[Creature] Last night I met upon the stair...

[The Vorpal Tribble]

This is one of my older creations that I've updated and spruced up for usability...

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The Man Who Wasn't There

A wizened, shrunken old man grins a toothless smile as he stands before you but for a moment before fading into nothingness...

Small Fey (psionic)
Hit Dice: 3d6+9 (19 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+3 dex, +1 natural, +1 size), touch 14, flat-footed 12; or 15 (+1 deflection, +3 dex, +1 size), touch 15, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-5
Attack: +1 Club +7 melee (1d4)
Full attack: +1 Club +7 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Psi-like abilities, touch of the inanimate
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, not there
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +8
Abilities: Str 7 (- while incorporeal), Dex 17, Con 16, Int 11, Wis 20, Cha 12
Skills: Balance +6, Bluff +7, Diplomacy +5, Escape Artist +9, Hide +5, Listen +8, Move Silently +9, Spot +8, Tumble +9
Feats: Ability Focus (Not There), Dodge, Weapon Finesse(B)
Environment: Urban
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard objects, half standard coins
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

This being here appears as a wizened, shrunken old man. With age spots speckling his skin, and deep, loose wrinkles hanging from him, he has a look of extreme age and illness to him, but his spry movement bely this notion. He wears a simple gown as bedclothes, and a floppy nightcap with a long tassel. Within his aged hands is a short cane upon which he leans.

The Man Who Wasn't There is a spirit of nostalgia that comes into existence to comfort those of age or sickness in their last moments of life whom have no one left in their lives. Once death claims the being, the fey turns the corpse's body into a simple bit of furniture. The fey's features takes on those of the deceased, becoming a miniature version of the original physically, while mentally it is as the deceased when they were a child.

Merciless tricksters, the Man Who Wasn't There guards and keeps the home in perfect condition. A home with this being never falls, never rots. Dusting and removing webs and killing rats is a standard day for the little being. They take an odd joy in playing upon stairwells, the steeper the better, endlessly amused by sliding down banisters and hopping the steps. Because of his abilities a man who wasn't there is often thought to be a ghost or other undead, but such is not the case.

A Man Who Wasn't There speaks common, sylvan, and any language the former occupant of the house knew.

Combat
A Man Who Wasn't There, though not evil, can be cruel in their defense of the home they inhabit. They will strongly encourage others to leave with brief words and simple tricks to frighten, but if this is insufficient the real fun begins. Loosing lamps from above upon intruders, animating objects to attack, or causing nails to protrude up from the floors like caltrops are standard. In extreme measures a Man Who Wasn't There will attempt to smite his opponents with his staff and converting them to animate objects.

Not There (Su):
A Man Who Wasn't There's has an odd ability to become unseen and solid, or visible and incorporeal at will.

While incorporeal it gains a flight speed of 10 feet (perfect maneuverability), though prefers to stand a fraction of an inch above the ground as if solid. It loses its natural armor bonus while in this state but gains a deflection bonus equal to his Charisma modifier. It also gains the incorporeal subtype.

While solid the Man Who Wasn't There becomes invisible as the spell.
While in his home he is unable to be seen even with True Seeing and similar spells and powers. He may attack while invisible.

Upon death the Man Who Wasn't There dissolves into the woodwork of the house, and abruptly all those within the home must succeed on a DC 14 will save or forget his existence and their experiences with him as the Modify Memory spell.

Psi-like Abilities:
At will/Control Air, Control Light, Control Sound, Control Object. Manifester level 3rd. Save DC's are Charisma-based.

Touch of the Inanimate (Su):
A Man Who Wasn't There with a successful blow of his cane can change a living opponent into an animated object of the size of the original being unless they succeed on a DC 12 fortitude save (both physical and mental abilities revert to the object's standard). Chairs, tables, chests or thick rugs are the most common objects. The player may continue to move as the type of object they've been converted to, but are incapable of leaving the house of their own accord. Other polymorph spells, Remove Curse or other similar abilities reverses this condition. The fey may also reverse the condition with a second blow of his cane.

If the converted character is taken forth from the house they painfully revert back over a period of 1d6 minutes, each minute sustaining 2d6 damage (DC 12 fortitude save halves. Minimum 2 damage). The first half of the conversion he is considered an animated object, the other half the original form.

The cane acts as +2 small club but loses all it's magical properties upon the fey's death.

[TheLogman]

Interesting, weird, and quite usable. The last paragraph of Not There would make the ending part of a short sidequest very very interesting. The Cleric and Wizard remember the strange encounter, but the Rouge and Fighter may very well forget the whole thing, wondering where these wounds came from.

Also, under Combat, should it he turn the nails into Caltrops, not Cantrips?

[...Eh?]

Originally Posted by TheLogman

Interesting, weird, and quite usable. The last paragraph of Not There would make the ending part of a short sidequest very very interesting. The Cleric and Wizard remember the strange encounter, but the Rouge and Fighter may very well forget the whole thing, wondering where these wounds came from.

Also, under Combat, should it he turn the nails into Caltrops, not Cantrips?

The Wizard would be left on the floor as a doormat because he didn't make his fortitude save against becoming inanimate, and nobody remebers what just happened. There's your sidequest- figure out who and what teleported the wizard away.

[DracoDei]

Nice feel and weird attacks. I like it (as usual).
With Move Silently +9 and immunity to See invisible (and Invisibility Purge?) I see this thing leading a party more merry a chase than CR 3 if they are actually going to defeat it. This applies even if the fight isn't over when they all get transformed (fight on as animated objects, right?) and it only does 1d4 damage. One paradox is that it wants people out, but leaving after it defeats them would probably kill most persistant but non-adventuring intruders. Or does it not object to them being around as long as they fit in with the decor? Might want to add an ability to reverse its own transformations.

[FoeHammer]

Originally Posted by TheLogman

Interesting, weird, and quite usable. The last paragraph of Not There would make the ending part of a short sidequest very very interesting. The Cleric and Wizard remember the strange encounter, but the Rouge and Fighter may very well forget the whole thing, wondering where these wounds came from.

Also, under Combat, should it he turn the nails into Caltrops, not Cantrips?

Caltrops are small, spiky objescts used to stop charging enemys. Cantrips are 0-level spells. So unless random building supplies turn into rays of frost...