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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardLamia

Just as they were cursed long ago, lamias can inflict a curse on those they touch, clouding the victim's mind and pushing conscious thought toward animalistic instincts. Creatures affected by this curse grow reckless, becoming unaware of the consequences of their own actions. This makes the hapless victim all the more susceptible to the lamia's cunning illusions and insidious charms. The lamia's animalistic nature and the effect of their cursed touch have led some scholars to theorize that the original lamias must have, millennia ago, turned away from their own reason and intellect and embraced the life of simple beasts. Whether this change was rewarded as a monstrous gift from Lamashtu or inflicted as a curse for abandoning their responsibilities by Pharasma, remains a subject of debate to this day.

Whatever the source of this ancient transformation, lamias have grown to enjoy the strengths it has granted them. They continue to cling to a hatred of the gods, seeing them as the cause of their eternal exile from the societies they watch with jealous eyes while hidden amid the ruins of lost civilizations. Because lamias blame divine powers for their curse, they take special delight in the downfall of temples, the suffering and death of divine spellcasters, and the spread of dissension within organized religions.

While they can briefly assume humanoid form with magic, lamias are usually forced to hide from civilization, making their homes in the barren wilderness. There, they attract cults of their own. With the help of these cultists, lamias strive to bring down popular faiths, introduce schisms into flourishing churches, and humiliate or defame high-profile religious leaders. Most lamias have no true religious faith in anything, hearing instead a mystical calling that manifests as sighs on the desert wind or murmurs from the dark places between the stars.

Lamias are traditionally matriarchal, revering the eldest female among them as leader, mother, and shaman.

Recall Knowledge - Beast (Arcana, Nature): DC 22
Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 22
Unspecific Lore: DC 20
Specific Lore: DC 17

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

LamiaCreature 6

Large Beast Humanoid 
Source Monster Core pg. 214
Perception +13; darkvision
Languages Chthonian, Common
Skills Athletics +16, Cult Lore +11, Deception +15, Diplomacy +11, Intimidation +13, Stealth +15, Survival +11
Str +6, Dex +3, Con +2, Int +1, Wis +3, Cha +3
Items +1 spear, javelin (2)
AC 24; Fort +12, Ref +15, Will +15
HP 95
Speed 40 feet
Melee [one-action] spear +17 [+12/+7], Damage 1d6+10 piercingMelee [one-action] tail +16 [+12/+8] (agile), Damage 1d6+10 bludgeoning plus GrabRanged [one-action] spear +14 [+9/+4] (thrown 10 feet), Damage 1d6+10 piercingRanged [one-action] javelin +13 [+8/+3] (thrown 30 feet), Damage 1d6+10 piercingOccult Innate Spells DC 25; 4th charm (×3), suggestion; 3rd sleep; 2nd blur, humanoid form (at will); 1st illusory disguise (at will), illusory object (at will), ventriloquism (at will)
Lamia's Caress [two-actions] (curse, mental, occult) The lamia touches a creature, who must succeed at a DC 23 Will save or become stupefied 1. If the target fails additional saves against this ability, the condition value increases by 1 (to a maximum of stupefied 4). This condition value decreases by 1 every 24 hours.

All Monsters in "Lamia"

NameLevel
Lamia6
Lamia Matriarch8

Lamia

Source Monster Core pg. 214
Lamias are bloodthirsty victims of an ancient curse for which they blame the gods. Most lamias are humanoid from the waist up but have the lower bodies of serpents. Sinister magic comes naturally to a lamia, and they prefer the use of illusions to deceive prey for later consumption, or simply to torture.

Sidebar - Locations Lamia Locations

Lamias dwell on the edge of civilization in crumbling keeps, abandoned cities, and the fallen temples of forgotten gods.

Sidebar - Treasure and Rewards Lamia Treasure

Lamias salvage gold, jewels, and magic items from the abandoned temples and ruined cities where they make their lairs. They sometimes arm themselves with enchanted daggers.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Other Lamias

Adventurers report encounters with other varieties of lamia, including immense versions with the upper torsos of giants, monstrosities driven by insatiable hunger, or flying monstrosities with hardly any humanoid features, yet all of these variants bow to the wisdom and influence of the lamia matriarchs.