Buy me a coffeeAmikuk, The Shark-Headed Corrupter
“Discover the Amikuk: A sinister manipulator who twists fate and corrupts souls with every decision!”
The Amikuk is a chilling, otherworldly creature that thrives in the coldest, most desolate regions—vast frozen tundras and snow-covered mountains. Standing tall with a muscular humanoid frame wrapped in heavy furs, its most striking feature is the shark-toothed, grinning beast head that graces its shoulders. Its feet, disturbingly human-like but clawed, allow it to traverse its harsh environment with unnerving silence. Despite its warm attire, its bare feet suggest a strange detachment from the biting cold. Its dark eyes gleam with malevolent intelligence, always watching and calculating.
Behaviorally, the Amikuk is a master manipulator, preferring to remain in the shadows, subtly shaping the lives of those around it. It excels in exploiting weaknesses and sowing discord. It does not seek direct confrontation; instead, it prefers to orchestrate slow, ruinous traps, leading its victims toward their downfall through cunning and psychological manipulation. The Amikuk thrives on watching families break apart, communities fall into ruin, and individuals spiral into moral decay.
The Amikuk’s habitat is the frozen wilderness, where it constructs its lairs from snow and ice—structures that blend into the harsh environment, unnoticed by those who pass nearby. It is drawn to isolated places, far from civilization, where its victims are vulnerable to its influence. Cold, barren landscapes serve as a perfect setting for the Amikuk to operate, feeding off the isolation and desperation of its targets.
Its modus operandi is slow, insidious manipulation. The Amikuk carefully sets up intricate scenarios, patiently guiding its victims to make one fateful, life-shattering decision. It uses its powers of soul glide to become incorporeal and warp its victims’ emotions and choices. It may give cursed items, offer twisted advice, or even appear as a trusted figure, only to lead others into acts of cruelty and betrayal. Through subtlety and foresight, it ensures its influence is felt deeply, often leaving no trace of its direct involvement.
Motivated by a twisted hunger for control and suffering, the Amikuk does not seek wealth or power in the traditional sense. Instead, it delights in manipulating fate itself, watching as the world around it crumbles. For the Amikuk, corruption and ruin are a form of artistry, a game in which it controls every move from behind the scenes, ensuring that nothing can escape its malignant influence.
Amikuk 5e
Amikuk Pathfinder
Amikuk, Malevolent Scholar of the Frozen Wastes
Medium Fiend (Rakshasa), Lawful Evil
Armor Class: 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 180 (16d8 + 96)
Speed: 30 ft., burrow 40 ft. (earth glide)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 (+3) | 16 (+3) | 22 (+6) | 18 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 20 (+5) |
Saving Throws: Dex +7, Wis +6, Cha +9
Skills: Deception +10, Insight +6, Persuasion +9, Stealth +7, Arcana +8, History +8
Damage Resistances: Cold, Fire, Lightning
Damage Immunities: Necrotic, Poison
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages: Infernal, Common, Sylvan, Aquan, Telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge: 13 (10,000 XP)
TRAITS
Innate Magic
The Amikuk is a master of manipulation and subtle magic, using its vast knowledge to affect the minds of others. It has the following spells prepared:
- Cantrips (at will): Chill Touch, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Minor Illusion
- 1st Level (4 slots): Disguise Self, Charm Person, Sleep, Mage Armor
- 2nd Level (3 slots): Mirror Image, Hold Person, Suggestion
- 3rd Level (3 slots): Counterspell, Clairvoyance, Fear
- 4th Level (2 slots): Greater Invisibility, Phantasmal Killer
- 5th Level (1 slot): Dominate Person
Shapechanger
As an action, the Amikuk can magically alter its appearance or revert to its true form. It can transform into any humanoid or giant form it has seen, or into a large, monstrous shape. This transformation doesn’t change the Amikuk’s statistics, except for its size.
Dark Influence (Recharge 5–6)
The Amikuk can subtly warp the emotions of nearby creatures. As a bonus action, it can target one creature within 30 feet. That creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed or frightened (Amikuk’s choice) for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The Amikuk can use this ability once per short rest.
Soul Glide (Recharge 4–6)
As a bonus action, the Amikuk can become incorporeal, moving through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. While incorporeal, the Amikuk can move up to its speed, ignoring all obstacles and provoking no attacks of opportunity. When it ends this movement, it must end in an unoccupied space. Any creature it ends its movement inside must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or suffer the effects of the Mark of Justice spell, wherein they feel compelled to make a morally corrupt decision within the next hour (DM’s discretion). This ability can be used once per long rest.
Shark’s Grin (Recharge 5–6)
The Amikuk’s shark-like grin terrifies those who gaze upon it. As an action, it can fix its gaze on one creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed with fear for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
ACTIONS
Multiattack
The Amikuk makes three attacks: one with its spear and two with its bite or claws.
Spear of Ruin
Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 12 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by Suggestion (as per the spell) by the Amikuk for 1 hour.
Bite
Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) piercing damage.
Claw Swipe
Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) slashing damage.
REACTIONS
Deflect the Wretched
When a creature the Amikuk can see within 30 feet of it attacks another creature, the Amikuk can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. This power reflects the Amikuk’s desire to subtly cause others’ downfall, often twisting the outcome to their detriment.
TACTICS & FIGHTING STYLE
The Amikuk is not a brute force fighter, but rather a tactician who relies on manipulation, deception, and psychological warfare. It prefers to avoid direct confrontation, using its Shapechanger ability to blend into its surroundings or to deceive those around it.
- Opening Moves: The Amikuk often begins a fight by using its Greater Invisibility or Phantasmal Killer to sow fear and confusion. It will attack from the shadows, using its Spear of Ruin to subtly manipulate its opponents into making poor decisions or turning on one another.
- Battlefield Control: The Amikuk excels in controlling the flow of battle. It uses Soul Glide to move through the battlefield, staying out of reach while it manipulates others. Its Dark Influence keeps enemies in disarray, breaking up coordinated attacks and pushing them toward chaos.
- Psychological Warfare: The Shark’s Grin and Soul Glide abilities can incapacitate opponents or make them question their own morality, causing them to make reckless decisions. This ability, paired with its Suggestion spell, can dismantle parties from the inside out.
- Endgame: When the fight reaches its climax, the Amikuk will use Dominate Person to take control of key players in the battle, turning them into pawns in its manipulation. Once its enemies are broken or subdued, the Amikuk will finish them off with quick Spear thrusts or by feeding on their fear with its Bite attack.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The Amikuk can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Amikuk regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Move: The Amikuk moves up to half its movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Soul Swipe: The Amikuk makes a Claw Swipe attack.
- Haunting Words (Costs 2 Actions): The Amikuk whispers dark words to one creature it can see within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or suffer disadvantage on its next attack roll.
MOTIVATION & ROLEPLAYING THE AMIKUK
The Amikuk is a calculating fiend driven by a need to corrupt and control. It is a scholar of vice, always looking for the perfect moment to manipulate or ruin the lives of those it encounters. It never acts impulsively; instead, it watches, listens, and waits until the time is right for its subtle machinations. The Amikuk seeks to leave a legacy of chaos, ensuring that every family, community, or society it touches collapses into moral decay.
In roleplay, the Amikuk will speak in soft, persuasive tones, often offering “help” that is, in reality, a trap. It may engage adventurers in conversation, planting seeds of doubt and fear, or offer them “gifts” like cursed items that will lead them down a darker path. It thrives on exploiting emotions and weaknesses, drawing out its enemies’ insecurities and slowly twisting them into its puppets.
Amikuk
This tall, muscular man is wrapped in heavy furs and his head is that of a grinning, shark-toothed beast. Despite his warm raiment, his feet are bare and are shaped identically to human hands.
Taken from Creature Codex
Amikuks are the sages and scholars of rakshasa society, well-versed in the society of men and all of the ways they can be lured into corruption and vice. The favored weapon of the amikuk is the sadistic choice. An amikuk may manipulate events for years in order to set up one fateful decision in order to ruin families, take over communities or punish rivals. Even by the standards of rakshasas they are subtle, and they may attract rakshasas or other fiends as pupils eager to learn their craft.
Most amikuks prefer the nomadic life. They delight in destroying lives on their journeys, pausing to give a passing traveler a cursed item, a piece of wicked advice or to use their soul glide ability to warp behavior towards iniquity. The soul glide is one of the amikuk’s favorite tools, causing its victims to suffer greatly whenever they fail to desecrate a temple, be cruel to a loved one or any one of a thousand other acts of malice. They are brutal when forced into direct combat, using hit-and-run tactics in conjunction with their powerful spears and razor-sharp teeth.
Amikuk CR 12
XP 19,200
LE Medium outsider (native, rakshasa)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +18, tremorsense 30 ft.
Defense
AC 28, touch 13, flat-footed 25(+3 Dex, +14 natural, +1 Dodge)
hp 138 (12d10+72)
Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +11
DR 15/good and piercing; SR 27
Offense
Speed 30 ft., burrow 40 ft., earth glide
Melee +1 spear +17/+12/+7 (1d8+7), bite +11 (1d8+2) or bite +16 (1d8+4), 2 slams +16 (1d4+4)
Special Abilities detect thoughts, soul glide
Spells CL 9th, concentration +14
4th (5/day)—charm monster (DC 19), greater invisibility
3rd (7/day)—clairaudience/clairvoyance, dispel magic, suggestion (DC 18)
2nd (7/day)—acid arrow, mirror image, misdirection (DC 17), touch of idiocy
1st (8/day)—endure elements, expeditious retreat, hypnotism (DC 16), mage armor, magic missile
0th—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 15), mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic, resistance, touch of fatigue (DC 15)
Statistics
Str 18, Dex 16, Con 22, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 21
Base Atk +12; CMB +16; CMD 30
Feats Arcane Strike,Combat Casting, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack
Skills Bluff +24, Disguise +28, Heal +18, Knowledge (local) +18, Knowledge (nature) +18, Knowledge (planes) +18, Perception +18, Sense Motive +18, Stealth +18; Racial Modifiers +4 Bluff, +8 Disguise
Languages Aquan,Common, Infernal, Sylvan
SQ change shape (humanoid or giant, alter self or giant shape I)
Ecology
Environment any land
Organization solitary, pair or tutelage (1 plus 1-4 rakshasas)
Treasure double standard (+1 spear, other treasure)
Special Abilities
Detect Thoughts (Su) An amikuk can detect thoughts as per the spell of the same name (CL 18th). It can suppress or resume this ability as a free action. When an amikuk uses this ability, it always functions as if it had spent three rounds concentrating and thus gains the maximum amount of information possible. A creature can resist this effect with a DC 21 Will save. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Earth Glide (Su) An amikuk can glide through any sort of natural earth or stone as easily as a fish swims through water. Its burrowing leaves no sign of its passage nor hint at its presence to creatures that don’t possess tremorsense. A move earth spell cast on an area containing an amikuk moves the amikuk back 30 feet and stuns the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.
Soul Glide (Su) As a full-round action, an amikuk can become incorporeal, move up to its speed and enter the square of a living creature. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The affected creature must succeed a DC 21 Will save or be affected by the mark of justice spell, save that there is no visible mark on the target.
The victim of a soul glide attack always knows the terms of the mark of justice so applied. Regardless of whether the opponent succeeds or fails the save, the amikuk moves to a space adjacent to the target and becomes corporeal on the end of its turn. Spells and effects that prevent a creature from being possessed also prevent this ability. The save DC is Charisma based.