BakenekoCreature 3
Source Pathfinder Season of Ghosts Hardcover Compilation
Perception +9 (darkvision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet)
Languages Common
Skills Acrobatics +10, Deception +8, Occultism +8, Stealth +10, Thievery +10
Str +3, Dex +3, Con +4, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +1
AC 20; Fort +8; Reflex +7; Will +4;
HP 35
Speed 40 feet
Weaknesses Cold Iron 5
Resistances Fire 5
Claw
+10 (+6, +2) to hit (agile, unarmed) 1d8+5 SlashingCat at Heart
When a bakeneko is killed, they immediately reincarnate into a normal house cat who can never again become a bakeneko.
Feel the BeatBakenekos love to dance. If a bakeneko begins their turn within 30 feet of a source of music, they become Slowed 1 until the start of their next turn as they follow their compulsion to move to the rhythm of the tune by swishing their tail in time, stomping from one hind leg to the other, or clapping their front paws.
FlammableThanks to their high-fat diets, bakenekos secrete flammable oils from their skin that coats their fur. If a bakeneko takes any fire damage, their entire body lights up in flame, turning them into a furry fireball until the end of their next turn. While burning in this way, a bakeneko's Strikes inflict an additional 1d6 fire damage.
Effect: Flammable
Skilled RitualistBakenekos can only create zombies with Create Undead but can perform the ritual without secondary casters and lower the casting time to 4 hours.
Occult Innate Spells (DC 20, +12 to hit)
Cantrips (2nd Level): Daze, Figment, Telekinetic Hand
1st Level: Summon Undead (Zombie Only)
Rituals
A bakeneko comes into existence when the life of a cat is extended past its normal lifespan, whether through incredible fortune, magic, or other means. With each passing year, the feline becomes more and more monstrous—growing in size, becoming more intelligent, and gaining an affinity for magic. Eventually, they become able to walk upright on their rear legs, pursue new hobbies, and learn languages. Despite this expanded intellect, many bakenekos prefer to enjoy the first decades of their ascension continuing their lives as usual as a (particularly oversized) house cat. For some, they do so because they want to acquire knowledge of the world that they couldn't comprehend as cats, but for others, it's just a desire to live out their lives with their current families and loved ones before moving on to what comes next.
Bakenekos enjoy dancing above all other pleasures and can't resist nodding their heads, tapping their paws, or swishing their tails in time to music. They often animate corpses simply to watch them dance—a pastime that often spells trouble for nearby settlements should the undead get free from the bakeneko's control. Bakenekos typically have a playful and mischievous demeanor, and while they aren't inherently evil creatures, they're still feared for their ability to animate corpses and command fire. Villagers are often frightened half to death by the sight of a flaming cat strolling alongside a walking corpse, and bakenekos' association with evil and the occult has caused some villages in Tian Xia to vilify all cats.
Nekomatas
Bakenekos mostly see their animated but mindless zombies as amusements, though they also use them as guardians or even as agents for revenge. Still, they do their best to ensure that undead they animate aren't left to wander free. Most tales of "evil bakenekos" in fact refer to a similar and much more dangerous creature, the nekomata—a level 6 Medium-sized variant of the bakeneko whose bite causes a debilitating disease of the mind.
Traits
This rarity indicates that a rules element is very difficult to find in the game world. A rare feat, spell, item or the like is available to players only if the GM decides to include it in the game, typically through discovery during play. Creatures with this trait are rare. They typically can't be summoned. The DC of Recall Knowledge checks related to these creatures is increased by 5.
BeastA creature similar to an animal but with an Intelligence modifier of –3 or higher is usually a beast. Unlike an animal, a beast might be able to speak and reason.