Not really directly related to Planescape but in another thread I referred to a creature known as a Hu Xian, as one of the NPCs was one. Anyways I have stats of these lying around for a while. I updated them a bit, to see if the *New* stat format they're using is any good.
This is actually a conversion of an old D&D monster...
HU XIAN
The true nature of this beautiful woman is finally revealed, hanging from her lower back is the tail of a fox. She smiles mischievously before melting into the shape of a fox.
(Stats based off of the Hu Hsien from Oriental Adventures (1st Edition) written by Gary Gygax and the Kara Tar Monstrous Compendium.)
Hu Xian (Hu Hsien) CR 8
Usually CN or CE Medium Fey (Shapechanger, Spirit)
Init +4; Senses Darkvision 60 ft, Low-Light Vision, Listen +11, Spot +2
Languages Common, Abyssal, Celestial, Spirit Tongue, Sylvan; Comprehend Languages
AC 21, touch 18, flat-footed 17; (+4 Dex, +4 deflection, +3 natural), Spirit’s Grace
hp 27 (6d6+6); DR 10/cold iron
Immune fire
Resist cold 10
SR 21
Fort +8, Ref +14, Will +12
Weakness vulnerability to lightning
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee +1 jian (rapier) +8 melee (1d6+1/18-20) or
Melee bite +7 melee (1d4), fox-form only
Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft
Base Atk +3; Grapple +3
Combat Gear +1 jian (rapier), +1 dagger, 2 potions of cure moderate wounds, +1 cloak of resistance, wand of Fog Cloud
Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 8);
4th (4/day) Phantasmal Killer (DC 18)
3rd (6/day) Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Major Image
2nd (7/day) Entangling Scarf (ranged touch +7, DC 16; CArc), Mirror Image, Resist Energy;
1st (7/day) Expeditious Retreat, Ray of Enfeeblement (ranged touch +7), Shield, Silent Image, Sleep (DC 15);
0 (6/day) Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Light, Mage Hand, Message, Prestidigitation, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue (melee touch +3, DC 14);
Spell-like Abilities (CL 10)
At will – Apparition (DC 16; CArc), Charm Monster (in humanoid form only; DC 18), Comprehend Languages, Detect Thoughts (DC 16), Hypnotic Pattern (DC 16), Invisibility, Legend Lore, Read Magic, Speak with Animals, Ventriloquism.
1/day – Magic Jar (DC 19), Major Creation, Servant Horde (CArc).
3/week – Bestow Greater Curse (BoVD; DC 22) or Limited Wish (only when rewarding another).
Abilities Str 10, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 18
SQ Alternate Form, Spirit’s Grace
Feats Combat Casting, Deceitful, Persuasive, Weapon Finesse (B)
Skills Bluff +17, Concentration +10 (+14 combat casting), Diplomacy +15, Disguise +6* (+8 acting), Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (spirits) +13, Move Silently +13, Listen +11, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +15, Survival +11
Possessions Combat gear plus, courtier’s outfit, spell components, jewellery and mirror worth about 100 gp
Advancement By character class
Alternate Form (Su) A Hu Xian may assume the form of a fox or a humanoid of their gender, they have a standard humanoid form and identity, but they can look like any humanoid of their gender (though always with a tail). In fox form her size is small.
Energy Drain (Su) A Hu Xian drains energy from her victims through her company with a willing victim. She drains one level a day from her victim putting her him under the effect of a Suggestion spell urging him to stay with her and to hopelessly love her. The negative level has a fort save DC of 17 to remove and her Suggestion has a will save DC or 17. The save is charisma based.
Spirit’s Grace (Su) A Hu Xian adds her charisma modifier as a bonus to all saving throws, and as a deflection bonus to AC (already included in stat-block).
Skills A Hu Xian gets a +2 racial bonus to Bluff and Disguise checks.
*They get a +10 bonus to disguise checks with alternate form.
A Hu Xian is a mischievous and cunning spirit. She’s perhaps the most powerful variety of fox spirits. Hu Xian are exclusively female and are thought to be the progenitors of werefoxes (sometimes known as Hu Li Jing). As a shapechanger she lives between two states, as a fox she has rust coloured or silver fur and can walk on her hind legs and hold items with her paws. As a woman she is exceptionally beautiful with typically long black flowing hair, golden skin and brown eyes. She often wears long robes to hide her foxtail when in humanoid forms.
Strategies and Tactics
Hu Xian generally avoid combat when they can as they are manipulators and not fighters. However they have a variety of special abilities and spells that help them confuse, trick and manipulate opponents. They tend to use Charm Monster on the first opponent that they feel they can manipulate, and then Major Image or Apparition as a distraction. If they feel they can destroy some opponents they’ll use Phantasmal Killer, otherwise they’ll escape through spells like Expeditious Retreat or Invisibility, and transform into a fox to escape. Most Hu Xian prefer spells from the schools of divination, enchantment, and illusion.
Sample Encounter
Hu Xian live in forests, though often close to civilization, though many of them wander, looking for a rich and powerful man that they can manipulate and drain. Often a Hu Xian will integrate herself in a village located near the wilderness becoming their ‘guardian spirit’ and living among the villagers for a time.
Hu Xian Lore
Knowledge (Nature) or Knowledge (Spirits)
DC Result
16 Some foxes have the ability to transform themselves into women.
21 Hu Xian are troublemaking shapeshifting foxes who seek to manipulate the rich and powerful. They’re harmful, very deceitful and ruin people’s lives.
26 Hu Xian are fox spirits, transcendent beings with many mystical abilities, they aren’t Werefoxes but rather something else. Some villagers worship and revere Hu Xian, and receive there protection and assistance.
31 Hu Xian are spirits who have offended the thunder gods due to their mischief, they aren’t the most well-liked among the courts of the spirits. As they get older, they get more mystical and transcendent abilities.
Ecology
Many Hu Xian are infamous for being wicked and cruel. They are manipulative, vain and greedy women known for their very ability to drain away the life of men who they’ve seduced. It is said that because of these ways the gods sent out their thunder gods to punish them. Hu Xian are quite afraid of lightning storms because of the thunder gods.
But the Hu Xian aren’t entirely cruel, they do take well to generosity and kindness, and will kindly reward people for such acts. She’s particularly attracted to scholars and other intellectuals and will do a lot to help one she befriends. Because of her benevolence, some people either worship her or petition for her assistance in the form of gifts such as money, jewellery and prayers. Not all Hu Xian are selfish or amoral, some do have a sense of justice. These ones do seek to right wrongs (usually against women) and bring vengeance to those who deserve it.
Hu Xian are mostly only female, males of their race are really rare. When a Hu Xian has a child with a mortal, the children are born as bamboo (or forest) spirit folk. As they are spirits Hu Xian are immortal.
Hu Xian gain their sustenance from draining the vital energy of those who they exploit. Though they do enjoy wine and other spirits, however a drunken Hu Xian reverts to the form of a fox unless she succeeds on a fort save of DC 20.
Society
For the most part Hu Xian are loners, they keep to themselves except for a few rare times through out the centuries. When they meet they exchange stories of past loves and tragedies they had. Males of any sort aren’t certainly welcome in these sorts of gatherings. On other occasions Hu Xian will visit the spirit courts of which they are part of, though they aren’t the most well-liked given their reputations as trouble-makers and the harm they cause.
An ancient Hu Xian is called Lao Hu, she’s the respected elder among the spirits. A Lao Hu knows many great secrets and has great powers with sorcery. As they get older Hu Xian do grow extra tails, until they become Jin Wei Hu, nine-tailed foxes of legendary power.
Hu Xian Characters
A Hu Xian’s favoured class is sorcerer. Class levels of sorcerer stacks with their innate spellcasting ability. Thus an 4th level Hu Xian sorcerer has the spellcasting ability and spells known of a 12th level sorcerer. When selecting sorcerer spells they can instead use the Wu Jen spell list instead, if they do so however they can’t select spells from the standard sorcerer list.
Level Adjustment: +5