[The Vorpal Tribble]

Neverwhere



The neverwhere are beings who have fallen through the cracks of reality and into the darkness of the underside of the world. They are the forgotten and cast away who matter no more to those in the overworld.

They take to the filthy crannies, the sewers, the lost buildings and basements and cellars of the world. The more man-like beings eek out livings by trade and barter, often setting up mass impromptu markets in the dark of night above or in the vaster locales beneath. Neverwhere beasts are found in abundance however, preying upon those of the unwholesome shadows...

Neverwhere creatures speak Common and a dialect of Undercommon.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Sample Neverwhere Creatures


Neverwhere Giant Crocodile

Spoiler

Huge Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 7d10+35 (73 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (–2 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+21
Attack: Bite +11 melee (2d8+12) or tail slap +11 melee (1d12+12)
Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (2d8+12) or tail slap +11 melee (1d12+12)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: Dark cunning, forgotten, hold breath, low-light vision, resistance to disease, scent, unveiled sight
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 2
Skills: Climb +10, Hide +1*, Listen +6, Spot +6, Swim +16
Feats: Alertness, Blindfight, Endurance, Skill Focus (Hide)
Environment: Any urban
Organization: Solitary or colony (6–11)
Challenge Rating: 6
Advancement: 8–14 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

This appears as an absolutely enormous crocodile with leathery, albino skin the dead white of a maggot. Its pale pink eyes blaze with a feral intelligence as it rushes forward, enormous maw gaping.

Combat
A neverwhere crocodile hunts much as its above ground brethren do, though they often attempt to trick or surprise their victims instead of bold frontal attacks.

Dark Cunning (Ex): A neverwhere crocodile's natural proclivity for twists and turns prevents it from ever becoming lost.

Forgotten (Su): To creatures who live anywhere but in Underground enviroments the crocodile is considered invisible and inaudible to creatures. They cannot even detect its presence by means of blindsense, blindsight, scent, or tremorsense. They cannot pinpoint the neverwhere crocodile's location by any means short of True Seeing.

They remain unaware of the crocodile's actions, provided the it does not make any attacks or cause any obvious or directly threatening changes in the subject’s environment. If it attacks a non-neverwhere creature the effect ends.

If the neverwhere crocodile takes an action that creates a sustained and obvious change in the environment - for example, attacking a non-neverwhere creature or moving a large or attended object others can see - those within sight immediately notices it.

Reguardless of the crocodile's actions, within 2d4 rounds (+1 per round of combat) of the encounter the effected forget the neverwhere being.

A neverwhere being may be remembered with a DC 20 Autohypnosis check or the Remember the Forgotten feat.

Hold Breath (Ex): A crocodile can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 x its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the crocodile must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, the crocodile establishes a hold on the opponent with its mouth and drags it into deep water, attempting to pin it to the bottom.

Resistant to Disease (Ex): A neverwhere crocodile gains immunity to Blinding Sickness and Filfth Fever. It also gains a +4 racial bonus to checks against all diseases.

Unveiled Sight (Ex): Three times per day a neverwhere crocodile may see things as they truley are as if it had cast True Seeing. As well, a neverwhere crocodile who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if they were actively looking for it. It gains a +6 racial bonus to this check.

Skills: A neverwhere crocodile has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

*A crocodile gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in the water. Further, a crocodile can lie in the water with only its eyes and nostrils showing, gaining a +10 cover bonus on Hide checks.

Neverwhere Rat Lord

Spoiler

Rat Lord



Awakened Neverwhere Rat Aristrocrat 5
Tiny Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d10+2 + 5d8+10 (45 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares), climb 15 ft., swim 15 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/-8
Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d3–4)
Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d3–4)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Dark cunning, forgotten, low-light vision, resistance to disease, scent, unveiled sight
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Balance +15, Climb +16, Hide +20, Knowledge (Architecture) +15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +15, Knowledge (Local) +15, Listen +10, Move Silently +13, Sense Motive +6, Spot +10, Survival +12, Swim +15
Feats: Blindfight(B), Darkstalker, Quick Reconnoiter, Stealthy, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: Any
Challenge Rating: 5
Alignment: True Neutral
Advancement: By character class

This appears much as any rat, though it extraordinarily large, and its pelt is cleaner and its eyes bright with a piercing intellect.

Lord Rat speaks their own personal tongue.

Combat
Lord Rat prefers not to fight, but to stalk and spy, hiring larger neverwhere beings to do battle.

Dark Cunning (Ex): A neverwhere rat's natural proclivity for twists and turns prevents it from ever becoming lost.

Forgotten (Su): To creatures who live anywhere but in Underground enviroments the rat is considered invisible and inaudible to creatures. They cannot even detect its presence by means of blindsense, blindsight, scent, or tremorsense. They cannot pinpoint the neverwhere rat's location by any means short of True Seeing.

They remain unaware of the rat's actions, provided the it does not make any attacks or cause any obvious or directly threatening changes in the subject’s environment. If it attacks a non-neverwhere creature the effect ends.

If the neverwhere rat takes an action that creates a sustained and obvious change in the environment - for example, attacking a non-neverwhere creature or moving a large or attended object others can see - those within sight immediately notices it.

Reguardless of the rat's actions, within 2d4 rounds (+1 per round of combat) of the encounter the effected forget the neverwhere being.

A neverwhere being may be remembered with a DC 20 Autohypnosis check or the Remember the Forgotten feat.

Resistant to Disease (Ex): A neverwhere rat gains immunity to Blinding Sickness and Filfth Fever. It also gains a +4 racial bonus to checks against all diseases.

Unveiled Sight (Ex): Three times per day a neverwhere rat may see things as they truley are as if it had cast True Seeing. As well, a neverwhere rat who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if they were actively looking for it. It gains a +6 racial bonus to this check.

Skills: Rats have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, and Swim checks. A rat can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

A rat uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier for Climb and Swim checks.

A rat has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Creating a Neverwhere Creature

Neverwhere is a template that can be added to any being, hereafter referred to as the base creature. This template can be inherited or acquired. A neverwhere creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: Animals or vermin with this template become magical beasts, but otherwise the creature type is unchanged. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Animal and vermin HD become d10's.
Special Qualities: A neverwhere creature retains all qualities of the base creature plus the following qualities.
Dark Cunning (Ex): A neverwhere being's natural proclivity for twists and turns prevents them from ever becoming lost.
Forgotten (Su): You no longer seem to exist. To creatures who live anywhere but in Underground enviroments you are considered invisible and inaudible to the creature. They cannot even detect your presence by means of blindsense, blindsight, scent, or tremorsense. They cannot pinpoint the neverwhere creature's location by any means short of True Seeing.

They remain unaware of your actions, provided the neverwhere creature does not make any attacks or cause any obvious or directly threatening changes in the subject’s environment. If you attack a non-neverwhere creature the effect ends.

If the neverwhere creature takes an action that creates a sustained and obvious change in the environment - for example, attacking a non-neverwhere creature or moving a large or attended object others can see - those within sight immediately notices the neverwhere creature.

Reguardless of your actions, within 2d4 rounds (+1 per round of combat) of the encounter the effected forget the neverwhere being. If this is an acquired template then your family, friends, any non-neverwhere creature, forgets you ever existed, your existence becoming but a vague hole in their memory.

A neverwhere being may be remembered with a DC 20 Autohypnosis check or the Remember the Forgotten feat.

An object built by a neverwhere creature becomes unnoticed for as long as the neverwhere creature remains within 60 feet of it and for 1d6 hours thereafter.
Low-Light Vision (Ex): A neverwhere creature can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Resistant to Disease (Ex): Neverwhere creatures live in the filthiest of places. They gain immunity to any two diseases of their choice, and gain a +4 racial bonus to checks against all others.
Unveiled Sight (Ex): Three times per day a neverwhere creature may see things as they truley are as if they had cast True Seeing. As well, a neverwhere creature who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if they were actively looking for it. They gain a +6 racial bonus to this check.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Con +2, Wis +2. An animal's intelligence is increased to at least 3.
Skills: A neverwhere creature gains Climb and Knowledge (architecture/dungeoneering/local) as class skills with a +2 racial bonus to such checks.
Feats: A neverwhere creature gains Blindfight as a bonus feat.
Environment: Any Urban
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2
Alignment: Often chaotic (any)
Advancement: As base creature
Level Adjustment: +4