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With a sinister laughter that echoes through the empty street, this deformed little humanoid comes out of a dark corner, its bloodshot eyes wide open and its horrifically large mouth deformed in the mockery of a grin.
Dread Eater CR 2
XP 600
CE Small fey
Init +3; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +11
----- Defense -----
AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size)
hp 13 (3d6+3)
Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +4
DR 5/cold iron
----- Offense -----
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +5 (1d4 plus grab)
Special Attacks night terror, taste the fear
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +4)
At will—ghost sound (DC 12)
----- Statistics -----
Str 10, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 13
Feats Toughness, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +9, Bluff +8, Climb +14, Escape Artist +9, Knowledge (local) +7, Perception +11, Stealth +13; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth
Languages Common, Sylvan
----- Ecology -----
Environment urban
Organization solitary, pair, or gang (3-6)
Treasure incidental
----- Special Abilities -----
Grab (Ex) a dread eater can use its grab attack against a foe up to one size category larger than itself.
Night Terror (Su) As a standard action, a dread eater con fill the mind of a target with terrifying visions. The target must succeed on a Will save (DC 13) or become shaken for 1d3+1 rounds, as illusions of shadowy monsters only the target can see appear out of nowhere and attack the target. This is a mind-affecting fear effect with a range of 30 feet. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Taste the Fear (Su) If a dread eater begins its turn with a shaken humanoid grappled with its bite attack, it may try to rend the target's soul and feed on the target's pain and fear. The target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 13) or suffer 1d3 points of Wisdom damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Dread eaters are wretched fey who infest mortal settlements and prey upon unfortunate souls foolish enough to venture into the streets at night. They resemble small humanoids with thin, spindly limbs disproportionately long for their size, and pitch black skin which seems to shimmer dimly if exposed to light. Their mouths are filled with several rows of needle-like teeth, and stretch grotesquely around their faces and upward toward their ears, giving the illusion of a monstrous perpetual grin.
Cruel and sadistic to the extreme, dread eaters sustain themselves as much on flesh as on fear and despair. After choosing a victim, they stalk their target, waiting for the right moment to strike. Only when their prey is most vulnerable they reveal themselves and make swift use of their fear-inducing ability, devouring the terrified victim moments later. Packs of dread eaters are especially vicious, as their natural abilities make them extremely effective at ganging up on a common target, a tactic the vicious fey are ready to adopt with glee.
The dread eater's peculiar appearance and hunting habits has led scholars to hypothesize a connection between their race and the Shadow Plane, and possibly with the enigmatic fey lord Count Ranalc, one of the Eldest of the First World, exiled to the Shadow Plane in ages past. While such theories remain unsubstantiated, the simple fact documented sightings of dread eaters have dramatically increased since the siege of Absalom by the Archwizard Nex, when the Eldest allegedly disappeared, remains a disturbing coincidence.
