Luminous and Umbral Creatures
Light and darkness: the one can’t exist without the other, and so it is with this week’s new templates. The first represents creatures which have been touched by pure light, radiant and graceful beings with cool temperaments, detached from the mortal world. The second template we cover today represents creatures that have been twisted by darkness in some way. Enjoy.
Luminous
Luminous creatures are touched by unearthly light and bear a mighty, unearthly grace which inspires awe in lesser creatures. Not only touched by light, a luminous creature’s spirit is made manifest as a radiant golden or silver light which shines all about it. Though luminous creatures can be of any type and any attitude, most people view them as holy beings, or at least as good omens, and so many venerate these beings above others of their kind. The origins of each luminous creature’s power varies: some were touched by deific forces at their birth, others absorbed the light of the sun and moon into themselves, and still others obtain this inner glow through sheer, overwhelming strength of spirit.
Creating a Luminous Creature
“Luminous” is an inherited template that can be applied to any creature, regardless of type.
CR: Same as the base creature +2.
Alignment: Same as the base creature.
Type: The creature’s type remains the same.
Senses: A luminous creature gains low-light vision.
Armor Class: The creature gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma modifier.
Defensive Qualities: Darkness spells of 4th level or lower have no effect on a luminous creature, and their effects are suppressed within a 20-foot-radius area around the luminous creature. A luminous creature gains spell resistance equal to its CR +5, and this spell resistance increases by 10 against spells or spell-like abilities of the shadow subschool or with the shadow descriptor.
Special Qualities: A luminous creature constantly glows with an inner light which is either gold or silver (50% chance of either) that raises the light level by two steps in a 20-foot radius, and raises the light level by one step for 100 feet beyond that.
Special Abilities: A luminous creature gains the following special abilities:
Aura of Grace (Su): As a standard action, a luminous creature can infuse its inner radiance with an unearthly grace in order to amaze the weak of heart. All characters within 20 feet of the luminous creature must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the luminous creature’s Hit Dice + the luminous creature’s Charisma modifier) or become fascinated for 2d6 rounds. A creature that succeeds on this save is dazzled for 2d6 rounds, instead.
Inner light (Ex): A luminous creature glows with a bright inner light of unearthly origin, against which no darkness can prevail. Once per day, as an immediate action, the luminous creature can tap into this inner light in order to counter or dispel any darkness spell whose spell level is no greater than 1/2 the luminous creature’s Hit Dice. If it does, any creature with light sensitivity within 20 feet of the luminous creature must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the luminous creature’s Hit Dice + the luminous creature’s Charisma modifier) or be permanently blinded.
Light Rays (Su): A luminous creature can form its inner light into lethal beams of pure light. As a full-round action, a luminous creature can attack with 2 light rays, which require a ranged touch attack to hit and deal damage based on the luminous creature’s Hit Dice, as listed below. The damage dealt by a luminous creature's light rays is not subject to damage reduction.
1-5 HD: 1d6 + Charisma modifier.
6-10 HD: 2d6 + Charisma modifier.
11-15 HD: 2d10 + Charisma modifier.
16+ HD: 3d8 + Charisma modifier.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Dex +6, Cha +6.
Umbral
Umbral creatures are twisted by darkness, becoming hideous and fell versions of themselves. Usually umbral creatures are born in deep places never touched by the smallest hint of light, but others were twisted by dark power. Though not inherently evil, the darkness which dwells inside umbral creatures twists their minds towards foul purposes. Like its mind, the body of an umbral creatures is twisted towards dark aims, and though no two are quite the same, most have physical or magical powers beyond their lesser kin. All umbral creatures hate and fear the light and prefer to reside in darkness.
Creating an Umbral Creature
“Umbral” is an inherited template which can be applied to any creature.
CR: Same as the base creature +2, or +1 if it only gains one ability from the twisted special ability (see below).
Alignment: If the base creature was good, the umbral creature becomes neutral; otherwise, same as the base creature.
Type: The creature’s type remains the same.
Senses: An umbral creature can see perfectly in darkness. As such, an umbral creature has exceptional darkvision that allows it to see as far in darkness as it would otherwise be able to see in normal light, and it can also discern colors with its darkvision. An umbral creature can see even in supernatural or magical darkness, in a fashion similar to devils. An umbral creature is dazzled in the presence of bright light.
Special Abilities: An umbral creature gains the following special ability:
Twisted (Ex): An umbral creature is twisted by the darkness inside, granting it additional powers unique to each individual umbral creature. When creating an umbral creature, it gains two abilities, based on the list below. Roll a d10 twice, and each time the umbral creature gains the corresponding abilities based on the result of the roll. If an umbral creature would gain the same ability twice, instead it only gains the ability once, and its CR is only increased by +1, instead of +2.
- 1: The umbral creature gains a +4 bonus to its Strength score and 2 claw attacks which deal 1d6 points of damage (for a Medium creature). If the base creature already has claw attacks, its claws deal damage as though it were one size category larger, instead. If the base creature does not have claw attacks, but has two other natural attacks which use its limbs, such as wings, hooves, talons or tentacles, choose two of those natural attacks and they become claw attacks, which then deal damage as though the umbral creature were one size category larger than it actually is.
- 2: The umbral creature gains a +4 bonus to its Dexterity score and greatly enhanced speed, allowing the umbral creature to take 2 swift actions per turn instead of 1.
- 3: The umbral creature gains a +4 bonus to its Constitution score and immunity to poison.
- 4: The umbral creature gains a +4 bonus to its Intelligence score and can cast darkness as a spell-like ability at will (the caster level for this ability equals the umbral creature’s Hit Dice).
- 5: The umbral creator gains a +4 bonus to its Wisdom score and can cast entropic shield as a spell-like ability 3 times per day (the caster level for this ability equals the umbral creature’s Hit Dice).
- 6: The umbral creature gains a +4 bonus to its Charisma score and can cast blindness/deafness (blindness only) once per day as a spell-like ability (the caster level for this ability equals the umbral creature’s Hit Dice, and it uses its Charisma modifier to determine the saving throw DC of this ability).
- 7: The umbral creature gains a +4 bonus to its natural armor and also gains the fortification monster special ability, except that it only has a 25% chance to treat any critical hit or sneak attack as a normal hit, as if wearing light fortification armor.
- 8: The umbral creature gains an amount of spell resistance equal to 10 + it CR, and it also receives a +4 bonus on saving throws against spells or spell-like abilities with the light descriptor.
- 9: The umbral creature gains a bite attack which deals 1d8 points of damage (for a Medium creature). Additionally, its bite and claw attacks (if any) can be used to deliver umbral poison:
Bite or Claw—injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 the umbral creature’s Hit Dice + the umbral creature’s Con modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Wis damage; cure 2 saves
- 10: The umbral creature’s form is so twisted and hideous to behold that it projects an aura of fear which causes adjacent creatures to become shaken unless they succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the umbral creature’s Hit Dice + the umbral creature’s Charisma modifier). Any creature that fails this save by 10 or more is frightened, instead.