The goblin alchemist Gristleburst is the fourth and final member of the protagonist adventuring party in the Pathfinder novella, The Shroud of Four Silences, by Pathfinder Tales veteran Liane Merciel. You can find the No-Prep Character (NPC) entries for his compatriots, Eleukas, Lisavet, and Wendlyn, on previous blogs. Check out the party’s full adventure here on paizo.com or on the Kindle bookstore.

Gristleburst, Inquisitive Pyromaniac

Gristleburst grew up among the Gullcracker goblins outside of Otari, but he was always a loner. His irrepressible curiosity and keen mind for chemistry earned him few friends among the goblins, even though his firebombs were always a source of good fun. When the Gullcrackers were killed and reanimated as zombies, Gristleburst took on the lonely, sad task of putting down each one of his former kin. He now wanders the world as an alchemist-for-hire, just as eager to investigate unusual mysteries as he is to set things ablaze.

Gristleburst is an unreliable ally. He’s quick to make friends—particularly because he’s otherwise all alone in the world—but he frequently pursues his own ideals without consulting his allies and hurls his bombs with reckless glee.

Gristleburst, illustration by Valeria Dryzhak

Gristleburst — Creature 2

Unique, CN, Small, Goblin, Humanoid
Male goblin alchemist
Perception +7
Languages Common, Goblin
Skills Acrobatics +7, Crafting +8, Intimidation +6, Nature +7, Stealth +7, Survival +7
Str +1, Dex +3, Con +1, Int +4, Wis +1, Cha +0
Items alchemist’s tools, dagger, formula scraps (as formula book), goggles, infused reagents (2), studded leather
Infused Items Gristleburst carries the following infused items, which last for 24 hours or until the next time he makes his daily preparations: lesser acid flask (2), lesser alchemist’s fire (4), lesser eagle-eye elixir (2)

AC 18; Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +6
HP 30; Resistances fire 1
Speed 25 feet

Melee [one-action] dagger +9 (agile, versatile S); Damage 1d4+1 piercing

Ranged [one-action] lesser alchemist’s fire +11 (range increment 20 feet, splash); Damage 1d8+1 fire plus 2 persistent fire damage and 1 fire splash damage

Ranged [one-action] lesser acid flask +11 (range increment 20 feet, splash); Damage 1 acid plus 1d6 persistent acid damage plus 1 acid splash damage

Ranged [one-action] dagger +11 (agile, thrown 10 feet, versatile S); Damage 1d4+1 piercing

Quick Bomber [one-action] Gristleburst draws an alchemical bomb with an Interact action and throws it as a ranged Strike.

Quick Smoke Bomb [free-action] Cost 1 batch of infused reagents; Effect Gristleburst mixes up a short-lived lesser acid flask or lesser alchemist’s fire without attempting a Crafting check. It remains potent only until the end of his next turn. When he throws this bomb, in addition to its normal effects, it creates a cloud of smoke in a 10-foot radius burst. Creatures in that area have the concealed condition, and other creatures are concealed to them. This smoke lasts for 1 minute or until dissipated by a strong wind.

Plot Hooks

Game Masters might consider the following plot hooks as a means of integrating Gristleburst into any Pathfinder Second Edition game.

• When the heroes are following a treasure map through a dangerous wilderness, Gristleburst agrees to show them a safe path in exchange for a share of the loot.
• The heroes are hunting an arsonist, and Gristleburst can help identify blast patterns and accelerants the arsonist used to set the blaze.
• Gristleburst’s reckless alchemy inadvertently sets a stand of trees or a building on fire, and he needs urgent help to put the fire out before it spreads.

Ron Lundeen
Development Manager (Pathfinder)

It’s been a few months since we last checked on our adventurous friends in the town of Otari, but you can now get the entire Shroud of Four Silences novella in eBook form here on paizo.com or on the Kindle bookstore. Next, we’ll look at the pyromaniac scamp, Gristleburst, wrapping up our No-Prep Character series based on the novella’s main adventuring party. What would you like to see next in the world of Pathfinder (or Starfinder) fiction? Do you prefer blog-based flash fiction, email-based serialized novellas, or something else entirely? Let us know in the comments below.

Wendlyn, Incorrigible Thief

Wendlyn grew up in Otari and knows just about everyone in it. This means she knows which people are safe to target with her petty larceny. She’s been on the wrong side of Captain Longsaddle of the Otari town guard for as long as she can remember, but she keeps away from the sorts of crimes that would call for serious punishment, or that would seriously hurt anyone. The people of Otari are immune to her thefts but not her pranks; she’s fond of hiding animals where they’ll surprise people or livening up a celebration with some unexpected fireworks. She considers it to be all in good fun. Captain Longsaddle would definitely disagree, as would her younger half-sister, the pious acolyte Lisavet.

Wendlyn is an excellent person to become acquainted with in Otari, as she knows a fair share of the town’s secrets. Her lifelong inclination toward theft also makes her just the right person to disable a tricky lock or disarm a complicated trap. She’s eager to join just about any escapade, illicit or otherwise, as long as no one seems likely to get seriously hurt.

Wendlyn, illustration by Valeria Dryzhak

Wendlyn — Creature 2

Unique, CG, Medium, Elf, Human, Humanoid
Female half-elf rogue
Perception +10; low-light vision
Languages Common, Elven
Skills Acrobatics +10, Deception +6, Otari Lore +7, Society +7, Stealth +8, Thievery +10
Str +2, Dex +4, Con +0, Int +1, Wis +3, Cha +0
Items leather armor, lesser alchemist’s fire (2), rope, shortbow (20 arrows), shortsword, thieves’ tools

AC 17; Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +11
HP 30
Nimble Dodge [reaction] Trigger Wendlyn is targeted with an attack by an attacker she can see; Effect Wendlyn gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack.
Speed 30 feet; mobility

Melee [one-action] shortsword +10 (agile, finesse, versatile S); Damage 1d6+4 piercing

Ranged [one-action] shortbow +10 (deadly d10, propulsive, range increment 60 feet, reload 0); Damage 1d6+1 piercing

Ranged [one-action] lesser alchemist’s fire +10 (range increment 20 feet, splash); Damage 1d8 fire plus 1 persistent fire damage and 1 fire splash damage

Mobility Wendlyn doesn’t trigger reactions from movement when she Strides half her Speed or less.

Sneak Attack Wendlyn deals an extra 1d6 precision damage to flat-footed creatures

Surprise Attack On the first round of combat, if Wendlyn rolls Deception or Stealth for initiative, creatures that haven’t acted yet are flat-footed to her.

Plot Hooks

Game Masters might consider the following plot hooks as a means of integrating Wendlyn into any Pathfinder Second Edition game.

• Wendlyn needs the heroes to help her recover a hand mirror she stole from an abandoned house and then fenced, as she didn’t realize its presence was keeping a ghost confined to the old house. She hopes to recover the mirror from the fence and get it back into the house before anyone’s hurt.
• One of the heroes is an alibi who can prove Wendlyn wasn’t at the scene of a crime that Captain Longsaddle is certain she committed. The heroes must work to prove the thief’s innocence—in this particular matter, at least.
• The heroes have come across a strange puzzle box that defies all attempts to open it, but an expert locksmith like Wendlyn might be able to help.
• Through her shady contacts, Wendlyn has heard of a plot to smuggle drugs into Otari’s harbor late at night. She hopes to intercept the smugglers, dump the drugs into the harbor’s waters, and teach the smugglers to stay out of her town.

Ron Lundeen
Developer

By Vanessa Hoskins

Zhang Yong, Spirit Tender

In the great fighting tournaments across Tian Xia, a competitor will occasionally perish in the heat of battle. Sometimes their lust for battle, desire to win, or enduring competitive spirit lingers, often resulting in a haunting. When this happens, it’s up to a ghost eater to defeat the lingering soul to send it to the afterlife.

Ten years ago, during the previous Ruby Phoenix Tournament, Yong was a boy of 13 years working as a water carrier, though he dreamed of one day fighting in the tournament and making a name for himself, especially to set him apart from his many accomplished human, orc, and half-orc cousins. Yong imagined showing the world his skill, determination, and fierce grasp on life and excelling at something all his own. That very grasp saved his life when an errant undead specter disrupted a match, tearing through the ringside where Yong was carrying water. Though he was gravely injured in the incident, Yong was brought into the care of the tournament’s resident ghost eater and, from her, learned how to fight the corruption of lingering souls.

Now, Yong is one of the tournament’s most renown ghost eaters, tasked with cleansing any haunts, ghosts, or spiritual phenomena that remain after a particularly grueling battle. Though he sometimes shudders at the memory of that terrifying day ten years ago, through sheer determination, he carries on, finding that in guiding these souls to rest, he’s found not just a way to purge the ghosts of his own past, but a rare talent as a spirit tender, one all his own.

Ghost eater archetype illustration by Gislaine Avila from Pathfinder Adventure Path #166: Despair on Danger Island.

Zhang Yong — Creature 14

UNIQUE LN MEDIUM HUMANOID HALF-ORC HUMAN ORC
Male half-orc ghost sentinel

Perception +23; low-light vision
Languages Common, Tien, Necril, Undercommon
Skills Acrobatics +28, Athletics +23, Diplomacy +20, Medicine +23, Occultism +23, Religion +25, Society +19, Haunt Lore +23
Str +4, Dex +8, Con +5, Int +3, Wis +5, Cha +2
Items +2 axiomatic striking handwraps of mighty blows, bracers of armor I, greater ghost chargeAPG (2), rare incense

AC 37; Fort +25, Ref +29, Will +22
HP 251; Weakness Mental 10
Grit Teeth [reaction] (emotion, mental, pain)
Trigger Yong fails or critically fails a saving throw against an enchantment or fear effect
Effect Yong succeeds on the saving throw instead and takes 2d6 mental damage. If he critically failed on the triggering saving throw, he also takes 2d6 persistent mental damage and cannot use this ability again while taking persistent mental damage.

Speed 45

Melee [one-action] soul strike +23 (agile, finesse, nonlethal, unarmed), Damage 2d8+14 bludgeoning (plus 1d6 lawful against chaotic targets)

Ranged [one-action] greater ghost charge +23 (range 10 feet, thrown), Damage 3d8 positive plus 3 positive splash damage

Disrupting Strikes [one-action] Yong calls forth positive energy from within to help him destroy undead. His weapons and unarmed Strikes gain the effects of a greater disrupting property rune until the start of his next turn (DC 31).

Reach Beyond Yong has learned to move his spiritual energy past himself to attack spirits where others can’t. He can make melee Strikes against incorporeal creatures that are inside solid objects as long as the object is within his reach. An incorporeal creature inside of a solid object is hidden, requiring him to succeed at a DC 11 flat check when he targets it. He can spend an action, which has the concentrate trait, to focus on a creature inside of a solid object. If he does, the next melee Strike he makes this turn requires him to succeed at only a DC 6 flat check to affect the creature.

Soul Dance Stance [one-action] Yong begins a stance that aligns him with the River of Souls, allowing him to make soul strike attacks that seem almost incorporeal. These deal 1d8 bludgeoning damage; are in the brawling group; and have the agile, finesse, nonlethal, and unarmed traits. Soul strikes treat cover against living and incorporeal undead targets as degree less severe (greater cover becomes standard cover, standard cover becomes lesser cover, and lesser cover is ignored).

Plot Hooks

Game Masters can use the following plot hooks to integrate Zhang Yong into their ongoing Pathfinder campaigns.

• The players’ competitors could be having trouble with a particularly powerful haunt or ghost disrupting a practice space and wish to seek Yong’s aid to purge it.
• The competitors hear of Yong’s childhood trauma, and how those memories cause him distress today. They may wish to help the young man face those fears and move past the pain.
• The ghost of Yong’s former master has risen for this decade’s Ruby Phoenix Tournament, thinking she is still the head ghost eater. Yong is having trouble facing his old master alone and seeks the players’ competitors for guidance and assistance sending his old master safely to Pharasma’s court.

The release of the Pathfinder Bestiary 3 is just over the horizon, and as a preview of the content you'll find within, we wanted to offer an exclusive stat block that GMs can use anytime, with or without the book. Former Paizo developer Chris Sims created the following creature by turning a clockwork mage into a divine warden (both found in Bestiary 3) to make a mechanical servant of Brigh, goddess of clockworks and invention. Seems like it might come in handy later this year when Pathfinder Guns & Gears comes out, doesn't it?

Divine Warden of Brigh

Imbued with the divine energy of the goddess of clockwork and invention, divine wardens of Brigh are prominent in Alkenstar as guardians of the Temple of Brigh there. The Bronze Lady might have her largest following in this metropolis. But the city’s boomtown atmosphere means that security is a concern even on holy ground. Citizens and visitors to Alkenstar know about its wind-up sentries or quickly learn about them. The High Clockmother, head priestess of Brigh’s holy place, keeps divine wardens in the goddess's image visible in the sanctuary and on the grounds. These automatons are as much a warning to would-be thieves or troublemakers as they are an inspiration to Brigh’s worshippers. The mixing of divine and arcane in these constructs is intended to show off innovation and evoke Brigh’s power over earth, fire, metal, and smoke.

While divine wardens of Brigh can take any form, most are clockworks crafted in the goddess's image.
Illustration by Leonardo Borazio."

Divine Warden of Brigh — Creature 10

Uncommon N Medium Clockwork Construct Divine Mindless

Perception +18; darkvision
Skills Acrobatics +18
Str +2, Dex +6, Con +4, Int –5, Wis +2, Cha –5
Items clockwork wand

Wind-Up For a divine warden of Brigh to act, it must be wound with a unique key by another creature. This takes 1 minute. Once wound, it remains operational for 24 hours, after which time it becomes unaware of its surroundings and can’t act until it’s wound again. The divine warden shuts down immediately once it has 0 time remaining.
A divine warden can enter standby mode as a 3-action activity. Its operational time doesn’t decrease in standby, but it can sense its surroundings (with a –2 penalty to Perception). It can’t act, with one exception: when it perceives a creature, it can exit standby as a reaction (rolling initiative if appropriate).
A creature can attempt to Disable a Device to wind a divine warden down (DC 27). For each success, the warden loses 1 hour of operational time. This can be done even if the warden is in standby mode.

AC 28; Fort +18, Ref +20, Will +18
HP 135; Immunities death effects, disease, doomed, drained, fatigued, healing, mental, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poisoned, sickened, unconscious; Weaknesses electricity 10, orichalcum 10; Resistances physical 5 (except adamantine or orichalcum)

Clockwork Wand The divine warden uses a mechanical wand as a focus to channel magical energy. This wand is built into the divine warden’s chest, with only the crystal at the end exposed. The warden can Interact to remove the wand, or someone else can remove it with a DC 32 Thievery check to Disable a Device. The divine warden becomes unable to cast any spells except cantrips while the wand is removed.
When removed, the clockwork wand is a magic wand containing the last 2nd-level innate spell the divine warden cast (the GM determines the spell randomly if the divine warden has not cast any eligible spells). The spells are placed within the wand while the divine warden is created, and the creator can substitute other arcane spells of the appropriate level.

Divine Destruction (divine, necromancy) When the divine warden is reduced to 0 HP, it erupts with divine energy in a 30-foot emanation, dealing 10d6 positive damage. Each creature in the area must attempt a DC 29 Will save with the following outcomes.
Critical Success The creature takes half damage.
Success The creature takes full damage.
Failure The creature takes full damage and becomes temporarily cursed by Brigh to be enfeebled 1 and stupefied 1 for 1 day; this is a curse effect with a counteract DC of 29.
Critical Failure As failure, except the creature becomes enfeebled 2 and stupefied 2.

Faith Bound (abjuration, divine) The divine warden can’t attack a creature that openly wears or displays Brigh’s religious symbol unless that creature uses a hostile action against the divine warden first.

Speed 25 feet

Melee [one-action] fist +20 (agile, finesse), Damage 2d10+6 bludgeoning

Melee [one-action] light hammer +20 (agile), Damage 2d6+6 bludgeoning

Ranged [one-action] light hammer +20 (agile, thrown 20 feet), Damage2d6+6 bludgeoning

Arcane Innate Spells DC 29, attack +21; 5th cloudkill, cone of cold; 4th dimensional anchor, fly, wall of fire; 3rd haste, invisibility, stinking cloud; 2nd glitterdust, obscuring mist, web; 1st feather fall, floating disk, grease; Cantrips (5th) daze, detect magic, ray of frost, shield, tanglefoot

Divine Innate Spells DC 29; Cantrips (5th) daze

Divine Domain Spells 2 Focus Points, DC 29, attack +21; 5th hurtling stone, localized quake

Energize Clockwork Wand [one-action] (concentrate) Frequency once per 10 minutes; Effect The divine warden regains a spell it has already cast that day. It must spend 1 hour of its operational time, or 2 hours if the spell is 3rd level or higher.

Faithful Weapon light hammer, striking rune

Instrument of Faith The divine warden is a beacon for Brigh’s faith. A cleric of Brigh can channel a heal spell through a divine warden of Brigh they can see within 60 feet. The cleric determines any targets or area for the spell as if they were standing in the divine warden’s space.

Few things are more challenging for a Game Master than creating an encounter on the fly, but one of those more-difficult tasks is making an impromptu encounter set in a crowded city street packed with all manner of details you have to draw on the map before the players start to lose interest. Luckily, Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: Red Light District is available now, so you’ll never again need to sketch out winding alleys, interior locations of ill repute, or a canal of questionable cleanliness. While this map is by no means necessary to run the following encounter (designed by Vanessa Hoskins), they certainly go well together!

Phinelli’s Miracle Elixir — Severe 3

Edolpho Phinelli, the notorious con artist, has developed a new scheme. He’s selling an elixir that he claims can heal wounds, erase scars, and regrow hair. The citizens that live in the red light district are buying it by the case-full. Edolpho is looking to get rich quick! Fast enough to hop on a ship out of the city with enough earnings to set himself up in a new town.

The elixir is, of course, a watered-down minor elixir of life mixed with several inexpensive alchemical reagents. The effects are an intense euphoria followed by a heavy hangover unless more of the elixir is ingested. He’s selling each dose for 1 gp. While the brew does restore 1d2–1 Hit Points, the fumes the imbiber belches carry tuberculosis (Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide 118), exposing themselves and anyone around them for 1 hour after they’ve consumed the elixir.

An outbreak of tuberculosis has started to spread throughout the district and the city guard are getting desperate. They suspect that this new “miracle cure” might have something to do with it, but their forces are spread thin due to the disease and a long-standing labor dispute. They’ve hired the adventurers to investigate and point them toward Edolpho’s last known location—a shipping crate dais overlooking the canal.

Creatures: Edolpho stands above a crowd of roughly a dozen onlookers, waving his arms and barking his well-rehearsed pitch. Two burly assistants flank the charlatan, holding up vials of his wares and waving them enticingly in the audience’s faces. If the adventurers approach him looking to incite violence, then Edolpho’s two “assistants” step in to carry out their true role as bodyguards, putting themselves between the PCs and their employer, and trying to push any attackers into the adjacent canal. Given his control of the rapt crowd and the carefully staged environment, Edolpho uses Performance instead of Perception when rolling initiative.

He also attempts to turn the fervent (and quite addicted) crowd against the adventurers. If the adventurers succeed at a DC 18 Diplomacy or Deception check to persuade the crowd that the elixir is toxic, then the commoners disperse as soon as violence commences. Otherwise, they fervently attempt to defend their elixir supplier.

Any commoner who is damaged immediately flees. If the bodyguards reach 5 Hit Points or fewer, they surrender. Edolpho attempts to flee if he reaches 10 Hit Points or fewer but refuses to surrender. If cornered, he attempts to bribe the adventurers.

Art by Alberto Dal Lago

Edolpho Phinelli — Creature 3

Unique NE Medium Elf Half-Elf Human Humanoid
Male half-elf charlatan

Perception +6, low-light vision
Languages Common, Elven
Skills Acrobatics +8, Deception +11, Diplomacy +9, Occultism +7, Performance +11, Society +7, Stealth +8, Thievery +8, Underworld Lore +9
Str +0, Dex +3, Con +0, Int +2, Wis +1, Cha +4
Items disguise kit, lute, sap, shortsword, thieves’ tools
Versatile Performance Edolpho can use Performance instead of Diplomacy to Make an Impression and instead of Intimidation to Demoralize. He can also use an acting Performance instead of Deception to Impersonate.

AC 18; Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +10
HP 40
Speed 30 feet

Melee [one-action] shortsword +10 (agile, versatile S), Damage 1d6+2 piercing

Melee [one-action] sap +7 (agile, nonlethal), Damage 1d6+2 bludgeoning

Occult Spontaneous Spells DC 20, attack +10; 2nd (2 slots) charm, illusory disguise, invisibility; 1st (3 slots) illusory disguise, magic aura, unseen servant, ventriloquism; Cantrips (2nd) daze, ghost sound, mage hand, message, prestidigitation

Bard Composition Spells 1 Focus Point, DC 19; 1st counter performance (Core Rulebook 386); Cantrips (1st) inspire courage (Core Rulebook 386)

Sneak Attack Edolpho deals an extra 1d6 precision damage to flat-footed creatures.

Bodyguards (2) — Creature 3

Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide 226
Initiative Perception +8

Commoners (4) — Creature –1

Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide 214
Initiative Perception +3

XP Award: If the adventurers convince the commoners not to fight, award them 40 XP, as if they had defeated them in combat.

Untagged map

Last week, we shared a no-prep character, Urok, to give you a brief glimpse at the orderly aphorite versatile heritage. We have another NPC this week showcasing another unrevealed aspect from Lost Omens Ancestry Guide. This week we’re going to preview another new versatile heritage: beastkin! I’ll talk a bit more about beastkin after showing you the NPC, but for now, let’s look at our no-prep beastkin, Chea.

Chea, Student of Unfolding Wind

Born to a large family of werecrocodiles in the nation of Jalmeray, Chea was envied by her fellows for her strange lack of the werecreature's curse. Chea's mother assured the girl that her blessing proved she was meant for great things, though her bitter cousins mocked her for her soft heart and lack of killer instinct. One night when she was a teenager, she went out for a swim, sick of the insults and teasing from her peers. The beastkin accidentally stumbled across an adventurer, who was stargazing by the riverside. The strange woman didn't attack, however, instead introducing herself as Nisha and inviting Chea to come look at the stars. Nisha pointed out a glowing comet in the sky and told Chea that the star was actually an elemental lord named Ranginori, and that Nisha's fellow adventurers, the Pathfinders, were working to set Ranginori free. When Nisha left that evening, she gave her telescope to Chea. From then on, Chea spent her nights gazing up to the glowing star, whispering secret prayers in hope they might comfort the trapped god.

Chea saw the moment her bright star burst across the sky, freeing Ranginori from his uncounted years of imprisonment. Knowing the hard journey that Ranginori faced ahead of him, Chea was among one of the first to pledge her faith to the elemental lord. Encouraged by her mother, Chea approached the Monastery of Unfolding Wind in Jalmeray. Though she had to hide her true nature from her fellow acolytes, her determination saw her excel in her monk training. Yet when she returned to visit her family after her initial studies were complete, she found them decimated and scattered. The survivors gave confused, conflicted reports, but several of them claimed that Pathfinders had attacked them.

Though Chea knew her family weren't always saints, she found she couldn't let this go. The monk now searches for answers to what truly happened, and vengeance for those who killed her kin.

Art by Rashad Pozdnyakov

Chea — Creature 9

Unique, N, Medium, Beast, Beastkin, Humanoid
Female crocodilekin human Student of Perfection

Perception +18
Languages Common, Vudrani
Skills Acrobatics +20, Athletics +18, Occultism +13, Religion +16, Stealth +18, Warfare Lore +13
Str +3, Dex +4, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +2, Cha +0
Items +1 striking handwraps of mighty blows
AC 27; Fort +18, Ref +21, Will +15
HP 155

Animalistic Resistance Chea gains a +2 circumstance bonus to saves to resist diseases and poisons.

Quick Change [free-action] Trigger Chea rolls initiative; Effect Chea’s instincts kick in and she takes on an aggressive stance. Chea uses Change Shape to enter her hybrid form.

Speed 40 feet

Melee [one-action] fist +19 (agile, finesse, magical, nonlethal, unarmed), Damage 2d6+11 bludgeoning

Melee [one-action] jaws +19 (agile, finesse, magical, unarmed), Damage 2d4+11 piercing

Ranged [one-action] wind crash +19 (agile, nonlethal, propulsive, range 30 feet, unarmed), Damage 2d6+11 bludgeoning

Monk Focus Spells DC 25, attack +17; 5th (3 Focus Points) ki rush (Core Rulebook 401), ki strike (Core Rulebook 401), unfolding wind rush (Lost Omens World Guide 83) wild winds stance (Core Rulebook 402)

Change Shape [one-action] (concentrate, polymorph, primal, transmutation) Chea changes between her humanoid shape or hybrid shape. She gains a jaws unarmed Strike while in her hybrid shape.

Flurry of Blows [one-action] (flourish) Chea makes two unarmed Strikes. If both hit the same creature, combine their damage for the purpose of resistances and weaknesses.

Flying Kick [two-actions] Chea launches herself at a foe. She makes a Leap or attempts a High Jump or Long Jump. At the end of the jump, if she’s adjacent to a foe, she can immediately Strike that foe with an unarmed attack, even if the foe is in midair. She falls to the ground after the Strike. If the distance she falls is no more than the height of her jump, Chea lands upright and takes no damage.

Pack Tactics If an enemy is within reach of Chea and at least two of her allies, that enemy is flat-footed against Chea.

Powerful Fists Chea’s fist Strikes are treated as cold iron and silver and don’t take penalties when making lethal attacks.

Plot Hooks

Game Masters may consider the following plot hooks as a means of integrating Chea into any Pathfinder Second Edition game.

• Chea seeks out the heroes in hopes of learning a new fighting technique to give her a further edge in combat. She’s willing to share an aspect of her training in return.
• As the heroes leave a dungeon, some ruins, or another adventuring site, Chea makes her presence known. She challenges the heroes to a fight, believing them to be Pathfinders.
• A whisper on the wind guides the heroes to Chea. The monk notes that she’s received a message from her god about the whereabouts of a gem that holds another elemental lord. Chea believes it is her fate, and the heroes’, to rescue the trapped god.

About Beastkin

Beastkin is a blanket term for any person who has gained the ability to partially or fully transform into an animal through any number of means, while maintaining a balance with their humanoid side. Beastkin might have a lineage that traces directly to werecreature parents. Other beastkin might have received their abilities from a deity or even as a result of polymorph magic. Regardless of their origin, a beastkin is tied to a particular animal, such as bat, eagle, shark, spider, tyrannosaurus, wasp, or wolf. This animal is known as the beastkin’s inherent animal. Beastkin feats allow a beastkin to further tap into their animalistic connection and gain new senses, the ability to fly or swim like their inherent animal, or even fully transform into that animal in combat. Beastkin is a rare versatile heritage and you can learn all about it when Lost Omens Ancestry Guide releases on February 24th!

Eleanor Ferron
Developer

Luis Loza
Developer

Today we’re kicking off a new batch of No-Prep Character blogs, which feature a ready-to-run NPC for busy Game Masters. This time around, Eleanor and I worked together to showcase some of the as-of-yet unrevealed ancestries appearing in Lost Omens Ancestry Guide. Each of these NPCs uses one of the new ancestries or versatile heritages featured in that book, but feature all of the rules information you need to include them in your adventures right away! This week we showcase a new versatile heritage: aphorite! I’ll talk a bit more about aphorites after showing you the NPC, but for now, let’s look at our no-prep aphorite, Urok..

Urok, Kobold Infiltrator

When the Yioxat tribe of kobolds was subjugated by a local devil, its members feared that their children might be corrupted by their parents' unwilling agreements with Hell. Yet when Urok cracked open his shell, his caretakers were shocked to see the kobold hatchling had unique gold and silver scales, unlike even the scales of a metallic kobold. Though his soul was unclaimed by the forces of evil, Urok grew up arrogant and overbearing, enforcing the strict order that the devil imposed on his tribe. He was quick to realize that his fellows weren't carrying out their tasks as efficiently as they could be, and his efforts to organize his tribe more effectively always seemed to fail. It was only after investigating that he realized how much the Yioxats were deliberately undermining his efforts, as they despised their devil overlord, and despised Urok by association.

Though he was heavily tempted to double down on his attempts to control, Urok instead fled, hiding in the wilderness as he tried to make sense of his life until this point. It was there that a Yioxat dragon sorcerer found him. The sorcerer explained that the Yioxat tribe had warded Urok's egg against evil influence before he was born, to protect him from the risk of Hell claiming his soul. Realizing that he had repaid his people's kindness with oppression, Urok decided to serve the law by returning sovereignty to his tribe. Though he doesn't want to approach his fellows just yet, he keeps watch over them, looking for an opportunity to kill the devil and free his family. However, this has also resulted in Urok clashing with well-meaning adventurers who seek to destroy the Yioxat tribe without realizing the kobolds are unwilling servants.

Art by Gin Skalauskas

Urok — Creature 9

Unique, LN, Small, Aphorite, Humanoid, Kobold
Male aphorite kobold infiltrator

Perception +18; darkvision, low-light vision
Languages Aklo, Common, Draconic, Infernal, Undercommon, Utopian
Skills Acrobatics +20, Arcana +20, Athletics +13, Deception +16, Devil Lore +20, Diplomacy +16 Nature +16, Intimidation +16 Occultism +20, Religion +16, Society +20, Stealth +20, Survival +16, Thievery +20, Yioxat Tribe Lore +20
Str +0, Dex +4, Con +0, Int +4, Wis +2, Cha +2
Items +1 striking returning dagger
AC 27; Fort +15, Ref +21, Will +18
HP 140

Preemptive Reconfiguration [reaction] Frequency once per day; Trigger Urok would take bludgeoning piercing, or slashing damage; Effect Urok’s body anticipates the blow and the impact area briefly reorganizes into a strengthened tissue lattice that blunts the attack. He gains resistance 9 against the triggering damage type, which applies against the triggering damage

Urok can expend his daily use of Crystalline Dust when using this reaction. If he does, his daily use of Preemptive Reconfiguration isn’t expended and he can use it a second time.

Speed 25 feet

Melee [one-action] dagger +19 (agile, finesse, versatile S), Damage 2d4+8 piercing

Ranged [one-action] dagger +19 (agile, finesse, thrown 10 feet, versatile S), Damage 2d4+8 piercing

Crystalline Dust [two-actions] Frequency once per day; Effect Urok disperses the crystalline motes coating his body as a haze. He becomes concealed, though he can’t use this concealment to Hide or Sneak. The motes stay within an inch of his skin, move with you, and last for 4 rounds.

Draconic Exemplar green dragon

Kobold Breath [two-actions] (arcane, evocation, poison) Urok breathes a poisonous mist that deals 5d4 poison damage in a 15-foot cone (DC 25 basic Fortitude save). He can’t use Kobold Breath again for 1d4 rounds.

Mastermind If Urok successfully identifies a creature using Recall Knowledge, that creature is flat-footed against his attacks until the start of his next turn; if he critically succeeds, it’s flat-footed against his attacks for 1 minute.

Skirmish Strike [one-action] Frequency once per round; Effect Urok either Steps and then Strike, or Strikes and then Steps.

Sneak Attack Urok’s Strikes deal an additional 2d6 precision damage to flat‑footed creatures.

Plot Hooks

Game Masters may consider the following plot hooks as a means of integrating Urok into any Pathfinder Second Edition game.

• Urok arrives in the same town as the heroes. He is met with unwelcoming glances and even fear from the townsfolk. The pleading kobold asks anyone who will listen that he is in need of cold iron weapons to slay the devil that terrorizes his kin.
• A local noble tasks the heroes with clearing the Yioxat kobold tribe from the nearby wilderness. As they approach the tribe, Urok makes himself known and attempts to force the heroes away.
• A fleeing Urok runs into the heroes as they are travelling. He is holding a large egg and shoves it into the heroes’ hands. He explains the egg has been warded and needs to be kept away from evil eyes before he runs away.

About Aphorites

Aphorites were first forged by axiomites to serve as liaisons between their lawful progenitors and frustratingly unpredictable mortal allies. Over time, aphorites’ appearances and personalities grew to resemble their mortal comrades as they were increasingly born among mortals. Aphorites still exhibit Axis’s touch in their metallic skin coated in crystalline dust, aptitude for logic, strength in artisanship, and propensity for order and cooperation. Aphorite feats allow an aphorite to draw upon the power of their crystalline dust, analyze a situation on the battlefield to maximize effectiveness, and even call upon order to find success when catastrophic failure was all but absolute. Aphorite is an uncommon versatile heritage and you can learn all about it when Lost Omens Ancestry Guide releases on February 24th!

Luis Loza
Developer

Our series of No-Prep Character blogs, which feature a ready-to-run NPC for busy Game Masters, continues with the lovable kobold trap-maker, Duhgik, again designed by Vanessa Hoskins. You can find the rules for the kobold ancestry and the snarecrafter archetype in the Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide, available everywhere on July 30.

Mark Moreland
Director of Brand Strategy

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Illustration by Dominik Derow

Duhgik, Kobold Trapsmith

After her tribe exiled her for not adhering to some of their more ruthless traditions, Duhgik was forced to live on the surface in the too-too bright sunshine. She found solace in the deep shade of the forest’s tree canopy among the verdant foliage of various plants and edible mosses. Duhgik that the environment matched her own green scales well, and has since become an expert at hiding among the big-big trees.

When Duhgik found the cruelty of her old kobold tribe reflected in the cruelty of hunters and poachers in the forest, she set out on a personal mission to help the critters of the woods by disarming poachers’ snares and setting up some of her own. She strives to rid her woods of the would-be hunters who only care about trophies and leave the rest of the animal to rot—what a waste. As long as visitors to her forest are kind to the land and animals, Duhgik leaves them alone.

DUHGIK

CREATURE 6

UNIQUE NG SMALL HUMANOID KOBOLD

Female kobold snarecrafter
Perception +14; darkvision
Languages Common, Dwarven, Draconic, Gnomish, Undercommon
Skills Acrobatics +12, Crafting +15, Deception +12, Forest Lore +13, Medicine +10, Stealth +14, Survival +12
Str +2, Dex +4, Con +2, Int +5, Wis +4, Cha +2
Items alarm snare, biting snare (2), dagger, flare snare (2), lesser healing potion, nauseating snare, +1 sling, specialist snare kit

AC 24; Fort +11, Ref +17, Will +14
HP 66

Cringe [reaction] (emotion, kobold, mental, visual); Trigger A creature Duhgik is aware of critically succeeds on a Strike against her and would deal damage to her; Effect With pitiful posturing, she causes her foe to pull back a deadly attack. The attacking creature takes a –8 circumstance penalty to the damage of the triggering Strike. This penalty applies after doubling the damage for a critical hit. The attacker is then immune to Duhgik’s Cringe for 24 hours.

Speed 30
Melee [one-action] dagger +12 (agile, finesse, versatile S), Damage 1d4+4 piercing
Melee [one-action] +1 sling +13 (range 50 feet, reload 1), Damage 1d6+4 bludgeoning

Remote Trigger [Duhgik has learned how to trigger snares from afar, creating ranged hazards to assail her opponents and allowing her to disarm enemies’ snares harmlessly. She can Strike a snare to trigger it prematurely. If she crafted the snare, she automatically hits. If someone else crafted it, she must attempt a ranged Strike against the Crafting DC, triggering the snare only if she hits.

Sneak Attack Duhgik deals 1d6 extra precision damage to creatures that are flat-footed.

Surprise Snare [two-actions] (manipulation) Duhgik installs one of her snares prepared for quick deployment in a space that’s occupied by an opponent. It must be a snare that normally takes 1 minute or less to Craft. The snare automatically triggers, but it takes a –2 circumstance penalty to any applicable save DC, as well as any attack rolls or other checks the snare attempts.

Plot Hooks

Game Masters may consider the following plot hooks as a means of integrating Duhgik into any Pathfinder Second Edition game.

• A local noble or prominent merchant hires the heroes, describing a terrible attack they suffered in the woods by a terrifying creature the last time they were out hunting game—likely an ogre, troll, or some other vicious creature. In truth, these claims are an exaggeration, and the embarrassed noble fell victim to one of Duhgik’s traps and simply embellishes the threat to save face.
• While traveling through the woods, the heroes come across a series of traps, each more dangerous than the last. A voice high in the trees tells them to flee or face the wrath of the “very-big-mean dragon” that protects the forest and its inhabitants.
• Duhgik meets the heroes while on a trip into town to buy supplies and sell some of her snares to hunters she trusts to use them honorably. She asks them to help her with a particularly aggressive magical beast that has been avoiding her snares and killing all the wildlife near her home.

Today we kick off our series of No-Prep Character blogs, which feature a ready-to-run NPC for busy Game Masters. In most cases (but not all), we’ll use these blogs to showcase new rules options available to players in upcoming releases, such as new ancestries, archetypes, equipment, feats, and spells. Today’s NPC is Pr’rall, a catfolk dual-weapon warrior based on a character that I played in one of James Jacobs’s office campaigns years ago. Thanks to Vanessa Hoskins for converting him so wonderfully into Pathfinder Second Edition. You can find the rules for the catfolk ancestry and the dual-weapon warrior archetype in the Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide, available everywhere on July 30.

Mark Moreland
Director of Brand Strategy

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Illustration by Marius Bota

Pr’rall, Catfolk Stalker

A hunter at heart, Pr’rall takes bounties throughout Avistan and Garund on anything from cockatrices to bandits. Gold pays the bills, but the thrill of the hunt is the reason he always takes the next job. Lately, Pr’rall has found the most satisfaction from hunting sapient creatures; he relishes the moment before the final strike when he knows that he’s won and his prey will fall under his blade. He’s begun to look into more than just bounty hunting, and is considering joining a local assassin’s guild, though he’s not sure if he wants to fully embrace his growing bloodlust.

PR’RALL

CREATURE 9

UNIQUE CN MEDIUM CATFOLK HUMANOID

Male catfolk stalker
Perception +18; low-light vision
Languages Amurrun, Common
Skills Acrobatics +16, Athletics +17, Medicine +14, Nature +14, Society +12, Stealth +20 (moves full speed while Sneaking), Survival +18, Hunting Lore +12
Str +5, Dex +4, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +2, Cha +2
Items +1 leather armor, +1 striking temple sword, +1 temple sword

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AC 28; Fort +19, Ref +20, Will +16
HP 138

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Speed 30
Melee [one-action] +1 striking temple sword +20 (trip), Damage 2d8+8 slashing
Melee [one-action] +1 temple sword +20 (trip), Damage 1d8+8 slashing
Ranged [one-action] bola +18 (nonlethal, ranged trip, thrown 20-feet), Damage 1d6+7 bludgeoning

Dual-Weapon Blitz [two-actions] Requirements Pr'rall is wielding two one-handed melee weapons, each in a different hand; Effect Pr'rall attacks as he dashes among foes. He Strides up to his Speed. At any point during this movement, he can Strike once with each of the two required weapons. These Strikes can be against the same or different targets, as he sees fit.
Double Slice [two-actions]

Flensing Slice [one-action] Requirements Pr'rall's last action was a Double Slice, and both attacks hit the target; Effect When Pr'rall hits with both attacks with Double Slice, he flenses the target, making it bleed and creating a weak spot. The target takes 2d8 persistent bleed damage, becomes flat-footed, and its resistances to any physical damage types are reduced by 5; these two effects last until the beginning of Pr’rall’s next turn.
Light Paws [two-actions] Pr'rall can balance on his toes to step carefully over obstructions. He Strides and then Steps, or Steps and then Strides, ignoring difficult terrain during this movement.

Plot Hooks

Game Masters may consider the following plot hooks as a means of integrating Pr’rall into any Pathfinder Second Edition game.

• The heroes need to take down a particularly difficult foe and hire Pr’rall to help them hunt the target down.
• Pr’rall’s ancestral temple sword is stolen from him but he’s run out of leads in tracking it down. He asks the heroes to help him find out who has it so he can hunt them down and ensure they never steal from him again.
• A rich and powerful noble has been thwarted by the PCs too many times. He’s hired Pr’rall to hunt them down and bring them back: alive if possible, dead if necessary. Given the catfolk’s growing proclivity for killing, it’s likely he’ll find a way to force the PCs’ hands.