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Monster Monday: Antisoul

Monster Monday: Antisoul

Originally published in Sharp, William (July 1902). "Cap'n Goldsack". Harper's MagazineThe malevolent entity soared above the dead body while black tendrils played across the corpse, arcing like ebon lightning every few seconds.

And now a cacophonous scream erupts from the vile form as it surges forward — toward you!

Antisouls, so named by a young priest who was the only surviving member of a group of travelers that fell to one such creature, are entities of pure negative energy that normally exist only on the plane of negative energy. Sometimes, however, a conflux of events can open a gateway and tempt these creatures to visit other planes of existence. One such conflux occurs when powerful divine magic attempts to restore life to a dead creature, and the person refuses to grasp at this new chance at life. This rejection echoes across the planes of existence, providing an opportunity for an “antisoul” to notice it, then follow it back to the pathway created by the spell. After it comes through to where the corpse of the intended recipient of the divine magic rests, it seeks to cause as much destruction as possible. Read more about this creature — maybe it’ll show up on your character’s doorstep this evening and ask for more than a treat!

Antisoul                       CR 13

25,600 XP
CE Medium outsider (extraplanar)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., lifesense; Perception +22

DEFENSE
AC 26, touch 16, flat-footed 20 (+5 Dex, +1 Dodge, +10 natural)
hp 16d10+96 (184 hp)
Fort +12, Ref +17, Will +17
Defensive Abilities watery goo; Immune bleed, death effects, disease, poison, sleep effects, and stunning; extraplanar traits; SR 24
Weaknesses vulnerability to positive energy

OFFENSE
Spd 30 ft.; fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Melee slam +20 (1d6+6/x2 plus entropic burn)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th)
Constant — deathwatch
At-Will — inflict light wounds, mass (DC 20)
3/day — inflict critical wounds, mass (DC 23)
1/day — disintegrate (DC 21), harm (DC 21), waves of exhaustion

STATISTICS
Str 18, Dex 20, Con 20, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 20
Base Atk +16; CMB +20; CMD +35
Feats Dodge, Empower Spell-Like Ability (inflict light wounds), Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +24, Escape Artist +24, Fly +32, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (planes) +20, Perception +22, Sense Motive +22
SQ death amplification (DC 23), entropic burn, negative energy aura

ECOLOGY
Environment any (negative energy plane)
Organization solitary
Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Death Amplification (Su) Antisouls can amplify the death of a living being. If a creature dies within 30 ft. of an antisoul, it can cause a negative energy explosion with a radius of 10 feet that is centered on one of the dead creature’s squares. This explosion does 1d6 damage per HD of the creature that died to a maximum of 15d6 (Reflex DC 23 for half). An antisoul may use this ability only once per round.

Entropic Burn (Su) Creatures hit by an antisoul’s slam attack take an additional 1d6 negative energy damage. Any creature that hits an antisoul with a natural weapon or unarmed attack takes 1d6 negative energy.

Lifesense (Su) An antisoul notices and locates living creatures within 60 feet, just as if it possessed the blindsight ability.

Negative Energy Aura (Su) An antisoul is surrounded by an aura of negative energy. Creatures within 5 ft. of it take 1d6 negative energy damage at the beginning of the antisoul’s turn.

Vulnerability to Positive Energy (Ex) An antisoul can be harmed by positive energy effects that would harm an undead creature. In addition, an antisoul takes half again as much damage (+50%) from such effects.

Typical Characteristics

When manifested on other planes, antisouls take on a warped version of the appearance of the person who was supposed to be brought back to life. Their features twist and elongate, and their eyes become completely black. Negative energy ripples around the antisoul and plays across its body like constantly discharging electricity.

Ecology and Society

Antisouls are alien entities whose usual existence is almost akin to a perpetual hibernation. They are sometimes reached by magic users using divination magic to contact the negative energy plane, but otherwise they have little to no contact with others. When they do use a rejected life-restoring spell as a pathway to other planes, they have little purpose other than to destroy as much life as possible. Luckily for those who are around when they arrive, the rare rampages of antisouls are most often begun in the presence of powerful clerics who are often the people best equipped to end them.

Tactics

As “living” negative energy, antisouls are forces of entropy, and they try to bring as much death to the world as possible. It should be noted, though, that they are not mindless. Antisouls can use their lifesense and deathwatch abilities to choose targets closest to death to eliminate as many lives as possible with their death amplification ability. Regardless of relative hit point totals, though, antisouls try to eliminate any obvious divine casters as quickly as possible.

(This post is Product Identity.)

4 thoughts on “Monster Monday: Antisoul”

  1. Wow. I entered the antisoul back in King of the Monsters 2. I’m incredibly proud to see it was chosen for the Halloween Monster Monday. Thanks Kobold!

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