Advanced Bestiary
Pathfinder 1e
Blood Knight: Blood knights are the damned souls of fierce warriors who died in a particularly bloody manner.
“Blood Knight” is an acquired template that can be applied to any living creature that is proficient with heavy armor, wears full plate armor, and has blood.
Blood Knight Dwarf Fighter 13 Thrax the Red: Thrax the Red was once a dwarf hero of some fame. Loyal to his clan and a staunch defender of its sovereignty, he was ruthless to the point of sadism in combat with his enemies. When some giants took up residence near his clan’s territory, Thrax provoked conflict with them, beginning a long and unnecessary feud that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of his kin. In the final days of the war, Thrax led a vicious attack on wounded and noncombatant giants while a decoy force of dwarves distracted the giants’ warriors. When Thrax dealt the killing blow to a mother protecting her child, he could not get out of the way of her falling body fast enough. The rest of Thrax’s force retreated, leaving him trapped beneath the she-giant’s body. By the time the giant warriors returned, Thrax had drowned in his foe’s blood. The giants cast his body off the mountain, cursing his name and praying to their gods to punish him. Thus, he returned to haunt the world as a blood knight, wearing the ornate, dwarven-made armor in which he died.
Dread Blood Knight: Dread blood knights arise from the most evil of warrior despots.
Dread Blood Knight Barbarian 8 Varn: Varn’s died defending his tribe from an onslaught of orc barbarians. As he fell he managed to strike the orc chieftain, a witch of considerable power. His blood mixed with the chieftains, the next night Varn rose as a dread blood knight.
Dread Allip: A dread allip is a crazed incorporeal undead created when a sentient creature follows an order to commit suicide against its own wishes. The angry spirit that rises from the corpse is insane because its mind was conflicted at death, and it seeks to inflict a similar fate on others.
“Dread Allip” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher that commits suicide because of domination by a dread allip or at the command of some other creature.
A creature that dies while dominated by a dread allip rises as a new dread allip in 1d6 rounds if it committed suicide, or died fulfilling an obviously self-destructive command, or had 0 Wisdom and was within 30 feet of the dread allip at the time of death.
Dread Allip Lunar Naga: Dread allip lunar nagas are created when a lunar naga delves too deep into their explorations of the night sky.
Allip Creature: ?
Otyugh Allip: ?
Dread Bodak: A dread bodak is sometimes created when an intelligent creature turns traitor and kills an ally or murders a friend. In particular, using death effects on a friend seems most likely to create a dread bodak.
Worse still, it can create more of its vile kind. Its gaze brings foes to the brink of death, and its voice then snuffs out their life force and turns them into dread bodaks.
“Dread Bodak” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature) that was killed by a dread bodak or murdered by an ally via a death effect.
Any creature killed by a dread bodak’s death wail ability rises as a dread bodak in 1d6 rounds.
Dread Bodak Tyrannosaurus: ?
Bodak Creature: ?
Cyclops Bodak: ?
Dread Devourer: Few know how these dread devourers originated, but some sages speculate that they form as “projections” of creatures from beyond the borders of reality.
“Dread Devourer” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature that has a chest cavity or similar body part.
Dread Devourer Purple Worm: ?
Devourer Creature: ?
Aboleth Devourer: Aboleth devourers are those aboleth who have tampered in forbidden rituals that went awry. The blowback killed the aboleth, and it reanimated into a horror that seeks to consume the souls of all those it comes across.
Dread Ghast: The first dread ghasts were villains of still broader scope than normal ghasts. Leaders in life, they influenced the actions of scores of others and led them to participate in terrible atrocities. Today, the dread ghast “race” of undead perpetuates itself through the transmission of vile power. A creature killed but not consumed by a dread ghast rises as another dread ghast.
“Dread Ghast” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature.
Any creature killed by a dread ghast that lies undisturbed until the next midnight rises as a dread ghast at that time. A protection from evil or gentle repose spell cast on the corpse prevents its conversion.
Dread Ghast Gnoll Ranger 4 Dermock: ?
Ghast Creature: ?
Shoggoth Ghast The Crawling Rot: ?
Dread Ghost: “Dread Ghost” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature that has an Intelligence score and a Charisma score of at least 10.
Dread Ghost Medusa Bard 8 Mistress of the Marsh: She was killed one day after trying to take down a local witch. The witch dispatched the medusa and threw her body into the swamp. Days later, the Mistress of the Marsh returned.
Dread Ghoul: Eaters of the dead that hunger for the living, the first ghouls were the undead remains of humans who had, in life, indulged in unwholesome pleasures, such as cannibalism or necrophilia; the original dread ghouls were individuals who had exhorted or compelled others to such acts while alive.
“Dread Ghoul” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature.
Any creature killed by a dread ghoul that lies undisturbed until the next midnight rises as a dread ghoul at that time. A protection from evil or gentle repose spell cast on the corpse prevents this.
Dread Ghoul Frost Giant: ?
Ghoul Creature: ?
Giant Spider Ghoul: ?
Dread Lacedon: Dread lacedons are corpses animated by the restless spirits of those who drowned or were killed but not devoured by a dread lacedon.
“Dread Lacedon” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature.
Any creature killed by a dread lacedon that lies undisturbed until the next midnight rises as a dread lacedon at that time. A protection from evil or gentle repose spell cast on the corpse prevents its conversion.
Dread Lacedon Great White Whale: ?
Lacedon Creature: ?
Salt Water Merrow Lacedon: ?
Dread Lich: Like normal liches, dread liches are powerful undead spellcasters who used vile magic and dreadful ceremonies to prolong their time in the living world. However, the process of becoming a dread lich is a greater secret than the evil ceremonies required to become a normal lich. Although powerful spellcasters sometimes discover this secret while preparing for lichdom, most dread liches were once normal liches who spent centuries researching arcane lore in search of the secret.
“Dread Lich” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature capable of creating the required phylactery, or to any standard lich.
An integral part of of becoming a dread lich is creating a magic phylactery in which to store its life force. Unless
the phylactery is located and destroyed, the dread lich reforms next to its phylactery 1d4 days after its apparent
death. It does not matter how far away the dread lich is from its phylactery, but the two must be on the same
plane. If the phylactery is on a different plane, the dread lich reforms 1d4 days after the phylactery is brought
to the plane on which the dread lich was destroyed.
Each dread lich must make its own phylactery—a task that requires the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The base
creature must be able to cast spells or use spell-like abilities, and its caster level must be at least 15th. The
phylactery costs 200,000 gp to create and has a caster level equal to that of its creator at the time of creation.
The most common kind of phylactery is a Tiny mithral box that has hardness 20, 40 hit points, and a break DC
of 40. Other types of phylacteries, such as rings, amulets, or similar items, can also exist.
A dread lich can also make another nonliving creature, except another dread lich, as its phylactery via the use
of powerful magic such as wish or miracle.
Thanatotic Titan Dread Lich Appolus: For centuries Appolous was obsessed with the secrets of true immortality. The titan traveled countless worlds and planes learning all he could about the various methods mortals try to achieve immortality. When he discovered lichdom, Appolous realized that this was the path he wished to pursue. In fact, he knew he could improve it. The titan retreated to a small demi-plane to make his transformation. When he was done, the demi-plane was no more, and Appolous emerged as a dread lich.
Dread Mohrg: “Dread Mohrg” is an acquired template that can be added to any evil living creature with a mouth and digestive tract that includes intestines.
Advanced Fast Zombie: Any living creature of the dread mohrg’s size or smaller killed by a dread mohrg rises immediately as an advanced fast zombie.
Dread Mohrg Seven-Headed Cryohydra: ?
Mohrg Creature: ?
Cave Fisher Mohrg: Sometimes when a cave fisher captures and eats a mohrg, the violent spirit of the undead transfers to the vermin, transforming it to a monstrous hybrid of undead and insect.
Dread Mummy: “Dread Mummy” is an acquired template that can be added to any living corporeal creature.
Any creature killed by a dread mummy’s mummy rot ability turns to dust and blows away on the wind. If the dread mummy that infected the creature with the disease is not destroyed within 1 week, the dust reforms a new dread mummy.
Dread Mummy Harpy: ?
Mummy Creature: ?
Gnoll Mummy Cleric 8 The Keeper: ?
Dread Poltergeist: A dread poltergeist is created when a creature dies under traumatic circumstances in a place of great importance to it. Often the locations that house dread poltergeists are places where they felt a sense of ownership and security. A simple death, even murder, is rarely enough to cause the victim’s spirit to remain as a dread poltergeist—the death must intimately involve the location as well as a torturous death. A gravedigger buried alive in his graveyard might become a poltergeist, as might a ferryman who drowned beneath his dock, or a steward crushed beneath his desk.
“Dread Poltergeist” is an acquired template that can be added to any living, intelligent creature with a Charisma score of 3 or higher.
Dread Poltergeist Athach: This particular poltergeist athach died in a mudslide in the lee of the hill that was his home.
Poltergeist Creature: ?
Orc Poltergeist Barbarian 3 Curse of the Blood Clan: ?
Dread Shadow: “Dread Shadow” is an acquired template that can be
added to any living, intelligent creature with a Charisma score of 15 or higher that was killed by a shadow or dread shadow.
Any creature with a Charisma score of 15 or higher that is killed by a dread shadow rises as a dread shadow in 1d4 rounds.
The dread greater shadow creature’s create spawn ability creates only shadows, greater shadows, and dread shadows.
Dread Shadow Achaierai: ?
Shadow Creature: Any creature with a Charisma score of 15 or higher that is killed by a dread shadow rises as a dread shadow in 1d4 rounds. Any other creature slain by a dread shadow instead rises as a shadow creature.
The shadow creature’s create spawn ability creates only shadow creatures.
The greater shadow creature’s create spawn ability creates only shadow creatures.
Strix Shadow Rogue 1: ?
Greater Shadow Creature: ?
Greater Shadow Dire Rat: ?
Dread Greater Shadow Creature: ?
Dread Greater Shadow Yaogui: ?
Dread Skeleton: “Dread Skeleton” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with a skeleton or exoskeleton.
Dread Skeleton Blink Dog: ?
Dread Spectre: “Dread Spectre” is an acquired template that can be added to any living, intelligent creature killed by a spectre or a dread spectre.
Any creature with a Charisma score of 16 or higher that is killed by a dread spectre rises as a dread spectre in 1d4 rounds.
Dread Spectre Nymph: ?
Spectre Creature: Any creature with a Charisma score of 16 or higher that is killed by a dread spectre rises as a dread spectre in 1d4 rounds. Any other creature slain by a dread spectre instead rises as a spectre creature in 1d4 rounds.
Half-Elf Spectre Aristocrat 4/Expert 4: In life a woman of noble birth who spent her time in academic pursuits, the White Lady was murdered in the night by an assassin hired by a relative for the family fortune.
Dread Vampire: “Dread Vampire” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher.
Dread vampires can create spawn only if their victims are kept in coffin homes until they rise. A coffin home can be any container capable of accommodating the corpse.
Any creature with an Intelligence score of 10 or higher whose Constitution score reaches 0 from a dread vampire’s blood drain attack returns as dread vampire 24 hours after death.
Night Hag Dread Vampire Cailleach Bheur: ?
Dread Wight: Dread wights are the animated remains of creatures that were terribly violent and hateful in life.
“Dread Wight” is an acquired template that can be added to any living corporeal creature.
Any creature killed by a dread wight’s energy drain ability rises as a dread wight in 1d4 rounds.
Dread Wight Gargoyle: ?
Wight Creature: The wight creature’s create spawn ability creates only wight creatures.
Wight Pixie: ?
Dread Wraith Sovereign: “Dread Wraith Sovereign” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with 10 or more Hit Dice killed by a dread wraith sovereign.
When a dread wraith sovereign is killed, its dread wraith spawn that had 10 or more Hit Dice in life become dread wraith sovereigns (created by applying the template to the original base creature as it was in life).
Dread Wraith Sovereign Trumpet Archon: ?
Dread Wraith Creature: ?
Dread Wraith Dire Bear: ?
Wraith Creature: There is no minimum HD required to gain the wraith template.
Rhinoceros Wraith:
Dread Zombie: Dread zombies are created when the magic used to animate a zombie or other corporeal undead goes awry, or when a dread mummy breathes death on a living creature. Sometimes when the ceremony to create a lich fails, the would-be lich instead becomes a dread zombie, attaining eternal unlife at an unexpected cost—the loss of some of the intelligence it had in life.
“Dread zombie” is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal living creature.
A creature killed by a dread mummy’s breath of death ability rises as a juju zombie or dread zombie in 1d4 rounds.
Dread Zombie Aasimar Oracle 6: Before his death, Vezandarlir was a bitter hermit who was sought out by locals for fortune-telling and other divinatory services. Every so often he would use his oracle abilities to make sure what a supplicant’s fate held was dire. After he died, Vezandarlir’s spirit was too bitter and stubborn to move on. He rose a fortnight later from his grave, his abilities still intact, but now possessing a hunger for the brains of the living.
Dunesage Ghoul: A humanoid who dies of dunesage ghoul fever rises as a dunesage ghoul at the next midnight. A humanoid of 4 Hit Dice or more rises as a dunesage ghast.
Dunesage Ghast: A humanoid who dies of dunesage ghoul fever rises as a dunesage ghoul at the next midnight. A humanoid of 4 Hit Dice or more rises as a dunesage ghast.
Negative Energy-Charged Creature: Through exposure to areas close to the Negative Energy Plane or though dark magic (see the empower undead spell) an undead creature’s link to the chilling source of its unnatural existence can be strengthened. The resulting creature is empowered by the Negative Energy Plane and cloaked in its black energy.
“Negative energy-charged” is an acquired template that can be added to any undead creature.
empower undead spell.
Negative Energy-Charged Wight: More powerful than your standard wight, negative-energy charged wights rise from the same conditions as a normal wight, but in regions strongly tainted with negative energy or those close to the Negative-Energy plane.
Positive Energy-Charged: When an undead creature is destroyed by positive energy effects, it sometimes returns, infused with the very positive energy that destroyed it.
“Positive-energy charged” is an acquired template that can be added to any undead creature.
When undead of equal to or less than the positive energy-charged creature’s HD is destroyed by a positive-charged undead, it immediately transforms into another positive energy charged creature at its original full hit points.
Positive Energy-Charged Nightwalker: ?
Devourer: Devourers are the husks creatures that have been shattered and remade by forces beyond the ends of the multiverse.
Ghoul: The first ghouls were humans who rose as undead because they had indulged in unwholesome pleasures in life. The original ghasts rose as undead for similar reasons, but their sins were of vaster scale. A man who broke a taboo by consuming dead bodies to avoid starvation might rise as a ghoul, but a man who murdered his wife and children, then cooked them up as a delicious meal for himself and his mistress would instead rise as a ghast.
Eaters of the dead that hunger for the living, the first ghouls were the undead remains of humans who had, in life, indulged in unwholesome pleasures, such as cannibalism or necrophilia.
Ghoul Ghast: The first ghouls were humans who rose as undead because they had indulged in unwholesome pleasures in life. The original ghasts rose as undead for similar reasons, but their sins were of vaster scale. A man who broke a taboo by consuming dead bodies to avoid starvation might rise as a ghoul, but a man who murdered his wife and children, then cooked them up as a delicious meal for himself and his mistress would instead rise as a ghast.
Shadow: The dread greater shadow creature’s create spawn ability creates only shadows, greater shadows, and dread shadows.
Shadow Greater: Greater shadows are those undead shadows that have come to be particularly infused with negative energy, such as those that have spent vast lengths of time in areas of the Plane of Shadow awash in negative energy, or those that have drained the lives of thousands of victims.
The dread greater shadow creature’s create spawn ability creates only shadows, greater shadows, and dread shadows.
Vampire: Dread vampires can create spawn only if their victims are kept in coffin homes until they rise. A coffin home can be any container capable of accommodating the corpse. Under these conditions, a creature slain by a dread vampire’s energy drain attack rises as a standard vampire 24 hours after death.
Wight: Any humanoid creature that is slain by a negative energy-charged wight becomes a wight itself in only 1d4 rounds.
Wraith: The dread wraith creature's create spawn ability creates only wraiths.
The wraith creature's create spawn ability creates only wraiths.
Wraith Dread: Any creature slain by a dread wraith sovereign’s Constitution drain or incorporeal touch attack rises as a dread wraith in 1d4 rounds.
Zombie Fast: Vermin killed by a cave fisher mohrg rise immediately as fast zombies.
Bodak: Bodaks are extraplanar undead created when living beings are touched by great evil.
Zombie Juju: A creature killed by a dread mummy’s breath of death ability rises as a juju zombie or dread zombie in 1d4 rounds.
empower undead
School: necromancy [evil]; Level: cleric 6, sorcerer/wizard 6
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M (a gem worth at least 10 gp that spent the night in the body of an undead creature)
Range: touch
Target: undead creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates; Spell Resistance: yes
Grants the negative-energy charged template to the touched undead. Upon touch, the target is immediately empowered with the benefits of the template and it knows how to utilize all its abilities.
