The material below is Open Game Content
Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary
| Author | Chris Aylott et al |
| Publisher | Atlas Games |
| Publish date | 2003 |
| OGL Section 15 | fantasy-bestiary |
The material below is Open Game Content
Akyanzi
Small Undead (Fire)
Hit Dice: 1d12 (6 hp)
Initiative: +3 (Dex)
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (good)
AC: 16 (+3 Dex, +1 size, +2 natural)
Attacks: Bite +4 melee (+12 vs. weapons and shields)
Damage: Bite 1d4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Eat Enchantment, Profane Sunder
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Immunities, Smell Steel
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +4
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16, Con —, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Escape Artist +7, Hide +11, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (arcana) +3, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Search +4, Sense Motive +4, Spot +6
Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite)
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Cluster (2–5) or pack (5–20)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 2–3 HD (Small), 4–5 HD (Medium-size)
Eat Enchantment (Su): Akyanzi are inherently disruptive to a weapon’s magical enchantments. Any time a sword-eater comes into contact with an enchanted weapon, whether striking or being struck, that weapon’s special abilities are suppressed for 1d4 hours. This is an antimagic effect, rendering the weapon mundane in all ways.
Fire Subtype: The creature is immune to fire damage. It takes double damage from cold unless the cold attack allows a saving throw for half damage, in which case it takes half damage on a successful save and double damage on a failed save.
Profane Sunder (Ex): Sword-eaters enjoy the benefits of the Sunder feat, as well as a +8 profane bonus to opposed attack rolls when striking weapons. A sword-eater’s bite does 1d6 damage and ignores Hardness. Sword-eaters only attack weapons and shields.
Skills: Akyanzi get a +4 size bonus to Hide checks. This is worked into the above stats.
Smell Steel (Ex): Akyanzi automatically detect the presence of any steel objects within 100 feet. They are able to determine the general placement of steel objects, no matter how small, but gain no special means of precisely locating secret hiding places or seeing through disguises. This ability does not detect any other materials.
Undead: Undead are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromantic effects, and they ignore mind-influencing effects. Undead are not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. They have no Constitution scores and are therefore immune to any effect requiring a Fortitude save (unless it affects objects). Undead have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet. Negative energy (such as an inflict wounds spell) can heal undead creatures. An undead creature is not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed. Undead cannot be raised.
New Minor Artifact: The Seven-Headed Sword
This fearsome and ancient greatsword must not be allowed into the hands of dishonorable warriors. Once a mundane blade of great beauty, this artifact is now a terror; he who wields it commands the seven swordeaters bound by cowardice to its blade. The sword belonged to a line of honorable warriors until it fell into the hands of a disloyal nephew, who used the weapon to execute his seven co-conspirators against the king in a display of mock allegiance. The malice, spite, and evil of those men and women is bound to the sword until their heads can be replaced with new victims.
Whenever the Seven-Headed Sword is drawn from its sheath, seven akyanzi are simultaneously drawn from the hells. These akyanzi are the last seven people slain by the sword; so long as these swordeaters are bound to the weapon, they cannot find rest or resurrection. Each new victim beheaded by the sword replaces the oldest bound akyanzi. Only beheaded victims are claimed by the sword. Freed sword-eaters immediately burn apart like beehives. When the sword is sheathed, the sword-eaters are returned to hell.
The Seven-Headed Sword can be used to rebuke its bound akyanzi up to three times per day as a 10th-level cleric. It is a +5 greatsword that ignores object hardness and automatically casts heat metal on any metal, bladed weapon which it contacts. So long as it is held in hand, the wielder cannot be damaged below zero hit points. When used to perform a coup de grace, the sword automatically, simultaneously casts circle of doom, centered on the victim. The sword cannot be destroyed by any means until all of its seven heads have been destroyed.
Caster Level: 15th; Weight: 5 lbs.
