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Vivamort
12th November 2005, 01:13 AM
Desert Wraith

Medium-Size Undead

Hit Dice: 9d12 (39 hp

Initiative: +6 (Dex)

Speed: 40 ft (60 ft in a sandstorm)

AC: 18 (+2 Dex, +6 natural)

Attacks: Touch +5 melee (1d4 plus 1d6 Constitution drain)

Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/ 5ft

Special Attacks: Blood to Sand, Unnatural Aura

Special Qualities: Undead, damage reduction 10/+1, SR 17, +2 turn resistance, darkvision 60 ft, Sand Shroud, Sense Bloodline, Sunlight Vulnerability

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +6

Abilities: Str 14, Dex 14, Con ---, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 13

Skills: Hide +12, Listen +10, Move Silently +15, Spot +10

Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Track

Climate/Terrain: Temperate and warm desert

Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: overcast/Night
Challenge Rating: 8

Treasure: None (heirlooms in lair)

Alignment: neutral (with evil tendencies)

Advancement: 7-18 HD (Medium-Size)

Children of the desert regions are told this tale to inspire fear and obedience of their parents. Many a child has spent sleepless nights wondering if they would fall victim to this creature due to their misbehavior.

The Desert Wraith is a mis-matched corpse of bone, flesh, rags, stones, and sand, animated through malevolent rage for revenge against those that had betrayed and killed it. This creature are considered wraiths, but other than being ability draining undead, they have little in common with the creatures commonly known as wraiths. They can appear in a wavy humanoid form on silhouette of a horse, or a swirling cloud of sand.

The Desert Wraith, like most undead, seek to kill any living creatures they encounter, but for the Desert wraith, they seek the deaths of those that share the bloodline with any ancestor that had wronged it in the past or any being that dares to prevent it from completing its gruesome task. These undead are are not completely evil and have a benevolence for those that are related to it, or help it achieve it's goals. The Desert Wraith longs for justice, and desires it's due rest within the grave. They lair in barrows in the sand where they were left to die. Sometimes they visit certain places that they had an emotional tie in their former life. They spend the daylight hours under the sand, and when night falls (or when the sun is sufficiently obscured)they continue their search for prey.

COMBAT
The Desert Wraith is very cunning and single-mindedly hunts its prey and often employs traps to catch prey unawares. The Desert Wraith often leaves it's victims horrible countenance from draining them or bloated with sand that pours out of every orifice.

Blood to Sand (Su):
Living creatures hit by a desert wraith’s touch attack must succeed on a DC 19 Fortitude save or take 1d6 points of Constitution drain. The Constitution is lost permently, being replaced with common desert sand within the body. The save DC is Charisma-based. On each such successful attack, the Desert wraith gains 5 temporary hit points.

Sand Shroud (Su): The desert wraith is affected by a supernatural blur effect created by a constant swirl of sand and mist, which is identical to the spell of the same name. Any melee or ranged attack directed has a 50% miss chance unless the attacker can locate the Desert Wraith by some means other than sight. A true seeing effect allows the user to see the wraith's position, but see invisibility has no effect.

Sense Bloodline (Su):
A Desert wraith notices and locates living creatures that share a particular bloodline to those that had betrayed it in his former life (or those that interfere with it's activities) within 60 feet, just as if it possessed the blindsight ability. It also senses the strength of their life force automatically, as if it had cast deathwatch.

Unnatural Aura (Su):
Animals, whether wild or domesticated, can sense the unnatural presence of a wraith at a distance of 30 feet. They will not willingly approach nearer than that and panic if forced to do so; they remain panicked as long as they are within that range.

Resistance to Ranged Attacks (Su): The desert wraith gains a +2 resistance bonus to saves against any ranged spell or ranged magical attack that specifically targets it (except for ranged touch attacks).

Skills: The Desert Wraith receives a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks, due to its Sand Shroud power, and receives a +8 racial bonus to Wilderness Lore checks when tracking those of the bloodline that betrayed it (or any other enemy).

Undead: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

Water Vulnerability (Ex): Exposing a Desert Wraith to at least a gallon of water instantly slays it if it cannot escape.

Vivamort
5th August 2006, 10:31 PM
Any one wish to comment or fix this creature?

Knight of Roses
5th August 2006, 11:10 PM
There does not seem to be much that needs fixing.

But, that being said, its Init should be +6 (Dex + Imp Init).

Should the Sand Shroud ability be more powerful (50% miss chance?) in a sand storm?

Maybe they should have Track as a bonus feat?

The Sunlight Vulnerabilty seems a bit strange for a desert creature. Maybe change it to water vulnerability?

Vivamort
5th August 2006, 11:22 PM
Thanks! That helped allot. I made the changes and feel so much better about the creature.

Enmesh
5th August 2006, 11:40 PM
Personaly I like the creature, it'll fit in well with the rest of my dark sun stuff.

Vivamort
5th August 2006, 11:51 PM
Use it to your hearts content! Anything I post on the Tower is for the taking. Thanks for the comments. :)

Craig
9th August 2006, 08:53 PM
Looks pretty good to me, can't find any major problems. Nicely done :)

Vivamort
9th August 2006, 09:39 PM
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback.