Weary Raja Rakshasa
CREATURE 9Variant raja rakshasa
When not disguised as a humanoid, the raja rakshasa has the head of an animal. The hands of a raja rakshasa are more subtly unsettling, for the fingers of these fiends bend outward, away from the palms.
More than any other types of rakshasa, rajas scoff at religion. They understand the power of the divine, yet they view themselves as the only things worthy of worship from mortal creatures; not even their own immortals are deemed deserving of such glorification. Raja rakshasas often form close-knit families that work together to bring down mortal cities or to rule them from the shadows within. Such families of rakshasas often incorporate other breeds of the fiend, often using dandasukas as favored servants or stealthy spies. Even though a raja family works together to achieve a shared goal, infighting and treachery among their own is a constant threat.
Rakshasas are evil spirits that cloak themselves in the guises of humanoid creatures, that they might walk unseen among their prey. They embody what is taboo among most societies, and in the shape of those they seek to defile, rakshasas gorge themselves on these hideous acts. A wide range of rakshasas exist; presented below are the diminutive, sinister dandasuka rakshasa and the infamous raja rakshasa, who are the most widespread and commonly encountered of these fiends.
The raja rakshasa takes on the appearance of any Medium humanoid. This doesn't change the raja rakshasa's Speed or its attack and damage modifiers with its Strikes but might change the damage type its Strikes deal (typically to bludgeoning). It typically loses its fangs Strike unless the humanoid form has fangs or a similar unarmed attack.
The monster changes its shape indefinitely. It can use this action again to return to its natural shape or adopt a new shape. Unless otherwise noted, a monster cannot use Change Shape to appear as a specific individual. Using Change Shape counts as creating a disguise for the Impersonate use of Deception. The monster's transformation automatically defeats Perception DCs to determine whether the creature is a member of the ancestry or creature type into which it transformed, and it gains a +4 status bonus to its Deception DC to prevent others from seeing through its disguise. Change Shape abilities specify what shapes the monster can adopt. The monster doesn't gain any special abilities of the new shape, only its physical form. For example, in each shape, it replaces its normal Speeds and Strikes, and might potentially change its senses or size. Any changes are listed in its stat block.