Yeshom
by Jamie BatySCMC
Medium Undead (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 14d12 (91 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Armour Class: 20 (+2 Dex, +8 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+7
Attack: Slam +7 melee (2d6 + 2d6 acid) or 1 touch +7 melee touch (2d6 acid)
Full Attack: Slam +7 melee (2d6 + 2d6 acid) or 1 touch +7 melee touch (2d6 acid)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: Acid, deadly envelopment, improved grab, spells
Special Qualities: Change shape, Damage reduction 15/magic, darkvision 60ft., energy immunities, inherent spell-like abilities, spell resistance 24, undead traits
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +12
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con -, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 17
Skills: Concentration +4, Hide +8*, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (arcana) +21, Knowledge (religion) +10, Listen +22, Move Silently +8, Search +13, Spellcraft +21, Spot +22, Survival +11, Tumble +10
Feats: Alertness, Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Greater Spell Penetration, Spell Penetration
Environment: Any land
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 15-28 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -
Yeshoms are the undead remnants of aranean mages who sought power, got it, and paid too high a price. In its normal form, the yeshom resembles a large puddle of oily, black tar.
Yeshoms came into being about 1,500 years ago, when a group of Herathian mages cooperated in an effort to gain immortality, augment the natural shapechanging abilities of the aranean race, and gain additional spellcasting power.
Their research effort succeeded in all three of these goals, discovering a method by which a powerful aranea could be transformed into a new form with vastly greater power. A number of Herath's best and finest mages volunteered for the treatment and were transformed into yeshoms, before the process's horrible side effects were discovered.
At first, the Herathian volunteers were able to retain their original alignments through force of will. However, the undead form carried a subtle evil warping influence, which slowly made the yeshoms psychotic and bitter. All of them eventually became insane, humanoid-hating recluses.
Yeshoms are extremely solitary; they have no retainers or undead followers. The yeshom is also cruel, irrational, and bored. Yeshom prefer to draw out the agony of a death, prolonging the victim's terror.
Yeshom are not prone to travel. They inhabit isolated regions and regard anyone or anything that wanders into their territory as prey. They especially like to prey upon araneas, a form of revenge for the failed experiment.
Araneas try desperately to hide the existence of this creature from outsiders. Because the yeshom tends to stay in one place, the araneas simply avoid those places. Also, the secretive araneas rarely feel obligated to warn outsiders.
Combat
Yeshoms are quite willing to engage in combat. Killing assuages their terrible boredom and hatred. Tactically, they are cunning fighters and will always strike at the weaknesses of the party. It will usually not kill any victim until it has had a chance to envelope them first.
Anyone killed by a yeshom is gone forever, beyond resurrection, raise dead, wish and similar spells.
Acid (Ex): The creature secretes a digestive acid that dissolves organic material and metal quickly, but does not affect stone. Any melee hit or touch attack deals acid damage, and the opponent's armour and clothing dissolve and become useless immediately unless they succeed on DC 20 Reflex saves. A metal or wooden weapon that strikes a yeshom also dissolves immediately unless it succeeds on a DC 20 Reflex save. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
The yeshom's acidic touch deals 21 points of damage per round to wooden or metal objects, but the creature must remain in contact with the object for 1 full round to deal this damage.
Deadly Envelopment (Ex): Any man-sized or smaller victim grabbed by the yeshom may be enveloped as a standard action. An enveloped creature must immediately make a Will save vs DC 20 (Cha based) or fall unconscious. The yeshom can instantly read the mind of the unconscious victim, and may kill the victim as a swift action in the next round.
A conscious victim may attempt to free themselves through an opposed grapple check or an Escape Artist skill check. In both cases the yeshom receives a +4 bonus to the check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a yeshom must hit with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to envelope the foe the following round (See Deadly Envelopment).
Spells: A yeshom cast spells as a wizard of equal HD, in this case a 14th level wizard. It may cast 4/5/5/5/5/3/3/2 spells per day. These must be prepared in advance from a spellbook.
Change Shape (Su): A yeshom has the ability to assume the appearance of any man-sized creature, but retains most of its own physical qualities. Unlike most shapechangers, a yeshom will always appear like it is coated in a black, shiny liquid. Changing shape results in the following changes to the creature:
• The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form.
• The creature loses the natural weapons, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its original form, with the exception of the Acid (Ex) ability.
• The creature gains the natural weapons, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its new form.
• The creature retains all other special attacks and qualities of its original form, except for breath weapons and gaze attacks.
• The creature retains the ability scores of its original form.
• The creature retains its hit points and saves.
• The creature 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 yeshom does not gain the bonus to Disguise checks normally granted due to its black liquid-like appearance.
Damage Reduction (Su): A yeshom has damage reduction of 15/magic.
Energy Immunities (Ex): A yeshom is immune to all energy discharge damage. This covers all fire, cold, electrical and force damage (such as a magic missile spell).
Inherent Spell-like abilities (Sp): A yeshom is constantly under the effect of the following spells: comprehend languages, detect evil, detect good, see invisible, detect magic, protection from good, protection from arrows, read magic, tongues, and unseen servant. These abilities are merely suppressed for 1d4 rounds if subject to a dispel magic or similar spell. An unseen servant destroyed by area damage, reforms in 1d4 rounds.
Skills: *A yeshom has a +12 bonus to all hide checks when in its natural form.
Undead Traits: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a fortitude save unless it also works on objects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if it is willing. The creature has darkvision 60 ft. unless otherwise noted.
The Red Curse
Yeshoms each have six Legacies from Region 4. They do not require cinnabryl.