Nils
Size/Type: Medium Magical Humanoid
Hit Dice: 10
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 feet
AC: 25 (+2 Dex) (+13 natural)
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1-8 (plus special drain-see below)
Face/Reach: 6ft. by 6 ft.
Special Attacks: Level Drain / Magic Drain
Special Qualities: Immune to Fire, Cold, Lightning,
Acid, and Poison.
Unaffected by Normal or Magical Weapons
Can sense and detect magical items
Darkvision -- 60 feet.
Saves: Automatically makes all saves except as
described below.
Abilities: STR:10 DEX:14 CON:18 INT:15 WIS:15 CHA:6
Skills: Hide +1, Search +5, Spot +4, Move Silently
+1
Feats: Magic Sense
Climate/Terrain: Desert or Dry Wasteland
Organization: Small groups (1-6)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Double Normal (no magic except as described
below)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: none
Description: They do not speak but appear to communicate
with each other by some form of telepathy. They speak only their language
and will not speak any other.
Combat: Nil are stealthy and silent creatures who
prefer to attack by surprise rather than by a frontal assault. They will
watch a group of adventurers for quite some time before they will attack.
They will use their magical sense to detect what possessions on a character
are the most magical. They will then plan a surprise attack, attempting
to drain the most powerful items first. Their touch acts as a Rod of Cancellation
against magical items. If the Nil feel the characters are too big of a
threat, they will use their power to drain the life energy of their prey
(1 level drained per hit).
Characters who foolishly stay in hand-to-hand combat
with the Nil run the risk of losing their most valued magical weapons,
or risk losing their very souls. Once the prey is killed or captured the
Nil will drain several magic items of their power, and then store the
rest for later “meals”. Any character captured by the Nil will suffer
a long and horrid death as their life force is slowly drained away by
the hungry Nil. A character completely drained of life by a Nil can NEVER
be raised or resurrected.
As stated above, the Nil are completely immune
to fire, cold, lightning, acid, and poison. Normal or Magical Weapons
simply skitter off their parched grey hides. The only thing that will
harm a Nil is water. It need not be holy water, as any water will do.
The Nil will take 4D8 worth of damage every round they are exposed to
water, until they “dissolve”. At the first sign of water the Nil will
flee in panic. If by chance a Nil is captured, it will fight vigorously
to the very end.
Magically created snowstorms will do only half
damage as the Nils will absorb some of the conjuration energies, but magically
created rain will effect them like an acid spray.
Society: The Nil are a selfish and magic hungry
race that looks on all other races as a source of food. They will not
negotiate or surrender in a battle, nor will they attempt to plead for
their own life. If faced with certain death, the Nil will go out fighting.
They have no other concerns apart from their own survival.
The Nil, long ago known as the Nilihites, were
once a proud and vital race who sought knowledge and the source of all
true magic. They had a society that spanned many continents, and were
the envy of many other races. For centuries they searched for the Ultimate
Source, an unending wellspring of magical power. Unfortunately, they would
regret their lust for power. A group of Nilihite wizards stumbled on the
Source by accident and caused a backlash of power which transformed their
entire race. Now the Nil are but shadows of their former selves. Their
frail looking out forms are but shells that contain their now limitless
need for magic energy and living life-force. In truth, the Nil are composed
of almost pure magic. But the magic is tainted, and drains away with the
passage of time. The Nil must renew their power often or they will pass
away without a trace, into non-existence.
The Nil now gather together in small, tight-knit
groups. Each group will be found in areas where the climate is dry and
arid. Often they will find a magical cache or artifact and slowly drain
the power away to sustain them. If threatened with starvation the Nil
will begin draining the life-force from any creature they can find. If
energy becomes too scarce, they will turn on each other.
Nils reproduce through an odd form cloning. When
a Nil drains the last bits of life-force from a sentient prey, the Nil
will go thru a transformation where it will divide itself into two identical
Nil. This process takes about a minute to complete, during which a Nil
is completely unable to defend itself. Nil like to avoid this situation
in combat, but will willingly do it after a battle to it’s captured or
fallen foes.
© 2004 Sean P. Kennedy
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