Nagpa
by RipvanwormerMedium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d8-1 (3 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armour Class: 17 (-1 Dex, +8 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-1
Attack: Staff -1 melee (1d8-1) or bite -1 melee (1d8-1)
Full Attack: Staff -2 melee (1d8-2) or bite -1 melee (1d8-2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Sense gossip, kariwa, reincarnation, darkvision 60 feet
Saves: Fort -1 Ref +1 Will +4
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 8, Con 8, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +12, Knowledge (History) +12, Knowledge (Local) +7, Knowledge (the Planes) +6, Disguise +1, Forgery +5
Feats: Deceitful
Environment: Non-arctic desert, ruins
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Often chaotic neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3
A man-sized creature like a dried, withered, stooped humanoid with the head of a vulture shuffles toward you. It is dressed in heavy robes and carries a staff. Its skin is brownish and seems almost mummified; its joints seem gnarled with age. A strange odour of bird droppings, mustiness, dust, and old chemicals surrounds it.
Nagpas are an old, magical race, the result of a forgotten curse upon the nation of Varellya in what is now called the Vulture Peninsula. At the climax of a civil war, one of two princes conjured the avatar of an immortal (most likely Zugzul) to destroy his rival. The immortal turned on its summoner and obliterated the entire land, cursing all the inhabitants to be eternally reborn as nagpas, twisted and unloved, unable to laugh, cry, reproduce, or permanently die.
Since that time (more than four centuries ago) the nagpas have learned much of the arcane, and the majority of them are wizards of 9th to 12th level (many even greater).
Nagpas speak the Common tongue as well as their own language called Nag (pronounced NAWG). Nag is a language of squawks, caws, and shrieks closely related to Old Varellyan, and is definitely not a language suited for whispering or polite conversation.
COMBAT
Sense Gossip (Su): As part of their curse, nagpas instinctively know if they are being talked about anywhere within a 100 mile radius. They can track such gossipers as long as the speakers remain in range. A nagpa's ears suffer a burning sensation that grows hotter as the nagpa gets closer to the individual who spoke about the race. This ability is divination magic cast as if by a sorcerer of a level equal to the nagpa's hit dice. It is always active and cannot be turned off. Those being sensed may make a Will save (DC 12 + the nagpa's intelligence bonus) to avoid detection, or use anti-divination magic.
Kariwa (Ex): Kariwa is a period of meditation where nagpas recall scenes from past lives. This is extremely important. Nagpa must spend at least half an hour in this reverie each afternoon. If this is not done, the Nagpa must make a Will save (DC 12) at dawn the following day. On a failure, the nagpa falls into a deep slumber for 1d4 hours and cannot be awoken. If the save is made, and no kariwa is had the next day either, the DC for the save increases by +2 every day the nagpa continues to skip kariwa, and the nagpa must sleep an extra hour on a failure. There is also a 5% chance every day without kariwa that the nagpa develops some form of insanity - extreme claustrophobia, fear of the dark, paranoia, etc.
Reincarnation (Ex): If a nagpa dies it is reborn in the Vulture Peninsula, its ancestral home, emerging from a black cocoon in 5-8 months as an adult nagpa much the same as it was before, though its memories are somewhat fragmented and take much kariwa to recover. This cycle of rebirth cannot end until the curse on the nagpa people is lifted. The reborn nagpa will have its old class abilities, but may take time to recollect all its old grudges and plots.
Spell-like Abilities: Nagpas have the following spell-like abilities, each useable three times per day, cast as if by a sorcerer of a level equal to the nagpa's hit dice.
* Produce Flame
* Ghoul Touch
* Corruption causes one small, non-living object within 60 feet of the nagpa to make a Will save (DC 12) or decay or rot into an unusable condition at the end of 1 round,
* Darkness
* Minor Image
Skills: Nagpa get a racial +5 bonus to Knowledge (Arcana) and Knowledge (History)
NAGPA SOCIETY
Nagpas are cold, cynical creatures. Even those who are not actually evil are manipulative and have a strong sense of their own superiority. They seek to dominate those around them. Nagpas revere knowledge, the more arcane and obscure, the better. For this reason, they collect books and manuscripts avidly, building libraries in which to hoard their acquired lore. Nagpas dwell, in most cases, in gloomy subterranean crypts and mausoleums. They often design them themselves, and have them built in many cases by slaves or undead. They enjoy the atmosphere of corruption and death and are careful to keep their homes very dry, for fear of damaging the books.
Nagpas are usually solitary; they don't care for one another, and other races care for them even less. They are incapable of mating or reproducing in the usual way, and they would likely have little desire to even if they could.
Every year for centuries, however, thousands of nagpas gather in the Vulture Peninsula at the site of the ancient conjuration and sacrifice jewels, precious metals, magical items, books, knowledge, food, anything that may have any value to them, seeking atonement and an end to their wretchedness. The ghosts of those nagpas who have perished in the previous year fight their wars all over again, then materialise as embryos inside black cocoons. Nagpas are not required to make this yearly pilgrimage, but some are desperate enough to do so.
Nagpas often eat carrion, and tend to leave even the finest foods out to "ripen."
Some evil mages use the skin of nagpas as parchment for scrolls of certain powerful necromantic spells.
NAGPA AS CHARACTERS
Nagpas are usually chaotic, and they are evil almost as often as they're neutral. Long centuries as bitter recluses have made them selfish, antisocial, and hardly ever good. They favour the wizard class and are often necromancers. If they are clerics (and this is rare among the cynical nagpas) they most commonly look to Zugzul as their patron.
Nagpas possess the following racial traits
* -2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +6 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
* A nagpa's base land speed is 30 feet.
* Sense Gossip (Sp): As part of their curse, nagpas instinctively know if they are being talked about anywhere within a 100 mile radius. They can track such gossipers as long as the speakers remain in range. A nagpa's ears suffer a burning sensation that grows hotter as the nagpa gets closer to the individual who spoke about the race. This ability is divination magic cast as if by a sorcerer of a level equal to the nagpa's hit dice. It is always active and cannot be turned off. Those being sensed may make a Will save (DC 12 + the nagpa's intelligence bonus) to avoid detection, or use anti-divination magic.
* Kariwa (Ex): Kariwa is a period of meditation where nagpas recall scenes from past lives. This is extremely important. Nagpa must spend at least half an hour in this reverie each afternoon. If this is not done, the Nagpa must make a Will save (DC 12) at dawn the following day. On a failure, the nagpa falls into a deep slumber for 1d4 hours and cannot be awoken. If the save is made, and no kariwa is had the next day either, the DC for the save increases by +2 every day the nagpa continues to skip kariwa, and the nagpa must sleep an extra hour on a failure. There is also a 5% chance every day without kariwa that the nagpa develops some form of insanity - extreme claustrophobia, fear of the dark, paranoia, etc.
* Reincarnation (Su): If a nagpa dies it is reborn in the Vulture Peninsula, its ancestral home, emerging from a black cocoon in 5-8 months as an adult nagpa much the same as it was before, though its memories are somewhat fragmented and take much kariwa to recover. This cycle of rebirth cannot end until the curse on the nagpa people is lifted. The reborn nagpa will have its old class abilities, but may take time to recollect all its old grudges and plots.
* Spell-like Abilities: Nagpas have the following spell-like abilities, each useable three times per day, cast as if by a sorcerer of a level equal to the nagpa's hit dice.
* Produce Flame
* Ghoul Touch
* Corruption causes one small, non-living object within 60 feet of the nagpa to make a Will save (DC 12) or decay or rot into an unusable condition at the end of 1 round,
* Darkness
* Minor Image
* Natural Weapon: Beak (1d8)
* +5 racial bonus to Knowledge (Arcana) and Knowledge (History)
* Darkvision
* Automatic Languages: Common and Nag. Bonus languages: Abyssal, Draconic, Auran, Ignan, Alphatian, Infernal, Tabi, Gremlin
* Favoured Class: Wizard
* Level Adjustment: +3
SOURCES
Top Ballista by Carl Sargent
Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix by John Nephew, Teeuwynn Woodruff, John Terra, and Skip Williams
Dragon Magazine #157. "The Voyage of the Princess Ark," by Bruce A. Heard
Nagpa, 9th-Level Wizard
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 9d4-9 (9 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armour Class: 17 (-1 Dex, +8 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+3
Attack: Staff +4 melee (1d8-1) or bite +4 melee (1d8-1)
Full Attack: Staff +4 melee (1d8-1) or bite +4 melee (1d8-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spells, Spell-like abilities, Wand of Charm Person
Special Qualities: Sense gossip, kariwa, reincarnation, darkvision 60 feet
Saves: Fort +2 Ref +4 Will +10
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 8, Con 8, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +16, Knowledge (History) +13, Knowledge (Local) +8, Knowledge (Architecture) +6, Knowledge (the Planes) +16, Bluff +11, Disguise +1, Forgery +6, Concentration +7, Spellcraft +16, Decipher Script +12
Feats: Deceitful, Scribe Scroll, Craft Wand, Spell Mastery, Advanced Familiar
Environment: Non-arctic desert, ruins
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Often chaotic neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3
A man-sized creature like a dried, withered, stooped humanoid with the head of a vulture shuffles toward you. It is dressed in heavy robes of rich fabric and carries a staff in one hand, a twisted wooden wand in the other. Its skin is brownish and seems almost mummified; its joints seem gnarled with age. A strange odour of bird droppings, mustiness, dust, and old chemicals surrounds it.
Nagpas speak the Common tongue as well as their own language called Nag (pronounced NAWG). Nag is a language of squawks, caws, and shrieks closely related to Old Varellyan, and is definitely not a language suited for whispering or polite conversation.
COMBAT
Spells: 5/5/5/4/2/1
Sense Gossip (Su): As part of their curse, nagpas instinctively know if they are being talked about anywhere within a 100 mile radius. They can track such gossipers as long as the speakers remain in range. A nagpa's ears suffer a burning sensation that grows hotter as the nagpa gets closer to the individual who spoke about the race. This ability is divination magic cast as if by a sorcerer of a level equal to the nagpa's hit dice. It is always active and cannot be turned off. Those being sensed may make a Will save (DC 12 + the nagpa's intelligence bonus) to avoid detection, or use anti-divination magic.
Kariwa (Ex): Kariwa is a period of meditation where nagpas recall scenes from past lives. This is extremely important. Nagpa must spend at least half an hour in this reverie each afternoon. If this is not done, the Nagpa must make a Will save (DC 12) at dawn the following day. On a failure, the nagpa falls into a deep slumber for 1d4 hours and cannot be awoken. If the save is made, and no kariwa is had the next day either, the DC for the save increases by +2 every day the nagpa continues to skip kariwa, and the nagpa must sleep an extra hour on a failure. There is also a 5% chance every day without kariwa that the nagpa develops some form of insanity - extreme claustrophobia, fear of the dark, paranoia, etc.
Reincarnation (Ex): If a nagpa dies it is reborn in the Vulture Peninsula, its ancestral home, emerging from a black cocoon in 5-8 months as an adult nagpa much the same as it was before, though its memories are somewhat fragmented and take much kariwa to recover. This cycle of rebirth cannot end until the curse on the nagpa people is lifted. The reborn nagpa will have its old class abilities, but may take time to recollect all its old grudges and plots.
Spell-like Abilities: Nagpas have the following spell-like abilities, each useable three times per day, cast as if by a sorcerer of a level equal to the nagpa's hit dice.
* Produce Flame
* Ghoul Touch
* Corruption causes one small, non-living object within 60 feet of the nagpa to make a Will save (DC 12) or decay or rot into an unusable condition at the end of 1 round,
* Darkness
* Minor Image
Skills: Nagpa get a racial +5 bonus to Knowledge (Arcana) and Knowledge (History)