nickia
2015-01-28, 12:17 PM
Post your favorite homebrewed undead, undead templates or undead related shenanigans. I'm running a campaign where the heads of all the noble families are undead, so I would love to share what I have come up with so far and see what others have to offer since unique undead are going to have to be a staple of this game. Who knows someone else might need some too. I'm sure the clerics of Pelor are getting tired of fighting fighting the same old zombies and vampires day in and day out.
So here are some of mine...
Elder Patriarch Jast Rathus of the City of Rath
Elder of Peace (AKA Elder of Secrets)
Large Undead Changeling
Hit Dice: 10d12+40 (105 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (–1 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+14
Attack: Piercing claw +9 melee (2d6+5 plus 1d8+5) or touch + 9 melee (1d8+5 negative energy)
Full Attack: 2 piercing claws +9 melee (2d6+5 plus 1d8+5) or touch +9 melee (1d8+5 negative energy)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Reaching claws, damaging touch, fear aura, wield the core, osteophage, spells
Special Qualities: +4 turn resistance, damage reduction 15/bludgeoning and magic, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-affecting effects, undead traits, unholy toughness, bone spurs, surgical bones
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +9
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 18, Con —, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 21
Skills: Hide +21, Intimidate +17, Listen +23, Move Silently +25, Search +23, Sense Motive +8, Spot +24
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Power Attack
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or troupe ( 1 Rathian Boneclaw, plus 2-3 changeling boneknights and 5-8 Rathian Skeletons
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Standard coins; double goods; double items.
Alignment: True Good
This large skeletal humanoid’s claw-like fingers are at least two feet long. Worse, the slender, knife-sharp claws contract and extend in length from moment to moment, sometimes instantly reaching a length of 10 or more feet, before slowly contracting.
A Rathian boneclaw is a powerful lich who was a master of the ways of oesteomancy during his natural life and as such, in undeath, possesses exceptional control over the length of its claws as well as all bones in general. At will, a Rathian boneclaw can extend one or two of its finger-claws out to a distance of 20 feet, neatly skewering fleshy creatures that stand in the way.
A Rathian boneclaw stands about 8 feet tall and weighs about 260 pounds.
Rathian boneclaws speak Common.
COMBAT
A boneclaw likes to get the drop on its enemies, especially when its foes are still at range, surprising them with an attack of opportunity by extending its claws as its enemies close to melee range. With its Combat Reflexes, this can occur often within the same fight. A boneclaw normally attacks using its Power Attack feat, taking a –2 penalty on its attack rolls and gaining a +2 bonus on damage rolls.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A boneclaw lich has +4 turn resistance.
Reaching Claws (Ex): A boneclaw can make melee attacks with its bone claws, instantly extending them as part of an attack to a distance of up to 20 feet (thereby allowing the boneclaw to threaten more squares than even its Large size would otherwise indicate).
Unholy Toughness (Ex): A boneclaw gains bonus to its hit points equal to its Charisma modifier plus its Hit Dice.
Fear Aura (Su): Rathian Boneclaw can shroud in a dreadful aura of awesome mind numbing fear. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the Rathian boneclaw must succeed on a Will save (DC 20) or be affected as though by a fear spell from a sorcerer of the boneclaw lich’s level. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same boneclaw lich’s aura for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature a Rathian boneclaw hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20) or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description). The save DC is Charisma-based. The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.
Bone Spurs (Su): The protruding spikes of bone act as armor spikes and spiked gauntlets. The Rathain boneclaw is automatically proficient in the weapons forged directly from his own skeleton, but not the normal weapons of the same type. He may use this ability at will. As natural weapons, the boneclaw’s bone spurs cannot be sundered.
Surgical Bones (Su): A Rathian boneclaw’s bone spurs and bone claws act as adamantine, cold iron, and silver weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Wield the Core (Su): A boneclaw can telepathically control the physical actions of any creature with a skeleton. The target creature must be within 50 feet, and is allowed a Fortitude save (DC 15 + Charisma modifier) to negate the effect. On a failed save, the Rathian boneclaw can control the movements of the subject by forcing its bones to move however the Rathian boneclaw wills.
The effect only allows the Rathian boneclaw to control the movement of the creature's bone structure, and not its mind. Thus, the bone claw cannot make the controlled creature speak, but he can cause the creature's jaws to clench shut, which would prevent a character from casting a spell with a verbal component or using an item that has a command word. This effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to the Rathian boneclaw’s charisma modifier.
Obviously suicidal commands, such as forcing the creature to walk off a cliff or jump into lava, end the effect. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited, as long as the Rathian boneclaw has line of effect to the subject. Because the Rathian Boneclaw must remain in line of effect (and therefore potentially keeping himself in harm's way), commanding a creature to face an obviously superior foe does not end the effect. As this power targets the bone structure of a being, rather than its mind, corporeal undead are subject to its effect. The Rathain boneclaw can use this power a number of times per day equal to three times his charisma modifier.
Osteophage (Su): This 10th-level ability is the most lethal power at the Rathian boneclaw's command. Once per day, a Rathian boneclaw can cause the skeleton of a target to liquefy in a matter of seconds, causing the target to collapse in on itself. This collapse causes instant death on a failed Fortitude save (DC 15 + Charisma modifier); a successful save prevents skeletal collapse but still deals 10d6 points of damage.
THE LICH’S PHYLACTERY
An integral part of becoming a lich is creating a magic phylactery in which the character stores its life force. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a lich for sure is to destroy its phylactery. Unless its phylactery is located and destroyed, a lich reappears 1d10 days after its apparent death.
Jast Rathus’ phylactery consists of the adamantine plated bones of his stillborn son covered in fine gold and silver traceries. Upon the regeneration of his body he can be found cradling the tiny body.
Elder Yolandrea of Obarath
Elder of Agriculture
Size and Type: Large Undead Plant
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Initiative: +4
Armor Class: A lich has a +5 natural armor bonus or the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is better.
Attack: Vine Whip +5 melee, or musk puff +5 ranged touch. A lich has a touch attack that it can use once per round.
Full Attack: 6 vine whips +5 melee, or musk puff +5 ranged touch. A lich fighting without weapons uses either its touch attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a touch as a natural secondary attack, provided it has a way to make that attack (either a free hand or a natural weapon that it can use as a secondary attack).
Damage: A lich without natural weapons has a touch attack that uses negative energy to deal 1d8+5 points of damage to living creatures; a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 lich’s HD + lich’s Cha modifier) halves the damage. A lich with natural weapons can use its touch attack or its natural weaponry, as it prefers. If it chooses the latter, it deals 1d8+5 points of extra damage on one natural weapon attack.
Special Attacks: A lich retains all the base creature’s special attacks and gains those described below. Save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2 lich’s HD + lich’s Cha modifier unless otherwise noted.
Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature a lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description, page 203 of the Player’s Handbook). The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.
Spells: A lich can cast any spells it could cast while alive.
Special Qualities: A Yolandrea retains all the base creature’s special qualities and gains those described below.
Blindsight (Ex): Yolandrea can maneuver and fight not only by sight, but also through the plants surrounding her. This enables Yolandrea can discern objects and creatures within 60 feet. The yellow musk creeper usually does not need to make Spot or Listen checks to notice creatures within range of its blindsight.
Plant Traits (Ex): Yolandrea is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. Yolandrea is not subject to critical hits or mind-affecting effects.
Musk Aura (Ex): Yolandrea is constantly surrounded by a 30 foot aura of potent spores. Creatures within the aura’s area of effect must make a Fortitude save (DC 18) or fall under a mind-effecting compulsion similar to the effects of a suggestion spell.
Consume Intellegence (Ex): As a free action, Yolandrea can extend dozens of probing, sharp-edged tendrils into the head of any helpless or unresisting creature that also occupies its space. These tendrils begin to devour the victim’s brain, dealing 1d4 points of Intelligence to 0, the victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 18). Those who fail die, and their bodies grant sustenance to the hungry plant. Those who succeed are implanted with a seed and become yellow musk zombies.
Grapling Vines (Ex): Yolandrea’s 6 grappling vines are long thorny vines. They cannot use a weapon effectively, though it can perform gross manipulation such as pulling a large lever or lifting a portcullis. Yolandrea gains a +4 bonus to Strength when using the vines for any purpose. When Yolandrea grapples, it uses its adjusted Strength score (with the vines’ bonus) and gains an additional +4 bonus on its grapple checks made to hold, pin, or damage an opponent. Yolandrea does not gain this special bonus when trying to break free of a grapple.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A lich has +6 turn resistance.
Damage Reduction (Su): A lich’s undead body is tough, giving the creature damage reduction 15/bludgeoning and magic. Its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Regeneration 10 (Ex): Fire deals normal damage to a Yolandrea. If the Yolandrea loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 1d6 minutes (the detached piece dies and decays normally). Yolandrea can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.
Immunities (Ex): Yolandrea has immunity to cold, electricity, polymorph (though she can use polymorph effects on herself), and mind-affecting attacks.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +3. Being undead, a lich has no Constitution score.
Skills: Liches have a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Nature, Survival and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Organization: Solitary or troupe (1 druid, plus 2–4 shambling grave mounds 5–8 yellow musk zombies).
Treasure: Standard coins; double items.
Alignment: Any.
Advancement: By character class.
Please feel free to show off your own sense of necromantic flare.
So here are some of mine...
Elder Patriarch Jast Rathus of the City of Rath
Elder of Peace (AKA Elder of Secrets)
Large Undead Changeling
Hit Dice: 10d12+40 (105 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (–1 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+14
Attack: Piercing claw +9 melee (2d6+5 plus 1d8+5) or touch + 9 melee (1d8+5 negative energy)
Full Attack: 2 piercing claws +9 melee (2d6+5 plus 1d8+5) or touch +9 melee (1d8+5 negative energy)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Reaching claws, damaging touch, fear aura, wield the core, osteophage, spells
Special Qualities: +4 turn resistance, damage reduction 15/bludgeoning and magic, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-affecting effects, undead traits, unholy toughness, bone spurs, surgical bones
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +9
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 18, Con —, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 21
Skills: Hide +21, Intimidate +17, Listen +23, Move Silently +25, Search +23, Sense Motive +8, Spot +24
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Power Attack
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or troupe ( 1 Rathian Boneclaw, plus 2-3 changeling boneknights and 5-8 Rathian Skeletons
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Standard coins; double goods; double items.
Alignment: True Good
This large skeletal humanoid’s claw-like fingers are at least two feet long. Worse, the slender, knife-sharp claws contract and extend in length from moment to moment, sometimes instantly reaching a length of 10 or more feet, before slowly contracting.
A Rathian boneclaw is a powerful lich who was a master of the ways of oesteomancy during his natural life and as such, in undeath, possesses exceptional control over the length of its claws as well as all bones in general. At will, a Rathian boneclaw can extend one or two of its finger-claws out to a distance of 20 feet, neatly skewering fleshy creatures that stand in the way.
A Rathian boneclaw stands about 8 feet tall and weighs about 260 pounds.
Rathian boneclaws speak Common.
COMBAT
A boneclaw likes to get the drop on its enemies, especially when its foes are still at range, surprising them with an attack of opportunity by extending its claws as its enemies close to melee range. With its Combat Reflexes, this can occur often within the same fight. A boneclaw normally attacks using its Power Attack feat, taking a –2 penalty on its attack rolls and gaining a +2 bonus on damage rolls.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A boneclaw lich has +4 turn resistance.
Reaching Claws (Ex): A boneclaw can make melee attacks with its bone claws, instantly extending them as part of an attack to a distance of up to 20 feet (thereby allowing the boneclaw to threaten more squares than even its Large size would otherwise indicate).
Unholy Toughness (Ex): A boneclaw gains bonus to its hit points equal to its Charisma modifier plus its Hit Dice.
Fear Aura (Su): Rathian Boneclaw can shroud in a dreadful aura of awesome mind numbing fear. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the Rathian boneclaw must succeed on a Will save (DC 20) or be affected as though by a fear spell from a sorcerer of the boneclaw lich’s level. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same boneclaw lich’s aura for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature a Rathian boneclaw hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20) or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description). The save DC is Charisma-based. The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.
Bone Spurs (Su): The protruding spikes of bone act as armor spikes and spiked gauntlets. The Rathain boneclaw is automatically proficient in the weapons forged directly from his own skeleton, but not the normal weapons of the same type. He may use this ability at will. As natural weapons, the boneclaw’s bone spurs cannot be sundered.
Surgical Bones (Su): A Rathian boneclaw’s bone spurs and bone claws act as adamantine, cold iron, and silver weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Wield the Core (Su): A boneclaw can telepathically control the physical actions of any creature with a skeleton. The target creature must be within 50 feet, and is allowed a Fortitude save (DC 15 + Charisma modifier) to negate the effect. On a failed save, the Rathian boneclaw can control the movements of the subject by forcing its bones to move however the Rathian boneclaw wills.
The effect only allows the Rathian boneclaw to control the movement of the creature's bone structure, and not its mind. Thus, the bone claw cannot make the controlled creature speak, but he can cause the creature's jaws to clench shut, which would prevent a character from casting a spell with a verbal component or using an item that has a command word. This effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to the Rathian boneclaw’s charisma modifier.
Obviously suicidal commands, such as forcing the creature to walk off a cliff or jump into lava, end the effect. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited, as long as the Rathian boneclaw has line of effect to the subject. Because the Rathian Boneclaw must remain in line of effect (and therefore potentially keeping himself in harm's way), commanding a creature to face an obviously superior foe does not end the effect. As this power targets the bone structure of a being, rather than its mind, corporeal undead are subject to its effect. The Rathain boneclaw can use this power a number of times per day equal to three times his charisma modifier.
Osteophage (Su): This 10th-level ability is the most lethal power at the Rathian boneclaw's command. Once per day, a Rathian boneclaw can cause the skeleton of a target to liquefy in a matter of seconds, causing the target to collapse in on itself. This collapse causes instant death on a failed Fortitude save (DC 15 + Charisma modifier); a successful save prevents skeletal collapse but still deals 10d6 points of damage.
THE LICH’S PHYLACTERY
An integral part of becoming a lich is creating a magic phylactery in which the character stores its life force. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a lich for sure is to destroy its phylactery. Unless its phylactery is located and destroyed, a lich reappears 1d10 days after its apparent death.
Jast Rathus’ phylactery consists of the adamantine plated bones of his stillborn son covered in fine gold and silver traceries. Upon the regeneration of his body he can be found cradling the tiny body.
Elder Yolandrea of Obarath
Elder of Agriculture
Size and Type: Large Undead Plant
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Initiative: +4
Armor Class: A lich has a +5 natural armor bonus or the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is better.
Attack: Vine Whip +5 melee, or musk puff +5 ranged touch. A lich has a touch attack that it can use once per round.
Full Attack: 6 vine whips +5 melee, or musk puff +5 ranged touch. A lich fighting without weapons uses either its touch attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a touch as a natural secondary attack, provided it has a way to make that attack (either a free hand or a natural weapon that it can use as a secondary attack).
Damage: A lich without natural weapons has a touch attack that uses negative energy to deal 1d8+5 points of damage to living creatures; a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 lich’s HD + lich’s Cha modifier) halves the damage. A lich with natural weapons can use its touch attack or its natural weaponry, as it prefers. If it chooses the latter, it deals 1d8+5 points of extra damage on one natural weapon attack.
Special Attacks: A lich retains all the base creature’s special attacks and gains those described below. Save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2 lich’s HD + lich’s Cha modifier unless otherwise noted.
Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature a lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description, page 203 of the Player’s Handbook). The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.
Spells: A lich can cast any spells it could cast while alive.
Special Qualities: A Yolandrea retains all the base creature’s special qualities and gains those described below.
Blindsight (Ex): Yolandrea can maneuver and fight not only by sight, but also through the plants surrounding her. This enables Yolandrea can discern objects and creatures within 60 feet. The yellow musk creeper usually does not need to make Spot or Listen checks to notice creatures within range of its blindsight.
Plant Traits (Ex): Yolandrea is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. Yolandrea is not subject to critical hits or mind-affecting effects.
Musk Aura (Ex): Yolandrea is constantly surrounded by a 30 foot aura of potent spores. Creatures within the aura’s area of effect must make a Fortitude save (DC 18) or fall under a mind-effecting compulsion similar to the effects of a suggestion spell.
Consume Intellegence (Ex): As a free action, Yolandrea can extend dozens of probing, sharp-edged tendrils into the head of any helpless or unresisting creature that also occupies its space. These tendrils begin to devour the victim’s brain, dealing 1d4 points of Intelligence to 0, the victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 18). Those who fail die, and their bodies grant sustenance to the hungry plant. Those who succeed are implanted with a seed and become yellow musk zombies.
Grapling Vines (Ex): Yolandrea’s 6 grappling vines are long thorny vines. They cannot use a weapon effectively, though it can perform gross manipulation such as pulling a large lever or lifting a portcullis. Yolandrea gains a +4 bonus to Strength when using the vines for any purpose. When Yolandrea grapples, it uses its adjusted Strength score (with the vines’ bonus) and gains an additional +4 bonus on its grapple checks made to hold, pin, or damage an opponent. Yolandrea does not gain this special bonus when trying to break free of a grapple.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A lich has +6 turn resistance.
Damage Reduction (Su): A lich’s undead body is tough, giving the creature damage reduction 15/bludgeoning and magic. Its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Regeneration 10 (Ex): Fire deals normal damage to a Yolandrea. If the Yolandrea loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 1d6 minutes (the detached piece dies and decays normally). Yolandrea can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.
Immunities (Ex): Yolandrea has immunity to cold, electricity, polymorph (though she can use polymorph effects on herself), and mind-affecting attacks.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +3. Being undead, a lich has no Constitution score.
Skills: Liches have a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Nature, Survival and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Organization: Solitary or troupe (1 druid, plus 2–4 shambling grave mounds 5–8 yellow musk zombies).
Treasure: Standard coins; double items.
Alignment: Any.
Advancement: By character class.
Please feel free to show off your own sense of necromantic flare.