Tonberry

Tonberry CR 10

XP 9,600
CE Small monstrous humanoid
Init +12; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, Perception +16

DEFENSE

AC 24, touch 20, flat-footed 24 (+8 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural, +1 size)
hp 125 (10d10+70)
Fort +12, Ref +15, Will +10
DR 10/magic; SR 21
Defensive Abilities karmic defense, uncanny dodge

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee +1 short sword +20/+15 (1d4+5/19-20)
Special Abilities murderous force

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 26, Con 24, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 19
Base Atk +10; CMB +13; CMD 32
Feats Ability Focus (karmic defense), Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Skills Intimidate +17, Perception +16, Stealth +29, Survival +16, Swim +12
Languages Common, Undercommon
SQ freedom of movement, hold breath, sense power, tonberry light

ECOLOGY

Environment underground
Organization solitary, conflux (2-5 plus 0-3 master tonberries) or court (3-8 plus 1-6 master tonberries and 1 tonberry king)
Treasure standard (+1 short sword, 3 short swords, hooded lantern, other treasure)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Freedom of Movement (Su)

A tonberry is always under the effect of a freedom of movement spell as a supernatural ability.

Karmic Defense (Su)

Whenever a tonberry takes damage from a creature within 60 feet, that creature takes 1d6 points of damage per Hit Dice it has. A successful DC 21 Will save halves this damage. A creature can only take damage from that tonberry’s karmic defense once per round, no matter how many times it attacks the tonberry. This is a mind-influencing effect, and the save DC is Charisma based.

Murderous Force (Su)

A tonberry can use slay living (CL 10th, DC 19) at will by a touch. It can also use this ability as a swift action against a creature it hits with a weapon attack. The save DC is Charisma based.

Sense Power (Su)

A tonberry knows the Hit Dice of all creatures within 60 feet that it can see.

Tonberry Light (Su)

Any lantern held by a tonberry gains magical powers. All creatures within the aura of its light are subject to an invisibility purge spell.This is an ability of the tonberry, not the lantern.

ABOUT

This small humanoid has green skin and blank yellow eyes. Its garb is an oversized robe that drags on the ground behind it, nearly concealing its fish-like tail. It clutches an oversized knife in one hand, and a lantern in the other. It is expressionless, but nevertheless bears an aura of malice.

Once, the tonberries had a great civilization. They were a subterranean and semi-aquatic people, their cities built into the shores of sunless seas. In their arrogance, they raided the races of the Darklands and the surface world alike, until they brought the wrath of their enemies upon them. A mere handful of heroes were sufficient to topple the tonberry empire, a fact that the surviving tonberries have never forgotten. They were never a kindly people, but after their failure turned to dark powers of death and revenge. Even the lowliest tonberry is now gifted with the power to kill with a touch, and they use this evil blessing to target powerful humanoids as misplaced vengeance for the loss of their culture.

A tonberry is an implacable foe. They prefer to face parties of gifted individuals rather than kill indiscriminately—in their minds, they are angels of vengeance for the legions of monsters that adventurers slay in order to gain power and improve their skills. The more powerful a creature is, the more haunted they are by a tonberry, as they feel the pain of the monsters they slay in their own bodies when they attack the strange tonberry. The wisest heroes seek to delay or distract a tonberry rather than fight it, because a tonberry can kill an entire party before it lays a single blow. The blows it does lay are supernaturally lethal.

Variant Tonberries

Tonberries are religious in their own twisted way, and their clerics are called master tonberries. These masters direct tonberries to find worthy targets for murdering, and make the magic knives that every tonberry wields. A master tonberry has the cleric simple template and Craft Magic Arms and Armor as a bonus feat. A master tonberry is CR 12.

The most powerful tonberries are tonberry kings, who embody the rage for the lost legacy of their people. A tonberry king has the advanced and barbarian simple templates, and is usually found in the company of a court of lesser tonberries. A tonberry king is CR 14.