Grave Risen

This rotting, worm-ridden corpse is draped in tattered and loosely fitting rags and dented and armor. Blackened eye sockets serve as its eyes, and the stench of death clings to its body. Its nails are long and filthy, caked with dirt and soil from the grave.

Grave Risen CR 4

XP 1,200
CE Medium undead
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 42 (5d8+15 plus 5)
Fort +4; Ref +3; Will +6
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2; Immune undead traits

OFFENSE

Spd 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +6 (1d4+2 plus blood poisoning)
Spell-like Abilities (CL 5th):

1/dayanimate dead

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 15, Con —, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Improved Initiative, Toughness, Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +10, Escape Artist +7, Perception +10, Stealth +10

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Blood Poisoning (Ex)

A creature hit by a claw attack must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or contract blood poisoning. This deals 1 point of Constitution damage to the victim per minute until the victim dies or the blood poisoning is healed. A neutralize poison or remove disease spell rids the victim of blood poisoning, as does a DC 15 Heal check. Multiple wounds to the same foe do not result in multiple instances of blood poisoning. The save DC and check DC are both Charisma-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary or troupe (1 grave risen plus 2–5 zombies)
Treasure none

Grave risen are rotting undead creatures that upon first glance resemble zombies. They are created from a normal corpse in an area where the blood of a spellcaster is spilled and permeates the ground. The blood fuses with a corpse which sometimes animates as a grave risen. These creatures rarely wander far from the area where they were risen, preferring the stench of death and the serenity of death that lingers in the air. Grave risen have no love for the living and attack living creatures on sight. Living creatures slain by a grave risen are clawed and mutilated and then buried in a shallow grave by the grave risen as a mockery of its own current existence.

Grave risen do not speak or communicate; only occasionally loosing guttural tones from their rotting vocal organs.

Since grave risen are rarely encountered anywhere but cemeteries, burial grounds, or the like, they usually begin combat by animating corpses and sending them against their aggressors. After animating corpses, the grave risen attempts to down its foes with its filthy claws. Slain foes are destroyed (as detailed above) and are not consumed by a grave risen.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Grave Risen from the Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Scott Greene.

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