Dust Mephit

These ghoulish things find death morbidly fascinating. They pose as tragic yet fashionable victims of a gloomy fate, heroically holding out against utter insanity. They favor lines like “A dust mephit I am, lest dust I become!”

Gaunt even by mephit standards, dust mephits have dusky brown skin, eyes, and wings. Unlike other mephits, they prefer to wear clothing (always black), altered so as not interfere with flight.

Combat: Dust mephits attack with two weak claws (1d2 damage each). Three times a day they can breathe a 15’-radius cloud of irritating glassy dust (range 0). Those who fail to save vs. breath weapon can avoid the effect by scratching for one round. Otherwise the itching lowers AC by 4 and attack rolls by 2 for three rounds. Other mephits and creatures with thick or insensitive skins (elephant, scaly, buffalo) are immune.

Once per hour a dust mephit can attempt to gate in 1-2 other dust mephits, usually to share their tragic alienation.

They regenerate 1 hp per turn in dusty, waterless areas. They take half damage from cutting and impaling weapons and are immune to heat and fire damage of all types, but take maximum damage from liquid- and wind-based attacks.

Ecology: In the complex social code of some lower-planar spellcasters, the gift of a dust mephit symbolizes a subtle threat, with the connotation that the giver has recognized some plot of the recipient against him.

Salt Mephit

Salt mephits look like grainy white humanoids with wings made of cubical white crystals. They have large red eyes and gaping, grinning mouths. They have no odor unless they get wet, which causes them excruciating pain and makes them smell briny. The sarcastic and acidulous wit of salt mephits lowers their life expectancy dramatically.

Combat: Salt mephits attack with two claws (1d3 damage each); if any claw damage penetrates armor, the pain of the salted wound requires a save vs. petrification or the victim is stunned for 1-2 rounds. Similarly, the salt mephit’s breath weapon is a shower of salt crystals against a single enemy within 15’ (damage 1d4, save vs. petrification or be stunned 1-2 rounds).

Once per day a salt mephit can taunt (as the 1st-level wizard spell); this taunting can be made to originate within 10 yards of the mephit. A salt mephit can contaminate any amount of water up to a barrel by touch, turning it into undrinkable brine.

Once per hour a salt mephit can attempt to gate in another salt mephit. Salt mephits are immune to fire and heat damage of all kinds, but take maximum damage from liquid-based attacks, and even ordinary water does 1 hp damage per round of contact. They regenerate 1 hp per turn automatically, as long as they stay dry.

Ecology: Spellcasters who deliver a nasty, foulmouthed salt mephit to an enemy thereby declare open warfare.