thecreaturecodex:

Image by Thomas Baxa, © Wizards of the Coast. Accessed at the Monster Manual II Art Gallery here

[I came really close to not doing the reason stealer. The original was even more of a mess mechanically than the other oozes in the Monster Manual II. And the design space seems to be partially occupied in PFRPG by the apallie and the doppeldrek from Bestiary 5. Hopefully my “ooze that wants to be people” stands out from the crowd.]

Reason Stealer
This mass of reddish clay appears
as if it is trying and failing to shape itself into a facsimile of the human
form. Its lower body is little more than a conical mound, but it has two
arm-like pseudopods and a face that runs and drips like melting wax.

Reason stealers are incredibly rare creatures created from and driven
by envy. A reason stealer is born when an individual with occult powers but
envious of the gifts and possessions of others dies from a lingering
inflammation of the brain. As the humanoid dies, its brain and spinal fluid
escapes from its body and saturates the earth in which it is buried, slowly
coagulating into a mass of mud driven by the desire to rob others of their
intellects and talents.

A reason stealer is a selfish and isolated creature, but that does not
mean it is always alone. On the contrary, it requires a steady supply of
victims in order to maintain its intelligence and have as many feats and skills
as possible. Many reason stealers lurk on the edges of civilized lands for this
very purpose, or may inhabit a dungeon and prey on its denizens and adventurers
alike. The most forward-thinking reason stealers keep prisons stocked with
prime specimens, perhaps those who wronged the source of the ooze, in order to
have a stable of traits to choose from regularly.

A reason stealer is about five feet tall and weighs 300 pounds due to
its thick, earthen composition. Their facial features often resemble those of
the humanoid who spawned them, so much so that the deceased friends or
relatives can recognize them. As a reason stealer takes talents from others,
however, its facial features blur and shift, becoming a composite of the faces
of its prey.

Keep reading

Reason stealers lurk in urban centers of Gladia, like the city-states of Munab or Egdwen’s ports.