We're excited to get your feedback on the Starfinder Character Operations Manual Playtest, and are looking forward to seeing what you think of the new classes. Here are some tips to help ensure that your voice is heard.

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Welcome to the playtest!

Check out the first episode of the Drift podcast, a new Starfinder-themed podcast, where I talk about the Starfinder RPG and the first Starfinder Adventure Path, Dead Suns!

Thanks to Nerds on Earth for interviewing me!

This may seem like a dumb question, but can a caster cast a touch spell on himself? I haven't been able to find anything expressly saying this is true.

So, for example, could a vrock cast heroism on itself, or does it need another vrock so they can cast it on each other?

I think the answer should be yes, but is there anything official anywhere?

Hello,

We're looking for one new player to join our Iskandria: Land of the Thousand Ziggurats pbp game, already in progress.

Ideally, we'd like someone to pick up playing one of the existing characters, a cloistered cleric of Islandria's god-kings, so I don't have to introduce another character in the middle of the adventure.

If you think you might be interested, check out the Iskandria game thread and/or the discussion thread. Campiagn information and houserules are here, while background information on Iskandria, created for last year's RPDG Superstar contest, can be found here.

The character needing a player is Liet Kynes, a cleric of the god-kings. If you're interested but don't like the character, I am willing to allow a rebuild of the character within certain guidelines.

Thanks!

Hey folks,

Here's the place to discuss your character choices and questions for the upcoming campaign.

What we have so far (based on what people have told me):

Marta: human? barbarian
Josh: human paladin
Adrian: dwarf (amybe cleric?)
Peterz: ? bard, ranger, something else?
Jack: ? sorcerer?
Erin: rogue?

Post away with your ideas and/or questions!

So here's a question: true strike states that "you are not affected by the miss chance that applies to attackers trying to strike concelament." But how does it work against mirror image? Mirror image, strictly speaking, doesn't provide concealment, but the roll to see which image you hit is effectively a miss chance. So does true strike allow you to attack someone with mirror image without possibly hitting a figment?

In this case, I'm using Pathfinder RPG and the copy cat domain ability, which duplicates i]mirror image[/i] with one image.

Any ideas?

I’d like to see a few more animals added to the list of available animal companions (and for druids as well, of course. Why not include some other choices: baboon, bat (good for subterranean druids), cat (good choice for a stealthy ranger), hyena (not much different from wolf), monkey, rat (good for urban rangers), raven (good for dwarves), and weasel (another good choice for gnomes). In addition, you could add manta ray and octopus (no different than a squid) to the aquatic companions list. All of these animals are SRD and are CR 1 or below, like the ones already on the list.

In addition, I’d like to see some clarification on the following animal companions:
Horse (light or heavy): does this include war horses? (although the heavy warhorse, as a CR 2 creature, should perhaps be bumped up to the 4th level list with the other CR 2 animals)
Pony: does this include war ponies?
These should be spelled out to make it clear.

There are some problems with the Ranger’s combat style feats.

First, Table 4-10 lists a combat style feat at 10th level, but in the Combat Style Feat entry itself, new feats are added to the list at 11th level. Should this availability be changed to 10th level to match when the ranger actually gains a new feat?

Archery: Careful Targeting is no longer a feat. Perhaps it should be replaced with Deadly Aim? Also, why not add Far Shot and Mounted Archery?

At 6th level, Exact Targeting is no longer a feat. Instead, move Shot on the Run down to 6th level (it has lower prerequisites). Also, Many Shot should be Manyshot.

Improved Precise Shot should be added to the 11th level list, to stay backwards compatible with 3.5 Combat Style Mastery.

Additionally, I think it would be good to add some crossbow feats as well, for those rangers wanting to specialize in crossbows over traditional archery, by including the Crossbow Mastery feat presented in the Curse of the Crimson Throne Player’s Guide. Make Rapid Reload available at any time, and add Crossbow Mastery to the list of 6th-level combat style feats.

Two-Weapon Combat: Deft Shield is no longer a feat, but the shield option adds more versatility (just as crossbows do to the Archery style). So replace Deft Shield with Improved Shield Bash, add Shield Slam to the 6th level list, and add Shield Master to the 11th level list.

I think rangers should also get a bonus to Knowledge checks associated with their favored enemy. For example, Knowledge (arcana) for constructs, dragons, & magical beasts; Knowledge (dungeoneering) for aberrations and oozes; Knowledge (local) for humanoids; Knowledge (nature) for animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, & vermin; Knowledge (planes) for outsiders & elementals; and Knowledge (religion) for undead.
Alternately, since most of these Knowledge skills are not class skills for rangers, they gain the associated Knowledge skill as a class skill when they choose that favored enemy.

Similarly, all rangers get a bonus to Knowledge (geography), even though that skill does not apply to every favored terrain option. They should instead get a bonus to Knowledge checks associated with their favored terrain. Most favored terrains would fall under Knowledge (geography), but favored terrain: planes would instead get a bonus to Knowledge (planes), favored terrain: underground would get a bonus to Knowledge (dungeoneering), and favored terrain: urban would get a bonus to Knowledge (engineering). I could also see rangers with “standard” favored terrains getting a bonus to Knowledge (nature) as well as Knowledge (geography).

I think the fighter’s Armor Training is quite good, and highlights that fighters should be the best at wearing armor, but I’d like to see it applied to shields as well. I don’t think it should be applicable to all shields, but it should perhaps be applied to tower shields, as fighters are the only class that are trained in tower shields, and tower shields have significant penalties and restrictions that make them more akin to armor than shields.

Instead of adding to the tower shield’s shield bonus (+4 is quite enough for a shield, plus cover), perhaps armor training could reduce the tower shield’s penalty to attack rolls. The reduction to armor check penalty and increase to maximum Dexterity bonus would stay the same as for other armor, and would serve to make the tower shield a more attractive option for fighters.

Hello,

Is there any chance order #1049420 (Pathfinder #14) can be held and combined with order #1039892 (Kobold Quarterly #6)? I know it may take a little while for KQ to come in, but it would really help me save on international shipping costs if they could both be sent together.

Thanks,
Rob McCreary

There's no design forum for his yet, so I thought I'd put it here. Saving the discussion on whether the new poison rules are effective or not for another time, I would like to see some rules on converting existing 3.5 poisons to the new Beta rules.

The new poisons are fine if you're using poisons straight out of the DMG, but what about converting monster poisons from the MM? I just rain into this converting an imp over to Beta, and struggled with converting the poison properly, in particular with things like level of the poison.

Anyhoo, this is what I came up with:

Injury, Fortitude DC 13, initial damage 1d4 Dex, secondary damage 2d4 Dex.

My conversion to Beta:

What do you think?

Dwarves treat Appraise as class skill when determining the price of nonmagical goods containing precious metals or gems, while elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise skill checks made to identify magic items.

Since the dwarven ability is useless for those classes that already have Appraise as a class skill, why not change the Dwarven Greed ability to parallel the elven ability?

Greed: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise skill checks made to determine the price of nonmagical goods that contain precious metals and gemstones.

Here's a question about the Hamatulatsu feat on p.83 of the campaign setting:

The feat lists as a prerequisite that you must be female.

BUT...

In the flavor text about Isgeri Orphans on the same page, it says the Sisters of the Golden Erinyes trains rescued "youths" in Hamatulatsu, with females joining the Sisterhood while males join the Hellknights or clergy of Asmodeus.

Furthermore, J1 Entombed with the Pharaohs gives us Chelish legionnaires, both male AND female, who are trained in Hamatulatsu.

So is the feat restricted to females, or is the female prerequisite a holdover from an earlier version of the feat that was missed in editing?

I had been discussing 1.0 half-elves vs. humans on another thread, but thought it would be good to start a new thread for 1.1 issues.

OK, so taking away the half-elves' free weapon proficiency removes some problems with power-gaming (or making them a better choice than humans), but giving it to humans instead swings the pendulum too far the other way.

Why would anyone now play a half-elf? For low-light vision and a Perception bonus?

Humans now get an extra skill (and are trained in it, unlike half-elves), and effectively 3 feats, since the new Weapon Training ability gives them a free Weapon Proficiency feat (Martial or Exotic, depending on how you interpret the rules).

I had just made up a half-elf fighter character for a playtest, and now it makes no sense to keep it a half-elf. I'll do much better as a human now.

Half-elves need something else to make them a viable choice. Perhaps giving both humans and half-elves Weapon Training, but restrict it to Martial weapons only? Or pick a specific weapon as a "racial" weapon like the dwarven waraxe or orcish double axe (though I don't know what weapon that would be - maybe longsword?) At least give them back the 3.5 Diplomaccy bonus. With Gather Information now rolled into Diplomacy, why can't half-elves get their old bonus?

Come on half-elf lovers, let's figure out a way to make them worth playing! :)

Does anyone have (or has anyone played) the old Avalon Hill game Lords of Creation by the late, great Tom Moldvay?

I don't know what got me thinking about it recently, but I remember how interesting and fun I thought it was back in the day. And I find myself wishing I had access to the box set sitting in my parents' attic back in the States?

So anybody else have experience with this old classic?

I decided to build a "sword-and-board" fighter to take advantage of the new shield combat feats, and I ran into the big change from Improved Shield Bash to Deft Shield: Two-Weapon Fighting as a prerequisite.

Mechanically, this makes sense, as making a shield bash is technically a 2-weapon attack. But I think it takes something away from specific fighter types.

A two-weapon fighter has the Two-Weapon feats.
A big, 2-handed weapon fighter has the Overhand Chop progression.
An archer has the Point Blank Shot progression.
An unarmed fighter has the Scorpion Style progression.
The weapon-and-shield fighter has the Deft Shield progression, but he needs Two-Weapon Fighting first.

Why is this a problem? Because if I have to get TWF anyways to shield bash, the min-maxer in me would say just use a short sword (better damage, increased threat range) and take Two-Weapon Defense. I get a better attack and the AC bonus. Especially if I have to wait until 6th level to get the next shield feat (Shield Slam).

There's no reason (other than roleplaying) to be a sword-and-board fighter with shield bash, because a normal two-weapon fighter would be more effective.

Of course, I might still take TWF to reduce the penalties on my shield bash, but I don't like being required to take it.

Maybe there could be another feat to replace TWF as a prerequisite, something like:

Weapon-and-Shield Style
You are specialized in fighting with a weapon and shield. You are skilled in making a shield bash along with your normal weapon attack.
Prerequisite: Dex 15.
Benefit: Your penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons are reduced when fighting with a weapon and shield only. The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 6. See the Two-Weapon Fighting special attack.
Normal: You can bash an opponent with a light shield or heavy shield, using it as an off-hand martial bludgeoning weapon. When fighting in this way you suffer a -6 penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your primary hand and a -10 penalty to the shield bash with your off hand. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon and a light shield as a light weapon. If your off-hand weapon is light the penalties are reduced by 2 each. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its AC bonus until your next action (usually until the next round).

This is effectively the same as Two-Weapon Fighting, but restricted to shields. Two-Weapon Fighting should probably be modified to NOT apply to shields as a result. And then you would have feats for distinct fighting styles.

Maybe to further separate it from Two-Weapon Fighting, it could also allow you to reduce the shield's Armor Check penalty by 1. Something affecting AC would be better, but then you're straying into Deft Shield's area.

Any other ideas or comments?

Hi,

I posted about this a week ago here and never got a response (maybe because I put it in the Store thread instead).

I just got the email that Order #888644 (Planet Stories subscription: Northwest of Earth) is about to ship. But I have another order pending (#858359) which includes Pathfinder #7. My Subscriptions page is set to hold items for Pathfinder, and says "Northwest of Earth will ship with a future Pathfinder volume."

So will the orders be combined, or will I be paying shipping on 2 separate orders, one right after the other?

Now in My Account it says #888644 shipped yesterday, but ##858359 is still pending.

Obviously it's too late now to have them shipped together, but is there any estimate on when Pathfinder will ship? It's just frustrating seeing everyone post about it and mine hasn't even shipped yet. :)

Thanks,
Rob McCreary

Near your lodgings, you discovered Bedu’s Parlour of Delights, a welcoming place run by the fat and friendly dwarf barber Bedu. You’ve been spending some time there lately, a shady respite from the day’s heat, sipping bitter coffee and listening to the stories that are bandied about by the regulars and Bedu himself. Recently, the stories have taken on a more local theme than normal: some of the more affluent citizens and merchants of Khemair district have been burned alive after spontaneously bursting into flame. Or rather, its seems that they are being murdered, for foul sorcery is suspected of immolating these worthies with arcane fire. Thus far, the curious plague seems to have restricted itself to the upper levels of society, but who knows where it might lead? If some diabolical sorcerer is responsible, where might he turn his ire next?

For Bedu:

For Pindara:

Bump before the weekend, since I'm 9 hours ahead.

French Wolf: Bedu looks good. Hopefully we'll get some friends for him soon. :)

I placed an order a few weeks ago that included a Pathfinder subscription. I believe I clicked the option to hold everything for Pathfinder. Unfortunately, I think some of the items had their releases pushed back to April.

So my questions are these:
1. Will Pathfinder #7 be held until the other items are ready, or will it be shipped on time, and the other items when they're released?

2. J3 is listed as "pending." Is that being held for Pathfinder and/or the other items to become available?

Thanks.

Iskandria bonus background feats

The following are bonus background feats available to Iskandrian natives. Each character native to Iskandria may choose one of the following feats as a free feat at character creation in addition to their normal feats. You still must meet all of the feat’s prerequisites. With few exceptions, these feats are only available at character creation. Feats marked with an asterisk (*) are available as a standard feat to any character, Iskandrian or foreign, as long as the prerequisites are met. The feats are divided into 4 categories: general, local, racial, and class backgrounds. Descriptions are listed alphabetically under the spoiler tag.

General backgrounds
Aqubayyid Loyalist
Dinosaur Hunter
Harem Trained
Relic Hunter*
Ziggurat Raider

Local backgrounds
Caravanner
City Born (choose city)
Desert Born
Desert Fighter
Giantkiller
Jungle Born
Jungle Fighter
Jungle Veteran*
Mountain Born
Mountain Fighter

Racial backgrounds
Dwarf: Dwarflore, Stoneshaper
Elf: Elflore, Junglewise, Treetopper, Viridian Way
Gnome: Friend of the Jungle, Gnomelore, Junglewise, Treetopper
Halfling: Mercantile Background, Riverlore
Human: Naga Blood

Class backgrounds
Cleric: God-King’s Chosen, Missionary, Theocrat
Sorcerer: Cerulean Novice, Unregistered Spellcaster
Wizard: Charlatan of Almudin, Charlatanic Theme, Unregistered Spellcaster

Feat Descriptions:

Twilight of the Phoenix

This adventure is designed for four 8th-level characters. By the end of the module, characters should reach 11th level.

Introduction
It is the time of the Concordant Eclipse, a rare astronomical event when Golarion, its moons, and nearby planets are in conjunction, a phenomenon that happens once every 2,333 years. From across Golarion, sages and astronomers have flocked to the desert nation of Osirion, the best place from which to watch the eclipse. But wonder and excitement turn to fear and trepidation when the sun does not return at its appointed time, plunging Osirion into never-ending night.

Recently translated inscriptions from the tomb of one of Osirion’s oldest pharaohs tell of a similar unearthly nightfall ages ago that was only prelude to an invasion by aberrant alien horrors from the Dominions of the Black. Fearing obliteration, the pharaoh asked his advisor Ibennu-awi, known as the Resplendent Phoenix, to save Osirion. Ibennu-awi, a wise archmage and theurge without peer, crafted a powerful artifact called the Burning Phoenix Staff, which he used to banish the supernatural darkness and the otherworldly invaders back to the Dark Tapestry.

The Burning Phoenix Staff has been lost for centuries and the Resplendent Phoenix himself is long dead. But perhaps his victory could be repeated if the Staff can be found. Hired by the temple of Sarenrae, goddess of the sun, to find this lost artifact, the PCs are directed to a reclusive wizard and sage named Rashidi who has dedicated his life to researching the mighty archmage’s legendary relics, known collectively as the panoply of the Phoenix. As they prepare for their journey, the PCs are ambushed by barghests in the service of Zon-Kuthon, god of darkness. Defeating their attackers, the PCs discover evidence that the cult of Zon-Kuthon wants to seize the panoply for themselves and take advantage of the preternatural twilight for their own sinister purposes. The PCs take part in a frantic camel race across the starlit desert, through sandstorms and territorial lamias, to reach Rashidi’s tower before the cult.

The Tower of Glass
The PCs arrive at the wizard’s home, a tower of fused-sand glass hidden in a haunted valley deep in the mountains, to find that Rashidi is missing. In his absence, a dread mummy sorcerer has claimed the tower for himself and undead have overrun the tower. Exploring the tower, the PCs face the wizard’s traps, a bound efreeti masquerading as a wrongfully imprisoned noble djinni, and the dread mummy and his undead minions. After eradicating the undead infesting the tower, the PCs find Rashidi’s notes. These reveal that the Burning Phoenix Staff was divided into four pieces, some hidden away for safekeeping and others stolen by opportunistic thieves. Rashidi has so far recovered one piece of the staff, the sunfire medallion, and has gone in search of the rest of the panoply of the Phoenix. The PCs can take the sunfire medallion from Rashidi’s tower, but removing it from its vault has dire consequences, as the glass tower begins to dissolve into sand. The PCs must escape the collapsing tower or be buried forever beneath an avalanche of sand. Once free, they will confront vampire spawn cultists of Zon-Kuthon, who have arrived to claim the sunfire medallion, before following Rashidi’s trail to a nearby oasis.

Oasis of the Four Winds
Seeking the wizard Rashidi, the PCs come to the Oasis of the Four Winds, home to a nomadic tribe of jann. The PCs question the jann to find the missing wizard, but they soon become embroiled in an argument between the four elemental clans of the tribe. To receive the jann’s aid, the PCs must mediate the dispute and prove themselves by eliminating a pair of behirs who have been terrorizing the tribe. In the behirs’ hoard, the PCs can find the brass sphinx, a figurine of wondrous power that may prove useful later in the adventure. Returning to the oasis, the jann tell the PCs that Rashidi went to recover more pieces of the panoply of the Phoenix hidden in an abandoned temple buried beneath the sands of the jann’s ancestral wintering grounds. The janni druid Djeserit, a friend of Rashidi, volunteers to guide the PCs to the lost temple. But unknown to the PCs, an imp in the service of Zon-Kuthon’s cult has been following and spying on them, and passes on this information to the cult as well.

Fane of the Forgotten Faith
Accompanied by Djeserit, the PCs arrive at the Temple of the Three Sisters, an ancient and abandoned religion from Osirion’s past, only to discover that the cult of Zon-Kuthon is already there and has slain the wizard Rashidi. Rashidi’s spirit appears to the PCs and tells them that part of his soul (his ba) is still trapped in his body, and cannot join the rest of his soul (his ka) until his death has been avenged. The PCs infiltrate the temple and brave its traps and guards, including huge animated statues and guardian mummies. The PCs must also contend with the fiendish and vampiric servants of Zon-Kuthon before finally challenging Ini-Herit, a vampire cleric of Zon-Kuthon. Once they have defeated the vampire, the PCs can acquire his weapon, the phoenix tail flail, the second piece of the panoply of the Phoenix. Rashidi’s spirit reappears, thanking the PCs for avenging his death and taking up the mantle of his quest. But that quest is not yet over, for a third piece of the panoply hidden with the flail was stolen from the temple centuries ago, and Rashidi informs the PCs that the nameless beings from the Dominions of the Black draw ever closer. Time is running short. To stop the impending arrival of the invaders, the PCs need to make all haste to the distant valley where the thief is believed to have fled and recover the next piece of the panoply. Djeserit reveals herself to be a devotee of the Three Sisters, and offers the PCs a carpet of flying from the temple’s treasury to aid their quest. With his death avenged and the quest for the panoply in good hands, Rashidi’s spirit fades away, his ba finally able to rejoin his ka in the afterlife.

Gates of the Dawn
En route via flying carpet to find the third piece of the panoply of the Phoenix, the PCs are attacked by a pair of erinyes sent by the Zon-Kuthon cult to make up for Ini-Herit’s failure. After repelling the winged devils, the PCs finally arrive at the Gates of the Dawn, a mountain pass guarded by the powerful Golden Sphinx Tanafriti, a metal-clad, solaric gynosphinx. The sphinx poses a riddle to the PCs in order to grant them access to the hidden valley beyond the Gates. If the riddle proves too difficult, and if the PCs found the brass sphinx figurine of wondrous power at the Oasis of the Four Winds, they can use it as a bargaining chip with Tanafriti. But the sphinx is also the bearer of the third piece of the panoply stolen from the temple, the crook of solar splendor. If the PCs don’t wish to fight Tanafriti, they can negotiate with her to claim the relic. The PCs must also ascertain where the fourth and final piece of the panoply is hidden. If they don’t have the means to divine its location themselves, they can perhaps persuade the Golden Sphinx to use her legend lore ability.

Tomb of the Resplendent Phoenix
The PCs learn that the final piece of the panoply of the Phoenix is located in the tomb of Ibennu-awi himself. Fortunately, the Resplendent Phoenix’s tomb is located just beyond the Gates of the Dawn in the Valley of Blue Sand, known to be home to sand elementals and rocs. But they are not the only dangers, for the Resplendent Phoenix has not been resting easily for the last few centuries, and the PCs must overcome both Ibennu-awi’s ghost and the shield guardian that still protects his body before they can gain the final piece of the panoply, the war crown of fiery sight. What’s more, the cult of Zon-Kuthon makes one final attempt to thwart the PCs and wrest the panoply from them. Before they can leave the tomb, the PCs have to face Pakhet the Huntress, a night hag bounty hunter and her Nessian warhound, sent to retrieve the relics. With all the pieces of the panoply of the Phoenix in their possession, the PCs can reassemble them to form the Burning Phoenix Staff. Hieroglyphs on the walls of Ibennu-awi’s tomb reveal that he dispelled the darkness ages ago by using the Staff to summon the mythical Phoenix bird itself. In order to replicate his feat, the PCs will need to journey to the holy mountain where the last Phoenix died.

The Mountain of Ash
Arriving at the sacred mountain Al-Qurn, the PCs realize that they are too late. The planets have finally aligned, opening the way between Golarion and the Dominions of the Black. Already harbingers of the destruction to come have arrived: the extraplanar undead known as nightshades. A towering nightwalker stalks across the darkened land, and a monstrous nightwing prowls the twilight skies above. The PCs don’t have much chance to stop such powerful foes; they must use the Burning Phoenix Staff to call forth the Phoenix from its ashes, now scattered across the mountaintop. As the Phoenix confronts the nightshades, the PCs realize that other dangers are present as well. The nightshades are not alone, and it is up to the PCs to oppose the Dwellers in the Darkness, terrible alien monstrosities from the Dominions of the Black who have come to claim Osirion for their own dark domain.

Conclusion
The PCs defeat the Dwellers in the Darkness in time to witness the Phoenix triumph over the nightshades. Grievously wounded after the epic battle, the Phoenix returns to the PCs. It tells them it has one more task to complete before it can die, and charges the PCs to protect and watch over Osirion, to be ever vigilant against the powers of Night. As a final token of its thanks, the Phoenix gives them a phoenix feather cloak made from its own magical feathers. The Phoenix flies up to the occulted sun and immolates itself in a fiery explosion. In waves of purifying flame, the unnatural eclipse finally ends, allowing the sun to shine unobstructed over Osirion once more.

Treasure
Throughout the adventure, the PCs seek to recover the lost relics of the Resplendent Phoenix, the great theurge Ibennu-awi. Known as the panoply of the Phoenix, these four items are:

• The sunfire medallion, an amulet that shines with light on command, enhances a cleric’s turn undead ability, and absorbs sunlight to later release it in blinding or searing flashes.
  
• The phoenix tail flail, a flaming burst weapon that inflicts extra damage against undead.
  
• The crook of solar splendor, a metamagic rod that enhances its wielder’s Charisma and summons firebirds.
  
• The war crown of fiery sight, a helmet that enables its wearer to shoot fiery rays from her eyes while enhancing her Intelligence and powers of perception.

Along the way, the PCs also have the chance to find a brass sphinx, a new figurine of wondrous power. Finally, if successful in their quest, the PCs will also be rewarded with the phoenix feather cloak, which envelops its wearer in protective fire, provides fire resistance, and grants the ability to fly with fiery wings, as well as to teleport short distances in a burst of flame.

New Monsters
The adventure presents the following new monsters:

• The Dwellers in the Darkness, native outsiders from the Dominions of the Black in the form of cephalopodic winged crustaceans. These tentacled alien horrors can fly through the void of space, draw power from the very stars, and manipulate shadow and darkness.
  
• The legendary Phoenix, a unique native outsider that sometimes serves as a herald of Sarenrae. A personification of redemption and healing, the Phoenix can ease the pain and sins of the sun goddess’s faithful, and is able to reincarnate itself from the ashes of its previous manifestation.
  
• Firebirds, lesser celestial cousins of the great Phoenix with solaric powers of fire and light that can be called via summon monster spells or the crook of solar splendor.

Into the Jungle

With the Cerulean Sisterhood hot on their trail, the PCs’ next step is to get the fugitive sorceress Praneeta out of Jhansi. If the PCs met Madame Kumuda at the House of Forty-Seven Doors, they should now have enough information to find the elven village of Sundagar, hidden in the jungles east of Jhansi. The trade road to Sadhrakand, which enters the Viridian Jungle a few miles east of the city, is the best route to take. Fifty miles from Jhansi, about two days’ travel on foot, an overgrown trail branches off the road to the south, leading into the trackless depths of the jungle. This path, according to Madame Kumuda’s information, leads to Sundagar. There the PCs can seek out an agent for the Order of the Resplendent Serpent who will help them cross the Erm Hyar (thereby avoiding the Ossuary Barrens and the Crimson Legion) and take Praneeta to an Order safehouse in Almudin.

Jungle Features: The Viridian Jungle is considered dense forest. Travel on the trail is 18 miles per day (for a speed of 30 feet); off the trail, movement is reduced to 6 miles per day. As daytime temperatures in the jungle reach well over 90° F, heat becomes a danger while traveling. Characters in these conditions must make Fortitude saves each hour (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a -4 penalty on their saves. A character who takes any nonlethal damage from heat exposure now suffers from heatstroke and is fatigued. See Wilderness Adventures: Forest Terrain (DMG p. 87) and The Environment: Heat Dangers (DMG p. 303) for more details.

A unique feature of the Viridian Jungle are the monumental vriksha trees, massive living towers that soar hundreds of feet in the air. These ancient trees have trunks 20 feet or more in diameter, and immense flat leaves up to 50 feet long and 20 feet wide. Arboreal creatures like monkey goblins frequently make their homes or camps on the surface of these broad leaves high above the forest floor, leaping or swinging on vines to travel from leaf to leaf.

They’re in the trees! (EL 4)

After the PCs have traveled for one day along the trail to Sundagar, read or paraphrase the following:

For three days you’ve marched through the jungle, constantly sweating in the sweltering heat. You’ve hacked through vines and creepers and clambered over deadfalls, trying to follow a trail that seems to disappear into the undergrowth all too often. It’s been a constant battle between collapsing from heatstroke under your clothes or armor, or exposing your skin to the ever-present hordes of biting insects. Sunlight filters down through the high canopy, tinting everything green in the dim light. Or maybe it’s because of the mold that’s growing on every piece of your equipment in the pervasive damp. Around you, the sounds of birds and monkeys fill the air. But gradually, through the incessant background chatter, you hear what sounds like a trickling brook ahead, promising fresh, cool water and some relief from the day’s oppressive heat.

Unfortunately for the PCs, the path also leads straight into the middle of an ambush. A raiding party of savage monkey goblins from the Thundering Lizard tribe, under the leadership of a barbarian named Aghar, has recently set up camp in the towering vriksha trees beside the trail in order to waylay passing travelers. They have already captured one such traveler (see Development), but are eager for more victims.

The monkey goblins are hiding on the wide vriksha leaves overhanging the trail (areas 1, 2, 3A, and 3B on the map). It is a DC 25 Spot check to detect the goblins before the ambush, as they have taken 10 on their Hide checks and the huge leaves provide them with improved cover (+10 to Hide checks) as well as concealment.

Trap: The monkey goblins have camouflaged three snares in the middle of the trail (the squares marked “T” on the map). Anyone stepping into these squares must make a DC 18 Reflex save or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage as he is swept off his feet and suspended upside down 20 feet above the trail. Praneeta automatically triggers one of the snares and fails her save, leaving two of the snares for the PCs to encounter. A suspended victim can, as a full-round action, make a DC 20 Escape Artist check to get free or a DC 23 Strength check to break the rope without assistance, but will take 2d6 points of damage as he falls 20 feet to the ground below. The rope has AC 7, hardness 0, and 2 hit points.

Snare Trap (3) CR 1/2

Creatures: Once the snares have been triggered, four monkey goblins (2 each from areas 1 and 3A, marked “G” on the map) swing down from their vriksha leaves on vines, kukris held in their teeth, to attack any PCs still standing on the trail. To successfully swing, the goblins must make DC 5 Strength checks. They make a double move (up to 80 feet on a swinging vine) and attack at the end of their swing with their kukris, gaining the benefits of a charge (+2 to attack rolls, -2 to AC) and attacking from higher ground (+1 to attack rolls). These bonuses are not included in the stats below. Allow PCs to make Listen checks (DC 16) to recognize the sound of swinging goblins swooping silently out of the trees. Those failing their Listen checks are surprised.

As the surprise round begins, Aghar blows his war horn as a free action, and all the goblins begin an ululating war cry. Read or paraphrase the following to the players:

A fearsome noise, like the roar of a dinosaur crossed with the squeal of a freshly skewered boar, rings through the trees. For a split second, the jungle goes silent, then a wild ululation fills the air as green-skinned monkey goblins, bedecked in body paint and bone and feather ornaments, swoop down from the trees on long vines, kukris clutched in grinning yellow teeth.

Meanwhile, the monkey goblin snipers (marked “S” on the map) pull any ensnared captives the remaining 30 feet up to area 2, 50 feet in the air (the goblins must make a Strength check as a full-round action; the result is the number of feet the captive is raised that round). Once up on the leaf, the goblins disarm prisoners and put them in the wooden cage in area 2 (see Development). When the prisoners are dealt with, the snipers join the combat with ranged attacks, as does Aghar (marked “A” on the map) from area 3B. Keep in mind some PCs may not be wearing their armor due to the dangerous heat. Praneeta, as an untrained 1st-level sorcerer, will not contribute to the combat in any way.

Monkey Goblin Raiders (4) CR 1/3

Monkey Goblin Snipers (3) CR 1/3

Aghar CR 2

Terrain Features: The trail is bordered on either side by dense forest and light undergrowth. It costs 2 squares of movement to move into and provides concealment, but increases the DC of Tumble and Move Silently checks by 2. The light undergrowth changes to heavy undergrowth after 20 to 30 feet, which costs 4 squares of movement to move into, provides concealment with a 30% miss chance and grants a +5 circumstance bonus on Hide checks, but increases the DC of Tumble and Move Silently checks by 5. In the jungle, the maximum distance for Spot checks is 2d6x10 feet, and background noise increases the DC of Listen checks by 2 per 10 feet. Nearby trees can also grant bonuses to AC and Reflex saves. See Forest Terrain (DMG p. 87) for more details.

Into the Trees
At some point, the PCs will probably need to get up into the vriksha trees, either in pursuit of the monkey goblins or to rescue captured companions. Area 1 is 40 feet high, area 2 is 50 feet high, and areas 3A and 3B are 60 feet high. Below are some of the available methods for ascending to the monkey goblins’ camp.

Climbing: The most obvious method is climbing a hanging vine or the vriksha trees themselves, either of which takes a DC 15 Climb check. The DC can be reduced if the party has enough rope and a way to fasten it at the top. The monkey goblins will certainly try to dislodge climbing characters with ranged attacks. Note that climbing characters lose Dexterity and shield bonuses to their AC.
Spells: Levitate and spider climb, as 2nd-level spells, provide an easy way for one character to affix a rope for the rest of the party to use. Animate rope might also prove useful. Fly and gaseous form might be the easiest way to ascend, but are probably beyond the abilities of most parties at this level.

Swinging Through the Treetops

Moving and fighting on the large vriksha leaves has its own hazards. While the centers of the leaves are level and sturdy enough to support the weight of an adventuring party, their edges are flimsier and slope towards the ground. Moving or fighting near the edge of a leaf (the areas shaded a darker green on the map) requires a DC 10 Balance check each round. Failure means the character falls, unless he makes a DC 15 Reflex save to catch the edge of the leaf. The surrounding foliage provides concealment to targets of ranged attacks in the jungle canopy; melee attacks suffer no penalties.

Moving between leaves can be accomplished most easily by swinging on one of the many vines hanging down from the canopy above. To swing on a vine, a character must first make a DC 5 Strength check (DC 10 if carrying a medium load, DC 15 for a heavy load). He takes a –2 penalty if he swings with only one hand. A swinging rope has a speed of 40 feet.

Note, however, that the three vriksha trees on the map are at different elevations. A character swinging to a lower leaf may make a DC 15 Jump or Tumble check to jump down at the end of his swing and reduce falling damage. Swinging to a higher leaf, however, requires a swing of at least 20 horizontal feet per 5 vertical feet to be gained (so to swing from area 1 at 40 feet to area 2 at 50 feet requires at least a 40-ft. swing).

A character can also attack with a one-handed weapon at the end of a swing. Such an attack follows all the rules for a charge, with the associated bonuses and penalties. The Strength check for an attacking swing takes a –2 penalty for swinging one-handed, unless the character can draw a weapon without expending a move action, such as with the Quick Draw feat.

Characters can also get to neighboring leaves with a Jump check (DC based on distance jumped), keeping in mind the different elevations between trees. Spells such as feather fall or jump might also prove helpful in traveling between leaves or trees.

Development: Praneeta and any other characters ensnared by the monkey goblins are taken to the wooden cage in area 2. Once the goblins have been defeated, the PCs are free to rescue their companions. The cage is not locked per se, but is cunningly latched, requiring a DC 10 Disable Device check to open. The cage cannot be opened from the inside.

The PCs can find another captive imprisoned in a similar cage in area 3B. This is Gurvinder (LE male hobgoblin fighter 2), a hussar of the Crimson Legion. Gurvinder was recently on a scouting mission in Sundagar, ferreting out connections to the Order of the Resplendent Serpent. Having found a cell of the Order in the village, he was returning to Bonemaw with the information he had gathered when the Thundering Lizards ambushed him two days ago. Caught in a snare and pummeled into unconsciousness, Gurvinder was stripped of his gear and thrown into the cage while Aghar tried to decide what to do with him. After eating the last of Gurvinder’s horse this morning, the rest of the Thundering Lizards were strongly lobbying for hobgoblin stew this evening. Currently, Gurvinder languishes in the cage, half-conscious and badly wounded with only 1 hit point (out of 15).

Gurvinder’s presence should be a moral quandary for the PCs. On the one hand, he is an innocent (and severely injured) prisoner of the savage monkey goblins. One the other hand, he is an officer of the Crimson Legion, and the PCs are harboring a fugitive from Iskandria’s justice. If the PCs attempt to talk with him, Gurvinder’s initial attitude is unfriendly. The PCs can make a Diplomacy check to change his attitude. Releasing him and offering him healing grants them a +5 bonus on this check. If Gurvinder becomes friendly, he tells the PCs about the agent for the Order of the Resplendent Serpent he uncovered in Sundagar, a half-elf named Satya Pramod. Unsure if he will survive the journey himself, Gurvinder asks the PCs to take this information to his superiors in Bonemaw as soon as possible.

Wooden Cages
hp 20; Hardness 5
Break DC 23, Disable Device DC 10

Treasure: The monkey goblins have stashed their loot inside a large knothole in the tree trunk 10 feet above area 3A (DC 15 Spot check to notice). It consists of 20 lbs. of cinnamon (20 gp), 5 lbs. of salt (25 gp), a bolt of silk (100 gp), a silver tankard with a malachite lid (140 gp), a carved lapis lazuli statuette of a shapely woman in hooded robes (65 gp), a climber’s kit, a small mahogany box containing 3 thunderstones, oil of bless weapon in a hollow gourd, 140 sp, and 41 gp, collected in several hide sacks.

Gurvinder’s equipment is also here: a muddy crimson cloak with black trim, a red and black-enameled breastplate (bearing the arms of the Crimson Legion), a masterwork longsword, and a lance. Hidden in a secret pocket of the cloak (DC 15 Search check to find) are Gurvinder’s dispatches to Bonemaw, detailing the Order of the Resplendent Serpent’s activities in Sundagar, as well as the name and location of its principal contact in the village, the half-elf Satya Pramod.

Ad Hoc Experience Award: If the PCs help Gurvinder and find out about Satya Pramod and the Order of the Resplendent Serpent from him, award them XP as if they had defeated him in combat (CR 2). They gain no additional experience for killing Gurvinder (as he is hardly a threat in his current condition) or finding the information on their own.

An author may not post in his or her own submission thread other than to acknowledge feedback and to encourage people to vote for his or her submission. Violating this rule may result in disqualification, in the sole discretion of the judges and/or Paizo. Contestants can post in the threads of other contestant's villains, but are cautioned that the public is watching what they do and say.

I know on previous rounds we've been posting in our own threads once voting has ended to respond to comments and questions. But the rules this round seem to say we cannot do this any more, even after voting.

So can we get some clarification on this? I'd like to respond to some comments, but don't want to get DQ'd (assuming that I advance to the next round, which is not a given) if the rules have changed.

Thanks.

(I notice some people have already begun posting - I'm not saying this to catch you out, I just want to join the posting frenzy!)

Hi,

I just placed an order today which included a Planet Stories subscription. I selected "Secret of Sinharat" to be the first subscription item, but my order history only shows the other parts of the order, with "Secret of Sinharat" pending in My Subscriptions. But it does show I'm being charged for "Secret of Sinharat."

So my question is whether "Secret of Sinharat" will be shipped with the rest of my order, or shipped separately. The reason I ask is because I chose to start the subscription with that one to combine shipping costs. If it's going to ship separately (with separate shipping costs), I might as well have started with "Northwest of Earth" and ordered "Secret of Sinharat" individually as part of my order.

Thanks,
Rob McCreary

Once again, it is perhaps time to remind voters of just what their options are. Maybe 8 choices are simply seven too many. Perhaps you have stat block fatigue. Or could too many templates be troubling your tummy? How do you know who to vote for?

If this is your situation, may I humbly suggest The Ooze Imperium?

Let's break it down, shall we?

The Ooze Imperium

Lines, angles, and polygons give objects physical shape and form, and form defines function. But there are those for whom this is an alien concept. For these beings, there is no shape, only pliancy; no form, only flux; and function is a product of the mental, not the physical. From their gelatinous citadels deep within the Astral Plane, the amorphous armies of the Ooze Imperium stretch their pseudopods across the multiverse, engulfing all who diverge from their philosophy of perfect plasticity.

Brain oozes, the epitome of this ideology of mental dominance over physical form, are the vanguards of the Ooze Imperium. Their mission is to impose the Imperium’s doctrine of formlessness upon other planes. Riding in psionically-controlled palanquins, once-intelligent beings that have been transformed into mindless hosts for the parasitic oozes, they infiltrate other planes to create and introduce various viscous slimes and jellies into these planes ecosystems, even transforming intelligent living creatures into imbecilic, ravenous oozes. Electric jellies, gelatinous cubes, green slimes and more are the foot soldiers of the Ooze Imperium; the brain oozes its generals. Eventually, they seek to replace the lines, angles, and solid surfaces of most planes with arcs, curves, and viscid gelatin. If the Ooze Imperium has its way, it will convert reality itself into shapeless, formless goo.

Thematic Link: The electric jelly, brain ooze, and palanquin all represent the Weltanschauung of the Ooze Imperium: structure and form are transitory states, and beings embodying these traits are nothing more than temporary tools to be used and discarded, for truth is found in the rejection of all things physical, in the utter lack of shape and fixed dimension. And without such tangible constraints, the boundless limits of the mind can be realized, until perfection is achieved in the form of amorphous ooze.

ELECTRIC JELLY
This creature looks like a roiling purple blob of slime. As it oozes towards you, it crackles with electricity.

Electric Jelly CR 4
Always N Medium ooze
Init -5; Senses blindsight 60 ft., electricity sense; Listen -5

DEFENSE

AC 5, touch 5, flat-footed 5 (-5 Dex)
hp 57 (5d10+30)
Fort +10, Ref -1, Will -1
Defensive Abilities split (slashing/piercing); Immune electricity, ooze immunities

OFFENSE

Spd 15 ft. (3 squares), climb 15 ft.
Melee slam +4 (1d6+1 plus poison) or touch +4 (poison)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks acid, electric pulse, electrolytic poison, engulf

TACTICS

Before Combat An electric jelly attacks any creatures it encounters without preparation.
During Combat An electric jelly has no concept of tactics. When it detects a living creature, it moves to within 5 feet and generates an electric pulse to stun its opponent. If the foe is still moving, the jelly slams the creature with its body until it can generate another electric pulse. Once its opponent is stunned or helpless, the jelly engulfs the creature and secretes acid to digest its prey.
Morale An electric jelly fights mindlessly until it is dead.

STATISTICS

Str 12, Dex 1, Con 22, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1
Base Atk +3; Grp +4
Feats –
Skills Climb +9
Languages none
SQ ooze traits

SPECIAL ABILITIES

ECOLOGY

Environment underground
Organization solitary
Treasure none
Advancement 6-9 HD (Medium), 10-15 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment –

An electric jelly oozes along floors, walls, and ceilings searching for food. A typical electric jelly is about 6 feet in diameter and 6 inches thick. It weighs about 400 pounds.

Ecology
Electric jellies have no natural place in a normal ecosystem. Created by the brain oozes of the Ooze Imperium, they serve no purpose other than spreading havoc. Like all oozes, electric jellies are amorphous creatures that live only to eat, feeding on organic matter (living or dead) as well as metal. It is believed that the ingestion of various metals helps fuel their natural ability to generate electricity. Witnesses have reported that electric jellies seem particularly fond of copper. Furthermore, electric jellies are attracted to electrical forces, and may gain sustenance from raw electricity itself.

Electric jellies have no known means of reproduction other than splitting into smaller jellies in response to physical trauma. When more electric jellies are needed, brain oozes simply create more.

Habitat & Society
Electric jellies inhabit underground areas throughout the world, scouring caverns, ruins, and dungeons in search of sustenance. They are frequently drawn to areas with high electrical activity. As mindless oozes, they have no society; they are simply biological weapons created and released by the Ooze Imperium to further their alien objectives. Electric jellies are often found as controlled minions accompanying raiding parties of mounted brain oozes.

BRAIN OOZE
This quivering, shapeless mass of translucent protoplasm holds a slowly pulsing, human-sized brain floating in its center, like the nucleus of a cell.

Brain Ooze CR 6
Usually LE Small ooze (extraplanar)
Init +4; Senses blindsight 60 ft.; Listen +4, Spot +4

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 17
(+0 Dex, +6 natural, +1 size)
hp 51 (6d10+18)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +12
Defensive Abilities alien mind; DR 10/magic; Immune ooze immunities; Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10

OFFENSE

Spd 10 ft. (2 squares), climb 10 ft.
Melee slam +5 (1d4 plus paralysis)
Ranged intellect drain ray +6 (see text)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks create host, intellect drain, paralysis, psionics, summon ooze
Psionic Abilities (CL 6th):
At will—black tentacles, confusion (DC 19), daze monster (DC 17), plane shift (DC 20), telekinesis (DC 20)

TACTICS

Before Combat A brain ooze prefers to fight from the safety of a possessed host called a palanquin. If forced to fight on its own (or to find a new palanquin), a brain ooze attempts to ambush foes using its Hide and Move Silently skills.
During Combat A dismounted brain ooze always remains hidden until it finds a suitable host. Once it has found a likely candidate, the brain ooze uses its psionics to separate the creature from its companions and keep opponents at a distance. The brain ooze casts black tentacles and confusion on groups, and specifically targets enemy spellcasters with its intellect drain attack. The brain ooze uses telekinesis to bull rush or trip anyone closing to melee range, followed by daze monster and black tentacles if they keep coming. If it must fight in melee, the brain ooze slams opponents, attempting to paralyze them, or plane shifts them to a random plane if its opponents seem unhindered by its attacks.
A brain ooze willingly enters melee combat only if its palanquin candidate has been separated and it has time to complete the create host process. The brain ooze first uses daze monster (or black tentacles if necessary) to immobilize its chosen victim, then paralyzes the creature with its anesthetizing slime before turning it into a palanquin.
Morale If unable to find or create a suitable host, or if it is reduced to 30 hp or less, a brain ooze attempts to flee, using black tentacles and telekinetic violent thrusts to cover its escape. If cornered or unable to escape safely, a brain ooze plane shifts to the Astral Plane. This is a last resort, however, for the brain ooze will have to explain its failure to its superiors and face the consequences.

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 19, Wis 18, Cha 20
Base Atk +4; Grp +0
Feats Combat Casting, Iron Will (B), Skill Focus (Move Silently), Weapon Focus (ray)
(B) denotes a bonus feat.
Skills Bluff +9, Climb +8, Concentration +12 (+16 to cast on the defensive), Hide +10, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +13, Knowledge (the planes) +13, Listen +4, Move Silently +10, Spot +4, Use Magic Device +14
Languages none; telepathy 100 ft.
SQ control ooze, mind over matter, ooze traits, ooze metamorphosis, ride palanquin, symbiosis

SPECIAL ABILITIES

ECOLOGY

Environment Astral Plane
Organization solitary, mounted (1, with palanquin), raiding party (3-5, with palanquins, plus 3-10 oozes), or conclave (6-10, with palanquins, plus 6-20 oozes)
Treasure Standard
Advancement 7-10 HD (Small), 11-14 HD (Medium), 15-18 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment –

Brain oozes are a tyrannical race of supra-genius, extraplanar, amorphous oozes with mental powers who reject physical form and venerate cerebral prowess. To this end, they view shapeless protoplasm as the perfect state of being and seek to dominate and impose their will and their form on all other races they encounter. From their outposts in the Astral Plane, they infiltrate other planes with deadly slimes and puddings, transforming intelligent beings into mindless slaves or amorphous ooze.

Brain oozes outside the Astral Plane are usually encountered in small scouting or raiding parties of 3-5 brain oozes riding native palanquins, accompanied by controlled lesser oozes such as black puddings, electric jellies, gray oozes, and ochre jellies. Conclaves of 6-10 brain oozes direct the activities of raiding parties and pursue the Imperium’s goals of ooze supremacy through use of their ooze metamorphosis abilities. Brain oozes also sometimes ally with intelligent ooze-like creatures like chaos beasts and gibbering mouthers.

Brain oozes speak no languages, instead communicating telepathically among themselves. In fact, brain ooze is a name applied to them by other races. Having no spoken or written language of their own, brain oozes have no name for themselves. They simply refer to themselves as “we” or “us,” and everyone else as “others” or “them.” If a brain ooze must communicate with a lesser (i.e., non-ooze) race, it uses the languages of its possessed palanquin.

Ecology
Lacking a complex digestive system or even the acid of their ooze brethren, brain oozes are able to absorb only small amounts of organic matter as food, but appear to get most of their sustenance via a symbiotic link with their palanquin hosts. Some sages speculate that brain oozes may also gain some nourishment during the host creation process, when a brain ooze dissolves its victim’s brain, reducing its mental capacity.

The specific details of brain ooze reproduction are unknown, but it is thought they reproduce asexually by a combination budding and fission. At a certain time in its life, a brain ooze’s brain divides into two duplicate halves. The ooze then extrudes a part of its mass which separates from the parent’s body with one of the brain halves, eventually developing into a physically identical clone of the parent. It is not known what effect, if any, the division of the brain has on a brain ooze’s mental powers.

Typical Physical Characteristics: A brain ooze’s body is translucent, and its large brain is clearly visible in the center of its protoplasm. An average brain ooze is about 3 feet in diameter with a thickness of 5-6 inches, but it can compress its body and its brain to only about two inches thick, small enough to fit inside a Medium creature’s mouth. It weighs only about 15 pounds.

Alignment: Brain oozes are almost universally lawful evil, unquestioningly following the doctrine of the strictly hierarchical Ooze Imperium. A few dissidents might lean towards neutrality or even chaos, but such misfits seldom last long in brain ooze society, as they are viewed as dangerous mutants that are purged from the ranks and eradicated as soon as they are discovered.

Habitat & Society
Brain oozes originated long ago on a distant demi-plane, now known as the Plane of Endless Ooze. From there, the brain oozes spread to other planes. Some planes repulsed them, but some they conquered, colonized, and converted to ooze, eventually creating a vast, planar dominion called the Ooze Imperium.

Most brain oozes live in sprawling, gelatinous fortresses floating in the depths of the Astral Plane. These garrisons serve as advance bases for the expeditionary armies of the Ooze Imperium in their war against all non-ooze life on other planes. There are no noncombatants in a brain ooze outpost; all brain oozes serve the Ooze Imperium.

The Ooze Imperium is ruled by the Ooze Imperator, an ancient brain ooze of Huge size with the spellcasting ability of a 20th-level sorcerer and enhanced psionic powers. From its mighty silver great wyrm palanquin in the Palace of Eternal Slime on the Plane of Endless Ooze, the Imperator directs the Imperium’s plane-spanning machinations. Beneath the Imperator, the brain oozes of the Ooze Imperium are organized into a caste-like hierarchy. Military ranks of the Imperium, from lowest to highest, are structured as follows:

• Hyparch – captain of raiding party; lowest official rank
  
• Cardinal – leader of conclave
  
• Triban – field commander; coordinates conclaves in a particular region
  
• Siniskalk – castellan of an Astral fortress, roughly equivalent to triban; reports directly to a praetor
  
• Polemarch – warlord; leads armies on a single world; commands multiple tribans
  
• Praetor – general; in command of a single Astral stronghold, can command multiple polemarchs; highest military rank
  
• Exarch – planar governor; oversees single plane where the Imperium has a presence, directs multiple praetors
  
• Proconsul – mystic/advisor to the Imperator, drawn from the ranks of the exarchs

The rigid chain of command of the Ooze Imperium is highly stratified. An individual brain ooze is born into its rank in society, either succeeding its clone-parent or appointed to a similar or lesser position to its clone-parent by its superiors. Only the most distinguished and successful brain oozes are able to advance through the ranks. Unexceptional brain oozes have no rank; they exist only to serve their superiors and the Imperium as a whole.

Common oozes, such as black puddings or electric jellies, have no rank in brain ooze society. They are mindless beasts and useful tools only; at best, they might be viewed as cute pets. Allied ooze-like beings such as chaos beasts or gibbering mouthers have no official rank in the Imperium, but particularly extraordinary specimens might be given the honorary rank of hyparch, or even cardinal.

Variants
Rumors exist of mutant brain oozes that have been given the traits of their lesser ooze brethren in disturbing transmogrification rituals. Some possible variants and their adjustments to base brain ooze statistics are presented here.

• Brain Cubes: Appearing as brains suspended in Huge cubes of transparent gelatin, these variants lose their energy resistance and create host and ride palanquin abilities, but gain a speed of 15 ft., immunity to electricity, transparency, and the acid and engulf abilities of gelatinous cubes. Their ability score modifiers are Dexterity –4, Constitution +6, and their CR remains the same.
  
• Brain Puddings: These Huge black monstrosities have 10 HD, a speed of 20 ft., and their create host, paralysis, and ride palanquin abilities are replaced by constrict, improved grab, and a black pudding’s acid. Their ability score modifiers are Strength +6, Constitution +4, and their CR increases to 8.
  
• Gibbering Brains: These bizarre aberrations lose their blindsight, immunity to visual attacks, create host ability, and confusion psionic ability, but gain the ability to spit their paralyzing slime, as well as the bite attacks, gibbering, and ground manipulation abilities of gibbering mouthers. Their ability scores and CR remain the same.

PALANQUIN (Template)

A creature possessed by a brain ooze using its create host ability becomes a palanquin, a mindless puppet and mount for the parasitic brain ooze. Brain oozes use palanquins as transportation, infiltrators, and war machines. Once inside a host, a brain ooze modifies its palanquin to be more ooze-like, as well as stronger and more resistant to better protect its brain ooze rider. Because they become symbiotically linked to their hosts, with access to their weaknesses as well as their strengths, brain oozes prefer big, strong palanquins that are effective in combat. Brain oozes only create palanquins from a smaller, weaker creatures like humanoids or animals for specific purposes (such as espionage), or if there is no other option. A palanquin appears much the same as it did before its transformation, but its movements are jerky, as if it were just a puppet on strings. Closer inspection reveals a layer of translucent ooze coating its skin, and a dead, mindless look in its eyes.

Sample Palanquin
A brutish two-headed giant, well over 12 feet tall, stalks forward jerkily, its movements erratic. The blank, dead eyes of its paired heads stare into space above pig-like faces, and viscous drool drips from slack, tusked jaws. Its skin glistens with a thick coating of slime.

Ettin Palanquin CR 9
LE Large giant (extraplanar, ooze)
Init +8; Senses blindsight 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +14, Spot +14

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 7, flat-footed 19
(+3 hide armor, –2 Dex, +9 natural, –1 size)
hp 65 (10d8+20); fast healing 1
Fort +9, Ref +1, Will +12
Defensive Abilities alien mind; Immune ooze immunities; Resist acid 5, cold 5, fire 5

OFFENSE

Spd 30 ft. (6 squares) in hide armor (base speed 40 ft.)
Melee 2 morningstars +14/+9 (2d6+8)
Ranged 2 javelins +4 (1d8+8) or 2 intellect drain rays +5 (see text)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks intellect drain, psionics, spit gray ooze, summon ooze
Psionic Abilities (CL 6th):
At will—black tentacles, confusion (DC 19), daze monster (DC 17), plane shift (DC 20), telekinesis (DC 20)

TACTICS

Before Combat Both of an ettin palanquin’s ooze riders will attempt to summon oozes before combat, sending them forward to soften up approaching foes.
During Combat An ettin palanquin begins combat by targeting obvious spellcasters with intellect drain rays from both ooze riders, and throwing double javelins at approaching opponents. Just before melee combat is joined, one ooze rider casts daze monster on the most heavily armored opponent while the other ooze rider spits gray ooze to destroy that foe’s armor. Once engaged in melee, one ooze rider focuses solely on melee attacks, using Power Attack to maximize its damage. The other ooze rider supports its partner with its psionic abilities (casting them defensively to avoid attacks of opportunity): it uses black tentacles and confusion on groups or foes who keep their distance, continues to attack spellcasters with intellect drains, and targets additional melee opponents with more gray ooze spit and telekinesis to bull rush or trip them.
Morale If the ettin palanquin is reduced to 30 hp or less, both ooze riders make full melee attacks using Power Attacks and their superior two-weapon fighting ability. If their palanquin is killed, the brain oozes abandon their slain host and attempt to create new hosts from opponents, choosing strong fighters over spellcasters. The two brain oozes do not cooperate; each is concerned with its own survival over that of its partner.
If unable to find or create new hosts, or if they are reduced to 30 hp or less, each brain ooze attempts to flee, using black tentacles and telekinetic violent thrusts to cover its escape. If cornered or unable to escape safely, a brain ooze plane shifts to the Astral Plane as a last resort, abandoning its companion.

STATISTICS

Str 27, Dex 6, Con 15, Int 19, Wis 18, Cha 20
Base Atk +7; Grp +19
Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Iron Will (B), Power Attack, Skill Focus (Move Silently), Weapon Focus (ray)
(B) denotes a bonus feat.
Skills Bluff +9, Concentration +11 (+15 to cast on the defensive), Escape Artist +0, Hide -7, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +13, Knowledge (the planes) +13, Listen +14, Move Silently +1, Search +7, Spot +14, Use Magic Device +14
Languages pidgin of Orc, Goblin, and Giant; telepathy 100 ft.
SQ control ooze, ochre jelly blood, ooze riders, superior two-weapon fighting, symbiosis
Other Gear hide armor, 2 morningstars, 6 javelins

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Creating a Palanquin
“Palanquin” is an acquired template that can be added to any Small or larger intelligent, living, corporeal creature that is not an elemental, ooze, or plant (hereafter referred to as the “base creature”), that has been subjected to the create host ability of a brain ooze (hereafter referred to as the “controlling ooze”). For details, see the Brain Ooze entry. A palanquin uses all the base creature’s statistics except as noted here.

Size and Type: Size and type are unchanged, but palanquins gain the ooze subtype. Palanquins encountered outside the Astral Plane also have the extraplanar subtype.

Ooze Subtype: The ooze subtype is only used to describe creatures that share characteristics with oozes, not all creatures that are truly oozes. A creature with the ooze subtype is considered both an ooze and a creature of its normal type for the purpose of spells, abilities, and effects that affect those types. A creature with the ooze subtype usually possesses some or all of the traits of the ooze type (as noted in the creature’s entry).[ooc]

AC: A palanquin’s slimy coating increases its natural armor bonus by +2.
Saves: A palanquin uses the base creature’s base Fortitude and Reflex saves, and the controlling ooze’s Will save.

Defensive Abilities: A palanquin retains the base creature’s defensive abilities and gains those described here.

• Alien Mind (Ex): A palanquin is mindless, but although its controlling ooze has an Intelligence score, its alien psyche makes it immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects.
  
• Ooze Immunities (Ex): A palanquin has immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.
  
• Resistance to Energy (Ex): A palanquin exudes a thick coating of mucus through its skin that not only provides some physical protection, but resistance to energy as well. This protective slime gives a palanquin resistance 5 to acid, cold, and fire. If the base creature has better resistance or immunity to one or more of these energy types, the palanquin retains the better quality.

Initiative: A palanquin uses either the base creature’s or the controlling ooze’s initiative modifier, whichever is higher.
Attack: A palanquin retains all the base creature’s attacks and weapon proficiencies, and gains the controlling ooze’s intellect drain as a ranged touch attack that it can use once per round. A palanquin with other weapons (manufactured or natural) uses its weapons or intellect drain, as desired.

Special Attacks: A palanquin loses the spells, spell-like abilities, and mental supernatural special attacks of the base creature, but it retains the extraordinary and physical supernatural special attacks of the base creature (for example, a medusa palanquin would keep its petrifying gaze but a human cleric palanquin would lose the ability to cast spells and turn undead) and gains those described here.

• Brain Ooze Attacks (Sp): A palanquin gains the intellect drain attack, psionics, and summon ooze abilities of the controlling ooze (see Brain Ooze entry).
  
• Spit Gray Ooze (Ex): A palanquin can spit a glob of gray ooze at one opponent within 30 feet. The palanquin makes a ranged touch attack; if it hits, the target takes acid damage based on the palanquin’s hit dice according to the table below. The glob is not an actual gray ooze, but it functions like gray ooze acid, dissolving organic material and metal, but not stone.
  [ooc]Spit Gray Ooze Damage by Hit Dice
  [list]
• 1-6 HD: 1d6 acid
  
• 7-12 HD: 1d8 acid
  
• 13-24 HD: 2d6 acid
  
• 24-48 HD: 3d6 acid
  
• 49+ HD: 4d6 acid
  Armor, clothing, and metal or wooden weapons hit by the ooze dissolve and become useless immediately unless they succeed on a Reflex save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the palanquin’s HD + the palanquin’s Constitution modifier. The acid deals a number of points of damage equal to the save DC per round to wooden or metal objects, but the ooze must remain in contact with the object for 1 full round to deal this damage.

Abilities: Change from the base creature as follows: +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity. Constitution remains the same. The base creature’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are reduced to zero, but the palanquin uses the mental ability scores of the controlling ooze.
Base Attack: A palanquin uses either the base creature’s or the controlling ooze’s base attack bonus, whichever is higher.
Feats: A palanquin retains all of the base creature’s feats except for those involving the base creature’s mental abilities or scores (such as Iron Will, Magical Aptitude, etc.) and gains the controlling ooze’s feats as well.
Skills: A palanquin retains all of the base creature’s skills, languages, and proficiencies, and gains the controlling ooze’s skills as well. If both the base creature and the controlling ooze have the same skills, use the higher of the two for skill ranks. A palanquin retains the base creature’s racial skill bonuses, but does not gain the controlling ooze’s racial bonuses on Climb, Hide, and Move Silently checks. A palanquin also gains a +5 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks due to its protective slime coating.

Special Qualities: A palanquin loses the spells, spell-like, and mental supernatural special qualities of the base creature. It retains the extraordinary and physical supernatural special qualities of the base creature and gains those described here.

• Brain Ooze Qualities (Sp, Su): A palanquin gains the blindsight, control ooze, and telepathy abilities of the controlling ooze (see Brain Ooze entry). In addition, palanquins eat and breathe, but do not sleep, like oozes.
  
• Fast Healing (Ex): A palanquin heals 1 hit point per round as long as it is possessed by a controlling ooze.
  
• Ochre Jelly Blood (Ex): A palanquin’s blood becomes like ochre jelly. Any wound from a slashing or piercing weapon that inflicts 5 or more points of damage sprays an adjacent 5-ft. square with acidic blood, which deals acid damage based on the palanquin’s hit dice according to the table below. A creature caught in the spray can make a Reflex save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the palanquin’s HD + the palanquin’s Constitution modifier for half damage. The acid dissolves only flesh.
  Ochre Jelly Blood Damage by Hit Dice
  [list]
• 1-6 HD: 1d4 acid
  
• 7-12 HD: 1d6 acid
  
• 13-24 HD: 1d8 acid
  
• 24-48 HD: 2d6 acid
  
• 49+ HD: 3d6 acid
  
• Ooze Rider (Ex): All palanquins carry a “rider,” a brain ooze that controls their every action. A palanquin cannot function without a controlling ooze, and the controlling ooze cannot act independently while riding its palanquin. The palanquin template makes them effectively one creature.
  In the case of multiple brain oozes riding a palanquin with multiple heads (such as an ettin or hydra), only one brain ooze is needed to control the palanquin. Each additional brain ooze can take an extra standard action each round, limited to the following actions: using a psionic ability, activating a magic item, attempting an ability or skill check based on mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma), or using an attack or special ability specifically tied to an individual head (such as a bite or breath weapon). These extra actions are independent of the palanquin’s normal actions.
  
• Symbiosis (Ex): A palanquin shares a symbiotic relationship with its controlling ooze. If the controlling ooze abandons its host, the palanquin becomes a mindless husk; if another brain ooze does not take possession of it within 24 hours, the palanquin dies. If a palanquin is killed while a controlling ooze is riding it, the ooze must make a Will save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the palanquin’s HD + the palanquin’s original Intelligence modifier. Failure means the controlling ooze takes 1d6 points of damage to its mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma), and is confused for 1d6 rounds; success means the controlling ooze is unharmed and may continue to fight on its own or attempt to create a new palanquin (see the Brain Ooze entry).

Environment: Same as the base creature, plus the Astral Plane.
Organization: Change to solitary, raiding party (3-5, plus 3-10 oozes), or conclave (6-10, plus 6-20 oozes)
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2; in the case of multiple controlling oozes in a palanquin with multiple heads (such as an ettin), each additional controlling ooze adds a further +1 to the CR. Note that this CR adjustment may not be adequate for some high-CR base creatures whose CR is based on many supernatural or spell-like abilities that this template removes. In such cases, a decrease in the base creature’s CR might be more appropriate.
Treasure: Change to standard. A palanquin has no treasure of its own, only that of its controlling ooze.
Alignment: Change to usually lawful evil.
Advancement: Change to none. A palanquin cannot advance after being possessed by a brain ooze.
[b]Level Adjustment:[b] —

Whether among the highest nobles of the Royal Court or the lowliest members of the Dungsweepers' Guild, no one's secrets are safe, for agents of the All-Seeing Eye prowl in darkened alleyways, glittering ballrooms, and everywhere in between. Always watching, always listening, they employ espionage, blackmail, bribery, intimidation, and even murder to acquire information and influence. And above them all lurks the mysterious All-Seeing Eye himself, gathering intelligence from a hundred different sources and manipulating events for his own inscrutable purpose.

ONUYAKA, THE ALL-SEEING EYE CR 13 [CR 8 ogre mage, +2 non-associated rogue levels, +3.5 non-associated sorcerer levels]

Male ogre mage rogue 4/sorcerer 6
LE Large giant
Init +6 [+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative]; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, see in all directions, see invisible or ethereal things within 120 ft.; Listen +11, Spot +21

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 23
(+4 armor, +2 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural, -1 size) [+2 Dex, +1 haste, +4 mage armor, +5 natural, +2 ring of protection, -1 size]
hp 110 (5d8+4d6+6d4+45); regeneration 5 (acid or fire)
Fort +12 [+4 ogre mage, +1 rogue, +2 sorcerer, +2 cloak of resistance, +3 Con], Ref +12 [+1 ogre mage, +4 rogue, +2 sorcerer, +2 cloak of resistance, +2 Dex, +1 haste], Will +12 [+1 ogre mage, +1 rogue, +5 sorcerer, +2 cloak of resistance, +3 Wis]
Defensive Abilities cannot be flanked, evasion, uncanny dodge; Resist fire 10; SR 19

OFFENSE

Spd 70 ft., fly 70 ft. (good) [40 ft. base +30 ft. haste]
Melee Large +1 keen icy burst greatsword +16/+16/+11 [+9 base, +4 Str, +1 haste, +2 invisible, +1 magic, -1 size/-5 secondary attack] (3d6+7+1d6 cold, 17-20/x2+1d10 cold)
Ranged Large masterwork composite longbow +15/+15/+10 [+9 base, +2 Dex, +1 bracers of archery, +1 haste, +2 invisible, +1 masterwork, -1 size/-5 secondary attack] (2d6+4, x3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks sneak attack (+2d6)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th):
At will—darkness, invisibility
1/day—charm person (DC 17 [base 10, +1 spell level, +6 Cha]), cone of cold (DC 21 [base 10, +5 spell level, +6 Cha]), gaseous form, sleep (DC 17 [base 10, +1 spell level, +6 Cha] )
Spells Known (CL 6th, ranged touch +13 [+9 base, +2 Dex, +1 haste, +2 invisible, -1 size] ):
3rd (4/day [3+1 bonus Cha])—clairaudience/clairvoyance
2nd (7/day [5+2 bonus Cha])—detect thoughts (DC 18 [base 10, +2 spell level, +6 Cha]), scorching ray
1st (8/day [6+2 bonus Cha])—comprehend languages, hypnotism (DC 17 [base 10, +1 spell level, +6 Cha]), mage armor, true strike
0 (6/day)—arcane mark, daze (DC 16 [base 10, +0 spell level, +6 Cha]), detect magic, flare (DC 16 [base 10, +0 spell level, +6 Cha]), message, ray of frost, read magic

TACTICS

Before Combat When he is alerted to approaching foes, Onuyaka casts mage armor and invisibility, and flies into the air to better surprise attackers. He drinks his potion of haste at the last possible moment before combat starts.
During Combat Onuyaka prefers to let his minions fight his battles. If cornered, however, he avoids physical confrontation whenever possible. He begins by casting darkness on his opponents and follows it with his cone of cold. He then casts invisibility again, followed by true strike, and attacks with his longbow or scorching ray, alternating attacks with more invisibility, true strike, and darkness as needed. If forced into melee combat, Onuyaka follows a similar strategy of invisibility and true strike between attacks. He then flies into the midst of his foes, making hasted sneak attacks and using Combat Reflexes to make attacks of opportunity before flying away and turning invisible again. If any of his opponents have the ability to see invisible, Onuyaka tries to neutralize them first, and if faced with acid attacks, he uses his scroll of resist energy (acid) to protect himself. The statistics above reflect Onuyaka attacking while hasted and invisible.
Morale Onuyaka is a schemer, not a warrior. If reduced to 70 hit points or less, or if he exhausts his offensive spells and abilities, Onuyaka retreats using gaseous form. If somehow prevented from escaping in gaseous form, Onuyaka uses his scroll of dimension door to flee the scene of battle, flying at full speed to another of his hideouts to heal and plot his revenge.
Base Statistics When not hasted or invisible, Onuyaka's stats change as follows:
AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 22 [+2 Dex, +4 mage armor, +5 natural, +2 ring of protection, -1 size]
Ref +11 [+1 ogre mage, +4 rogue, +2 sorcerer, +2 cloak of resistance, +2 Dex]
Spd 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)
Melee Large +1 keen icy burst greatsword +13/+8 [+9 base, +4 Str, +1 magic, -1 size/-5 secondary attack] (3d6+7+1d6 cold, 17-20/x2+1d10 cold)
Ranged Large masterwork composite longbow +12/+7 [+9 base, +2 Dex, +1 bracers of archery, +1 masterwork, -1 size/-5 secondary attack] (2d6+4, x3)
Ranged touch +10 [+9 base, +2 Dex, -1 size]

STATISTICS

Str 18 [base 8, +10 racial], Dex 14 [base 14], Con 16 [base 10, +6 racial], Int 19 [base 13, +4 racial, +2 ability increase], Wis 16 [base 12, +4 racial], Cha 22 [base 15, +6 racial, +1 ability increase]
Base Atk +9 [+3 ogre mage, +3 rogue, +3 sorcerer]; Grp +17 [+9 base, +4 Str, +4 size]
Feats Alertness (when Chishiki is in arm's reach), Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Investigator, Leadership (cohort: Jade Monkey, female half-elf bard 7/shadowdancer 1), Negotiator, Persuasive
Skills Bluff +26 [12 ranks, +6 Cha, +3 circlet of persuasion, +3 familiar, +2 Persuasive feat], Concentration +9 [6 ranks, +3 Con], Decipher Script +6 [2 ranks, +4 Int], Diplomacy +24 [7 ranks, +6 Cha, +3 circlet of persuasion, +2 Negotiator feat, +2 synergy from Bluff, +2 synergy from Knowledge (nobility and royalty), +2 synergy from Sense Motive], Disable Device +8 [2 ranks, +4 Int, +2 masterwork thieves' tools], Disguise +15 [4 ranks, +6 Cha, +3 circlet of persuasion, +2 synergy from Bluff], Forgery +6 [2 ranks, +4 Int], Gather Information +25 [12 ranks, +6 Cha, +3 circlet of persuasion, +2 Investigator feat, +2 synergy from Knowledge (local)], Hide +0 [2 ranks, +2 Dex, -4 size], Intimidate +15 [2 ranks, +6 Cha, +3 circlet of persuasion, +2 Persuasive feat, +2 synergy from Bluff], Knowledge (arcana) +10 [6 ranks, +4 Int], Knowledge (local) +11 [7 ranks, +4 Int], Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +9 [5 ranks, +4 Int], Listen +11 [6 ranks, +2 Alertness feat, +3 Wis], Move Silently +4 [2 ranks, +2 Dex], Open Lock +6 [2 ranks, +2 Dex, +2 masterwork thieves' tools], Search +16 [0 ranks, +4 Int, +2 Investigator feat, +10 robe of eyes], Sense Motive +16 [11 ranks, +2 Negotiator feat, +3 Wis], Sleight of Hand +5 [1 rank, +2 Dex, +2 synergy from Bluff], Spellcraft +12 [6 ranks, +4 Int, +2 synergy from Knowledge (arcana)], Spot +21 [6 ranks, +2 Alertness feat, +10 robe of eyes, +3 Wis]
Languages common, dwarven, elven, giant, goblin, orc
SQ change shape, flight, summon familiar (tiny viper named Chishiki), trapfinding, trap sense +1
Combat Gear potion of haste (CL 10th), scroll of dimension door, scroll of resist energy (acid); Other Gear Large +1 keen icy burst greatsword, Large masterwork composite longbow (+4), 20 arrows, cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +2, robe of eyes, amulet of proof against detection and location, candle of truth, circlet of persuasion, crystal ball with telepathy, figurine of wondrous power (silver raven), lesser bracers of archery, minor ring of energy resistance (fire), staff of divination (27 charges), elixir of hiding (x2), elixir of sneaking (x2), masterwork thieves' tools, spell component pouch

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Change Shape (Su) Onuyaka can assume the form of any Small, Medium, or Large humanoid or giant.
Flight (Su) Onuyaka can cease or resume flight as a free action. While using gaseous form he can fly at his normal speed and has perfect maneuverability.
Regeneration (Ex) Fire and acid deal normal damage to Onuyaka.

The secretive ogre mage Onuyaka directs a highly sophisticated network of spies and informants that have infiltrated all levels of civilized society. He uses the intelligence gathered by these operatives to mastermind elaborate and far-reaching schemes of coercion and manipulation. Onuyaka knows that knowledge, not strength, is the path to true power. Therefore, he constantly pursues new sources of knowledge and information that he can use to his own advantage. He does not seek to conquer or rule, but to guide, influence, and manipulate legitimate authority from far behind the scenes.

Onuyaka's agents come from all walks of life: urban and rural, noble and peasant, civilian and military, "civilized" and savage, humanoid and monstrous. None of these informers know whom they are working for, or any other members of the organization, and even those at the highest levels know their employer only as the enigmatic "All-Seeing Eye." When he appears in person, Onuyaka uses his change shape ability to assume one of several personas: the beautiful elf maid Shilandra, the irreverent human minstrel Alamar Grayson, or the stout dwarven baker Jandor Feldspar, to name a few. Only one person is aware of Onuyaka's real identity: his fanatically loyal cohort, the half-elf provocateur known as Jade Monkey.

In his true form, Onuyaka is smaller than other ogre mages, standing only 9 feet tall and weighing about 600 pounds. His purple skin and dark blue-black hair also mark him as atypical for his race. A pair of small ivory horns juts from his forehead above dark eyes with stark white pupils, and his teeth and nails are jet black. Onuyaka wears an elaborate black and gold-patterned robe of eyes over steel gray hakama, and goes barefoot.

Plot Hooks
The PCs come into possession of a valuable map after killing a courier who, unbeknownst to them, was carrying the map to Onuyaka. The All-Seeing Eye discovers that the PCs have the map and sends increasingly more powerful operatives against them to recover it, perhaps even Jade Monkey herself. If the PCs defeat her, they gain Onuyaka’s personal enmity.

As famous heroes, recently entitled nobles, or otherwise participants in the upper echelons of society, the PCs inevitably attract Onuyaka's attention. Seeking a diversion from his more intricate and wide-ranging plans, he begins involving them unwittingly in his intrigues, perhaps framing them for some crime. To clear their names or find their mysterious manipulator, the PCs must work their way through the labyrinthine levels of his organization, eventually confronting the All-Seeing Eye himself.

As we come to the final day of voting, I thought there might be some people who just can't decide where to cast their last vote or two.

If this is your situation, may I humbly suggest Iskandria?

Let's break it down, shall we?

• Like scantily-clad sorceresses in jungle heat? Iskandria's got 'em!
  
• Like dinosaurs? Iskandria's got 'em!
  
• Like gnomes, and afraid of 4e dispensing with them entirely? Iskandria's got 'em!
  
• Like hobgoblins, but with krenshars? Iskandria's got 'em!
  
• Like god-kings (and who doesn't?) Iskandria's got 'em!
  
• Like ziggurats? Iskandria's got a thousand of 'em, covered in gold and lapis lazuli!
  
• And lest we forget, MONKEY GOBLINS!!! Iskandria's got 'em!

I hope everyone else is having as much fun with this as I am. Hope to see you in the next round. :)

To my fellow Superstars: Feel free to add your own last minute voter appeals here. We're all in this together!

I can't find the original thread, so here's the question:

Did the judges decide on any guidelines for the Top 32 to respond to comments? Are we limited to "Thanks for the comment" or can we respond to design questions (while of course avoiding expanding on actual content)?

For example, if someone asks how I came up with names, can I explain the design choices behind the names? That to me, would be discussing design and not expanding on content.

"Land of a Thousand Ziggurats"

Drenched in sweat, plagued by clouds of insects, the explorers have journeyed for weeks through the trackless depths of the Viridian Jungle. As they hack through the last clinging vines, the myriad birds and chattering monkeys fall silent, the only sound the constant dripping of water from the canopy high above. Before them, a majestic ziggurat towers into the sky, its tiers inlaid with jade and lapis lazuli and veiled with moss and creeping vegetation. They are the first men to tread here in thousands of years, gazing upon the ancient tomb with wonder, excitement, and trepidation. Behind them, unseen in the shadows of the encroaching jungle, something moves…

Alignment: LE
Capital: Jhansi (pop. 9,700)
Ruler: Her Most Regal Majestrix Sephrilara Bai, Rani of Iskandria
Government: Autocratic magocracy

Description:
A subtropical land of lush rainforest, Iskandria forms a triangle between the Sea of Serenity, the Banshar Kush mountain range and the Jangala Wastes. Broken only by the Erm Hyar Mountains, a spur of the mighty Banshar Kush, the vast Viridian Jungle covers most of the country. Forest gnomes, elves, and monkey goblins dwell in the jungle, as do dinosaurs, although the latter have been hunted over the years to a fraction of their former numbers. Of more interest to adventurers and explorers, however, is the multitude of ancient, monumental ziggurats hidden deep within the primeval forest, seemingly untouched by time.

Isolated and protected by natural barriers, Iskandria languished for millennia under a succession of god-kings, each of whom commissioned the construction of an extravagant temple that would serve as his tomb after his death. Maintained for centuries by a caste of bureaucrat-priests, these magnificent temple-mausoleums are scattered across the landscape of Iskandria in mute testament to forgotten kings. Furthermore, legends say that in the darkest depths of the Viridian Jungle lie the ruins of Lost Yaduu, the first city of the Iskandrian god-kings, full of treasures beyond imagination. Demons and other ageless guardians now stalk its vine-shrouded alabaster streets, and many would-be seekers of the ancient capital have never returned.

Recent History:
Iskandria’s venerable traditions abruptly ended a decade ago when Zbad VII, last god-king of the ancient Aqubayyid dynasty, was slain by the sorceress Sephrilara Bai. With the aid of a mercenary hobgoblin army, Sephrilara easily defeated the demoralized Aqubayyid troops, seized the capital city of Jhansi, and usurped the throne. After purging the priestly bureaucracy, she proclaimed herself Rani of all Iskandria. Fearing any who could oppose her on equal terms, Sephrilara rounded up anyone with sorcerous powers. Those sorcerers who weren’t banished or killed outright were forced to swear fealty to the rani and register with the government, licensed to practice their art only under strict regulation.

Notable Settlements:
Rani Sephrilara reigns from her opulent palace (formerly Zbad VII’s personal ziggurat) magically suspended in the sky above Jhansi, itself famous for the never-ending Spring of its exotic gardens. Other settlements include the port of Muiu Thral (pop. 17,200), the City of a Thousand Streets; Sadhrakand (pop. 7,300), a bustling trade city nestled between the Viridian Jungle and the Sadhar Plain; Almudin (pop. 3,500), home of the yellow-habited Charlatans of Almudin; and the dwarven city of Uttar Keferet (pop. 2,200), which guards Khunakar Pass, the sole gap in the imposing wall of the Banshar Kush. And from Bonemaw (pop. 700), a grim fortress built within the towering, bleached ribcage of some forgotten behemoth in the heart of the Ossuary Barrens, the elite hobgoblins of the Vermilion Legion ride forth with their trained krenshars to enforce order and quell dissent throughout the realm.

Current Situation:
By royal decree, any girls in Iskandria who display sorcerous talent are taken from their families and brought to Jhansi for training. There they are inducted into the ranks of the Cerulean Sisterhood, an order of multiclassed sorceress/clerics dedicated to the rani and her dark god of tyranny. These fanatically loyal disciples of Sephrilara form a small but powerful aristocracy, overseeing the remnants of the old professional bureaucracy, administering the daily affairs of Iskandria, and scouring the country for any unregistered sorcerers.

Although wizards are tolerated in Iskandria, many fear persecution from the Cerulean Sisterhood and so keep a low profile. The Charlatans of Almudin, however, are in open rebellion against Rani Sephrilara’s rule, and have thus far repelled all attempts by the Vermilion Legion to suppress their revolt. As the last god-king of Iskandria perished, so too did the people’s faith, and clerics from across the world have begun reappearing in Iskandria to attract new converts. And with its ziggurats no longer sacrosanct or protected by the priests of the god-kings, many adventurers and fortune hunters are flocking to Iskandria in hopes of plundering their ancient riches.

DM Secrets:
With the demise of the last of the god-kings, the seals and wards protecting Iskandria’s countless ziggurats have begun to fail, not only opening them to plunder by tomb-robbers, but also releasing their forgotten guardians. Rumors have begun circulating of strange, never-before-seen creatures roaming the jungles and advancing ever closer to civilized lands.

The sorcerer Raj al’Afalani leads the Order of the Rainbow Serpent, an underground resistance organization of fugitive sorcerers, freedom fighters, and a few Aqubayyid loyalists dedicated to overthrowing Rani Sephrilara. Believed to be hiding somewhere in the Jangala Wastes, the Order has made several overtures to the Charlatans of Almudin, but has so far been rebuffed.

Marshal Nayagar, general of the Vermilion Legion, has thus far been content to follow Rani Sephrilara’s orders and take her gold. But the crafty hobgoblin warlord has no plans to serve her forever, not if he can conquer Iskandria and take the wealth of its tombs for himself. For now, he is content to play the role of loyal henchman, but he and his commanders are secretly making long-range plans to seize power when the time is right.

This belt, of the kind commonly worn by traveling gypsies and itinerant dancers, is made up of fifty linked coins sewn over a length of fine silk. When tied around the waist, it provides the wearer with a +2 enhancement bonus to her Charisma score and a +5 competence bonus to Perform (dance) checks. Furthermore, while dancing, the wearer (and only the wearer) may detach coins from the belt to activate the following spell-like functions:
· Sanctuary (wearer only; 1 coin)
· Hypnotism (1 coin)
· Calm emotions (2 coins)
· Charm person (2 coins)
· Enthrall (2 coins)
· Rage (3 coins)
Only one function can be activated at a time. The effect lasts for as long as the wearer dances and ends once the wearer stops dancing. A newly created belt contains 50 coins. Once all the coins have been used, the belt becomes an ordinary length of silk.

Faint Enchantment; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, eagle’s splendor, sanctuary, hypnotism, calm emotions, charm person, enthrall, rage; Price 50,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.