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Bhuta

CR 11.00 Undead NE Medium HD 14

This ghostly apparition floats in the air on backward-facing feet. Its hands end in sharp talons, and its eyes glow with blue fire.

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Description

A bhuta is a ghostlike undead creature born of horrible death or murder in a natural setting. It is a manifestation of rage at the injustice of a death that interrupted important business or unsated desires. Doomed to haunt the wilderness within several miles of the site of its demise, a bhuta turns to the local fauna as tools for its vengeance.

A bhuta can appear in a variety of animalistic forms by using its veil ability, but its natural appearance is that of a bestial humanoid phantom that floats a foot above the ground as it moves. While bhutas are incorporeal, the touch of their claws creates horrific, bleeding wounds. A bhuta's feet point backward. To disguise its nature, a bhuta can appear solid, manifesting in long robes that help disguise the fact that it floats and has strange feet. By means of its magic jar spell-like ability, a bhuta can also possess living animals to use as its minions; an animal possessed by a bhuta casts no shadow, and therefore prefers to lurk in heavily canopied or thicketed areas, waiting for the right time to strike out and attack intruders.

Animals find themselves attracted to bhutas, which use their spell-like abilities to manipulate such victims toward evil and deceptive ends. Bhutas generally avoid influencing animal companions or domesticated animals, for changes in behavior among such creatures can easily arouse suspicion and reveal a bhuta's presence and influence.

A bhuta might have tasks it wishes to complete from its previous existence as a living creature, or it might work against those who slew its living form. This link to its past life is vague and compulsive rather than clear, unlike that of a ghost.

Bhutas who have no specific target for retribution still seek to trouble those living in or near their domains, coaxing passersby into accepting them as traveling companions and using their influence over animals as a testament to their benevolence. When invited to join a group, a bhuta can journey outside its normal territory. However, a bhuta's hunger for living blood usually drives it to attack its companions before it wanders far.

Combat Stats

147 (14d8+84)

24, touch 24, flat-footed 16 (+6 deflection, +7 Dex, +1 dodge)

Init

Speed

fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Fort

+10

Ref

+11

Will

+10

BAB

+10

CMB

+17

CMD

Melee: 2 incorporeal claws +17 (5d8 plus bleed)
Immune: grappled, trip, falling damage, nonmagical attacks (from incorporeal)
Defensive Abilities: incorporeal, channel resistance +4

Ability Scores

str

dex

con

int

wis

-1

cha

Proficiencies

Weapons: Simple

Special Attacks

bleed (1d8)

Blood Drain — As a standard action, a bhuta can suck blood from an adjacent opponent that is taking bleed damage. The target takes 1d6 points of Constitution damage (Fort DC 23 for half). The bhuta heals 5 hit points when it drains blood.

Feats

Animal Affinity, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Iron Will, Lunge, Mobility, Stealthy

Special Abilities

Universal Monster Rules

Bleed (1d8) Ex from Universal Monster Rule

A creature with this ability causes wounds that continue to bleed, dealing the listed damage each round at the start of the affected creature's turn. This bleeding can be stopped by a successful DC 15 Heal skill check or through the application of any magical healing. The amount of damage each round is determined in the creature's entry.

Blood Drain Ex from Universal Monster Rule

The creature drains blood at the end of its turn if it grapples a foe, inflicting Constitution damage.

Channel Resistance (+4) Ex from Universal Monster Rule

A creature with this special quality (usually an undead) is less easily affected by channel energy. A creature with channel resistance adds its listed bonus on saves to resist the effects of channel energy, including effects that rely on the use of channel energy (such as the Command Undead feat).

Incorporeal Ex from Universal Monster Rule

An incorporeal creature has no physical body. It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it takes only half damage from a corporeal source. Although it is not a magical attack, holy water can affect incorporeal undead. Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage only have a 50% chance of affecting an incorporeal creature. Force spells and effects, such as from a magic missile , affect an incorporeal creature normally. An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus but has a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (always at least +1, even if the creature's Charisma score does not normally provide a bonus). An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object's exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own. It can sense the presence of creatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location, but enemies have total concealment (50% miss chance) from an incorporeal creature that is inside an object. In order to see beyond the object it is in and attack normally, the incorporeal creature must emerge. An incorporeal creature inside an object has total cover, but when it attacks a creature outside the object it only has cover, so a creature outside with a readied action could strike at it as it attacks. An incorporeal creature cannot pass through a force effect. An incorporeal creature's attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor ) work normally against it. Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal creatures cannot make trip or grapple attacks, nor can they be tripped or grappled. In fact, they cannot take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they subject to such actions. Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are triggered by weight. An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard with Perception checks if it doesn't wish to be. It has no Strength score, so its Dexterity modifier applies to its melee attacks, ranged attacks, and CMB. Nonvisual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures. Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.

Feats, Traits & Items

Animal Affinity from Feat

You get a +2 bonus on all Handle Animal and Ride skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.

Calculated: +2 Handle Animal, +2 Ride

Dodge from Feat

You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.

Calculated: +1 Ac

Flyby Attack from Feat

When flying, the creature can take a move action and another standard action at any point during the move. The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack.

Iron Will from Feat

You get a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws.

Calculated: +2 Will

Lunge from Feat

You can increase the reach of your melee attacks by 5 feet until the end of your turn by taking a –2 penalty to your AC until your next turn. You must decide to use this ability before any attacks are made.

Mobility from Feat

You get a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunity caused when you move out of or within a threatened area. A condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses.

Dodge bonuses stack with each other, unlike most types of bonuses.

Situational: vs. attacks of opportunity caused by moving out of or within a threatened area: +4 dodge AC

Stealthy from Feat

You get a +2 bonus on all Escape Artist and Stealth skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.

Calculated: +2 Escape Artist, +2 Stealth

Skills

Bluff +16, Escape Artist +9, Fly +15, Handle Animal +14, Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +13, Ride +9, Sense Motive +13, Stealth +24

Spells

spell-like abilities:

At will—Animal Trance (DC 18), At will—Speak With Animals, At will—Veil (DC 22), 3/day—Charm Animal, 1/day—Magic Jar (DC 21)

Details

Type: Undead
Alignment: NE
Size: Medium
Environment: any aboveground natural area
Organization: solitary or with a group of animals
Treasure: none
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +13
Languages: Common
Source: Bestiary 3

Rules