Keep off the ice my child... (PEACH)

[The Vorpal Tribble]

<<NOTE: If you are from my A Dying Ember campaign, read no farther! >>

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Qalupalik

Medium Monstrous Humanoid (aquatic, shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 40 ft.
Armor Class: 17 (+2 dex, +5 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+8
Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d6+4) and Hidden Claw +5 melee (1d4+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, hidden claw, sneak attack 2d6, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Amphibious, change shape, darkvision 60 ft., scent, spell resistance 15
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: Listen +8, Search +7, Spot +9, Swim +6
Feats: Great Fortitude, Power Attack
Environment: Cold Aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: 5-10 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +3

In her natural form a Qalupalik appears as very large, humanoid seals, though with the thick grey hair and beard of a very old man. Their human-like eyes are crazed, though alight with considerable intelligence. The flippers are long and thin, appearing almost as arms, with lengthy fingers possessed of minimal webbing. From one of the front webs extends an invisible claw far longer than the others.

Qalupaliks are what becomes of unattentive mothers who allowed their child to go out upon thin ice to fall through and drown. When the mother dies her spirit is reincarnated and comes back to life in a cursed seal form to forever prey upon other ice-walking children and the parents who come running too late to save them.

In in non-human form a Qalupalik weighs around 150 lbs. and is some 6 feet in length. They speak common and sylvan.

Combat
Qalupaliks tend to remain at the water's edge, waiting for her victim to pass over. She then uses her Thaw ability to cause them to fall within where she holds them under till the drown. When the nearby inhabitants have become wary however she will change her shape and infiltrate the village, capturing children and stuffing them within her amoutik.

Change Shape (Su): A Qalupalik can assume the shape of an elderly human or elven woman as a standard action. In humanoid form, a Qalupalik cannot use her natural weapons but can wield weapons and wear armor.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a Qalupalik must hit with its claw 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, it establishes a hold and can attempt to transfer its victim to the Amoutik (see below) on its back.

Hidden Claw (Su): Upon one of the front hands grows a lengthy claw that is naturally invisible as the spell. The Qalupalik gains a +2 bonus on attack checks when making an attack with the invisible claw (which is already included in the statistics above), and a +6 bonus when making sneak attacks or attacks of opportunity. If used against an object, the hidden claw ignores the first 3 points of hardness possessed by the object.

As a standard action a Qalupalik may lift the claw into the wind, which produces an eerie whistle that causes those within 60 feet who hear it to become shaken for 1d4 rounds unless they succeed on a DC 15 Will save. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Consitution-based.

Sneak Attack (Ex): A Qalupalik can deals 2d6 extra damage as a 4th level rogue any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the Qalupalik flanks her target.

Spell-like Abilities:
At will - *Ice Skate, *Thaw. Caster level 4th.
* From Frostburn.

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

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Amoutik of the Qalupalik

Upon the back of the Qalupalik is an amoutik, a carrier for children, built out of the bones of their victims and woven together with their hair. It has a slimey feel, and the insides are slick as ice. In the hands of a Qalupalik it acts as a Bag of Holding (Type IV) that is large enough to admit a creature of Small size or smaller. A non-Qalupalik must succeed on a DC 25 Use Magic Device check to make use of the amoutik.

[Were-Sandwich]

Addition to 'things to fear in VT's games':

Seals

[The Demented One]

Creepy. Shapeshifting child-snatchers. Can I assume they eat the kids they capture, or do they stuff 'em in the amoutik?

[Ryshan Ynrith]

Yeah...I think I've heard of something similar to this before. Or maybe not.

Still, excellent work!

[ghost_warlock]

Amoutik of the Qalupalik

A Bag of Babies? :D

[Fax Celestis]

Do they go for anything small, or just kids? Because I can imagine a halfling getting tossed in there on accident.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Creepy. Shapeshifting child-snatchers. Can I assume they eat the kids they capture, or do they stuff 'em in the amoutik?

A bit of both. Anything in a bag of holding suffocates within 10 minutes, so either way it doesn't move very long.

Yeah...I think I've heard of something similar to this before. Or maybe not.

Its based on an old innuit myth so you may have run across something on it before.

A Bag of Babies?

If you like ::)

Do they go for anything small, or just kids? Because I can imagine a halfling getting tossed in there on accident.

They'll go after just about anything that walks over their ice.

[endoperez]

I like it! It also reminds me of Tupilaks. Do a quick Google search. If I understood it currectly, they are monster statues carved from bone that inuit shamans threw to the waters, thinking the ritual would enable them to send a horrible creature to eat their opponent.

I heard about them in Dominions 3 forum. That's an upcoming computer game, in which Atlantis of later era will have inuit names, and have a hero riding an undead bear which isn't a bear but "a tupilak in bear form", according to one of the developers.

[martyboy74]

Funny thought...

Belkar going into one of those bags. ;D

[snowfox090]

Addition to 'things to fear in VT's games':

Seals

You bother with a list anymore?

[Gyrfalcon]

Yeah, it keeps us amused. I mean, granted, you can just say 'everything 'and be done with it I suppose. ;)

[martyboy74]

Oo, I know what he should do next! Vampiric clothing! Seriously, it's kind of hard to dodge your set of full plate.

[Abd al-Azrad]

Qalupaliks are what becomes of unattentive mothers who allowed their child to go out upon thin ice to fall through and drown. When the mother dies her spirit is reincarnated and comes back to life in a cursed seal form to forever prey upon other ice-walking children and the parents who come running too late to save them.

This is the best part about the monster. I love these old legends about what becomes of people who fail in some aspect of life. I've always been the most interested in trying to piece together exactly why a certain legend exists as it does, and this one seems pretty self-explanatory, but the idea that a hideous monster hunts your children if you don't take care of them intrigues me. Do any of your Dying Ember PCs have kids? I think this monster works best if your PCs are attached to some weak little friend or child, and must protect their child from such predatory spirits.

Its ambush abilities and damage output are somewhat worrisome for a CR 4 monster- it seems the kind that could do significant damage, even to a 4th-level party, with little trouble. Like, kill a PC with its sneak attacks and aquatic abilities. In a straight fight, it's not a CR 4 by any stretch, but I would strongly doubt that a Qalupalik would ever consider a straight fight while it had some water to escape into. At least it doesn't have fast healing.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I like it! It also reminds me of Tupilaks. Do a quick Google search. If I understood it currectly, they are monster statues carved from bone that inuit shamans threw to the waters, thinking the ritual would enable them to send a horrible creature to eat their opponent.

Hrmmm, thats pretty interesting there. Might take a look into'em.

Oo, I know what he should do next! Vampiric clothing! Seriously, it's kind of hard to dodge your set of full plate.

Its been a long time since I've seen Libris Mortis, but I think there is a creature called a Raiment that is just that.

Do any of your Dying Ember PCs have kids? I think this monster works best if your PCs are attached to some weak little friend or child, and must protect their child from such predatory spirits.

Nope, but one of the main NPC's in one group is an Elan who was expiremented on as a child and thus only ages mentally, but still has the body of an 8 year old. Not standard Elan lore, but I'm the DM ;)

Also have a gnome in the other group, so both are ripe for encountering one of these (though probably most likely the Elan).

Its ambush abilities and damage output are somewhat worrisome for a CR 4 monster- it seems the kind that could do significant damage, even to a 4th-level party, with little trouble. Like, kill a PC with its sneak attacks and aquatic abilities. In a straight fight, it's not a CR 4 by any stretch, but I would strongly doubt that a Qalupalik would ever consider a straight fight while it had some water to escape into.

Aye, thats why I went with 4. Its strong in some ways, weak in others, though its natural attacks aren't all that particularly strong.

[The Glyphstone]

Seems to me to be more of a Magical Beast, since its "natural form" is decidedly non-humanoid.

But yeah, cool.

[Lord Iames Osari]

And you might want to add the Cold subtype. Maybe.

[Carmichael]

This is pretty nice, although I note one or two typos (it's monstrous, not monsterous). I also have no idea what these things really look like, but at least there is a good idea of what they do. Still, it would probably be appropriate to add ability that enables their child-killing urges (like sniffing out a child, for ex.).

[The Vorpal Tribble]

And you might want to add the Cold subtype. Maybe.

Naw, it is adapted to the cold so that it can withstand the chill waters (and being a creature native to the arctic can survive down to 0 degrees without having to make a fort check), but it has no special defenses against cold-based damage.

I also have no idea what these things really look like, but at least there is a good idea of what they do.

Think a seal that looks very much like a human with thick grey hair complete with beard and moustache.

Still, it would probably be appropriate to add ability that enables their child-killing urges (like sniffing out a child, for ex.).

Well, did give it scent which should allow it to smell out children. But really, though they prefer children, they will go after anyone coming upon the ice.

[Carmichael]

I have no idea what a seal that looks very much like a human resembles.

[SpiderBrigade]

I have no idea what a seal that looks very much like a human resembles.

Possibly something like this. Or like this.

Or, if you're feeling silly like I am, like this. ;D ;D ;D

[stainboy]

I'd go with Outsider for the creature type. Based on your description of where the creatures come from, they're essentially transformed petitioners put into their new existence based on their actions in life. That's where most fiends (evil outsiders) come from in D&D.

I'd say this is the part of the Outsider description that seems most applicable:

Unlike most other living creatures, an outsider does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an outsider is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on an outsider. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection to restore it to life. An outsider with the native subtype can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be.

[Karu]

Thumbs up for this, Tribble, as always.

The icy child-snatcher has always been an Inuit classic, along with the famished cannibal baby which eats entire communities. Yeah... them natives sometimes make the scariest monsters. I love them.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I'd go with Outsider for the creature type. Based on your description of where the creatures come from, they're essentially transformed petitioners put into their new existence based on their actions in life. That's where most fiends (evil outsiders) come from in D&D.

I'd say this is the part of the Outsider description that seems most applicable:

Except I purposely put the bit about 'reincarnated' which allows them a new body with the same soul. Those who are the recipients of a reincarnation spell are not outsiders for instance.