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Legacy Leech

by Jamie Baty

SCMC
Medium Outsider (Chaos, Evil, Extraplanar, Shapechanger, Tanar'ri)
Hit Dice: 10d8+20 (65 hp)
Initiative: +9 (+5 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armour Class: 22 (+5 Dex, +7 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+11
Attack: By weapon +15 melee (by weapon +1)
Full Attack: By weapon +15/+10/+5 melee (by weapon +1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Legacy drain, one with the host, summon
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., immunity to electricity and poison, outsider traits, reborn, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, spell resistance 22, telepathy, weapon form
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +8
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 20, Wis 12, Cha 17
Skills: Bluff +16, Concentration +15, Diplomacy +16, Disguise +16, Gather Information +16, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (arcana) +18, Knowledge (the planes) +18, Listen +16, Search +18, Sense Motive +14, Spot +16, Survival +14
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Any land
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Medium); 21-30 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -

A legacy leech is the essence of a tanar'ri that has been banished to the Prime Material Plane. The legacy leech looks like a slug with writhing tendrils along its tail and head and no discernible eyes or facial features. However, no one is likely to see it in this form. Instead, the legacy leech takes on the appearance of a single red steel weapon either a +1 rapier, a +1 dagger, a +1 magical hook, or even a +1 pistol. It will remain in one of these forms, waiting to be grasped by an intelligent creature.
The legacy leech requires an intelligent creature to work through. Still, if a cleric of good alignment holds on to the weapon, it will violently twist and shake, skittering across the room away from the cleric (treat as a grapple check). Likewise, a legacy leech will never choose the host of a heroic spirit; two such spirits would be forced to fight for control. Strangely, a paladin can grasp the leech, though the weapon does radiate an aura of evil.
Legacy leeches care only about breaking their banishment and will do whatever they can to force their host to help it steal legacies in order to accomplish this.
Legacy leeches speak Abyssal, as well as Common and any other local languages.

Combat
Legacy leeches normally seek to possess intelligent creatures rather than fight them. To accomplish this, they are almost always in their weapon form looking for someone to grasp them. Afterwards, the leech will look for opportunities to steal legacies- the methods of killing the potential victim matter little to the leech, as its only concern is stabbing the dead victim in the heart to steal the legacy. Occasionally, a leech will willingly leave a weak host for a more powerful one, or will leave a host that can resist its desire to steal legacies.
If forced to fight, it fights in its weapon form. It cannot be attacked while part of a host.

Legacy Drain (Su): A legacy leech may steal a legacy from a defeated foe. It must stab the victim in the heart with one of its weapon forms in order to steal the legacy. Should the host be unwilling to do this, the legacy leech may compel them to do it if they fail a DC 22 (Cha-Based, +4 racial bonus)) Will check.
The leech can only steal legacies it does not already possess. Once stolen, the leech permanently possesses the legacy and may use it as a normal legacy.

One With the Host (Su): When the weapon form of a legacy leech is grasped by an intelligent creature, it grows tendrils that penetrate the owner's flesh (no saving throw allowed), becoming one with the host. When this happens, the leech disappears completely into the host's body, reappearing as needed. It can reappear as any of the weapons listed above as its host desires, forcing the host to drop anything being held in that hand. A host cannot drop the leech's weapon form through disarming (or any other means for that matter). Appearing and reappearing are an instant action.
The legacy leech may allow its host the use of some or all of its stolen legacies. This is normally only done in dire circumstances.
A legacy leech can only be safely driven from the host by means of exorcism or by the use of a wish spell. A legacy leech is also forced to leave a host if it steals 15 legacies while in the host. This causes the host 10d10 damage and the host must check for death by massive damage. The legacy leech can willingly leave host as well, but this is rare.

Reborn (Ex): Once the leech has absorbed at least two Legacies per Hit Die (20+), it possesses enough energy to break its banishment and return home. It immediately leaves its host and forms in the nearest available adjacent space. For two rounds, the tanar'ri will attack anyone present before being automatically gated to its plane of origin. The specific tanar'ri form is up to the DM.

Summon (Sp): A legacy leech has the ability to summon other tanar'ri. Once per day a legacy leech can attempt to summon 4d10 dretches or 1d2 vrocks with a 50% chance of success, or a glabrezu with a 20% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.

Immunity to Electricity and Poison (Ex): Legacy leeches are completely unaffected by any electrical attacks, and suffer no ill effects from poison, regardless of the source.

Telepathy (Su): A legacy leech can communicate telepathically with any other creature within 100 feet that has a language. It is possible to address multiple creatures at once telepathically, although maintaining a telepathic conversation with more than one creature at a time is just as difficult as simultaneously speaking and listening to multiple people at the same time.

Weapon Form (Su): Legacy leeches can assume the form of a single red steel weapon: either a +1 rapier, a +1 dagger, a +1 magical hook, or even a +1 pistol. It may switch into this form any number of times per day, and may stay in this form as long as it desires.
When in weapon form, the legacy leech may move and attack on its own, as if wielded by a Medium-sized creature. Once it is grasped, the creature attacks with the wielder's weapon abilities.

The Red Curse
When found, a legacy leech is expected to have already acquired 1d4+1 Legacies. These creatures never require cinnabryl.