Masque Mannequin
Level 15Abilities
The spark of the soul used to create a masque mannequin is infused into its mask. A creature can break a masque mannequin's soul mask with a DC 40 athletics check or steal it with a DC 40 thievery check. If its mask is broken or removed, a masque mannequin must attempt a DC 40 fortitude save. Critical Success The masque mannequin's animating spark shifts to infuse its body; it is unaffected and no longer has a soul mask. Success The masque mannequin takes 2d6 persistent mental damage. If it regains its mask, it can place it back on its face as an Interact action to automatically stop this persistent mental damage. Failure As success, but 4d6 persistent mental damage and Stunned 1. Critical Failure As failure, but 8d6 persistent mental damage and Stunned 3.
Requirements The masque mannequin is in Pose
The mannequin makes a Strike against the triggering creature.
Until the next time the masque mannequin acts, it appears to be an inanimate mannequin. It has an automatic result of 45 on Deception checks and DCs to appear as an ordinary mannequin.
Requirements The masque mannequin is grappling a living creature
The Grabbed creature must attempt a DC 36 fortitude save. Critical Success The creature is unaffected. Success The creature is Slowed 1 for 1 round as its body grows more wooden. Failure The creature is petrified for the next 24 hours, but instead of turning to stone, it turns into a wooden mannequin. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns. Critical Failure The creature turns into a wooden mannequin permanently.
Trigger The monster's last action was a successful Strike that lists Improved Grab in its damage entry, or the monster has a creature Grabbed or Restrained Effect If used after a Strike, the monster attempts to Grapple the creature using the body part it attacked with as a free action. This attempt neither applies nor counts toward the creature's multiple attack penalty. The monster can instead use Improved Grab as an action and choose one creature it's grabbing or restraining with an appendage that has Improved Grab to automatically extend that condition to the end of the monster's next turn.
Description
Masque mannequins are a type of soulbound construct animated by a fragment of a once-living soul infused into an eerie, nearly featureless mask that's then affixed to a mannequin or dressmaker's dummy. Though similar in process to the creation of a soulbound doll or mannequin, creating a masque mannequin requires conducting ritualistic murder and extracting a soul shard during an unwilling victim's death, and only the vilest of crafters would consider attempting such a deed. Masque mannequins are popular among Norgorberites, especially devotees of Father Skinsaw, as well as Kuthites who take pride in drawing out the ritual to gain the largest possible fragment of the soul.
Malevolent Mindsets
Masque mannequins, even those crafted from virtuous individuals, tend to have a sadistic sense of malice. If left to their own devices, a masque mannequin enjoys playing cat and mouse games with their chosen victims by freezing and unfreezing in areas with mundane mannequins, slowly driving their unfortunate playthings to paranoia before going for the kill.