Banshees are the corrupted asari often found leading a Reaper strike force. The Reapers create them specifically from asari with active or latent predispositions to becoming ArdatYakshi, a rare neurological condition that enhances the asari’s psionic power while causing the immediate death of anyone she mates with. Lumbering as though in constant pain, the emaciated banshees are surprisingly durable opponents. They are devastating psionics able to hurl lethal balls of energy and create shockwaves as they regenerate. What Alliance military finds most disturbing is the Banshee’s ability to spawn her own warp field and seemingly teleport during combat. Although their wails have no apparent physiological effect, the psychological impact is undeniable. When banshees die, their Ardat-Yakshi genetics twist against them, causing a psionic force implosion to ensure they evade capture.
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Claw - Melee -
Attack: +14 Critical: 19-20/×2 Damage: 2d6+5
Lightning Reflexes
Iron Will
Greater Fortitude
Improved Critical (claw)
Weapon Focus (claw)
DR/Armor
Check Penalty
Technique Fail
Skills: Biotics +18, Listen +18, Spot +18
Race:
Alignment Path:
Size Category
Base Speed -
Challenge Rating: 10
Environment
Organization: Solitary, pair or pack (2 – 4)
Treasure
Banshee Nova
Damage: 13d6
Radius: 30 ft
Cooldown: 4 actions
Banshee Charge
Damage: 4d6
Range: 15 ft
Shield HP Restored: 0
Cooldown: Special
Banshee Reave
Fortitude Save DC: 22
Damage Dealt: 16
Duration of Pain Effect: 1 action
Duration of Reave: 3 actions
Cooldown: 3 actions
BANSHEE CR 10 XP 9.600 Large organic/synthetic (reaper) Senses: Listen +18, Spot +18, Nightvision 60 ft Initiative: +2 Speed: 30 ft
DEFENSE STATISTICS Defense: 11 (+2 Dex, -1 size), touch 11, flat-footed 10
Shield HP: 82 (13×4+30) Shield HP DR: 2
Plating HP: 101 (13d8+26+13) Plating HP DR: 3
HP: 1 HP DR: 3 Immunities: poison, disease, fear effects
Fortitude: +10 Reflex: +8 Will: +6
OFFENSE STATISTICS Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+18 Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft
Feats: Improved Plating, Biotic Focus (Reave), Improved Biotic Focus (Reave)
Advancement: Banshees advance by gaining new HD, as normal. They possess Medium BAB, good Fortitude and Will saves and bad Reflex save.
They gain feats normally but not skill points. Also, each 3 HD provides one additional stat point.
Morality: Paragon +0, Renegade +0
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Barrier Shields: The Shield HP of a Banshee always equals her HD times Cha modifier +30. These Shield HP also count as biotic powers for the purpose of determining whether or not certain powers or abilities deal extra damage against them. In addition, when the banshee loses its Shield HP, she drops prone and releases any character she is grappling.
Armored: A banshee possesses only 1 HP. All the normal HP it should gain are instead Plating HP. Anything that would grant her HP grants her instead Plating HP.
Improved Grab: If a banshee hits the target with its melee attack, it automatically attempts to grab him. She gains an automatic grapple check against the target without provoking AoO. If a banshee that is grappling a character still has Shield HP but loses those HP before using its Impale ability on the grappled target, then she immediately releases it, due to the Barrier Shields ability drawback. The same happens if a banshee without Shield HP is grappling the target but then takes more than 30 points of damage before using Impale on the target. The banshee cannot use this ability on characters larger than her.
Impale: When the banshee is grappling a target, she can impale him, causing instant death, by using her long claws arms has a spear-like weapon pierced through the target’s torso. This ability can be used regardless of whatever armor the target is wearing, but it can only affect organics. Despite being deadly, this ability is slow to take effect, requiring at least 2 actions after the target has been successfully grappled. During those two actions, the banshee automatically succeeds on any grapple check made during her turn against that target but only during her turn. A banshee immediately starts this ability after grappling a character. If she loses the grapple, this doesn’t take effect and she must again grapple the target and start the ability from the start. This only works against creatures smaller than the banshee.
Banshee Nova: A banshee can create a powerful version of the Biotic Nova power. This version doesn’t require her to use any biotic points and its cooldown only affects the Banshee Nova, so after using this power she can use any other she possesses. This power is in all aspects similar to the Biotic Nova with a few major differences: - It does not apply any Throw effect on those affected by this power. - It has a much larger area of effect. - It deals greater damage. - Banshees scream when using this power. The screech has no in-game effect. The banshee can use this power any number of times per encounter.
Banshee Charge: A banshee can, at will, replicate a biotic power similar to the Biotic Charge. Although similar to that biotic power, the Banshee Charge has some major differences: - Creatures affected by this power are not sent flying. - The distance of the charge is greatly reduced. - The banshee cannot restore Shield HP with this power. - The banshee cannot combine this power with the Banshee Nova. - While the banshee still has Shield HP left, this power has no cooldown. Once the Shield HP are removed, this power has a cooldown of 2 actions. The banshee can use this power any number of times per encounter.
Banshee Reave: A banshee can, at will, project an energy ball that upon impact replicates effects similar to the Reave biotic power. Although similar to that power, the Banshee Reave has some major differences: - The energy ball projected by the banshee travels slower, so targets gain twice movement bonus to Defense against this power. - This power has two different durations: one related to the pain effect it causes on a failed Fortitude save; the other is the overall duration of the Banshee Reave, that is the number of actions the damage will be dealt. The banshee can use this power any number of times per encounter.