Ethereal Graveyard Tool

Ethereal Graveyard Tool CR 3

The head of this shovel is stylized to look like an awoken demon, the haft of the tool a bone from which four ethereal lanterns float, held on by ghostly chains.

XP 800
N Small aberration
Init +9; Senses low-light vision; Perception +9

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+5 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size)
hp 22 (5d8)
Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +5

OFFENSE

Speed 5 ft.; fly 50 ft. (good)
Melee slam +9 (1d6-2 bludgeoning, Crit 18-20/x2)
Special Attacks dancing lanterns
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +6)

At willdisrupt undead

TACTICS

Before Combat Ethereal graveyard tools dig pits in the earth, preparing graves far in advance of dead creatures to inhabit them. An ethereal graveyard tool prowls about using its ethereal jaunt ability to move unseen (and often through solid objects, such as tombs and mausoleums).

During Combat Upon locating a body to inter, whether living, dead or undead, it shifts to the Material Plane to strike its victim or bull rush it into a nearby open grave, then retreats quickly back to the Ethereal Plane. Once it manages to get its victim into a grave, it rapidly tries to fill the grave in as quickly as possible (filling a 5 ft. x 5 ft. pit after 5 full-round actions of shoveling). Getting out of an ethereal graveyard tool’s pit requires a Climb check (DC 15 + 2 per previous check).

Morale When badly wounded, a graveyard tool escapes rather than continuing the fight.

STATISTICS

Str 6, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +3; CMB +2 (+4 bull rush); CMD 17 (19 vs. bull rush)
Feats Improved Bull RushB, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +10, Fly +10, Perception +9
Languages Common, Orc (cannot speak)
SQ ethereal escape

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Dancing Lanterns (Su)

An ethereal graveyard tool can produce a dancing lights effect (as per the spell; CL 5th) that weakens undead within 20 ft. of it, incurring a –2 penalty to attack rolls, AC, and saves. The lights only ever take the form of a quartet of lanterns tied to the creature’s handle, floating toward the cardinal directions and allowing the ethereal graveyard tool to see what it is doing.

Ethereal Escape (Su)

The ethereal graveyard tool is able to slip into the Ethereal Plane as a move action. It can remain in the Ethereal Plane for two rounds before it must use a move action to shift back to the Material Plane.

As a result of constant use, and ethereal graveyard tools takes on a little of the former essence of every creature it has helped bury; once a shovel has been used in at least 1,000 funerals it spontaneously transforms into a fearsome, mysterious creature.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (graveyards only)
Organization solitary
Treasure none

In general these oddities go about burying the dead but seem to lack the ability to distinguish them from the living, though the aberrations tend to smash undead before returning their remains to the earth. Despite its small size and lack of strength, it delivers devastating bull rushes and impressive assaults using its innate ability to tumble and deliver deft blows (much like a rapier). Once defeated it falls to the ground, a standard shovel once more.

Ethereal graveyard tools are about 3 and 1/2 ft. tall and weigh only 10 or 12 pounds.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Aventyr Bestiary © 2017 AAW GAMES LLC Authors Mike Myler, Jonathan G. Nelson Developers, Michael Allen, Curtis Baum, Wolfgang Baur, Brian Berg, Adam Daigle, Jeffrey Gomez, Joshua Gullion, Jacob Kellogg, Jared Jeanquart, Juan Lucha, Justin Andrew Mason, Jonathan McAnulty, Michael McCarthy, Raven Mimura, Brian Wiborg Monster, Will Myers, Mike Myler, Jason Nelson, Jonathan G. Nelson, Owen K.C. Stephens, Colin Stricklin, Cory Vickruck, Stephen Yeardley Jonathan G. Nelson

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