Platylig (Flatwoods Monster)

Taken from the Creature Codex

This looming metallic creature is vaguely humanoid, although its body below the waist tapers off into a cloak-like mass. It levitates silently, its long clawed arms grasping at the air. Its head is spherical and featureless save for its glowing eyes, and a rubbery spade-shaped mantle grows from its neck like a collar.

Platyligs are strange sapient constructs native to the Ethereal Plane. They are typically found in close association with the xills, a race of xenophobic conquerors who require living hosts for their young. The xills use platyligs as scouts, shock troopers and kidnappers, sending them to gather intelligence on areas they seek to conquer and abduct key personnel. Platyligs prefer quick strikes and hit-and-run tactics, leaving no evidence of their presence save for missing persons and an odd oily residue formed from their weakness clouds.

Platyligs are unusually intelligent for constructs, and have their own society within xill enclaves. This society is deferential to the more numerous xill, but fully egalitarian between each other; platyligs recognize no internal authorities and cooperate with each other on all tasks. The secrets of platylig creation are unknown to mortals. Even the xill are ignorant in platylig construction. Platyligs instead make more of their own kind in a ritual akin to both ordinary construction and childbirth. Two platyligs build a shell from alien metals and then invest it with part of their own essence. The “parents” are temporarily weakened from this ritual, but recover their strength in a matter of days. All platyligs are exactly nine feet tall and weigh exactly 750 pounds.

Platylig                 CR 9

XP 6,400
LE Large construct (extraplanar)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +13

Defense

AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 21(-1 size, +3 Dex, +12 natural)
hp 115 (10d10+30 plus 30)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +5
DR 10/adamantine; Defensive Qualities unnatural toughness
Immune construct traits

Offense

Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Melee 2 claws +16 (1d10+6 plus grab)
Ranged 2 eye-rays +12 touch (5d6 fire)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks weakness cloud
Spell-like Abilities CL 10th, concentration +14
At will—grease (DC 15), stabilize

Statistics

Str 23, Dex 16, Con  ̶, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 16
Base Atk +10; CMB +17 (+21 grapple); CMD 30
Feats Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Fly +12, Perception +13, Stealth +11; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +8 Stealth
Languages Common, Infernal
SQ flight, planewalkEcology
Environment any land or underground (Ethereal Plane)
Organization solitary, pair, guard (1 plus 2-6 xills) or squad (4-10)
Treasure none

Special Abilities

• Eye-Rays (Su) As a standard action, a platylig can fire two rays of fire from its eyes. Each of these rays functions as a ranged touch attack with a range of 100 feet and no range increment. A creature struck by one of these rays takes 5d6 points of fire damage.
• Flight (Su) The flight of a platylig is a supernatural ability. It cannot be dispelled, but is suppressed in an antimagic field or similar effect.
• Planewalk (Su) A platylig can shift from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane as a move action. Shifting from the Material Plane to the Ethereal Plane takes a full-round action. A platylig can take a single creature with it when it switches planes. If this creature is not willing or helpless, it can resist this ability with a DC 18 Will save. The save DC is Charisma based.
• Unnatural Toughness (Ex) A platylig gains bonus hit points based on its Charisma score in addition to the bonus hit points gained due to its size. In addition, it uses its Charisma modifier to calculate its Fortitude save.
• Weakness Cloud (Su) A platylig can spray a cloud of gas in a 30 foot radius as a standard action. Creatures caught within this area must succeed a DC 18 Fortitude save or become exhausted. Creatures exposed to this effect cannot be affected by the weakness cloud of that platylig for the next 24 hours, regardless of whether the saving throw succeeded or not. A platylig can use this ability three times per day. The save DC is Charisma based.