Critters III! Now also in 5e!

[Bhu]

Waraikumo (main form)
Medium Outsider (Chaos, Evil, Extraplanar, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 16d8+144 (216 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), Climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 29 (+9 Dex, +10 Natural), touch 19, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+20
Attack: Slapstick +28 melee (1d6+7) or Touch +25 melee touch (1d6+4 plus poison)
Full Attack: Slapstick +28/+23/+18 melee (1d6+7) or 2 Touches +25 melee touch (1d6+4 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spell-Like Abilities, Poison, Throw Spider, Split
Special Qualities: DR 10/Good and Magic, Darkvision 60 ft., Telepathy 100 ft., SR 28, Immunities, Carnivorous Healing, Shapechanger
Saves: Fort +19, Ref +19, Will +14
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 29, Con 29, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 24
Skills: Balance +15, Bluff +20, Climb +17, Concentration +20, Diplomacy +20, Disguise +20 (+22 acting), Gather Information +13, Hide +20, Intimidate +19, Jump +20, Knowledge (Arcana, History, Local, Religion, The Planes) +14, Listen +14, Move Silently +20, Perform +20, Search +14, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +16 (+18 scrolls), Spot +14, Tumble +20, Use Magic Device +17 (+19 scrolls)
Feats: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Any
Organization: Unique?
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 17+ HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: ---



Waraikumo (swarm form)
Diminutive Outsider (Chaos, Evil, Extraplanar, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 16d8+144 (216 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), Climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 29 (+4 Size, +9 Dex, +6 Natural), touch 23, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/-
Attack: Swarm (4d6 plus Poison)
Full Attack: Swarm (4d6 plus Poison)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Distraction, Spell-Like Abilities, Poison, Reform
Special Qualities: DR 10/Good and Magic, Darkvision 60 ft., Telepathy 100 ft., SR 28, Immunities, Carnivorous Healing, Immune to Weapon Damage, Swarm traits
Saves: Fort +19, Ref +19, Will +14
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 29, Con 29, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 24
Skills: Hide +32


Spider
Diminutive Outsider (Chaos, Evil, Extraplanar, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), Climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (+4 Size, +2 Dex), touch 16, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-14
Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d3-4) plus Poison)
Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d3-4) plus Poison)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: DR 5/Good and Magic, Darkvision 60 ft., Telepathy 100 ft., Immunities, Carnivorous Healing
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +10, Hide +14, Jump +10, Listen +5, Move Silently +7, Search +2, Spot +5, Tumble +7
Feats: Weapon Finesse

"You are correct when you say I do not care for the Italians. When we signed the Treaty of Commerce and Friendship with them in 1866, a delegation was sent to their country to work out further details. I was with them, as a bodyguard. They held quite the decadent celebration for us, and we were both delighted and appalled at all we beheld. Particularly the strange comedic plays they performed, so unlike our own kyogen. I couldn't follow them between the language barrier and cultural differences. I gathered from a translator that it was the story of a servant named Harlequin, and his rival Pierrot. Apparently this Harlequin had some sort of magical ability to influence the world around him, which he used to pursue women and work various mischief. I found these plays, and everything else about the country tiresome."

"And then Hiroshi, the head of the delegation, disappeared. We last saw him inquiring about meeting the actor who played the Harlequin. When he hadn't been found after a swift search, we asked the theatre owner for the actors address. We didn't find Hiroshi, but we found Hanzo, his personal guard. Or more accurately, we found what was left of him. The local men looked dismayed, but not surprised. I knew they realized what had happened, but fear kept them silent. Our government was offered much silver as an apology, and a promise that if the Harlequin was caught, he would be turned over to us for justice."

"It was an obvious lie meant to soothe us. The local Omawarisan did not inspire faith in their abilities. I received permission to stay behind, and a modest stipend to finance me. I threw myself into research about the Italian theatre, and it's current actors. The trickster Harlequin was based on a much older French character named Hellequin, who was a servant of demons. The more I looked into the plays past, the more the truth became evident. Much like the truth behind our own legends of the Jorogumo, that truth was unpalatable. The actor was a man named Ragno, and it was disputed that he was even a man. A master of his craft, some said the actor had privately portrayed a woman well enough to fool a local noble into becoming his husband. At first I simply put this down to spurious rumor, but that was not the truth. Ragno was neither a man, nor a woman, but able to appear as both. It was a Demon who moved from life to life, leaving corpses in it's wake. It appeared as loved ones, and even pets to fool others into giving it shelter. Always hiding from something that locals implied to me was worse. Once it knew of me, it appeared to me as Hanzo, mocking me for failing to prevent his death. Not that I could have known his death was coming. I went home a failure again, unable to avenge Hiroshi and Hanzo. And i will never return to Italy. It is a land of demons, and the locals capitulate to them. Perhaps they have been given no choice. But i have a choice. And I choose not to see the Laughing Spider a second time."

"Ojisan, we live in Okayama. There's a spider yokai on every street corner."

"Really?"

"The vendor you buy ice cream from is a spider woman."

"Well (beep)."

The Waraikumo's true name is unknown. Patchy historical regards suggest it was once the servant or rival of another powerful demon. It is known to be hiding from something it often refers to as 'Pierrot'. It often hides in plain sight as a theater actor, but more often insinuates itself into households via it's ability to shapeshift. While in some cases it has been theorized to care for some of the lives it encounters, in practice it brings ruin to most of them. While it's main form is a man in a checkered suit and black mask, the Waraikumo is actually a swarm of spiders sharing a single mind.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At Will: Animate Objects, Briar Web (Spell Compendium), Grease, Greater Shadow Conjuration, Greater Teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), Locate Object, Mislead, and Polymorph Any Object. Caster level 16th. The save DCs are Charisma-based

Poison (Su): Injury, DC 27 Fortitude Save (DC 13 for Spider, Save DC is Constitution based), Initial and Secondary damage is 1d6 Con (1d3 Con for Spider).

Throw Spider (Su): As a Standard Action the Waraikumo can separate a Spider from it's mass, and throw it out to a range of 60 feet. It takes 2d4 damage when it does this, but regains those lost hit points when the Spider rejoins the main body (which it may do as a Swift Action). It may only do this while in it''s main form.

Split/Reform (Su): As a Move Action the Waraikumo can split into it's Swarm form, or regroup into it's Main form.

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 27 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Immunities: The Waraikumo is imune to Paralysis, Petrification and Polymorph.

Carnivorous Healing (Su): When using it's Touch attack in it's main form (or it's swarm attack in it's swarm form, or it's bite attack as an individual spider) the Waraikumo heals one point of damage for each point of damage it's attack does.

Shapechanger (Su): The Waraikumo can assume any animal or humanoid form of Medium size or smaller as a standard action three times per day. The Waraikumo can remain in its animal or humanoid form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form. This works like the Alternate Form ability, except the Waraikumo retains it's physical ability scores.

Skills: The Laughing Spider has a +8 racial bonus on Climb and Jump checks. The Laughing Spider can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. The Laughing Spider uses either it's Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb and Jump checks, whichever is higher.

Combat: The Waraikumo will often fight below it's true power in order to mask what it truly is (more for it's own amusement than protection, but there is clearly something it doesn't want to find it). It will duel individuals with it's wooden sword before capering away, unless they remain persistent, or it perceives them as being capable of being a threat. AT that point, all bets are offf, and it will do whatever is necessary to destroy it's opponent.


The Slapstick
The Slapstick appears variously as a wooden sword or club, and is a +3 club effectively. It also has the ability to modify reality, if you can figure out how to use it. This requires a DC 25 Use Magic Device (see Use Magic Device "Activate Blindly' in the PHB). Each time you successfully use the Slapstick, the Check DC lowers by 5, and disappears altogether once it lowers to DC 10. If it is successfully activated, the wielder can cast Wish once per day (this does not require the XP cost, nor may it be used to grant Inherent Bonuses to ability scores). Caster Level is equal to the wielders Hit Dice. If you fail the Use Magic Device Check by 10 or more, you are subjected to a Disintegrate spell (Caster Level 17th).







The Slapstick
The Slapstick appears variously as a wooden sword or club, and is a +3 club effectively. It also has the ability to modify reality, if you can figure out how to use it. Once attuned, you can use it as a magic weapon, but you must make a DC 20 Charisma Check. Each time you succeed in this check, the DC drops by 5, going away altogether when it reaches DC 10. If it is successfully activated, the wielder can cast Wish once per day. If you fail the Charisma Check by 10 or more, you are subjected to a Disintegrate spell (Save DC 17). The Waraikumo can use this ability without taking Stress (see the Wish spell).