Lightsphere

Description

Lightspheres appear as fuzzy, blue spheres of crackling energy, somewhat similar in appearance to a will-o-the-wisp. They are intelligent entities composed of pure energy. Lightspheres dwell in underground locations, and in large, dark caves and caverns. They move about by an unknown means, at high rates of speed; they are highly manouverable, and may hover at will.

Lightspheres are harmless to most creatures, but are drawn to, and thrive on, anything composed of energy, such as light sources, and especially magic. They are able to detect faint sources of energy (i.e. torch light) at ranges of up to 50 yards. Strong energy sources, such as magic (spellcasting, magic items, etc.) are detectable at distances of up to 200 yards.

Combat

When a lightsphere detects a source of energy, it will move towards it at top speed to investigate; if it thinks a battle can be won, the lightsphere will immediately move in to attack; it will usually commence with a flash attack, and will continue with bolt attacks. If a lightsphere is seriously threatened, it will retreat temporarily, in order to attack again with surprise at a later time.

If all its opponents are killed or disabled, the lightsphere will feed off the energy it finds. This feeding will drain all spells from memory; the affected spellcaster must rest for 1d4 hours longer than normal before rememorizing any spells. Drained magic items will lose all affectiveness for 1d4 hours, and must make a successful saving throw vs. electricity to avoid a permanent loss of all magical abilities. Magical items are drained in order to gain sustinence; normally, 1d8 items will be drained at a time. Magical spells are drained in order to regenerate lost hit points - each spell level drained, regenerates a single hit point. A lightsphere will stop draining spells once its maximum hit points have been reached.

A lightsphere's normal mode of attack is electrical bolts; these bolts may be fired in any direction the lightsphere chooses. Two bolts may be discharged per round; each may be targeted independently, or may strike the same victim, at the lightsphere's discretion. There is no save against this attack mode, although targets with immunity to electricity are not affected.

Once per turn, a lightsphere may conduct a "flash" attack; the lightsphere emits a piercing, bright light that affects all targets within 50 feet. Anyone inside the area of effect (as long as they have eyes to see the flash) must make two saves: the first is vs. spells; those who fail are blinded for 1d4 turns (normal healing methods apply to this blindness), while those who make their saves are not affected; the second save is vs. paralyzation; those who fail this save are stunned (as per the power word, stun spell) for 1d6 rounds. Targets who make the second save have a -2 penalty on all "to hit" rolls for 1d2 rounds, but suffer no other ill affects.

Lightspheres are immune to almost all spells, as they are able to drain the spells of their energy; in fact, a lightsphere has, in effect, 100% magic resistance - any spell directed at a lightsphere will not harm it, but instead will cause it to regenerate lost hit points at the rate of 1 per level of the spell (i.e. a fireball directed at a lightsphere, will cause it to regenerate 3 hit points.) The only spells that are immune to a lightsphere's draining effects are disintegrate and wish, which are handled normally, and spells that cause darkness; a pre-existing magic darkness will keep a lightsphere at bay, while one cast directly at a lightsphere will inflict 2d6 points of damage, and will force the lightsphere to flee the vacinity immediately.

Use of magic items (except those that create one of the above 3 affects) on a lightsphere will be unaffective; the lightsphere will absorb these attacks as sustinence. A lightsphere will leave the area after 1d8 magic item uses, as their appetite becomes satisfied.

Edged weapons only inflict half normal damage on a lightsphere; blunt weapons cause normal damage.

Habitat

Lightspheres are normally solitary in nature, but at rare times will be found in pairs (it is not known if this is a mated pair, since the lightsphere's reproductive methods are unknown.) Lightspheres live underground, and will avoid direct contact with the sunlight; it is thought that the sun's energy is too intense for the lightspheres to digest. Lightspheres normally live in areas of darkness (such as large caves and caverns), which allows them to more easily detect digestable energy, but for some reason, magic darkness is a lightsphere's bane (it is suggested that magic darkness drains a lightsphere's life-giving energy.)

Ecology

Lightspheres feed off all forms of energy, except solar radiation, which they avoid. Not much is known of their origin or purpose.