Size/Type: Large Undead (Incorporeal, Psionic)
Hit Dice: 11d12 (71 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +2 deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/—
Attack: Incorporeal touch +7 melee (2d6)
Full Attack: 4 incorporeal touches +7 melee (2d6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Psi-like abilities, steal essence
Special Qualities: Incorporeal traits, undead traits, unnatural aura, vulnerability to sunlight
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +9
Abilities: Str Ø, Dex 16, Con Ø, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +9, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (psionics) +12, Listen +16, Psicraft +12, Search +12, Sense Motive +12, Spot +16
Feats: Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Alertness
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 12-22 HD (Large); 23-33 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
A caller in darkness is an incorporeal creature composed of the minds of dozens of victims who died together in terror. It seeks to draw others into its fearwracked, hellish existence. Callers in darkness rarely speak, but when they do, they speak Common.
Combat:
Psi-Like Abilities: At will—clairvoyant sense, concussion blast (two targets, 3d6*), detect psionics, ego whip (2d4, DC 16*), mind thrust (7d10, DC 16*); 3/day—death urge (DC 16), psychic crush (DC 13**), suggestion, psionic (three targets, DC 14*); 1/day—co-opt concentration (DC 18). Manifester level 7th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
*Includes augmentation for the caller’s manifester level.
**Includes the inherent +4 save adjustment described in the power.
Steal Essence (Su): Any living, intelligent creature slain by a caller in darkness’s touch attack is mentally absorbed into the monster’s consciousness. (The physical body of the victim remains intact). Stealing a victim’s essence is a free action; it grants the caller 12 temporary hit points, and a permanent new screaming face appears within its cloud. A caller in darkness can also steal the essence of living, intelligent creatures within 30 feet that are paralyzed or sleeping, or that are helpless due to having a mental ability score reduced to 0 (often by the caller’s ego whip attack). Doing so is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The victim dies, and the caller gains 12 temporary hit points.
Incorporeal Traits: A caller in darkness is harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. It has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source, except for force effects or attacks made with ghost touch weapons. It can pass through solid objects, but not force effects, at will. Its attacks ignore natural armor, armor, and shields, but deflection bonuses and force effects work normally against them. The creature always moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn’t wish to be.
Undead Traits: A caller in darkness is immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage to its physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if it is willing. It has darkvision out to 60 feet.
Unnatural Aura (Su): Animals can sense the unnatural presence of a caller in darkness. Any animal within 30 feet must make a DC 17 Will save or become panicked until it is no longer within 30 feet of the caller in darkness. A panicked creature that is cornered begins cowering. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Vulnerability to Sunlight (Ex): Callers in darkness are utterly powerless in natural sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) and flee from it. A caller caught in sunlight cannot attack and can take only a single move action or standard action each turn, but not both (nor can it take full-round actions).