Vodnici (3.5e Monster)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 3-17-17 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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	Vodnici (Puppeteer)
Size/Type:	Small Outsider (Aquatic, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful, Maita, Psionic)
Hit Dice:	4d8+8 (26 hp)
Initiative:	+3
Speed:	30 ft, climb 15 ft, swim 30 ft
Armor Class:	18 (+4 armor, +3 dex, +1 size), touch 14, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple:	+4/-1
Attack:	Talons +8 melee (1d4-1 plus 1d6 poison, 20/x2)
Full Attack:	Two Talons +8 melee (1d4-1 plus 1d6 poison, 20/x2)
Space/Reach:	5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks:	Deadly Game, Devour Soul, Puppet Corpse, PLAs, Poison
Special Qualities:	Amphibious, Darkvision 60 ft, DR 5/magic, Inertial Armor, Maita Traits, Soul Cup, Telepathy 100 ft
Saves:	Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +6
Abilities:	Str 8, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 15, Cha 19
Skills:	Bluff +14, Concentration +9, Diplomacy +11, Disguise +7/+15 when puppeting, Hide +14, Move Silently +10, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand +10
Feats:	Weapon FinesseB, Skill Focus (Disguise), Skill Focus (Bluff)
Environment:	Any Evil Plane, Swamps
Organization:	Solitary
Challenge Rating:	3
Treasure:	Standard
Alignment:	Always Lawful Evil
Advancement:	By character class
Level Adjustment:	—

The gambler smiled at you as he dealt the cards, his movements ever so uncanny as the invisible demon just above him puppeted his corpse about.

Soul devouring fiends of hedonism and temptation, vodnicis are gamblers who enjoy a thrill while collecting souls as easily as one might collect stamps. They are tricksters, not brutes, but their subtle nature makes them all the more insidious. When not puppeteering corpses to look like men, they are hideous alien swamp demons, pudgy humanoids with squid-like heads, bulbous sickly goat eyes, long gangling arms which they walk upon, and crossed legs in lotus position. Their webbed hand-like feet have small talons which bleed a poisonous silvery thread that affects corpses and causes them to rise once more as if alive. When incorporeal, they are usually seen as standing on the shoulders of their victim with their arms, and using their feet to direct their host.

Vodnicis are short and stubby, 3 feet tall and 150 lbs when corporeal. They speak Abyssal, Common, and Infernal.

Combat

Vodnicis are not interested in direct combat. Instead they are opportunists and scavengers, picking up the bodies of the dead and using them to interact with others socially, tricking them out of their funds, their hopes, and their souls. Thus most encounters are of a skill challenge variety, with moth vodnicis retreating if encountering real danger.

Deadly Game (Su): The vodnici is a master of trickery, using games to steal souls. A vodnici (usually wearing the corpse of another, see Puppet Corpse) can challenge a target to a game with the reward for winning being the opponent's soul, usually in exchange of some favor. If the target agrees to the terms of the game the deadly game begins, and the vodnici proves to be abnormally lucky in its challenge. It rolls twice and takes the higher result in any opposed checks required, and has a minimum +8 (before ability modifiers) to any skill checks required for the purpose of games. It is compelled to follow through with the terms of the game should it fail. If it succeeds, it steals the target soul leaving the target in a lifeless coma which will eventually perish on its own. It also falls under a sanctuary effect (DC 20) for 1 hour afterward as a counter to angry allies who may not agree to the terms of the game. The vodnici is not above cheating to win games if it can get away with it but if it is caught it risks forfeiting the game, and vice versa.

Devour Soul (Ex): As a standard action touch attack, the maita can consume the soul of a creature which has perished within 1 minute, storing it within themselves. They automatically do this as a free action with no touch attack if they are the one who slew the creature. A creature with a devoured soul cannot be revived by anything short of true resurrection, miracle, wish, or a limited wish to release the soul followed by any valid revival attempt. Unlike most maita, the death of the vodnici does not release the souls (see Soul Cup) except for the soul of whoever it is puppeting. Neither does the vodnici digest souls, instead hoarding them for all eternity in cups or its gullet.

Inertial Armor (Su): The vodnici has a +4 armor bonus from a constant 1st level inertial armor effect.

Poison (Ex): The vodnici does not have a traditional poison, but instead deals an additional 1d6 damage on its natural attacks which is poison based. There is no save, but creatures immune to poison are immune to this additional damage. It can be extracted like normal poisons, becoming an injury poison that deals 1d6 poison damage (no save) with no secondary effects. In addition, the flesh of the vodnici is also poisonous. Creatures eating or biting the creature take 1d6 poison damage per attack.

Psi-Like Abilities (Ps): At will-create sound, detect psionics, far hand; 3/day-cloud mind, deja vu, demoralize, telempathic projection; 1/day-conceal thoughts, disable, entangling ectoplasm. The saving throws are Charisma based.

Puppet Corpse (Su): Whenever a vodnici deals a soul via Devour Soul, it also can reanimate the corpse provided it is intact. It extends silvery cords from its talons, digging into the body and turning it into a puppet. The resulting corpse no longer ages or rots (through wounds are still visible), and the vodnici becomes invisible and incorporeal, always within 5 ft of the corpse as it is pulled along by invisible silver strings. Treat the corpse as if it were a zombie, but with no Single Action requirement. The corpse can walk, talk, and continue to perform actions using the same actions from the connected vodnici, and can even be a channeled medium for the vodnici's psi-like abilities. Most vodnici attempt to conceal the display of their powers, as the display would appear offset (originating from their true body) and give themselves away.

When inhabiting corpses, not only do they proceed to live a hedonistic life vicariously through the stolen body, they also use it to cheat others out of their souls. They can challenge others to a Deadly Game (see above), and if they win they add another soul to their collection back at their lair. Because of the need for cups to store souls in (see Soul Cup), vodnici possessed corpses can sometimes be discovered for their theft and hoarding of cups.

Destroying the corpse breaks the puppeteering connection, but the vodnici remains invisible and incorporeal for 1 round afterward, long enough to find a hiding spot. Githyanki silver swords known for their ability to cut silver cords can also sever the connection between vodnici and corpse.

Soul Cup (Ex): Vodnicis collect and store cups, goblets, bowls, and any similar objects and collect them, for they have a unique ability to bond with them and use them as storage containers for souls they steal. A vodnici could contain a nearly unlimited amount of souls, provided they have a big enough collection. Even if the vodnici is killed its souls are not released. However, the souls are much more easily released if the collection is found, for tipping over the cups and spilling the ectoplasm-like substance which the bound souls take the form of is enough to free the victims of their imprisonment.

Vodnicis are highly protective of their lairs and their cups, ensuring no one steals their precious collection. Sometimes they store the preserved dead corpses of those whose souls they have stolen in their lair. If for any reason they lose their current puppet they can assume the corpse of a new puppet, drinking the soul out of the cup and puppeting the body as if it were fresh.

Skills: Vodnici have a +8 racial bonus to disguise checks for their puppets to act alive and in character.

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