Bayun Cat (Spheres)

Bayun Cat CR 3

XP 800
N Tiny magical beast
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +7

Defense

AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +2 size)
hp 18 (3d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +2; +4 vs. mind-affecting
DR 10/cold iron
Weaknesses feywild trickster

Offense

Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +9 (1d3-4), 2 claws +9 (1d3+4)
Space 2.5 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks lullaby whispers (DC 16, -3 vs. (charm) sphere-like abilities)
Sphere-Like Abilities (CL 3; MSB +3; MSD 14; concentration +6; CAM Cha)

At-Will Mind Sphere – Expanded Charm, Subtlety; (charm) Enthrall, Sleep; Special Whiskered Whispers (may only use each greater charm or powerful charm once per day)

• charm, close (30 ft.), DC 14; place a (charm) on a target; a lesser charm may only target each creature 1/day
• Enthrall (charm); the target treats you as its friend, +5 on its saving throw if in combat with you
  • lesser charm (increase target’s disposition by 1 step for 3 minutes) (Will negates)
  • greater charm (increase target’s disposition to friendly for 3 minutes, can make requests of the target) (Will negates)
• Sleep (charm); put the target to sleep
  • lesser charm (the target is staggered for 1d4 rounds) (Will negates)
  • greater charm (the target falls asleep for 3 minutes; any damage or a standard action may wake the target) (Will negates)
• Suggestion (charm); plant thought or course of action in target’s mind
  • lesser charm (simple request) (Will negates)
  • greater charm (same as lesser charm but basic request, -2 for simple) (Will negates)
• Expanded Charm; affect any creature
• Subtlety; if a target succeeds at a saving throw against your charms, they attempt another Will save. If they fail, they are unaware they were targeted by a (charm).

Statistics

Str 5, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 17
Base Atk +3; CMB -1; CMD +13
Feats: Ability Focus (lullaby whispers), Improved Initiative
Skills Bluff +10, Climb +6, Diplomacy +10, Perception +7, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +18; Racial Modifiers Bluff +4, Diplomacy +4, Sense Motive +4
Languages common, sylvan, truespeech
SQ feywild trickster, wise aide, whiskered whispers

Special Abilities

Feywild Trickster (Ex)

Although the bayun cat is a magical beast, it has strong fey origins. The bayun cat counts as both fey and magical beast for the purposes of effects targeting creatures by type (such as a ranger’s favored energy and bane weapons).

Because of these strong fey origins, the bayun cat gains a +4 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive. However, the normal tools which sicken and weaken fey also work against a bayun cat. Whenever the bayun cat is damaged by a cold-iron weapon it is sickened for 1 round.

Iron-Point Claws (Ex)

While seemingly weak, the bayun cat’s claws are as strong as iron, easily tearing through flesh.

The bayun cat’s claws use its Dexterity modifier to damage rolls instead of its Strength modifier.

Lullaby Whispers (Su)

As a full-round action, the bayun cat can begin singing a gentle, hypnotic lullaby, which can be clearly heard by any nearby creature (much like a bard’s bardic performance). This ability can be maintained each round as a free action, but cannot be maintained if the bayun cat is sickened (see feywild trickster). Creatures who can hear the bayun cat’s lullaby are more susceptible to the bayun cat’s mental manipulation, taking a penalty on all saving throws made against the bayun cat’s Charm sphere effects equal to the bayun cat’s Charisma modifier (usually -3). This is a mind-affecting, language-dependent charm effect. When using this ability, the bayun cat communicates using truespeech, affecting any creature that has a language (spoken or understood).

A creature is not automatically aware they are under the effects of the bayun cat’s lullaby (much like how creatures are not aware they are under the effects of a mesmerist’s hypnotic stare ability). Creatures may attempt a Perception check (DC 16) to notice the lullaby when first affected by it, and are granted a new Perception check as a free action each time they successfully save against the bayun cat’s Mind sphere Subtlety talent (becoming aware that they were targeted by one of the bayun cat’s Mind sphere-like abilities). A creature aware of the bayun cat’s lullaby may attempt a Will saving throw as a move action to restore clarity to their minds. If successful, they do not suffer penalties from the same bayun cat’s lullaby for 24 hours. Both the save DC and the Perception check DC are Charisma-based.

Creatures wearing a helmet made of metal (such as part of a set of full plate armor) are immune to this ability.

Sphere-Like Abilities (Sp)

A bayun cat possesses sphere-like abilities, as indicated in its stat block. The bayun cat’s caster level for these sphere-like abilities is equal to its CR.

If a bayun cat is serving as a familiar, it uses its master’s level to calculate its caster level, MSB, and MSD for its sphere-like abilities as if it were a Mid-Caster and gains new magic talents from the whiskered whispers ability using its master’s level as if it were its own Hit Dice.

Whiskered Whispers (Sp)

The bayun cat possesses a number Mind-sphere sphere-like abilities, augmented by the Expanded Charm and Subtlety talents. Every bayun cat has the Sleep (charm) and two other (charm) talents.

As a bayun cat becomes stronger, it gains an additional Mind sphere talent for every 4 Hit Dice it possesses beyond 3 (starting at 7 Hit Dice) to either augment its existing sphere-like abilities or select new (charm) talents. If the bayun cat selects the Powerful Charm talent, it may only use each powerful charm it has access to 1/day.

Wise Aide (Ex)

The bayun cat is an intelligent and helpful creature when befriended, aiding travelers in their journeys and answering questions. The bayun cat may attempt all Knowledge checks untrained and, once per day, the bayun cat can take 20 on any Knowledge check.

About

Environment any
Organization solitary
Treasure incidental; silver charms and trinkets (10 gp)

Long whiskers and a well -groomed tail, this seemingly average cat seems to sing a gentle lull aby which soothes the mind, yet there is a glint of great intelligence in its eyes.

The bayun cat is a capricious and playful creature known for playing tricks on unassuming folks, manipulating others for food and treats, or taking an entire village as its territory and under its “protection”. While its appearance is often impossible to distinguish from an average cat, the bayun cat is known for its unusual ability to not only talk, but sing, its mystical powers manifesting as a soft lullaby, or cat-like bay or “bayu” from which its name originates from. The bayun cat often appears in the fairytales of rural villages as a warning to children to not go out at night or play with strange creatures.

Bayun cats are rarely found together and little is known of their true origins despite being found anywhere there are people. They are nonetheless prized as companions and familiars for powerful sorcerers and witches that value the bayun cat’s astounding intelligence and ability to grow in power with their master.

The original bayun cat, or at least the oldest one in recorded memory, is believed to be the sire of all bayun cats. It has served as the sole familiar to the great witch Baba Yaga, and has become powerful enough in its long tenured service to be worthy of its own legends.

Familiar

A 7th-level spellcaster of any alignment the Improved Familiar feat can gain a bayun cat as a familiar.

Variants

Distant yet close relatives to the bayun cat, trickster cats lurk in all manner of shadows.

Cheshire Cat (CR +0)

A wicked and toothy grin accompanies this brightly-colored cat creature, the Cheshire cat is a mocking, torturously unusual “event” of a creature. Sightings are often indicative of madness, but also unfound mystery and discovery. Interactions with Cheshire cats are often characterized by their seemingly phantom-like presence, phasing in and out of reality while holding cryptic conversations with those who would engage it.

A Cheshire cat is a variant bayun cat which exchanges sphere-like abilities (Mind sphere (Enthrall, Sleep)), the lullaby whispers ability, and the Ability Focus (lullaby whispers) feat for the following:

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Immune: confusion

Special Attacks: fading smile (DC 16) [the Cheshire cat’s sphere-like ability statistics are identical to the bayun cat’s, this section provides the information for the two common talents the Cheshire has access to instead of Enthrall and Sleep]

• Amnesia (charm); cause the target to forget.
  • lesser charm (the target forgets what happened the previous round, but may attempt a new saving throw each time it is reminded of the information) (Will negates)
  • greater charm (the target forgets all memories from the past 3 minutes, or all memory of a single thing for 3 minutes) (Will negates)
• Confusion (charm); cause the target to behave erratically
• lesser charm (the target is confused for 1 round) (Will negates)
• greater charm (the target is confused for 3 minutes) (Will negates)

Feats: Ability Focus (we’re all mad)

Special Abilities

Fading Smile (Su)

The Cheshire cat is only seen when it wants to be. The Cheshire cat may spend a move action to become invisible, as though under the effects of the Illusion sphere Suppression (glamer) invisibility sphere effect with a caster level equal to the Cheshire cat’s Hit Dice. The Cheshire cat can remain invisible this way indefinitely and does not need to concentrate on the invisibility effect. The Cheshire cat can choose to become visible as a free action, or automatically becomes visible if it attacks another creature (such as with its claws or one of its Mind sphere sphere-like abilities).

We’re All Mad (Su)

While invisible (such as while using the fading smile ability), the Cheshire cat may spend a move action to teleport up to twice its base speed into an unoccupied space it can see.

The Cheshire cat may teleport this way once every 1d4 rounds; teleporting this way does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Whenever the Cheshire cat uses this ability to teleport, the Cheshire cat may choose to leave a figment of itself in the square it teleported from, as though using the Illusion sphere Decoy (glamer) talent, which lasts for 1 round. A decoy created this way always uses the coaxing decoy ability. The save DC is Charisma-based (to disbelieve the decoy).

Familiar

A 7th-level spellcaster of any alignment the Improved Familiar feat can gain a cheshire cat as a familiar.