Phineas Crow
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Reanimated Corpse (Template)
There are places in the world where so many dark deeds and vile acts have been performed that the place has become tainted with evil which lingers even after centuries have passed since they were committed.
When a creature dies on such an unholy place the evil corruption, when powerful enough, can cause the creature to rise again as a reanimated corpse. Sometimes the evil is so strong that it can raise any dead bodies brought into the tainted area, however, such evil places are extremely rare and at the most they can only raise something that been dead for no greater than a week.
There are also rumors of necromantic machines that are able to create reanimated corpses, used by nefarious necromancers for purposes most unthinkable.
A reanimated corpse appears like it did when it was reanimated, with the level of decay depending upon how much time has passed between death and reanimation. Something that was dead only for a few minutes will has no visible touch of decay while a ripe week old corpse that has been reanimated will appear as a reanimated ripe week old corpse. Once reanimated, the corpses will not decay any further. Also any visible damage and/or wounds upon the dead creature before reanimation are also visible on the reanimated corpse.
Creating a Reanimated Corpse
“Reanimated” is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature other than undead (hereafter referred to as the base creature).
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Armor Class: The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +4.
Attacks: A reanimated corpse retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A reanimated corpse also gains a slam attack.
Damage: Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A slam attack deals damage depending on the reanimated corpse’s size. (Use the base creature’s slam damage if it’s better.)
Special Attacks: A reanimated corpse retains any extraordinary special attacks of the base creature, but loses all supernatural abilities, spell-like abilities, and the ability to cast spells.
Special Qualities: A reanimated corpse retains any extraordinary special qualities of the base creature, but loses all supernatural and spell-like abilities. A reanimated corpse gains the following special quality.
Consume Flesh (Ex): As a full-round action, a reanimated corpse can devour the flesh of a dead creature, which cures it of (1d8 + reanimated corpse’s HD) points of damage. Consume flesh can only be used on a dead creature as many times as the dead creature’s HD total, creatures with partial HD do not have enough flesh and can’t be used by a reanimated corpse to heal itself. Also creatures without flesh (such as constructs) cannot be consumed.
Abilities: A reanimated corpse’s Strength increases by +2 and its Charisma decreases by -2. Being undead, it has no Constitution score.
Skills: Reanimated corpse’s have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Environment: Any, often as base creature
Organization: Any
Challenge Rating: Same as base creature. However, if the base creature is a spellcaster or has 2 or more Supernatural or Spell-like abilities the CR is the same as base creature -1
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Level Adjustment: +2
Sample Reanimated Corpse
Here is an example of a reanimated corpse using a cloaker as the base creature.
Reanimated Cloaker
Large Undead (Augmented Aberration)
Hit Dice: 6d12 (39 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 40 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 23 (–1 size, +3 Dex, +11 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+14
Attack: Tail slap +9 melee (1d6+6) or slam +9 melee (1d8+9)
Full Attack: Tail slap +9 melee (1d6+6) and bite +4 melee (1d4+3) or slam +9 melee (1d8+9)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (5 ft. with bite and slam)
Special Attacks: Moan, engulf
Special Qualities: Consume flesh, darkvision 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +7
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 16, Con --, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 13
Skills: Hide +12, Listen +17, Move Silently +12, Search +6, Spot +17
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary, mob (3–6), or flock (7–12)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 7–9 HD (Large); 10–18 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Moan (Ex): A reanimated cloaker can emit a dangerous subsonic moan as a standard action. By changing the frequency, the reanimated cloaker can cause one of four effects. Reanimated cloakers are immune to these sonic, mind affecting attacks. Unless otherwise specified, a creature that successfully saves against one of these effects cannot be affected by the same moan effect from the same reanimated cloaker for 24 hours. All save DCs for moan effects are Charisma-based.
Unnerve: Anyone within a 60-foot spread automatically takes a –2 penalty on attack and damage rolls. Those forced to hear the moan for more than 6 consecutive rounds must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or enter a trance, unable to attack or defend themselves until the moaning stops.
Fear: Anyone within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or become panicked for 2 rounds.
Nausea: Anyone in a 30-foot cone must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save or be overcome by nausea and weakness. Affected characters fall prone and become nauseated for 1d4+1 rounds.
Stupor: A single creature within 30 feet of the reanimated cloaker must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save or be affected as though by a hold monster spell for 5 rounds. Even after a successful save, the creature must repeat the save if the reanimated cloaker uses this effect again.
Engulf (Ex): A reanimated cloaker can try to wrap a Medium or smaller creature in its body as a standard action. The reanimated cloaker attempts a grapple that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and bites the engulfed victim with a +4 bonus on its attack roll. It can still use its whiplike tail to strike at other targets.
Attacks that hit an engulfing reanimated cloaker deal half their damage to the monster and half to the trapped victim.
Consume Flesh (Ex): As a full-round action, a reanimated cloaker can devour the flesh of a dead creature, which cures it of 1d8+6 points of damage. Consume flesh can only be used on a dead creature as many times as the dead creature’s HD total, creatures with partial HD do not have enough flesh and can’t be used by a reanimated cloaker to heal itself. Also creatures without flesh (such as constructs) cannot be consumed.
There are places in the world where so many dark deeds and vile acts have been performed that the place has become tainted with evil which lingers even after centuries have passed since they were committed.
When a creature dies on such an unholy place the evil corruption, when powerful enough, can cause the creature to rise again as a reanimated corpse. Sometimes the evil is so strong that it can raise any dead bodies brought into the tainted area, however, such evil places are extremely rare and at the most they can only raise something that been dead for no greater than a week.
There are also rumors of necromantic machines that are able to create reanimated corpses, used by nefarious necromancers for purposes most unthinkable.
A reanimated corpse appears like it did when it was reanimated, with the level of decay depending upon how much time has passed between death and reanimation. Something that was dead only for a few minutes will has no visible touch of decay while a ripe week old corpse that has been reanimated will appear as a reanimated ripe week old corpse. Once reanimated, the corpses will not decay any further. Also any visible damage and/or wounds upon the dead creature before reanimation are also visible on the reanimated corpse.
Creating a Reanimated Corpse
“Reanimated” is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature other than undead (hereafter referred to as the base creature).
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Armor Class: The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +4.
Attacks: A reanimated corpse retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A reanimated corpse also gains a slam attack.
Damage: Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A slam attack deals damage depending on the reanimated corpse’s size. (Use the base creature’s slam damage if it’s better.)
Code:
Size Damage
Fine 1
Diminutive 1d2
Tiny 1d3
Small 1d4
Medium 1d6
Large 1d8
Huge 2d6
Gargantuan 2d8
Colossal 4d6Special Attacks: A reanimated corpse retains any extraordinary special attacks of the base creature, but loses all supernatural abilities, spell-like abilities, and the ability to cast spells.
Special Qualities: A reanimated corpse retains any extraordinary special qualities of the base creature, but loses all supernatural and spell-like abilities. A reanimated corpse gains the following special quality.
Consume Flesh (Ex): As a full-round action, a reanimated corpse can devour the flesh of a dead creature, which cures it of (1d8 + reanimated corpse’s HD) points of damage. Consume flesh can only be used on a dead creature as many times as the dead creature’s HD total, creatures with partial HD do not have enough flesh and can’t be used by a reanimated corpse to heal itself. Also creatures without flesh (such as constructs) cannot be consumed.
Abilities: A reanimated corpse’s Strength increases by +2 and its Charisma decreases by -2. Being undead, it has no Constitution score.
Skills: Reanimated corpse’s have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Environment: Any, often as base creature
Organization: Any
Challenge Rating: Same as base creature. However, if the base creature is a spellcaster or has 2 or more Supernatural or Spell-like abilities the CR is the same as base creature -1
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Level Adjustment: +2
Sample Reanimated Corpse
Here is an example of a reanimated corpse using a cloaker as the base creature.
Reanimated Cloaker
Large Undead (Augmented Aberration)
Hit Dice: 6d12 (39 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 40 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 23 (–1 size, +3 Dex, +11 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+14
Attack: Tail slap +9 melee (1d6+6) or slam +9 melee (1d8+9)
Full Attack: Tail slap +9 melee (1d6+6) and bite +4 melee (1d4+3) or slam +9 melee (1d8+9)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (5 ft. with bite and slam)
Special Attacks: Moan, engulf
Special Qualities: Consume flesh, darkvision 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +7
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 16, Con --, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 13
Skills: Hide +12, Listen +17, Move Silently +12, Search +6, Spot +17
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary, mob (3–6), or flock (7–12)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 7–9 HD (Large); 10–18 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Moan (Ex): A reanimated cloaker can emit a dangerous subsonic moan as a standard action. By changing the frequency, the reanimated cloaker can cause one of four effects. Reanimated cloakers are immune to these sonic, mind affecting attacks. Unless otherwise specified, a creature that successfully saves against one of these effects cannot be affected by the same moan effect from the same reanimated cloaker for 24 hours. All save DCs for moan effects are Charisma-based.
Unnerve: Anyone within a 60-foot spread automatically takes a –2 penalty on attack and damage rolls. Those forced to hear the moan for more than 6 consecutive rounds must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or enter a trance, unable to attack or defend themselves until the moaning stops.
Fear: Anyone within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or become panicked for 2 rounds.
Nausea: Anyone in a 30-foot cone must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save or be overcome by nausea and weakness. Affected characters fall prone and become nauseated for 1d4+1 rounds.
Stupor: A single creature within 30 feet of the reanimated cloaker must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save or be affected as though by a hold monster spell for 5 rounds. Even after a successful save, the creature must repeat the save if the reanimated cloaker uses this effect again.
Engulf (Ex): A reanimated cloaker can try to wrap a Medium or smaller creature in its body as a standard action. The reanimated cloaker attempts a grapple that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and bites the engulfed victim with a +4 bonus on its attack roll. It can still use its whiplike tail to strike at other targets.
Attacks that hit an engulfing reanimated cloaker deal half their damage to the monster and half to the trapped victim.
Consume Flesh (Ex): As a full-round action, a reanimated cloaker can devour the flesh of a dead creature, which cures it of 1d8+6 points of damage. Consume flesh can only be used on a dead creature as many times as the dead creature’s HD total, creatures with partial HD do not have enough flesh and can’t be used by a reanimated cloaker to heal itself. Also creatures without flesh (such as constructs) cannot be consumed.
email us at silverthornegames at yahoo dot com. I would have emailed you thru EN World, but that function has been disabled it seems by the powers that be. C'est la vie.
