city more cohesive. Some of the islands have anchoring points for bridges or grappling hooks, while others have magical assistance such as flying trolleys, fae with wings, or birds carrying people over disproportionately small gaps.  Most old world buildings are collapsed, so the town is a mixture of ramshackle human buildings and fae dwellings made of living wood. There’s a market where fae and humans can try to figure out the others system of value, a human majority and sizable populations of fae, tuathans, and fomorians (they’re both half-elves basically).  There are also plenty of travelers, messengers, and adventurers that visit the city regularly.  

Although the townsfolk usually don’t talk about it, it’s generally known that the ruins beneath the city, a shadowed plain of pillars and canyons, are still very dangerous.  Any adventurers brave and foolish enough to head below return with tales of monsters and wild magic-- or worse, they don’t return at all.  As long as they stay out of them, however, the ruins have never given Plummit any problems.  Given how easy it is to defend the city, Plummit is, ironically enough, a relatively stable an peaceful place in an otherwise chaotic region.  

 Lately, however, things have changed.  The city is tense, on edge.  Every human and many fae are carrying a weapon of some kind, although it’s clear from their expressions that this is not ordinary.  Some of them try to laugh it off-- anyone who’s foolish enough to attack Plummit, they say, is truly mad.  We’ve got the Paladins and Wardens at our backs, mages and their wards defending us, and we’ve always stood tall over the bodies of anything the world could throw at us.  Plummit could never fall... right?

[lunasilvermorny]

End of year 4

(I know I’m not done with season 1 of the Quidditch story, but it seems like it’ll take a while, so in the meantime, I want to actually progress the story.)

Wait, he hasn’t came back yet? The hell is he doing?

Aww, she looks so proud.

That’s the look of- “At least it’s not Slytherin.”

(Unless you’re playing as one, but I’m not, so it works.)

Such a plot twist...

Yeah, you were only a 1,000+ points ahead. No big deal.

Me: Finally, I got to year 5!

Everyone who’s been through it:

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Conclusions:

(This is going to be a long one...)

In general:

I think year 4 was overall a good one. I liked the pace of the story (a bit slow sometimes, but never enough to make me completely disinterested.) and the fact that it was longer than the previous years made it better to really get invested in the plot.

Now for a deeper dive (with obvious spoilers):

The main plot:

I think the plot of year 4 is the most interesting we had so far. It was darker, but no too much to break the immersion. There were actual plot twists (the whole thing with Ben was very well executed.) and the new characters they introduced were really well made.

However, even though I thought the plot was pretty good, there were some really boring parts. For exampe - the part with sickleworth. I was really looking forward to it, but it was just tedious.

Let’s go search the arrowhead here. Oh, it’s not here? Let’s go there instead. No? Then let’s try this place...

Mind-numbingly boring and a waste of time.

New characters:

Rakepick:

As much as I think she’s a manipulative prick, she’s a great addition to the story. Her problematic methods are in perfect contrast to the other professors and I think it adds a lot to have an irresponsible adult around to enable MC’s behavior, when it comes to furthering the plot in a believable direction.

I don’t like the way she manipulates Merula into doing her dirty work, but again, it makes perfect sense that they would take this direction in order to keep Merula relevant as the antagonist.

Professor Kettleburn:

What more can I say? They nailed it. I love everything that has to do with him. I truly believe they made him justice the way they’ve portrait him. I went over the stuff that JKR wrote about him and they were very faithful to the source material. I think they’re way better at adapting characters that had no presence in the HP books and movies.

So yeah - great job, JC. Honestly.

Charlie Weasley:

Supported by my last statement about the way they adapt characters - Charlie is wonderful. I know that a lot of people find his obsessive talk about dragons annoying and one-dimensional, but in a game where most characters are not explored to a very deep level, I think it was smart to keep a simple and coherent character arc.

I like how calm and easy going he is and I just found myself enjoying almost every interaction MC had with him.

I really liked the fact that he was a huge part of the main story and that he automatically joined us in all the important parts, just like Tulip and Barnaby in year 3. His adventurous nature was very uplifting at times and he just made everything 10 times more interesting.

I can understand why he’s such a fan favorite. Again, great job, JC.

Andre Egwu:

I know that we technically already met him in year 3, but his presence was almost non-existent until year 4, so I consider him a new addition.

Anyway, like the rest of the new characters, I really like Andre.

At the beginning he was a bit annoying, but my impression on him changed very quickly once he had more screen time.

Proving that he’s more than a sassy background character, he showed that he’s a true friend in the main plot and the SQs. The fact that he’s our fashion-guy that always happy to help is already good enough, but his supportive nature in the main plot (giving MC his broom, join her to the forbidden forest) just made it so much better.

Liz Tuttle:

Even thought she’s still not our friend, she was in the background of a few SQ and was introduced in the Polyjuice Potion SQ. The problem is that... that’s it.

Anyone who’s been in my blog more than 10 minutes knows how much I like Liz and how her big of a presence she has in the headcanon, but she’s barely anywhere in the game and it’s such a shame.

I’d like to know her character better and I feel like there’s a missed opportunity. I adore her love and dedication for creatures and animals, and hope they wouldn’t just use it as a joke like- “look at that weird girl that cares way too much about animals” instead of showing it in a positive light.

Old characters:

Ben - I think I like the most what they've done with Ben. The fact that he was the masked “dark wizard” was a true plot twist and even though I suspected it, it still got me.

Rowan - I didn’t like the fact that Rowan was a judgemental arse and that in the end he was right, even though he had no proof and based his suspicions on gut feeling. That’s extremely out of character of him and I hated it.

Side quests:

There were many. Some were just brilliant (the Celestial Ball SQ and the First Date SQ), and some weren’t. (like the Nearly-Headless Nick one and.. I can barely remember, because they were so dull.)

But here’s a very quick recap (because I said all I had to say in the SQs posts):

Nearly-Headless Nick - So damn boring!

Unleash Your Patronus - Disappointing, but not a complete failure.

Polyjuice Potion - I wouldn’t have liked it nearly as much if Liz wasn’t in it... but she were, so I can’t say I hated it.

Celestial Ball - Brilliant! 10/10. Loved it. By far the best.

Rita Returns - Boring.

First Date - Amazing!

Become a Prefect - a bit boring at times, but in general it was a nice little SQ.

Magical Creatures Everywhere - Nice premise, I enjoyed all the creatures and characters involved, but it was just a fetch quest without anything too interesting. No stakes, very basic story. Not the best, but we had worst.

Also, I need to point out that I changed my opinion on Penny based on the SQs. (not only in this specific year.) They put her way too much in placed that she wasn’t belong and it left me more annoyed with her than anything. She was one of my favorite characters and now I just want to skip any dialogue with her, because I’m so tired of her.

The Vault:

This part was very disappointing. The build-up was promising, but there was barely a pay-off. It wasn’t nearly as interesting as the vault from year 3, even though I think it had greater potential.

Also, I hated the fact we had to fight the Acromantula instead of choosing between a fight and a conversation, like Kettleburn advised us.

Oher stuff:

Chimaera - I guess we’ll see it through next year? It felt more like a running gag than anything, but it’s a freaking Chimaera that’s running loose! There’s no way we’re not going to encounter it at some point. Anyway, I thought it was amusing as a background plot to show Kettleburn’s recklessness.

Studying - I know that most of the time it was to learn about things that have to do with the vault, but I still liked to see them sit and study, especially MC with Rowan. It’s a school after all.

Snape and Rakepiclk’s rivalry - it wasn’t written in the best way, but the presence of their rivalry was very much appreciated as a part of the plot. I like how Snape’s view of her stand in contrast to everything she did “to help” them and I think it adds a bit more depth to both of their characters.

The Weasleys - I loved all of their background plots. Such a wholesome addition.

Joking about Rakepick - it’s a very small thing, but I loved every mention of their fear that Rakepick is going to kill them. Very amusing.

Dumbledore’s absence - it just felt too convenient, so MC’d be able to do more things without supervision. It didn’t sit well with me and just felt like a cop-out.

Detention - Even though it was a shame that MC didn’t get her usual 100 house points at the end of the year, I do appreciate the fact that Dumbledore finally punished her bad behavior. Took him long enough, but it’s a start.

Quidditch:

I know it’s technically supposed to be in the second year, but since it’s started when MC was already in her 4th year, I treat it as if it’s part this year.

I think this addition improves the game significantly. The mechanics are fun and the plot is okay.

Penny’s role is very out of place and like I said before, it makes me love her character less and less. The new characters, however, are really interesting. I feel like each brings a new thing that no other character has brought before.

Skye - Although she left a very bad first impression, I think overall she’s okay. Her backstory is interesting and she makes the player want to win, for themselves and for her.

McNully - I think he’s great. Talk too much? Sure, but that’s part of his charm. He’s funny and interesting, and by far contributed the most to get MC in the team.

Orion - Again, it took me a while to like him, but his bs attitude became very comforting at times and I grew to like his weird dialogues.

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Final thoughts:

This year was interesting and much more than the previous ones, in almost any aspect. It wasn’t perfect, but if I take everything into consideration, I think it was a successful year and my new favorite.

I know year 5 is way messier and incoherent, so I don’t have a lot of expectations. I’m just glad that we got this far and the story was still interesting enough to keep me going.

[thecreaturecodex]

Phane

Image by Raven Mimura, © Wizards of the Coast

[Commissioned by @justicegundam82. This is one of the ELH abominations that made it into 4e, appearing in the original Monster Manual for that edition. I didn’t make much use of that version for this conversion. My version intentionally has low AC and HP--more in line with a CR 17 than the average CR 20--because its other defensive abilities more than make up for it.]

Phane CR 20 CE Outsider This twisted, bestial shadow appears hazy and ever-shifting, the only constants of its form being clawed hands and luminous green eyes.

Phanes are rogue natives of the Dimension of Time, delighting in meddling with the time-stream to induce mayhem on a massive scale. They have no inherent ability to travel long distances through time, but use the flows and eddies of their plane to cast themselves into particularly fractious points in history. Once established, they redirect the course of events into those that strike them as more amusing, typically resulting in reality unfolding in more destructive and cruel ways. Many phanes fancy themselves collectors of relics and creatures from distant pasts, far futures and alternate timelines, and keep private museums filled with truly wondrous and bizarre treasures collected from everywhere and every-when. 

Incorporeal, a phane has little direct ability to manipulate objects except through telekinetic force. Their very presence causes time to stretch and squash in weird ways, impeding their enemies while accelerating themselves. A phane can cause creatures to be pulled apart as their reality shreds around them, or trap a foe in a time lock while feeding on the potential of their lost years. Although phanes do not trust each other (and for good reason), they often surround themselves with dominated minions or sycophantic allies strung along on promises of eternal youth or a second chance. Few injuries are permanent to a phane, and they have the uncanny ability to simply cease existing for a fraction of a second when faced with truly dangerous attacks. A phane rarely fights to the death, preferring instead to flee and plot revenge.

No two phanes look alike, and their images often shift and blur over time. Most have a centaur-like appearance, with four legs and two arms, but the significance of this is unclear.

Phane   CR 20 XP 307,200 CE Large outsider (chaos, evil, extraplanar, incorporeal) Init +14; Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., Perception +29, true seeing Aura warp time (30 ft., DC 31) Defense AC 32, touch 32. flat-footed 20 (-1 size, +10 Dex, +11 deflection, +2 dodge) hp 290 (20d10+180); regeneration 10 (force or special) Fort +15, Ref +23, Will +17 DR 15/good and lawful; Immune ability damage, ability drain, disease, energy drain, incorporeal traits, mind-influencing effects, poison, sonic, stunning; Resist cold 10, fire 10; SR 30 (35 vs. divinations) Defensive Abilities defensive shunt, displacement, spell stowaway Offense Speed fly 90 ft. (perfect) Melee 2 touches +30 (time leech) Ranged 2 chronal blasts +30 touch (20d6) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Spell-like Abilities CL 20th, concentration +31 (+35 casting defensively) Constant—displacement, nondetection, tongues. true seeing At will—arcane sight, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, improved invisibility, telekinesis (DC 26) 3/day—binding (DC 29), dominate monster (DC 30), temporal stasis (DC 29) 1/day—bilocation, plane shift (DC 26), time stop Statistics Str -, Dex 31, Con 28, Int 24, Wis 20, Cha 33 Base Atk +20; CMB -; CMD 50 Feats Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +33, Bluff +34, Diplomacy +34, Fly +39, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (arcana, history, religion) +27, Knowledge (planes) +30, Perception +29, Sense Motive +29, Spellcraft +27, Stealth +29 Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Protean, tongues SQ no breath Ecology Environment any (Dimension of Time) Organization solitary Treasure double standard Special Abilities Chronal Blast (Su) As a standard action, a phane can fire two rays of temporal energy from its hands. Treat these as ranged touch attacks with a range of 240 ft. and no range increment. A creature struck by one of these rays takes 20d6 points of typeless damage unless it succeeds a DC 29 Fortitude save, whereupon it only takes 5d6 damage. A creature slain by a chronal blast is utterly destroyed, and can only be brought back to life with a true resurrection, miracle or wish spell. The save DC is Constitution based. Defensive Shunt (Su) Three times per day, a phane can choose to completely avoid a single attack or spell as an immediate action. The round after it uses this ability, it is staggered. Regeneration (Ex) A weapon forged in the future or in an alternate timeline can overcome a phane’s regeneration. Spell Stowaway (Su) Whenever a creature within 30 feet of a phane uses time stop, it can act normally within the duration of the time stop, as if the phane had cast the spell. As neither they nor the caster are frozen in time with respect to each other, each can target and affect the other with attacks, spells, or other effects they create, though they cannot affect other creatures within the duration of the time stop. This ability functions even if the phane is flat-footed or unaware of their opponent. Time Leech (Su) A creature touched by a phane must succeed a DC 31 Fortitude save or be frozen in time, as per a temporal stasis spell. Each round it remains frozen in this way, it ages 5 years and the phane heals 20 hit points. Hit points gained in excess of the phane’s maximum become temporary hit points which last for 1 hour or until used. A creature affected by time leech can attempt to make another Fortitude save as a full round action to escape the effect. A creature freed from this ability suffers physical penalties to its ability scores if it progresses to another age category, but not bonuses to mental ability scores. A creature that ages past its maximum life span is slain. The save DC is Charisma based. Warp Time Aura (Su) A phane and all of its allies are hasted (as the spell) as long as they remain within 30 feet of the phane, and for 1d4+1 rounds thereafter, and all of a phane’s enemies must succeed a DC 31 Will save every round they are within 30 feet of a phane or be slowed (as the spell) as long as they remain in the aura and for 1d4+1 rounds thereafter. A phane can suppress this aura at will. These benefits are included in the phane’s statistics. The save DC is Charisma based.

[thecreaturecodex]

Empyreal Lord, Holda

“Summer” © Sandra Duchiewicz, accessed at her ArtStation here

[Inspired primarily by The Witch: A History of Fear by Ronald Hutton and its discussion of European folk religion]

Empyreal Lord, Holda CR 27 CG Outsider This beautiful woman radiates an aura of supernatural calm. Garlands of flowers are woven into her hair.

Holda The Fair Mother, Queen of the Seasons Concerns domestic labor, agriculture, witchcraft Domains Chaos, Community, Good, Weather Subdomains Azata, Family, Home, Revelry, Seasons Worshippers good-aligned witches, homemakers, women Minions azata, good-aligned fey, tsukumogami Holy Symbol a crossed spindle and broomstick Favored Weapon sickle

Holda the Fair Mother is the guardian of women and wives everywhere and a patron of agriculture and the home. Legend says that she once led the Wild Hunt, but retired from it in order to focus on improving the lives of mortals. She still maintains links to the Wild Hunt, however, and may lead fey of all kinds on cross-country rides and revels to celebrate harvests and other milestones. Her greatest festival is in mid-winter, to celebrate the approach of spring and to bring cheer to those in dark times.

Holda’s influence extends over domestic skills of all kinds, but particularly those seen as “women’s work”—cooking, cleaning, sewing and weaving. Those who beseech her aid find themselves blessed with miraculous abilities of creation, able to make magical items even if they are not capable of casting spells. Holda is known to curse those who are mean, impolite or wicked in embarrassing but non-harmful ways—cursing the malefactor so that toads climb from their mouth whenever they speak is a favorite. She frequently travels in disguise as a mortal woman, taking care to look fairly inconspicuous. Her seasonal aspect does influence her appearance, however—in her spring aspect she appears as a young maiden, in summer and autumn aspects she appears a mature woman, and she is aged in her winter aspect.

Holda is unusual for an empyreal lord in that her most devout followers are as likely to be witches as they are to be clerics. Many but not all of her faithful are women. Due to this link with witchcraft and womanhood, some authorities distrust or fear Holda, and her followers are sometimes persecuted in patriarchal lands. Holda’s agents frequently work to protect and support mistreated women around the world. Good-aligned fey often serve or at least respect Holda, with nymphs and hamadryads being common in her faith.

Holda    CR 27 XP 3,276,800 XP CG Medium outsider (azata, chaotic, extraplanar, good) Init +16; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., detect evil, low-light vision, Perception +45, true seeing Aura holy aura (DC 27), primal (30 ft.) Defense AC 46, touch 27, flat-footed 33 (+12 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 deflection, +4 armor, +15 natural) hp 610 (33d10+429); regeneration 10 (evil artifacts, effects and spells) Fort +35, Ref +29, Will +33 Defensive Abilities freedom of movement, resolve; DR 15/epic and evil; Immune ability damage, ability drain, charm effects, compulsion effects, death effects, electricity, energy drain, petrification; Resist cold 30, fire 30; SR 38 Offense Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft (good) Melee +4 keen speed sickle +46/+46/+41/+36/+31 (1d6+13/19-20x2) Ranged +5 longbow +48/+48/+43/+38/+33 (1d8+11/x3) Spell-like Abilities CL 20th, concentration +27 (+31 casting defensively) Constant—detect evil, freedom of movement, holy aura (DC 27), mage armor, true seeing At will—good hope, greater teleport, heal*, make whole* 3/day— quickened displacement, fabricate, holy word* (DC 25), overwhelming presence (DC 28) 1/day—control weather*, gate, greater restoration, heroes’ feast, resurrection, empowered fire storm (DC 27) * Holda can use the mythic version of this spell in her realm Spells CL 20th, concentration +30 (+34 casting defensively) 9th—astral projection, mage’s disjunction, mass cure critical wounds (DC 29), mass hold monster (DC 29) 8th—demand (DC 28), discern location, power word stun, protection from spells, stormbolts (DC 28) 7th—chain lightning (DC 27), greater arcane sight, extended mass suggestion (DC 26), regenerate, spell turning 6th—cloak of dreams (DC 26), cone of cold (DC 26), greater dispel magic, greater globe of invulnerability, greater heroism 5th—baleful polymorph (DC 25), break enchantment, dream, mark of justice, reincarnate 4th—arcane eye, discern lies (DC 24), extended heroism, neutralize poison, scrying (DC 24), secure shelter 3rd—bestow curse (DC 23), lightning bolt (DC 23), magic vestment, remove blindness/deafness, speak with dead, tongues 2nd—detect thoughts (DC 22), fog cloud, gentle repose, owl’s wisdom, extended shield of faith, status 1st—charm person (DC 21), enlarge person, identify, ill omen, reduce person, unseen servant 0th—detect magic, detect poison, mending, stabilize Statistics Str 28, Dex 35, Con 37, Int 30, Wis 29, Cha 28 Base Atk +33; CMB +42; CMD 69 Feats Brew Potion, Combat Expertise, Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Extend Spell, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Quicken SLA (displacement), Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run Skills Bluff +45, Craft (weaving) +46, Diplomacy +45, Fly +49, Knowledge (arcana) +43, Knowledge (local) +43, Knowledge (nature) +46, Knowledge (planes) +46, Knowledge (religion) +46, Perception +45, Profession (farmer) +43, Sense Motive +45, Spellcraft +46, Stealth +48, Survival +45, Use Magic Device +42 Languages Celestial, Common, Sylvan, truespeech SQ change shape (any humanoid, alter self), empyreal lord traits, seasonal aspect, seed of life Ecology Environment any land or underground (Elysium) Organization unique Treasure double standard (+4 keen speed sickle, +5 longbow, other treasure) Special Abilities Primal Aura (Su) All creatures in Holda’s primal aura gain a +10 on all Craft and Profession skills while they remain in the aura, and gain the benefits of the Master Craftsman feat for 1 month. Holda can revoke this benefit as she pleases. Resolve (Ex) If Holda makes a Will saving throw against an attack that has a reduced effect on a successful save, she instead avoids the effect entirely. Seasonal Aspect (Su/Sp) As a swift action, Holda may change her form to reflect one of the four seasons. When she does so, she gains a +4 enhancement bonus to two of her ability scores and gains the use of an empowered spell-like ability once per day, as shown below. Spring: +4 Dex, +4 Cha; empowered sunburst Summer: +4 Str, +4 Int; empowered fire storm Autumn: +4 Con, +4 Int; empowered horrid wilting Winter +4 Con, +4 Wis; empowered polar ray Holda is in her summer aspect in the statistics above. Spells: Holda can cast spells as a 20th level witch. She does not require a familiar to prepare spells, merely one hour of meditation. She is considered to know all witch spells except for those with the Evil descriptor, as well as spells from the Wisdom patron.