Monster Encyclopaedia II: The Dark Bestiary
| Author | J. C. Alvarez |
| Publisher | Mongoose Publishing |
| Publish date | 2005 |
| OGL Section 15 | me2 |
The material below is Open Game Content
Half-Rakshasa
Half-rakshasas are the result of the mating between a humanoid and a rakshasa spirit. They have the appearance of their mortal parent, combined with a rakshasa’s strength, power and corrupt soul.
Sample Half-Rakshasa
This example uses a 7th level human fighter as the base creature.
Half-Rakshasa,
7th Level Human Fighter
Medium Outsider (Augmented Humanoid, Native)
Hit Dice: 7d10+28 (71 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 20 ft. (average)
AC: 22 (+2 Dex, +4 natural, +6 +1 chainmail), touch 12, flatfooted 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+11
Attack: +1 falchion +13 melee (2d4+9/18-20) or masterwork composite longbow (+2 Str bonus) +11 ranged (1d8+4/x3) or slam +11 melee (1d3+4)
Full Attack: +1 falchion +13/+8 melee (2d4+9/18-20) or masterwork composite longbow (+2 Str bonus) +9/+9/+4 ranged (1d8+4/x3) or 2 slams +11 melee (1d3+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: Size increase, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/good and piercing, darkvision 60 ft., resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electrical 5 and fire 5, low-light vision, spell resistance 18
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14
Skills: Bluff +11, Climb +14, Disguise +11, Intimidate +14, Jump +14
Feats: Improved Initiative, Point-Blank Shot, Quick-Draw, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (falchion), Weapon Focus (longbow), Weapon Specialisation (falchion), Weapon Specialisation (longbow)
Environment: Warm plains and forests
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Standard plus +1 falchion, masterwork composite longbow (+2 bonus) and +1 chainmail
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +4
You face a proud, queenly human warrior with a noble’s garments and a long collared cloak. Her right hand bears a falchion; her left carries a sceptre. The woman has reddish bronze skin and glowing eyes; her long flowing hair is striped like a tiger’s fur. Despite her regal demeanour, or perhaps because of it, she gives off an aura of evil that is almost palpable.
Combat
This half-rakshasa is a deadly hunter of mortals, trained to kill humans since her birth. Its natural attacks count as lawful and evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. It carries a +1 falchion and a masterwork composite longbow (+2 Str bonus), plus it wears a suit of +1 chainmail.
Spell-Like Abilities: 7/day–disguise self, ghost sound (DC 12), silent image (DC 13); 3/day–major image (DC 15); 1/day– contagion (DC 16), poison (DC 16), polymorph. Caster level 7th. Save DCs are Charisma based.
Strength Increase (Su): During the night, this halfrakshasa’s Strength is increased to 22 and its Constitution is increased to 20. Its scores return to normal during the day and also when in the presence of a daylight spell.
Skills: A half-rakshasa gains a +4 racial bonus on all Bluff and Disguise checks.
Creating a Half-Rakshasa
‘Half-Rakshasa’ is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature with an Intelligence score of at least 4 and nongood alignment, heretofore referred to as the ‘base creature’.
A half-rakshasa has all the special abilities and traits of the base creature, except where otherwise noted:
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to outsider (native), with all the traits corresponding to a creature of this type. Do not recalculate current Hit Dice, base attack bonus or saves. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Change all future racial Hit Dice (if any) to d8s. Hit Dice obtained from class levels remain unchanged.
Speed: A half-rakshasa has a fly speed of at least 20 feet, with average manoeuvrability, unless the base creature already has a better fly speed.
Armour Class: Increase natural armour bonus by +4.
Attack: A half-rakshasa has two slam attacks. If the base creature can use weapons, the half-rakshasa retains this ability. A half-rakshasa fighting without weapons uses a slam when making an attack action. When it has a weapon, it prefers to use it before a slam.
Full Attack: A half-rakshasa fighting without weapons uses two slams when making a full attack. If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon instead. If it has a hand free, it may use a slam as an additional natural secondary attack.
Damage: Half-rakshasas have slam attacks. If the base creature does not have a slam attack already, use the damage values in the table below. Otherwise, use the values below or the base creature’s damage values, whichever are greater. A half-rakshasa’s natural weapons are treated as lawful and evil weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
| Size | Slam Damage |
|---|---|
| Diminutive | — |
| Tiny | 1 |
| Small | 1d2 |
| Medium | 1d3 |
| Large | 1d4 |
| Huge | 1d6 |
| Gargantuan | 1d8 |
| Colossal | 2d6 |
Special Attacks: A half-rakshasa retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following:
Spell-Like Abilities: A half-rakshasa with an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 10 or higher has the following spelllike abilities, once per day per Hit Die each: disguise self, ghost sound, silent image. In addition, half-rakshasa of 5th or higher level may use major image three times per day and half-rakshasa of 7th or higher level may use contagion, poison and polymorph once per day. Caster level equals the half-rakshasa’s HD; save DCs are Charisma based.
Strength Increase (Su): After the sun sets, a half-rakshasa gains a +4 bonus to its Strength score and a +2 bonus to its Constitution score. These bonuses last until dawn and are negated by any kind of natural daylight or a daylight spell.
Special Qualities: A half-rakshasa has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus it gains the following:
Damage reduction: A half-rakshasa with 6 or less levels/ Hit Dice gains damage reduction 5/good and piercing. A half-rakshasa with 7 or more levels/Hit Dice gains damage reduction 10/good and piercing.
Resistances: a half-rakshasa gains resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electrical 5 and fire 5.
Spell resistance: A half-rakshasa gains spell resistance equal to 11 + the base creature’s Hit Dice.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2 Dex +4, Con +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +6.
Skills: A half-rakshasa gains skill points corresponding to its class levels. If the base creature has another form of advancement, it gains outsider Hit Dice instead, and gains skill points according to this (8 + Int modifier) each level. Treat skills from the base creature’s list or character classes as class skills and other skills as cross-class.
A half rakshasa gains a +4 racial bonus on all Bluff and Disguise checks.
Challenge Rating: HD 6 or less, as base creature +1; HD 7 or more, as base creature +2.
Alignment: Change the base creature’s alignment to lawful evil if it was not so already.
Level Adjustment: As base creature +4.
Half-Rakshasa Characters
Half-rakshasas prefer to advance as fighters or sorcerers (or a combination of both). They also favour the blackguard prestige class. Half-rakshasa clerics may choose among the Destruction, Evil, Magic and Trickery domains.
