Spirit of the West
Its Western Week here at Necromancers of the Northwest, a week devoted to the wild west. What kind of Exotic Encounters would you expect, then? A giant walking cactus, perchance? Been there done that (see A Necromancer's Grimoire: Herbs of the Desert for more information on walking cactus monsters). A new magical horse? We have a few of those, as well, so no dice. Instead, I decided to make a gunslinger: not a monster with class levels, but a monster whose very essence is being a western gunslinger.
Spirit of the West
Though obviously humanoid in shape, the fine details of this rugged figure’s appearance are difficult to determine, as though obscured through some unknown magic. It wears a brown duster, which whips about it, absent of wind, and it clutches a silvery revolver in one hand.
SPIRIT OF THE WEST CR 14
XP 38,400
N Medium outsider
Init +4; Senses darkvision, low-light vision, true seeing; Perception +26
DEFENSE
AC 29, touch 15, flat-footed 24 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +14 natural)
hp 199 (19d10+95)
Fort +11, Ref +15, Will +15
Defensive Abilities dodge bullets, miraculous dive
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee slam +20 (1d6+1)
Ranged +1 revolver +24/19/14/9 touch (1d8+5/19-20/x4 plus 1d8 bleed damage plus lethal shot)
Special Attacks call mount, lethal shot, rain of bullets, reckless shot, western lore
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 19, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 18
Base Atk +19; CMB +20; CMD 35
Feats Deadly Aim, Dodge, Improved Critical (revolver), Improved Vital Strike, Mobility, Mounted Combat, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run, Vital Strike
Skills Acrobatics +26, Bluff +26, Handle Animal +26, Intimidate +26, Ride +26, Perception +26, Sense Motive +26
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal
SQ eagle eyes
ECOLOGY
Terrain urban
Organization solitary
Treasure double, plus +1 revolver
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Call Mount (Sp): As a swift action, a spirit of the west can whistle and summon forth a mystical horse to serve as his mount. When he does, the horse appears in an adjacent unoccupied space, and he may mount the horse as a free action. The horse remains until slain, or until the spirit of the west chooses to dismiss it a free action. The horse summoned by this ability has statistics identical to a combat-trained heavy horse. A spirit of the west can use Mounted Combat any number of times each round to negate damage to a horse summoned with this ability. At any given time, the spirit of the west may summon a number of horses equal to 1 + his Charisma modifier.
Dodge Bullets (Su): A spirit of the west is supernaturally skilled in surviving gunfights and bullets just seem to miss him. A spirit of the west gains a +15 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made with firearms. Additionally, when attempting to confirm a critical hit with a firearm against a spirit of the west, an opponent must roll twice and take the worse result.
Eagle Eyes (Ex): A spirit of the west suffers no penalty on Perception checks due to distance. Additionally, a spirit of the west suffers only half the normal penalty to attack rolls due to range.
Lethal Shot (Ex): Whenever a spirit of the west confirms a critical hit with a firearm, the target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 23) or suffer an additional 100 points of damage from an especially deadly shot. This is a death effect, and the saving throw DC is Dexterity-based.
Miraculous Dive (Ex): A spirit of the west has exceptional luck and reflexes and can usually dodge out of harm’s way. Once per round, as an immediate action, a spirit of the west can choose to either gain a +10 bonus on Reflex saving throws or a +10 dodge bonus to AC. This bonus applies only on the next saving throw the spirit of the west makes this round, or against the next attack his is subjected to this round.
Rain of Bullets (Su): As a full-round action, a spirit of the west can make a single attack with a firearm against any number of creatures within 100 feet.
Reckless Shot (Su): As a standard action, a spirit of the west can make a single attack with a firearm at a –15 penalty. If the attack hits, it is automatically a critical threat, but rolls made to confirm are also made at a –15 penalty. The spirit of the west can use this ability at will, but must wait 1d4 rounds between uses.
Western Lore (Ex): A spirit of the west is suffused with the very essence of western lore and legend. Any firearm the spirit of the west wields deals an additional 1d8 points of bleed damage, requires no ammunition (and thus never needs reloading), and has no chance of misfire.
Ecology
Sometimes called mysterious strangers, wandering desperados, or sacred renegades, spirits of the west are wandering otherworldly entities that travel vast empty wastes, gallop over plains, and occasionally stray into town. Superficially human in appearance, spirits of the west are often mistaken for normal, if somewhat rugged, people. Their features, however, are naturally indistinct, causing their faces to appear cast in shadows at all times. To hide this fact, or to at least explain it, most wear large hats that they keep drawn low to hide their faces. All spirits of the west, male or female, have deep gravelly voices that carry an air of challenge about them. Each carries a personal firearm, usually a silver revolver, and wears a long duster that constantly stirs, even if there is no wind. Whether these items are rare treasures of the spirit or part of its body is largely unknown, as immediately upon their death, a spirit of the west transforms into blowing dust and ragged tumbleweeds, leaving behind only their weapon of choice.
Ever individualists, the motivations of spirits of the west are as varied as the people that dwell in those wild places. Some are motivated to seek justice for unrighted wrongs, sweeping into towns and massacring criminals and deviants like a particularly deadly plague. Others seem hellbent on taking whatever they can, robbing banks and stagecoaches and killing everyone in their way. Still others would rather spend their days quietly, getting involved in the affairs of mortals only when they have to. Whatever their story, each spirit of the west collects a great deal of wealth over time, which they always keep hidden close by, and which they will go to great lengths to protect.