Sacrificial [Creature]

[Cespenar]

My first homebrew in these forums, which I prepared for the competition, so let me know of anything that hits you weird, fluff- or crunch-wise (actually, I'm more worried about the crunch).

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Sacrificial

Medium Outsider (Native, Good)
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 11, touch 11, flatfooted 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+0
Attack: Unarmed +0 melee (1d3-1)
Full Attack: Unarmed +0 melee (1d3-1)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Disrupt Ritual, Cloak, Divine Vessel, Detect Evil, Humanoid traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +4
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +6, Disguise +6, Sense Motive +8, Diplomacy +8
Feats: Negotiator
Environment: Urban
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Any good
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: --

Two burly guards hold the woman fast as the dark-robed priest commands. “Bring her to the altar.” he hisses with a hateful voice. The innocent-looking woman struggles against her captors in front of the frightened townsfolk, but in vain. The guards drag her all the way to the altar, ruining her already poor and dirty clothing, and tie her on the cold block of stone. As the priest looks down on the poor woman, he is surprised by the fact that she is not struggling anymore, but smiles at him with a compassionate manner. Infuriated, the priest raises his hand, which holds a curved sacrificial dagger, and brings it down on the woman.

Sacrificials are humanoid-shaped spirits, vessels of divine magic, specifically created by good-aligned gods to serve as an odd form of divine justice against those who worship evil-aligned gods, or practice any kind of sacrificial rituals, with mundane or magical reasons. They often resemble innocent townsfolk, child or women, to increase their chance of being taken for sacrificial rituals. Sacrificials can also resemble any race, depending on the situation they are sent to. Although they are very fragile, Sacrificials are created individually and with care, because of their great potential to wreak havoc upon the evil.

Combat

Sacrificials have no wish to enter combat, nor any way to defend themselves differently from common townsfolk if they somehow do. They usually try to use their innocent outlook to talk or beg their way out of dangerous situations.

Disrupt Ritual (Su): If sacrificials are used in any kind of magical rituals which require human lives, the ritual/spell has a chance of being disrupted. Regular magic is always disrupted in this way, both fizzling the spell and consuming any resources as if the spell is cast. Epic magic is affected in a less potent manner, which results in an +20 increase of the casting DC of the spell, applying in secret to the caster.

Humanoid traits: Although the Sacrificial is an outsider, she has instead the traits of her chosen race, and is treated as a humanoid, regarding any spells or effects.

Cloak (Su): Sacrificials have an aura of cloaking around them, effectively hiding every aspect, trait or ability of magical or outsider origin against all kinds of magic or effects. Only a faint aura of good is visible through detection spells. No mortal magic can see through this veil.

Divine Vessel (Su): Sacrificials have often high-level spells stored in them for serving the whatever cause there is for the deity. If the Sacrificial is sacrificed, used in a ritual, or in any other way served as a spell component or focus, the spell bound in them bursts out, dealing punishment to all near them. As each Sacrificial is unique, the spells bound in them are unique as well, but such examples are not rare: Summon Monster IX, Holy Word, Storm of Vengeance, Earthquake, etc. Usually one or two high-level spells are bound in them, though depending on the importance of the situation, this may change.

In any other situation where the Sacrificial dies, but not for attempts described above, the Sacrificial can trigger this effect if the threat is worthy enough.

Detect Evil (Sp): At will, as the spell.

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Lore

Sacrificials are rumored to be created first by a deity of chaotic-good alignment, as the method seems a bit unorthodox, but many are created since then, often used to foil evil cults and wizards all over the lands. Sometimes they are even used to draw the first blood in wars of religion, hoping to wipe out the high ranking clerics before the main force arrives. They often have the alignment of their patron deity.

Plot hooks

-The PCs are to bodyguard a Sacrificial to a city controlled by an evil cult, to let her play her part, as the Sacrificial is incapable of defending herself. Afterwards, the PCs are to clean off the remaining cultists.

-An especially dangerous Sacrificial is sent to a city of similar properties, but fearing the effects are going to be too wide, and may result in a heavy number of casualties, the PCs have to somehow find the Sacrificial in the city, and stop her from being taken away. After that, they have to find a way to address the patron deity for the dismissal of the Sacrificial, probably offering to do the job themselves for preventing collateral damage.

[Heliomance]

I'd put a passive mind-affecting effect in there, which causes anyone actively looking for a candidate for human sacrifice to regard them favourably.

[sikyon]

I'd put a passive mind-affecting effect in there, which causes anyone actively looking for a candidate for human sacrifice to regard them favourably.

That's entrapment if it's mind-affecting, though. Even if they are already looking for an active sacrifice, making them choose that person is wrong.

[Mewtarthio]

Cloak (Su): Sacrificials have an aura of cloaking around them, effectively hiding every aspect, trait or ability of magical or outsider origin against all kinds of magic or effects. Nothing short of divine magic can see through this veil.

Divine magic's pretty common, particularly for guys making sacrifices. Did you mean "magic cast by the gods" or possibly even "salient divine abilities"? Or maybe just "only a god can divine the true nature of a Sacrificial"?

[Cespenar]

Yes, I meant the latter, thanks. I'll change it to "No mortal magic can see through this veil." which is along the lines of your examples.

[Heliomance]

That's entrapment if it's mind-affecting, though. Even if they are already looking for an active sacrifice, making them choose that person is wrong.

Not if it's not a compulsion. If it's just something that makes the bad guy go "Hey, that person there would be just perfect for the sacrifice" but doesn't actually compel them to use it, I would think that would be okay.

[Xuincherguixe]

Also, when the things are sacrificed, do they return to their plane of origin, or are they annihilated utterly?

If it's the latter, that's pretty evil.

[Mewtarthio]

Also, when the things are sacrificed, do they return to their plane of origin, or are they annihilated utterly?

If it's the latter, that's pretty evil.

I get the impression that they're essentially constructs* designed for the sole purpose of ruining sacrifices.

RE: Ensuring their selection:

I guess they can take steps themselves to get sacrificed (eg Standing out more, offending someone related to the cult). If there are a lot of sacrifices going on, slipping a few Sacrificials into the populace will ensure that one gets chosen eventually. The main purposes I see for these are:

• Dealing with a cult that performs regular sacrifices by slipping multiple Sacrificials into the population
• Designing a single Sacrificial as a replacement for a particular victim

The latter use has obvious plot hooks attatched along with it.

*Not as in the Construct type, but as in the "artificially created being" type

[Inyssius Tor]

The second one does indeed have some obvious plot hooks attached to it.

Oh, and I would give them a very faint aura of good. Nothing important or even particularly attention-getting, just a "this is a really nice person" sort of vibe. That would definitely make them look like better targets, and it would be very easy to do -- just relax the cloaking-spells a tiny bit. In fact, it may not even be intentional on the part of their creators.

[Cespenar]

The second one does indeed have some obvious plot hooks attached to it.

Oh, and I would give them a very faint aura of good. Nothing important or even particularly attention-getting, just a "this is a really nice person" sort of vibe. That would definitely make them look like better targets, and it would be very easy to do -- just relax the cloaking-spells a tiny bit. In fact, it may not even be intentional on the part of their creators.

Good idea, a faint aura may speed things up a bit.

@Mewtarthio: Nice interpretations. That actually gives me an idea of a plot hook.

Editing.

[Cruiser1]

The innocent-looking woman struggles against his captors in front of the frightened townsfolk, but in vain.

Unless the Sacrificial can do Change Gender (Su) as a free action, I think you mean the woman struggles against her captors.

[Nebo_]

Disrupt Ritual (Su): If sacrificials are used in any kind of magical rituals which require human lives, the ritual/spell has a chance of being disrupted. Regular magic is always disrupted in this way, both fizzling the spell and consuming any resources as if the spell is cast. Epic magic is affected in a less potent manner, which results in an +20 increase of the casting DC of the spell, applying in secret to the caster.

There is no check to cast a spell. The +20 DC makes no difference to anything.

[Cespenar]

Unless the Sacrificial can do Change Gender (Su) as a free action, I think you mean the woman struggles against her captors.

Thanks, corrected.

There is no check to cast a spell. The +20 DC makes no difference to anything.

Quoting the SRD:

Even if the epic spell has been developed and an epic spell slot is available, successfully casting an epic spell isn’t assured. The caster’s Spellcraft skill modifier is vital for casting an epic spell. To cast an epic spell, a spellcaster makes a Spellcraft check against the epic spell’s Spellcraft DC. If the check succeeds, the spell is cast. If the caster fails the check, the epic spell fizzles and the epic spell slot is used for the day.

[Nebo_]

Oh, Epic spell casting.

Eew.