Greater and Lesser Bogeymen

Bogeymen take shape from people's unreasoning fears, superstitions and waking nightmares. Most are feeble spirits of a single Hit Die, but the overpowering terror of one person, or the shared dread of a whole community, can give rise to a greater bogeyman. They treat spite and cruelty as high art, admire anyone vile enough to match them, and see everyone else as prey. No two look alike, yet all are grotesque: a giant hairless dog, a decaying corpse, a mocking copy of someone the viewer loves.

Frightening is the point. A favorite trick is a showy, horrifying lunge that gets +4 to hit but deals only 1 point of damage, followed by an attack that looks harmless and truly hurts: 1d4 for the bite and 1d4 for each clawed hand. Once a day it can cast hold person, and it prefers to rip a held victim apart slowly rather than finish him quickly. Also once a day it can snatch any object of 20 pounds or less within 10 yards and teleport it into its own hand, a fighter's prized sword included. All bogeymen share these powers; a greater one can also conjure an illusion of any powerful foe the character facing it recently defeated; the phantom fights as a geist in every respect.

Accepted alignments: none. Bogeymen want nothing from mortals except the chance to torment them, and they make no demands.

Familiarity: to avoid being attacked, the shaman must first persuade the spirit he is as warped as it is by offering a suitably revolting gift, such as a dish made from a live monkey's brains; no formal sacrifice is needed. A charm spirit spell is then required to make it cooperate.

Benefits: a bogeyman can grant the death candle spell, but only when coerced or charmed.