Swimming sightless, but never blindly...

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Crystal Woman

The drip-drop of trickling water echoes through the cavern and you lift your torch. A figure like a ghostly skeleton ducks away, leaving a trail of slime that swiftly evaporates...

Medium Fey (aquatic)
Hit Dice: 4d6+8 (22 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 50 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+3 dex, +2 natural) touch 13, flat footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+2
Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d3 plus clammy touch)
Full attack: 2 slams +5 melee (1d3 plus clammy touch)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Clammy touch, spell-like abilities.
Special Qualities: Amphibious, blindsight 60 ft., falling up, natural slime, spell resistance 15, transparency
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +7
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 14
Skills: Diplomacy +9, Escape Artist +16, Hide +10, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +17, Move Silently +10, Swim +7
Feats: Improved Trip, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Quarter standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic good
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +3

Crystal women are guardians of the dark, cold subteranean water sources such as rivers and lakes, and prefer a locale complete with waterfall. They are ultimately enigmatic fey whom are very rarely seen, though they are often nearby. They are social folk amongst other crystal women however, and usually a small community is found within the underground waters. They are immensely amused however by lost surface folk unable to find their way in the pitch of caves. They often take pity on them, leading them to caverns that will take them to the surface, but only if the lost victim acts decently within their presence.

In shape they seem as petite young women, but they appear to be ghostly skeletons at first, for their glistening skin is completely transparent. As well, they are eyeless, with just clear, unmarred skin in their place. Delicate webs stretch between their long fingers and toes, though are all but invisible unless examined up close. Their thick, sweeping hair is silvery, and somewhat translucent. Here and there about their hair are thicker, stiff hairs that jut out many feet, which are in reality whiskers to further aid them in their sightlessness.

Crystal women are just under five feet in height, and weigh 90-95 lbs. They speak aquan, fey, and undercommon.

Combat
Crystal woman are not eager to fight, but if endangered or their homes threatened they will attempt to keep their opponent off-balance by tripping. When their opponents stand and allow an attack of opportunity they tend to reach out to their victim with their clammy touch to fill them with an unnerving chill.

Amphibious (Ex): A crystal woman is able to breathe air just as easily as she breathes water.

Clammy Touch (Su): A successful touch attack from a crystal woman causes the victim to sweat profusely with chill perspirations and begins to shive violently. One hit by a clammy touch must succed on a DC 14 fortitude save or take 1 point of dexterity damage. Multiple touches stack. On a natural 20 the victim instead is infected with Slimey Doom (DMG p. 92). The save is Constitution based.

Falling Up (Su): Crystal women may swim straight up waterfalls at their swim speed or reverse their velocity when coming down one, taking no damage reguardless of height of fall or depth of water.

Natural Slime (Ex): Crystal women secrete a slick, odorless slime that allows them to slip through water quickly and protect them against scrapes from stone. This slime grants them a +6 racial bonus to escape artist checks.

Spell-like Abilities:
3/day Grease. Caster level 5th. Save DC's are Charisma-based.

Transparency (Ex): A crystal woman's transparent skin grants a +20 bonus to hide checks if moving at their base speed while underwater. Crystal women out of water gain only a +6 bonus.

Skills: A crystal woman has a +10 racial bonus on Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks as well as 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.

[Sulecrist]

Dude, is this all you do?

Because honestly, I love your monsters. You could sell them to basically any movie, game, or TV show producer in the world. They're stellar. But the sheer volume of them is a little overwhelming for the rest of us goobers, who obsessively create little more than BBEGs and Weapons of Legacy for our flavor-of-the-day nasties.

At any rate, I love the idea of this chick. Mind if I use her in a campaign?

[Sophistemon]

Tribble, you're making us other DMs look bad. Stop it.

[ilovefire]

eh, all I do is sit around and make classes and campaign worlds... though none of which hold a candle with its' 15 foot dim illumnation to VT's monsters.

[Sulecrist]

Yeah, same for me.

I have more BBEGs than I have players. Heck, in Avermansen (my main campaign) I have more BBEG factions than I have players. Or than I've had playing sessions.

Maybe I'll try my hand at monster creation... I've got an idea for a big flying island monster, totally sentient.

[MagFlare]

Two questions:

Firstly, what was your inspiration for this creature, Tribble? Because while it feels like something that might exist in mythology, I can't place it.

Secondly, for a Good creature, isn't this thing creepy as hell? :) They're so alien, I can imagine what was intended to be a peaceful encounter with one going horribly wrong.

DM: "You remove your armor and slip into the dark water. You see a shimmering figure swimming in front of you, its bones clearly visible through its filmy skin, its eyeless face gazing at you intently, its silvery hair billowing about it like a..."
Player: "AAAAAHHHHH!"
Other Players: "AAAAAHHHHH!"
DM: "Um, it says, 'Silly lost travelers, allow me to lead you to the...'"
Player: "KILL IT!"

[kilos]

I think the assumption is that any good character wouldn't immediatly kill something that's talking to him/her.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Mind if I use her in a campaign?

Feel free. Let me know how it goes.

Firstly, what was your inspiration for this creature, Tribble? Because while it feels like something that might exist in mythology, I can't place it.

Basically she a humanoid version of a cavern catfish ;)

Clearish skin, huge whiskers, and completely eyeless. Saw a bunch once in the Lost Sea in Tennessee. Go waaaay down and there is a huge lake with them swimming all around.

Secondly, for a Good creature, isn't this thing creepy as hell? They're so alien, I can imagine what was intended to be a peaceful encounter with one going horribly wrong.

*grins*

That had come to mind. Its fun to mess with players, specially if they are quick to fight, or one is a trigger-itchy paladin.

You just killed a good creature in cold blood. You feel a sense of desolation as the comfort of your holy presence abandons you in disgust...

[MagFlare]

Originally Posted by kilos

I think the assumption is that any good character wouldn't immediatly kill something that's talking to him/her.

Shouldn't, at least. But when I was reading over the crystal woman's description and abilities, I couldn't help but realize that encountering one of these in its environment would be a singularly chilling experience, regardless of its kindly intentions.

Humans are, in a very literal way, out of their element when underwater. I'm no hydrophobe, but I acknowledge that all the most basic assumptions change when you hop into a lake - the gravity's all wrong, the pressure's all wrong, and breathing will kill you. Not only are Tribble's crystal women completely at home in this environment - they completely shatter the all-too-common image of the fairy folk as waistcoat-wearing, gossamer-winged wusses.

The crystal woman is astonishingly alien. That's a good thing. But the DM who decides to introduce them to his campaign probably ought to be prepared for his players to a.) attack immediately, thinking that they're some sort of aquatic undead, or b.) curl up in the fetal position and wet themselves. Maybe put down some sort of tarp beforehand. Can't be too careful.

[Yuki Akuma]

Okay, that's it, this is going into my campaign. Somewhere.

Question: Are these freshwater or salt-water fey? :P

Edit: Curse the language filter.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Question: Are these freshwater or salt-water fey?

As far as I know there are no underground sources of salt-water (though could be wrong).

Edit:

Edit: Curse the language filter

Oh for the love of...

[Hurlbut]

Originally Posted by The_Vorpal_Tribble

As far as I know there are no underground sources of salt-water (though could be wrong).

Salt caves? Of course the problem could be that on one hand a large salt deposit mean the water get suck up dry but on the other hand a small one only turn a lake into salt-water not sucking it up.

[Munchy]

I know of one case where underground caverns connect the ocean to an inland lake (not too big). The end effect is that despite being about 100 miles inland the lake is salt-water and has tides.