Wrapping up last week’s celebration of the release of Sunken Empires is a brand new monster, ready to terrorize PCs visiting the Underdeep.

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(Illustration by Hugo Solis)

This small creature swims in playful circles, appearing as a cross between a child and a manta ray. Its large, unblinking eyes and incessant smile give a subtly disturbing impression…

Believed to be the embodiment of man’s fear of drowning, faege are childlike fey who meander through night waters looking for humanoids to play with. Unfortunately, the only game the faege wish to indulge in often leads to their playmate’s death…

Not truly evil but possessing utterly alien desires, the faege enjoy pulling air breathers underwater and watching in unadulterated fascination as their victims panic; indeed, there are those who believe the faege actually feed on this terror. Unfortunately, faege often lack the comprehension to understand when their victims should be released, and most die before they ever reach the surface again. The faege view such a death as a child might a broken toy—regretful. They immediately move on to the next plaything.

Despite their lethal pastime, faege go to great lengths to avoid combat. If left with no other choice a faege will attack with its stinger and attempt to hastily retreat. Upon a successful strike, the stinger will break off in the victim, leaving the faege defenseless until a new stinger grows in a couple weeks.

Faege    CR 3

XP 800
CN Small fey (aquatic)
Init +9; Senses blindsight 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +10

DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+5 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 22 (5d6+5)
Fort +2, Ref +9, Will +6
Weaknesses light sensitivity

OFFENSE
Speed swim 60 ft.
Melee sting +2 (1d3-1 plus poison)

STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB +6 (+9 grapple); CMD 15 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (grapple)
Skills Bluff +7, Escape Artist +13, Knowledge (nature) +4, Perception +10, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +23, Swim +10; Racial Modifiers +6 Stealth, +8 Swim
Languages Sylvan

ECOLOGY
Environment any dark or nocturnal aquatic
Organization solitary or shiver (3-12)
Treasure incidental

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Adaptive Camouflage (Ex) A faege’s skin shifts in coloration quickly to match the surrounding environment, making the faege almost imperceptible and granting a +6 bonus to Stealth checks.

Indomitable Grapple (Ex) Faege are uncannily adroit at grappling foes. For purposes of combat maneuver checks made to grapple only, they are treated as Large creatures.

Poison (Ex) Faege venom—injury; save Fort DC 13 (Constitution-based); frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con; cure 1 save.

Preternatural Panic (Ex) Faege are fascinated by drowning creatures, and the precision and rapidity of their attacks leave their victims bewildered and desperate, gasping for breath. As a result, when grappling faege underwater, the DC for the Constitution checks to determine if a character begins to drown increases by 2 each round rather than the standard 1.

Faege Queen (CR 4)

Aura of Drowning (Su) Exceptionally rare, female faege possess an aura of drowning. These so-called queens are the undisputed leader of their shiver. The faege is surrounded by a 10-ft.-radius aura, which completely overrides any magical effect from spell or item that allows an individual to breathe water, such as from water breathing or cloak of the manta ray (Will DC 15, Charisma-based). Only the water breathing effect is negated by this aura; any other effect of the spell or item remains active.

(This post is Product Identity.)