Yeah, it’s not even close to last Friday. Thanks to Covid (bleh) and a short-notice freelance assignment (yay), I wasn’t able to get this one finished when I wanted. It didn’t help that I went for a more fiddly idea with the disbeliever’s interactions with actuality. Here it is now, though.
I hope you enjoy the disbeliever. I should be back on track with another monster on Friday, of all things.
A slender figure with elongated ears shimmers like a mirage. It covers its eyes and occasionally shouts, “You’re not real!”
Disbeliever CR 7
XP 3,200
CN Medium fey
Init +8; Senses blindsense 30 ft., low-light vision; Perception +16
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 20, flat-footed 16 (+4 Dex, +6 insight)
hp 65 (10d6+30)
Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +10
Defensive Abilities ignored reality
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 sling +10 (1d4)
Special Attacks disbelieving gaze, disbelieving rebuke
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +13)
3/day—shadow conjuration
1/day—shadow evocation (DC 18)
STATISTICS
Str 9, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 17
Base Atk +5; CMB +4; CMD 29
Feats But a Scratch[UI], Defensive Combat Training, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Bluff), Stealthy
Skills Acrobatics +17, Bluff +22, Escape Artist +21, Perception +16, Stealth +21, Survival +13
Languages Common, Sylvan
Gear +1 sling
ECOLOGY
Environment any land
Organization solitary
Treasure incidental
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Disbelieving Gaze (Su) Once every 1d4 rounds, a disbeliever can gaze out in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed at a DC 18 Will save or become partially removed from reality. A creature that fails its save is intangible except to other creatures affected by this ability until the end of the disbeliever’s next turn. Additionally, a creature that fails its save is subject to the disbeliever’s unreality curse. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Unreality Curse: save Will DC 18, frequency 1 day, effect the creature fades from reality. The creature reduces the damage it deals by a cumulative 10% and the damage it takes by the same amount. Additionally, it has the same percent chance that it fails to affect creatures with spells and supernatural abilities and fails to be affected by spells and supernatural abilities. If the cumulative value reaches 100%, the creature fades out forever, and is only recoverable through miracle or wish.
Disbelieving Rebuke (Su) If the disbeliever doesn’t negate a critical hit or sneak attack from a melee attack (see Ignored Reality), it can use an immediate action to duplicate the effects of its disbelieving gaze against the attacker.
Ignored Reality (Su) If a disbeliever can’t see its attacker, it takes 50% of the damage from an attack. If an attacker makes a sneak attack or confirms a critical hit against a disbeliever, the disbeliever can attempt a Will save with a DC equal to the attack roll, negating the sneak attack or damage from the critical hit with a successful save. Finally, if the disbeliever succeeds at a saving throw against a spell or effect it doesn’t suffer any effects (even partial effects from a successful save).
Disbelievers derive from a species of powerful, reality-warping fey nobles. While most of the nobles consciously kept their powers in check, the occasional ambitious or capricious member among them would upend the universe in pursuit of their goals. Eventually, the powerful fey had to intervene on behalf of the stability of existence, and the less power-mad among them ganged up to eliminate those disrupting reality. They were left with an unfortunate awareness they would not be able to fully eliminate the line due to their inherent powers, so they set about inducing fear in the younger such fey. This fear would drive them to use their abilities reactively and become less of a potential menace to the persistence of the universe. Some ancestors still live under a self-appointed oath to monitor disbelievers and ensure the later generations don’t unlock their full potential.
Disbelievers send their faded victims to a unique demiplane where the victims have the barest of existences. Killing a disbeliever allows access to its demiplane from which victims can be rescued. Regrettably, accessing the demiplane allows all creatures to escape from it, potentially unleashing major threats as a price for restoring an ally.
DISBELIEVER CREATURE 7
Uncommon N Medium Fey
Perception +15; lifesense 30 feet
Languages Common, Sylvan
Skills Acrobatics +15, Deception +20, Stealth +17
Str −1, Dex +4, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +3, Cha +6
AC 25; Fort +10, Ref +19, Will +16
Items +1 striking sling (20 bullets)
HP 84
Ignored Reality When the disbeliever closes its eyes, it has resistance 7 to all damage types. Also, when an attacker critically hits the disbeliever, the disbeliever can attempt a DC 14 flat check. On a success the attack becomes a normal hit. Finally, when the disbeliever rolls a success on a save, it gets a critical success instead.
Disbelieving Rebuke [reaction] Trigger The disbeliever fails to use Ignored Reality to negate a critical hit from a melee attack; Effect The disbeliever affects the target as if using Disbelieving Gaze.
Speed 25 feet
Ranged [one-action] sling +14 (magical, propulsive), Damage 2d6+7 bludgeoning
Disbelieving Gaze (curse, evocation, occult) The disbeliever gazes out in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area becomes intangible, except to other creatures affected by Disbelieving Gaze, until the end of the disbeliever’s next turn and is subject to the disbeliever’s Unreality Curse (DC 27 Will save negates). The disbeliever can’t use this ability again for 1d4 rounds.
Shadow Conjuration (conjuration, occult) Frequency 3/day; Effect The disbeliever casts a 5th-level or lower summon spell. A creature that attacks or interacts with the summoned creature can attempt a DC 25 Will save. On a successful save, the creature realizes the summoned creature is partially unreal, and the summoned creature must succeed at a DC 14 flat check when it attacks, or it fails to damage the disbelieving target.
Unreality Curse (curse, occult) Saving Throw DC 27 Will save; Onset 1 day; Stage 1 partially fades from reality and must succeed at a DC 4 flat check when it attacks or fail to deal damage, attacks against the target must succeed at the same flat check or fail to deal damage, spells cast by the target and targeting other creature must succeed at the same flat check or fail to affect the spell’s target(s), and creatures targeting the target must succeed at the same flat check or fail to affect the target (1 day); Stage 2 same as Stage 1 but the DC increases to 8 (1 day); Stage 3 same as Stage 1 but the DC increases to 12 (1 day); Stage 4 same as Stage 1 but the DC increases to 16 (1 day); Stage 5 dies and fully fades from reality.
Disbeliever
Medium Fey, Chaotic Neutral
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Armor Class 15 (leather armor)
Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
Speed 30 ft.
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STR 9 (−1), DEX 18 (+4), CON 17 (+3), INT 10 (+0), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 19 (+4)
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Saving Throws Dex +7, Cha +7
Skills Deception +7, Stealth +7
Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Sylvan
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
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Ignored Reality. If the disbeliever can’t see its attacker, it has resistance to all damage dealt by the attacker. If the attacker scores a critical hit or adds sneak attack damage to an attack, the disbeliever can make a Charisma saving throw with the DC equal to the modified attack roll. On a success, the critical hit or sneak attack is negated (still dealing normal damage). Additionally, if the disbeliever succeeds on a saving throw against a spell or ability, it doesn’t suffer any of the effects from the spell or ability.
Slippery. The disbeliever has advantage on saves and ability checks when escaping a grapple.
Unreality Curse. A creature afflicted with this curse must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw at the end of each long rest. On a failed save, the creature fades from reality. It incurs a cumulative 10% reduction in the damage it deals, but damage against it is reduced by the same amount. Additionally, it has the same percent chance to fail to affect creatures with non-damaging spells and abilities, and the same percent chance to fail to be affected by non-damaging spells and abilities. If the cumulative value reaches 100%, the creature fades out forever, and is only recoverable through wish or similar magic. Otherwise, remove curse or similar magic removes this curse (provided the spell can successfully target the creature).
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Actions
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Multiattack. The disbeliever makes two Sling attacks.
Sling. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30 ft./120 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Disbelieving Gaze (Recharge 5–6). The disbeliever can gaze out in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or become partially removed from reality. A target is intangible except to other creatures affected by this ability until the end of the disbeliever’s next turn. Additionally, the target is subject to the disbeliever’s Unreality Curse.
Shadow Conjuration (Recharges after a Long Rest). The disbeliever casts any conjure spell that summons one or more creatures and uses a 5th level spell slot or lower. A target that interacts with a conjured creature can make a DC 15 saving throw. On a success, the target recognizes the conjured creature’s unreal nature and has resistance to the creature’s attacks.
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Reactions
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Disbelieving Rebuke. If the disbeliever doesn’t negate a critical hit or sneak attack from a melee attack with Ignored Reality, it can affect the attacker with its Disbelieving Gaze (even if the disbeliever hasn’t recharged the action).
Mythopoeic Rambling 