An Imp (Author: TumblingMice)

Act 1: The Warlock

You see huge, demonic horns, fiery red eyes, shadows that seem to close in around you, and a wicked smirk as flames erupt in the background. Then your cantrip wears off, leaving a 2ft tall red creature like a human with much pointier angles, a bad hunch, and almost emaciated thinness. Leathery, batlike wings sprout from your back and your face is made up almost entirely of long horns, a massive, crazed grin, long ears and a hooked nose.

An Imp. Well, technically a Greater Imp, but it isn't hard to be greater than a plain old imp. Imps are the most numerous of the daemons, often serving as the vanguard to a daemonic horde... or so you seem to remember from some sort of racial memory. All you know is that you and your brethren were once summoned by some old wizard in the tower you're currently below, and now you're a popular spot for low-level magic users to visit in search of loot. Or so the quest says, as the bard with the exploding deck told you. You don't remember any wizard, just the ruins of the tower and your loud, diminutive brethren.

It isn't all bad, though. You have stacking poison, some magical power, and can even make contracts with foolish mortals. Now if only they'd stop killing you long enough for the poison to work or for you to convince them to make a contract.

Level 2 Greater Imp
Monster, Daemon, Explicit
Experience to level up - 200
Attributes
STR 15 DEX 25 END 10 CHA 25 MAN 40 APP 15 PER 25 INT 30 WIT 30
Skills
Athletics 20, Awareness 30, Bureaucracy 60, Dodge 55, Larceny 20,
Linguistics 35, Lore 30, Martial Arts 25, Occult 30, Performance 20
Crafting Skills
Alchemy 5, Enchanting 5, Jewelery 5, Scribing 5
Feats
Imp Venom – Your body drips with magical poisons which linger in the afflicted's body long term unless purged. While near you, the afflicted's nerves feel phantom versions of the same things they felt when in your presence. Strength and distance depend on amount of poison and your level.
Infernal Bureaucrat – When in the presence of an appropriate ritual circle you can make binding contracts with mortals which increase both your and their power.
Monstrous Appearance – When attempting to use Appearance in a positive way on creatures without the Monster subtype, it counts as 20 points lower until the target gets used to you.
Natural Weapons – You are in possession of a set of Natural Weapons. You are immune to Disarm attacks. However, crippling effects have a chance to disarm you instead.
Spellcaster – You are a spellcaster and know some rudimentary spells. Spell effects can be manipulated by appropriate attributes and skills, often Intelligence and Occultism.
Vestigial Wings – Your wings let you glide, slowing your falling speed to one tenth and allowing you to move at full speed horizontally while doing so. You can jump at triple your normal Athletics rating.
Spells
Firebolt – Launch a small ball of fire at your foe.
Trickery – You may create a number of minor illusions and magical versions of mundane effects. For example, you can slightly alter your appearance, cause ominous sounds or alter your voice, amplify flames, and create sparks.

You sigh. Poisons that only work near you don't help much when every adventurer just shows up, kills you, loots the place, and never returns. Trickery is fun but fun doesn't prevent you from ending up on the wrong end of a broadsword. You're speedy and hard to hit, but firebolt is more of a nuisance than a threat to an adventurer with more than a level or two and you're embarrassing in melee. Nobody seems interested in making contracts with you. And, you think while wiggling your wings, you can't even really fly!

Huh, you don't remember seeing the "crafting skills" section before. That must be part of the new patch. It looks like you're able to create all sorts of magical items... well, barely. Now if only you actually had the equipment and materials to do so, you think, rolling your eyes. Great update.

Well, time to look around and see what the new update is like. Maybe if you're lucky the next band of adventurers will have the courtesy to go their spree while you're out exploring and you can live a day or two before more adventurers show up to do it all over again. You crack your joints and turn around, walking away from the small underground spring, past the cracked and broken altar and summoning circle, up the decrepit stairs, and through the rotting trap door. With a wave to your diminutive relatives, who seem to be playing some form of fireball tag in the ruins of the tower's main floor, you step out the half-open door and blink as your eyes adjust to the bright daylight.