General Rules: Monsters - Creature of the Mist (Template)

Creature of the Mist (from the Book of Eldritch Might III)

Creatures of the mist are artificial creations given life by magic. They are not constructs or automatons, but actual living creatures. Tales tell of creatures of the mist that occur in nature without having been crafted by some mage. If this is true, these creatures are rare and well hidden.

Creatures of the mist resemble other, more normal creatures, from humans to horses to dragons. They are given life, in fact, when a mage takes the exhaled breath of a creature and gives it a life of its own. Since the air is filled with the breath of all sorts of beings, it is simple for a mage to pluck a tiny mote of breath of any creature that lives in the world. A spellcaster cannot create a creature of the mist from a creature that does not breathe or that has not long lived upon he world.

As insubstantial as smoke and vaporous as the breath that gives them life, creatures of the mist float about feeding on the breath of other creatures. In all other ways, a creature of the mist is "born" with the instincts, intelligence, and personality of the creature it mimics. They look like misty or smoky versions of another creature - a griffon made of vapor, a cloud shaped like an ogre, and so on.

"Creature of the mist" is a template that can be added to any creature that breathes (hereafter the "base creature") - undead and constructs are not allowed, but plants are. The creature uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Hit Dice: Same as the base creature.

Speed: Creatures of the mist have a fly speed of 30 feet, unless the base creature has a higher fly speed, with perfect maneuverability.

Armor Class: The creature loses all natural armor bonuses, but gains a deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to half of its Hit Dice.

Attacks: Creatures of the mist can, momentarily, make small parts of themselves substantial enough to make attacks. Thus, a creature with claw and bite attacks can briefly make its claws and teeth solid enough to inflict normal damage.

Damage: Same as the base creature.

Special Attacks: A creature of the mist retains all the special abilities of the base creature and also gains the following ones. Saves have a DC of 10 plus half the creature of the mist's Hit Dice plus the creature of the mist's Constitution modifier unless noted otherwise:

• Choke (Ex): A creature of the mist can engulf opponents by moving on top of them. It fills the air around one creature of its size or smaller without provoking an attack of opportunity. The target must succeed at a Fortitude save or the creature of the mist steals its breath. The affected creature becomes incapacitated for 1 round while it chokes and gasps for breath. This is a standard action for the creature of the mist. Creatures that do not breathe are immune to this attack.


• Blind (Ex): A creature of the mist can engulf and blind opponents by moving on top of them. It fills the air around one creature of its size or smaller without provoking an attack of opportunity. The target must oppose the creature of the mist's attack roll with an attack roll of its own. if the creature of the mist wins, the affected creature becomes blinded for 1 round. This is a free action for the creature of the mist, but it can attempt it only once per round.

Special Qualities: A creature of the mist retains all the special qualities of the base creature, and gains the air subtype. It also gains the following ones:

• Mist Form (Su): The creature of the mist is permanently in a gaseous form, similar to the spell of the same name, as cast by a 7^th-level sorcerer. Thus, it is insubstantial, misty, and translucent. It has damage reduction 20/+1 and immunity to poison and critical hits. It cannot be grappled, however it can grapple and hold creatures if it chooses to. It can pass through small holes or narrow openings, even mere cracks. This effect cannot be dispelled. A creature of the mist cannot use weapons or manipulate objects other than pushing or pulling on them with crude means. They can open a door, for example, but they could not use a key to open a locked door. They cannot use or wear gear of any kind. They can cast spells.

Saves: Same as the base creature.

Abilities: Change from the base creature's as follows: Strength -4, Dexterity +8, Constitution -2.

Skills: Same as the base creature, except that creatures of the mist gain a +10 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks.

Feats: Same as the base creature.

Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground.

Organization: Solitary, gang (2 - 4), or mob (7 - 12).

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.

Treasure: Same as the base creature.

Alignment: Any.

Advancement: Same as the base creature.

Home     Three Worlds     Monsters