Monster Reviews

What is a Hydra in Pathfinder 2e? Hydras are multiheaded, foul-tempered serpentine beasts with voracious appetites, widely feared for their regeneration abilities. Scholars of bestial lore can describe several hydra variations. Though rare, hydras with more than five heads live in very isolated areas, sometimes guarding incredibly powerful artifacts. Explorers who have visited colder swamps and frozen glaciers tell tales of hydras with blue-tinged scales that are immune to the cold and can exhale clouds of icy death. Similar stories describe fiery hydras that breathe gouts of flame and swim in the molten lava of active volcanoes.

What is a Harpy in Pathfinder 2e? Harpies are filthy amalgamations of human and bird, resembling feral humans with wings, talons, and mouths full of sharp teeth. They use captivating songs to lure creatures in, then murder them while they stand transfixed. They enjoy causing confusion and fear in their prey before they strike, believing it creates a savory flavor in the flesh. Harpies can eat most creatures but strongly prefer sapient prey—humans and elves are their favorite. Although harpies will eat goblins if sufficiently hungry, they dislike their flavor and avoid eating them if possible. This doesn’t comfort goblins, of course, who have a particularly strong fear of harpies. Because their aeries often reek with the gore of their kills and careless spatters of guano, harpies carry a distinctly vile scent that canny travelers associate with danger. Harpies who roost close to civilization make better efforts to keep clean, though these efforts have mixed results.

What is a Faceless Stalker in Pathfinder 2e? Among the subtler of the alghollthu creations were the ugothols—also known as faceless stalkers. These twisted beings used shapeshifting to infiltrate settlements and assassinate key targets. They sowed discord and replaced leaders, causing unwanted organizations to implode and bothersome people to lose face and eventually disappear.

What is a Skum in Pathfinder 2e? The most numerous of the alghollthus are the ulat-kinis, a servitor race created from human stock to serve as rank-and-file soldiers in alghollthu armies. At the zenith of alghollthu power, ulat-kinis formed massive legions and enjoyed significant power over other species.

What is a Veiled Master in Pathfinder 2e? The powerful vidileths are the insidious veiled masters of the alghollthus. These manipulators of mind and body alike lead their species in the open, using their ability to change form to walk among and deceive humans and other sapient species. Many veiled masters are even more powerful than the typical specimen presented here and can use a wide range of arcane or occult spells and rituals.

What is a Astral Deva in Pathfinder 2e? Astral devas are the elite messengers and emissaries of the celestial realms, serving deities and celestial armies by delivering messages, performing reconnaissance, and providing support for those in need of aid. They watch over planar travelers and take powerful mortals under their wings to mentor them. Astral devas carry scrolls containing important messages and other celestial secrets.

What is a Ankhrav in Pathfinder 2e? These horse-sized, burrowing monsters generally avoid heavily settled areas like cities, but ankhravs’ predilection for livestock and humanoid flesh ensures that the creatures do not remain in the deep wilderness for long. Desperate farmers whose fields become infested by ankhravs often have little recourse but to seek the aid of adventurers. As if the appearance of a hungry ankhrav in a stretch of farmland isn’t bad enough, it almost always indicates the proximity of an ankhrav hive nearby. A disturbing number of ankhravs can infest a lair. However, adventurers brave enough to crawl through the tangled burrows are often rewarded with large amounts of treasure as ankhravs have a habit of dragging their victims back to the deepest corners of their den to feast, usually discarding the remains with most of the gear intact

What is a Choral in Pathfinder 2e? Choral angels are incredible singers who fill the halls of Nirvana with pious chants and sacred hymns. They form from the souls of talented bards and other performers. While they shy away from conflict, they occasionally brave the mortal realm to deliver good omens and auspicious messages.

What is a Kobold dragon mage in Pathfinder 2e? Kobold dragon mages use magic to carry out their secret schemes. The presence of a dragon mage in a kobold warren is one of the greatest testaments to the kobolds’ claim to draconic heritage. Kobolds are small, reptilian humanoids who carry physical similarities to true dragons. They lurk in dark spaces, usually tunnels and mines beneath the earth, in either warrens of their own design or complexes discovered and colonized after the original builders have moved on. Though kobolds are far more pragmatic than they are courageous, they use every inch of their cunning to even the playing field between themselves and other, stronger creatures. They attack from the darkness and at range, and kobold artificers and engineers master the art of simple but effective traps, which they use to protect their lairs. Kobolds are skilled at working together by necessity, and they often set up ambushes or hit-and-run assaults that allow them to do the most damage possible without being harmed in return.