This strange humanoid looks like a gangly, distorted caricature of an ettercap, with spiderlike fingers and an enormous wicked grin.
Nightmare Ettercap CR 4
XP 1,200
NE Medium aberration
Init +9; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +9; Aura fear (60 ft., DC 13), frightful presence (30 ft., DC 13)
AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+5 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 30 (4d8+12); regeneration 5 (good spells and weapons, silver)
Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6
Defensive Abilities illusion resistance, protection from good; DR 5/good or silver
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 10 ft. (perfect)
Melee bite +5 (1d6+2 plus poison), 2 claws +5 (1d4+2)
Special Attacks night terrors (DC 13), poison, traps, web (+8 ranged, DC 15, 4 hp)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +5)
Constantâprotection from good
3/dayâdetect thoughts (DC 13), dream (DC 16), nightmare (DC 16), suggestion (DC 14)
1/dayâshadow walk
Str 14, Dex 21, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 12
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 20
Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative
Skills Climb +14, Craft (trapmaking) +11, Fly +13, Intimidate +5, Perception +9, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers +8 Craft (trapmaking), +4 Intimidate, +4 Stealth
Languages Common
SQ feign death (DC 13), spider empathy +7
Biteâinjury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 10 rounds; effect 1d2 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.
This ability functions as a druid’s wild empathy, except that an ettercap can only use this ability on spiders. An ettercap gains a +4 racial bonus on this check. Spiders are mindless, but this empathic communication imparts to them a modicum of implanted intelligence, allowing ettercaps to train giant spiders and use them as guardians.
An ettercap is particularly skilled at crafting cunning traps with its webs. Deadfalls, nooses, and spear traps are the most common traps ettercaps build with their webs. An ettercap doesn’t require gold to build its traps, merely time.
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, pair, or nests (3â6 plus 2â6 giant spiders)
Treasure standard
Nightmare creatures have an unnatural link to the most terrifying parts of the Dimension of Dreams, allowing them to turn others’ dreams into nightmares and sow fear even in the waking world. Corrupted by their power, they become evil and use their abilities to torment their enemies and abuse creatures weaker than themselves. Eventually this dream connection corrupts the creature’s appearance into a bizarre caricature of its original form.
A nightmare creature uses its ability to control dreams to confuse and frighten its target with horrendous imageryâvisions of failure or betrayal and horrific scenes of murder and death. A nightmare creature may even allow the target to think it is in control of the dream or has awakened from a nightmare, only to snatch away that hope and send its target into a downward spiral of misery and self-doubt. The most wicked nightmare creatures tend to become ghosts if slain, returning again and again to haunt their chosen victims.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4 © 2013, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Savannah Broadway, Ross Byers, Adam Daigle, Tim Hitchcock, Tracy Hurley, James Jacobs, Matt James, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Tork Shaw, and Russ Taylor.