Dreamborn Shantak Template Graft (CR 8+)

While the majority of shantaks encountered in the depths of space have always dwelt between the stars, a rare few emerge into this reality after being formed in the minds of creatures that dream they’re riding a shantak. The transition from dream to waking world always results in the death of the dreaming creature, as if the shantak uses its dreaming rider’s mind as fuel to empower its transition into the Material Plane. A dreamborn shantak’s eyes shimmer with strange colors, and when a creature looks into those unsettling eyes, fragmentary glimpses of nightmare scenery infect it. A dreamborn shantak retains fragments of its ability to absorb mental energy, and it is not affected by mental attacks. Dreamborn shantaks are also swifter and more agile than their clumsier kin.

Required Creature Type: This template graft can be applied only to a shantak.

Traits: +4 bonus to initiative; immunity to mind-affecting effects; fly 100 ft. (Su, perfect); nightmare glance (see below).

Nightmare Glance (Su)

This gaze ability has a range of 40 feet. A creature must succeed at a Will save to resist the gaze, or it is overwhelmed with waking nightmares, becoming staggered for 1d4 rounds and taking a –2 penalty to saving throws against fear effects for 24 hours. A creature that fails its save is immune to further applications of this ability for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting, fear effect.