Xorn Stanchion

Xorn Stanchion (CR 4)

Neutral - Medium - Outsider

Lore:	Know (Planes)
8		23
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

3

Perception:
17	+7
Passive	Active

Ambush:

8+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Darkvision 60 ft.
• Tremorsense 60 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 20 ft.
• Burrowing 20 ft.
• Earth Glide 30 ft.

Defense

AC

20

Man Def

19

Monster Health
61	30	6
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+7
Refl:	+2
Will:	+2

Strong Against:

• Hardened (½ damage): Cold (energy, common) damage, Fire (energy, common) damage
• Hardened (½ damage): all physical damage types (conditional; see Earth-Linked ability, below)

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Medium
5 ft.		5 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+7

Man Off

+7

Action

0

Points

• Maneuver Offense Notes: +2 on Cleaves

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Xorn Chomp +7 (1d10+4/x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)

Full Attack (Melee):

• 1x Xorn Chomp +7 (1d10+4/x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)
• 2x Xorn Claw +7 (1d6+1/x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 1x Stone Bullet +7 (1d10+4/x2)
  as bludgeoning (physical, common)
  (Increment: 40 ft.; Max Range: 200 ft.)

Full Attack (Ranged):

• 2x Stone Bullet +7 (1d10+4/x2)
  as bludgeoning (physical, common)
  (Increment: 40 ft.; Max Range: 200 ft.)

Siege Damage:

• 1x Undermine +7 (1d3)
  
  for each space the Xorn Stanchion burrows through

Statistics

17

STR

10

DEX

17

CON

10

INT

11

WIS

10

CHA

Skills:

• Barter: 7
• Intimidate: 7
• Knowledge (Dungeoneering): 7
• Perception: 7
• Stealth: 7
• All other skills: 2 (no ranks)

Languages: Common, Terran

Feats:

• Toughness (EFFECT: +3 hit points, and +1 per character level beyond 3)
• Power Attack (EFFECT: This monster may take a -2 to all to-hits in exchange for a +5 bonus damage per attack.)

Special Abilities

All-Around Vision (Ex) Automatic

A xorn sees in all directions at the same time, giving it a bonus on Perception checks. In addition, a xorn does not grant any bonuses to attackers when it is flanked.

Earth Glide (Ex) Move Action

A xorn can glide through any sort of natural earth or stone as easily as a fish swims through water. Its burrowing leaves no sign of its passage nor hint at its presence to creatures that don't possess tremorsense. A Move Earth spell cast on an area containing a xorn forces the xorn to the surface, and, unless it succeeds on a Fortitude save against the DC of the spell, it also gains the rattled condition until the start of the caster's next turn. At its discretion, a xorn can make its burrowing permanent, rather than instantly filling in behind it. These tunnels are as strong as the xorn would like, up to the limit imposed by the existing terrain. That is, a xorn can create a tunnel that caves in immediately, with a cross-section equal to that of the xorn, or a tunnel that is as strong as if the xorn hadn't removed the earth. Using this ability takes a standard action, in addition to the move action which generated the path in the first place. Creatures above a caving in tunnel must succeed at a DC 16 Reflex save to avoid falling in. A creature that makes this save may choose to land on their feet in the new hole, or jump back to an adjacent square, if possible. This is forced movement and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. A creature which fails takes 1d6+1 points of falling damage and falls Prone into the hole.

Earth-Linked (Su) Automatic

A xorn is hardened against all physical damage (half damage) while it is standing upon the ground. If anything causes the xorn to be quelled, prone, splayed, or in any other way not standing on the ground, it loses this ability until it can regain its footing on solid ground. Note that, if the xorn has a role that normally grants it partial (or total) immunity to conditions, any time it is subjected to quelled, prone, or splayed, these conditions are counted as having worked, but only for purposes of turning off their Earth-Linked hardening vs. physical damage. These conditions still reduce their conditional immunity each time they are applied, and until that conditional immunity is defeated, the conditions do not inflict any penalties on the xorn, except that they turn off their Earth-Linked hardening to physical damage.

Xorn Stanchion

This squat beast is as wide as it is tall. Strangely symmetrical, it has three arms, three legs, three eyes, and one huge mouth. It appears to be made from some smooth, dense material, that most closely resembles dense potters clay, frequently embedded with grit, stones, and even cobbles of stone, arranged in pleasing patterns or simply random, depending upon the specimen.

Xorns are wildly alien compared to most creatures of the Prime Material, lacking the matching pairs of limbs, eyes, and ears, and with their apparent 'mouth' placed at the very tip of their bodies. They have no readily apparent 'front' or 'back', and watching Xorns performing everyday tasks is wildly disconcerting, as the Xorn will pass objects it is holding and working on around its body in seemingly random 'orbits', so that it surveys its activities with first one pair of eyes, then another, while the eye opposite the work seems to peer about in deep thought.

Xorns are obviously related to the elements of Earth, given their appearance, and are also obviously not natives of the Prime Material Plane, given their appearance. Xorns are tremendously heavy, and move with a ponderous grace in twirling motions that match the way they work with their hands moving in circles. A Xorn that is moving and working at the same time either synchronizes this motion, so the object held is always towards or away from their direction of movement, or, even worse, they move things opposite their movements, so that held objects spin at dizzying speed. Xorns appear immune to the vertigo of their motions, and indeed, seem to be at least as 'creeped out' by a symmetrical creature's stillness as we are by their motion.

Xorns, finally, seem able to walk through Earth the way other beings walk through air, and as such, the concept of buildings, privacy, and property seem confusing to them. Many Xorn seem offended by the very existence of 'flatters', and they are violent and aggressive against what they see as lesser vermin. This makes conversations with Xorn difficult, at best.

Combat Tactics

Xorn use Earthglide to move into melee and attack with great fierceness. Xorn are able to pluck forth stones from their surroundings, or even their own bodies, and 'squirt' them at nigh-invisible speeds with a squeeze of their fingers. They typically prefer to close to melee range, but if they need to, they will fire these stony bullets with considerable skill. Anyone who attacks a Xorn with a ranged attack of any sort risks the Xorn firing back, and then using Earthglide to close the distance and melee them. If faced with a flying foe, the Xorn will simply leave, in which case no experience is awarded. Be wary, however, as Xorn offended in such a manner will often follow their attackers and attack in the night, once their foes are firmly upon the ground. Many a town has been brought to ruin by an attack of angry Xorn who followed an adventuring party to their favorite inn. To a Xorn, a building is just a weird sort of rock structure, and they will destroy buildings without hesitation...which can quickly end a party's welcome in the now-ruined town.

Xorn use Earth Glide to move about in battle with impunity, and will leave a combat as soon as they are severely hurt. If they leave due to damage inflicted in melee, they are counted as defeated, and treasure can be recovered from the disturbed ground as valuable minerals left in the soil from their wounds. The GM adjudicates all such cases, as always.

Out of Combat

Xorns can be placated with lumps of rare ores or crystals, which they usually consider delicacies. Woe to the adventurer who offers a xorn a mineral it despises, as they can be quick to anger if they perceive a slight or insult.

If made friendly, a xorn can be convinced to provide services, such as tunneling, but they are bad miners, as they tend to eat the very thing being sought. They're feared by castle architects, who consider them an especially awful sort of termite. They're surprisingly good guides, as long as you can stand the constant detours for "the best-tasting silver for miles around" and the like.

If angered, Xorn will wreck towns, fortifications, roads, canals, and the like with impunity. It behooves an adventurer to end what they start with any Xorn.

Rewards

XP: 1,200

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 1,188 gp.

Weight: 40 lbs.     Volume: 1.6 cu. ft.

• Xorns often carry around rare materials which they're saving as a special treat. If a xorn happens upon an especially interesting magic item, it may save it as a trade good in order to acquire raw materials.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)