Soul SkelmCreature 10

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Source Pathfinder Bestiary 3
Perception +19 (darkvision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet)
Languages Aklo, Common
Skills Athletics +22, Deception +21, Occultism +19, Society +19, Stealth +17
Str +6, Dex +3, Con +5, Int +3, Wis +5, Cha +7

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AC 29; Fort +19; Reflex +17; Will +21; -2 to all saves vs. emotion effects
HP 170
Speed 30 feet
Immunities possession
Weaknesses Coldiron 10

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Fist +22 (+18, +14) to hit (agile, evil, magical) 2d8+12 Bludgeoning
Antler +22 (+17, +12) to hit (evil, magical) 2d12+12 Piercing
Spiked Chain +23 (+18, +13) to hit (disarm, evil, magical, trip) 2d8+12 Slashing

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Darkvision

A monster with darkvision can see perfectly well in areas of darkness and dim light, though such vision is in black and white only. Some forms of magical darkness, such as a 4th-level Darkness spell, block normal darkvision. A monster with Greater Darkvision, however, can see through even these forms of magical darkness.

Scent (Imprecise) 30 feet

Scent involves sensing creatures or objects by smell, and is usually a vague sense. The range is listed in the ability, and it functions only if the creature or object being detected emits an aroma (for instance, incorporeal creatures usually do not exude an aroma).

If a creature emits a heavy aroma or is upwind, the GM can double or even triple the range of scent abilities used to detect that creature, and the GM can reduce the range if a creature is downwind.

At-Will Spells

The monster can cast its at-will spells any number of times without using up spell slots.

-2 to All Saves vs. Emotion EffectsBully the Departed (auditory, emotion, enchantment, mental, occult)

The skelm draws upon the spirit of one of his deceased victims, tormenting their soul beyond the grave. Until the end of his next turn, the soul skelm gains Regeneration 15 (deactivated by force or good), and he deals an extra 1d8 evil damage on his Strikes.

Effect: Bully the Departed

Change Shape (concentrate, occult, polymorph, transmutation)

The soul skelm can take on the appearance of any Medium male humanoid. This doesn't change his Speed or his attack and damage bonuses with his Strikes but might change the damage type his Strikes deal.

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The monster changes its shape indefinitely. It can use this action again to return to its natural shape or adopt a new shape. Unless otherwise noted, a monster cannot use Change Shape to appear as a specific individual. Using Change Shape counts as creating a disguise for the Impersonate use of Deception. The monster's transformation automatically defeats Perception DCs to determine whether the creature is a member of the ancestry or creature type into which it transformed, and it gains a +4 status bonus to its Deception DC to prevent others from seeing through its disguise. Change Shape abilities specify what shapes the monster can adopt. The monster doesn't gain any special abilities of the new shape, only its physical form. For example, in each shape, it replaces its normal Speeds and Strikes, and might potentially change its senses or size. Any changes are listed in its stat block.

Isolating Lash (illusion, occult)

The soul skelm makes a melee Strike trailing a wave of shadowy illusions. The skelm is Flat-Footed until the start of his next turn. If the Strike is successful, the skelm increases the number of damage dice by one, and the target must attempt a DC 29 will save.

On a failure, the target becomes Invisible, inaudible, and otherwise imperceptible to its allies for 4 rounds, and it likewise can't see, hear, or otherwise perceive those allies.

Regardless of the outcome, the creature is temporarily immune to Isolating Lash for 24 hours.

Grab

Requirements The monster's last action was a success with a Strike that lists Grab in its damage entry, or it has a creature grabbed using this action.

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Effect The monster automatically Grabs the target until the end of the monster's next turn. The creature is Grabbed by whichever body part the monster attacked with, and that body part can't be used to Strike creatures until the grab is ended. Using Grab extends the duration of the monster's Grab until the end of its next turn for all creatures grabbed by it. A grabbed creature can use the Escape action to get out of the grab, and the Grab ends for a grabbed creatures if the monster moves away from it.

Knockdown

Requirements The monster's last action was a success with a Strike that lists Knockdown in its damage entry.

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Effect The monster knocks the target Prone.

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Occult Innate Spells (DC 29, +21 to hit)

1st Level: Harm
2nd Level: Illusory Creature, Invisibility (At Will), Silence (At Will)
4th Level: Dimension Door (At Will), Modify Memory
5th Level: Mind Probe
7th Level: Plane Shift (Self Only) (Astral or Material Plane Only)

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Soul skelms arise not from mortal men but from other skelms, as their long-held wrath slowly twists them and replaces lingering fragments of their mortality with even more fiendish aspects. These skelms bully and exploit the souls of the dead, binding souls and undead to keep themselves indefinitely young. They bully living victims as well, stoking regret and shame even from inconsequential minutiae or outright fabrications until these feelings become unbreakable ties that the skelm can leverage from beyond the grave. A soul skelm's attentions can leave a victim isolated from friends and allies, making them all the more susceptible to the skelm's manipulations.

Ambitious soul skelms-often those who arise from palace skelms-search out powerful, high-strung mortals and trick them into bringing ridicule or shame on themselves. After their victim's death, the skelms gleefully remind them of their mortal failings, feeding on their despair.

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Rage-filled skelms are drawn to any settlement with more than a few hundred souls. Using magical disguises and leveraging societal norms to their benefit, these antlered monsters crave fearful respect and brutally punish any who dare disagree with their lofty opinions, even in the slightest degree. Although quite dangerous on their own, skelms are at their deadliest when leading an angry mob. Their cruel and exploitative nature has made their name synonymous with villainy.

An existing skelm can transform any evil humanoid who's overwhelmed with rage into one of their kind. Skelms heap enraging humiliation on potential new brothers as a form of indoctrination, convincing these recruits that some other person or group is responsible for their misery. This practice ensures skelms begin their new existence with sufficient vitriol to plot their revenge.

Many newly forged skelms carry on their lives in the roles they held as mortals; and in fact, these roles often shape the type of skelm they become. Skelms can arise among members of nearly any ancestry, though they're more common among cultures with deeply entrenched gender roles, unjust hierarchies, and those that don't offer healthy ways to experience and process anger.

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Traits