Oathstalker

Large Outsider

Hit Dice: 20d8+180 (270 hp),dying/dead –10/–28 Initiative: +3 Speed: 50 feet AC: 32 (–1 size,+3 Dexterity,+20 natural),touch 12, flat-footed 29 Base Attack/Grapple: +20/+34 Attack: Slam +30 melee (1d8+10) Full Attack: 2 slams +30 melee (1d8+10),gore +25 melee (2d6+5),plus 20/day:Rapid Strike slam +20 melee (1d8+10) Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet (Face/Reach:5 feet by 5 feet/10 feet) Special Attacks: Drain away speed,forcebeam,spell-like abilities Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 feet,immunities,find oathbreaker,fast healing 5,DR 10/chaotic (or 10/+3) Saves: Fort +21,Ref+15,Will +17 Abilities: Str 30,Dex 16,Con 28,Int 10,Wis 21,Cha 19 Skills: Climb +33,Concentration +18,Jump +34,Listen +24,

Sense Motive +28, Sneak +22,Spot +24,Tumble +28,

Wilderness Survival +28 Feats: Cleave,First Strike,Improved Intuitive Sense,

Intuitive Sense,Power Attack,Power Charge,Rapid StrikeB ,

Speed Burst,Track B,Weapon Focus (slam)

Environment: Any Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 17 Treasure: None Advancement: 21–30 HD (Large) Level Adjustment: —

Oathstalkers are otherworldly creatures who come to exact retribution upon those who have broken an oath.They excel at melee combat and command fearsome magical abilities as well, many stemming from the single,dark horn that sprouts from their foreheads.Oathstalkers are shadowy figures,vaguely humanoid in appearance,eyes swirling with green menace.

Random encounters with an oathstalker are virtually unheard of.When someone breaks an oath,there is a small chance that an oathstalker enters the world from whatever strange plane it normally inhabits.While here,its sole preoccupation involves enacting a just reckoning for the oathbreaker’s deed.Normally,its justice comes in the form of death.However,it can also involve destroying the oathbreaker’s property,slaying family and friends,or undoing some great accomplishment ofthe offender.It can also mean a combination ofall these things.The retribution required is solely up to the discretion ofthe oathstalker,which bases its decision on the importance ofthe oath and the position of the offender.A commoner’s broken oath is not as serious as that ofa ruler.

Likewise,the chance ofan oathstalker appearing at the time ofa broken oath also depends on circumstances.While this chance does vary based on the importance ofthe oath and the oathbreaker,it also depends on the importance ofthe oath to the oathbreaker and to those to whom it was sworn. For example,a high-level oathsworn’s broken oath is likely to call forth an oathstalker (since the oath was important to the oathbreaker),as is the broken oath ofa giantish steward that results in hundreds ofpeople going hungry (since the oath was important to those to whom it was sworn).

As strange outsiders,oathstalkers do not seem to have a culture understandable to those from this world.They appear to be genderless,and no one has ever seen a young oathstalker— or,for that matter,a noticeably old one.They may be ageless. Some speculate that they are actually brought into existence when they come into this world to mete out justice and that they do not actually “dwell” anywhere.

Oathstalkers speak only rarely and usually only to pronounce sentence (often after the punishment has been exacted).They speak Common as well as their own language. They can also telepathically understand any living creature within 30 feet as well as read its mind.Their voices are deep and resonant.Reasoning or pleading with oathstalkers usually proves fruitless,as they are almost always without mercy. Lying to an oathstalker almost certainly ensures an even more horrible enactment ofretribution.

Combat

Using its Speed Burst and Rapid Strike feats,plus its great speed and reach,the oathstalker can move up to a foe from 55 feet away and make three slam attacks as well as its gore attack.This is normally how it initiates combat,perhaps after it has used its forcebeam ability.

Ifa creature has not violated an oath,an oathstalker ignores it ifpossible.Ifa creature insists on getting in the oathstalker’s way,protecting the oathbreaker or otherwise preventing it from its task,it will use force.However,unless harming the creature is a part ofits overall scheme ofretribution,it uses only subdual (nonlethal) attacks.It suffers no attack penalty to inflict subdual damage with its slams.

Drain Away Speed (Su): The touch ofan oathstalker’s horn reduces a foe’s speed to 0 for 10 rounds,unless it can make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 24),in which case the foe’s speed is reduced by 10 feet for 10 rounds.Multiple touches can result in stacking speed penalties (two touches with successful saves reduce the foe’s speed by 20 feet).Since this ability requires only a touch,the oathstalker can choose to make a touch attack rather than a normal attack with its horn.A touch attack inflicts no damage,but it does drain away speed.The saving throw is Charisma based.

Forcebeam (Sp): Three times per day,the oathstalker can fire from its horn a beam ofpure force that inflicts 20d6 points offorce damage in a line 5 feet wide and 200 feet

long.A Reflex saving throw (DC 24) reduces the damage by half.Creatures ofsize Huge and smaller that fail their saves are knocked prone.The saving throw is Charisma based.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): An oathstalker can cast the following spells as a 20th-level witch:at will—creature loresight, curse ofvengeance, lesser resilient sphere, locate object, object loresight, peer through matter, steal health; 1/day—gaze ofterror, greater eldritch wall. The save DC against these spells is DC 15 + spell level.

Immunities (Su): Oathstalkers are immune to all charms and compulsions.They see through all illusions and cannot be affected by any kind offear effect,poison,petrification, vitrification,paralysis, slow, drain away speed, or polymorphing.They also cannot be banished or dispelled back to their home plane.

Find Oathbreaker (Sp): At will,the oathstalker knows where its quarry is.Nothing short ofa 9th-level spell effect can protect the oathbreaker from this divinatory ability.

Fast Healing (Ex): An oathstalker with this ability rapidly heals damage,allowing it to recover quickly from even the most grievous wounds.It gains fast healing 5.

Oathstalker Encounter (EL 15)

A friend ofthe player characters,a sibeccai runethane named Jorek the Lost,swore to help a loresong faen magister named Saenul Giftbringer build a tower and protect it with traps and magic.An enemy ofSaenul’s named Thienos Riverbound convinced Jorek that the tower would be used to house slaves and conduct horrible magical experiments.This was untrue.Still,Jorek believed it.He pretended to use magic to seal Saenul’s tower and instead trapped it so that the whole place would come crumbling down when Saenul entered,obviously breaking his agreement.Saenul survived,and struggled long and hard to find and learn the call oathstalker† spell (see below).He has almost mastered the spell and will cast it as soon as he can. Jorek asks the PCs for help.

Initially,the characters can try to find the truth ofthe situation and convince Saenul that Jorek was deceived—that while his actions were foolish and rash,they were done with good intentions.Ifthis doesn’t work,Saenul casts the spell, and now the PCs must help defend their friend.The Encounter Level ofthe encounter has been reduced by 2 due to the fact that the oathstalker most likely will use only subdual attacks against the PCs,and the fact that they will have the help ofa 14th-level runethane ifit comes to a fight.

New Spell

Call Oathstalker

Conjuration (Calling)

Level: 9 (Exotic) Casting Time: One minute Range: 30 feet Effect: One oathstalker Duration: Instantaneous

You cast this spell when someone you know (and most likely despise) breaks an oath.The spell calls an oathstalker from its own world and brings it here,into your presence. You need not say anything to the conjured creature.Ifyou know ofan oathbreaker,the oathstalker knows exactly what has been done,what it needs to do,and where it needs to go to do it.You cannot give the oathstalker commands or suggestions.Most likely,in fact,the oathstalker ignores you and immediately goes about its task.

Ifyou cast this spell but know ofno broken oath worthy ofthe oathstalker (in its own eyes),the conjured creature attacks you for 1d4 rounds,then returns whence it came.

Diminished Effect: The caster must know the oathbreaker’s truename (this version ofthe spell gains the truename descriptor).

Magic Item Creation Modifiers: Constant N/A, single-use ×3, spell-completion ×2