Rakshasa

Outsiders: An outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some plane other than the Material Plane.

Outsiders have darkvision.

Unlike most living creatures, an outsider does not have a dual nature — its soul and body form one unit. When an outsider is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on an outsider. A different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection, is required to restore it to life. An outsider with the native subtype can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be.

Outsiders breathe, but do not need to eat or sleep (although they can do so if they wish). Native outsiders breathe, eat, and sleep.

Native: Native outsiders have mortal ancestors or a strong connection to the Material Plane and can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be. These outsiders are native to the Material Plane. Unlike true outsiders, native outsiders need to eat and sleep.

Shapechanger: A shapechanger has the supernatural ability to assume one or more alternate forms. Many magical effects allow some kind of shapeshifting, and not every creature that can change its shape is a shapechanger.

A rakshasa is a spirit born into the Material Plane. A shapechanger that can walk with ease among humanoids, a rakshasa’s true form has animalistic features and strangely jointed limbs. All rakshasas are native to the Material Plane.

They have darkvision.

All rakshasas have the ability to change shape into any humanoid, as if using alter self.

A rakshasa can detect thoughts as per the spell of the same name. When a rakshasa uses this ability, it always gains the maximum amount of information possible.

All rakshasas have DR that can be penetrated by good and/or piercing weapons only. In addition, rakshasas are exceptionally resistant to magic, and possess SR.

All but the least of rakshasas have some level of spellcasting ability, and can cast spells as sorcerers.

Rakshasas are born on the Material Plane, but they are not of it. They possess the powers and shapes of fiends, but their fates are inexorably tied to the mortal world, and it is there that they seek to rule. The reincarnations of manipulators, traitors, and tyrants obsessed with earthly pleasures, rakshasas are the embodiments of the very nature of materialistic evil. After dying violent deaths, these spirits are so tied to worldly decadence and selfish concerns that they take shapes that better reflect the baseness of their lives and are reborn as fiends. Thus have sages come to know these beings as the “earthbound evils.”

While there are many different types of rakshasas, from the lowly raktavarna to the powerful maharaja, the most commonly encountered members of this race are not known by any other name — they are more powerful than some members of their kind and less powerful than others, and represent the ideal midpoint between servitor and master. These rakshasas can be recognized by their animal heads (those of great cats, snakes, crocodiles, apes, and birds of prey being the most common) and backward-facing hands. Feral traits and strangely reversed joints are a hallmark of all types of rakshasas, in fact, features that most rakshasas can hide through their supernatural ability to change shapes or by means of powerful illusions.

Dandasuka

Dandasukas, also known as “biters” among rakshasas, serve as spies and assassins. They often appear as part of a rakshasa’s retinue or secret network. Born to manipulate and murder, they revel in their work and delight in the sight of blood. Thus, dandasukas go about their work cheerfully, laughing as they manipulate foes and butcher victims.

They have spell-like abilities.

All dandasukas are restless and energetic. They crave activity and entertainment, preferring the sick and cruel to conventional fare. Dandasuka pranks are rarely amusing for the victim.

A dandasuka causes wounds that continue to bleed. This bleeding can be stopped by a successful Heal skill check or through the application of any magical healing.

Raktavarna

Made up of smoke, blood, and gold, raktavarnas are the least of the rakshasas — they are born not from humanoids, but from the souls of rakshasas who failed utterly in their previous incarnation and who are thus reborn from a serpent’s egg.

A raktavarna can take the shape of a handheld object, most often an ornamental light, a one-handed weapon, or a piece of treasure. If the rakshasa remains stationary in such a form, it can hide even while being observed. It can remain motionless in object form indefinitely, but reverts to its true form as soon as it takes any action.

A raktavarna can designate a single creature as its master. If the raktavarna is a spellcaster’s familiar, its master is automatically that spellcaster, and the raktavarna cannot change this. A raktavarna’s master can observe the world as if looking through the raktavarna’s eyes. The master must concentrate to maintain this link. The master’s visual senses are suppressed for this time, and he uses the raktavarna’s darkvision, detect magic, and regular eyesight to observe the world. This ability has no limit on range, and functions even across planar boundaries. If the raktavarna is slain while its master is using this ability, the master is stunned.