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 |
Cuckoo
Small Fey
Hit Dice: 6d6 (21 hp)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 20 ft.
AC: 13 (+1 size, +2 Dex)
Attacks: Knife +6 melee
Damage: Knife 1d4–1
Face/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Qualities: Charm Family, Low-light Vision, Spell-like Abilities
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +9, Will +5
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16
Skills: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +10 (+12 for acting in character), Hide +10, Innuendo +5 (+7 to transmit a message; +7 to intercept a message), Intimidate +6, Listen +2, Move Silently +10, Pick Pocket +4, Search +7, Sense Motive +8, Spot +10
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Finesse
Climate/Terrain: Any urban land
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement Range: 7–9 HD (Medium-size), 10–12 HD (Large)
Charm Family (Su): Once per month, a cuckoo may attempt to join a host family. It must spend at least two minutes alone with the head of the household, who must make a Will save with a DC equal to 15 + the cuckoo’s hit dice + the cuckoo’s Charisma modifier. If the head of the household fails the save, then she accepts the cuckoo as her own beloved son or daughter. Everyone else in the household must then make a Will save with a DC equal to 10 + the cuckoo’s hit dice + the cuckoo’s Charisma modifier. Everyone in the household who fails also believes that the cuckoo is the legitimate heir. Any character who enters the household subsequently or thinks about the heir must make a Will save. The DC is the same as for members of the household. Any character who fails this roll believes in the cuckoo as above. Any character who succeeds is forever immune to this cuckoo’s power.
The enchantment lasts until the cuckoo ends it or is given an order by a character who knows the cuckoo’s secret name. The enchantment may also be suspended by an antimagic field or dispelled by a dispel magic effect. This supernatural ability’s effective caster level is equal to the cuckoo’s hit dice. If the cuckoo dies, the enchantment remains in force, which may have dire consequences for a character who just murdered the king’s ‘son!’
Fey: Fey have Low-light Vision, and are proficient with all simple weapons and those mentioned in their entries.
Skills: Cuckoos have a +4 size bonus to Hide checks. They also get a +2 synergy bonus to Diplomacy, Disguise for acting in character, Innuendo to transmit a message, Intimidate, and Pick Pocket checks. They get a second +2 synergy bonus for Diplomacy checks, and Innuendo checks to intercept a message. This is already worked into the stats, above.
Spell-like Abilities: Cuckoos can use the following spells as if cast by a 6th-level sorcerer. The DC to resist these abilities is 13 + spell level.
1/day — charm person, invisibility, grease, knock, shield, suggestion
