Darakhul (CR +2)[3pp]

Example Creature

Creating a Darakhul

“Darakhul” is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A darakhul uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Creatures that die while infected with darakhul fever must make an adjustment check to survive the transition. They retain their Constitution bonus for this check, as the template has not yet been applied. Those that fail are simply dead and do not gain the template.

CR: Same as the base creature +2.

Alignment: Any evil alignment, most often neutral evil. A darakhul that requires a good alignment as a class prerequisite becomes an ex-member of that class.

Size and Type: The base creature’s size is unchanged. It’s type changes to undead with the appropriate augmented subtype. Do not recalculate BAB or saves. It retains any subtypes except alignment subtypes and retains all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Hit Dice: Change all current and future HD to d8. Darakhul use their Charisma modifiers to determine bonus hp (instead of Constitution).

Armor Class: The darakhul’s natural armor bonus improves by +4 over that of the base creature.

Defenses/Qualities: A darakhul retains all special qualities of the original creature and gains the following: channel resistance +4, darkvision to a range of 120 ft., damage reduction (DR) 5/magic and daylight, and all of the immunities granted by its undead traits.

Weaknesses: The darakhul gains the following vulnerability:

Daylight Weakness (Ex)

A darakhul suffers a -4 penalty to attack and saving throws when in full (natural) daylight. A daylight spell instead inflicts a -2 penalty to a darakhul.

Speed: If the base creature has both a burrow speed and a land speed, the lower of the two increases to match the higher. If it lacks one of those speeds, the darakhul gains the missing mode of movement at a speed equal to half the other. If the base creature can fly, its maneuverability rating drops by one category.

Melee: A darakhul grows a heavy jaw, powerful enough to crush bones to powder, as well as claws able to burrow through the earth or shred flesh. It retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A darakhul gains a bite and two claw attacks if it does not already have them. These natural attacks deal damage one dice higher than indicated for the creature’s size.

Special Attacks: A darakhul retains all of the base creature’s special attacks and gains the following special attacks:

Disease (Su)

Darakhul fever: bite—injury; save Fortitude DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Cha modifier; onset 1 day; effect 1d6 Con and 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves.

A creature that dies while infected with darakhul fever must make an adjustment check (see sidebar). If its check is high enough, it rises as a darakhul rather than as a standard ghoul within an hour. A darakhul is a free-willed undead. A creature that rises as a standard ghoul or ghast is controlled by the darakhul whose fever infected it.

Paralysis (Ex)

Those hit by a darakhul’s natural weapons must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma ability modifier) or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Elves are immune to this paralysis.

Abilities: Str +6, Dex +4, Int +4, Wis +4, Cha +6. As an undead creature, a darakhul has no Constitution score.

Skills: Darakhul characters gain skill points by class level. Racial class skills are unchanged from the base creature. Darakhul have a +8 racial bonus on Climb, Intimidate, and Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks.

Feats: A darakhul retains the feats it had in life. It gains Iron Will, Multiattack, and Lightning Reflexes as bonus feats, as long as the base character meets the prerequisites and doesn’t already have these feats. If it already has Iron Will or Lightning Reflexes, the darakhul gains improved versions of these feats.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Midgard Bestiary for Pathfinder RPG, (c) 2012 Open Design LLC; Author: Adam Daigle with Chris Harris, Michael Kortes, James MacKenzie, Rob Manning, Ben McFarland, Carlos Ovalle, Jan Rodewald, Adam Roy, Christina Stiles, James Thomas, and Mike Welham.

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