Imp Shoulder

The tiny creature standing on your shoulder looks like a small, infernal version of yourself. With skin the color of dried blood, it wears an outfit that darkly mirrors your own. Small, bat-like wings and a whip-thin tail sway as it balances, meeting your eyes with it’s own glowing ones. a smile plays across it’s lips and you can make out tiny fang, far sharper than your own teeth. On your other should stands an angelic figure, radiating holiness and purity. Brilliant white feathered wings sprout from it’s shoulders, and it stands clean and tall, gazing at you in benevolence.

Originally Posted by Mammon Azrael of the Giant in the Playground Forums.

On this Thread

Shoulder imps delight in causing confusion and pandemonium. They get their name from where they can typically be found, encouraging poor decisions and rash actions. Preying on those thoroughly drunk and with already impaired thoughts, they land upon the shoulder of their target, curiously always the left shoulder. They will confuse and confound their prey, acting as both conscience and temptation, foiling many of their own arguments. But since the angelic being is merely a projection controlled by the Shoulder Imp, the imp invariably comes off as far more reasonable and convincing. They keep a low profile, with the intent that their prey will think they are merely a manifestation of their own mind, rather than a separate creature.

Shoulder imps can be found in any bar, tavern, or place that encourages rowdiness and tempt their prey to evil actions. The most prized target one can find is a paladin, cause him to question his morals and decisions, perhaps even causing him to commit minor evils, is a rare and delightful event for a Shoulder Imp.

Shoulder Imp
Diminutive outsider (Evil, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice	4d8 (18 hp)
Initiative	+4
Speed	10 ft. (2 squares), Fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class	21 (+4 size, +4 Dexterity, +3 natural), touch 18, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple	+4/-11
Attack	Sting +12 melee (1d4-3 plus poison)
Full Attack	Sting +12 melee (1d4-3 plus poison)
Space/Reach	1 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks	Poison, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities	Damage reduction 5/good or silver, Darkvision 60 ft., false conscience, fast healing 2, sober invisibility, telepathy 10 ft.
Saves	Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +4
Abilities	Strength 5, Dexterity 18, Constitution 10, Intelligence 11, Wisdom 10, Charisma 16
Skills	Bluff +12, Diplomacy +12, Gather Information +7, Hide +16, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (local) +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +11, Spellcraft +5, Spot +7
Feats	Persuasive, Weapon Finesse
Environment	Any evil plane, taverns and bars
Organization	Solitary
Challenge Rating	4
Treasure	None
Alignment	Always neutral evil
Advancement	5-8 HD (Diminutive)
Level Adjustment	—

Combat

A shoulder imp will avoid combat whenever it can, preferring to sow confusion and discord with words. If forced to fight, it will attempt to incapacitate any opponents that can see through it’s invisibility, and then confuse the rest, letting them fight on another. It will often use it’s suggestion ability to attempt to gain allies in random bystanders. If an opportunity to flee appears a shoulder imp will almost invariably take it.

A shoulder imp’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Poison (Ex) Injury, Fortitude DC 14, initial damage creature is confused for 2d4 rounds, secondary damage 1d4 Dexterity
and 1d4 Wisdom. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Spell-Like Abilities

3/day – suggestion (DC 16), touch of idiocy (DC 15);

1/day – hideous laughter (DC 15).

Caster level 6th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

False Conscience (Su) A shoulder Imps that lands on an intelligent creature’s shoulder manifests an illusory counterpart on the creature’s other shoulder, and the tavern imp’s weight is distributed between the two shoulders equally. The counterpart looks as angelic as the imp looks infernal. Both take on features and a similar appearance as the creature they are on. The tavern imp has complete control of this counterpart, and can speak through it as easily as through it’s own mouth. The shoulder imps is connected to the creature they are sitting upon as if under a continual detect thoughts.

While on an intelligent creature’s shoulder, the shoulder imp and the angelic image can only be seen and heard by the creature they are sitting on. Only true seeing or an equivalent can pierce this effect.

Fast Healing (Ex) A tavern imp’s fast healing doubles while it is consuming Alcohol or another intoxicating substance.

Sober Invisibility (Su) A shoulder Imps remains invisible even when it attacks. This ability is constant, but the shoulder Imps can suppress or resume it as a free action. Creatures that are intoxicated or have been affected by a shoulder imp’s poison within the last hour can see the tavern imp as though it wasn’t invisible.

Lore

Originally imps hailing from the Nine Hells, these creatures were sent to locations all over the material planes where heroes and villains relaxed and celebrated. They were sent to breed mistrust, to influence those already under the effects of heavy drinking into reckless actions and quick tempers. However, the continued contact and influence of Alcohol and constant attempts to incite chaos and destruction slowly caused them to lose their connection with the their lawful nature. While they are still extraplanar creatures, they no longer consider Hell alone their native plane, appearing in taverns throughout the multiverse.

Recommended Improvements

If you want to make the shoulder Imps more combat capable, switch out the Persuasive feat for Fly-by Attack. Ability Focus (Poison) is another solid option, making his stinger particularly potent. You can also give it a minor item or two, like a ring that grants a +5 bonus to Bluff or Diplomacy. Played intelligently, a shoulder Imp should be very hard to pin down, especially without allies.