Oni, Bakeneko

Bakeneko CR 3

XP 800
CE Small outsider (native, oni, shapechanger)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 26 (4d10+4); fast healing 2
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +4

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee 2 claws +4 (1d4 plus bleed)
Special Attacks bleed (1d3), pounce, mark of envy
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +6)

STATISTICS

Str 11, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 15
Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 17
Feats Dodge, Skill Focus (Acrobatics)
Skills Acrobatics +13 (+9 when jumping), Bluff +9, Climb +8, Knowledge (local) +8, Perception +7, Perform (oratory) +9, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +14
Languages Common
SQ change shape (Small humanoid; alter self)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Mark of Envy (Su)

Once per day, as a swift action, a bakeneko can declare a single creature to be marked. The marked target is typically a creature that has taken attention away from the bakeneko and earned its ire. The bakeneko gains a bonus on attack and damage rolls against the target equal to its Charisma bonus (typically +3). The mark lasts until the target is slain or 24 hours has passed.

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or prowl (3—7)
Treasure incidental

The size of a halfling, this child-like humanoid resembles an upright cat more than a person. A pair of sharpened claws emerges from its inappropriately large paw-hands, while pointed ears crown its head. The cat-thing smiles with a comical rictus-grin.

Bakeneko are one of the lowest forms of oni, condemned to small cat-like bodies for failures in a past existence. These oni thrive on attention, similar to the cats whose form they imitate. A Bakeneko becomes incredibly irate if attention is drawn away from them by another creature, marking such targets with an invisible brand. They’re physically more powerful than spirit oni, but aren’t appropriate as familiars, putting them in a strange societal structure.

As the lowest of fleshbound oni, a bakeneko indulges in its craving at all times, regardless of other concerns. Once it finds a creature or group that fawns over its appearance, the bakeneko basks for as long as it can. A bakeneko receives its greatest attention from groups of children, but other creatures can give similar attention—particularly, lonely hermit creatures or distant sages and scholars. The cat-like oni’s demeanor is pleasant enough, but once a new creature appears to take attention away from it, the bakeneko enters a fierce rage. The ‘mark of envy’ is the name of the invisible brand a bakeneko places on those who steal its rightfully deserved tribute.

The ‘mark of envy’ is the name of the invisible brand a bakeneko places on those who steal its rightfully deserved tribute. This invisible brand is typically a single symbol, often bearing the meaning of some derogatory term the bakeneko has for its target.

Such brands last for a day, during which, they fuel the bakeneko’s rage at the target, granting them strength and accuracy far beyond what their small feline frame should be able to accomplish. If its fiendish nature is revealed, a bakeneko wastes no time in retreating, marking its target before fleeing.

In the next few hours, it returns, this time using it’s alter self spell-like ability to appear as an inconspicuous child. If all goes well, the bakeneko closes in on its target and reverts back to its true form, shredding its enemy with vicious claw strikes.

A bakeneko oni stands 3 feet tall, with a lean build covered in fur, and weighs around 35 pounds.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Asian Monsters (PF1) © 2022, Legendary Games; Authors Jason Nelson, Robert J. Grady, Andrew Ha, Gord Henderson, Thurston Hillman, Aurélien Lainé, Jeff Lee, Alex Riggs, Loren Sieg, Mike Welham.

scroll to top