Transcendent Artifact: Monsterskewerer

Kevin Glusing pointed out some days ago that my Ushio & Tora conversion could not be complete without the THIRD main character of the manga. He was absolutely right. So here it is. Thanks Kevin, it was a real fun to make it.

Monsterskewerer (Transcendent Major Artifact)
Aura overwhelming (all schools) CL 30th
Slot none; Price —; Weight 6 lbs.

Statistics
Alignment lawful good/chaotic neutral; Ego 26
Senses 120 ft., blindsense, detect evil
Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 14
Communication telepathy

Monsterskewerer is a +5 called furious ghost touch yokai bane spear. It was created thousands of years ago to slay mythic yokai.
Inside the spear are trapped two souls who gave their lives to create the ultimate weapon, so Monsterskewerer has two distinct alignments and can be used by a character of any alignment. All it requires is that its wielder is willing to slay as many yokai as possible, for whatever reason. Once it has chosen a master, Monsterskewerer doesn’t manifest any of its powers in anyone else’s hands until he is dead or succumbed to its curse (see below).
Monsterskewerer has detect evil always active and resonates when an evil presence is within range. Its blade ignores humanoid flesh as if it were incorporeal, but the haft can still be used to inflict bludgeoning damage to humanoids.

Transcendent Power: A non-mythic wielder chosen by Monsterskewerer gains the following mythic abilities:

• The wielder gains 3 mythic tiers in the champion path.
• The wielder gains the champion’s strike (distant barrage) champion feature.
• The wielder gains a +2 increase to Constitution.
• The wielder gains the Mythic Distance Thrower and Mythic Endurance feats, or the non-mythic versions of these feats if he does not already have them and meets the prerequisites.
• The wielder gains the endless hatred, flash of rage, and myth slayer path abilities.

Special Purpose: Monsterskewerer has the special purpose of slaying yokai. Regardless of whether he has mythic tiers, if Monsterskewerer’s wielder shares in its special purpose, he gains the following benefits.

• The wielder gains DR 5/--.
• The wielder can use resurgent transformation once per day.

Curse: Whenever Monsterskewerer becomes dominant on its wielder, he must attempt a further Will save. A failure means that the wielder loses 1 point of Intelligence for the purpose of subsequent saves of this type only.
When his equivalent Intelligence drops to 0, the wielder becomes permanently dominated and begins to transform into a yokai himself. A powerful healing ritual can invert the transformation within a week; otherwise, the wielder permanently becomes a monster under the GM’s control (with a type, subtype and CR based on his former alignment and level) and loses most of his former memories. Monsterskewerer will then abandon him and seek a new master.

Destruction
If Monsterskewerer has not a master, it can be destroyed by wrapping it in a special anti-magic cloth made from yokai souls, then melting it in a deep stone tank full of incandescent rare metals until it’s completely cooled.
If its master’s alive, Monsterskewerer will only fade to nothingness spontaneously once it has been used to slay a mythic yokai it hates most, thus freeing the souls entrapped inside.

New Mythic Feat: Alter Breath Weapon

To conclude my Ushio & Tora conversion, this could not be missing. How comes that Tora, a lightning beast, breathes fire? Why, he uses the Alter Breath Weapon feat from Rite Publishing's 101 Monster Feats, of course! Only that Tora doesn't breath fire a mere three times per day... so this was in order...

Alter Breath Weapon (Monster, Mythic)
Do you think I am the same as a puny monster like all the others? An ancient, powerful creature like me?
Prerequisites: Alter Breath Weapon
Benefit: You can alter the damage your breath weapon deals to the chosen energy type an unlimited number of times per day.
Special: You may take this feat once for every time you selected the Alter Breath Weapon feat.

Next time: another manga conversion, one that was suggested by a friend on the Paizo boards. Hope you will like it...

Bestiary: Greater Raiju

Aaaand here it is as promised.

Greater Raiju
This hulking, looming creature shows a mix of human and feline features, and a very long billowing golden mane. Around it the air sparkles with electricity. It looks at you with an all–fanged grin, as if it’s pleased to have found dinner.
Greater Raiju CR 7
XP 3,200
CN Large outsider (air, native)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +13
Defense
AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+4 Dex, +7 natural, –1 size)
hp 76 (9d10+27); regeneration 1/hour (divine damage)
Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +7
Immune electricity
Offense
Speed 50 ft., fly 100 ft. (good)
Melee 2 claws +13 (1d8+5 plus 1d6 electricity)
Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon (30–ft. line, 5d6 electricity damage, Reflex DC 17 for half, usable every 1d4 rounds), prehensile hair, shocking burst
Spell–Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +8)
At will– ethereal jaunt
3/day– call lightning
1/day– control weather (thunderstorm only)
1/week– polymorph any object (self only)
Statistics
Str 20, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 13
Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 29 (33 vs. trip)
Feats Acrobatic, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Rending Claws
Skills Acrobatics +18 (+22 when jumping), Fly +22, Intimidate +13, Perception +13, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +13, Stealth +16
Languages Auran, Common
SQ change shape (any Small to Large humanoid, alter self), prehensile hair
Ecology
Environment any land or sky (lightning storms)
Organization solitary
Treasure None
Special Abilities

Prehensile Hair (Su): A greater raiju’s long mane can be used to climb, snatch things and immobilize adversaries. The creature can’t wield a weapon or attack with its mane, but can use it for any other purposes that require free hands. When both its claw attacks inflict damage to a foe, the greater raiju can can attempt to grapple that foe with its hair as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. A grappled creature suffers electricity damage as by a claw attack every round. When a greater raiju grapples a foe in this way, it does not gain the grappled condition. The hair cannot be sundered or attacked as a separate creature.

Shocking Burst (Su): Besides dealing normal slashing damage, the claws of a greater raiju are considered to have the shocking burst weapon special quality. They deal 1d6 extra points of electrical damage on a normal hit and an additional 1d10 points on a critical hit.

Greater raiju are born on the material plane, maybe as humans who transformed into yokai after spending too much time near powerful magic or other monsters. Some of them just relish in their elemental power, without meddling too much in human affairs; many continue pursuing the passions they had as mortal beings, even if they can’t remember why any more. A few become cruel and ruthless, indulging in eating humans and battling other yokai just for the thrill of it. Often, a greater raiju retains some of the magic powers and knowledge it possessed in its previous life.

...Actually, Tora possesses magic abilities from his former life as a human fighter/sorcerer and a special ability to change his breath weapon into fire.

Ranger Archetype: The Bloodranger

Samurai Sheepdog's Book of Many Things has seen its October update. This should be the last one before going to Book 2. I like this project, as you know, and not only because there's some stuff written by me inside- and more could be in next book.
Like this archetype, for example. Do you know Ushio & Tora? It's one of my favorite manga. I know that "Bloodranger" is a funny name, but I like it!

Bloodranger

Sometimes, the ones most fit to keep monsters away from wildlands and settlements are the ones descended from their same blood. The bloodranger hunts and watches often against his own kin, or tries to be a mediator between different species and cultures.

Blood Enemy (Su): At 1st level, a bloodranger chooses a bloodrager’s bloodline. He gains a favored enemy linked to his bloodline, as per the following table. He doesn’t gain other favored enemies, but his bonuses against his blood enemy increase as normal as he increases in level. This ability modifies the ranger’s first favored enemy.

Bloodline	Blood Enemy
Aberrant	Aberrations
Abyssal	Outsiders (good or lawful)
Aquatic	Aquatic animals, humanoids, or monstrous humanoids
Arcane	Spellcasters
Black Blood	Aberrations or undead
Celestial	Outsiders (evil)
Destined	Humanoids (same race as the bloodranger) or magical beasts
Draconic	Dragons
Elemental	Outsiders (same or opposite subtype)
Fey	Fey
Infernal	Outsiders (chaotic or good)
Kyton	Outsiders (chaotic or good)
Naga	Humanoids (humans or reptilians)
Shadow	Outsiders (evil or good)
Shapechanger	Aberrations or shapechangers
Undead	Undead

Fast Movement (Ex): At 2nd level, the bloodranger gains the bloodrager’s fast movement ability. This ability replaces the first combat style feat.

Bloodrage (Su): At 3rd level, the bloodranger gains the ability to enter a bloodrage. His bloodrager level is considered equal to his ranger level -2. This ability replaces the first favored terrain.

Spell Casting: Starting at 4th level, a bloodranger casts divine spells drawn from the ranger spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a bloodranger must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell’s level. The DC for a saving throw against a bloodranger’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + his Wisdom modifier. A bloodranger can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is the same as a bloodrager of the same level. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score.
A bloodranger’s selection of spells is limited. He has the same number of spells known as a bloodrager of the same level, and can choose new spells to replace old ones at 8th level and every 3 class levels after that, just as a bloodrager does. See the bloodrager for more information on swapping spells known.
In addition, the bloodranger adds his bloodline spells to his list of spells known at 7th, 10th, 13th, and 16th level. This modifies the ranger’s spells ability and replaces the second favored enemy.

Bloodcasting (Su): At 4th level, the bloodranger gains the ability to cast spells even while bloodraging. He can also cast these spells defensively and can make concentration checks for these spells while bloodraging. While bloodraging, he can cast and concentrate on only his bloodranger spells (see below); spells from other classes cannot be cast during this state.

Bloodline Powers: At 5th level, the bloodranger begins to gain his bloodline’s powers. He gains powers as a bloodrager of his ranger level -4, but uses them at his real level. This replaces all the remaining favored enemies, combat style feats and favored terrains, plus hide in plain sight.

Blood Companion (Su): At 10th level, while the bloodranger is raging and his animal companion is within 30 feet from him, he grants the companion the 1st-level bonuses on attack and damage granted by his first bloodline power (if any) and all immunities and resistances he gains from bloodline powers. Furthermore, whenever the bloodrager is affected by a spell or spell-like ability with the range of personal while his animal companion is within 30 feet from him, the companion also gains the benefit of that spell. This ability replaces camouflage.

Let this guy take a Greater Raiju (next on this blog) as his monster companion, and let the party begin! (Ushio has definitely the Destined bloodline, by the way).