Monster Geographica - Marsh & Aquatic.pdf - The Secrets of the ...

4
Floating Dead
Medium Undead
Hit Dice. 4d12 (26 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed; 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural), touch
11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+10
Attack: Scimitar +6 melee (1d6+4/l8-20) or
slam +6 melee (1d4+4 plus drying touch)
Full Attack: Scimitar +6 melee (1d6+4/18-20)
or slam +6 melee (1d4+4 plus drying touch)
Space/React: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Create spawn, drying touch,
lost sense
Special Qualities: Damage reduction
Floating dead are undead born of those who
die on the open sea in life boats, or who perish
floating adrift while clinging to the hope that help
will come. These tortured souls grasp at that final
hope past the days of their mortal lives, carrying on
in death but no longer looking for rescue. Instead,
these abominations now seek to share their suffering
with others. They float where the waves take them,
seeking victims upon whom they can unleash their
undying hatred.
Floating dead are often found in the lifeboats
they perished in, looking much like bloated corpses.
These undead hunt only for intelligent creatures and
pay animals no mind. When a humanoid creature
approaches the floating dead, they attack with the
intention of subduing and carrying the victim back to
their boat. They will take more than one victim with
them if their vessel can carry the extra persons.
Floating dead are found in areas where threats
such as reefs, pirates, or storms are common. There
are few deaths on the high seas worse than being held
down by undead until a person dies of dehydration.
Those blessed few who survive the ordeal are never
quite the same and usually avoid the sea for the rest
of their lives.
Combat
Floating dead usually sprawl unmoving until
their prey approaches within reach, at which point
they leap into action. They attempt to beat a single
target into unconsciousness using nonlethal damage
and drag it back to their vessel, fighting anyone
else who gets in their way. They try to escape in
their boat with their new victim. After victims
awaken, they are forcibly restrained until they die of
dehydration, at which point the victim rises in unlife
as a floating dead. Floating dead attack aquatic races
with intent to kill instead of seeking to capture.
Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by
70
5/slashing, darkvision 60 ft., lifesense 60 ft.,
undead traits, vulnerability to fresh water
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 12, Con -, Int 4, Wis 10,
Cha 1
Skills: Hide +3, Move Silently +5, Swim +17
Feats: Ability Focus (drying touch), Improved
Grapple B , Stealthy
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization; Solitary or group (2-6)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: 4-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: –
a floating dead’s dehydrating touch ability rises as a
floating dead in 1d4 rounds. Spawn are not under the
control of the floating dead that created them. They
do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.
Drying Touch (Su): A character touched by
these undead dead must make a DC 14 Fortitude
save or begin suffering from dehydration. The
character must make a Constitution check (DC 10 +
one per previous check) for each hour after the first
that is endured without drinking, or suffer 1d6 points
of nonlethal damage. This damage cannot be healed
until the character is able to drink at least one gallon
of flesh water. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Each additional touch by floating dead counts
as an hour with nothing to drink and incurs a
Constitution check, as detailed above.
Lifesense (Su): Floating dead locate living
creatures within 60 feet, just as if they possessed the
blindsight ability. They also sense the strength of a
target’s life force automatically, as if they had cast
deathwatch.
Lost Sense (Su): Within 1,000 feet of the
floating dead, compasses and other navigational
devices do not function. Anyone attempting to use
Survival or Profession (sailor) to navigate must
make a DC 12 Will save or suffer a -10 penalty to
their skill check. The save DC is Wisdom-based.
Vulnerability to Fresh Water (Ex): Floating
dead are greatly harmed by exposure to fresh water.
A splash inflicts 2d6 damage while immersing the
creature will completely destroy it in one round.
Water used to destroy one of these undead may be
used to create holy water with no material cost.
Skills: A floating dead has a +8 racial bonus on
any Swim check to perform some special action or
avoid a hazard. It can always can choose to take 10
on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered.
It can use the run action while swimming, provided
it swims in a straight line.