Phantom Armor

Though at first appearing to be an ordinary suit of armor, this imposing being begins to move, its lumbering movements slow and methodical.

Raised from the corpses of knights and soldiers slain by treachery rather than battle or conflicts considered crimes even in the heat of war, phantom armors appear as suits of animate armor, walking or floating of their own accord. Most phantom armors haunt the halls and blasted battlefields where they were slain, seeking revenge against their murderers or, should that prove impossible, confronting any living creature that might give them the opportunity to do battle once more. Dastardly necromancers have also discovered the process for binding violent spirits to suits of armor, giving rise to eerie servants that combine endless patience with cold brutality.

Phantom armors come in many shapes and sizes; some appear to be nothing more than animate helms while others resemble armored giants.

Ecology

Phantom armors—being undead and having no need for sleep or sustenance—make perfect guards, especially given their single-minded demeanor and their innocuous appearances. While a phantom armor’s “suit” is hollow, the spirit of a dead warrior still inhabits it, forever caught in the cold embrace of steel and forced servitude until it is defeated in battle. Of course, since not all suits of armor are alike, neither are all phantom armors. Horrific tales tell of ghastly knights floating through haunted corridors, their helmet visors revealing only blackness within. The animating spirit of a phantom armor is typically invisible, the armored shell appearing to be the entirety of the creature. Casting spells like see invisibility or detect undead reveals the vague shape of a spirit seemingly wearing the armor.

Caster Level Phantom Armor Created
11th or lower Hollow Helm
12th–13th Guardian phantom armor
14th Floating phantom armor
15th Giant phantom armor
16th Phantom lancer

Creating Phantom Armor

Phantom armors of varying types can be created using the spell create undead, as detailed in the table. In addition to requiring a corpse for it to be cast upon, the spell requires that body must be wearing a suit of heavy armor. The corpse dissolves into the armor at the conclusion of the spell’s casting.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Adventure Path #47: Ashes at Dawn. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Neil Spicer.

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