Barghest

Barghests are lawful evil extraplanar shapechanger outsiders.

An outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some plane other than the Material Plane. Some creatures start out as some other type and become outsiders when they attain a higher (or lower) state of spiritual existence.

Outsiders have darkvision.

Unlike most living creatures, an outsider does not have a dual nature – its soul and body form one unit. When an outsider is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on an outsider. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection to restore it to life. An outsider native to the Material Plane can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be.

Outsiders breathe, but do not need to eat or sleep (although they can do so if they wish). Outsiders native to the Material Plane breathe, eat, and sleep.

“Evil” creatures are usually outsiders native to the evil-aligned outer planes. Evil outsiders are also called fiends. Most “evil” creatures also have evil alignments; however, if their alignments change, they are still “evil” creatures. Any effect that depends on alignment affects an “evil” creature as if the creature has an evil alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. An “evil” creature overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields are evil-aligned.

Extraplanar creatures are any creatures when they are on a plane other than their native plane. A creature that travels the planes can gain or lose this subtype as it goes from plane to plane. Creatures not considered as extraplanar are natives of the Material Plane, and they gain the extraplanar subtype if they leave the Material Plane. No creature is considered extraplanar when it is on a transitive plane, such as the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, or the Plane of Shadow.

“Lawful” creatures are usually outsiders native to the lawfully aligned outer planes. Most “lawful” creatures also have lawful alignments; however, if their alignments change, they are still “lawful” creatures. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a “lawful” creature as if the creature had a lawful alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A “lawful” creature overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields are lawfully aligned.

A shapechanger has the supernatural ability to assume one or more alternate forms. Many magical effects allow some kind of shapeshifting, and not every creature that can change shapes is a shapechanger.

Said to be fiendish relations of all goblinoid races, the hateful barghests come to the Material Plane to feed. As they consume the bodies of innocents, they grow increasingly powerful. A barghest eventually sheds its skin to transform into a greater barghest, at which point it often seeks out a tribe of goblins or other creatures to rule.

Once per month, a barghest can devour a nonevil humanoid’s corpse to grow. When a bargest has devoured 4 corpses in this way, it sheds its skin and becomes a greater barghest.

Barghests can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. They can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. Tracking by scent ignores the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

Barghests have spell-like abilities. Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells (though they are not spells and thus have no verbal, somatic, focus, or material components). They go away in an antimagic field and are subject to spell resistance if the spell the ability is based on would be subject to spell resistance.

A spell-like ability usually has a limit on how often it can be used. A spell-like ability that can be used at will has no use limit. Using all spell-like abilities is a standard action, and doing so provokes attacks of opportunity. It is possible to use a spell-like ability defensively and avoid an attack of opportunity, just as when casting a spell. A spell-like ability can be disrupted just as a spell can be. Spell-like abilities cannot be used to counterspell, nor can they be counterspelled.

Barghests ignore damage from most weapons and natural attacks. Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly. They can take normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. Magic weapons can damage barghests normally.

Barghests have the ability to assume the appearance of a specific creature or type of creature (a goblin or wolf), but retain most of their own physical qualities. Barghests cannot change shape to a form more than one size category smaller or larger than their original form. This ability functions as a polymorph spell. Barghests can remain in an alternate form indefinitely.