MONSTERS OF THE ANCIENT LANDS MONSTERS OF THE ANCIENT LANDS
Dread Combat
Dreads attack relentlessly as ordered by their creator. The nec-
Small Undead
romantic magic used in their creation surrounds them with an
Hit Dice: 3d12 (19 hp)
aura of supernatural fear.
Initiative: +3
Frightful Presence (Su): Any creature with 2 or fewer HD
Speed: Fly 40 ft. (good) (8 squares)
within 30 feet of a dread must succeed on a DC 12 Will save
Armor Class: 16 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), touch 14, flat-
or become shaken for 2d6 rounds. A creature that is already
footed 13
shaken (by the frightful presence of
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/–2
a second dread, for example) becomes
Attack: Longsword +3 melee (1d8+1/19–20) or claw +3 melee
frightened instead. If the creature is
(1d3+1)
already frightened, the dread’s frightful
Full Attack: Longsword +3 melee (1d8+1/19–20) or 2 claws +3
presence produces no further effect. A suc-
melee (1d3+1)
cessful save renders the creature immune to that
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
dread’s frightful presence for 24 hours. Frightful
Special Attacks: Frightful presence
presence is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, darkvision
is Wisdom-based.
60 ft., immunity to cold, undead traits, weapon use
Undead Traits: A dread is immune to mind-affecting
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4
effects, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 16, Con —, Int —, Wis 12,
effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it
Cha 1
also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to extra
Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5
damage from critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage to
Feats: —
its physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue,
Environment: Any
exhaustion, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised,
Illustration by Randy Gallegos
Organization: Solitary, pair, or
Illustration by Carl Frank
and resurrection works only if it is willing. It has darkvision
gang (3–4)
out to 60 feet.
Challenge Rating: 2
Weapon Use (Ex): A Medium dread can use weapons sized for
Treasure: None
Medium creatures with no penalty, since its arms are roughly
Alignment: Always neutral
the same size as those of a Medium humanoid.
evil
Skills: A dread has a +4 racial bonus on Listen and Spot
Advancement: 4 HD (Small); 5–6
checks.
HD (Medium)
A skeletal pair of arms hovers in the
air, both hands gripping a rusty old
Dread Warrior
Called forth to serve in undeath through foul
longsword. The arms move together and
necromantic magic, dread warriors are undead
strike as if they were the limbs of a
beings created from the corpses of skilled war-
human-sized skeleton. Dread
riors. They retain many of the martial skills and talents
they possessed in life but are compelled to serve their
A dread is a pair of animated skeletal arms created for use as an
creators with unquestioning obedience. Dread warriors are created
Ghour demon undead guardian. Like a skeleton, it is a mindless automaton that
with the spell animate dread warriorUna.
obeys the commands of its master, but it also carries an aura of
A dread warrior looks more or less like it did in life, although it
supernatural terror. Each of a dread’s arms is 2 to 4 feet long
still bears the ghastly wounds that killed it, and its eyes glow with
and weighs 10 to 40 pounds.
a feral yellow light. Its skin tends to shrivel and darken, falling
Dreads do only what they are ordered to do, but they can accept
in on its sunken flesh to give it a gaunt, withered appearance.
reasonably complex commands based on observable characteristics
A dread warrior usually carries the arms and armor it favored
such as race, equipment, spoken passwords, or specific actions. For
before its death and transformation.
example, a dread might be ordered to attack all intruders except
A dread warrior speaks whatever languages it knew in life.
elves and creatures displaying a certain token. These dreads are
often incorporated into complex trap designs.
A dread can be created with an animate dead spell, but in Sample Dread Warrior
addition to all the normal requirements of the spell, the caster
An armored warrior limps closer, a battleaxe gripped in its hands.
must provide a zendalure gemstone worth at least 1,000 gp.
No human could live with the wounds the creature bears, but
its eyes burn yellow with hate, and the shriveled flesh of its face
twists into an evil snarl.
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