Cailleach

Through the driving rain, you can make out the shape of .

Cailleachan bheur are fey tied to winter and storms. When a gaoth sidhe reaches old age, she participates in an initiation ritual which results in her becoming a cailleach bheur. The rite calls for the gaoth sidhe to ride in the heart of a hurricane from beginning to end. When the storm dies down and the clouds clear, a new cailleach bheur is left behind.

Cailleachan bheur consider themselves to be guardians of the weather and do not alter it without a reason. They appreciate and enjoy the power of storms, however, and so like to be near them when the occur naturally.

These fey love to ride storms, and are closely associated with winter and frostbite, the killing frost of mountain peaks and the blasting hurricanes of autumn. Their intimate connection of storms brings them to have nearly as strong a link to water as they have to air, and they are happiest in places where sea and sky mingle together. They have a masterful knowledge of the weather and are often consulted by sages for predictions.

Cailleachan bheur typically lair in high snowy mountains, on icebergs, or on the floor of lakes or oceans prone to storms, typically in cold climates. When winter sets in in temperate areas, they like to ride in on the first blizzards of the season and leave at the onset of spring after making sure the area is properly chilled in winter. They take great offense when magic is used to calm stormy weather or to warm wintry weather, and usually kill offenders against the seasons.

Cailleach bheur often live alone, but are greatly respected by sylphides and gaoth sidhe and are often visited by those fey. They keep in touch with each other by meeting at the Unseelie Court’s winter gala or other fey gatherings. They are also very mindful of the future and tend to make long-term plans. If they have problems which they cannot tackle alone, such as a powerful mortal spellcaster suppressing winter in a small region, they are quick to seek the aid of others of their kind in coveys of three. If they are faced with a significant threat, such as the possible summoning of a fiendish minor cosmic entity playing havoc with the weather, they will join into a more powerful covey of 13 led by a cailleach bheur of at least 32 HD to prevent the occurrence.

It is not uncommon for them to be involved in fey courts, especially the Court of Winds and occasionally the Court of Waves. Due to their love of destruction, they often associate with the Unseelie Court.

A cailleach bheur appears as a wizened old crone with blue-grey skin and stringy grey hair. It usually wears a tattered black peasant’s dress.

Cailleachan bheur speak Aquan, Auran, Common, and Sylvan.

Originally Posted by MythMage of the Dicefreaks forums.

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Cailleach Bheur
Large fey (Air, Cold, Water)
Hit Dice	16d6+64 (106 hp)
Initiative	+4
Speed	30 ft., Swim 60 ft., Fly 90 ft. (good)
Armor Class	26 (+4 Dexterity, +13 natural, -1 size), touch 13, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple	+8/+20
Attack	Claw +16 melee (1d8+8 plus 1d6 cold plus 1 Strength)
Full Attack	2 claws +16 melee (1d8+8 plus 1d6 cold plus 1 Strength) and bite +13 melee (2d6+4 plus disease)
Face/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Chilling touch, disease, spells, storm mastery
Special Qualities	Change size, damage reduction 15/cold iron, immunity to cold and electricity, Low-Light Vision, meld into weather, resistance to sonic 20, resistance to wind, Spell Resistance 31, vulnerability to fire
Saves	Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +16
Abilities	Strength 26, Dexterity 16, Constitution 19, Intelligence 17, Wisdom 22, Charisma 20
Skills	Concentration +14, Intimidate +15, Listen +15, Knowledge (nature) +14, Spot +15, Survival +15 (+17 in aboveground natural environments)
Feats	Dodge, Empower Spell, Eschew Materials, Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (claw)
Climate/Terrain	Any aquatic, marsh, mountain, or hills
Organization	Solitary or covey (3 or 13)
Challenge Rating	16
Treasure	Standard
Alignment	Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement	17-32 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment	+6

COMBAT

A cailleach bheur prefers to first create a storm cover to distract her enemies, then swoop in with claw or bite attacks to weaken her foes before moving out to a distance again. After that, it attempts to destroy its enemies from a distance using its spells.

Change Size (Su) : A cailleach bheur can become any size from Medium to Huge as a move action. It does not revert to a particular size when killed.

Chilling Touch (Su) : A cailleach bheur’s claw attack inflicts 1d6 cold damage and 1 Strength damage on a successful hit.

Disease (Ex) : Frost chills – bite, Fortitude DC 16, incubation period 1 day, damage 1d4 Strength, 1 Dexterity, and 1d4 Constitution. The victim’s skin turns frost-white and cold to the touch. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Meld into Weather (Su) : A cailleach bheur can create a blurring veil of precipitation around itself when it is in an area of precipitation. It becomes effectively invisible as if by greater invisibility. The cailleach bheur may suppress or resume this effect as a free action.

Resistance to Wind (Ex) : A cailleach bheur receives a +8 racial bonus on saving throws against air and wind effects. Reduce all damage dealt to the cailleach bheur by air and wind effects by 20 points.

Spells: A cailleach bheur casts spells as a 16th-level sorcerer.

Typical sorcerer spells known (6/8/7/7/7/6/6/5/3; save DC 15 + spell level):

• 0—daze, detect magic, dancing lights, flare, ghost sound, mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost, touch of fatigue;
• 1st—chill touch, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp, sleep;
• 2nd—blur, eagle’s splendor, gust of wind, hypnotic pattern, shatter;
• 3rd—dispel magic, haste, lightning bolt, slow;
• 4th—contagion, ice storm, shout, solid fog;
• 5th—cone of cold, control winds, telekinesis, waves of fatigue;
• 6th—acid fog, chain lightning, greater dispel magic;
• 7th—control weather, finger of death;
• 8th—greater shout.

Storm Mastery (Su): As a swift action once per day, a cailleach bheur can create a thunderstorm, hurricane, tornado, or blizzard as per control
weather (as a druid, caster level 16th). The initial effect and changes to the effect take only 3 rounds to manifest instead of 10 minutes. A cailleach bheur is immune to all weather effects created by her own storm mastery ability. The effective caster level is Hit Dice-based.