Skin Stealer Alchemist 4

Skin Stealer Alchemist 4 CR 5

XP 1,600
Male skin stealer alchemist 4
NE Medium fey
Init +7; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +4 shield)
hp 72 (8 HD; 4d6+4d8+40)
Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +7; +2 vs. poison
Defensive Abilities blur

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk heavy mace +11 (1d8+5 plus poison) or 2 claws +10 (1d4+5)
Ranged bomb +9 (2d6+4 acid or fire)
Special Attacks bomb 8/day (2d6+4 acid or fire, DC 16), sneak attack (+1d6), steal skin

Alchemist Extracts Prepared (CL 4th)

2nd—blur, fire breath (DC 16)
1st—bomber’s eye, jump, shield, true strike

TACTICS

Before Combat Vorkstag drinks his mutagen and potion of bull’s strength, then his extracts of blur, jump, and shield.

During Combat On the first round of combat, Vorkstag drinks his extract of bomber’s eye. Vorkstag prefers to meet opponents in his lair, where he can use his bombs to greater effect, excluding himself and any allies with precise bombs, if necessary. He attempts to draw opponents into dangerous areas to make things more dangerous for them. If forced into melee combat, he drinks his extract of fire breath and continues throwing bombs, attacking with his poisoned mace or claws only as a last result.

Morale If reduced to 20 hit points or fewer, Vorkstag retreats from combat, drinking his potion of invisibility if possible. If pursued, he tries to lure enemies to his allies.

Base Statistics Without his mutagen, potion, and extracts, Vorkstag has AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12; hp 56; Fort +8; Melee mwk heavy mace +9 (1d8+3 plus poison) or 2 claws +8 (1d4+3); Str 17, Con 16, Cha 18; CMB +8; CMD 21; Skills Acrobatics +14, Bluff +15, Disguise +17 (+27 with stolen skin), Use Magic Device +15

STATISTICS

Str 21, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 16
Base Atk +5; CMB +10; CMD 23
Feats Brew Potion, Deceitful, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Throw Anything, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +14 (+24 jump), Bluff +14, Craft (alchemy) +15 (+19 to craft alchemical items), Disguise +16 (+26 with stolen skin), Escape Artist +10, Heal +13, Knowledge (local) +13, Perception +11, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +18, Use Magic Device +14
Languages Aklo, Common, Elven, Undercommon, Varisian
SQ alchemy (alchemy crafting +4, identify potions), discoveries (acid bomb, precise bombs [4 squares]), mutagen (+4 Con/–2 Cha, +2 natural, 40 minutes), poison use, swift alchemy
Combat Gear potion of bull’s strength, potions of cure light wounds (2), potion of invisibility, potion of spider climb, potion of water breathing, wand of acid arrow (21 charges); Other Gear masterwork heavy mace, dust of tracelessness (2 doses), alchemist’s kit, formula book (contains all prepared extracts, plus bull’s strength, cure light wounds, darkvision, endure elements, invisibility, and spider climb), keys (to all locked doors in the area), poison (black adder venom [2 doses], blue whinnis [2 doses], and deathblade [1 dose])

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Steal Skin (Su)

As a full-round action, a skin stealer may steal the skin of a creature of Small, Medium, or Large size with a roughly humanoid shape. The target creature must be dead, helpless, or willing. If the target creature is alive, the skin stealer must make a successful coup de grace attack to steal its skin. The skin stealer can don or remove a stolen skin as a move action. When wearing a stolen skin, the skin stealer takes on the likeness of the skin’s original owner, including the victim’s voice, build, and size, but gains none of the creature’s abilities. The stolen skin grants the skin stealer a +10 bonus on Disguise checks, with none of the usual penalties for different gender, race, age, and size. Stolen skins are preserved and remain as supple as living skin. A skin stealer may only steal and use a number of skins equal to its Charisma score. The skin stealer may choose to discard unwanted skins to make room for new ones at any time; discarded skins rot and decay normally.