Lamia

This creature's upper torso is that of a comely woman with cat's eyes and sharp fangs, while her lower body is that of a lion.

Lamia CR 6

XP 2,400
CE Large monstrous humanoid
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +7 natural, –1 size)
hp 67 (9d10+18)
Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +11

OFFENSE

Speed 60 ft.
Melee +1 dagger +13/+8 (1d4+4/19–20), touch +7 (1d4 Wisdom drain), 2 claws +7 (1d4+2)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Wisdom drain
Spells Known (CL 9th)

At will—disguise self, ventriloquism
3/day—charm monster (DC 15), major image (DC 14), mirror image, suggestion (DC 14)
1/day—deep slumber (DC 14)

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 13
Base Atk +9; CMB +14; CMD 28 (32 vs. trip)
Feats Dodge, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Mobility, Spring Attack
Skills Bluff +9, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +6, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (religion) +4, Perception +15, Stealth +15, Survival +12; Racial Modifiers +4 Bluff, +4 Stealth
Languages Abyssal, Common
SQ undersized weapons

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Undersized Weapons (Ex)

Although a lamia is Large, its upper torso is the same size as that of a Medium humanoid. As a result, lamias wield weapons as if they were one size category smaller than their actual size (Medium for most lamias).

Wisdom Drain (Su)

A lamia drains 1d4 points of Wisdom each time it hits with its melee touch attack. (Unlike with other kinds of ability drain attacks, a lamia does not heal any damage when it uses its Wisdom drain.) Lamias try to use this power early in an encounter to make foes more susceptible to charm monster and suggestion.

Examples and NPCs

Lamias, Lamia Matriarchs, Harridans, Hungerers and Kuchrima are all variant members of the race though they fall into several different categories.

Female lamia cleric 8

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate deserts
Organization solitary, pair, or cult (3–12)
Treasure double (+1 dagger, other treasure)

The hate-filled inheritors of an ancient curse, lamias appear as lean and attractive women from the waist up, while below they possess the bodies of powerful lions. Even their humanoid features bear distinctly feline traits, their eyes slitted and feral and their teeth like predatory fangs. A typical lamia stands over 6 feet tall, measures more than 8 feet long, and weighs upward of 650 pounds.

Lamias are attracted to the ruined and forsaken parts of the world. Crumbling keeps, abandoned cities, and forgotten monuments all satisfy these deadly hunters' cruel aesthetic—particularly those in arid or otherwise lifeless environs. Foremost, though, lamias favor decrepit temples. They delight in seeing the shrines of good deities in ruins and go out of their way to bring hardship to thriving holy places.

Lamias look to the eldest female of the group as their leader, mother, and shaman, cleaving to her with fanatical reverence. While lamias shun most religious followings—viewing such as the source of the curse that blighted them with bestial forms—lamia elders claim to hear the whispers of the scouring desert winds and know the cold whims of the stars, drawing upon such mystical sources to lead their people.

The lamias presented here are but the most common and least powerful members of this cursed race, with others bearing serpentine, avian, and even more perverse forms.