Powerful Obedient Dead

[alhoon]

The VRGttWD has some interesting abilities for obedient dead that are useful, in a way that nobody wonders why the 9th level necromancer takes time to dig up and animate corpses (that 8th - 9th PCs would easily chop up in a few rounds).
So here I propose a new Obedient dead type, a type that a lich, the typical undead master of necromancy and forbidden arcana, could use to create trusted guards that could at least help in a fight against 11th or 12th level adventurers.

Tombskin (also called Unearthed one):
To create this special obedient dead, the necromancer should find a powerfuly built and healthy individual. The unlucky victim must be buried alive in a large block of rock or stone, at least 10' in each dimension. This can usually be done only with magic.
The victim's body must be tended constantly for three days by a medium or larger Grave elemental starting from the moment the victim is entombed. The elemental is almost always binded with the planar binding spells.
After three days, the victim must be brought out of the rock without breaking it (usually by magic again) and then the following spells should be cast:
flesh to stone, stoneskin, fox cunning, bull's strength, meld into stone, cloudkill, true strike, geas, bestow curse and finally animate dead or create undead.

[alhoon]

The undead that wakes has the following traits:
It appears as a lean man (or woman) without any hair, desicated. It's skin is tight on it's bones but seems very thick and has the texture and color of the stone that the living victim was buried into.

HD: 16d12 +16 (160 hp)
spd: 30'
Init: +7
AC: 24 (+11 natural, +3 dex)
Att: 2 slams +14
dam: 1d6 +10
abilities: Str 22 dex 16 con - int 3 wis 10 cha 10
saves: F +7 R +8 W +10
Skills: spot +8, listen +8, move silently +5, hide +5
Feats: improved initiative, alertness, improved bull rush, dodge, mobility, spring attack

Special attacks:
- Stomp (Su): By taking a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity the Tombskin can use its connection with earth and stone to make a powerful stomp. Everyone within 15' radius must make a reflex save DC 18 or fall prone and take 3d10 bludgeoning damage. Those that make the save are unaffected.
- exalation of the stony doom (Su): Once every 2d4 rounds and up to twice in a day, the Unearthed one may breath out a gray black poisonous cloud that covers a 10' x 10' area. Anyone in the cloud must make a fortitude save with a DC 18.
On a failure the character contacts the stony doom. Each round the character takes 2 points of dex damage (no save) as he or she is slowly turned to stone. Once he or she reaches 0 dex, the character dies, completely turned to a stone statue. On an afflicted character, a remove curse or cure disease spell stops the process while a stone to flesh spell stops the progress and also restores the dexterity damage.
-Crushing blows: If both slam attacks hit the same target in a single round, the character takes an extra 2d6 +9 hit points of damage and the Tombskin can make a free bull rush attempt against him without provoking attacks of opportunity.
- Accuracy: The Tombskin gets a +4 competence bonus with each slam attack. It uses it's power attack feat to use this +4 to deal more damage (already calculated).

Special Qualities:
- Damage reduction 10/stone
- fire, cold, electricity resistance 10
- Spell resistance 20
- Spider climb (Sp): The Unearthed one can walk on any stone surface as if it is constantly under the effect of a spider walk spell of a 16th level caster. The effect can be dispelled, but it immediately resumes in the obedient's turn.
- Stiching
- Meld into stone(sp): 3/day as a 16th level caster. The Unearthed one can stay in the stone until the next dawn.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Apart from the name -- which, to American ears, sounds like you'd create such an obedient dead by ordering a zombie to smoke lots of illegal herbiage -- I wouldn't change a thing. Cool monster, Alhoon!

[Desertrising]

I like it a lot and not only does it work well for Ravenloft I think it would work very well outside of RL as well. That is one kewl monster.

[alhoon]

Thanks! You make me proud!

Apart from the name -- which, to American ears, sounds like you'd create such an obedient dead by ordering a zombie to smoke lots of illegal herbiage -- I wouldn't change a thing. Cool monster, Alhoon!

PS. That works well with the exhalation idea Perhaps if a spellcaster can't cast cloudkill would find such a way to replace the spell?

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

I agree, very cool. The name does need work, may I suggest "Unearthed" as a name?

[Gemathustra]

What about "Tombskin"?

[Jester of the FoS]

Or K.I.S.S. and just call it a Tombstone.

[alhoon]

Done! Thanks guys.