Star Song

This is a monster I made for the Monarch of the Monsters 4 contest. Hope you enjoy. (Edited by Cal Moore)

 

It is said that for every idea there is a star in the sky, and every star sings a song honoring that ideal. This is one of those songs. While they are not all malevolent, they adhere to their ideals with alien fervor and this makes them dangerous. Furthermore, they will attempt to cause and thereby incorporate sounds that they feel strengthen their song. This leads them to seek out like-minded beings with whom they will work with and strengthen in return for the aid in increasing the song.

 

They are a truly immortal being, unless one skilled in the listening and recording of music puts their song down in some sort of physical form, binding them. Bards and some musically inclined spellcasters are able to utilize these written songs to perform rituals even if they normally could not. As such, it is not uncommon for to occasionally meet a troupe of bards hunting down Star Songs to reap the power for their own.

 

Their form is one of multicoloured glowing and pulsating bubbles that move and dance to the song that fills the air around them. This song is always present, though sometimes for stealth, the star song can attempt to push it outside of the hearing of mortals. There is often a vague iconic theme to the bubbles, reminiscent of constellations, with flickering threads of power binding them for a moment here and there.

 

Star Song

Triple-strength 5th level leader [demon]

Initiative: +9

Noise and fury +9 vs. AC—45 thunder damage

Natural 16+: Each nearby enemy takes 10 holy damage.

Miss: 20 thunder damage.

R: Dance to the bloody end +10 vs. MD (1d2 + 1 nearby or far away enemies)—25 psychic damage

Natural even hit: The target makes a basic attack against its nearest ally as a free action. The attack doesn’t allow opportunity attacks by the star song’s allies.

Natural even miss: Each of the star song’s allies engaged with that target can pop free from it.

Limited use: 2/battle.

C: Ethereal beauty +10 vs. MD (one nearby enemy, or one nearby enemy per point of esc. die if harmony of the heavens benefit is active)—15 psychic damage, and the target is weakened (save ends)

Dueling melodies: When an enemy bard (or other creature who can use songs) sustains a song, the star song rolls a d6 to grant a benefit to itself and/or its allies that turn.

1. Each ally makes its end of turn saving throws at the start of its turn instead.

2. The star song and each of its allies gains a +10 damage bonus on a hit as its blood boils.

3. Each of its conscious living allies heals 20 hp.

4. The star song and each of its allies gains a fear aura (enemies with 30 hp or fewer that are engaged with those creatures are dazed and do not use the escalation die).

5. Each of its allies flickers like the stars and can teleport to a nearby location it can see as a move action.

6. Each of its allies regains one limited-use ability it has expended.

Harmony of the heavens: While dueling melodies is not active, the star song and each of its allies gains a damage bonus equal to twice the escalation die, hit or miss, and a bonus to saves equal to the escalation die as the music of the star song guides their motions.

Nastier Specials

Song of screams: When one of the star song’s allies is staggered or drops to 0 hp, the star song can use either harmony of the heavens or dueling melodies as a free action as it incorporates its ally’s pain or death sounds into a secondary song. It must use the ability that isn’t currently in use. That ability’s effects last until the end of its next turn.

Dance of the celestial twinkling: Once per round when an attack hits it, the star song can switch places with an ally of its choice (teleporting) as an interrupt action. That ally takes the damage and effects of the attack instead.

 

AC   21

PD   16             HP 205

MD  20

 

Icons

 

The High Magus is said to have a hidden library at his bardic college where he has collected recorded star songs. Yet, he has never been noticed using them, and reports say flickers of anger appear on his face when passing said library’s location.

 

The Soul Catcher has sent out groups of her people hunting these beings, and has a reward offered, some say genuinely, to anyone who discovers a way to bring them to a final end.

 

The Euphony of Twilight is said to never use star songs in her plots, yet, on those occasions when she is sighted, is often seen with what is likely one nearby. This leads many to ask if she has some longer term plan in mind, or if it is an affectation of her romantic heart.