Arson Gremlin (3.5e Monster)

''You ever get the urge to just burn the whole world? No? Strange, must just be me...''

Some crazy people accused of arson have blamed the voices in their head or the devil telling them to do it. Most are crazy... and some are victims of the arson gremlin. A malicious fey, it is rarely ever found in their original forest homes these days. Pushed out for their arsonist tendencies and vicious wildfires they would cause, they find new home influencing the minds of men, urging them to burn down the very cities which they spent so long to create. The diminutive pyromaniacs never seem to get enough of fire, and nearly worship the concept of flame as if it were a god. The only thing the arson gremlins seem to like with equal joy as fire is alcohol. More than one tavern has been raided, and then set aflame after all its booze has been stolen by the fiendish things. Urban centered plagued with the presence of these fey are in dire need to hunters with cold iron weapons to sort them out.

Arson gremlins are gnarled little humanoids with large heads with a wide maw black teeth, blazing orange or gold eyes, and large donkey ears. Tufts of yellow, red, white, gray, or black hair tops their heads, and their bodies seem a bit too small for the size of their head and limbs. They can float, and when they do so they emit smoke as if some perverse form of pixie dust. Many have assumed arson gremlins to be some manner of tiny genie, as their lower legs may sometimes be obscured by a tornado of black fog.

An arson gremlin is just under 2 feet tall, usually in a sitting position on a cloud of smoke as they float through the air. They are very light, only 20 lbs, and speak Sylven and Ignan. They smell faintly of ash.

Combat
Arson Gremlins avoid direct conflict, if discovered they usually flee. If they cannot flee, then their opponents become tinder to light on fire, but they usually aim to cause as much collateral damage in the process. Not only does this create fire to help the arson gremlin recover in, but it also tends to sow panic in its opponents as a fight against the gremlin becomes a fight not to be entrapped in a burning building.

Absorb Fire : Arson gremlins aren't merely immune to fire, they heal from it. They recover a number of hp equal to half the fire damage dealt.

Aura of Fire Control :  Arson gremlins have an aura out to 30 ft which affects fire around them. The aura can perform one effect at a time, and it is a swift action to change what their aura does from the list below:


 * Excite Flame: All fire damage in the area deals an additional +1 damage per die.


 * Extend Flame: Any fire which starts while this aura is active has the duration doubled, burning even as it exhausts its fuel source. It does not increase the duration of pre-existing flames.


 * Widen Flame: Area of effect fire effects have their size doubled. For example, a fireball whose area of effect intersects with the aura has its size increased to a 40 ft radius burst.

A martial lore or spellcraft check equal to DC 10 + HD (or 14) can determine which aura is up at the time.

Evasion : Arson gremlins have evasion as a rogue.

Inspire Arson :  At will an arson gremlin can manipulate the minds of others to try and start fires. A creature in 60 ft must make a Will save (DC 15) or always choose to employ fire in their activities, be it attacking with fire damage or simply trying to use fire in whatever task is at hand. This occurs even if they know fire doesn't make sense, such as using fire on the fire-healing gremlin. If they are unable, they suffer a -2 morale penalty on attacks, damage, skills, ability checks, and saving throws until they do or the duration expires. This lasts for 1 hour/level, and a creature which saves is immune to further attempts for 24 hours. This is equal to a 3rd level spell, and the saving throw is Charisma based. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

Light Suppression :  Normally glowing light sources are not suppressed on invisible creatures, resulting in phantom spots of light with no source. However the arson gremlin can cause any fire within 30 ft to not shed light. It still appears glowing when visible, but it does not illuminate its surroundings. It may do this as a free action on its turn only.

Natural Finesse : Arson gremlins may use Dexterity instead of Strength in place of all attack and damage rolls with weapons.

See in Fog :  An arson gremlin can see through opaque fogs and gases, typically smoke from the fires they create.

Spell-Like Abilities :  At will-burning hands (DC 13), invisibility; 3/day-heat metal (DC 14), produce flame; 1/day-fireball (DC 15), obscuring mist, wall of smokeSpC (DC 13). The saving throws are Charisma based.