Ethereal Psychopomp (3.5e Monster)

''You're dying. As your vision fades you make out the hand of death reaching out for you ready to take you to the other side. Come into the light...''

Ethereal psychopomps are "generic" grim reapers in employ to divine shinigami and death gods. They are not particularly good or evil, simply dutiful in their quest to ferry dying souls through the ethereal plane to their appropriate outer plane and afterlife. Their true nature is epithermal, appearing as the incarnation of death for whatever species or creature believes them to be with a kindly, stoic, or cruel appearance based on their alignment and attitude. Thus most view them as the classic "grim reaper" skeleton.

Ethereal psychopomps have a duty but they are not enslaved to it. Sometime's one can bargain with them and many prefer not to engage in combat at all. Their main purpose is to sooth traumatized souls and prevent them from becoming lingering ghosts. Also for this reason, they oppose the undead (and ghosts specifically) in spite of undead appearances of themselves.

Ethereal psychopomps sizes vary on appearance, but always appear on the large size of things. They don't technically weigh anything even though they are not actually incorporeal.

Combat
Ethereal psychopomps prefer social combat to physical combat and consider battle a failure of their duties, but when pressed to fight they fight tactically, sending in allies and setting up ambushes and traps, separating parties through intimidation and fear to only deal with one at a time, and rarely fighting directly. They are not afraid to retreat; they are eternal and can merely wait for a moment of weakness. From that point on the foolish opponent will have no moment of rest without paranoia of death looking over their shoulder.

Disabling Touch :  As a touch attack (or on attacks with its slam attack or reaper weapon) the struck creature must make a DC 18 Will save or fall under the effect of disable (no HD limit) for 1 round. No matter how many times they are stuck they only need to make one saving throw a round. This is a mind-affecting effect. The saving throw is Charisma based.

Etherwalk :  As a standard action at will a psychopomp may plane shift from the material plane to the ethereal plane, or the ethereal plane to an outer plane. It may take any number of other creatures with it, and each creature adds 1 minute to the time spent walking from plane to plane. It typically does this to the souls of the dead and does not transport the living.

Immunities : The ethereal psychopomp is immune to cold and electricity, as well as ability damage, ability drain, critical hits, death effects, disease, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, mind-affecting effects, non-lethal damage, paralysis, poison, sleep, and stunning.

Psychopomp Aura :  The presence of a psychopomp is often awe-inspiring, and it helps calm confused or enraged creatures. Creatures in 30 ft make a DC 18 Will save or become fascinated for as long as they remain within its aura. A successful save renders the creature immune for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting effect. The saving throw is Charisma based.

Quasi-Undeath Traits : The ethereal psychopomp counts as undead when beneficial, including benefiting from both positive and negative energy effects. They also have some ghostly traits, gaining their Charisma as a deflection bonus (minimum +1).

Spell-Like Abilities :  At will-chill touch, detect thoughts, gentle repose, invisibility, touch of fatigue; 1/day-fear, gaseous form, undeath to death. The saving throws are Charisma based.

Reaper Weapon: Ethereal psychopomps can manifest a spooky weapon of bone called the reaper. It takes the shape of any weapon they are proficient in, typically a scythe. If thrown or dropped the reaper weapon vanishes after 1 round. A new reaper can be manifested as the same action of drawing a weapon (usually a move action) and they can call more than one such as if they are two-weapon fighting. Projectile weapons create their own mundane ammunition automatically. Reaper weapons are ghost touch weapons, and bypass DR/magic.

Skills: Ethereal Psychopomps gain a +6 bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks.