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Monster, Poltergeist

Poltergeist

By unknown staff artist - La Vie Mysterieuse magazine, Number 55, April 1911., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3443791, Poltergeist
By unknown staff artist – La Vie Mysterieuse magazine, Number 55, April 1911., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3443791

A ghostly, skeletal figure rises up amid a whirling cyclone of tools, plates, utensils, and other loose objects.

Poltergeist CR 2

XP 600
LE Medium undead (incorporeal)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9

DEFENSE

AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11 (+1 deflection, +1 Dex)
hp 16 (3d8+3)
Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4
Defensive Abilities incorporeal, natural invisibility, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits

OFFENSE

Speed fly 20 ft. (perfect)
Special Attacks frightener, telekinesis

STATISTICS

Str —, Dex 13, Con —, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 12
Base Atk +2; CMB 3; CMD 14
Feats Ability Focus (fear)*, Alertness
Skills Fly +9, Perception +9, Sense Motive +3
Languages Common
SQ site bound

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Frightener (Su)

Once per minute as a standard action, a poltergeist can temporarily drop its natural invisibility, revealing itself to be a skeletal, ghost-like humanoid. All Creatures within 30 feet when a poltergeist uses this ability must make a DC 14 Will save to avoid becoming frightened for 1d4 rounds. The poltergeist then resumes its invisibility at the end of its turn as a free action. A creature that successfully saves is immune to the fear effect of that poltergeist for 24 hours. If the poltergeist’s natural invisibility is negated via other methods, it cannot use this ability. Likewise, those that can see invisible creatures are immune to this special attack. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Rejuvenation (Su)

When a poltergeist is destroyed, it only remains destroyed for 2d4 days. After this time, the undead spirit reforms where it was destroyed, fully healed. The only way to permanently destroy a poltergeist is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research, and should be created specifically for each different poltergeist or group of poltergeists by the GM.

Site Bound (Ex)

A poltergeist cannot travel more than 120 feet from the point at which it was created or formed.

Telekinesis (Su)

A poltergeist has no method of attacking apart from telekinesis. This ability functions as the spell telekinesis, with a CL equal to the poltergeist’s Hit Dice (CL 3rd for most poltergeists). A typical poltergeist has a ranged attack roll of +3 when using telekinesis to hurl objects or creatures, and can use the ability on objects or creatures of up to 75 pounds. If a poltergeist attempts to hurl a creature with this ability, that creature can resist the effect with a successful DC 12 Will save. The save DC is Charisma-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary or haunting (2–7)
Treasure incidental

A poltergeist is an angry spirit that forms from the soul of a creature that, for whatever reason, becomes unable to leave the site of its death. Sometimes, this might be due to an unfinished task—other times, it might be due to a powerful necromantic effect. Desecrating a grave site by building a structure over the body below is the most common method of accidentally creating a poltergeist.

The poltergeist experiences great trauma over its condition; this trauma twists its psyche to evil and fosters an overall hatred of the living expressed in outbursts of rage. A poltergeist is bound to a specific place, usually a building, room, or recognizable area (a section of a cemetery, a stretch of lonely road, and so on). This place typically corresponds to its place of death or the resting place of its mortal remains.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2, © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.

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