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Message: <blockquote data-quote="demiurge1138" data-source="post: 2447314" data-attributes="member: 7451">Now that I've finished with the evil outsiders, I'm moving on to MMII's rather poorly designed high CR undead. The famine spirit, below, was originally CR 19 but had 32 Hit Dice and only had an AC of 18! So, this has required serious tweaking. How is it? CR too low? Too high?Famine SpiritMedium UndeadHit Dice: 23d12 plus 115 (264 hp)Initiative: +4Speed: 40ft (8 squares)Armor Class: 35 (+20 natural, +5 deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 35Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+26Attack: Bite +23 melee (3d6+11, 19-20x2)Full Attack: Bite +23 melee (3d6+11, 19-20x2 plus disease) and 2 claws +20 melee (1d10+5)Space/Reach: 5ft/5ftSpecial Attacks: Aura of pain, disease, improved grab, spell-like abilities, swallow whole, vorpal biteSpecial Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, fast healing 15, scent, true seeing, undead, unholy grace, unholy toughnessSaves: Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +20Abilities: Str 33, Dex 11, Con -, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 20Skills: Climb +37, Jump +41, Intimidate +31, Listen +30, Search +29, Spot +30, Swim +37Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Great Cleave, Improved Grapple (B), Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite)Environment: Any land and undergroundOrganization: Solitary, pair, or band (1-2 plus 2-20 ghasts and 3-30 ghouls)Challenge Rating: 17Treasure: Half standardAlignment: Always chaotic evilAdvancement: 24-69 HD (Medium)Level Adjustment: -You see an obscenely obese humanoid, its jaw stretched to hideous proportions. Its tightly stretched skin is a sallow, dead color, and its hands end in sharp claws.Famine spirits are rumored by some to be the remains of those who killed themselves through disgusting acts of gluttony. Thankfully quite rare, they are perpetually hungry, eating anything and everything in its path. The only organic things it does not consume are the undead, and flesh-eating undead of all kinds follow in the wake of a famine spirit, hoping to scavenge. Most monsters can only hope to destroy people, but a famine spirit is more than capable of ruining entire nations. Grain silos can be emptied, entire fields of crops and herds of livestock can be consumed, whole cities can be depopulated by a single famine spirit. Worse, those who are fortunate to escape being devoured by the undead may become a famine spirit themselves, adding to the destruction.Famine spirits are generally as tall as a human, but up to four times heavier. They speak Common, but say little more than demands for more food.CombatFamine spirits fight to eat, grabbing any combatant that gets close enough, stuffing them in its maw, and then moving to the next course. If confronted with an opponent strong enough to avoid being swallowed, the famine spirit resorts to its sharp claws and deadly bite, and if badly outmatched will flee ethereally.Aura of Pain (Su): A famine spirit exudes a constant aura of pain and despair. All living creatures within 60ft of a famine spirit must make a Will save (DC 26) or suffer a -4 to all attack rolls, skill checks and ability checks, as if affected by a symbol of pain spell. This effect lasts as long as the creature remains in the aura, and for 10 minutes after leaving it. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected by the same famine spirit’s aura of pain for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma based.Disease (Su): The bite of the famine spirit spreads a horrible disease, causing the victim a gnawing, insatiable hunger that eventually kills its victim. Bite, save DC 26, incubation 1 day, damage 1d8 Con. The save DC is Charisma based.A humanoid that dies of a famine spirit’s disease rises as a famine spirit the next midnight. A humanoid that becomes a famine spirit this way retains none of the abilities it possessed in life. It is not the thrall of the famine spirit who created it, but may cooperate with its creator in order to find more food.Improved Grab (Ex): In order to use this ability, a famine spirit must hit a Large or smaller opponent with its bite attack. It can then make a grapple check as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it can attempt to swallow the opponent in the following round. Spell-like Abilities: 3/day – ethereal jaunt. Caster level 20th.Swallow Whole (Ex): A famine spirit can try to swallow a grabbed opponent on a successful grapple check. Its stomach is actually partially extradimensional space, allowing it to swallow creatures larger than itself.  Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8+11 points of bludgeoning damage plus 2d10 points of negative energy damage each round. A swallowed creature can try to escape into the famine spirit’s mouth with a successful grapple check. Alternatively, it can try to cut its way out with a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 35 points of damage to the stomach (AC 21). This looks quite disturbing, as the creature that climbs out of the wound may be larger than the famine spirit itself. Muscular action closes the hole once the creature exits; other swallowed creatures must cut their own way free.The famine spirit’s seemingly bottomless stomach can hold 1 Large, 4 Medium, 16 Small, 32 Tiny or 256 Diminutive or smaller opponents. Once dead, a creature no longer counts towards the famine spirit’s holding capacity.Vorpal Bite (Ex): On a successful critical hit caused by rolling a natural 20, a famine spirit severs the head of a Large or smaller opponent.True Seeing (Su): A famine spirit continuously acts under the effects of true seeing, as the spell (caster level 20th).Unholy Grace (Su): A famine spirit receives a bonus to all saving throws and a deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to its Charisma modifier (already factored into the statistics shown above).Unholy Toughness (Ex): A famine spirit receives bonus hit points equal to its Charisma bonus x its Hit Dice.Demiurge out.</blockquote>

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