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Ethereal Filcher

Clicking around on four talons, the ethereal filcher is an abomination of muscled torso from which five clawed arms extend. The center of its torso is a gaping maw.

Ethereal Filcher CR 2

XP 600
N Medium aberration
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., magicsense 60 ft., Perception +9

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+4 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 22 (5d8)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +5

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +7 (1d6)

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 17 (19 vs. trip)
Feats Deft Hands, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Skills Disable Device +11, Perception +9, Sleight of Hand +11
Languages none
SQ ethereal escape

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Ethereal Escape (Su)

The ethereal filcher is able to slip into the Ethereal Plane as a move action. It can remain in the Ethereal Plane for two rounds before it must use a move action to shift back to the Material Plane.

Magicsense (Su)

Ethereal filchers can sense the presence of active magic spells and magic items (as the detect magic) spell within 60 ft. This sense is always active but can be fooled by spells that disguise magic auras or by areas of dead magic.

Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) can learn more about an Ethereal Filcher. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (name)

DC Result
DC 7 Ethereal filchers are bizarre aberrations native to the Material Plane that like to steal magic items.
DC 12 Ethereal filchers can move quickly between the Material and the Ethereal Planes.
DC 17 Ethereal filchers can sense magic, like some undead can sense the presence of life energy. Filchers hunger for the glow of magical items.
DC 22 Ethereal filchers are cowards who will always run away instead of risking serious injury.


Editor's Notes

Based on the creature's description, it has four legs, meaning its CMD vs trip should be:  CMD 17 (21 vs. trip).

GM's are encouraged to use this amount.

ECOLOGY

Environment underground
Organization solitary
Treasure double

Despite their name, the ethereal filcher is not a creature of extraplanar origin. These creatures are native to the Material Plane but are able to shift back and forth from the Ethereal Plane easily. Using this ability to seemingly move in and out of reality, the ethereal filcher sneaks about the underearth in search of magic items.

Upon locating a creature carrying magical items, the ethereal filcher will shift into the Ethereal and move into position to reappear in front of its target. If the mark is surprised, the filcher will snatch a magic item (using its more than adequate Sleight of Hand skill) and disappear back into the Ethereal Plane. If a filcher does not surprise the target, they will often bite them instead before then disappearing. The filcher will continue to make surprise attacks against the mark until it is seriously injured or it succeeds.

Once it secures a trinket, an ethereal filcher scurries back to its lair to admire its prize. Ethereal filchers have never been observed to employ magic items or carry them into combat so sages are unsure of why they steal this type of treasure. Rumors abound in the underearth, that a great vault of magic treasure exists—a garbage dump of all the filchers’ finds.

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Forgotten Foes © 2010 Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc.; Authors Mark Gedak and Stefen Styrsky.