The Wandering Boy CR 10

Today for Monster Monday we present the Wandering Boy, a corrupted psychopomp who leads children astray.

The Wandering Boy CR 10

This smiling boy is as fair as a corpse, giggling silently, frozen pan flute held in hand.

XP 9,600
NE Small outsider (native, psychopomp)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +17

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 17, flat-footed 18 (+3 armor, +5 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size)
hp 110 (12d10+40);
Fort +8, Ref +13, Will +12
Defensive Abilities DR 10/adamantine; Immune death effects, disease, poison; Resist cold 10, electricity 10, SR 21

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect), starflight
Melee +1 keen adamantine dagger +19 (1d3+5)
Ranged +1 composite shortbow +19 (1d4+5)
Special Attacks bardic performance 26 rounds: dirge of doom, fascinate (DC 21), inspire courage (+2), inspire competence (+3), inspire greatness, suggestion (DC 21); lead astray
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +14)

At willghost sound, grease (DC 15), voidflight (dismissable at will)
3/dayallegro, blur, glitterdust (DC 16), gravity bolt, heroism, invisibility, minor image, silence (DC 16)
1/dayconfusion (DC 17), haste, invisibility sphere

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 21, Con 18, Int 17, Wis 18, Cha 19
Base Atk +12; CMB +19; CMD 29
Feats Ability Focus (fascinate), Ability Focus (suggestion), Improved Initiative, Skill Focus Bluff, Weapon Finesse
Skills Bluff +23, Diplomacy +17, Intimidate +17, Fly + 18, Knowledge (geography) +16, Knowledge (religion) +16, Perception +17, Perform (wind) +21, Sense Motive +17, Stealth +22
Languages Understands (but does not speak) Abyssal, Common, Celestial, Infernal, Sylvan, and Lagrange Sign
SQ Bardic Performance, Spirit Sense

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Bardic Performance (Su)

The Wandering Boy uses bardic performance as a 10th-level bard, but some of his bardic music abilities are modified as detailed below. The wandering boy is able to use all of his bardic music abilities on undead, bypassing any immunities.

Inspire Courage (Su)

The wandering boy’s inspire courage makes those benefiting immune to fear and unable to cast spells with emotional components. This version of inspire courage also gives no bonus against charm effects.

Suggestion (Su)

The wandering boy may attempt a bluff check as part of his suggestion ability to convince the target that a dangerous suggestion is safe and easily accomplished.

Inspire Greatness (Su)

The wandering boy’s inspire courage makes those benefiting immune to fear and unable to cast spells with emotional components.

Lagrange Sign (Su)

The wandering boy is mute, but is able to effectively communicate with a special easy to understand sign language. The wandering boy is a skilled communicator and is easier to understand than usual. Those who are not fluent in lagrange sign can understand him with a DC 5 Linguistics check, or a DC 10 Sense Motive check. Each time a creature successfully understands lagrange sign they must make a Will save DC 19, or permanently gain it as a known language.

Every year that a creature knows lagrange sign, they must make a Will save DC 17, or permanently be incapable of speaking one of their other known languages. Once a creature is unable to speak in any language they become permanently mute, any spells that normally have verbal components now have emotional components instead.

Before a creature becomes permanently mute, lagrange sign can be cured with remove curse. Cured creatures can regain the ability to speak at the rate of one language a week. Creatures that become permanently mute can only be cured with limited wish, wish, or miracle.

Any creature that gains lagrange sign can potentially spread the language to others, the saving throw to resist learning lagrange sign is 1/2 HD + Cha modifier.

Lagrange Sign is a mind-affecting, language-based curse

Lead Astray (Su)

Any young intelligent creature who dies while under the effects of the wandering boy’s inspire courage or inspire greatness performances rises in 1d4 rounds as a new starbound petitioner under the wandering boy’s control for the next month. After a month passes the petitioner leaves the boy’s control and travels towards its final destination.

ECOLOGY

Environment crowded cities
Organization solitary, or gang (wandering boy and eight children or starbound petitioners)
Treasure +1 keen adamantine dagger, leaf armor, masterwork pan flute, +1 composite shortbow

The wandering boy was once a devoted psychopomp, ferrying the souls of children to their final rest and comforting the frightened as he went. This did not last, for the wandering boy shared too many qualities with his charges. The boy grew bored and frustrated. The boy wanted adventure.

And so the boy was corrupted. Seduced by fey lords of a different court, the wandering boy still delivers the souls of children, but now he takes them on a far less restful adventure. He plays with the children for a time, his new best friends, taking them on all manner of grand and deadly adventures until one by one, they perish. The souls sometimes linger for a while, but in the end, all of them are delivered to the far side of the star. The boy leaves them to find new friends.

Once a symbol of mercy, the wandering boy has become a symbol of recklessness, the story told by nursemaids, of the great danger and menace to be avoided. Yet in the end, this makes his offers all the more appealing. The wandering boy offers an escape from a life that children often feel trapped in.  The wandering boy offers escape from life itself.



About Kevin Bryan

Kevin Bryan is a monster writer for the Open Gaming Network, and is looking forward to bringing all sorts of strange and bizarre creatures to life. His personal website is Kevinswriting.com.

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