Norn

This towering, stern woman wears her long blonde hair in braids. She carries a reel of golden thread and a pair of shears.

Norn CR 18

XP 153,600
LN Large fey
Init +16; Senses all-around vision, blindsight 120 ft., low-light vision, greater arcane sight, true seeing; Perception +30

DEFENSE

AC 33, touch 21, flat-footed 31 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, +10 insight, +5 natural, -1 size)
hp 270 (20d6+200); regeneration 10 (cold iron)
Fort +18, Ref +18, Will +21
Defensive Abilities death ward, fated, foresight, mind blank, never surprised or flat-footed; DR 15/cold iron; Immune cold; Resist acid 30, electricity 30, fire 30; SR 29

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft. (30 ft. with armor)
Melee shears +21/+21/+16 (1d8+12/15-20 plus energy drain), touch +11 (energy drain)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks energy drain (2 levels, DC 30), shift fate, snip thread
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th; concentration +28)

Constantdeath ward, foresight, greater arcane sight, mind blank, tongues, true seeing
At willbestow curse (DC 23), divination, greater dispel magic, geas/quest, vision, wind walk (self only)
1/daymaze, moment of prescience, quickened phantasmal killer (DC 24), power word kill, time stop, weird (DC 29)

STATISTICS

Str 25, Dex 14, Con 30, Int 21, Wis 24, Cha 31
Base Atk +10; CMB +18; CMD 30
Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, DiehardB, Great Fortitude, Improved Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Improved Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (phantasmal killer)
Skills Bluff +23, Craft (cloth) +18, Heal +12, Intimidate +30, Knowledge (all) +25, Perception +30, Perform (oratory) +18, Sense Motive +30, Use Magic Device +23
Languages Common, Giant, Sylvan; tongues
SQ change shape (humanoid; alter self or giant form II)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Fated (Su)

A norn adds her Charisma modifier as an insight bonus to AC and on initiative checks.

Shears (Su)

A norn’s shears function as a +5 mithral keen speed scimitar, but only for a norn.

Shift Fate (Su)

As an immediate action, a norn can force any one target within 120 feet to reroll a saving throw—this ability must be used immediately after the saving throw is rolled, and the target must abide by the result of this second roll.

Snip Thread (Su)

As a standard action up to three times per day but no more often than once every 1d4 rounds, a norn may produce a golden thread linked to a creature’s fate and then attempt to snip it short with her shears. The target creature must be within 120 feet and in the norn’s line of sight. The target immediately takes 20d6 points of damage (Fortitude DC 30 for half). If the target dies from this damage, the norn has cut through the thread—in this case, the target may only be restored to life via miracle, wish, or divine intervention. This is a death effect. The Save DC is Charisma-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment cold mountains
Organization solitary, pair, or trio
Treasure double (+3 hide armor, shears, golden thread worth 500 gp, other treasure)

Ancient beyond imagining, the norns are a race of powerful women who hold in their hands the physical manifestation of fate and destiny in the form of golden thread. They watch over all life, intervening with reluctance when called upon or with a vengeance when the strands of fate are twisted and abused by lesser beings. Worshiped as gods by some, the norns do little to discourage this veneration.

A norn stands 14 feet tall and weighs 800 pounds.

Variant: Norn, Norn of the Solstice Court (CR 17)

[Source]

This powerful giant maiden wears concealing robes and light seems to pass through her as if she were not there. She carries a reel of golden thread and a pair of shears. Norns of the Solstice Court are far more vicious, vindictive, and cruel than their cousins, and far more willing to manipulate the strands of fate than those norns that belong to other fey courts.

Alignment CE; this replaces a norn’s LN.

Improved Evasion (Su)

This works like evasion, except that while the Norn of the Solstice Court still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Norn of the Solstice Court does not gain the benefit of improved evasion. The save DC is Charisma-based.

This replaces the norn’s moment of prescience and time stop spell like abilities.

Pluck the Thread (Su)

Using her ability to affect the outcome of fate, a Norn of the Solstice Court can, as an immediate action, cause a hazardous condition to affect a single target. This hazard deals 10d6 points of damage and inflicts a condition (see below). A successful Reflex save (DC 30) results in half damage and negates the condition. The actual damage type is subject to GM determination but the default is often bludgeoning, resulting from something improbably falling from the sky (such as a dead griffon) or a underground explosion (such as caused by the rotting corpse of a purple worm), but it can be as dramatic as a lightning strike from a clear blue sky. This damage cannot be something the target is resistant or immune to. A Norn of the Solstice Court can also inflict any one of the following conditions when a target fails its save. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Condition Duration
shaken, sickened 1 round/class level
deafened, blinded, confused, staggered 1d4 rounds
dazed, cowering, nauseated, stunned 1 round.

This replaces the norn’s weird spell-like ability.

Pronounced Doom (Su)

As a swift action, a Norn of the Solstice Court can curse any creature within 100 ft. with an ill-fortune. This curse permanently negates all luck bonuses the target benefits from. In addition, any combat action other than moving its speed that the subject takes has a 75% chance of failing. A successful Will save (DC 30) negates this effect. This is a curse effect that adds +5 to the DC to remove the curse.

This replaces the norn’s bestow curse and geas/quest spell like abilities.

Stalwart (Ex)

This ability grants the Norn of the Solstice Court the ability to alter the likelihood of secondary effects interacting with her; if she makes a Fortitude or Will saving throw against an attack that has a reduced effect on a successful save, she instead avoids the effect entirely. This ability can only be used if the Norn of the Solstice Court is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless Norn of the Solstice Court does not gain the benefit of the stalwart ability.

This replaces the norn’s maze and quickened phantasmal killer spell-like abilities.

Section 15: Copyright Notice
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3, © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
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