It’s not easy being a monster in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Over time, adventurers and monster hunters have a significant impact on monster populations, leaving only the strongest, luckiest, and most cunning to survive. Sometimes, though, monsters band together to increase their chances. They use their powers to complement one another and, in turn, present a challenge that is far greater than either could muster alone…

Some creatures operate together purely because they happen to live in the same kinds of areas. Some, however, work together because they can’t help but notice their similarities, and they work toward common goals.

Sirens and Harpies (CR 9)

With their feminine, birdlike features and their singing, chaotic natures, it’s no wonder that sirens and harpies are sometimes mistaken for one another. Compounding this, they sometimes accompany each other. A group of sirens living on isolated islands might enjoy the company of a tribe of harpies to help guard their lair and deal with those who might bring them harm. On some harpy raids, a siren looking for a mate might come along to lure unsuspecting sailors or travelers into ambushes for the harpies. In exchange for her aid, the harpies allow the siren to have first pick of the still living victims as a prisoner to take back to her lair while the harpies pick over the remains for food and treasure. The CR given above is for a group of five harpies and their single support siren…

Totenmaske and Ghasts (CR 5)

Ghouls are all-too-common undead predators that stalk graveyards, mortuaries, and sewers in search of rotting meat to satiate their hunger. Totenmaskes are a less common shapeshifting terror that keeps victims alive and feeds on their memories. More often than not, however, a totenmaske is caught by the local people after discovering the pile of corpses the creature leaves in its wake, revealing its true identity. Marginalized and alone, a totenmaske often has no chance against an angry, torch-wielding mob, regardless of their supernatural powers. As a result, many totenmaskes seek the aid of local ghasts and ghouls. The ghasts guard the totenmaske’s lair and prison, and the ghasts gain a steady supply of rotting meat. The side benefit for the totenmaske is that it has a ready and eager disposal unit for the bodies it accumulates. This way, when the totenmaske’s victims are discovered, their deaths are more often than not blamed on the ghasts. The CR reflects three ghasts and one totenmaske.