GHOUL                            

Ghouls speak the languages they spoke in life (usually Common).

COMBAT

Ghouls try to attack with surprise whenever possible. They strike from behind tombstones and burst from shallow graves.

Ghoul Fever (Su): Disease—bite, Fortitude DC 12, incubation period 1 day, damage 3 Con and 3 Dex. The save DC is Charisma-based.

An afflicted humanoid who dies of ghoul fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight. A humanoid who becomes a ghoul in this way retains none of the abilities it possessed in life. It is not under the control of any other ghouls, but it hungers for the flesh of the living and behaves like a normal ghoul in all respects. A humanoid of 4 Hit Dice or more rises as a ghast, not a ghoul.

Paralysis (Ex): Those hit by a ghoul’s bite or claw attack must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 5 rounds. Elves have immunity to this paralysis. The save DC is Charisma-based.

GHAST

Although these creatures look just like their lesser kin, they are far more deadly and cunning.

Combat

Ghoul Fever (Su): Disease—bite, Fortitude DC 15, incubation period 1 day, damage 3 Con and 3 Dex. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Paralysis (Ex): Those hit by a ghast’s bite or claw attack must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 5 rounds. Even elves can be affected by this paralysis. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Stench (Ex): The stink of death and corruption surrounding these creatures is overwhelming. Living creatures

within 10 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be sickened for 1d6+4 minutes. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same ghast’s stench for 24 hours. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from a sickened creature. Creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison receive their normal bonus on their saving throws. The save DC is Charisma-based.

GNOLL                   

Gnolls are hyena-headed, evil humanoids that wander in loose tribes. Most gnolls have dirty yellow or reddish-brown fur. A gnoll is a nocturnal carnivore, preferring intelligent creatures for food because they scream more. A gnoll is about 7-1/2 feet tall and weighs 300 pounds. Gnolls speak Gnoll.

COMBAT

Gnolls like to attack when they have the advantage of numbers, using horde tactics and their physical strength to overwhelm and knock down their opponents. They show little discipline when fighting unless they have a strong leader; at such times, they can maintain ranks and fight as a unit. While they do not usually prepare traps, they do use ambushes and try to attack from a flanking position. Because of its shield, a gnoll’s modifier on Hide checks (untrained) is –2, which means gnolls always take special care to seek favorable conditions when laying ambushes (such as darkness, cover, or some other form of advantageous terrain).

GOBLIN                                   

A goblin stands 3 to 3-1/2 feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Its eyes are usually dull and glazed, varying in color from red to yellow. A goblin’s skin color ranges from yellow through any shade of orange to a deep red; usually all members of a single tribe are about the same color. Goblins wear clothing of dark leather, tending toward drab, soiled-looking colors. Goblins speak Goblin; those with Intelligence scores of 12 or higher also speak Common.

Most goblins encountered outside their homes are warriors; the information in the statistics block is for one of 1st level.

COMBAT

Being bullied by bigger, stronger creatures has taught goblins to exploit what few advantages they have: sheer numbers and malicious ingenuity. The concept of a fair fight is meaningless in their society. They favor ambushes, overwhelming odds, dirty tricks, and any other edge they can devise.

Goblins have a poor grasp of strategy and are cowardly by nature, tending to flee the field if a battle turns against them. With proper supervision, though, they can implement reasonably complex plans, and in such circumstances their numbers can be a deadly advantage.

Skills: Goblins have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks. Goblin cavalry (mounted on worgs) usually select the Mounted Combat feat in place of the Alertness feat, which reduces their Spot and Listen check modifiers from +3 to +1.

SEA HAG                                       

The sea hag is found in the water of seas or overgrown lakes.

A sea hag is about the same height and weight as a female human.

Combat

Sea hags are not subtle and prefer a direct approach to combat.

They usually remain in hiding until they can affect as many foes as possible with their horrific appearance.

Horrific Appearance (Su): The sight of a sea hag is so revolting that anyone (other than another hag) who sets eyes upon one must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or instantly be weakened, taking 2d6 points of Strength damage. This damage cannot reduce a victim’s Strength score below 0, but anyone reduced to Strength 0 is helpless. Creatures that are affected by this power or that successfully save against it cannot be affected again by the same hag’s horrific appearance for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Evil Eye (Su): Three times per day, a sea hag can cast its dire gaze upon any single creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or be dazed for three days, although remove curse or dispel evil can restore sanity sooner. In addition, an affected creature must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or die from fright. Creatures with immunity to fear effects are not affected by the sea hag’s evil eye. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Amphibious (Ex): Although sea hags are aquatic, they can survive indefinitely on land.

Skills: A sea hag has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

HOBGOBLIN                   

Hobgoblins are larger cousins of goblins. Hobgoblins’ hair color ranges from dark reddish-brown to dark gray. They have dark orange or red-orange skin. Large males have blue or red noses. Hobgoblins’ eyes are yellowish or dark brown, while their teeth are yellow. Their garments tend to be brightly colored, often blood red with black-tinted leather. Their weaponry is kept polished and in good repair. Hobgoblins speak Goblin and Common. Most hobgoblins encountered outside their homes are warriors; the information in the statistics block is for one of 1st level.

COMBAT

These creatures have a strong grasp of strategy and tactics and are capable of carrying out sophisticated battle plans. Under the leadership of a skilled strategist or tactician, their discipline can prove a deciding factor. Hobgoblins hate elves and attack them first, in preference to other opponents.

Skills: Hobgoblins have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

The hobgoblin warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.

HYDRA                   

Hydras are reptile-like monsters with multiple heads. A hydra is gray-brown to dark brown, with a light yellow or tan underbelly. The eyes are amber and the teeth are yellow-white. It is about 20 feet long and weighs about 4,000 pounds. Hydras do not speak.

COMBAT

Hydras can attack with all their heads at no penalty, even if they move or charge during the round.

A hydra can be killed either by severing all its heads or by slaying its body. To sever a head, an opponent must make a successful sunder attempt with a slashing weapon. (The player should declare where the attack is aimed before making the attack roll.) Making a sunder attempt provokes an attack of opportunity unless the foe has the Improved Sunder feat. An opponent can strike at a hydra’s heads from any position in which he could strike at the hydra itself, because the hydra’s head writhe and whip about in combat. An opponent can ready an action to attempt to sunder a hydra’s head when the creature bites at him. Each of a hydra’s heads has hit points equal to the creature’s full normal hit point total, divided by its original number of heads. Losing a head deals damage to the body equal to half the head’s full normal hit points. A natural reflex seals the neck shut to prevent further blood loss. A hydra can no longer attack with a severed head but takes no other penalties.

Each time a head is severed, two new heads spring from the stump in 1d4 rounds. A hydra can never have more than twice its original number of heads at any one time, and any extra heads it gains beyond its original number wither and die within a day. To prevent a severed head from growing back into two heads, at least 5 points of fire or acid damage must be dealt to the stump (a touch attack to hit) before the new heads appear. A flaming weapon (or similar effect) deals its energy damage to the stump in the same blow in which a head is severed. Fire or acid damage from an area effect may burn multiple stumps in addition to dealing damage to the hydra’s body. A hydra does not die from losing its heads until all its heads have been cut off and the stumps seared by fire or acid.

A hydra’s body can be slain just like any other creature’s, but hydras possess fast healing (see below) and are difficult to defeat in this fashion. Any attack that is not (or cannot be) an attempt to sunder a head affects the body.

Targeted magical effects cannot sever a hydra’s heads (and thus must be directed at the body) unless they deal slashing damage and could be used to make sunder attempts.

Fast Healing (Ex): Each round, a hydra heals damage equal to 10 + the number of its original heads.

Skills: Hydras have a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks, thanks to their multiple heads.

A hydra has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Feats: A hydra’s Combat Reflexes feat allows it to use all its heads for attacks of opportunity.

SKELETON                   

Skeletons are the animated bones of the dead, mindless automatons that obey the orders of their evil masters.

A skeleton is seldom garbed in anything more than the rotting remnants of any clothing or armor it was wearing when slain. A skeleton does only what it is ordered to do. It can draw no conclusions of its own and takes no initiative. Because of this limitation, its instructions must always be simple. A skeleton attacks until destroyed.

Attacks: A skeleton retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature, except for attacks that can’t work without flesh. A creature with hands gains one claw attack per hand; the skeleton can strike with each of its claw attacks at its full attack bonus. A skeleton’s base attack bonus is equal to 1/2 its Hit Dice.

 Special Attacks: A skeleton retains none of the base creature’s special attacks.

Special Qualities: A skeleton loses most special qualities of the base creature. It retains any extraordinary special qualities that improve its melee or ranged attacks. A skeleton gains the following special qualities.

Immunity to Cold (Ex): Skeletons are not affected by cold.

Damage Reduction 5/Bludgeoning: Skeletons lack flesh or internal organs.

Saves: Base save bonuses are Fort +1/3 HD, Ref +1/3 HD, and Will +1/2 HD + 2.

Abilities: A skeleton’s Dexterity increases by +2, it has no Constitution or Intelligence score, its Wisdom changes to 10, and its Charisma changes to 1.

DRIDER                                       

Driders speak Elven, Common, and Undercommon.

COMBAT

Driders seldom pass up an opportunity to attack other creatures, especially from ambush. They usually begin with a spell assault and often levitate out of the enemy’s reach.

Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 16, initial and secondary damage 6 Str. The save DC is Constitution based.

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—dancing lights (DC 13), clairaudience/clairvoyance, darkness, detect good, detect law, detect magic, dispel magic, faerie fire, levitate, suggestion (DC 16). Caster level 6th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Spells: Driders cast spells as 6th-level clerics, wizards, or sorcerers. Drider clerics can choose from the following domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, and Trickery. The typical spells prepared shown here are for a drider sorcerer.

Typical Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/6/4, base save DC 13 + spell level): 0—daze, detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, ray of frost, read magic, resistance; 1st—mage armor, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, silent image; 2nd— invisibility, web; 3rd—lightning bolt.

Skills: A drider has a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.

DIRE RAT

Dire rats are omnivorous scavengers, but will attack to defend their nests and territories.

A dire rat can grow to be up to 4 feet long and weigh over 50 pounds.

Combat

Dire rat packs attack fearlessly, biting and chewing with their sharp incisors.

Disease (Ex): Filth fever—bite, Fortitude DC 11, incubation period 3 days, damage 3 Dex and 3 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Skills: Dire rats have a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks. Dire rats have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

Dire rats use their Dexterity modifier for Climb and Swim checks.

ETTIN                       

Ettins, or two-headed giants, are vicious and unpredictable hunters that stalk the night.

An ettin never bathes if it can help it, which usually leaves it so grimy and dirty its skin resembles thick, gray hide. Adult ettins are about 13 feet tall and weigh 5,200 pounds. They live about 75 years.

Ettins have no language of their own but speak a pidgin of Orc, Goblin, and Giant. Creatures that can speak any of these languages must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence check to communicate with an ettin. Check once for each bit of information: If the other creature speaks two of these languages, the DC is 10, and for someone who speaks all three, the DC is 5.

COMBAT

Though ettins aren’t very intelligent, they are cunning fighters.

They prefer to ambush their victims rather than charge into a straight fight, but once the battle has started, an ettin usually fights furiously until all enemies are dead.

Superior Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex): An ettin fights with a morningstar or javelin in each hand. Because each of its two heads controls an arm, the ettin does not take a penalty on attack or damage rolls for attacking with two weapons.

Skills: An ettin’s two heads give it a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, and Search checks.

CHAIN DEVIL (KYTON)                                   

Kytons are humanlike devils, wrapped in chains instead of clothing. A chain devil is 6 feet tall and weighs about 300 pounds, chains included.

Chain devils speak Infernal and Common.

Combat

A chain devil attacks by flailing away with the spiked chains that serve as its clothing, armor, and weapons.

A chain devil’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned and lawful-aligned

for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Dancing Chains (Su): A chain devil’s most awesome attack is its ability to control up to four chains within 20 feet as a standard action, making the chains dance or move as it wishes. In addition, a chain devil can increase these chains’ length by up to 15 feet and cause them to sprout razor-edged barbs. These chains attack as effectively as the devil itself. If a chain is in another creature’s possession, the creature can attempt a DC 15 Will save to break the chain devil’s power over that chain. If the save is successful, the kyton cannot attempt to control that particular chain again for 24 hours or until the chain leaves the creature’s possession. The save DC is Charisma-based.

A chain devil can climb chains it controls at its normal speed without making Climb checks.

Unnerving Gaze (Su): Range 30 ft., Will DC 15 negates. A chain devil can make its face resemble one of an opponent’s departed loved ones or bitter enemies. Those who fail their saves take a –2 penalty on attack rolls for 1d3 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Regeneration (Ex): Chain devils take normal damage from silvered weapons, good-aligned weapons, and spells or effects with the good descriptor. A chain devil that loses a piece of its body regrows it in 2d6x10 minutes. Holding the severed member against the stump enables it to reattach instantly.

Skills: Chain devils have a +8 racial bonus on Craft checks involving metalwork.