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[Echohawk]

Zhentarim Spirit
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any/Zhentarim-controlled areas
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night
DIET: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: High (11-14)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Any evil
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVEMENT: Fl 12 (C)
HIT DICE: 7
THAC0: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Hit point drain, possession
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 magical or better weapon needed to hit, spell immunities, invisible and intangible at will
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (5'-6' tall)
MORALE: Fanatic (17-18)
XP VALUE: 6,000

A Zhentarim spirit is the essence of a Zhentarim wizard who met with a horrible death at the hands of his or her enemies or treacherous comrades. The spirit of the wizard is extremely vengeful, and by sheer force of will is remaining on the Prime Material Plane until a task is complete or until it takes revenge on those who slew it. Zhentarim spirits are extremely rare, and only the death of a wizard who is greater than 14th level can bring about the creation of one of these spiteful spirits.
Zhentarim spirits are semitransparent spirits that look somewhat like spectres, and those who confuse the two often end up dead. These spirits appear as they did at the time of their deaths, bearing their fatal wounds.

Combat: Zhentarim spirits can no longer cast spells of any kind, but can converse with Prime Material beings in the languages they knew in life. Zhentarim spirits are not undead in the normal sense of the word - that is, they are not affected by holy water, cannot be turned, and are not connected to the Negative Energy Plane. They are simply being held to the Prime Material Plane by their indomitable willpower, refusing to go to their final rest (or judgment) until their killers have been dealt with. A Zhentarim spirit can become invisible and intangible at will, but must materialize to attack.
Zhentarim spirits primarily target their killers. The attack of a Zhentarim spirit drains the hit points of its victim at a rate of 1d8 per strike. The loss of these hit points is permanent to the target of the spirit's vengeance (its killer or killers), while all others regain lost points as normal.
Zhentarim spirits can also possess people through the use of a magic jar ability that they can attempt once per round; a spirit can only possess one person at any one time. A Zhentarim spirit must be within at least one-half mile of the possessed victim to exercise control over him or her. The spirits often use possessed victims to get close to their targets and either kill or injure them. A spirit must relinquish possession of a person before attacking a victim with its draining touch.
Depending on the power possessed by a spirit's intended victim or victims, it will use extreme caution or a straightforward attack. Once those responsible for the death of the spirit's mortal form are dead, the creature will depart for its judgment on the planes. It is impossible to fool the spirit about the death of its victim - it will know if that person (or group of people) is truly dead or not.
Killing Zhentarim spirits is a difficult thing, as they reform by force of will after 100 days if reduced to fewer than 0 hit points. The only way to completely destroy Zhentarim spirits is to kill them using a finger of death, power word, kill, or wish. They receive normal saving throws against these spells.
Zhentarim spirits are immune to all spells except magic missile, protection from evil, finger of death, power word, kill, and wish; all others simply pass through the creatures as if they were immaterial. They are also immune to weapons not of a magical nature (of at least +1 enchantment) and take only normal damage from a mace of disruption.

Habitat/Society: The determination of Zhentarim spirits to annihilate their killers is exceptional, and these creatures defy final judgment for indefinite and extended periods to exact their revenge. This is done through these spirits' force of will (minimum Wisdom of 16), aided by their connection with the magical arts (minimum of 14th-level wizard).
These spirits have so far only been linked with wizards of the Zhentarim, and many think the tendency of Zhentarim wizards to form these spirits is attributable to magical means that they use to extend their lives. A vengeful Zhentarim spirit is formed one to two days after the death of an appropriate Zhentarim wizard, and it immediately sets about planning its revenge.

Ecology: Zhentarim spirits have no need for sustenance or rest, and they continuously seek the destruction of their killer or killers. These spirits exist on the Prime Material Plane until their victim dies or they are destroyed.

 

[Echohawk]

Ravenous
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: tropical jungle
FREQUENCY: very rare
ORGANIZATION: pack
ACTIVITY CYCLE: any
DIET: living tissue
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil

NO. APPEARING: 2d6
ARMOR CLASS: 8
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: see below
THAC0: see below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d3 + special
SPECIAL ATTACKS:. Constitution drain
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spell immunity
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
SIZE: M or see below
MORALE: Fearless (20)
XP VALUE: 65

The ravenous are zombie-like creatures created by Meyanok's famine in the city-state of Tolanok. They appear to be normal humans or mundane snakes that move with a slight stiffness and look emaciated as if from starvation. Most of their minds are gone, and their only thought is of satisfying the hungering ache in their stomachs and bones.

Combat: Ravenous attack with their natural weapon nails for humans, bites or constriction for snakes. In addition to this damage, the touch of a ravenous draws vitality from the victim, resulting in a loss of one point of Constitution; this does not cause an adjustment in the victim's hit points due to a change in bonus hit points per level. A creature brought to 0 Constitution dies and rises as a ravenous within 24 hours unless the corpse is blessed or buried with a full meal. Only a human, humanoid, demihuman or a snake may be turned into a ravenous; a creature that rises as a ravenous has its original hit dice and THAC0; humans and demihumans become 1-HD ravenous. Lost Constitution is regained at a rate of 1 point per day in which the victim eats three full meals.
Like all undead, ravenous are immune to sleep, charm and hold spells. They are turned by clerics according to their hit dice. A ravenous can be distracted by throwing food to it normal rations are preferred to dried ones - or the use of spells such as create food and water or hero's feast.

Habitat/Society: Formerly the inhabitants of a small, prosperous city and its outlying farms, the ravenous still gather in groups as their living counterparts had. A group may be all human-like or it may include some snakes. They hunt in packs to more easily bring down their victims, which are not eaten but drained of their life-giving properties. They have no concern for treasure.

Ecology: Ravenous take from their environment and give nothing back to it. When destroyed, their bodies collapse into dust and bone fragments. Ravenous can draw sustenance from plant life, but they quickly deplete their environment of this resource and therefore live in barren areas with dead and withered vegetation.

 

[Echohawk]

Vampire, Lesser

AC: 3
Level: 5+3
THAC0: 14
Actions: 1
Damage: 1d4+2
Alt. Attack: Drain (target loses 1 point of Constitution per round)
Sp. Defense: None
Saving Throw: 14
Move: 12, Fly 12
Intelligence: High
Attitude: Hostile
Size: 6' tall
Experience: 3,000

This undead beast looks human until it attacks; then its true form is revealed. It casts no reflection, moves silently, and is destroyed by sunlight. Its powerful fists cause 1d4+2 damage. If it uses a weapon, it receives a +1 to hit and +2 to damage. Most fearsome is its ability to drain Constitution points. It must hit successfully to drain Constitution. A target reduced to 0 Constitution dies and becomes a lesser vampire.

 

[Echohawk]

Lost Souls

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: The Nightmare Lands
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Special
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5)
TREASURE: O
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVEMENT: 6
HIT DICE: 4+4
THAC0: 17
NO. OF ATTACKS: 4
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4+4 x 4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Bite, fear
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (6-feet tall)
MORALE: Steady (12)
XP VALUE: 975

Lost souls are the animated mortal remains of wanderers who die in the Nightmare Lands. Different types of lost souls can be encountered in both the Terrain Between and in the dreamscapes.
When a wanderer dies in the Terrain Between, there is a chance (40%) that the innate power of the land will cause the remains to rise as a zombie-like being called a lost soul. Once a lost soul is created, it immediately searches for others of its undead kind. When it finds them, it merges with them to become a single entity made up of the tangled, rotting bodies of many dead wanderers. The faces of the dead wanderers peer out from the central m'ass, looking wretched and as pained as the moans they emit. Once merged, the individual wanderers are subsumed into the newly created lost soul. Physical lost souls cannot enter dreamscapes.
A wanderer who dies in a dreamscape has a chance (60%) to become a somewhat different type of lost soul. A lost soul animated in a dreamscape is more insubstantial, more ghostlike. Like the zombie lost soul, the dream lost soul seeks out others of its kind and merges to form a mass of writhing, moaning spirits. Insubstantial lost souls can move from one dreamscape to another, but they cannot survive in the Terrain Between. For every hour that an insubstantial lost soul remains in the Terrain Between, it must make a save vs. death magic to keep from waning away. Each hour beyond the first, a cumulative -2 penalty is applied to the save. Thus, after three hours the save would be made at -4.
These are the only differences between physical and insubstantial lost souls. They are the same in all other respects.
Lost souls do not communicate. A lost soul does produce an eerie groan that consists of many voices merged into one. These groans induce fear in those who hear them.

Combat: A lost soul fights with two claw attacks. If both claw attacks hit the same target in the same round, it makes a third attack roll to try to bite (ld6 damage). Physical lost souls cannot harm dreamers, and insubstantial lost souls cannot harm wanderers.
A lost soul regenerates hit points every round; 1 hit point is regained for every undead wanderer the lost soul consists of. As few as 2 or as many as 8 un dead can merge to form a single lost soul (2d4).
For each undead wanderer inside a lost soul, increase the Hit Dice by 1+1, damage by +1, AC by 1, THACO by 1, and number of attacks by 1. Therefore, the most powerful lost soul has 8+8 HD, inflicts 1d4+8 damage per attack, has an AC of 3, a THACO of 13, and makes 8 attacks.

Habitat/Society: Lost souls roam the Nightmare Lands, seeking living wanderers to add to their tangled masses until they reach their maximum expansion (8 wanderers). While each tortured member of a lost soul has a fleeting memory of its previous existence, the undead creature has a single mind full of chaotic images and hatred of the living.

Ecology: Lost souls have no place in the ecology. They go into a frenzy when they see living beings, seeking to reclaim the warm spark of life that they have lost. Physical lost souls are hunted by arcane heads, who require flesh to sustain themselves.

 

[Echohawk]

Death Shade

Climate/Terrain: Any (space or terrestrial)
Frequency: Very rare
Organization: Solitary
Active Cycle: Any
Diet: Special; see below
Intelligence: Semi-intelligent (2-4)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Number Appearing: 1
Armor Class: -8/as host
Movement: 9/as host
Hit Dice: 7/host's hp
THACO: Special
No. of Attacks: Special
Damage per Attack: Special; Infestation
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: 75%/as host
Size: n/a
Morale: Fearless (20)
XP Value: 2000

The death shade is an energy parasite that feeds on the life energy of dying creatures (any creature reduced to zero hp). To generate this "food," the death shade infests a host and periodically drives its host into a berserker rage.
Death shades, when encountered outside their hosts, appear as small, shifting wisps of smoke with vague outlines of aquiline eyes. When infesting a host, the death shade is invis. ible, having entered another body. Persons and objects capable of viewing invisible creatures see the death shade as a gray mist which centers on the host's eyes. Under alignment detection, the death shade appears as a black "blight" on the host's alignment.

Combat: The death shade absorbs 1 energy level for every hit die of an opponent killed within a 10' radius, and can store up to 40 energy levels at one time. The death shade consumes these energy levels at a rate of 1 per day. For every stored energy level less than 40, there is a 3% cumulative chance per day that the death shade will cause its host to go berserk, killing the first available target. If numerous targets are presented, the death shade directs its host to pursue and attack the target which offers the least potential harm to its host. The host's rage ends after 40 energy levels have been absorbed by the death shade or no victims remain.
Death shades are rarely encountered without a host. Death shades prefer hosts which provide the greatest amount of food for it, i.e. a strong host like a fighter or a large carnivore, but will accept any host for its own survival. Death shades do not leave a host unless the host has been killed. If a PC becomes infested with a death shade, only a wish or limited wish can remove it from the PC's body. Amulets of Life Protection are the only items which prevent death shade infestation.
If the creature's current host is killed, it transfers out of the host body, infesting the strongest creature within 20 feet, and this creature becomes its new host. If it's unable to make such a transfer within 5 rounds of its host's death, the death shade dies. During this time of transfer, it can be attacked with normal weapons or spells.
The death shade and its host become catatonic when stored energy levels are at zero. The host and shade may remain catatonic for as many days as the host has Con points; after that, both host and shade die. If a lifeform comes within 10 feet of a catatonic host, the death shade rouses the host in 1d3 rounds in a berserk rage to kill the creature for its energy. After the rage subsides, the host must make a save vs. paralyzation or have permanent brain damage (subtract 1d3 points from the host's Intelligence).

Habitat/Society: Death shades can infest any corporeal, carbon-based life form, from small rodents to humans or demihumans, all the way up to celestial dragons. Creatures based of another elemental structure (storopers or magmen, for example) are immune to death shade infestation. Death shades can generate berserker rage no matter what the species of their host (therefore they can turn even the most timid creature into a raging killer).

Ecology: The death shade prefers to dwell where there are large concentrations of potential hosts and victims: among large herds of animals, or in the crowds of a city. Some sages believe that many of the senseless murders endemic to the inner city are caused by death shades.
Death shades reproduce as a by-product of feeding. After a death shade has absorbed life force from the death of 40 hit dice or levels of creatures within a 24-hour period, it splits into two death shades with 20 energy levels each. The second shade immediately transfers to any creature within 20'. If it can't make the transfer within 5 rounds, the second death shade dies.
Death shades have a basic telepathy which can only identify the presence of one death shade to another. Thus, death shades can detect each other's presence in a 20 foot radius and, if given a choice of targets during "feeding," will attack an uninfested creature before an infested host body.

 

[Echohawk]

Resident

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: None
INELLIGENCE: Average
TREASURE: None
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVEMENT: Fly 18(A)
HIT DICE: 6
THAC0: 12
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d6/1d6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Keen of despair, freezing grasp
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Can be hit only with magical weapons, invisibility at will, immune to certain attack forms
SPECIAL WEAKNESSES: Holy water, certain spells (see text)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%
SIZE: M
MORALE: Fanatic (18)
XP VALUE: 3,000

A resident is a tormented soul, doomed to exist among the living until it can find self-forgiveness. In life, a resident was a person who was offered true love, but lacked the courage or conviction to accept the blessing and thus lost it, becoming embittered.
A typical "resident" tale tells of a lad named Jonas, who met a woman on a chance encounter. He befriended her and became very fond of her as time passed. Then she met a suitor who seemed to make her very happy. Jonas, unwilling to face up to the obligations of marriage but also unwilling to end their relationship, watched as his true love married her suitor and raised a family. Jonas tried to bury his anger, jealousy, and self-hatred, but he was unable to forgive himself and move on with his life. His corrupt spirit carried on rage after his death. His "resident spirit" now inhabits the overgrown ruins of his love's cottage, where he used to visit her. Few living folk come here as the cottage is widely known to be haunted.
A resident is usually invisible, even when it attacks, but it can choose to appear as a soundless, vaporous apparition of manlike shape. In general, it haunts a fixed location, usually a place where its love once lived or where the two met in life. However, should it discover someone who strongly resembles its lost love, the resident often abandons its vigil and proceeds to follow this surrogate love, who will never be harmed. It seeks not to impose its own will on the world, but instead seeks a focus for its existence. In direct melee, a resident only attacks if its surrogate is in trouble. It still follow the rules by which it lived in life, in that it allows its love to lead his or her own life and defeat ordinary challenges without interference. Although an unattached resident usually remains close to home, it also walks among the living to remind itself of what could have been. Thus, its faith in its curse is renewed. It is a driven creature, clinging to self-hatred and anger, quick to offer love and devotion, and quick to defend its beloved surrogate.
A surrogate can detect a resident's presence from its small deeds. For example, if a bed is left unmade, the surrogate might return later to find that someone has done the chore. If the surrogate expresses a desire to have a certain trinket or other small item, that person might later find the desired item resting on a bed pillow. In determining its ability to move objects, consider the resident as effective as an unseen servant spell.
A resident is also a protector of its love, and it seeks vengeance on anyone who troubles the surrogate, particularly if the offender is beyond the surrogate's reach. If a noble speaks a harsh word to a resident's love, the noble risks retribution from the resident, often in the form of a single, oneround attack. To annoy a surrogate is to risk punishment; to gain its hatred by harming its beloved is to court death.

Combat: A resident can attack with its ghostly hands, inflicting 1d6 points of cold damage per strike. This is its usual attack against those it wishes to punish or drive away, but sees no need to kill. If it so chooses, however, it can also attempt to grasp a victim (two successful attack rolls are required). A grasp immediately inflicts 1d8 points of cold damage per round, as well as draining 1 point from either Strength, Dexterity, or Charisma (select randomly each round). Ability points are recovered at a rate of 1 per hour of rest. A victim drained of all ability points in any score dies at once, but will not come back as an undead being. Once the victim is grasped, the resident need not make another attack roll to continue damaging the opponent every round afterward. The resident will not relent in its attack unless its beloved surrogate is in danger (drawing its attention to someone else), or the resident is chased away.
The resident cannot be hit except by magical weapons. It is immune to sleep, charm, hold, cold, poison, and death magic. Holy water does 2d4 points of damage to it. Striking at a resident that is grasping a victim will inflict damage on the victim instead unless the attack roll is at least 4 points over the score needed to hit the resident. Any other result means the victim instead was struck, if the score rolled was sufficient to pierce the victim's Armor Class. A priest can turn a resident as a wraith; any result of turning or destruction causes the resident to flee or be dispersed for 2d6 days, after which it will return (see later).
A resident can be temporarily exorcised by defeating it in combat (including the use of holy water) or by a remove curse spell. Once all its hit points are gone or the spell is cast, the resident disperses or flees for 2d6 days. There is a 25% chance if remove curse is cast that the resident instead becomes enraged and attacks to kill the spellcaster and all other party members except the surrogate (50% chance), or else emits a keening wail of despair that will paralyze all within 60 feet of it for 1d6 rounds (save vs. paralyzation allowed) before it flees for 2d6 days (50% chance). Only if the resident is confronted with evidence that its surrogate does not wish it around, and an atonement spell is cast on it, will the resident permanently removed from the world.
Note that if a hero becomes aware that he or she has become the focus of a resident's misplaced affection, allowing such a relationship to continue without intervention will soon call for a powers check.

Habitat/Society: A resident cannot communicate except through magical, means such as a speak with dead spell, but it has little interest in anyone but the subject of its affections. A resident roams about a fixed location such as a building or grave site of importance to it in life, unless it is distracted by a surrogate.

Ecology: A resident has very little effect on either nature or civilization. It consumes nothing and almost never harms living beings unless its loved one is endangered. It is primarily an annoyance.

 

[Echohawk]

Goblin Vampire

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Ravenloft
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day
DIET: Fear, blood
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5)
TREASURE: N
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
No. ApPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 3 base, 10 max
THACO: 16 base, 10 max (Hit
Dice + Strength bonus)
No. OF ATTACKS: 2 (claw/claw)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d6+3/ld6+3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Fear aura, gore
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spell and poison immunities
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%
SIZE: M (6' tall)
MORALE: Fanatic (17)
XP VALUE: 3,000

The goblin vampire is a rare form of undead creature. The creature is twice the size of a normal goblin. Its fangs reach roughly halfway down its chest, rather like those of a smilodon. Its hands appear blackened and shriveled, with long, curved talons. The most horrifying thing about a goblin vampire is its eyes, which pulsate with a strange orange glow.
These creatures care nothing for language or talk, only for the death and destruction they can cause. It is unknown whether they even understand languages they knew in life.

Combat: Anyone who meets the vampire's burning gaze must make an immediate fear check, even if previously exposed to the creature. For each check an opponent fails the goblin vampire gains one Hit Die (to a maximum of 10). The duration of this temporary increase in Hit Dice is equal to the Hit Dice of the victim. Thus, a 5th-level warrior failing a fear check would add one Hit Die to the goblin vampire for five turns.
If both of the goblin vampire's claws hit, the creature has grasped its victim and can automatically gore him with its curved fangs, inflicting an additional 2d6+3 points of damage.
Goblin vampires have the equivalent of 18(50) Strength. This gives them a bonus of +1 on their attack rolls and +3 on their damage rolls.

The goblin vampire is immune to mind- and life-affecting spells such as hold and charm spells. Poisons, diseases, and the like also pose no threat to the creature.
Moonlight is extremely dangerous to the goblin vampire, inflicting 1d4 points of damage each round that it falls upon the creature. Holy water inflicts 1d6+1 points of damage, and an obsidian stake through the heart destroys it instantly. Goblin vampires cannot assume gaseous form or regenerate; they are turned as spectres.

Habitat/Society: Goblin vampires are solitary creatures that stalk the land in search of fear and blood. To date, they have been encountered only in Tepest. They have a great hatred of their former race, and typically hunt down goblins during daytime when they are most vulnerable.

Ecology: Goblin vampires are created only by the unique curse placed on items stolen from the Three Sisters of Tepest. Anyone who carries the item gradually becomes a goblin vampire. The transformation takes twenty hours to complete. If the item is discarded before the change is concluded, the character stops changing. He does not, however, revert to normal.
Goblin vampires live on both the blood and fear of their opponents. The creature must feed on either of the above once per day else it temporarily loses one Hit Die, perishing upon reaching zero. In addition, it must feed on both fear and blood at least once every three days or it again loses one Hit Die on the fourth day and each day thereafter until it does feast on both.

 

[Echohawk]

Umbra

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Ravenloft/Keening
FREQUENCY: Common (Not encountered outside Keening)
ORGANIZATION: Clan
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night (Any)
DIET: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Low (3-5)
TREASURE: Q
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
No. APPEARING: 2d4
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 4+4
THACO: 17
No. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d6/ld6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Strike shadows, hypnotic stare
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Invisibility, spell immunities
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 20%
SIZE: M (6' tall)
MORALE: Fearless (19-20)
XP VALUE: 975

The umbra are undead shadow elves that dwell in the domain of Keening. Their devotion to Tristessa was so great in life that they continue to serve her long after death.
Umbra are slender, with dark violet skin, silver hair, and bright indigo eyes that burn with a black flame. Their bodies are gaunt, and leathery skin stretches tightly over their clearly visible bones.

Combat: In melee, umbra strike twice with their filthy black claws for 1d6 points of damage each. In lieu of that, they may attack an opponent's shadow. This imposes a -2 penalty on the attack roll, but inflicts double damage on the victim.
All umbra can become invisible at will (per the spell). They use this ability to get close to their victims, imposing a -4 penalty to all surprise checks when they materialize. Encountering the umbra in this way for the first time requires a fear check.
Anyone looking into the eyes of an umbra must make a successful saving throw vs. paralysis or stand frozen in terror for 1d4 rounds. The umbra typically combine this power with their invisibility to appear face-to-face with opponents, then repeatedly strike their shadows with a +4 attack bonus while they are immobile. Umbra are immune to life- or mind-affecting spells, charm, hold, death magic, and cold- or ice-based attacks. Poisons and diseases also pose no threat to them.

Umbra can see in pure darkness as well as other races see in daylight, though they prefer lit areas where their opponents will cast shadows. Umbra cannot stand the touch of sunlight, which inflicts 4 points of damage to them for every round of exposure. The sudden appearance of bright light, even if it is not sunlight, blinds them for 1d2 rounds. While blinded, they back away from the source.
Holy water splashed upon them inflicts 2d4 points of damage.

Habitat/Society: The umbra move through the tunnels of Mount Lament with indifference, awaiting the commands of Tristessa. They patrol Keening in search of the banshee's baby.

Ecology: When Tristessa became the darklord of Keening, she had over five hundred umbra to command. Their numbers have dwindled over the years, however, so that fewer than one hundred umbra dwell in the domain currently.

 

[Echohawk]

Saugh, Dearg-Due

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: The Shadow Rift
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
ORGANIZATION: The Saugh (Loht's Army)
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night
DIET: Human blood
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
NO. APPEARING: 2d6
ARMOR CLASS:: 8
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 5
THACO: 15
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8 (headman's axe)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Choking cloud
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spell immunity
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (6' tall)
MORALE: Fearless (20)
XP VALUE: 650

The saugh are an army of the dead created by Loht, Prince of the Sith, to serve him when he moves against the lands of mankind. The ghoulish dearg-due serve as the front ranks of this menacing army. Their true master is Gwydion, but Loht does not know that, and for now they obey his commands. Dearg-due look much like living men, but they have grown gaunt with their time in the grave. While they are clearly undead creatures with flesh drawn tight across their features, they have not decayed in the slightest. The faces of dearg-due are unsettling, for their eyes have been plucked from their sockets, leaving only empty holes through which they somehow see.
Dearg-due are able to speak as they did in life, although their words are slurred and slow in forming. Few have ever conversed with these dark creatures, however, for they have little to do with mortals outside of combat.

Combat: Though dearg-due move about at the command of Loht, they are not mindless creatures. In fact, these cunning creatures often strike from hiding or under the guise of parlay.
In battle, the dearg-due wield great axes with broad blades that resemble those employed by an executioner at a beheading. They employ these weapons with great skill, inflicting 1d8 points of damage with each blow.
Though they can be hit by any sort of weapon, cold iron inflicts double damage on these vile creatures. Any blow that strikes a dearg-due is as dangerous to the attacker as it is to its target. When the skin of these fetid creatures is broken, a foul mist boils out from the wound in a five foot radius around the dearg-due. This acidic cloud burns the skin, eyes, and lungs of those within range. If the attacker fails a saving throw vs. breath weapon, he or she suffers a number of points of damage equal to half those inflicted on the dearg-due by his or her weapon (or normal damage if using cold iron); he or she suffers no damage on a successful save.
Being undead, dearg-due are immune to the effects of charm, sleep, hold, and other life- and mind-affecting spells. Similarly, diseases and toxins have no power over them.

Habitat/Society: These horrifying creatures dwell in and around the mountain which holds the Obsidian Gate, guarding this structure for their dark master. As stated above, Loht believes that this army, created by his sith and sithkin, is his to command, but this state of affairs lasts only until Gwydion returns.

Ecology: Though they need not eat to survive, these creatures delight in feeding on the flesh of corpses. After battle, the dearg-due ravenously consume all casualties.

 

[Echohawk]

Saugh, Gossamer

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: The Shadow Rift
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
ORGANIZATION: The Saugh (Loht's Army)
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night
DIET: Life energy
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
NO. APPEARING: 2d6
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVEMENT: fly 12 (A)
HIT DICE: 3
THACO: 17
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8 (touch)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Surprise, energy drain
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better magical weapon to hit, spell immunities, wraithform
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (6' tall)
MORALE: Fearless (19)
XP VALUE: 2,000

Gossamers are spectral creatures that feed upon the life energy of their victims. They are counted among Loht's host of the dead, or saugh. Although they are not uncommon in the dark corners of the Shadow Rift, they are seldom encountered in the mortal world above.
A gossamer appears as an elongated, distorted image of its form in life. Transparent and shimmering, the spirit drifts about as if carried on the wind while wisps of vapor and curls of light encircle it.
Gossamers can speak just as they did in life, so most of them are fluent in the common language of their homeland. All of their words, however, are hollow and haunting. They seldom speak with mortals unless compelled to do so by magical means.

Combat: Gossamers take full advantage of their ghostly nature when engaging in combat. They swoop about, dart through solid walls, and plunge into the ground, if it serves to confuse their enemies.
Gossamers often lurk beneath the ground, waiting for their victims to pass overhead. When they hear talking or otherwise sense the presence of living creatures, they soar from the earth and attack. When attacking in this fashion, a -2 penalty is imposed on the enemy's surprise roll.
The primary attack of a gossamer is its energy-draining touch. A successful attack roll by the gossamer indicates that it swoops through the body of its enemy. In so doing, it inflicts 1d8 points of damage and drains away 1 point of the target's Constitution. Victims regain lost Constitution points at a rate of one point per day.
Each Constitution point absorbed by a gossamer allows it to regenerate a number of hit points. The number of points regained is determined by rolling a die of the same type that the victim uses to determine his or her hit point total. Thus, draining a point from a warrior allows the gossamer to regain 1d10 points while a drained wizard restores only 1d4 points.
Gossamers are ethereal creatures with no physical forms. Normal weapons, no matter how well crafted, are useless against them. They can be hit by only +1 or better magical weapons. In addition, as undead creatures, gossamers are immune to all manner of mind and life-affecting magic. They cannot be affected by charm, sleep, hold, or similar spells. Poisons, diseases, and similar mortal hazards do not endanger the gossamer either.

Habitat/Society: The gossamer is counted among the saugh, Loht's army of undead creatures. They assemble when and where he orders and carry out whatever instructions he gives them. When they are not so needed by the lord of the Arak, the gossamer are consigned to the Black Marsh in the Shadow Rift. However, unknown to Loht they are actually controlled by Gwydion exerting his influence from inside the Obsidian Gate and their first loyalty is to the shadow-fiend; they obey Loht's orders only so long as it pleases their true master for them to do so. Should Gwydion escape, the gossamer and all the saugh revert directly to his control.

Ecology: Like most undead, these spirits have little effect upon world of the living. The corpses that they have left behind, however, can be used as a means to destroy them. If the body from which a gossamer's spirit is drawn is cast into a fire of yew wood, the ghost is destroyed in 3d4 rounds. During this time, the gossamer feels great pain and tries to do all the harm it can before finally being annihilated.