Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Smiles-Under-the-Bed (PFRPG) by Matt Banach is a role playing game supplement published by Rite Publishing for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result. This is a single NPC at three different CRs.
The supplement is available as a 16-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $2.95 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the front cover, one the front matter, one the Open Game License and two are ads.
Smiles-Under-the-Bed opens with details on this grey cat that haunts the Tarnished Souk, a large, disembodied Cheshire Cat grin often the only thing seen. Smiles-Under-the-Bed, after years of being cast out and rejected, is now a twisted creature that eats dreams. This is accompanied by the standard details on Dreamburning, lore and using the NPC.
The three different versions follow, arranged in the book from high to low CR.
The CR 8 version is an advanced laughing beast nightmare greymalkin.
The CR 13 version is an advanced dream eater laughing beast nightmare greymalkin.
The CR 19 version is an advanced apex predator dream eater laughing beast nightmare greymalkin.
There are two new traits and a new magic item. After this are the templates; apex predator and dream eater do what they saw, laughing creatures gain domain powers of madness and nightmare creatures inflict fear and madness.
Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Smiles-Under-the-Bed (PFRPG) in Review
The PDF, for the first time in this series, lacks bookmarks. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. Apart from the cover image, there are some pieces of black and white stock art. Presentation is decent.
Like Khufusiris, this is a template-driven NPC; it is the templates that define this disturbing creature, even though it has a sympathy-inducing backstory. Though Smiles-Under-the-Bed’s grin may be described as being from the Cheshire Cat, she is also a creature with an unnaturally large smile, laughing mad and with a warped sense of humour. Cheshire Cat by way of the Joker, perhaps. Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Smiles-Under-the-Bed (PFRPG) depicts an oddly-sympathetic, yet extremely dangerous creature, and can be found by clicking here.
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