Red-Hooded Thatchling
Level 2Attacks
Abilities
15 feet. The thatchling's giggle echoes in the back of the mind. Creatures within the aura take a –1 status penalty to Will saves.
When a thatchling is destroyed by damage other than fire, it attempts a DC 11 flat. On a success, it reforms after within 120 feet of where it was destroyed, fully healed. A thatchling is always permanently destroyed if reduced to 0 Hit Points by fire damage or if the obstacle preventing the soul from reincarnating is removed.
A living humanoid who's slain by a red-hooded thatchling while under the effects of Thatchling's Curse rises as a thatchling after . This spawn is under the command of the red-hooded thatchling that killed it. If a red-hooded thatchling controls too many at once (as determined by the GM), some thatchlings can free themselves with a DC 18 will saving throw at the start of their turn. If the red-hooded thatchling who created the spawn is destroyed, the spawn becomes an autonomou
Frequency once per hour
Effect The red-hooded thatchling sobs pitifully before unleashing a terrifying scream. All non-thatchling creatures within a 30-foot emanation take 2d10 sonic damage (DC 18 fortitude save) and become immune to all thatchlings' distracting giggle for 1 minute. Thatchlings in the area gain 5 temporary Hit Points and a +1 status bonus to their Strikes and saving throws for 1 minute.
Effect: Howl of Vengeful Fury
The thatchling focuses their attention on a single target within 30 feet that they can see, and then begins muttering and whispering nonsense. The target must attempt a DC 18 will save.
Critical Success The target is unaffected and is temporarily immune to Thatchling's Curse for 24 hours.
Success The target is momentarily disoriented and has difficulty moving in the right direction. The target takes a –5-foot status penalty to its Speeds for 1 round.
Failure As success, but the penalty
Thatchlings ignore difficult terrain caused by brambles, fallen buildings, ruined structures, tangled grass, and undergrowth.
When a soul doomed to become a thatchling dies in the throes of great anguish, they can return after death as a red-hooded thatchling. These vengeful thatchlings appear to wear red hoods when viewed at a distance, but up close, the grisly truth—that their heads are blood-soaked—is revealed. Unlike other thatchlings, red-hooded thatchlings are skilled at trickery, and their ability to appear as a living humanoid through illusion magic allows them to lure unsuspecting travelers into ambushes much more easily.
In rural Shenmen, some branches of Sangpotshi warn of what can happen if a soul bound for reincarnation is prevented from entering the River of Souls and rejoining the cycle. These souls become frustrated, confused, and then furious at what they feel is a denial of the body they deserve, and in turn, they force vegetation to serve as their new body. Others theorize that when a body is buried in a shallow grave, the roots of grass growing down into the remains can tangle the soul and capture it. Thatchlings are intelligent and capable of speaking but rarely do so—they generally have little to say to those whose lives they covet. Rarely, one might attempt to lure someone into an area of tall grass or dense undergrowth by calling out to them for aid, but they have little skill at deception, so such tactics aren't particularly effective at making them seem like actual living creatures in need of help.