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==Tainted Creatures==
Tainted creatures live any place their ordinary counterparts reside. They are more beautiful than their mirrors, but they lean towards evil alignments.<br>
Tainted creatures often have reddish skin, and their eyes are black, red, or yellow, usually. Sometimes, tainted creatures are mistaken for fiendish creatures.

===Creating a Tainted Creature===
"Tainted" is a template that can be added to any corporeal animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or vermin creature (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). Beasts or animals with this template become magical beasts, but otherwise the creature type is unchanged. A tainted creature uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
: '''Special Attacks:''' A tainted creature retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the supernatural ability to use ''dancing lights'' at will as the spell. Tainted creatures with a Wisdom or Charisma score of 8 or higher possess the following spell-like abilities, using their level as the caster level, as specified in the table below. Unless otherwise indicated, the ability is usable once per day.

{|border=1px
!Level !!Abilities
|-
|1-6 || ''Endure elements'', ''flare'' 3/day
|-
|7-12 || ''Resist energy'' (fire, electricity only), ''continual flame''
|-
|13+ || ''Eagle's splendor'', ''darkness''
|}

: '''Special Qualities:''' A tainted creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following ones:

* Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
* Fire and electricity resistance (see the table below).
* SR equal to 11 + creature's HD.
* +4 racial bonus to Fortitude saves against poison.

{|border=1px
!Hit Dice !!Fire, Electricity Resistance
|-
|1-3 || 5
|-
|4-7 || 10
|-
|8-11 || 15
|-
|12+ || 20
|}

If the base creature already has one or more of these special qualities, use the better value.

: '''Saves:''' Same as the base creature<br>
: '''Abilities:''' Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +0, Con +2, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4<br>
: '''Skills:''' Same as the base creature<br>
: '''Feats:''' Same as the base creature<br>
: '''Climate/Terrain:''' Same as the base creature<br>
: '''Organization:''' Same as the base creature<br>
: '''Challenge Rating:''' Same as the base creature +1<br>
: '''Treasure:''' Same as the base creature<br>
: '''Alignment:''' Usually evil (any)<br>
: '''Advancement:''' Same as the base creature<br>
: '''Level Adjustment:''' Same as the base creature +2

===Tainted Characters===
Tainted characters with a Charisma of 12 or higher are often sorcerers. Those with high Wisdom scores might become clerics.

<big>'''Sample Tainted Creature'''</big><br>
'''Tainted Goblin, 1st-Level Warrior'''<br>
'''Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)'''<br>
'''Hit Dice:''' 1d8+2 (6 hp)<br>
'''Initiative:''' +1 (Dex)<br>
'''Speed:''' 30 ft.<br>
'''AC:''' 15 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +2 leather armor, +1 light shield), touch 12, flat-footed 14<br>
'''Base Attack/Grapple:''' +1/-3<br>
'''Attack:''' Morningstar +3 melee (1d6) or javelin +3 ranged (1d4)<br>
'''Full Attack:''' Morningstar +2 melee (1d6) or javelin +3 ranged (1d4)<br>
'''Space/Reach:''' 5 ft./5 ft.<br>
'''Special Attacks:''' -<br>
'''Special Qualities:''' ''Dancing lights'', ''endure elements'' 1/day, ''flare'' 3/day, darkvision 60 ft., SR 12; fire and electricity resistance 5<br>
'''Saves:''' Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +0<br>
'''Abilities:''' Str 13, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 10<br>
'''Skills:''' Hide +5, Listen +5, Move Silently +5, Ride +4, Spot +5<br>
'''Feats:''' Alertness<br>
'''Environment:''' Temperate plains<br>
'''Organization:''' Gang (4-9), band (10-100 plus 100% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults and 1 leader of 4th-6th level), warband (10-24 with worg mounts), or tribe (40-400 plus 100% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults, 1 or 2 lieutenants of 4th or 5th level, 1 leader of 6th-8th level, 10-24 worgs, and 2-4 dire wolves)<br>
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1<br>
'''Treasure:''' Standard<br>
'''Alignment:''' Usually neutral evil<br>
'''Advancement:''' By character class

<big>'''Combat'''</big>

'''Skills'''<br>
Tainted goblins have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks. Tainted goblin cavalry (mounted on worgs) usually select the Mounted Combat feat in place of the Alertness feat, which reduces their Spot and Listen check modifiers from +5 to +3.