Spirit, Ethengarian: Greater Animal
by Jamie BatyGAZ12 41
Medium Deathless (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 9d12 (58 hp)
Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares) in banded mail armour; base speed 60 ft.
Armour Class: 19 (+1 Dex, +2 natural, +6 banded mail armour), touch 11, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+7
Attack: +1 Flaming composite shortbow +8 range (1d6 + 4 + 1d6 fire)
Full Attack: Flaming composite shortbow +8/+3 range (1d6 + 4 + 1d6 fire) or long sword +7/+2 melee (1d8 +3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Alternate form, darkvision 60ft., materialise, deathless traits
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +8
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con 0, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Gather Information +10, Knowledge (nature) +10, Listen +13, Search +10, Sense Motive +10, Spot +13, Survival +10 (Note: Skills may be adjusted to reflect the spirit's animal species)
Feats: Alertness, Dodge, Endurance, Improved Initiative
Environment: Prime Material Plane or Spirit World (Ethereal)
Organisation: Solitary + 50% chance 2d6 Lesser Animal Spirits
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 10-30 HD (Medium) or by character class
Level Adjustment: -
These powerful animal spirits appear as humanoid animals of their species. They wear shining lamellar armour (banded) and carry a composite short bow and a long sword. They are shapechangers, able to assume the forms of the normal animal of their species and of a large version of the animal.
In their humanoid forms, greater animal spirits can speak the local common language without the accents that characterise the speech of lesser spirits.
In most areas of Mystara, greater animal spirits are encountered less frequently than lesser spirits. However, they are more common and more active in Ethengar due to the presence and magic of the shamans. Greater animal spirits in that land are often encountered after they have been summoned by a shaman. Others are encountered any time animals are killed unnecessarily or when their natural habitats are threatened. They may also be encountered guarding large herds of animals or on an errand for a Spirit Lord. They may attack any who threaten the animals under their care or attempt to lure aggressors away. If neither of these options looks feasible, they lead the animals to safety.
Although animal spirits and some fey creatures may share goals in regards to protecting the creatures of the world, they are not overly friendly or cooperative with one another. Animal spirits tend to stay away from areas with a large fey population, and fey tend to stay away from known animal spirits and their territories.
Combat
Like lesser animal spirits, these spirits only fight in their normal, humanoid form. If attacked while in either animal form, they will flee or immediately change into humanoid form.
Greater animal spirits prefer to fight at a distance with their bows, and only fight in melee if forced to. Many use +1 flaming composite short bows and normal long swords. Higher HD greater animal spirits will have more powerful bows: for every 5 HD over 9, the bow gains another +1 bonus and at 30 HD the bow has the flaming burst ability. Some animal spirits use other weapons, though they always prefer ranged attacks and the ranged weapon will always be magical.
Alternate Form (Su): A greater animal spirit has the ability to assume two forms. Its first form is that of the normal creature it watches over (i.e. a Greater Wolf Spirit can assume the form of a normal wolf). Its second form is a "large" version of the normal creature. This form is two size categories larger than the normal creature. This ability works much like the polymorph spell, except that the spirit is limited to the forms specified, and does not regain any hit points for changing its form. Assuming an alternate form results in the following changes to the spirit:
• The spirit retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form.
• The spirit loses the natural weapons, natural armour, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its original form.
• The spirit gains the natural weapons, natural armour, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its new form.
• The spirit retains the special qualities of its original form. It does not gain any special qualities of its new form.
• The spirit retains the spell-like abilities and supernatural attacks of its old form (except for breath weapons and gaze attacks). It does not gain the spell-like abilities or supernatural attacks of its new form.
• The spirit gains the physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con) of its new form. It retains the mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha) of its original form.
• The spirit retains its hit points and save bonuses, although its save modifiers may change due to a change in ability scores.
• The spirit retains any spellcasting ability it had in its original form, although it must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components and it must have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components.
• The spirit is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its new form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.
Materialize (Su): A spirit dwells on the Ethereal Plane in a location known as the Spirit World and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a spirit materialises, it enters the Material Plane and becomes visible and corporal. A materialised spirit can be harmed normally. A greater animal spirit may materialise 3/day.
Deathless Traits: A deathless has the following traits.
• No Constitution score.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charm compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
• Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, or ability drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution) as well as fatigue and exhaustion effects. Unlike undead, the deathless are subject to energy drain. Like living creatures, deathless are harmed by negative energy and healed by positive energy
• Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save, except for energy drain attacks, effects that also work on objects, and harmless effects.
• Cannot use the run action.
• Uses Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
• Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hp or less, it is immediately destroyed.
• Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect the deathless if they are willing. These spells turn deathless creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming deathless.
• Evil clerics can turn or destroy deathless creatures as good clerics turn or destroy undead. Good clerics and paladins can rebuke, command, or bolster deathless creatures as evil clerics rebuke, command, or bolster undead.
• Deathless creatures gain the same benefits from consecrate and hallow as undead do from desecrate and unhallow, and they are hindered by desecrate and unhallow as undead are by consecrate and hallow. Hide from undead and undeath to death also work against deathless. Detect undead and deathwatch also reveal deathless and allow the caster to distinguish deathless creatures from undead. Evil casters can be stunned by overwhelming auras of deathless creatures as good casters can be stunned by overwhelming undead auras. Use "undead" line in the detect evil spell description when deathless are in the area of detect good spell. Deathless are healed by disrupt undead and damaged by unholy water as undead are by holy water. Deathless are not affected by disrupting weapons. Spells that have greater than normal effect against undead creatures - including chill touch, magic stone, searing light, sunbeam, sunburst, and wall of fire - do not have these enhanced effects against deathless creatures. Deathless take only 1d6 points of damage per two caster levels from searing light. Spells such as command undead, control undead, create undead, create greater undead, and halt undead do not affect or create deathless creatures.
• Proficient with its natural weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entries.
• Proficient in whatever type of armour (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Deathless not listed as wearing armour are not proficient with armour.
• Deathless do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
Greater Animal Spirits as Characters
A greater animal spirit's favoured class is druid. Most commonly these spirits are druids, clerics, shamans, or sorcerers. Some may become rangers. Greater animal spirit clerics may select two of the following domains: Animal, Protection or Strength.