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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardLittle Man in the Woods

A murdered man left unburied in the wilds might return as a being called a “little man in the woods,” his decayed corpse shriveling until it shrinks to the size of a child. Denied the respect of a burial that would smooth his spirit's transition to the afterlife, he is unable to leave the mortal plane and enter the realm of the spirits. Forgotten, lost, and miserable, suffering from unbearable hunger and cold, the little man in the woods is desperate to return to his mortal home and be laid to rest properly.

Despite his understandable motives, the little man in the woods has degenerated into a foul, twisted creature. He deceives travelers with plaintive cries then begs them to lead him to a home he barely recalls. He strangles all who can't or won't aid him, including those who lead him to the wrong home or otherwise delay his journey.

The little man in the woods lays his victims' bodies out in the wilds, leaving the corpse unburied and exposed. He guards these rotting corpses over years as they shrivel and decay, until each one rises as another little man in the woods. Like any of the actions he has been compelled to perform, creating more of his kind brings the little man in the woods no pleasure.

Recall Knowledge - Undead (Religion): DC 27
Unspecific Lore: DC 25
Specific Lore: DC 22

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 Little Man in the WoodsCreature 5

Legacy Content

Rare CE Small Undead 
Source Book of the Dead pg. 124
Perception +12; darkvision
Languages Common, Necril; one additional language
Skills Acrobatics +12, Athletics +12 (+14 to Grapple), Deception +12, Stealth +14
Str +4, Dex +5, Con +3, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +4
Voice Imitation A little man in the woods can mimic the sounds of a person in distress by attempting a Deception check to Lie. The little man in the woods has a +4 circumstance bonus to this check.
Items +1 shortbow
AC 22; Fort +11, Ref +15, Will +10
HP 75 (negative healing); Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] fist +15 [+10/+5] (finesse, nonlethal), Damage 2d6-2+7 bludgeoning plus GrabRanged [one-action] shortbow +16 [+11/+6] (deadly d10, magical, range increment 60 feet), Damage 1d6-2+3 piercingAdopt Guise [two-actions] (illusion, mental, occult) Playing on the expectations of surrounding creatures, the little man in the woods adopts the guise of a Small or Medium living person that matches the voice he imitates. This guise is subjective and entirely in the mind of each creature around him.
A creature that doesn't believe the little man in the woods' voice imitation sees the little man in the woods as he truly is and isn't fooled by Adopt Guise.Strangle [one-action] Requirements The little man in the woods has a creature grabbed or restrained; Effect The little man in the woods tightens his grip around the creature's neck, extending the Grab, dealing 2d6+3 bludgeoning damage with a DC 22 basic Fortitude save, and strangling the creature for as long as it remains grabbed or restrained. A strangled creature can't speak, which prevents it from casting spells with a verbal component or activating items with a command component. The strangled creature must hold its breath or start suffocating.

Sidebar - Additional Lore To Curse a Corpse

A little man in the woods usually begins undeath with nothing, his possessions having been taken, lost, or destroyed. Over his miserable existence, a little man in the woods seizes the possessions of those he kills, so the corpses retain nothing to link them to their past lives. He takes items he finds useful and abandons the rest, perhaps burying them in the earth, tossing them in water, or otherwise removing the items from the area around the corpses he hopes to curse. Thus, even if the corpses he tends are discovered, returning each one home for appropriate funerary rites is a challenging task.