New Monster Template: Hivemind

 I will NEVER be able to forget what Aaron told me about the movie that inspired him to create this in his novel.

Something like it was sorely missed in Pathfinder, though.

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New Creature Template: Hivemind

A hivemind, or collective, is created when the minds of many creatures are bonded together by powerful magic (like the bonding of minds occult ritual). More rarely, hiveminds can form spontaneously as powerful telepathic races or cultures evolve and share more and more of their thoughts and goals.

Creating a Hivemind

“Hivemind” is an acquired or inherited template that can be added to any creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Usually, all creatures in a hivemind share the same type or subtype, but exceptions are known for acquired hivemind templates. A hivemind uses the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: Each body in the hivemind gains +1 CR for every other body it contains.

Type: A hivemind creature’s type remains unchanged and it gains the hivemind subtype.

Defensive Abilities: A hivemind creature retains all of the base creature’s defensive abilities and special qualities. Since all members share a single conscience, mind-affecting effects can affect a group of hivemind creatures only if all members of the group fail their saving throw against them.

Special Attacks: Each body in the hivemind retains its special abilities and gains the following special ability.

Hive Mind (Ex): All members of a hivemind are in constant telepathic communication within each other, regardless of distance. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are aware of a particular danger. If one member of the hivemind in a group is not flat-footed or flanked, none of them are.

Ability Scores: All creatures in the hivemind share the same mental scores. Each member of the hivemind gains the highest Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma score among all the bodies. In addition, the hivemind creature gains a +1 bonus to an ability score of its choice for every 4 members it contains. Base creatures without an Intelligence score are considered to have Intelligence 0 for this purpose. A hivemind whose Intelligence score increases above 0 is no more immune to mind-affecting effects.

Feats: Each body in the hivemind retains their own feats, but every member is considered to possess the same teamwork feats possessed by any other member. If one or more members of the hivemind are able to use spells or spell-like abilities, all members gain Conduit Casting as a bonus feat, without having to meet its prerequisites.

Skills: For every skill in which any of the hivemind’s members have ranks in, each body in the hivemind gains the higher skill ranks possessed among all members, though applying their own individual bonuses to the skill.

Languages: A hivemind speaks all the languages that its members know, and may learn new languages depending on its collective Intelligence score.

Patron Request: Kio (Sky Aasimar) from Arcanis 5E

 As requested by Ronald J Paris!

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Kio (Sky Aasimar) from Arcanis 5E

Kio are the descendants of celestials whose power are strictly tied to air and sky. They are fair-skinned and fair-haired, typically higher and more imposing than humans. Kio have the following racial traits.

Typical Alignment Any good

Ability Score Modifiers +2 Dex, +2 Cha

Alternate Skill Modifiers Kio can select any two skills of their choice and gain a +1 racial bonus on each of them. This replaces skilled.

Kio Sword (3 RP) All kio are proficient with the longsword. Each kio carries a signature sword that’s been passed down from generation to generation in their family. When a kio wields her signature sword, she gains a +2 bonus on Intimidate against opponents who recognize the weapon for what it is. This replaces an aasimar’s spell-like ability.

New Occult Ritual: Meeting of Minds

 This is a ritual to create a hivemind compose of human beings (or other sentient races) and has been used by Mesmer in Aaron’s novel… only, he failed.

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Meeting of Minds

School enchantment; Level 9

Casting Time 90 minutes

Components V, S, M (a basin of fresh bodily fluids from a powerful telepathic or hivemind creature), F (a hypnotist’s locket), SC (at least 1)

Skill Checks Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate DC 34, 4 successes; Sense Motive DC 34, 3 successes; Knowledge (dungeoneering) DC 34, 2 successes; Spellcraft DC 34, 1 success

Range close

Effect at least 2 creatures, up to 1 per caster

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw Will negates; SR yes

Backlash The primary caster takes 2d6 damage and is exhausted.

Failure The primary caster’s body dissolves; their psyche is absorbed into the hivemind and redistributed between all the bodies (in addition to the hivemind template, each body gains a simple class template matching the primary caster’s highest-level class if the primary caster had PC class levels, +1 NPC class level if the primary caster only had NPC class levels, or the advanced template if the primary caster hadn’t any class levels).

Effect

All the casters and the creatures to bond (who can be the casters themselves) must drink from the basin or immerse a part of their body in it and concentrate on the focus and the primary caster’s voice. Any unwilling targets must be helpless. Upon successful completion of the ritual, the harvested fluids are absorbed into the targets’ bodies, and the targets acquire the hivemind template. The collective mind thus formed is free-willed and has its own opinions and purposes; it is not necessarily friendly towards the casters, should they not be part of the new hivemind.

Mesmer (Der Artz des Geistes)

 Now THIS villain from The Broken Brides of Europe wasn’t difficult to stat at all. He has an actual character class named after him in Pathfinder.

Neither it was too difficult to see him as a villain. He was historically a charlatan who deceived a lot of people and even originated some words in the English dictionary.

Some special abilities for him were harder to devise. But we’ll get at them in future posts.

(I like the idea that the three main villains represent all the shades of evil- LE, NE, and CE).

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Doktor Mesmer (Der Artz des Geistes) CR 20

Human mesmerist (Thought Eater) 17/mystic 8

Medium LE humanoid (human)

Init +12, amazing initiative; Senses Perception +20

Defense

AC 22, touch 19, flat-footed 18 (+4 Dex, +3 natural, +5 profane)

hp 138 (17d8+34+24)

Fort +7, Ref +14, Will +10

Defensive Abilities force of will, glib lie (DC 32), hard to kill, mythic saves, recuperation, unstoppable

Offense

Speed 30 ft.

Melee diplomat’s traveling stick +17/+12/+7 (1d6+5)

Special Attacks bold stare (allure, disquiet, nightmare, susceptibility), hypnotic stare, mythic power 19/day, painful stare (+8/+5d6 damage), share my pain, surge +1d10

Mesmerist Spells Known (CL 17th; concentration +22)

6th Level (2/day)- mass charm monster (DC 25), eyebiteM (DC 21), insanity (DC 25)

5th Level (5/day)- foe to friend (DC 24), mass suggestionM (DC 24), primal regression (DC 24), subjective reality

4th Level (5/day)- dominate personM (DC 23), hold monster (DC 23), mass charm person (DC 23), mind probe (DC 19), telepathic bondM

3rd Level (6/day)- charm monster (DC 22), confusionM (DC 22), deep slumberM (DC 22), demanding message (DC 22), dreadscape (DC 18), inveigle person (DC 22)

2nd Level (6/day)- enthrall (DC 21), hold person  (DC 21), placebo effect, qualm (DC 21), share memory (DC 17), suggestionM (DC 21)

1st Level (7/day)- charm person (DC 20), command (DC 20), forbid action (DC 20), hypnotismM (DC 20), murderous commandM (DC 20), sleepM (DC 20)

0-Level (at will)- dancing lights, daze (DC 19), detect magic, lullaby (DC 19), read magic, unwitting ally (DC 19)

Statistics

Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 21

Base Atk +12; CMB +12; CMD 26

Feats Craft Wondrous Item, Demoralizing Stare, Extend SpellM, Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Intimidating Glance, Manifold Stare, Mythic Bold StareM (selection), Obliviating Stare, Spell FocusM (Enchantment), Spell Trick, Weapon FinesseM

Skills Bluff +25, Diplomacy +25/+27, Disguise +25/+42, Intimidate +25/+27, Knowledge (nobility) +21, Knowledge (religion) +21, Perception +20, Sense Motive +20, Use Magic Device +25

Languages French, German

SQ assume identity +17, assume knowledge, assume morality, collective unconscious, don’t cross me, look at me!, manifold tricks (5), masterful tricks 13/day (mental fallback, spell anticipation), mental potency (+3 HD/creatures), mesmerist tricks (chain of eyes, fearsome guise, gift of will, life revier, linked reaction, mesmeric pantomime, telepathic link; DC 23), mystic secret (compelling influence), mythic spellcasting, psychic penetration, trade memory, unfathomable knowledge

Gear amulet of natural armor +3 (18,000 gp), diplomat’s traveling stick (9,345 gp), gauntlet magnet (75 gp), mesmerist’s kit (35 gp), mesmerist’s locket (pocket watch), mesmerizing tattoo (10,800 gp), ring of austere majesty (3,000 gp), ring of eloquence (3,500 gp)

This is the version of Mesmer before he was absorbed by Chloe, the collective intelligence he himself had created using the ink of Cthulhu and the meeting of minds occult ritual.

Goya (El Maestro de Pintor)

 It was difficult to choose the right class for this villain. In the end, I choose something that would allow him to work with tools and instruments. I greatly appreciate the works of the historical Goya, so it’s difficult for me to see him as the bad guy, but I understand why his obsession for “form” and the hallucinatory scenes of his last paintings would suggest Aaron to use him this way.

It was also difficult to decide if his powers in The Broken Brides of Europe are more tied to illusion or transmutation. In the end, I used a mix of the two.

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Goya (El Maestro de Pintor) CR 20

Human occultist (Reliquarian) 17/bound 8

Medium NE humanoid (human)

Init +3, amazing initiative; Senses Perception +25

Defense

AC 23, touch 18, flat-footed 20 (+5 armor, +3 Dex, +5 profane)

hp 121 (17d8+17+24)

Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +15

Defensive Abilities force of will, hard to kill, mythic saves, recuperation, unstoppable; Immune reverse gravity

Offense

Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Melee snakebite dagger +13/+8/+3 (1d4+1)

Special Attacks mythic power, surge +1d10

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 17th, concentration +17)

At will (spending mental focus)- binding pattern, cloak image, conjure implement, forced alliance, minor figment, mirage, obey, outer horror, psychic fog, servitor, shadow beast, size alteration, sudden insight, watchful eye; DC 19

At will (spending mythic power)- bound pact (eldritch wish)

17 rounds/day- master’s illusion (DC 23)

8/day- copycat

4/day- contractual obligation (greater planar ally; aberration)

3/day- disorienting touch (8 rounds),

Once- claim my soul (greater planar ally)

Occultist Spells Known (CL 17th; concentration +18)

6th Level (2/day)- animate objectsM, baleful shadow transmutation*M  (DC 20), call construct, legend lore, misleadD (DC 20), shadow transmutation*M (DC 20), symbol of insanityM (DC 19), triggered hallucination (DC 20)

5th Level (4/day)- baleful polymorph* (DC 18), contact entity III*M, dominate personM (DC 18), fabricate, false visionD, lesser planar binding (DC 18), remote viewing, scripted hallucinationM (DC 19)

4th Level (4/day)- complex hallucinationM (DC 18), confusionD (DC 17), contact other planeM, majestic image (DC 17), major creation, mass charm person (DC 17)

3rd Level (6/day)- anthropomorphic animal* (DC 16), contact entity II*M, displacement, forced mutation, magic vestment, minor creation, nondetectionD, suggestion (DC 16)

2nd Level (6/day)- apport object, disguise other, enter imageM, greater detect magic, investigative mind, invisibilityD

1st Level (6/day)- charge object, command (DC 14), disguise selfD, instant portraitM, mindlink, silent image (DC 15)

0-Level (at will)- create water, daze (DC 13), ghost sound (DC 14), mage hand, read magic

Domain Trickery

Statistics

Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 21, Cha 10

Base Atk +12; CMB +12; CMD 25

Feats Craft ConstructM, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item*, Dreamed Secrets, Eldritch HeritageM (Impossible), Extra Mental Focus, Fabulous FigmentsM, Implement FocusM (Enchantment, Illusion), Magnum Opus, Possessed Hand, Skill Focus (Knowledge/engineering), Spell Focus (Illusion)

Skills Craft (painting) +28, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (engineering) +29, Knowledge (planes) +26, Knowledge (religion) +26, Perception +25, Spellcraft +23, Use Magic Device +20

Languages Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish

SQ aura sight, binding circles, distracting pattern 3/day (15 rounds, +7), fast circles, focus powers (cloud mind, legacy weapon; DC 19), impossible spell knowledge, magic circles, magic item skill +8, mental focus (28), mythic craft, mythic major hex (beast’s gift, 17 min.), mythic spellcasting, mythic spiritualist, object reading, outside contact 3, patron mark, relativity, shift focus, spontaneous generation

Gear implements (bowl [Conjuration], censer [Enchantment], planchette [Divination], prism [Illusion], snakebite dagger [Transmutation]) (9,800 gp), marvelous pigments (4,000 gp), masterwork artisan tools (55 gp), +4 padded armor (16,165 gp), refocusing rod (5,000 gp), sorcerous pigments (9,900 gp), occultist’s kit (45 gp), 35 gp

Goya perfected the art to create trompe-l’oil monsters (often with the savage mythic template) and is an expert in the Seeded Doom occult ritual. His tattooed possessed hand is the relic that grants him domain abilities.

Patron Request: Kerra (Advanced or “Wild” Catfolk) from EverQuest II

 As requested by Ronald J Paris!

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Kerra (Advanced or “Wild” Catfolk)

Kerra are reclusive catfolk who don’t trust other races and live in their own isolated lands. They have the following racial traits. Kerra are considered an advanced race, with 12 RP.

Ability Score Modifiers: Specialized (1 RP) +2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Int. Though strong and agile like great cats, kerra do not place much emphasis on logic. This replaces cat’s luck.

Farsight (2 RP): Kerra can see twice as far as other races in normal light conditions.

Wild Hunter (6 RP) Kerra receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics, Stealth, and Survival checks.

Weapon Familiarity (1 RP) Kerra are proficient with the katar and bolas.

New Mythic Spells: Baleful Shadow Transmutation, Shadow Transmutation, Greater Shadow Transmutation

 These spells blur the limit between Illusion and Transmutation, just what our next villain needs…

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Mythic Baleful Shadow Transmutation

Non-mythic creatures take a penalty equal to one-half your mythic tier to their saves. You can choose to trick the target into believing to be an aberration, fey, or undead creature with a number of hit dice lower or equal to your mythic tier. A creature that fails the Will save automatically fails the Fortitude save. A target with the shapechanger subtype that fails its save can’t use its shapechanging to shift out of its new form.

Augmented (9th): If you expend four uses of mythic power, the spell affects all other creatures with 8 Hit Dice or fewer in a 1-mile radius. Affected creatures believe to be Small or smaller monsters appropriate to the local environment. You can select a number of creatures up to your tier to not be affected.

Mythic Shadow Transmutation

As mythic shadow conjuration.

Mythic Greater Shadow Transmutation

As mythic shadow conjuration.

Unholy Occultist Implement: Mindlight Bender

Here’s an item that will be very useful to the next villain.

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Sacred Implement: Mindlight Bender

Deity Nyarlatothep; Implement prism; Opposition School abjuration

Outer Horror (Sp): As a standard action while casting an illusion spell that alters a target’s appearance, you can expend 1 point of mental focus to render the illusion especially fearful and nightmarish. Every creature that is attacked by the spell’s target must succeed at a Will saving throw or become shaken for a number of rounds equal to the spell’s original level. If the creature is already under a fear effect, its fear level increases by one. 

Le Marquis De Sade (Le Diable des Sensations)

 Like I said, heroes are not the only strong point in Aaron Hollingsworth’s books. His villains are truly mean and repulsive and -I think this is the point- petty. They can have horrendous power, but their moral stature is very low and their sins, though epically enlarged, are the same low, disgusting things that repel us in everyday’s life: narcissism disguised as exquisite and philosophical existentialism, need to control and destroy others masked as superhomism… The fact that in The Broken Brides of Europe the main villains are inspired to really existed historical figures just adds to this intuition. So, bravo to the author.

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Le Marquis De Sade (Le Diable des Sensations), CR 20

Half-cambion human rogue (Rake) 15/trickster 7

Medium CE outsider (native)

Init +11, amazing initiative; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +22

Defense

AC 26, touch 19, flat-footed 22 (+3 armor, +4 Dex, +4 natural, +5 profane)

hp 144 (15d8+45+28)

Fort +9, Ref +16, Will +9. +4 Fort vs. nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments and damage from suffocation (Endurance)

Defensive Abilities evasion, force of will, hard to kill, improved uncanny dodge, mythic saves, recuperation, sinfrenzy 7 rounds/day (lust), uncanny dodge; Immune poison; Resist acid, cold, electricity and fire 10; DR 10/magic; SR 31

Offense

Speed 30 ft.

Melee sadist’s lash +18/+13/+8 (1d3+5 +1 bleed, 19-20) or mwk coat pistol +16 (1d4, x3)

Special Attacks bloody streak, bravado’s blade, mythic power 17/day, precision critical, smite good 1/day (+5 attack, +15 damage), sneak attack +8d6, surge +1d10, trickster attack (surprise strike)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +20)

At will (spending mythic power)- lesser confusion (CR 16), touch of idiocy, rage, confusion (CR 19), nightmare (DC 20), phantasmal killer (DC 21), insanity (DC 22)

3/day- command (DC 16), charm monster (DC 19), unholy aura (DC 23)

1/day- blasphemy (DC 22), commune, demand (DC 23), dominate person (DC 20), enthrall (DC 17), unhallow, unholy blight (DC 19)

Statistics

Str 16, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 21

Base Atk +11; CMB +14 (+16 with disarm); CMD 28

Feats Dastardly Finish, Demonic PossessionM, Devastating Strike, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip), Improved Critical* (whip), Painful Blow, Vital StrikeM*, Weapon FinesseM*, Weapon FocusM (whip), Whip Mastery

Skills Appraise +20, Bluff +29, Diplomacy +29, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (nobility) +20, Knowledge (religion) +20, Perception +22, Sense Motive +22, Use Magic Device +24

Languages French, German, Italian, Spanish

SQ mindthrall, mortal herald (Madness), path dabbling (unspeakable name), persuasive countenance, rake’s smile +5, rogue talents (bleeding attack +8, charmer, fast getaway, finesse rogue, hamstring strike [DC 21], honeyed words, hunter’s surprise, shades of gray, stalker talent [vital punishment]), try something new

Gear alchemical cartridge (flare) (10 gp), alchemical pheromones (arousal) (300 gp), mwk coat pistol (1,050 gp), fetish of natural armor +3 (16,500 gp), padded armor +2  (4,155 gp), reporting cartridge (566 gp), sadist’s lash (22,301 gp), spy kit (140 gp)

De Sade acquired the half-demon template thanks to the fiendish transformation ritual performed with the ink of Cthulhu. His Demonic Possession feat works as possession rather than magic jar.

Through the craft sinspawn ritual and the ink of Cthulhu, De Sade creates mythic lustspawn from living kidnapped women. These permanently dominated thralls have perfect bodies and faces and the invincible mythic template. He can also possess them at will from a long distance.