Mana Wastes Mutant (Gnoll)Patchy, matted fur covers this mutated, hyena-headed monster, and acidic green drool pours from its ravenous maw.Mana Wastes Mutant (Gnoll) CR 4Source Inner Sea Bestiary pg. 28
XP 1,200
Gnoll Mana Wastes mutant fighter 2
CE Medium aberration (augmented humanoid, gnoll)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6DefenseAC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 32 (4 HD; 2d8+2d10+12)
Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +4; +1 vs. fear, +4 vs. mind-affecting effects
Defensive Abilities bravery +1; DR 5/cold iron; Immune disease, poison; SR 15OffenseSpeed 30 ft.
Melee mwk longsword +7 (1d8+2/19–20), slam +5 (1d8+2 plus disease)StatisticsStr 15, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 6
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Cleave, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword)
Skills Perception +6, Stealth +8, Survival +7
Languages Gnoll
SQ deformed armEcologyEnvironment warm plains or deserts (the Mana Wastes)
Organization solitary, pair, gang (3–9), or tribe (16–28 plus 1 wasteland lord of 5th level)
Treasure NPC gear (masterwork breastplate, masterwork longsword, other treasure)DescriptionThe magic-warping effects of the Mana Wastes often extend to the very life force of creatures who wander the trackless deserts. The dangerous radiations of magic gone afoul infuse the bodies and essences of these wanderers. Those who spend too much time in the Spellscar Desert or the wasteland’s other treacherous environs occasionally fall prey to the deadly energies that persist in these regions, and their bodies gradually decay more and more until they are so far removed from their original forms that they can be described only as mutants. These twisted and degenerate creatures roam in packs throughout the Mana Wastes.
Because those who succumb to the Mana Wastes’ mutagenic effects often hail from the Grand Duchy of Alkenstar or one of its smaller holdings in the region, numerous humanoid mutants are proficient in the use of firearms, having learned to wield the weapons in place of the unpredictable forces of magic. Those who manage to actually secure a powerful weapon from one of the dwarven arms factories in the Wastes often garner the respect of other mutants. Such firearm wielders invariably rise to positions of power, becoming known as wasteland lords by their envious peers, who all squabble and fight for the same honor.
Most Mana Wastes mutants collaborate in small tribal groups with other mutants, since those who wander the battered desert alone risk attack from the resident mutated vermin or violent bands of lawless gnolls, giants, or goblins. The civilized people of Alkenstar shun mutants for the most part, regarding transformed humans and other wanderers of the Mana Wastes as no better than monsters. The border guards of neighboring Nex keep a stringent lookout for such wasteland travelers and attack them on sight. The necromancers of Geb, however, see potential in the mutated peoples of the Spellscar Desert, and occasionally entreat them to leave their blasted home and relocate to the heart of Geb in Yled by promising a life of comfort and acceptance. In actuality, such mutants are taken to the infamous Mortuarium, where Geb’s cruelest wizards perform unholy experiments on Alkenstar’s deformed expatriates and turn them into undead abominations to serve in Geb’s lurching army.Creating a Mana Wastes Mutant“Mana Wastes Mutant” is an acquired template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature. A Mana Wastes mutant retains the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
CR: As base creature +1.
Alignment: Any non-lawful.
Type: The creature’s type changes to aberration. Do not recalculate HD, BAB, or saves.
Armor Class: A Mana Wastes mutant gains a +2 bonus to its natural armor over the base creature’s natural armor bonus.
Defensive Abilities: A Mana Wastes mutant gains a +4 bonus on saves against mind-affecting effects, DR 5/cold iron (or DR 10/cold iron if the base creature has 11 HD or more), and spell resistance equal to 11 + its adjusted CR. Mana Wastes mutants are immune to disease and poison.
Speed: A winged Mana Wastes mutant’s maneuverability drops to clumsy. If the base creature flew magically, it loses this ability.
Melee: A Mana Wastes mutant retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. It also gains a slam attack that deals damage based on the mutant’s size.
Spell-Like Abilities: A Mana Wastes mutant loses access to any spell-like abilities the base creature may have had. Any spellcasting abilities gained from class levels remain unchanged.
Special Abilities: A Mana Wastes mutant retains any extraordinary and supernatural special qualities of the base creature. A Mana Wastes mutant gains one of the following abilities for every 4 HD or fraction thereof (minimum 1— the first ability chosen must always be disease).
Acid Resistance (Su): A Mana Wastes mutant gains resistance to acid 10. This ability can be taken more than once. Each time it is taken, the Mana Wastes mutant increases its resistance to acid by an additional 10. A Mana Wastes mutant that gains acid resistance in excess of 30 becomes immune to acid instead.
Acidic Pustules (Ex): Mana Wastes mutants are often covered in necrotic pustules that burst at the slightest touch. Whenever a creature deals piercing or slashing damage to a Mana Wastes mutant, all creatures adjacent to the Mana Wastes mutant must succeed at a Reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the Mana Wastes mutant’s Hit Dice + the Mana Wastes mutant’s Constitution modifier) or take acid damage as its boils and blisters pop and spray about. A Mana Wastes mutant deals an amount of acid damage in this way based on its size (1d4 points of acid damage for a Medium Mana Wastes mutant, 1d6 for a Large mutant, and so on).
Breath Weapon (Ex): A Mana Wastes mutant can spray a 30-foot cone of acidic bile from its mouth as a standard action once every 1d4 rounds. The acid damage caused by this attack is equal to 1d6 per two Hit Dice the mutant possesses. A successful Reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the Mana Waste mutant’s Hit Dice + the Mana Waste mutant’s Constitution modifier) halves any damage taken from this attack.
Disease (Su): Even though Mana Wastes mutants are immune to disease, they carry a deadly magical contagion that they spread with their slam attacks. Mana fever: injury; save Fort DC = 10 + 1/2 the Mana Wastes mutant’s Hit Dice + the Mana Wastes mutant’s Constitution modifier; onset 1d4 minutes; frequency 1/day; effect 1d2 Con damage, 1d2 Cha drain (or 1d3 Con damage, 1d3 Cha drain if the base creature has 8 HD or more); cure 2 consecutive saves. Anyone who lives with mana fever for a week straight without dying becomes immune to the disease, but also becomes a Mana Wastes mutant.
Increased Speed (Ex): Some Mana Wastes mutants are transformed in such a way that their base speed increases by 10 feet.
Deformities: In addition to its special abilities listed above, a Mana Wastes mutant gains one of the following deformities from its transformation (roll a 1d4 to randomly determine the deformity).
| d% | Effect | | 1 | Deformed Arm: One hand can’t wield weapons, but the mutant’s slam attack deals damage as if it were two size categories larger than its actual size. | | 2 | Deformed Leg: The mutant’s base speed is reduced by 10 feet (minimum base speed of 5 feet), but it gains a +4 racial bonus to its CMD. | | 3 | Shattered Mind: The mutant takes a –2 penalty to Intelligence, but gains a +2 racial bonus on Will saves. | | 4 | Warped Hide: The mutant loses its +2 racial bonus to Con, but gains an additional +2 bonus to its natural armor. |
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Con +2, Cha –2.
Skills: A Mana Wastes mutant gains Climb, Intimidate, Stealth, and Survival as class skills.
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