I just thought this'd be interesting idea... I designed it to hinder a party without actually fighting them.
Please comment/critique as needed.
My one hitch right now is if its abilities should be supernatural or extraordinary.
Neutral Tiny Outsider (Extraplanar)
Init: +5; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2 (darkvision 60', scent)
Aura: The Pulse of Fear (see below)
Languages: Common
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AC: 17, touch 17, flat-footed 12 (+2 Size, +5 Dex)
HP: 6 (2d10-4)
Immune: Fear effects
Resist: n/a, SR: n/a
Fort: +1, Ref +6, Will +3
Weakness: Light sensitivity
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Speed: 30', Climb 10'
Melee Bite: +0 (1d4-3 x20)
Space/Reach: 2.5' / 0'
Base Atk: +2; Grp -9
Atk Options: n/a
Special Actions: The Pulse of Fear (see below)
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Abilities: Str 3, Dex 20, Con 6, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 18
Feats: Stealthy
SQ: Outsider Traits, Terror's Mist
Skills: Climb +8, Hide +12, Intimidate +8, Listen +2, Move Silently +12, Spot +2
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Light Sensitivity: Fright Rats are dazzled in bright sunlight or the radius of a Daylight spell.
The Pulse of Fear: As either a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, or with 10 rounds of of unbroken concentration, a Fright Rat produces an effect from the following chart. If done as a full round action, roll a d8 for the effect. If concentrated upon, the effect may be chosen. More than one effect can be active at a time, but no more than one of each. Lesser Restoration or Remove Curse removes the most recent effect, while Restoration or Wish removes all effects.
1 - Aura of Fear
2 - Rain of Terror
3 - Whispers of the Dead
4 - Weaken the Soul
5 - The Night's Reach
6 - Silence of the Grave
7 - Corner of the Eye
8 - Roll twice (this cannot be chosen)
Aura of Fear (dur 1 min) - Once activiated, all creatures within 60' or that come within 60' must make a Will save DC 14 or become shaken. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same Fright Rat's aura for 24 hours. Creatures that fail their save and remain in this area for more than five rounds become frightened (no save).
Rain of Terror (dur 10 min) - Once activated, inky black rain begins to fall in a 100' radius around the Fright Rat. Within this area, the DCs for fear effects increase by 2. Also, visibility within the area is reduced by half; all Spot, Seach, and Listen Checks, as well as ranged attacks suffer a -4 penalty; unprotected fires are extingushed, while protected fires dance have a 50% chance of being extinguished. This water pools and otherwise acts as regular water but blackens any fluids it touches and stains as if black ink. After the effect ends, the black rain rapidly evaporates into nothing, leaving anything it touched or mixed with as normal. This shower moves with the Fright Rat, but does not form or move within structures or underground areas and disapates with a strong wind.
Whispers of the Dead (dur 1d4 +2 hours) - Once activated and once each hour afterwards, all creatures within 60' of the Fright Rat must make a listen check DC 14. If the check fails, that creature suffers a -4 on concentration checks, cannot prepare spells, or rest peacefully (Creatures rise fatigued for the day: -2 on STR and DEX and cannot charge or run) as they are haunted by what seem to be the whispers of dead loved ones and friends long since past. If the check is successful, that creature is immune to Whispers of the Dead for that hour. Sleeping creatures automatically fail this listen check.
Weaken the Soul (dur instantaneous/24 hours) - Once activated, any creature within 30' must make a Will save DC 14. If failed, a terrrifying fright grips the creature's mind awarding a -1 penalty on all Will saves for 24 hours and it grows more fearful than normal if shaken, becoming frightened. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same Fright Rat's Weaken the Soul ability for 24 hours.
The Night's Reach (dur 1 hour) - As the spell Darkness, save for the duration, and the range becomes 100'.
Silence of the Grave (dur 10 min) - As the spell Silence, save for the duration, and the range becomes 100'.
Corner of the Eye (dur 24 hours) - Once activated, any creature within 300' that the Fright Rat knows the location of continually sees the Fright Rat hovering just outside of its range of vision. This awards a -2 penalty on a WIS based skill checks.
Terror's Mist: A thin haze constantly surrounds Fright Rats, melding colors and textures around them when they stop moving. This allows a Fright Rat to use the hide skill even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment and even while being observed.
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Hook: "Scared yet?"
A chilling moon shone down into the clearing, revealing the evening fog weaving amonst the decaying trees. Regdar had been spererated from his friends before, it was no big deal. He decided to rest near the clearing until morning, then begin searching again. He awoke with a start to a faint laugh-like chittering coming from a nearby bush; two beady yellow eyes glowing hrough the leaves. Before he could even stand, a flash surged through Regdar's mind; he saw himself cutting down Mailee. Her screams rang in his ears; he could feel her warm blood on his hands. He cupped his ears and shut his eyes, but the screams didn't stop and the images still there. A frigid chill cascading down his spine stirred him from the nightmare. He opened his eyes and saw black rain beginning to fall...
Appearing as miniature were-rats, Fright Rats just under 8" tall and weigh no more than a pound. Black, mangy fur covers their bodies with longer rigid quills running down their backs. Their naked pale tails are quite long and prehensile, able to manipulate objects easily. They walk on their hind legs, usually wringing their clawed forelimbs together as if planning something. A thin mist continually chokes the air around them.
Hailing from the Plane of Shadow, Fright Rats frighten other creatures for both their amusement and nourishment; feeding off emotions of fear, panic, or lonliness. Fright Rats often hide themselves near the dens of larger, more terrifying creatures or within massed rat swarms beneath cities. With playful, if not cruel, personalities, they see no harm in scaring others and labor to set up the best situations for the best scare; often tracking a likely creature for days before finally compounding all of its abilities onto the victim.
If cornered, a Fright Rat will focus its Pulse of Fear ability on attackers and try to intimidate them before running to hide. Once safely away, Fright Rats have been known to stalk and frighten aggressors vengefully for weeks, denying them any hope of a decent night's sleep or a peaceful moment alone.
Spoiler'd for space-saving! ^ ^
-Kurocyn
Like all shadow-creatures perhaps it has a different nature in relation to its environment on its own plane. (at least that's how I would run such a creature) In the Prime though it is a menace. I think that's how I'd play it.
BTW, very cool--devastating but in fact not truly physically harmful. It seems to me that such a creature would be likely to manifest as a side effect of extra planar contact, or perhaps be summoned by someone nasty.
How do you picture psionic abilities being able to defend against this creature's abilities?
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Interesting critter. I'm not sure I'd want to deal with rolling a d10 to see what it's powers do. Such mechanics (also used in Confusion spells, for instance) tend to slow down play, IMO.
As for the effect itself, Supernatural all the way. Exceptional abilities should be stuff like Swim or Pounce, stuff that could happen without any sort of magical explanation.
If the 'fear aura' were to be Exceptional, it would more likely involve some sort of scent / pheremones / airborne toxins that the animals give off which instills 'prey' reactions in creatures (as if a much larger predator were stalking them) or cause hallucinations, or some sort of subsonic 'muttering' or 'chattering' that the rats do that isn't fully audible, but is enough to set other creatures on edge and make them panicky. These sorts of techniques could represent non-magical/supernatural 'fear' abilities.
It's motivations are fairly simple actually, Matthew Morris. It draws its nourishment from fear and panic, plus it just thinks its fun. Not much else to it really.
But, expanding on its personality, I'd say that it'd be very curious about new races/creatures and how they react to its abilities. It has no real need for possessions, but I can easily see it snatching up an item that someone just put down and moving it across the room. It'd be just another way to build suspence/paranoia.
MrFish, I don't have much experience with Psionic PCs and even less with Psionic monsters, so I can't really say. Would/should there be a notable difference when such a monster targets a Psionic PC/party? I have no idea...
I like to think that these little guys hop between planes just like normal rats board boats to hop countries. Just find a stable gate or a unaware wizard making a planar trip, and presto, a whole new world to spook.
Making the abilities supernatural does seem appropriate. Thank you all for clarifying.
-Kurocyn