Protean, PelagastrThis glittering serpent’s body ends in a looping length of tail. Its
scales glow softly in ever-changing patterns.Pelagastr CR 8Source Bestiary 6 pg. 214, Pathfinder #99: Dance of the Damned pg. 88
XP 4,800
CN Medium outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, incorporeal, protean,
shapechanger)
Init +10; Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., detect law;
Perception +16DefenseAC 20, touch 20, flat-footed 14 (+4 deflection, +6 Dex)
hp 105 (10d10+50); fast healing 5
Fort +10, Ref +13, Will +10
Defensive Abilities amorphous anatomy, freedom of
movement, incorporeal; DR 5/lawful; Immune acid,
polymorph; Resist electricity 10, sonic 10; SR 19OffenseSpeed fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Melee bite +16 touch (1d6), 2 claws +16
touch (1d4), tail slap +12 (1d6+6)
Special Attacks constrict (1d6+4),
overshadowing ego, spirit coils,
warpwave
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +14)
Constant—comprehend languages, detect law
At will—dispel magic, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), mage hand
3/day—hypnotic pattern (DC 16), pilfering hand
1/day—chaos hammer (DC 18)StatisticsStr —, Dex 23, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 19
Base Atk +10; CMB +16 (+20 grapple); CMD 30 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Great
Fortitude, Improved
Initiative, Skill Focus
(Bluff), Weapon Focus
(tail slap)
Skills Acrobatics +19, Bluff
+23, Diplomacy +17,
Fly +27, Knowledge
(planes) +16, Perception +16,
Perform (sing) +17, Sense Motive
+16, Stealth +19 (+39 when
motionless); Racial Modifiers
+20 Stealth when motionless
Languages Common, Protean;
comprehend languages
SQ blending scales, change shape
(polymorph)EcologyEnvironment any (Maelstrom)
Organization solitary, pair, or convocation (3–6)
Treasure noneSpecial AbilitiesChange Shape (Su) When a pelagastr changes shape, it remains incorporeal in its assumed form.
Overshadowing Ego (Su) Once per round as a standard action, the pelagastr can merge its body with that of a corporeal creature. This ability is similar to a greater possession spell (caster level equals the protean’s Hit Dice). To use this ability, the pelagastr must be adjacent to the target. The target can resist the attack with a successful DC 19 Will save. A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same pelagastr’s overshadowing ego for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Spirit Coils (Su) A pelagastr’s bite and claw attacks resolve as touch attacks and deal force damage, but its tail slap attack resolves normally and deals bludgeoning damage, as the tail dips into reality when attacking; this also allows it to constrict and grapple foes. The pelagastr always adds 1-1/2 times its Charisma modifier to damage dealt by its tail slap and treats its Charisma score as its effective Strength score should its tail’s ability to lift or drag objects come into play.
Warpwave (Su) A creature that takes damage from a pelagastr’s constrict ability must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save or be affected by a warpwave (see page 307). To determine the effects of a pelagastr’s warpwave, roll 1d12 and consult the warpwave effect table on page 306. The save DC is Constitution-based.DescriptionJust as other proteans delight in bringing change to subvert the awful stagnancy of the physical world, pelagastrs are dedicated to inviting chaos and freedom into the dull, stale lives of its inhabitants. Unrestrained by the limits of a physical body, they spy on private spaces and secrets, and hop from host to host to savor the strangeness of the physical world using as many senses as possible.Creatures in "Protean" CategorySource Bestiary 2 pg. 213
Beings of pure chaos, the serpentine proteans slither through the anarchic improbabilities of Limbo, remaking reality according to their whims. According to their own history, they were already here when the first gods pulled forth the other planes from raw chaos—and they have been battling against the indignity ever since. Hereditary and ideological enemies of Axis, Heaven, and Hell, and especially of the residents of those planes, all proteans see it as their sacred duty to return the bland, static expanses of mundane reality to the beautiful incongruities of Limbo, for the planes' own good and for the greater glory of their mysterious god, a dualistic deity which may be a living aspect of Limbo itself. They are Limbo's living, breathing immune system, rooting out infections of mundanity and replacing them with beautiful entropy.
Primeval in shape and philosophy, proteans are the race that most perfectly embodies the twin aspects of creation and destruction (although certain aeons might contest this claim). Even their language is mutable, evolving so quickly that few outsiders can understand it without magical aid. Ecological study is nearly impossible, as reproduction can take a wide variety of forms, from sexual union to fission to spontaneous generation. Despite their deceptively similar natural appearances, the two things that truly unify the protean race are slavish devotion to their strange god and a fervent desire for the dissolution of reality as we know it.
Proteans are organized into several sub-races or castes, each with its own individual abilities and roles. Other proteans than the four presented here doubtless exist, but they do not interact with other races nearly to the extent that these four types do.
Voidworms: Disowned by greater proteans, who find these tiny beings shameful, voidworms nevertheless retain all the characteristics of true proteans, and are frequently found swimming through Limbo in vast schools or serving as spellcasters' familiars.
Naunets: Possessing little in the way of culture, the powerful naunets are the most bestial of the true proteans, representing the lowest recognized caste. Naunets are the shock troops of the protean race, and patrol the borderlands between Limbo and other planes, seeking out lawful incursions and making daring, savage raids into the realms of their enemies.
Imenteshes: These cunning proteans seek to subvert the forces of order from within their own systems, whispering information and insinuations where they can do the most damage. Endlessly creative, they adore reforming the landscapes of Limbo to suit their fancies, but enjoy warping the vistas and creatures of other planes even more.
Keketars: Priest-kings and voices of Limbo itself, keketars rule their fellows in the name of their bizarre god. Though their forms are extremely mutable, keketars can always be recognized thanks to eyes that glow amber or violet and floating crowns of swirling and changing symbols that often appear above their heads. Organized into cabals called choruses, keketars seek only to understand and follow the will of entropy. Protean Lords While the keketars are the highest caste of the protean race, there exist a few scattered individuals who put even the mightiest chorus to shame. Equal in power to demon lords or empyreal lords, the beings known as protean lords are an enigma, far older than other proteans and perhaps spawned in a previous iteration of the multiverse or somewhere beyond the depths of Limbo. Disdaining direct leadership, protean lords act according to their own desires, occasionally appearing to advise their lesser kin or keep an inscrutable eye on entities whose powers rival their own. Warpwaves Many proteans, particularly the imenteshes, have the ability to create and manipulate ripples in reality known as warpwaves. Yet even a protean can't predict what effects a warpwave might have. When a creature is affected by a warpwave, roll 1d20 and consult the table below to see what effect the entropic energies have.
| d20 | Warpwave effect | | 1 | Target takes 2 Strength damage. | | 2 | Target takes 2 Dexterity damage. | | 3 | Target takes 2 Constitution damage. | | 4 | Target takes 2 Intelligence damage. | | 5 | Target takes 2 Wisdom damage. | | 6 | Target takes 2 Charisma damage. | | 7 | Target gains 1 negative level. | | 8 | Target is blinded or deafened for 1d4 rounds. | | 9 | Target is confused for 1d4 rounds. | | 10 | Target is entangled by filaments of energy for 1d4 rounds. | | 11 | Target becomes fatigued (or exhausted if already fatigued). | | 12 | Target becomes nauseated for 1d4 rounds. | | 13 | Target is stunned for 1d4 rounds. | | 14 | Target is sickened for 1d4 rounds. | | 15 | Target is staggered for 1d4 rounds. | | 16 | Target gains 4d6 temporary hit points. | | 17 | Target is affected by a heal spell (CL = protean's CR). | | 18 | Target is turned to stone. | | 19 | Target is affected by baleful polymorph (CL = protean's CR). | | 20 | Portions of target's body burst with energy of a random type (choose between acid, cold, electricity, or fire), dealing 4d6 points of damage of the appropriate type to the target. |
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