Ilumbo

The serpent is more commonly associated with treachery than perhaps any other animal. Few people look kindly upon serpents, and the sentiment extends to anyone in the company of these wily reptiles.

Mythology and folklore are full of instances describing the cunning reptile’s proclivity to serve malevolent creatures and corrupt the innocent.

Whether this correlation with evil is attributable to their dangerous bite, alien appearance or unpredictable nature is subject to debate, but the fact remains that the serpent is reviled in many mystical circles. The ilumbo is the rare exception. In many primitive grassland cultures, the ilumbo is derogatorily referred to as the “lying snake” and “he who speaks with forked tongue.” Yet while snakes are disliked and mistrusted in many cultures, they are also greatly feared and the same trepidation precedes the ilumbo wherever he goes. The ilumbo’s reputation for deceit is wellknown even in the grasslands’ remotest corners. Though the ilumbo is frequently looked upon as being evil, his ethical outlook is better defined as an abstract shade of gray rather than a solid black or white. Deceit is a sinful act in many religions, but the ilumbo may foster an illusory truth to accomplish a greater good or he may spread his web of lies to destroy an entire civilization. These details determine whether the ilumbo is a conniving angel or a devil in disguise.

Nearly all ilumbos specialize in the Falsehood focused arcane school of magic.

Arcane Bond (Ex)

The iilumbo may not select an object and must form a bond with a familiar. His familiar must be a reptile.

Falsehood School

Some wizards use illusory magic to conceal the truth and sow mistrust in the minds of others.

Associated School: Illusion.

Replacement Powers: The following school powers replace the extended illusions, blinding ray and invisibility field powers of the illusion school.

Born Liar (Ex)

You gain a +2 enhancement bonus on Bluff, Disguise and Perform (act) skill checks. This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every five levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. At 20th level, whenever you succeed at a saving throw against a language-dependent spell or effect, as an immediate action you can attempt to frighten the caster to death, as per phantasmal killer.

Gullible (Su)

As a standard action, you can make a melee touch attack that makes the creature believe everything it sees and hears. If you hit, the target treats all Will saving throws made to disbelieve illusions and all Sense Motive checks to avoid being bluffed as if it rolled a natural 1 for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting effect. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier.

False Images (Sp)

At 8th level, you can emit a 30-foot-radius aura of distorted images for a number of rounds per day equal to your wizard level. These rounds do not need to be consecutive. Enemies within this aura suffer a 20% miss chance on melee and ranged attack rolls. The miss chance does not stack with any miss chance granted by another form of concealment. This is a mind-affecting effect with visual components.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Fields of Blood © 2015 Frog God Games, LLC. Author: Tom Knauss

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