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Thursday 28 May 2015

Skin Devils - Ability Score Thieves

Humanoids with light grey skin, large-sized hands, feet and ears - they can usually pass for human in the distance, bad weather or when wearing a cowl. Stronger than average in strength and speed, they don't look particularly threatening. Their palms have small sticky bulbs that instantly attach to any other living flesh in comes in contact with, While this appendage immediately releases, but when it does, they tear away some of their victim's abilities. This body theft is their primary skill focus; they seem to master physical attacks and strategies in order to better steal abilities from their victims.

Because of their reputation as body thiefs, Gleshialis or Skin Devils as they are usually called, spend their lives as highway brigands trying to stay ahead of lawful forces that hunt them down, They often lurk outside dungeons in small groups, scouting for potential victims who are about to go inside or leave- but they rarely go inside dungeons themselves. Most are evil and greedy but not particularly bloodthirsty despite their reputations. They will sometimes use the threat of permanently stealing a creature's abilities in order to extract information. They are notorious drunks, few of them are able to handle strong alcohol, and get addicted quickly to almost any foreign substance which is one of many reasons why their leaders avoid cities if they can make their profits in raiding or on the road.

Skin Devils
CR 2
NE         Humanoid
Init +0; Perception +5

DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+4 Armor, +1 natural)
hp 15 (2d10+4)
Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +1

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Long sword +3 (1d8+3)
Special Absorb Touch +14 vs CMD

TACTICS
Skin devils are masters of melee combat, and quickly attempt to tear down their foes. Usually found in small groups, they disdain range combat with intelligent creatures, as they need to be able to touch an opponent in order to temporarily absorb a feature or ability the creature has.

Morale 15 (As the default save, if they are inflicted in the middle of a group.)

STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 9, Cha 8
Base Atk +2; CMB 13 CMD 21
Feats Weapon Focus (Long sword), Combat Expertise
Skills Perception +5, Craft (Armor or Weapons) +5, Acrobatics +5, Survival +5
Languages Common, Dwarven or Minotaur
SQ Absorb 1 Feature

Absorb: Skin Devils have the unique ability to absorb other creature's abilities, ability scores, specific skills, class features or even spells. In order to do this they must touch the creature they wish to absorb the feature. While some believe that this absorption steals the feature, this is not true, it enables the skin devil to borrow it temporarily. They are able to steal from any physical ability score (strength, constitution, dexterity or charisma), Their victim must make a fortitude save to suffer half the absorption, their ability score loss returns in 24 hours. Once a victim has an ability score stolen from them, they are immune to other thefts of the same ability score for the next twelve hours.

Absorb:  Gain 1d6 at 2 HD, lasts one hour
               Gain 1d8 at 5 HD or 1 Spell Level (2/day), lasts six hours
               Gain 1d6 X 2 at 8HD or 2 Spell Levels or 1 Class Feature (3/day), lasts 12 hours
               Gain 1d6 X 3 at 12HD or 4 Spell Levels or 1 Class Feature or 1 Racial Feature (5/day) lasts                                 24 hours

By Racial Levels
2 HD  Absorb 1 feature, +2 Str, +2 Con, + 2 Dex; +1 AC
3 HD SR 5, Immune to Poison, Resist 5 cold, acid & Electricity
4 HD +2 str, + 2 Con, + 2 Dex; Gain 1 Feat; +1 AC
5 HD Absorb 2 feature, Immune to Polymorph, Resist 5 cold, acid & Electricity
6 HD SR 10, Uncanny defence; +1 AC
7 HD +2 str, + 2 Con, + 2 Dex; Gain 1 Feat
8 HD Absorb 3 features,  ; +1 AC
9 HD SR 15, Immune to Petrification, Resist 10 cold, acid & Electricity
10 HD +2 str, + 2 Con, + 2 Dex; Gain 1 Feat; +1 AC
11 HD Gain 1 Feat; +1 AC
12 HD Absorb 4 features, SR 20; +1 AC
+1 HD or Level: Gain +1 on SR by HD or level   

Skin Devils can veer away from these racial levels by taking a standard class, but if they do they cannot increase in their natural humanoid racial levels.

Side Note: Unlike a lot of other humanoids I post, I wouldn't really want this as something available for players. It makes a great threat, but nothing that works as a player character, at least a regular character but possible for a short term game sessions.


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