Swimming the Seas of Death [Creature]

[The Demented One]

Darkwater Leviathan
Size/Type: Huge Undead (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 14d12 (91 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: Swim 50 ft. (12 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (-2 size, +14 natural), touch 8, flatfooted 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+23
Attack: Bite +13 melee (3d6+8 plus darkwater pestilence)
Full Attack: Bite +13 melee (3d6+8 plus darkwater pestilence) and 2 Claws +10 melee (2d6+4)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Darkwater pestilence, improved grab, swallow whole
Special Qualities: Befoul water, damage reduction 10/good, darkvision 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +9
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 10, Con –, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
Skills: Bluff +20, Intimidate +20, Listen +17, Spot +17, Swim +16
Feats: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Awesome Blow, Multiattack, Ability Focus (Darkwater Pestilence)
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or legion (Darkwater Leviathan plus five to twenty zombies)
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Always Neutral Evil
Advancement: 15-24 HD (Huge), 25-32 HD (Gargantuan), 33-40 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: –

Darkwater Leviathans are powerful undead, born from those who die from drinking filth-tainted waters. Should their be death in sufficient amounts, the dead can combine into a single gestalt being, a behemoth of tainted, amalgated flesh. A Darkwater Leviathan is a vast serpent made up of dozens of dead bodies fused together, resembling a patchwork of corpses. Darkwater Leviathans seek to spread death and disease, animating their victims as zombies under their control. As they can control a virtually unlimited number of undead, they can gain powerful armies to rival that of the greatest warlord or necromancer, making them almost universally feared foes.

Darkwater Pestilence (Su)
A creature damaged by a Darkwater Leviathan’s bite attack must make a DC 22 Fortitude save or contract a disease known as darkwater pestilence. Darkwater pestilence has a extremely brief incubation period, lasting only 1d6 rounds. Darkwater pestilence deals 1d6 points of Dex and Con damage, deadening both nerves and flesh. Unlike normal diseases, darkwater pestilence continues until the victim reaches Constitution 0 (and dies) or is cured as described below.

Darkwater pestilence is a powerful supernatural plague, not a natural disease. A character attempting to cast any conjuration (healing) spell on a creature afflicted with darkwater pestilence must succeed on a DC 20 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the afflicted character. If the dispel magic spell is cast on a creature afflicted by darkwater pestilence (which also requires a caster level check), the disease is stripped of its supernatural power, and caster level checks are no longer required to affect its host with healing spells.

If a creature’s Con score is reduced to 0 by darkwater pestilence, it dies. Within 1d6 days, it rises as a zombie under the control of the Darkwater Leviathan, and immediately seeks out its master.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a Darkwater Leviathan must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to swallow the foe the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex)
A Darkwater Leviathan can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of a smaller size than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 3d6+8 points of crushing damage per round from the leviathans’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 10 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 17). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A leviathan’s interior can hold 1 Large, 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Befoul Water (Su)
All water that comes within 100 ft. of a Darkwater Leviathan is befouled, and transforms into unholy water. In addition, a living creature that drinks water befouled by a leviathan must make a DC 20 Fortitude save or take 1d6 points of Con damage. In addition, it is tainted by the befouled water. Should it die, it rises within 1d6 days as a zombie under the control of the Darkwater Leviathan, and immediately seeks out its master. The save is Cha based.

The dispel evil spell can combat this ability in two ways. If cast directly on befouled water, it can purify up 10 ft. cubic feet of befouled water per caster level, reverting it to normal water (Note that 10 ft. cubic feet of water contains about 1,000 gallons). Water purified this way cannot be befouled again for 1 day/caster level. In addition, if the dispel evil spell is cast on a creature tainted by the water, any Con damage it might have suffered is healed, and it does not rise as a zombie if it dies.

[Kamakazee_Gnome]

Wouldn't a very small number of these be able to completely defile a world's oceans?

[cezyou]

Why, yes, they would. That's why they have such epic-feeling abilities. I think.

Also, there have to be a massive amount of corpses that died from naturally tainted water to create one.

[Zeta Kai]

Wow, those are scary. I've just gotta throw one of these against my player when they get up the apprpriate level. Befoul Water is especially wicked, as it allows me to set up the encounter well before it anyone rolls initiative. Great job, O Demented One.

[Stycotl]

flavorful, and as zeta noted, cool stuff for setting pc's up for a thrilling encounter.