Shining Child

Shining Child CR 12 (Expert)

XP 19,200
CE Medium outsider (evil, extraplanar)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 120 ft.; Perception +22
Aura blinding light (60 ft., DC 21)

DEFENSE

HP 185
EAC 26; KAC 27
Fort +13; Ref +11; Will +15
Immunities blindness, fire, poison; Resistances cold 10, sonic 10
Weaknesses light dependence

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (Su, perfect)
Melee burning touch +22 (2d12+12F plus burning touch)
Ranged radiant ray +24 (2d8+12F, critical burn 2d6)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th)

At will–daylight, divert energy*, teleport (self only)
3/day–dimension door (self only), holographic image IV (DC 21)
1/day–greater dispel magic, holographic terrain (DC 22), wall of force

STATISTICS

Str +0; Dex +4; Con +5; Int +2; Wis +4; Cha +8
Skills Acrobatics +27, Bluff +27, Diplomacy +22, Intimidate +22, Mysticism +27
Languages Aklo; telepathy 120 ft.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Blinding Light (Su)

A shining child sheds bright light in a 60-foot radius area. Any creature that starts its turn in the aura must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1 minute. If the creature critically fails the saving throw, they are permanently blind.

If a creature succeeds on the saving throw, they are immune to the shining child’s aura for 1 day.

Burning Touch (Su)

A shining child corrupts the positive energy within a living creature into an unnatural burning light. If the shining child’s touch succeeds on a critical hit, the touch burns for 2d6F damage every round. This burning light can only be “extinguished” by casting a darkness spell or effect on the target, or by entering an area of natural darkness.

Light Dependence (Su)

A shining child is flat-footed while in areas of spells or effects with the darkness descriptor.

Radiant Ray (Su)

A shining child’s primary attack is a ray of searing light. This ray has a range of 120 feet and bypasses all damage reduction. The ray deals double damage to undead creatures.

ECOLOGY

Environment any land (extraplanar)
Organization solitary, visitation 92-9), or incursion (11-20)

The shining children – as they are called by adventurers, scholars, and explorers, for no one knows what they call themselves – are rarely encountered by those who travel the cosmos. When seen, these strange beings resemble glowing energy drawn in space.

Their vaguely humanoid forms have the appearance of an “animated cartoon” figure composed entirely of blinding light.

It is said that the shining children were once a race of sentient beings much like those that exist across the galaxy. Long ago, they transcended physical bodies, becoming higher beings constructed of living radiant energy.

Others say the shining children live primarily outside of space-time, in some tangled dimension that exists between the Astral Realm and the Plane of Positive Energy. For that reason, their radiance is perceptible to mortal eyes. This offers some explanation as to why the shining children suddenly appear out of nowhere, 148 as if instantly manifesting into space-time rather than traveling through it.

The shining children are possessed of intelligence, but little to no personal identity, and with precious little of what could be considered “free will.” They seem intent on the collection of knowledge in all its forms, pursuing this task with relentless determination.

Scholars and wizards will go to great lengths to find or summon a shining child to discover the secret lore it has collected.

Shining children are incredibly dangerous. Although they seem impassive – or perhaps unaware – of events occurring around themselves, this is anything but true.

Shining children witness anything and everything going on around them. While appearing dormant, a shining child could merely be waiting from some trigger to prompt it into action.