Medusa, Animus Shade; CR: 9; XP: 6,400; Align: CE; Medium undead (incorporeal)
Init: +6; Senses: darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +24; Aura mental static (30 ft., DC 16)
DEFENSE: AC: 16; TAC: 16; FFAC: 14; HD: 8d8+32; HP: 68; Saves: For: +6, Ref: +8, Will: +7; Defensive Abilities all-around vision, channel resistance +4, incorporeal, mental schism; Immune undead traits
OFFENSE: Speed: fly 30 ft. (perfect); Melee: incorporeal touch +10 (animous insinuation, DC 16); Ranged: rend psyche +10 touch (9d6 plus 1d6 Charisma damage, DC 18); Special Attacks: animus insinuation, corrupt intent, petrifying gaze, rend psyche
Statistics: Str: - ; Dex: 15; Con: - ; Int: 12; Wis: 13; Cha: 19; BAB: +8; CMB: +8; CMD: 20
Feats: Improved Initiative, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Finesse
Skills: Undead: (4+Int/HD) Bluff (Ch) +10, Climb (S)(c), Disguise (Ch)(c) +15, Fly (D)(c), Intimidate (Ch)(c) +23, Knowledge (Arcana) (I*)(c), Knowledge (Religion) (I*)(c), Perception (W)(c) +24, Sense Motive (W)(c), Spellcraft (I*)(c), Stealth (D)(c) +13 Racial Modifiers: +8 Intimidate, +12 Perception
Special Abilities:
All-Around Vision (Ex): A medusa’s snake-hair allows her to see in all directions. The medusa animus shade gains a +4 racial bonus on Perception checks and cannot be flanked.
Animous Insinuation (Sp): Whenever an animus shade touches a creature, it inspires that creature’s animus to rise up and overthrow the creature’s dominant personality. This effect functions as per id insinuation II if the animus shade’s CR is 7 or less or id insinuation IV if the animus shade’s CR is 8 or higher, except that either way, the effect only targets a single creature touched and the duration is 1 round per Hit Die of the animus shade, without the need for concentration.
Corrupt Intent (Su): An animus shade subverts the intent and willpower of its enemies, filling them with doubt and conflicting desires that play into the animus shade’s hands. Whenever a creature strikes the animus shade with a melee or ranged attack, it must succeed at a Will save or take a –1 penalty on all further attacks against the animus shade for 1d4 rounds.
Each subsequent failed save against this ability by a creature already under its effect increases the total penalty by 1 and extends the duration of the effect by 1 round.
Rend Psyche (Su): As a standard action, an animus shade unleashes a jet of dark energy at a creature within 30 feet. On a successful ranged touch attack, the target is wracked with mental agony as its own animus attempts to wrench free from its physical form. This violent struggle deals a number of d6s of damage equal to the animus shade’s CR, as well as 1d6 points of Charisma damage.
A successful Will save halves the damage and negates the Charisma damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Mental Schism (Su): An animus shade’s mind is a chaotic tangle of the shredded remnants of the dominant personality that once subsumed it. This mercurial state of being is too piecemeal for alignment-based effects to take hold. The animus shade is immune to all effects that are dependent on alignment.
Petrifying Gaze (Su): Turn to stone permanently, 30 feet, Fortitude DC 18 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Languages: Common
Environment: temperate swamps or underground
Organization: solitary
Treasure: none