Windigo

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A windigo is a vampiric wind spirit that haunts isolated wilderness areas. Cruel hunters by nature, windigos revel in stalking and terrorizing their prey. The hunt is often more important to these elusive spirits than the kill itself.
Windigo spirits originate from the Elemental Plane of Air. Their true form is a noncorporeal cloud of haze of faintly humanoid shape with sky blue eyes that glow faintly from some internal light. Before entering combat, windigos surround their noncorporeal bodies with debris from their environment, giving them solid forms (see below). The seldom-heard voice of a windigo sounds like a demonic chorus of fleeting whispers that originates from all directions at once. Other than their voices, windigos make no sound at all, even while walking over a forest floor covered with dry leaves.
==Combat==
A windigo engages in direct combat only after thoroughly terrorizing its prey. Due to its transparent body, a windigo is 95% invisible while standing still and 50% invisible while moving. At distances greater than fifty feet a windigo is completely invisible. It uses this power as well as its ghostly silence to stalk its prey.
Before entering combat, the windigo must spend a few seconds creating a physical body for itself. (The windigo suffers a +2 initiative penalty on the first round of combat.) It does so by weaving a whirlwind around its noncorporeal form, lifting leaves, dirt, sand, rocks, or any other small objects from the surrounding environment. After a few seconds, the twirling debris coalesces into the shape of a horribly twisted and willowy humanoid. While in this form, it attacks with claws of jagged rocks or splintered wood. However, their solid state does cause windigos to lose their silent movement.
Because a windigo creates its physical body out of pieces of its environment, it has a variable Armor Class, ranging from 0 to 5, depending upon its surroundings. A windigo comprised of abrasive desert sand, for example, will have AC 5. Were the same wind spirit to create its body out of jagged mountain granite, it would have AC 0. The DM should use common sense when determining a windigo's AC, taking into consideration the materials available in the environment. Otherwise a 1d6 can be rolled, subtracting one to determine the windigo's AC.
Once every 3 rounds a windigo can release a fiery gale with an area of effect equivalent to a fireball spell (20' diameter). This searing windblast deals 5d6 points damage (save vs. breath weapon for half damage). This blast is so powerful that, unless a saving throw vs. paralyzation is also made, man-sized or smaller victims are lifted repeatedly into the air, forfeiting all actions for the rest of the round.
Windigos can cast the following spells at will as a 10th-level wizard: whispering wind, gust of wind, fly (MV 24, MC: A), summon swarm (1/day; mosquitoes only). The windigo has the grotesque ability to seamlessly wear the skins of its victims over its noncorporeal body. While wearing a humanoid's skin, the windigo is able to assume the voice of its "host." For this reason, a windigo can only assume the form of a humanoid creature that it has personally killed. This magical ability is similar in effect to a polymorph other spell and is utterly convincing. Once the spell's duration has expired, the skin begins to rip and fray, destroying the illusion.
==Habitat/Society==
Windigos dwell in lonely wilderness areas. Although they are territorial, it is not uncommon for these elusive wind spirits to disappear from their usual haunting ground, only to reappear hundreds of miles away several years later. Windigos, solitary by nature, are in a constant state of retreat from the everadvancing tide of civilization. Whenever a windigo is driven deeper into the wilderness, it leaves behind its own unique brand of curse: a persistent plague of mosquitoes that torments the invading settlers. According to legend, windigos fathered the mosquito species as an act of revenge against humanoid races.
Roughly once every three centuries, a few dozen windigo congregate at the site of an epic winter storm. This event, seemingly religious in nature, entails the wind spirits dancing throughout the storm while chanting in their hallow, gusty voices. Aside from this dark ritual, windigos are never found in groups.
Windigos are claustrophobic. They grow agitated if they are stuck under a roof for only a few moments, and rarely do they venture into thick forests, as trees obstruct their vision to the heavens. If they move more than 20 yards from open sky, they are rendered powerless and, on the following round, are instantly destroyed. For this reason, they are never found below ground.
==Ecology==
Windigos are adept hunters that stalk any intelligent being who dares to venture into their wilderness. These wind spirits are vampiric, needing fresh blood to keep their vaporous bodies from disintegrating.
Windigos are patient, often stalking their prey for days before attacking. Windigos, renowned for striking fear into their victims' hearts, especially enjoy tailing lone travelers or small groups. A common tactic of these evil wind spirits is to flit in and out of the trees behind a group of travelers, only to disappear when someone looks back. After heightening its victims' paranoia, the windigo begins to call softly to the travelers, so softly that its voice can barely be distinguished from a slight breeze. Only after the group is driven into a panic-induced frenzy of cursing or running does a windigo attack. A survivor of such an attack is typically left with intense agoraphobia, breaking out into a cold sweat when the wind is heard rustling through the treetops.
Category:Creatures
Category:Dungeon Magazine Creatures