Wrathful Creature (CR +1)[3pp]

Hatred and anger have such power that they sometimes transform a creature into a personification of self-destruction, violence, and hate, provoking blood feuds that last for centuries. These creatures often put their revenge before anything else, acting with great impatience, and never waiting on the forces of law and order to enact any kind of justice as they see that brand of justice as a pale shadow of what their foe deserves.

These creatures are never selfish or motivated by self-interest; they have a deep need for justice, but their view of justice is warped by their spite and desire for vengeance. The power of wrath often symbolically marks these creatures, with scars, bloody colorations, and various tools of violence.

Creating a Wrathful Creature

“Wrathful” is an acquired template that can be added to any creature with an Intelligence of 3 or more. Upon gaining the template the wrathful creature selects a chosen foe. The chosen foe can be a singular individual, list of individuals, or an organization.

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

CR: +1

Defenses/Qualities: ferocity

Special Abilities: A wrathful creature gains the following special abilities.

Blood Feud (Ex)

If a wrathful creature kills or entirely eliminates its chosen foe, it loses the benefit of this template. The template is then transferred to the closest blood relative (or friend) of the chosen foe that the wrathful creature killed, destroyed or used its Worse than Death ability on (see below).

Cold Vengeance (Ex)

Wrathful creatures attain a tranquil fury on the far side of rage. Once per day the wrathful creature can gain the benefits of any single barbarian rage power as a free action using its Hit Dice as its barbarian class level without suffering any of the penalties.

Discern Kith (Sp)

A wrathful creature often assaults the friends, family, and loved ones of its chosen foe rather than attacking the foe directly.

Most often, the wrathful creature wants the opponent to suffer as the wrathful creature has suffered. Once per day it can learn the names of one of these creatures (GM’s choice), its relationship to the opponent, and can locate this person as a discern location spell.

Disproportionate Retribution (Ex)

Once per day a wrathful creature can, as part of a melee attack action, deal an amount of damage equal to 150% of the amount of damage dealt to the wrathful creature by a single attack within the last round. This ability replaces all damage and effects that would normally occur as part of the wrathful creature’s melee attack.

Taking You With Me (Su)

When killed by its chosen foe, a wrathful creature explodes in a blinding flash of fire that deals 5 points of damage per Hit Die (half fire damage, half divine damage) to anything within 10 feet per Hit Die; a successful Reflex Save halves the damage (DC 10 + 1/2 the wrathful creature’s Hit Dice + its Constitution Modifier).

Vengeful List (Su)

Sometimes at the time it gains this template, a wrathful creature makes a mental or literal list of those chosen foes against which it has sworn vengeance. If it does this, it gains the benefit of the bane special weapon property against these listed chosen foes. If the wrathful creature’s new CR is 15 or higher, the enhancement bonus of the bane property increases by two and adds an additional +3d6 damage. In addition, if the wrathful creature scores a successful critical hit against the listed chosen foe, that opponent must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the wrathful creature’s Hit Dice + its Constitution modifier) or suffer 10 points of damage per Hit Die of the wrathful creature. (This even affects creatures immune to critical hits or death magic.) The wrathful creature does not gain this benefit against chosen foes who are added to this list later; once the list is completed the creature’s vengeance is sated and it loses the benefits of this template (See Blood Feud)

Worse than Death (Su)

When a wrathful creature deals damage or creates a spell or effect that would result in its opponent’s death or destruction, it can instead choose to negate that damage, spell or effect. This causes the attack to render the opponent permanently unconscious (the wrathful creature can awaken the creature at will, such as after the wrathful creature has buried its foe alive). It can also leave a vicious scar(s), permanently blinds the opponent (or only take one eye), removes an appendage, and/or permanently suppresses an opponent’s extraordinary, spell, and spell-like abilities (this opponent also cannot activate or use magic items as if it were in an anti-magic shell).

The curse bestowed by this ability cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell. However this spell must be cast by a divine spellcaster with a caster level greater than the wrathful creature’s CR and whose deity’s portfolio (or ethos) governs the power or nature of mercy.\The curse automatically ends if the wrathful creature forgives the opponent.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6, Con +4.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

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

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