Twins of Maurer Estate

Twins of Maurer Estate, Cannibal Children

CR 3                                                                                                   XP: 800

CE Small undead (human)

Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10

AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+1 size, +2 natural, +1 Dex)

HP 22 (3d8+9)

Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +5

DR undead traits; Weaknesses vulnerability to silver

Speed 20 ft.

Melee 2 claws +5 (1d3+2 plus Grab)

Space 5 ft., Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks devour flesh (2d3+4 plus racking pain), gaze, Grab

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd) At will - detect good

Str 14, Dex 12, Con -, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 16

Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 14

Feats Alertness, Skill Focus (Bluff)

Skills Bluff +12, Disguise +9, Perception +10, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +11

  Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth (due to size)

Environment any

Organization solitary

Treasure incidental

Devour Flesh (Su) When a cannibal child makes a successful grapple check, it inflicts claw damage as normal plus it literally inhales flesh from its victim, stripping the tissue away with its supernatural inhalation. The victim suffers 2d3+4 points of damage and wracking pains that impose a -4 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks. A DC 14 Fortitude save halves the damage and negates the wracking pains. Otherwise, the pains last until the victim recovers hit points lost due to this ability.

Charming Gaze (Su) Charm person, range 30 ft., Will DC 14 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Vulnerability to Silver (Ex) A cannibal child takes half again as much damage (+50%) from silver weapons. This increase only applies to the base weapon damage itself, including enhancement bonuses, but does not apply to additional damage from other sources such as high Strength or sneak attack.

You follow the faint crying for several yards before you see the source: an abandoned child, toddlers really. They sit on the ground, sobbing and unkempt. The children are startled at your arrival, a combination of fear and hope in their light blue eyes. Their crying subsides, and they hold their arms out to you. How could you resist? Gently, you take the lost little one into your arms.

"Are you hungry?" you say.

Their brows furrow, and their mouths open impossibly wide. Pain tears through your shoulders as the child's fingers sink into your flesh. Suddenly it looks like it's going to be a bad day.

The cannibal child isn't really a cannibal or a child. It's an undead horror that relies on its ability to disguise itself as a lost child to lure prey into its deadly clutches. Scholars believe that in life cannibal children were people of exceptional greed or gluttony. They put their own selfish appetites ahead of everything and everyone, and so incurred a terrible curse after death.

A cannibal child prefers to attack by surprise, especially against someone whose trust it has earned. A cannibal child often ingratiates itself to its victim via the enchanting power of its gaze. Despite its small size, a cannibal child possesses great strength. It latches on to its prey with its claws and then uses its horrible devour flesh ability to inflict ghastly wounds.

Source: Quid Novi? Issue X, Volume I, MTG Shadows over Innistrad cd 142