Heartless Creature (CR +1)[3pp]

The heartless are different from other monsters for they are born out of the negative emotions of the most noble of beings; like poltergeists, they are filled with only the worst of what sentient beings can feel. Like demons or angels, they are physical representations of souls. In this case, however, they have separated from the beings whose emotions have created them. Some vile creatures seek to create heartless creatures, seeing them as a way to corrupt the righteous and turn them into allies. Heartless creatures always have an oppositional color scheme to the base creatures’ normal appearance, giving them a much darker look.

Creating a Heartless Creature

“Heartless” is an acquired template that can be added to any intelligent creature who can experience negative emotions (for example a marut inevitable could not become heartless).

A heartless creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: +1

Alignment: Always chaotic evil.

Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to outsider with the appropriate augmented subtype, plus the native subtype. Do not recalculate Hit Dice, base attack bonuses, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.

Special Abilities: A heartless creature retains all the special abilities of the base creature, and gains the special abilities as described below.

Aura of Abuse (Su)

Non-heartless creatures who enter this 30 ft. aura experience visions of the abuse the heartless creature suffered from. A failed Will save DC (see below) determines the effect of the aura; the effect lasts for 5 rounds. Upon a successful save, the subject is shaken for one round.

DC Condition
1/2 the heartless creature’s HD + its Cha modifier Cowered
5 +1/2 the heartless creature’s HD + its Cha modifier Panicked
10 +1/2 the heartless creature’s HD + its Cha modifier Frightened

Create Heartless (Su)

Once per day as a standard action, a heartless creature can create an exact duplicate of a target creature within 30 ft. That duplicate gains the heartless creature template. A heartless creature does not gain use of this ability until 24 hours after its original creation. The new heartless creature has all the possessions and powers of its original (including magic, though it cannot duplicate artifacts). Upon the defeat or destruction of either the original or the heartless duplicate, the duplicate and her items disappear completely (though the items reappear with improved rejuvenation).

The motives of the heartless duplicate, if needed, are determined by the GM. The duplicate is not under the control of its creator.

Improved Rejuvenation (Su)

In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a heartless creature through simple combat: the “destroyed” or “slain” heartless creature restores itself in 1d4 hours. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. The only way to permanently destroy a heartless creature is to have its originator slain or destroyed, or to have the originator absorb the creature. The originator can automatically absorb a helpless or pinned heartless creature, otherwise it must make a successful touch attack against the heartless creature and succeed on an opposed Charisma check. A failed check cannot be attempted again for 24 hours.

Mocking Laughter (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds as a swift action, the heartless can unleash a torrent of braying laughter combined with a stream of vile expletives and invective, this is directed against one target within 200 ft. If the target fails its Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the heartless creature’s HD + its Cha modifier) it suffers 1d6 points of nonlethal damage for every 2 HD the heartless creature possesses.

In addition, upon a failed save, the target is filled with humiliation, shame, and self-loathing, taking a -1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks for 1 day per HD. This penalty increases by -1 for every 2 HD the heartless creature possesses This penalty can be removed by application of any effect that grants a morale bonus to any attack roll, saving throw, ability check or skill check. Targets that make their save are immune to this heartless creature’s mocking laughter for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

Malevolence (Su)

Once per round, the heartless creature can merge its body with its originator. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 15th or the heartless creature’s HD, whichever is higher), except that it does not require a receptacle. To use this ability, the heartless creature must be adjacent to the target. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 10 +1/2 the heartless creature’s HD + its Cha modifier). An originator that successfully saves is immune to that same heartless creature’s malevolence for 24 hours.

Treasure: none

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathways Bestiary (c) 2017, Rite Publishing LLC.; Author: Steven D. Russell.

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