Goblin, Runewarped

This pale, emaciated goblin has a ravenous look on its face. Its thin limbs are unusually long and bend in an unsettling manner.

Runewarped Goblin CR 5

XP 1,600
Runewarped goblin rogue 5
NE Small aberration (augmented humanoid)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, magic-scent; Perception +9

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+2 armor, +5 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 46 (5d8+20)
Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +4
Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge; DR 5/magic; SR 11

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk short sword +10 (1d4+2/19–20), bite +4 (1d6+1 plus consume magic) or bite +9 (1d6+3 plus consume magic)
Ranged mwk composite shortbow +10 (1d4+2/×3)
Special Attacks consume magic (DC 13), sneak attack +3d6

STATISTICS

Str 15, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 19
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Toughness, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +13, Climb +10, Disable Device +12, Escape Artist +13, Perception +9, Ride +9, Stealth +21, Swim +8; Racial Modifiers +4 Ride, +4 Stealth
Languages Goblin
SQ rogue talents (finesse rogue, surprise attack), trapfinding +2

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or gang (3–9)
Treasure NPC gear (masterwork leather armor, masterwork short sword, masterwork composite shortbow with 20 arrows, other treasure)

Through the use of runewarping, powerful mages created horribly twisted creatures from their slaves and prisoners. These creators valued ability over aesthetics, so runewarped creatures were transformed by powerful magic into horrid mockeries of their previous forms. Runewarped creatures seek out sources of magic to consume, trying in vain to complete their transformation.

Although a runewarped creature is recognizable as the creature it once was, the creature bears altered or additional limb joints, elongated fingers, and a massive jaw capable of delivering a powerful bite.

Runewarped creatures are not tied to a particular sin. They cannot detect any specific emanations of sin, but they instead sniff out magic and magical abilities. A runewarped creature constantly searches for magical energy in hopes of completing its unfinished transformation—a futile effort due to the incomplete nature of runewarping. When a runewarped creature locates a source of magic, such as a magic item or a spellcaster, it attempts to consume it.

Runewarped creatures gnaw on magical items, worrying at them until they are wholly destroyed. A runewarped creature’s bite siphons away the magical abilities of creatures capable of casting spells or using spell-like abilities. If a runewarped creature kills such a creature, it often drags the body away to consume it entirely. No matter how much it gluts itself on magic, a runewarped creature can never sate its hunger. The unstable magic resonating through the runewarped creature disrupts any consumed magic and dissipates it without any benefit to the runewarped creature.

A runewarped creature is not immortal and must still eat and drink as normal, but runewarping grants an incredibly long lifespan—a few runewarped creatures still lurk in isolated subterranean dungeons. When exposed to ongoing sources of rune magic, such as an active runewell, these extraordinarily old runewarped creatures sometimes transform into something more twisted and powerful, able to expend their consumed energy as spell-like abilities. Known as sinwarped, these creatures are living embodiments of sin magic.

Habitat and Society

Creatures exposed to aberrant energies, or who spend prolonged periods near residual echoes of such energies, find their flesh twisting and their minds wracked with the magical hunger that runewarping creates. Runewarped creatures created in this manner tend to adopt the source of their affliction as their home, exhibiting a fierce territoriality.

Runewarped creatures might work together to share resources, set traps, or plan thefts, although their constant hunger usually makes such alliances short lived.

Some runewarped creatures subjugate groups of lesser creatures, such as morlocks or goblins, sending them out to kidnap spellcasters to feed their magical hunger.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Adventure Path #133: Secrets of Roderic’s Cove © 2018, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Adam Daigle, with James Jacobs, Mikko Kallio, Luis Loza, Jacob W. Michaels, and Conor J. Owens.

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