Koz, Half-Medusa Human, 4th-Level Rogue

Description

This athletic-physiqued humanoid is partly concealed beneath a dull brown hooded cloak. Its features hidden by clothes and shadows, except for a pair of brown, scaly hands. There is something oddly disturbing about the way the hood wriggles.

Koz is a wily rogue who dwells among the ruins of an old temple, relying on the legend of a medusa that once plagued the ruins to scare away intruders. Due to his fearful appearance and deadly abilities, Koz has few friends among human kind.

He has been fortunate in his dealings with the local criminal underworld, however, who appreciate his unique and formidable capabilities. As a result he has often had first pick of any loot, and is frequently called upon to perform dangerous and lucrative missions. At present he is primarily employed as a smuggler, running contraband shipments and storing stolen goods in the temple cellar.

Possessions: Masterwork short sword, masterwork dagger, masterwork short bow, 10 masterwork arrows, 10 +1 arrows, +1 studded leather armor, +1 cloak of resistance, hat of disguise, potions (alter self, Eagle's splendor, cure moderate wounds, invisibility), 50 ft. silk rope, grappling hook, masterwork thieves' tools, backpack, and 200gp.

Combat

Petrifying Attack (Su): 1/day―turn to stone permanently, 30 feet, Fortitude DC 13 save negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Poison (Ex): Fortitude save DC 13, initial damage 1d4 temporary Strength, secondary damage 2d4 temporary Strength.

Creating a Half-Medusa

"Half-medusa" is a template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid of Small to Large size (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

A half-medusa uses all of the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: The creature's type changes to monstrous humanoid. Size is unchanged. Do not recalculate Hit Dice, base attack bonus, or saves.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +1 (this stacks with any natural armor bonus the creature has).

Attack: A half-medusa has an attack by snakes that it can use once per round. If the base creature can use weapons, the half-medusa retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons also retains those natural weapons. A half-medusa fighting without weapons uses either its snakes attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A half-medusa armed with a weapon uses its snakes or a weapon, as it desires.

Full Attack: A half-medusa without weapons uses either its snakes attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its sole attack.

Damage: A half-medusa without natural weapons has a snakes attack that deal 1d4 points of damage plus poison. A half-medusa with natural weapons can use its snakes attack or its natural weaponry, as it prefers. If it chooses the later, it deals 1d4 points of damage plus poison on one natural weapon attack.

Special Attacks: A half-medusa retains all of the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following attacks:

Petrifying Attack (Su): A half-medusa's visage is less potent than its full-blooded parent; creatures are not turned to stone simply by looking at it. However, it can focus its power upon a single creature within 30 feet just like a medusa actively using its gaze as an attack action. The targeted creature can avoid the gaze as normal and if she fails to avoid the half-medusa's gaze she must succeed at a Fortitude save or be permanently turned to stone. The save DC is Charisma-based (DC 10 + 1/2 half-medusa's HD + half-medusa's Cha modifier). The creature can use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Charisma bonus (a creature with a Charisma of 11 or less cannot use this ability).

Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude save, initial damage 1d4 Str, secondary damage 2d4 Str. The save DC is Constitution-based. (DC 10 + 1/2 half-medusa's HD + half-medusa's Con modifier).

Special Qualities: A half-medusa retains all of the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Medusa Blood (Ex): For all special abilities and effects, a half-medusa is considered a medusa. Half-medusas, for example, are immune to the gaze attacks of medusas, and vice versa.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Dex +2, Cha +2.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.

Alignment: Usually lawful evil.

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +4.

Also in this section of the source

Hameh

Author: Eric Davis.

Statistic	Value
Size/Type	Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice	7d12 (45 hp)
Initiative	+4 (see text)
Speed	10 ft. (2 squares), fly 30 ft. (average)
Armor Class	16 (+4 Dex, +2 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple	+3/+5
Attack	Beak +7 melee (1d6+2)
Full Attack	Beak +7 melee (1d6+2) and 2 claws +5 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach	5 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks	Horrific entrance
Special Qualities	Bloodlust, darkvision 60 ft., disappearance, undead traits
Saves	Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +7
Abilities	Str 14, Con ―, Dex 19, Int 4, Wis 15, Cha 14
Skills	Hide +14, Listen +6, Spot +12
Feats	Multiattack, Weapon Finesse
Environment	Any
Organization	Solitary
Challenge Rating	3
Treasure	None
Alignment	Always chaotic evil
Advancement	―
Level Adjustment	―

This giant creature has the appearance of a great predatory bird with the soot-black feathers of a raven. Its beak is the hue of blood, and the eyes glare with a malevolent red gaze.

The hameh, sometimes called the bloody bird, is a hateful undead avian. It appears as an impossibly large raven, hawk, or eagle, but with all its body as black as the night. Its beak seems like it was dipped in blood and its eyes glow red with fury.

The most mysterious aspect of this beast is that of the conditions under which it appears. Hamehs never occur naturally, only being created with a twisted spell. A living creature that has had the proper spell cast on them will give life to the hameh if they are ever murdered or killed by another. The hameh, covered in the creator's blood, bursts out of the deceased's chest, ready to exact quick revenge upon the murderer.

During the short time it is in existence, the hameh's only goal is to kill it's creator's murderer. Once its goal is fulfilled, the hameh soars off into the sky. Upon reaching the edge of the atmosphere, it gates into the Abyss to announce that a murderer's soul will be arriving shortly.

Hameh never speak, but posses a chilling cry which resembles the mortal words for "give me drink."

Combat

Hameh exist only do kill a single target and to drink it's blood. They fly in close to the murderer, and attack with their full attack. They never hesitate to use their Bloodlust ability. Bloody birds only attack other beings if they are interfered with.

Horrific Entrance (Su): If the hameh's creator, or carrier, is killed through an act of violence (including melee or ranged attacks, spells, and spell-like abilities) performed by a living creature with an intelligence score of 3 or more, the hameh bursts out of the creator's chest. This effect is instantaneous. The hameh emerges at the exact second of its carrier's death, and assumes its carrier's initiative count.

The sight of the hameh bursting out is enough to disgust even the most hardened warrior. Intelligent creatures who can see the event must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or be shaken as long as the hameh is in sight. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Bloodlust (Sp): If the hameh is ever within 40 feet of it's target, it may use one of the below spell-like abilities upon itself:

• blink
• displacement
• gaseous form
• haste
• tongues
• water breathing

The caster level is 7th, and the specific effect is chosen by the hameh when it enters the 40-foot range. The effect can not be changed thereafter. This effect may not be dispelled, but it is repressed in an antimagic field.

Disappearance (Ex): Once a bloody bird kills it's target, a compulsion comes over it to fly into the sky, or toward the ceiling. When it reaches as far as it can go, it plane shifts to the Abyss. There is no way to prevent this by any force, whether it be the hameh, it's carrier, the evil cleric who cast the spell, or an outside force.

Skills: A hameh +8 racial bonus on Hide checks. They also have a +6 racial bonus on Spot checks.

Hameh Revival

Necromancy [Evil]

Spell	Value
Level	Clr 7
Components	V, S, M
Casting Time	10 minutes
Range	Touch
Target	1 willing humanoid, monstrous humanoid, giant, or outsider
Duration	Permanent
Saving Throw	None
Spell Resistance	No

By use of this spell, taught only to the most bloodthirsty of dark clerics, you place such an enchantment upon a willing subject that a hameh emerges from their carcass upon their death.

The casting of this spell is a long ritual, involving you laying your hands on the kneeling subject. Both participants chant profane hymns. At the culmination of the ritual, you raise an elaborately written and bound sacred book into the sky, and the target being lights it on fire. From then on, if the target is killed by another (whether it be by a spell, attack, or any act of violence), a hameh will emerge from their corpse to exact revenge according to the description under the hameh's Horrific Entrance special ability.

Material Component: An elaborately written and bound sacred book (500 gp), written in blood using quills from a raven.