Necrophage Lurker (CR +2)

The necrophage is not undead, the necrophage is not a disease. The necrophage is a living organism that infests corpses, reconstitutes the organic material into new forms that it uses to kill more host creatures to continue to grow and expand. The forms the necrophage-infested bodies take are visceral, twisted horrors of their former selves. It can also form small discreet creatures out of the biological material it has subsumed. The necrophage is controlled and originally created by a insidious, psychic artifact found deep in the void. No one yet has been able to discern where the artifact came from, why it was created, or by whom. Some say, especially the fanatic cults that have grown up around its influence, that it created itself as a manifestation of the universe’s need to ascend to a higher, singular being. In either case, its goals and actions involve adding more biological material under its control and creating more unused biological material for it to take.

The artifact itself can infest the minds of living creatures nearby and slowly corrupt their minds and bodies, eventually turning them into a new necrophage creature. The artifact has little control over the exact form the necrophage takes, but it is usually efficient at its particular job.

The artifact is intelligent, it schemes, it corrupts, and it finds the most effective way to safely get more material.

The necrophage lurker is a specialized stalker-abomination and killer employed by the necrophage. It uses its superior speed and agility and stealth to sneak upon unsuspecting foes before pouncing and creating more hosts for the necrophage.

Creating a Necrophage Lurker

“Necrophage lurker” is an acquired template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature.

A necrophage lurker uses all of the base creature’s statistics except as noted here. A necrophage lurker loses all class levels but retains racial HD.

CR: As base creature +2

Alignment: Always Neutral Evil

Type: The creature’s type changes to aberration, recalculate feats, skills, saves and hit points.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +4

Hit Dice: Change all racial Hit Dice to d8s and add 1 racial HD

Speed: A necrophage lurker keeps all modes of movement from its host creature, if it does not have a climb speed, it gains a climb speed of 30 feet.

Senses: The creature gains darkvision 60 ft.

Weaknesses: limb weakness

Immune: cold, disease, mind-affecting effects, poison

Defensive Abilities: DR 5/-, from the void

Melee: A necrophage lurker retains any natural attacks the base creature had but also gains 3 spike shots. The three limbs are topped with small spike claws that may be used as one 1d4 melee claw (that uses 1-1/2 Strength) attack or three separate 1d4 (medium) ranged attacks. The three 1d4 (medium) ranged attacks are made at the lurker’s highest base attack bonus. The range increment for the spikes is 20 feet. The spikes are considered thrown.

Special Attacks: The necrophage lurker retains none of the base creature’s special attacks

Abilities: Increase the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +4, Con +2, Cha -4. Necrophage lurkers are mindless and have no Int score.

Feats: The necrophage creature gains weapon focus for their natural weapon(s) as a bonus feat.

Skills: +8 Stealth