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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pants" data-source="post: 2497796" data-attributes="member: 8849">I've done fiends, now its time for something equally loathsome... undead! Demiurge has his MMII conversion project, so I've decided to wrk on some of the more 'troublesome' undead from other books, along with whatever new stuff I conjure up.First order of business... Libris Mortis. You'd think that a book of undead would give undead a much needed kick, but unfortunately, due to poor editing and the fact that the Monster Manual III came out only a month prior (the book that gave undead the much needed Unholy Toughness ability...), they got kinda shafted in their own book. Also add in some questionable abilities and wonky mechanics and you have the beginnings of a revision.So, with that out of the way, I'll start off with a creature that I kinda liked (the creepy, Jeremy Jarvis illustration certainly helped!), the angel of decay. Now, the angel of decay is one of those weird undead that kinda shouldn't be undead. Hopefully the new flavor text makes them more... interesting and gives them a reason for existing.Other undead that I plan on working on: Wheeps, Brain in a Jar, Atropal Scions, Visages, and Blood Fiends (from the Fiend Folio). I might do others, but those are the ones I have planned for now.Hope you like it!ANGEL OF DECAYLarge Undead (Evil, Extraplanar)Hit Dice: 19d12 plus 76 (199 hp)Initiative: +6Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 50 ft. (poor)Armor Class: 29 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +14 natural, +4 deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 27Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+26Attack: Claw +22 melee (2d6+13 19-20/x2 plus rotting touch)Full Attack: 2 claws +22 melee (2d6+13 19-20/x2 plus rotting touch) and 2 wing slams +19 melee (1d6+6) and bite +19 melee (2d8+6)Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.Special Attacks: Rotting aura, rotting touch, spell-like abilities, unholy presenceSpecial Qualities: Damage reduction 10/good and adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., spell resistance 24, undead traits, unholy grace, unholy toughnessSaves: Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +20Abilities: Str 37, Dex 14, Con –, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 18Skills: Bluff +26, Concentration +26, Diplomacy +8, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (arcane) +27, Knowledge (the planes) +27, Listen +27, Sense Motive +27, Spellcraft +29 (+31 when deciphering spells on scrolls), Spot +27, Survival +5 (+7 when on other planes), Use Magic Device +26 (+28 on checks related to scrolls)Feats: Cleave, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (claws), Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (claws)Environment: Gray Waste of HadesOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: 15Treasure: StandardAlignment: Usually neutral evilAdvancement: 20-25 HD (Large); 26-31 HD (Huge); 32-37 HD (Gargantuan)A horrible abomination of rotting flesh and seething corruption stands before you. Two pale wings of ichor-covered flesh stretch from the shoulders of a gaunt, fifteen-foot monstrosity. Long, bony arms end in blackened, powerful claws. Its head is nothing more than rotting skull with a pair of horns jutting from its brow. Bits of rotting flesh hang in decaying strips from its bony frame.The angels of decay are horrific, undead monstrosities that prowl the Gray Waste, endlessly searching for life to despoil. They find little such life to destroy in the already corrupted Waste, so they wander in a constantly maddened state. Even the native fiends shun any angels of decay.Though their name is a slight misnomer (the angels of decay have very little in common with outsiders native to the Upper Plains), their origins are a bit more interesting. Angels of decay randomly spawn when a creature of pure good is slain on the Waste and its body is left to rot. The evil suffusing the plain warps and twists the body of the dead creature and after several days, an angel of decay arises. Paladins and clerics of good deities most commonly spawn angels, but if an exalted individual’s body is left uninterred on the Waste, an angel always arises from its body. It is not known whether dead celestials can spawn angels of decay, though if they can, they would be truly powerful abominations.Angels of decay stand about 15 feet tall and weigh about 1,200 pounds. And angel of decay speaks Common, Abyssal, and Infernal. COMBATAn angel of decay prefers to wade into combat while affecting as many creature’s as possible with its rotting aura. It takes a perverse pleasure in watching as the lives of its victims drip and rot away into formless ichor.Angels of decay enjoy using its power attack feat, taking a -5 penalty on its attack rolls and gaining a +5 bonus on its damage.An angel of decay’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.Rotting Aura (Su): An aura of palpable corruption surrounds the angel of decay at all times.  The aura extends outward from the angel of decay in a 20 ft. radius spread. Any plant life within the aura is affected as if by a blight spell (caster level 20th, DC 18 Fort save to resist). Additionally, if the angel of decay is touching the ground, the soil within the radius of its aura rots and vile corruption begins to permeate the ground. Any living creature that is touching the ground takes 1d6 points of Constitution damage each round it remains within the aura. A DC 23 Fort save negates the damage. Any living creature that takes the Constitution damage must also succeed on a DC 23 Will save or be nauseated until it leaves the aura and for 1d4 rounds afterward. The save DC’s are Charisma-based.In each round that a creature is damaged by an angel of decay’s rotting aura, the angel of decay heals 5 points of damage per victim.No plant life will ever grow on the corrupted ground again, unless a plant growth spell is cast, while the area is under the effects of either a hallow or consecrate spell.Rotting Touch (Su): An angel of decay rots the flesh of its victims with each successful melee attack. Anyone struck by an angel of decay’s claws takes 1d4 points of Constitution damage. A DC 23 Fort save negates the Constitution damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.Spell-Like Abilities: At will – stinking cloud (DC 17); 3/day – creeping doom, wither limb* (DC 18); 1/day – horrid wilting (DC 22). Caster level 19th. The save DC’s are Charisma-based.Unholy Grace (Su): An angel of decay adds its Charisma modifier as a bonus on all its saving throws and as a deflection bonus to its Armor Class. (The statistics block already reflects these bonuses.)Unholy Presence (Su): An angel of decay is tainted by pure evil. Its natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Additionally, an angel of decay is treated as a summoned creature for the purpose of determining how it is affected by a protection from evil spell. Unholy Toughness (Su): An angel of decay gains bonus hit points equal to its Hit Dice x its Charisma modifier.* See Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead (pg. 72).</blockquote>

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