Callicantzaros

Callicantzari are hideous, man-eating monsters there are two main types of them: small and large. The larger callicantzari are malicious and deadly. Their size is usually, they are about 6-8′ tall.

Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.

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Callicantzari have dead-black skin. Most of them are covered with a coat of shaggy black hair. Their heads are huge, out of all proportion to the rest of their bodies. Their faces are dark black, and their eyes glare redly. They have the ears of goats or asses. From their huge mouths, blood-red tongues loll out, flanked by ferocious-looking tusks. Their bodies are generally lean and tall, but some are shorter and thick-set.

Callicantzari have the arms and hands of monkeys. Their nails are as long again as their fingers, and are curled like the talons of a vulture. The legs of a goat or an ass, but even so, they are swift of foot and terrible in strength. They run with a peculiar shambling gait which, while appearing awkward, still allows them to run quickly.

Sometimes a callicantzaros are neither wholly human nor wholly bestial but a blend of the two.

From dawn to sunset, the callicantzari hide in dark and dank places – in caves or beneath mills – feeding on the loathsome food there (snakes, snails, insects, etc.). But at night, they issue forth and run wildly to and fro, rending and crushing those who cross their paths. Destruction, waste, greed, and lust mark their courses.

Despite their uncouth shapes, the monsters delight in dancing. Sometimes a person can trick them into dancing all night. But people must beware, for the callicantzari delight in the taste of human flesh.

Fortunately, the callicantzari are stupid, gullible, and extremely quarrelsome. They have little discipline or sense of planning, which adds an interesting aspect of roleplaying to an adventure as the PCs try to figure out ways to trick these monsters. A smart, alert person usually has no difficulty getting the better of them, as the following story from the island of Scyros shows.

A man of Scyros was returning home from a mill late at night, driving his mule before him laden with two sacks of meal. When he had gone about halfway, he saw before him some callicantzari in his path. Realizing his danger, he at once got upon his mule and laid himself flat between the two sacks and covered himself up with a rug, so as to look like another sack of meal. Soon the callicantzari were about his mule, and he held his breath and heard one say, “Here is a pack on this side and a pack on that side, and the top-load in the middle, hut where is the man?”

So the callicantzari ran back to the mill thinking that the man had loitered behind. But they could not find him and came back after the mule, looked again, and said, “Here is a pack on this side and a pack on that side, and the top-load in the middle, but where is the man?” So they ran on in front, fearing that he had hastened on home before his mule. But when they could not find him, they returned again, then went back a second time toward the mill. This went on many times. The mule needed no one to guide it; it had traveled the path many times. While the callicantzari were running to and fro, the mule steadily trudged home. When the beast stopped at the door of the man’s home, the callicantzari were close behind. The man called to his wife, and she opened the door and he entered safely.

When the callicantzari saw how he had tricked them, they knocked at the door in great anger. The woman, fearing that the monsters would break in by force, promised to let them in on the condition that they first count the holes in her sieve. To this they agreed, and she let the sieve down to them by a cord from an upper window. Straightaway, the monsters began to count the holes, and they counted round and round the outermost circle of holes in the sieve and so never got to the middle. Frustrated with the lengthy counting process, they only counted more and more hurriedly as a result.

Meanwhile, dawn was breaking. Soon the neighbors saw the callicantzari, and they hurried off to the priests and told them. The priests immediatelyset out with censers and sprinkling vessels in their hands to chase the callicantzari. The monsters fled right through town, spreading havoc in their path as they were hotly pursued by the priests.

Callicantzari have black skin and shaggy hair, oversized heads with goat ears, and red eyes. Their feet are either animal feet or distorted so that the heels are where the toes should be. Callicantzari are big, stupid, malicious man-eaters that roam at night seeking prey. Daylight does not actually hurt them, but they will avoid it if at all possible.

The traditional leader of the callicantzari is the Great Callicantzaros. He has the power of confusion (as per the magic-user spell, usable three times per day); anyone who fails the saving throw against it will be influenced toward mindless destruction, greed, and lust as long as the Great Callicantzaros is within sight. clerics and cavaliers of good alignment, including paladins, are immune to the confusion. Any other character of good alignment gets a +2 on the saving throw.

The callicantzari are hopelessly stupid and easily tricked. They often work at cross-purposes since they are incapable of organized action. The Great Callicantzaros, by himself, acts in an intelligent manner. But even he cannot exert enough influence to alter the stupid behavior of his fellow Callicantzari.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #138 (1988).

Callicantzari

This dead-black skinned humanoid stands ten feet tall, its huge head disproportionate to its body. Its simian arms end in vulturelike curled talons. Cold, red eyes glare from a dark black face, while a blood-red tongue lolls from its large, fang-filled mouth.

Callicantzari are malicious, man-eating fey with close ties to the nether realms. Although living, they share many traits and predilections of Ghouls.

Callicantzari are nocturnal, hiding in dank, dark places until sunset. They feed on snakes and snails and other creepy crawlies until night falls and they can hunt the humanoid flesh they crave most. During the nighttime hours, the callicantzari run wild in an orgy of dancing, destruction, greed and lust.

Despite their strength and ferocity, callicantzari are gullible, quarrelsome, easily confused, and completely devoid of discipline. They often conflict with one another, getting in each other’s way and allowing wily prey to escape.

A callicantzaros is between 6 and 8 feet tall and weighs 200 to 300 pounds. Appearances vary wildly, but always are a blend of human and bestial traits. Common bestial traits include goatlike or donkey ears, tusks, and goat legs. Many are lame, with greatly distorted legs, giving them a peculiar, shambling gait that belies their swiftness and agility.

Many also speak a crude form of Common.

Callicantzaros
Medium fey
Hit Dice	6d6+6 (27 hp)
Initiative	+3
Speed	40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class	15 (+2 Dexterity, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple	+3/+7
Attack	Bite +7 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack	Bite +7 melee (1d8+4) and 2 claws +5 melee (1d4+2)
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Dancing frenzy
Special Qualities	Damage reduction 5/cold iron, light sensitivity, Low-Light Vision, tomb-tainted
Saves	Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +4
Abilities	Strength 19, Dexterity 16, Constitution 12, Intelligence 5, Wisdom 8, Charisma 16
Skills	Disguise +12, Intimidate +12, Perform (dance) +12
Feats	Cleave, Multiattack, Power Attack
Environment	Any land
Organization	Solitary or party (2-20)
Challenge Rating	3
Treasure	1/2 coins, 1/2 goods, standard items
Alignment	Always neutral evil
Advancement	7-9 HD (Medium); 10-14 HD (Large); 15-18 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment	–

COMBAT

Callicantzari are simple and undisciplined, employing little resembling tactics. A callicantzaros generally just rends and tears what it can catch.

Dancing Frenzy (Ex): A callicantzaros can dance itself into a frenzy. If a callicantzaros spends a move action to make a DC 15 Perform (dance) check, it gains a +1 to attack and damage rolls and an additional +1 for each 5 points the check exceeds DC 15. In addition, the callicantzaros may choose to use its Perform (dance) check result in place of any necessary Reflex save in the same round that it has danced. If a callicantzaros has made a successful Perform (dance) check for three successive rounds, it also gains +4 Strength and +4 Constitution as long as it spends a move action to make a Perform (dance) check. However, each round that it benefits from enhanced Strength and Constitution, it must make a DC 15 Will save or spend its full round dancing without taking any other actions.

Light Sensitivity (Ex): Callicantzari are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

Tomb-Tainted (Ex): Although fey, callicantzari are harmed by positive energy and healed by negative energy. They are treated as undead for purposes of spells and effects that treat undead differently (such as searing light or a Holy Water). A callicantzari may be turned as if it were an undead creature.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #138 (1988).

Callicantzaros, Great

This dead-black skinned humanoid stands over ten feet tall, its huge head disproportionate to its body. Its simian arms end in vulturelike curled talons. Cold, red eyes glare from a dark black face, while a blood-red tongue lolls from its large, fang-filled mouth.

Callicantzari are malicious, man-eating fey with close ties to the nether realms. Although living, they share many traits and predilections of Ghouls.

Callicantzari are nocturnal, hiding in dank, dark places until sunset. They feed on snakes and snails and other creepy crawlies until night falls and they can hunt the humanoid flesh they crave most. During the nighttime hours, the callicantzari run wild in an orgy of dancing, destruction, greed and lust.

Great callicantzari are far more intelligent than their common kin, and often lead groups of them. They lead their lessers in wild, frenzied revels on holy days like the winter solstice and fall equinox. They often invite cruel nymphs, satyrs and other fey to join them, giving rise to rumors of witchcraft.

The great callicantzari are smart enough to be favored by the Queen of Air and Darkness, and they try (without much luck) to get their lessers to show Her the reverence She deserves.

The great callicantzari lord over lesser callicantzari regardless of the lesser’s power, taking great pride in bullying around advanced lesser callicantzari the size of houses.

A great callicantzaros is between 10 and 13 feet tall and weighs 800 to 1,200 pounds. Appearances vary wildly, but always are a blend of human and bestial traits. Common bestial traits include goatlike or donkey ears, tusks, and goat legs. Many are lame, with greatly distorted legs, giving them a peculiar, shambling gait that belies their swiftness and agility.

Great callicantzari speak Common.

Callicantzaros, Great
Large fey
Hit Dice	18d6+54 (117 hp)
Initiative	+3
Speed	50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class	21 (-1 size, +3 Dexterity, +9 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple	+9/+21
Attack	Bite +16 melee (3d6+8)
Full Attack	Bite +16 melee (3d6+8) and 2 claws +14 melee (1d8+4)
Space/Reach	10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks	Greater dancing frenzy
Special Qualities	Damage reduction 10/cold iron, light sensitivity, Low-Light Vision, tomb-tainted
Saves	Fort +9, Ref +14, Will +12
Abilities	Strength 27, Dexterity 16, Constitution 16, Intelligence 13, Wisdom 12, Charisma 20
Skills	Balance +26, Bluff +26, Climb +29, Disguise +28 (+30 acting), Intimidate +28, Jump +18, Perform (dance) +26, Tumble +24
Feats	Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Multiattack, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
Environment	Any land
Organization	Solitary or party (1 plus 2-20 callicantzari)
Challenge Rating	10
Treasure	Standard
Alignment	Always neutral evil
Advancement	19-30 HD (Large); 31-54 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment	–

COMBAT

Greater callicantzari are far more intelligent than their lesser kin, employing better tactics. However, they are unable to impose discipline on the lesser callicantzari.

Greater Dancing Frenzy (Su): A great callicantzaros can dance itself into a frenzy. If a great callicantzaros spends a move action to make a DC 30 Perform (dance) check, it gains a +1 to attack and damage rolls and an additional +1 for each 5 points the check exceeds DC 30. A great callicantzaros may choose to spend only a swift action on the Perform (dance) check, but the DC increases by 5.

In addition, the great callicantzaros may choose to use its Perform (dance) check result in place of any necessary Reflex save in the same round that it has danced. Also, a successful Perform (dance) check grants any (lesser) callicantzari within 30 ft a +2 circumstance bonus to dance checks for one round and causes the (lesser) callicantzari to succeed automatically at Will saves to avoid taking full-round actions of dancing for the following round.

If a great callicantzaros has made a successful Perform (dance) check for three successive rounds, it also gains +4 Strength and +4 Constitution as long as it spends a move (or swift) action to make a Perform (dance) check. However, each round that it benefits from enhanced Strength and Constitution, it must make a DC 30 Will save or spend its full round dancing without taking any other actions.

Light Sensitivity (Ex): Callicantzari are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day–confusion (DC 17). Caster level 12th. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Tomb-Tainted (Ex): Although fey, callicantzari are harmed by positive energy and healed by negative energy. They are treated as undead for purposes of spells and effects that treat undead differently (such as searing light or a Holy Water). Unlike its lesser kin, a great callicantzari may not be turned as if it were an undead creature.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #138 (1988).