Charcoal black skin, deep crimson scales, and fiery orange hair mark this lamia as a creature of flame. Wearing an impeccably made breastplate and wielding a sword and shield of equal quality, she snakes towards you, sparks flying from her mouth as she screams out a warcry before engaging you. – Manly Man
Salamander (CR 10)
XP 9,600
CN Large monstrous humanoid (Fire)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +20;
Aura firesoul (10 ft. radius, 1d6 fire damage)
DEFENSE
AC 28, touch 16, flat-footed 25 (+7 armor, +4 shield, +5 natural, +3 Dex -1 size)
hp 136 (13d10+65)
Fort +10 Ref +15 Will +12
Absorbs fire; Strong ice
Weakness water
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee +1 adamant knight sword +19 (2d8+7/19-20×2 plus 1d6 fire), +1 adamant heavy shield of bashing +19 (2d6+7 plus 1d6 fire)
Full Attack +1 adamant knight sword +17/+12/+7 (2d8+7/19-20×2 plus 1d6 fire) and +1 adamant heavy shield of bashing +17 (2d6+7 plus 1d6 fire)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon (120 ft. line, 10d8 fire damage, Reflex DC 20 half, usable every 1d4 rounds), firesoul, sword-and-shield expertise
STATISTICS
Str 22, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 18, Wis 18 Cha 18
Base Atk +13; CMB + 20; CMD 33
Feats Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Forge Ring, Toughness, Great Fortitude, Shield Focus, Improved Shield Bash, Two-Weapon Fighting, Double Slice, Bashing Finish
Skills Acrobatics +15 (+19 to jump), Appraise +16, Climb +16, Craft (armorsmithing) +24, Craft (blacksmithing) +24, Craft (jewelry) +24, Craft (weaponsmithing) +24, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (nature) +13, Knowledge (planes) +13, Perception +20, Stealth +11, Survival +11, Swim +16, Use Magic Device +17; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Appraise, +8 Craft (armorsmithing), +8 Craft (blacksmithing), +8 Craft (jewelry), +8 Craft (weaponsmithing), +4 Intimidate, +2 Knowledge (arcana), +2 Knowledge (nature), +2 Knowledge (planes), +4 Use Magic Device
Languages Common, Abyssal, Ignan, Infernal
SQ master smith
Gear +1 adamantine knight sword, +1 adamantine heavy shield of bashing, +1 mythril breastplate, 6,000 gil of assorted magical items, 4 masterwork artisan’s toolkits (1 each for Craft (armorsmithing)/(blacksmithing)/(jewelry)/(weaponsmithing))
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Firesoul (Su)
A salamander generates intense heat, both physically and spiritually; all melee attacks she makes inflict +1d6 fire damage, and are treated as having the flaming burst enchantment. This even extends to so much as touching a creature or object, inflicting 1d6 fire damage upon a touch. She also exudes such heat that standing near her inflicts this damage as well, affecting all creatures who are within a 10 ft. radius of her. The salamander can actively suppress this heat for up to 1 minute as a standard action, with the heat reactivating at the beginning of her next turn after 1 minute has passed; she may reactivate it prematurely as a free action, if she so wishes. While in an antimagic zone, the aura and the flaming burst effect do not function, but the extra fire damage to melee attacks and touching remain active, treating them as extraordinary abilities instead of supernatural.
Master Smith (Ex)
All salamanders learn early on how to smelt ore and forge metal, and those who achieve mastery of their craft are able to make fantastically exquisite items. A salamander receives a +2 bonus on Craft (armorsmithing), Craft (blacksmithing), Craft (jewelry), and Craft (weaponsmithing) checks for every 3 HD (rounded down) as a racial bonus, and gain Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, and Forge Ring as bonus feats, treating her HD as her caster level when making such items. Instead of a Spellcraft check, she makes a Craft check relevant to the item (such as Craft (armorsmithing) when making magic armor or shields, or Craft (jewelry) if making a star pendant), and is treated as knowing any Elemental (Fire) spells involved in crafting the item. When assisting another creature attempting to craft a magic item, the salamander can effectively provide any Elemental (Fire) spells involved in creating the item her partner is crafting. When making a skill check to aid another creature in making a magic item, the salamander can make a Craft check related to the item that the creator is making instead of a Spellcraft check, adding the +2 if successful to the creator’s Spellcraft check if the Craft check is relevant (such as Craft (weaponsmithing) when the one being aided is trying to make a +1 flaming sword, for example).
Sword-and-Shield Expertise (Ex)
Salamanders are taught to wield their creations just as well as they can craft them, and make for deadly combatants when armed with a weapon in one hand and a shield in the other. The salamander adds her shield bonus to her touch AC and to all Reflex saves, and treats one-handed weapons and shields as light weapons when determining the penalties for wielding two weapons, so long as she has a light or one-handed weapon and a shield equipped. Any enhancement bonus she may have on her shield is added to attack and damage rolls with the shield as though it is a weapon’s enhancement bonus. The salamander can make an attack with a melee weapon and a shield bash as a standard action, taking the attack roll penalty for fighting with two weapons as normal.
ECOLOGY
Environment Elemental Plane of Fire, warm deserts or mountains, or underground
Organization solitary, pair, or cluster (3-5)
Treasure standard (nonflammables only)
Where exactly these curious lamia offshoots originate from is a source of debate for many scholars; some believe that they were born of the Elemental Plane of Fire itself and had migrated to other parts of the multiverse, while others surmise that their ancestors were simply lamias who dug too deeply into the intricacies of fire magic, and thus were infused with such energies. Yet others still will claim that they can trace their lineage back to powerful red dragons; in any case, there is no denying the fact that salamanders make for fierce warriors and masterful craftswomen in the fields metallurgy and smithing, making great use of their intimate connection to fire. This is, however, a source of much grief for them, as stronger creatures enslave them to enjoy their expertly fashioned items. While salamanders in general are not evil, the trauma of such slavery can drive them to bitterness, rage, and malice so ferocious and wicked that it would render the most vile fiend pale out of sheer terror. On the other hand, those who escape the clutches of their cruel masters have also been known to turn to nobler pursuits, crusading for the freedom of others and bringing low those who would seek to take ownership of people. When they are not forced into servitude, a salamander can garner quite the catalog of clientele, peddling her magnificent wares to those who can afford her works of art.
In battle, salamanders are wily combatants who typically focus on beating a single opponent into the ground as quickly as possible. She will lead with her breath weapon if her foes are either out of reach or are in a position she can take advantage of, and then move in to finish off those who are weakened by the streaking inferno. They are good at coordinating with allies, and play to the strengths of those they fight alongside, leading them to a sound and thorough victory.