Vartha, Dark |
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Medium Undead
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| Hit Dice: 9d12+27 (85 hp) |
| Initiative: +1 |
| Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares) in full plate; base speed 30 ft. |
| Armor Class: 21 (+1 Dex, +10 +2 spiked full plate), touch 11, flat-footed 20 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+16 |
Attack: +2 morningstar +19 melee (1d8+14/19-20) or armor spikes +16 melee (1d6+7)
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Full Attack: +2 morningstar +19/+14 melee (1d8+14/19-20) or armor spikes +16 melee (1d6+7)
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| Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. |
Special Attacks: Martial training, spell-like abilities, spells
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| Special Qualities: Aura of hopelessness, damage reduction 5/good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold and electricity, undead traits, unholy toughness, +2 turn resistance |
| Saves: Fort +3,
Ref +4, Will +9
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| Abilities: Str 24,
Dex 12, Con —,
Int 13, Wis 17,
Cha 17 |
Skills: Concentration +13, Diplomacy +15, Knowledge (religion) +11, Listen +13, Sense Motive +13, Spot +13
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| Feats: Improved Critical (morningstar), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (morningstar), Weapon Specialization (morningstar) |
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| Environment: Any land and underground |
| Organization: Solitary or guard detail (2-12) |
| Challenge Rating: 8 |
| Treasure: Double standard |
| Alignment: Any evil |
| Advancement: By character class |
| Level Adjustment: — |
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The creature appears to be a humanoid clad in dark, spiked full plate armor. It wields a night-black morningstar. Its pallor is that of a newly dead corpse, and its eyes are dull and lifeless.
Dark vartha often become undead through avarice, guarding their own treasure even beyond the end of their natural life. Others are cursed for a lifetime of greed.
A dark vartha stands 5 to 7 feet tall and weighs 100 to 300 pounds.
A dark vartha speaks Common, Celestial, and any other languages known in life.
COMBAT
Dark vartha use their spells and formidable melee prowess to defend their treasures with unflinching greed.
Aura of Hopelessness (Su): A dark vartha continuously radiates an aura that fills nonevil creatures with hopelessness. All nonevil creatures within 20 feet suffer a -2 morale penalty on saving throws.
Martial Training (Ex): A dark vartha possesses the base attack bonus of a fighter of its level, and qualifies for feats as if it were a fighter of a level equal to its Hit Dice.
Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—command undead (DC 15). Caster level 9th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Spells: A dark vartha can cast divine spells as a 6th-level cleric. A vartha has access to two domains from its deity's list. The save DCs are Wisdom-based. A dark vartha's innate spellcasting stacks with any levels it takes in the cleric class. Thus, a 5th-level dark vartha cleric has a caster level of 11th, and gains spells per day as an 11th-level cleric.
Typical Cleric Spells Prepared (5/4+1/4+1/3+1; save DC 13 + spell level):
0th—detect magic, guidance (2), resistance, virtue;
1st—cause fear*, command, deathwatch, divine favor, doom;
2nd—death knell*, hold person, silence, sound burst, spiritual weapon;
3rd—bestow curse, blindness/deafness, contagion*, dispel magic;
*Domain spell. Domains: Death, Destruction.
Unholy Toughness (Ex): A dark vartha gains a bonus to its hit points equal to its Charisma modifier x its Hit Dice. |
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1993 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine #198 |
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