I have been reading about cryptids recently and something I noticed is that for some cryptids and most phantom animal cryptids the creature shows up for some amount of time and then disappears. Or it shows up for some amount of time, disappears, and then shows up again years or decades later. For example a kangaroo shows up in the Midwest, people see it and report it, some people chase it or track it, but it is never caught and stops appearing after a few weeks or a couple of months. This got me thinking about how to translate this into a Pathfinder setting. After playing with some ideas this is what I came up with and thought I would share.
Cryptid Visitor
Sometimes a creature gets caught in a strange phenomenon where the creature is pulled from its natural time period and its native environment, world, or universe and temporarily placed in a different location. The creature can be stuck in this strange phenomenon for as little as a few weeks or for several years. Because the creature is pulled from both place and time, a side effect of the strange phenomenon may cause the creature to appear in the new location years or decades after the original appearance.
Creating a Cryptid Visitor
It’s best to apply this template to creatures that seem unusual or out of place for the adventure. Emphasizing that the creature's appearance is out of place will help create a sense of mystery about the creature’s presence.
Do not modify the creature’s stats or abilities.
Cryptid Visitor Abilities
This template can be added to any creature with the Aberration, Animal, Beast, Construct, Dragon, Fungus, Giant, Humanoid, Ooze, Plant, or Undead Trait. Add the following abilities to the creature.
Cryptic Visitation: This creature appears in a time, place, or environment not included in the creature’s stats or description.
Cryptic Pursuit: When Fleeing Enemies (see CRB pg. 494) the creature’s pursuers must maintain visual perception on the creature in addition to keeping up with the creature. If the creature gains concealment from any source while Fleeing Enemies the creature temporarily vanishes from existence. The creature returns to reality within 1d6 days from when it vanished and within 1d10 miles from where it vanished.