The Stabbing Beast

# Herald, The Stabbing Beast

*This towering, scorpion-tailed man stalks with a soundless grace and murderous intent.*

## The Stabbing Beast CR 15

**Source** *Inner Sea Gods pg. 300**(Amazon)*, *Pathfinder #59: The Price of Infamy pg. 90**(Amazon)*

**XP** 51,200

NE Medium outsider (evil, extraplanar, herald, shapechanger)

**Init** +16; **Senses** darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, see in darkness, *see invisibility*; Perception +26

### Defense

**AC** 31, touch 23, flat-footed 18 (+12 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 natural)

**hp** 212 (17d10+119)

**Fort** +17, **Ref** +17, **Will** +14; +4 vs. mind–affecting

**Defensive Abilities** all-around vision; **DR** 10/good and magic; **Immune** poison; **Resist** acid 30, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; **SR** 26

### Offense

**Speed** 50 ft.

**Melee** *+1 keen short swords*+28/+28/+23/+18/+13 (1d6+4/17–20 plus bleed), sting +24 (1d6+4 plus bleed and poison)

**Ranged** poison stream +29 touch (blindness 1d4+1 rounds),dart gun+28 (1d6+4/x2 plus poison)

**Special Attacks** bleed (2d6), poison, sudden strike

**Spell-Like Abilities** (CL 17th; concentration +19)

Constant—*see invisibility*

At will—*absorbing touch*APG, *alchemical allocation*APG, *charm person*(DC 13), *keen edge*, *poison*(DC 16), *true strike*

3/day—*false alibi*(DC 15), *greater teleport*(self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), *invisibility*, *modify memory*(DC 16), *suggestion*(DC 15), summon (level 6, 1 fiendish deadfall scorpion [Bestiary 3 237] 100%)

### Statistics

**Str** 16, **Dex** 35, **Con** 24, **Int** 13, **Wis** 15, **Cha** 14

**Base Atk** +17; **CMB** +20; **CMD** 43

**Feats** Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Deflect ArrowsB, Dodge, Greater FeintB, Improved FeintB, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Iron Will, Mobility, Scorpion StyleB, Spring Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon FinesseB

**Skills** Appraise +12, Bluff +22, Climb +11, Craft (alchemy) +13, Knowledge (arcana, nature) +10, Knowledge (local) +13, Knowledge (planes) +12, Knowledge (religion) +9, Perception +26, Sense Motive +13, Stealth +32; **Racial Modifiers** +8 Bluff, +4 Perception

**Languages** Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal, Protean; telepathy 100 ft.

**SQ** change shape (Huge scorpion or scorpion-tailed human; *shapechange*), murderer’s reward

### Ecology

**Environment** any land (Axis)

**Organization** solitary

**Treasure** standard (2 *+1 short swords*)

### Special Abilities

**Change Shape (Su)** In its scorpion form, replace or add the following statistics: **Size**Huge; **Init**+14; **AC**31, touch 21, flat-footed 20 (+10 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural); **Ref**+16; **Melee** claws +28 (2d6+13 plus bleed and grab), sting +26 (2d6+11 plus bleed and poison); **Space**15 ft.; **Reach**15 ft.; **Special Attacks**constrict (2d6+12); **Str**32, **Dex**31; **CMB**+30 (+34 grapple); **CMD**53 (65 vs. trip); **Skills**Climb +20, Stealth +24.

**Murderer’s Reward (Su)** If the Stabbing Beast’s attack reduces a target to fewer than 0 hit points, the herald immediately gains 2d6 temporary hit points (or 3d8, if the attack kills the target), but no more than the target’s maximum hit points. The temporary hit points last for 1 hour.

**Poison (Ex)** Sting—injury; *save*Fort DC 25; *frequency*1/round for 6 rounds; *effect*1d6 Str; *cure*2 consecutive saves.

**Poison Stream (Ex)** As a ranged attack (or in place of a melee sting attack), the Stabbing Beast can fire a stream of poison up to 180 feet at an opponent’s eyes. The target must succeed at a save against the Stabbing Beast’s poison or be blinded for 1d4+1 rounds.

**Sudden Strike (Ex)** During a surprise round, the herald may act as if it had a full round to act, rather than just one standard action.

The Stabbing Beast is the herald of Norgorber, the god of greed, murder, secrets, and poison. It is an incredibly dangerous predator that uses its keen intellect and deadly poison to stalk and kill its prey. Its natural form is that of a huge scorpion, but it can also assume an armored humanoid shape suitable for stealth or interacting with Norgorber’s followers. Though its main purpose for coming to Golarion is to kill, it has also been called to aid great thefts and bury terrible secrets.