“They cannot scare me with their empty spaces
Between stars—on stars where no human race is.
I have it in me so much nearer home
To scare myself with my own desert places.”
–Robert Frost
Last week, I tried to test the interest in an encounter using the two tapestry templates I presented. While the response wasn’t what I hoped for, it was enough where I will offer it either next week or possibly link it in the comments with a public Google document. I like to change topics enough to keep the column fresh, but I find myself wanting to make one more offering to the dark incomprehensible beings that rule the Dark Tapestry.
Join me after the jump for a new monster born in the darkness between stars. The voidling conceptually is a cross between a will-o’-wisp and a black hole.
Darkness is inadequate to describe how black and lightless this orb of inky nothingness is and isn’t. There’s such a madness in trying to comprehend the utter darkness before you that you hardly notice a tendril extending toward you.
Voidling
CR 11
XP 12,800
CE Large outsider
Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +27
DEFENSE
AC 30, touch 25, flat-footed 21; (+5 deflection, +9 Dex, +1 dodge, –1 size, +5 natural)
hp 88 (16d8+16)
Fort +3, Ref +12, Will +9
Defensive Abilities natural invisibility; Immune magic
OFFENSE
Speed fly 50 ft. (perfect)
Melee negative burst +18 touch (4d8 negative energy) or tendrils +18/+18/+18/+18/+18 bludgeoning (1D8+4 each + grab)
Space 10 ft. Reach 15 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th; concentration +15)
Constant—detect magic, see invisibility
At will—cause fear (DC 15), deeper darkness, black tentacles
3/day—reverse gravity (DC 19), quickened magic missile
1/day—horrid wilting (DC 22), waves of fatigue
STATISTICS
Str 18, Dex 29, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 14
Base Atk +9; CMB +13; CMD 27
Feats Alertness, Blind-Fight, Dazzling Display, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (tendrils)
Skills Acrobatics +21, Bluff +18, Intimidation +18, Escape Artist +21, Fly +31, Perception +27, Stealth +28
Languages telepathy 60′ radius
SQ feed by darkness
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Feed by Darkness (Su) Any time a voidling is within darkness, it gains fast healing 5.
Immunity to Magic (Ex) Voidlings are immune to all spells and spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance, except spells with the light descriptor.
Natural Invisibility (Ex) Voidlings are made of darkness and thus invisible in all lighting conditions that are less than full daylight.
Missed changing perception score at the top to match the bottom.
Personally I’ve liked everything you’ve offered so far. In fact, the Voidling pretty much clenches it that I’ll use this material in an upcoming twist on “Vault of the Drow” that I’ve been tinkering with for my players.
Good job!
yes, ecology please!
Ecology: Legend says that there was a time before men when the stars were alive and more numerous. The problem of course was that the universe eventually birthed gods and gods made other races to entertain themselves. To the stars the universe suddenly became a very loud and crowded lace, and those that populated the planets were able to love and touch in ways that were incomprehensible to the stars.
Some stars eventually stopped paying attention and their ability to perceive eventually passed and they remain in the sky. Others were consumed by a despair that made them darks hungry unfettered things they became voidlings.
Voidlings live to feed and destroy. They hate light, they hate living beings.
Cool ecology. I like it. :-)
Just an observation. When you stated “a cross between a will’o’wisp and a black hole,” I had in my head a creature that would actually be incorporeal…
@DMCal thanks, I try. Glad to hear this will be in use soon.
@ Tim glad it paid off for you
@ Saurstalk not sure why neither a Will-o’-Wisp nor a black hole is in corporeal. Black holes are believed to be so dense that their gravitational pull effects light!
Next week I’m doing the encounter, CR target is to challenge a ninth level paty…
The Voidling is cool, I would love to see an ecology on them.
Hi Frank,
Just a tip: You may want to use hyperlinks in your blogposts, when you make references to other sites or something in the past like the Dark Tapestry. This is my first visit to this site (drawn in from a Facebook post) and I was intrigued but at the same time had no clue what you were referring to in your intro.
Unless all of your readers are from a regular crowd, it may help to make a few more links between posts and pages. :-)
Sincerely,
Jesper
@Jesper, I normally do just plain forgot this time…
@Rizzen9 look above your post there’s most of the ecology but I’ll addd more which is a hint of next week’s article…
Ecology (continued): Voidling have no predators in the darkness of the tapestry though they are occasionally made to serve or are detroyed for the entertainment of the greater outer beings like Yog-Sothoth. Some same the intellect devourer once hailed form the tapestry but fled because the voidlings kept destroying them to a point near extinction. The same dark and forbidden book of rituals the creates tapestry touched and tainted also has an entry discussing immobilizing the voidling for an intellect devourer to consume creating a darker being called the void devourer…
That’s enough teaser for the encounter I think :)