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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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Red-Hooded Thatchling

When a soul doomed to become a thatchling dies in the throes of great anguish, they can return after death as a red-hooded thatchling. These vengeful thatchlings appear to wear red hoods when viewed at a distance, but up close, the grisly truth—that their heads are blood-soaked—is revealed. Unlike other thatchlings, red-hooded thatchlings are skilled at trickery, and their ability to appear as a living humanoid through illusion magic allows them to lure the unexpected into ambushes much more easily.

Recall Knowledge - Undead (Religion): DC 21
Unspecific Lore: DC 19
Specific Lore: DC 16

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Changes from being Weak are marked in red below.
NOTE: The -2 damage penalty to non-strike offensive abilities (-4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.

Weak Red-Hooded ThatchlingCreature 1

Legacy Content

Rare CE Small Undead 
Source Pathfinder #196: The Summer That Never Was pg. 89
Perception +8; darkvision
Languages Common
Skills Acrobatics +5, Deception +6, Stealth +5 (+7 in undergrowth)
Str +0, Dex +3, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +3, Cha +4
AC 15; Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +6
HP 22 (negative healing); Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision, unconscious; Resistances bludgeoning 3, piercing 3; Weaknesses fire 5
Distracting Giggle (auditory, aura, emotion, enchantment, mental, occult) 15 feet. The thatchling's giggle echoes in the back of the mind. Creatures within the aura take a –1 status penalty to Will saves.Rejuvenation (divine, necromancy) When a thatchling is destroyed by damage other than fire, it attempts a DC 11 flat check. On a success, it reforms after 2d4 days within 120 feet of where it was destroyed, fully healed. A thatchling is always permanently destroyed if reduced to 0 Hit Points by fire damage or if the obstacle preventing the soul from reincarnating is removed.
Speed 30 feet; thicket walker
Melee [one-action] frond +7 [+3/-1] (agile, finesse), Damage 1d6-2+2 slashing plus 1d4 persistent bleedOccult Innate Spells DC 16, attack +8 (-4 dmg); 1st illusory disguise; Cantrips (1st) ghost sound, telekinetic projectile
Create Thatchling Spawn (necromancy, occult) A living humanoid who's slain by a red-hooded thatchling while under the effects of Thatchling's Curse rises as a thatchling after 1d4 rounds. This spawn is under the command of the red-hooded thatchling that killed it. If a red-hooded thatchling controls too many at once (as determined by the GM), some thatchlings can free themselves with a DC 16 Will saving throw at the start of their turn. If the red-hooded thatchling who created the spawn is destroyed, the spawn becomes an autonomous thatchling.Howl of Vengeful Fury [two-actions] (necromancy, occult, sonic) Frequency once per hour; Effect The red-hooded thatchling sobs pitifully before unleashing a terrifying scream. All non-thatchling creatures within a 30-foot emanation take 2d10 sonic damage (DC 16 basic Fortitude save) and become immune to all thatchlings' distracting giggle for 1 minute. Thatchlings in the area gain 5 temporary Hit Points and a +1 status bonus to their Strikes and saving throws for 1 minute.Thatchling's Curse [two-actions] (curse, enchantment, mental, occult) The thatchling focuses its attention on a single target within 30 feet that it can see, and then begins muttering and whispering nonsense. The target must attempt a DC 16 Will save.
Critical Success The target is unaffected and is temporarily immune to Thatchling's Curse for 24 hours.
Success The target is momentarily disoriented and has difficulty moving in the right direction. The target takes a –5-foot status penalty to its Speeds for 1 round.
Failure As success, but the penalty to its Speeds lasts for 1 minute.
Critical Failure As failure, but the penalty to its Speeds lasts until the curse is removed or until the thatchling that created the effect is permanently destroyed, whichever comes first. In addition, when the cursed creature attempts a Survival check to Sense Direction or Track, they use the outcome for one degree of success worse than the result of their check, and they can't take the Scout exploration activity.Thicket Walker Thatchlings ignore difficult terrain caused by brambles, tangled grass, and undergrowth, even those manipulated by magic.

All Monsters in "Thatchling"

NameLevel
Red-Hooded Thatchling2
Thatchling0

Thatchling

Source Pathfinder #196: The Summer That Never Was pg. 88
In rural Shenmen, some branches of Sangpotshi warn of what can happen if a soul bound for reincarnation is prevented from entering the River of Souls and rejoining the cycle. These souls become frustrated, confused, and then furious at what they feel is a denial of the body they deserve, and in turn, they force vegetation to serve as their new body. Others theorize that when a body is buried in a shallow grave, the roots of grass growing down into the remains can tangle the soul and capture it.

Thatchlings are intelligent and capable of speaking but rarely do so— they generally have little to say to those whose lives they covet. Rarely, one might attempt to lure someone into an area of tall grass or dense undergrowth by calling out to them for aid, but they have little skill at deception, so such tactics aren't particularly effective at making them seem like actual living creatures in need of help.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Forever Senseless

The thatchling's curse robs the sense of direction from those it falls upon, leading to a whole category of insults in Shenmen that compare someone's ability to get something done to “a thatchling's sense.” For example, someone who has a hard time making friends might be said to have “a thatchling's sense of friendship,” while someone who constantly ruins meals might be said to have “a thatchling's kitchen sense.”

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Old Friends

The source of Willowshore's thatchlings is the simple fact that the souls who would normally have been reincarnated upon death can't do so, thus rising as thatchlings. Of course, since each year “resets” things, those who died during the year and became thatchlings are reborn alive once more on every first day of summer, with no memories of their previous doomed existence. While still driven by instinct to attack the living, Willowshore's thatchlings do feel a sense of remorse—if the GM judges it especially appropriate, they might take a –2 circumstance penalty to attack rolls and saving throws against creatures they knew in life.