Lamias


Lamias are monstrous humanoids.

Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features. They often have magical abilities as well.

They have darkvision.

Monstrous humanoids breathe, eat, and sleep.

The hate-filled inheritors of an ancient curse, lamias appear as lean and attractive women from the waist up, while below they possess the bodies of powerful lions. Even their humanoid features bear distinctly feline traits, their eyes slitted and feral and their teeth like predatory fangs. A typical lamia stands over 6 feet tall, measures more than 8 feet long, and weighs upward of 650 pounds.

Although a lamia is Large, its upper torso is the same size as that of a Medium humanoid. As a result, lamias wield weapons as if they were one size category smaller than their actual size (Medium for most lamias).

Lamias are attracted to the ruined and forsaken parts of the world. Crumbling keeps, abandoned cities, and forgotten monuments all satisfy these deadly hunters’ cruel aesthetic – particularly those in arid or otherwise lifeless environs. Foremost, though, lamias favor decrepit temples. They delight in seeing the shrines of good deities in ruins and go out of their way to bring hardship to thriving holy places.

Lamias 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.

Lamias look to the eldest female of their group as their leader, mother, and shaman, cleaving to her with fanatical reverence. While lamias shun most religious followings – viewing such as the source of the curse that blighted them with bestial forms – lamia elders claim to hear the scouring of the desert winds and know the cold whims of the stars, drawing upon such mystical sources to lead their people.

A lamia drains willpower each time it hits with its melee touch attack. (Unlike with other kinds of drain attacks, a lamia does not heal any damage when using it.) Lamias try to use this ability early in an encounter to make foes more susceptible to their spell-like abilities.

Feline lamias are the most common and least powerful members of this cursed race, with others bearing serpentine, avian, and even more perverse forms.

Lamias have low-light vision.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Races of Varisia

From the reclusive elves of the Mierani Forest to the orc-blooded interlopers from the Hold of Belkzen to the Varisian wanderers from whom the region takes its name, diversity and conflict characterize the varied cultures that make Varisia their home. Height and Weight Although the races of Golarion are fundamentally the same as those presented in D&D, there are some slight differences in height and weight. Most notably, those of elven blood are taller in Golarion, and the fey-kindred gnomes are lighter. The details of all races are presented  online  for ease of reference. Humans Three distinct human societies dwell in Varisia: the expansionist colonists of Cheliax, the tempestuous tribes of the Shoanti barbarians, and the enigmatic Varisians. Chelaxians: Beyond the Mindspin Mountains and far to the south lies the cosmopolitan heresy of Cheliax. Once an empire of unquestioned might, the death of the empire's god Aroden allowed the rise of a diabolical aristocracy
Read more

Dog, Riding

Image
Riding dogs s are animals. An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate with no magical abilities and no innate capacity for language or culture. Animals have low-light vision. Animals breathe, eat, and sleep. Larger dogs (known to Small races like halflings and gnomes as riding dogs) include hardier breeds such as huskies, mastiffs, and wolfhouds. A riding dog can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he is a skilled rider. Riding dogs can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Riding dogs can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. Riding dogs can detect opponents by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases; if downwind, it drops. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at longer range. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at even longer range. When a rid
Read more

Undead Lords

For every type of undead, there exists an undead lord, a being of great power that commands the lesser of its kind. They are powerful creatures that inspire awe and fear in those they rule. Undead lords constantly project an aura that functions as a permanent desecrate spell. In addition, channeling energy is harder. Undead lords 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 undead lords normally. Undead lords are extremely dangerous opponents. They are stronger, tougher, and more intelligent than the ones they command. As such, they are rarely encountered by chance (and rarely encountered alone). Most maintain a lair far away from civilization where they plot and plan, sending their minions on missions to further their goals. Undead lords are less easily a
Read more