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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardShadern

Goblin mortics have blackened, charred flesh and smoldering burns all over their body, as if they'd been burned alive. They are highly flammable but inured to the pain, and they enjoy lighting themselves (and everything else) on fire.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 20
Unspecific Lore: DC 18
Specific Lore: DC 15

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Shadern ImmolatorCreature 1

Legacy Content

Rare CE Small Fire Goblin Humanoid Mortic 
Source Book of the Dead pg. 126
Perception +4; darkvision, smoke vision
Languages Common, Goblin, Necril
Skills Acrobatics +6, Athletics +4, Stealth +6, Survival +2
Str +2, Dex +4, Con +3, Int -1, Wis +0, Cha +1
Smoke Vision The shadern ignores the concealed condition from smoke.
AC 14; Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +2
HP 21 (negative healing); Immunities fire
Consecration Vulnerability A shadern in a place of worship dedicated to a non-evil deity or on sacred ground, such as an area blessed by sanctified ground, is slowed 1.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] fist +8 [+4/+0] (agile, finesse, unarmed), Damage 1d4+2 bludgeoning plus 1 fire and smoldering fistDeath Gasp [one-action] (divine, necromancy) The shadern draws in a deep breath and holds it, temporarily suspending their biological processes and becoming undead. The shadern gains the undead trait and becomes immune to bleed, death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, and sleep. Any such effects the shadern is currently inflicted with are suspended but take effect again once they take a breath. Death Gasp lasts as long as the shadern holds their breath (up to 8 rounds).Exhale [two-actions] (divine, evocation, fire) The shadern exhales a cloud of thick smoke in a 10-foot burst centered on them. The cloud remains in place for 1d4 rounds. All creatures within the smoke become concealed, and all creatures outside the smoke become concealed to creatures within it. Exhaling ends Death Gasp, as the shadern ceases holding their breath.Smoldering Fist On a critical hit, the shadern immolator's fist Strike also deals 1d4 persistent fire damage.

All Monsters in "Mortic"

NameLevel
Angheuvore2
Etioling10
Gurgist6
Jitterbone4
Lifeleecher8
Relictner12
Shadern1

Mortic

Source Bestiary 3 pg. 174
Mortics are humanoids overwhelmed by negative energy who still cling to life, surviving as twisted amalgams of living and undead. Though they feel unnatural cravings and resemble corpses, mortics live, breathe, eat, sleep, and procreate. However, a mortic can suspend their living functions simply by holding their breath, becoming more like a true undead.

Mortics are largely new to Golarion, with most created in droves when the Whispering Tyrant destroyed entire cities with his Radiant Fire, a magical explosion fueled by the collision of negative and positive energy. From among the corpses of these tragedies rose mortics, living survivors mistaken for corpses and left behind as a result. They found themselves in a twilight state—neither fully alive or undead. The necrotic pollutants of the Gravelands and the Isle of Terror continue to create mortics, seeping into neighboring lands through the air, earth, and water to infect the populace. Though most of the living in these lands fear becoming transformed, some believe becoming a mortic is their best chance of survival in the face of the encroaching hordes of the dead.

A mortic's powers differ by ancestry, though they do have a few commonalities. Reading or hearing scripture induces headaches, and they experience great discomfort when treading upon sacred ground. For those who were religious in life, these new changes can be devastating.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Fun and Games

Many mortics favor games to pass the time. Jitterbones compete in community “bone churns” to see who can contort themselves into the most awkward shapes or fit through the smallest spaces. Shadern enjoy “burn-scream,” a deadly game pitting contenders against one another to see who makes the funniest sounds while being immolated. Relictners coax passersby into visiting their homes before they hunt their victims through a gauntlet of traps.

Sidebar - Locations Home Sweet Home

Most gurgists are survivors from Roslar's Coffer or Vigil who fled together to Nirmathas or Ustalav, where they've since built their own insular communities. Some fled to Absalom but struggle to fit in; most camp in the Cairnlands or form gangs in the city's slums. Shaderns are typically found in Belkzen, Oprak, and Isger, living among goblin tribes. Jitterbones are common in the River Kingdoms and Ustalav, living in rural, all-jitterbone communities. Relictners are widely spread, for they live individually and build their lairs near trade routes, fabled ruins, and other storied locales. They avoid dwarves and refuse to enter the Five Kings Mountains.

Most mortics were created inadvertently by the rise of the Whispering Tyrant—either by the Radiant Fire or through the corruption spreading from the Gravelands and Isle of Terror.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Other Mortics

The mortics presented here are four of the most prevalent variations. Others—such as relictner dwarves, shadern goblins, and jitterbone halflings—are also common.