GitP Monster Class Competition III: Horrors and Spooks

[Mystic Muse]

Horrors and Spooks

http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb443/Zernobog888/Green_Lantern_Blackest_Night-51_Cover-2_Teaser.jpg?t=1317922563

The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will continue until the midnight, October 20th (EST) deadline.

Soon after a poll will be opened for everyone to vote for their favorite that will last until the last day of the month.

Rules

1) You will create any monster that you think fits. If it goes bump in the night, it qualifies. If it scares the little children, it qualifies. If it just strikes you as remotely creepy, it qualifies.

The creature itself does not have to be unique, though it can be; we encourage you to create a monster class for official WotC monsters or races, preexisting homebrewed monsters or races, or creatures you make up for this contest.

2) Entries must follow the monster class guidelines as spoilered below:


Community Based Monster Classes VI

For the player that wants to play D&D and be a monster, there's often a bitter pill to swallow. Maybe you're expected to deal with a kludgy level adjustment? Or perhaps the monster class they've already put out there has less-than-full HD per level? Or maybe there's just no LA or monster class option for that obscure monster you're so keen on, and you're forced to throw something together and beg your DM for its acceptance. Whatever the case, you're inevitably imbalanced one way or another. The session ends and people will often find themselves thinking things would have worked more smoothly if that monster hadn't been there to muck up the works.

No more!

In this thread, you will be able to play as any monster you want by entering these monster classes as though they were regular classes. Huge stat bonuses and screwy HD have been done away with, monsters with abilities that would throw campaigns into disarray (24/7 petrifying gaze! Woo!) have been rebalanced and made suitable for play. Monsters have been tweaked for your playing enjoyment.

If you love these monster classes, like so many do, there are two ways you can help out. You can critique or you can submit new monster classes.

l FAQ[/B]
Q) What monsters am I allowed to make into a monster class?
A) We encourage Homebrewers to build any monster as a playable character class. We prefer that Homebrewers build Monster Classes for monsters from published material that have not already been submitted. Before starting a new monster class, check the 'called' list (where people have called dibs on a particular monster or indicated they have started such a monster already) and the finished monster list. New homebrewers are encouraged to pick low-CR monsters, and not to attempt to tackle epic tier (20+ level) classes from the outset. Monsters from homebrew monsters should go in our homebrew section (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180510).

Q) Help! I'm taking a 1 or 2 level monster class and can't tell if it's BAB 1/2 or 3/4! (For the purposes of fractional BAB).
A) Unless otherwise noted, an undead has 1/2 BAB, while all other classes/templates have 3/4 BAB.

Q) When I increase in size does my strength increase and my dexterity decrease? If so, by how much?
A) Size increases, or decreases, do not alter ability scores in this project.

Q) What's the Caster Level for the SLAs?
A) Unless otherwise specified, the Caster level for any SLAs is equal to your total HD.

Q) What’s the Save DC for this ability?
A) Unless otherwise specified the Save DC is (10+ 1/2 HD + Charisma Modifier).

The rest of the rules are split into three parts. Use Guidelines will teach you all the general rules for using these Monster Classes in a game, with specifics on changing size or multiclassing several monster classes (unintended by the project, but people are liable to try it anyways). Critique Guidelines will explain how you can help the project by commenting on other people's monsters. The Homebrew Guidelines state how you can help us by making your own Monster Class.


Use Guidelines

You take these Monster Classes just like you would any other class, such as wizard or rogue. Each level of the class develops your abilities as that particular monster. Normally you should take the first level of a Monster Class at level 1, but in some cases you might wish for your character to transform into a monster, in which case you can take it at a later level. After that, you may multiclass freely; for example one might take 1 level of troll, then 3 of barbarian, then a second level of troll, then another level of barbarian.

Upon taking the first level of a monster class, you lose all other racial traits: what this means is that while you may select a race in character creation, you lose that race when you take your first level in a monster class. You do not gain any traits or bonuses from being a race, as the first level of a Monster Class replaces both class and race. That said, the monster classes are typically a step more powerful than a standard class to make up for the lack of racial bonuses.

Growth Table
{table=head]Base Size|New Size| AC & Attack Bonuses*|Space*|Reach (Tall/Long)*|Ave. Size Incr.|Ave. Weight Incr.|Grapple Mod.|Hide Mod.
Fine|Diminutive|-4 (size)|+½’|+0’/+0’|+6”|+1/2 lb.|+4 (size)|-4 (size)
Diminutive|Tiny|-2 (size)|+1½’|+0’/+0’|+9”|+5 lbs.|+4 (size)|-4 (size)
Tiny|Small| -1 (size)|+2½’|+5’/+5’|+18”|+36 lbs.|+4 (size)|-4 (size)
Small|Medium| -1 (size)|+0’|+0’/+0’|+3’|+240 lbs.|+4 (size)|-4 (size)
Medium|Large|-1 (size)|+5’|+5’/+0’|+6’|+2000 lbs.|+4 (size)|-4 (size)
Large|Huge|-1 (size)|+5’|+5’/+5’|+12’|+8 tons|+4 (size)|-4 (size)
Huge|Gargantuan|-2 (size)|+5’|+5’/+5’|+24’|+80 tons|+4 (size)|-4 (size)
Gargantuan|Colossal|-4 (size)|+10’|+10’/+5’|+48’|+200 tons|+4 (size)|-4 (size)[/table]
Natural weapons damage increases one die size for each size increase.

Thanks to Zeta Kai for the Table.

Under normal circumstances you may not multiclass two Base Monster Classes. Below are some suggested rules should you decide to go against the grain and attempt such:

Multiple Natural Armor Bonuses
If a creature gains natural armor bonuses from multiple sources treat them according to the following chart.
{table=head]Base Natural Armor|Extra Natural Armor|Results

1/2 Con Mod|1/2 Con Mod|Full Con Mod as Natural armor Bonus

Anything higher than 1/2 Con Mod|1/2 Con Mod|+1 Nat. AC

Full Con Mod|Full Con Mod|1.5 Con Mod

Anything Higher than Full Con Mod|Full Con Mod|+2 Nat. AC

1.5 Con Mod|Anything higher than Full Con Mod|+3 Nat. AC[/table]
Creatures that gain Natural Armor from more than one monster class, that specify different Ability Scores as the base for their Natural Armor Class use whichever Ability Score is higher to derive both Natural Armor Classes, and uses the chart above.
Thanks to ChumpLump for the Table.

Multiclassing Monsters
In some cases, your DM may disregard the above rule and allow you to multiclass two base monster classes. This will likely represent some sort of hybrid character, which could be interesting. In this case, how you should play this is: For the monster class which you do not take at level one, remove the “Body of X” class feature, and use the “Body of X” for your first monster class. If you somehow take them at the same time using a variant rule like gestalt, keep the “Body of X” from the class with more levels. If they both have the same number of levels, you may choose which “Body of X” you keep.


Critique Guidelines

Critiquing Rules
[spoiler]1. Respect
Respect is tantamount if you are working on this project. If you are disrespectful of a class or a homebrewer, you will face consequences. At all times we must all treat each other with respect. Ignore all other rules before you ignore this one. Never be disrespectful to another homebrewer.


Homebrew Guidelines
Making a Monster Class is difficult, so don't think you can whip something up in ten seconds and get it posted. It may be long and hard to perfect it, but we'll help you through it. Follow these guidelines and you'll quickly be on your way.

Submission Guidelines:

Start small. If you are new to the project, don't submit a monster with a CR (and, as a consequence, a maximum level) greater than 5. Leeway can be granted (say, a CR6-8 monster), but ask if you're really keen on doing such. Long & involved monster classes coupled with inexperienced creators make for monsters that can take two or more months to wrap up, with constant revision and critique. Not fun for anyone. Learn the ropes first.
Spellcheck, format check: Read over your finished work for errors. Ideally, you want to run it through a spellchecker (either built into your browser or copy/pasted into a word document), but if you've got a good eye for errors, that can be omitted. Similarly, check the design & format of your post against other recently finished monsters (Such as Saguaro Sentinel or Troll) to see if there's something you're doing too differently.
Be prepared to revise: Monsters that are submitted have to go through a review process to ensure we're putting quality work out there. For this reason, the council members will go over monsters and suggest changes.

3) The entry must include name, source (if not an original creature creation), complete class (including prerequisites––if any––hit dice, class skills and skill points, BAB, saves, and detailed descriptions of all class abilities). Incomplete entries will be disqualified at the deadline.

If the monster class is your own homebrewed creation, fluff text is also necessary. If it is based off of an existing official, third party or homebrewed creature, then a link to that creature's fluff text will suffice, though mentioning the source is good too. An image at the head of your entry will not only attract more attention and votes, but will also aid players and DMs in their ability to visualize your monster class.

4) Entries must be D&D 3.5 edition, using the standard format.

5) Post all entries on this thread. Do not post conversation here. Any and All Comments, questions and discussions will take place here in this separate conversation thread. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204860)

If you wish to receive critiques and other feedback beyond the lifespan of this contest, or wish in the future to submit your monster class to the Monster Class Hall of Fame (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201135) project, then you must copy your monster class entry from this thread and post it in your own monster class hall of fame thread or homebrew thread, as per the moderator rules listed in the Monster Class Hall of Fame rules (don't just link your submission to that project from your entry post in this contest).

6) One entry per participant. No double-teaming.

7) The monster class itself must be your own work, though as mentioned above, it can be based off of a preexisting monster. It must, however, be created fresh for this contest––no previously made, previously posted monster classes.

8) No reserving posts. Feel free to post a creature and tweak it, but you have to have the basic beast already done.

First Place Prize

To be determined. It doesn't sound like Stycotl is in a position to make any drawings at the moment. If anybody has any ideas, bring them up in the discussion thread.

Homebrewing Guides

3.5 Homebrew Theory by Djinn in Tonic (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137641)

Vorpal Tribble's Monster Making for the Feebleminded (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43009)[/QUOTE]

[Mystic Muse]

Scarecrow (Monster encyclopedia, known as the Blood Scarecrow in that book)


Description: Scarecrows have a large amount of variation in terms of how they look. They could have pumpkin heads, be made out of grain sacks with a face painted on, or any number of other materials.


The scarecrow is a free willed corporeal undead created when an ordinary scarecrow is dressed in clothes once worn by a being who was wrongfully killed. If conditions are right, the being may return to seek vengeance upon the one who killed it.

Scarecrows are dangerously obsessed creatures. While they can be talked to, they can not be reasoned with or otherwise convinced to abandon their quest. Even spells that could somehow affect its mind to convince it otherwise automatically fail. If they feel some one or something is preventing them from completing their quest, they will often kill or otherwise simply go through the obstacle. Good aligned Scarecrows generally find a way to go around said obstacle, and head straight for their target.

Adventures: Scarecrows often simply start out seeking vengeance upon the one who killed them. If this is not possible at their current power level, they often attempt to gain power before doing so. In an ironic twist, they tend to target plant creatures and bask in the company of crows.

Alignment: Scarecrows are almost always evil. Their entire purpose is based off of murder, and they tend to only care about this. There are of course exceptions, but they are quite rare.

Religion: Few gods accept Scarecrow worshippers, and few Scarecrows have any reason to worship gods. They likely worship whatever god/s they may have worshipped in life if they worship any.

Other Classes: Scarecrows tend to get along well with Assassins, rogues, Necromancers, or any other being who is exceptional in the art of killing specific targets.

Favored Class: None. Scarecrows have no particular aptitude for any class, and most leave the material plane after after killing their mark, which tends to happen around their 4th level.

Class
HD: d12
{TABLE]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Feature
1| +0| +0| +0 |+0|Scarecrow Body, Suffocate, One Track Mind, +1 Strength,
2| +1| +0| +0| +0| Improved Grab, Murder of Crows +1 Strength
3| +1| +1| +1| +1| Terrifying Gaze, Damage Reduction, +1 Strength
4| +2| +1| +1| +1| Reaper's implement, Crow Companion, +1 Strength
[/table]
2 Skill points+int per level, quadruple at 1st level. Class skills: None

Proficiencies: The Scarecrow is proficient with Daggers, Sickles, Scythes, Handaxes, Light Picks, and pitchforks, or anything else you could reasonably be expected to use on a farm.

Features

Scarecrow Body(Ex): At first level, the Scarecrow loses all other racial traits and gains the following undead traits.
No Constitution score.
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
* Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
* Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
* Heals naturally.
* Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
* Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
* Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
* Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.

Scarecrow are medium sized undead with two natural slam attacks dealing 1d4+strength modifier damage each, and a base move speed of 40 feet. The Scarecrow's slam is a primary natural attack.

The Scarecrow also gains a Natural armor bonus equal to its Strength modifier.


Suffocate (Su): If the Scarecrow has grappled its target, it may pull the creature's head into its straw body, suffocating it with unnatural speed. The target takes 1d3 points of constitution damage until it either breaks the grapple, or dies of suffocation. This damage increases to 1d4 at 4 HD, 1d6 at 8 HD, 2d4 at 12 HD, 2d6 at 16 HD, and 3d6 at 20 HD.

Strength Bonus (Ex): The Scarecrow gains a +1 bonus to strength at all levels, to a total of +4 at 4th level

One track mind (Ex): If a Scarecrow decides to exact vengeance on the one who murdered it, nothing can convince it otherwise. It cannot be reasoned with, it cannot be bargained with, and it will absolutely not stop ever until its target is dead. Even if a compulsion or mind-affecting spell is capable of bypassing its immunity, it cannot convince the Scarecrow to abandon its quest period. Additionally, the Scarecrow cannot take levels in any other class until it takes all levels of this one.

Improved Grab (Ex): At second level, the Scarecrow gains the Improved Grab special ability. To use this ability the Scarecrow must hit with both of its slam attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can begin choking the foe it has grappled the following round.

Murder of Crows (Su): The Scarecrow is accompanied by a flock of crows that congregate around it. A given Murder of Crows has a flight speed equal to the scarecrow's base land speed and they act during his or her turn each round. They act effectively as an extension of his will, following his or her commands perfectly.

Enemies adjacent to the murder take 1d6 damage for every 3 HD of the Scarecrow each round, suffer a -2 to all attack, damage, skill, attribute and saving throw rolls and are obligated to make an (ineffective, see below) attack of opportunity against the murder each round.

Initially, a murder clusters to occupy a 5' space. Though individuals may enter this space without penalty, the murder must occupy a space of its own to have any effect on enemies. It is immune to any damage or effects that would harm creatures, though they can be dispelled or suppressed as a spell effect (at which point they scatter). The Scarecrow is treated as having a caster level equal to its HD for this ability.

Terrifying gaze (Su):The Scarecrow can focus all of its rage and lust for vengeance into a single, terrifying force, which contorts its visage. 1/day per 2 HD, This allows the Scarecrow to make a gaze attack against a single target. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The target must make a will save (DC10+1/2 HD+Charisma modifier) If the target fails, he will be frightened and paralyzed for 2d6 rounds

Damage Reduction (Ex): At third level, the Scarecrow gains Damage Reduction/Slashing equal to ½ HD.

Reaper's Implement (Su): At fourth level, the Scarecrow can transform any metal farming tool, (Such as a hoe, a shovel, or an axe) into a +1 throwing weapon of any sort that the Scarecrow has proficieny in from this class with a touch. This item reverts to normal if the Scarecrow's is slain, or if a second implement is transformed. It also loses all magical properties if it is wielded by any but the blood Scarecrow who created it. This cannot be used on a naturally magic weapon. The weapon's enhancement bonus increases by 1 at every 4 HD after your 4th, and the range of the throwing enhancement increases by 10 at that same rate as well.

Crow Companion: At 4th level, the Scarecrow gains a crow companion. This crow is treated as an animal companion, with the Scarecrow's virtual Druid level being equal to its HD.

Comments

Yes, this is a class for playing that B-list horror monster from those so bad they're good movies you watch with your friends, and I'm not going to pretend it's anything else.

The class has bad saves, bad BAB, no favored class, and no class skills because of the mountain of benefits being an undead gives you. I also didn't want this class to be a single level dip, so I made them incapable of multiclassing until their fourth level.

Changelog
Changed Murder of Crows to what is is now. Credit to Hyudra for this version of the ability.

[Hyudra]

Mummy
http://i52.tinypic.com/2ze05km.png
Monster Class
Source: Monster Manual/SRD

Description: Mummies are preserved corpses empowered by dark gods. While many are embalmed and wrapped in spiced bandages, different cultures have created Mummies in different fashions. Mummies can be created by being sealed in tar; smothered in clay, sculpted and baked; preserved in salt or sealed in copious amounts of ash. As part of the ritual, the entombment of the Mummy is generally consummated with the sacrifice of people that served him or her in life, often with said victims being buried alive, drowned or slowly devoured by beetles or rats. Mummies vary greatly depending on how they were enshrined in death and the nature of the sacrifices accompanying them to their not-so-final rest.

In any event, the Mummy is a tool of the gods, a single body housing a vast collection of souls. Of these souls, there is typically one powerful individual, such as a great champion, a king, a pharaoh or cleric, dominating dozens, hundreds or thousands of lesser ones, be they slaves, citizens or prisoners of war. Burgeoning with raw power, the Mummy is adorned in garments, jewelry and relics bearing the symbols of dark deities, to better seal the energy and souls within the dessicated vessel.

Mummies are horrifying combatants, not just because serve as vessels for the horror and pain that dozens, hundreds or thousands of individuals felt as they were sacrificed, but because of their ability to unleash rotting curses and plagues upon their foes. Implacable and durable, the Mummy bears the terrible promise that even if a foe should be so lucky as to be victorious in battle against them, that foe will still face the prospect of losing the war, succumbing to a rotting curse.

Adventures: Mummies can take one of three roles: harbinger, guardian or independent.

As harbingers, the mummy is created or woken from a long sleep by dark powers, with the sole objective of announcing, foretelling or bringing about a dark event. This could be genocide of a particular people, the manifesting of a dark god in the Prime Material or the rise of a great plague of undead. Harbingers, invariably, are the first sign or warning of an event so terrible that the plague, death and famine that follows in the mummy's wake can be considered mild. Harbingers fit well into an adventuring group that is evil and working towards a specific goal, joining a group as a gift from a dark power to help ensure an event comes to pass.

Guardians are the default role a Mummy will take, and can be considered the most common of mummies. To protect dark relics, necropolises and ancient secrets, the Guardian is created and laid to rest as a sort of undead golem, waiting for the unfortunate fools that will trespass and evoke its wrath. Some guardians are eternally awake and watching, while others (generally created/empowered by less powerful entities) rest, waiting for the event that wakes them. Once woken, however, they are relentless in seeking the trespassers and ending them. Such Mummies will join or form adventuring groups to help them track down their targets or the relics. Such goals can be extremely nebulous, however. A Mummy tasked with protecting the dark secrets of her people and taking revenge on those who read them might find herself with hundreds of thousands of targets when a scholar publishes the results of his archeological dig. In such a case, she might decide to gather her power and better understand the world before taking decisive action to carry out her duty.

As Mummies are intelligent undead, there is the occasional individual that will have free will, dubbed Independents. Some simply wrest control from the dark entities that empowered it, which is not so unusual when one considers that Mummies were typically powerful and headstrong people in life. Others were Harbingers or Guardians that failed, fulfilled or had their duty rendered irrelevant (as would be the case if the parchments they were tasking crumbled to dust, or if the dark god they were the harbinger of came to the mortal plane and was slain by heroes). Their task done with, one way or another, they are free to wander. In such events, a Mummy might begin to recollect and piece together fragments of his or her old self, or they might become a sort of blurring of the hundreds of souls that compose and power them, becoming a unique personality. Independents are the most likely to be non-evil, and to thrive in non-evil adventuring parties.

Alignment: Mummies are predominantly evil, but can edge into Neutral, especially if they are Independent. Guardians are almost always lawful, as are Independents (it is generally the most lawful and tradition-bound societies that create Mummies in the first place). Harbingers can fall anywhere on the spectrum of lawful to chaotic, tending slightly towards the former.

Background: Mummies were invariably powerful or connected people in life, sufficient to warrant special attention from the clerics of dark gods that dominated their culture at the time of their death. Some were kings, queens, great heroes and high priests. In other cases, they were the favored followers of these great individuals (in which case they were only one of several mummies created to serve a Mummy Lord).

Special thought should be given to the Mummy's culture - not all, obviously, are Egyptian or based in Egyptian mythology - and especially lawful Mummies may hold to special customs of their onetime culture, even in death.

Class:


HD: D12
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|
Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Mummy Body, Undead, Rotting Touch, Glyph

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Anguish and Despair

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Heiroglyph

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Plague Touch

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Apocrypha[/table]

Skill Points: (2 + Int modifier) per level, x4 at first level.
Class Skills: The Mummy’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Proficiencies: The Mummy gains proficiency with light and medium armor and with all simple weapons that aren't ranged weapons.

Mummy Body: The Mummy loses all other racial bonuses and becomes an Undead. They possess Darkvision out to 60' and However, while the Mummy is Undead for the purposes of spells and effects, a first level Mummy is considered to still retain memories and impressions of mortal life, and retains many of the weaknesses. As such, it only gains some of the type benefits, with more gained as the Mummy acquires levels and HD. This is detailed below.

Mummies are initially Medium sized creatures with a base land speed of 20', possessing a slam attack that deals 1d6 + 2x Str modifier damage and Natural Armor equal to their Wisdom or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. A Mummy has Common as a starting language, with additional languages for a high Int score as normal.

Undead: Starting at 1st level the Mummy gains some Undead benefits, with more benefits granted for each level the Mummy takes in the class.

At level one, the Mummy gains a 10% fortification against critical hits, immunity to poison, paralysis, fatigue, exhaustion, stunning, disease and death effects, an immunity to effects that would require a Fortitude save, it may use its Charisma in place of Constitution for Concentration checks, and is healed by negative energy. The Mummy is vulnerable, however, to Turn Undead effects, and is harmed by positive energy (such as that of a Cure spell). At 7HD, the Mummy enhances these effects to gain a further 10% fortification against critical hits.

At level two, the Mummy gains an immunity to massive damage, +2 against mind affecting spells and abilities, and freedom from needing to eat, breathe and sleep, as the souls gain a strong enough hold on their vessel that they will not succumb to phantom urges for typical mortal sustenance. At 9HD, provided they took two levels in the Mummy class, the Mummy gains immunity to mind affecting spells and abilities.

At level three, the Mummy gains an additional 15% fortification against critical hits, and a 50% resistance to nonlethal damage, ability drain and energy drain. At 11HD, provided they took three levels in the Mummy class, the Mummy gains an added 15% fortification against critical hits (50% total if one includes the level one/7HD bonuses), and a 100% resistance to nonlethal damage, ability drain and energy drain.

At level four, the Mummy gains immunity to damage to its physical ability scores and 10% fortification against critical hits. At 13HD, provided they took four levels in the Mummy class, the Mummy gains another 10% fortification against critical hits (70% total, including the level 1/level 3/7HD/11HD bonuses).

At level five, the Mummy gains 15% fortification against critical hits. At 15HD, provided they took five levels in the Mummy class, the Mummy gains another 15% fortification against critical hits.

Mummy Rot: The touch of even a first level Mummy is hazardous to one's health. On a successful hit with its slam attack, the Mummy can transmit a supernatural curse called Mummy Rot. On a failed Fortitude save (DC is 10 + ½ Mummy's HD + Mummy's Charisma Bonus), the victim is infected. One minute after infection, the Rot will have successfully incubated and the victim then sustains 1d3 points of Strength damage and 1d3 points of Constitution damage.

Subsequent hits from the Mummy will accelerate the progress of the disease. Each time a Mummy slams a victim that has already contracted the disease, the victim must make another Fortitude save at a -2 penalty for each time they've failed the save against disease. Failure to do so means they take 1 point of Strength damage and 1 point of Constitution damage, the incubation time of the Mummy Rot is reduced by 1d3 rounds and the ability damage on successful incubation increased by a cumulative point of damage to each of the ability scores.
Example: Three hits with three failed Fortitude saves on a foe that has already contracted the disease would effectively reduce the incubation time by 3d3 rounds, the save DC by 8 (not 6, as it includes the failed save when first contracting the disease) and the ability damage to 1d3+3 Strength and 1d3+3 Constitution).

Each round of successful grappling will count as a successful slam attack, for the purposes of transmitting Mummy Rot. This is in addition to any attacks delivered in the course of the grapple.

Mummy Rot is (despite any references to 'disease') a curse, rather than a strict disease, and after the ability damage sustained following incubation, the foe is free of its effects. Effects, items, spells and the like that augment disease may, at DM's discretion, augment Mummy Rot. Abilities and class features that trigger from successfully killing a foe with Mummy Rot (such as those granted by Glyphs, Heiroglyphs and Apocrypha) require that the foe be of a CR sufficient to grant experience to the Mummy and that they have some potential or ability to threaten the Mummy (A CR ¼ rat in a bag would not be sufficient, for example).

Glyph: The first level Mummy is a horde of souls contained in a cage that consists of a preserved body. To make this cage all the more secure, clerics and cultists of dark powers enshrine the Mummy in gylphs, symbols and scribed bindings. The nature of these bindings determine the shape the Mummy's power takes.

The Mummy chooses one glyph that represents their background and the theology of those that empowered them:

Glyph of the Priest - The Mummy gains the ability to cast a select few divine spells as Spell-Like-Abilities. It can use 0th level SLAs a number of times a day equal to two plus its HD or two plus its Charisma Modifier, whichever is less. Similarly, its 1st level SLAs are usable a number of times a day equal to its HD or its Charisma modifier, whichever is less.

0th level SLAs: Guidance, Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue
1st level SLAs: Bane, Command, Deathwatch, Divine Favor, Doom, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith
Further, the Mummy may quicken one SLA once a day, provided it isn't of the highest level of SLA available to the Mummy (A Mummy with 0th and 1st level SLAs available to it would only be able to quicken 0th level ones). If the Mummy has used this ability when a victim within 100' dies from the effects of Mummy Rot, the ability is renewed for another daily use.

Glyph of the Swarm - The Mummy gains heavy armor proficiency and the ability to move at full speed in any armor. As a standard action or as an immediate action after the Mummy has just sustained more than 10% of its maximum hitpoints in damage, the Mummy may transform into a swarm (the swarm may be any nonflying creature, for aesthetic purposes only). Use the statistics of a Spider Swarm, except the swarm does not apply poison, has natural armor equal to the Mummy's Charisma modifier and hitpoints equal to the Mummy's own. Swarm form can be maintained for one round a day, plus an additional round for every HD or point of Charisma modifier the Mummy has, whichever is less. Each time a victim within 100' dies of Mummy Rot, the Mummy replenishes the number of rounds it may maintain its Swarm form that day.

Glyph of the Vulture - The Mummy gains proficiency with ranged weapons and the ability to, once per minute, treat a victim struck by a ranged attack as though they were hit by the Mummy's slam attack, for the purposes of the Mummy's Rotting Touch class feature. Should a victim die of Mummy Rot, miasma spreads from their corpse to infect enemies of the Mummy within a 15' radius. Foes within the area of effect are treated as though they failed a Fortitude save against the Mummy's slam attack, with no save.

Glyph of the Jackal - The Mummy gains 10' base land speed and the ability to apply its Rotting Touch class feature with melee weapons, as opposed to just its slam attacks. Once a day for every HD or for every point of Charisma modifier the Mummy has, the Mummy may either immediately take 20 on a jump check regardless of circumstance, or attack two foes with a melee attack simultaneously using the same attack bonuses, applying only standard weapon damage. Any time a victim dies of Mummy Rot, the Mummy replenishes its daily uses of this glyph ability.

Anguish and Despair: Beginning at 2nd level the tormented souls that empower the Mummy can affect the Mummy's foes. This takes one of two forms, which the Mummy can switch between as a swift action:
Despair - The Mummy bears an aura of despair as it constantly emanates some of the horror the dozens, hundreds or thousands of individuals felt when they were sacrificed on the Mummy's behalf. On first seeing the Mummy, foes must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ Mummy's HD + Mummy's Charisma modifier) or be shaken. Foes with a CR less than the Mummy's HD are frightened for one round and shaken thereafter. This is a mind affecting morale effect that requires clear line of sight to the Mummy, and regardless of success or failure, it only affects a given enemy once a day.
Anguish - The sacrificed souls that infuse the Mummy are stirred into a furor, transmitting the pain they felt as they died. At the start of each of its turns, the Mummy gains a shield of anguished souls, causing the next source of damage to the Mummy to deal 1d4 less damage for every HD the Mummy has.

If the shield is not broken/consumed by the start of the Mummy's next turn (that is, if the Mummy does not take damage), the Mummy's next successful attack deals 1d6 additional, unpreventable damage for every HD the Mummy has. Foes that have saved against the Mummy's Despair ability are immune to this Anguish damage.

Heiroglyph: As the Mummy grows more powerful, other divine glyphs that make up its corporeal body awaken, energizing it with further abilities. Select a Glyph the Mummy doesn't already know from the Mummy's Glyph class feature, above, or select one from the following list:

Heiroglyph Daduchos: The Mummy gains the spell like abilities listed below. 2nd level spell like abilities are usable once a day for every HD the Mummy has, or once a day for every point of Charisma modifier the Mummy has, whichever is less, minus one.

Spell like abilities granted by Heiroglyph Daduchos are:

2nd level SLAs: bull’s strength, death knell, hold person, resist energy, silence, spiritual weapon

Further, should the Mummy or an ally of the Mummy successfully hit and damage a foe while augmented by one of the Mummy's spell like abilities, or should the Mummy successfully target and affect a foe with a detrimental spell like ability (such as Doom or Silence), that foe may be treated as though they also failed a saving throw against the Mummy's Rotting Touch class feature. This may occur a number of times a day equal to the Mummy's HD or the Mummy's Charisma modifier, whichever is less.
to be affected as though they also failed a saving throw against the Mummy's Rotting Touch class feature.

If the Mummy has the Glyph of the Priest, it increases the number of times it may use its 0th and 1st level spell like abilities each day by one. It may use it's activated Glyph of the Priest quickening on spell like abilities of up to 2nd level.

Heiroglyph Rexis: The Mummy was a ruler in life, and they are a ruler in undeath. Should the Mummy strike the finishing blow on an enemy, or should their Mummy rot slay a foe, that foe's corpse climbs to their feet just moments later. Foes brought below 0 hitpoints by the Mummy and foes brought to 0 Strength or Constitution by Mummy Rot are automatically animated as though targeted by an Animate Dead spell with a caster level equal to the Mummy's HD.

Should the Mummy drop below 50% health, each individual skeleton or zombie has a 50% chance to crumble to dust. This occurs once again should the Mummy drop below 10% health.

The Mummy may rebuke undead as a cleric with a level equal to the Mummy's HD.

On selecting Heiroglyph Rexis, the Mummy may add +2 to two different ability scores of its choice.

Heiroglyph Nex: The Mummy was once a champion fighter or a leader of warriors, an individual that reveled in violent death. In death, this sentiment carries over to the curse the Mummy inflicts. Mummy Rot inflicted with the Mummy's Rotting Touch class feature now creates blood filled blisters larger than a man's fist, that well up and burst in showers of gore when prodded. The Mummy's Mummy Rot now deals 1d6 damage for every 3HD of the Mummy, each time it is triggered (this includes both the instances where the disease is accelerated and when the incubation finishes). Should a foe inflicted with Mummy Rot be threatened by a critical hit, that critical hit automatically confirms and the Mummy Rot immediately finishes incubating.

Once a day, the Mummy may guarantee maximum damage on its next attack. This ability is refreshed at any point a victim dies of Mummy Rot.


Plague Touch: The Mummy's Rotting Touch class feature now imposes 1d6 Strength and 1d6 Constitution damage on a successful incubation. Successful hits on those who have already contracted the disease now reduce incubation time by 1d4 rounds and apply 1d3 Strength and 1d3 Constitution damage.

Should an enemy die of Mummy Rot while within 100' of the Mummy, the Mummy regains half of the health it has lost (ie. A Mummy with 30 maximum hitpoints that has only 10 hitpoints remaining would regain 10 hitpoints) as the Mummy Rot consumes a fraction of their essence and feeds it to the Mummy.

Apocrypha: At 5th level, the Mummy may select a Glyph or Heiroglyph from the class features listed above, or an Apocrypha from the list below, as signs and runes secret to the entity that empowered the Mummy come awake:

Apocrypha of Madness: The Mummy's Mummy Rot affects the victim's wits. Victims roll for Wisdom damage whenever they would roll for Strength and/or Constitution damage.

Once a day, the Mummy may charge its Anguish and Despair ability with additional power, either forcing opponents to make another saving throw against Despair (even if they would normally be immune by virtue of having already suffered or saved against the effects), with Shaken being upgraded to Frightened and Frightened to Panicked, or the Mummy may double the Strength of its shield and/or damage dealt from the Anguish effect. Daily uses of Apocrypha of Madness are refreshed should an enemy within 100' perish of Mummy Rot.

Apocrypha of Doom: Should a foe die at the hand of the Mummy or succumb to Mummy Rot, the enemy nearest that individual must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ Mummy's HD + Mummy's Charisma Modifier) or have all negative effects on that foe transmitted to them, including (at the Mummy's discretion) any negative spells, diseases, status conditions (not including death and dying) and poisons.

Once a day, the Mummy may attempt to transmit all negative effects (of the same range of effects listed above) from itself to a foe successfully affected by an attack or SLA of the Mummy. That foe can resist this effect with a Will save, in which event the effects remain on the Mummy. Daily uses of Apocrypha of Doom are refreshed should an enemy within 100' perish of Mummy Rot.

Apocrypha of Blood: Whenever a foe within 100' sustains a Strength damage from an acceleration or successful incubation of Mummy Rot, the Mummy gains +1 Strength. Only one point of Strength is granted to the Mummy from a given die roll of Strength damage at a time (So a foe sustaining 6 Strength damage from Mummy Rot would lead to the Mummy gaining 1 point of Strength). Strength gained in this way is limited to a maximum of the Mummy's HD or the Mummy's Charisma modifier, whichever is less. The Strength bonus lasts one minute, but this duration is refreshed whenever the effect is reapplied, even if the maximum strength bonus was already reached.

Once a day, the Mummy may sacrifice the Strength bonus gained from Apocrypha of blood, causing an injured foe to bleed horribly from every orifice, instead. This activation of Apocrypha of Blood deals 1d4 points of damage per HD if one or two points of Strength bonus were spent, 1d6 if three or four points of Strength bonus were spent, and 1d8 if five or more points were spent. This effect deals 50% additional damage if the foe was at half health or less. Daily uses of Apocrypha of Blood are refreshed should an enemy within 100' perish of Mummy Rot.

Apocrypha of Famine: Foes affected by Mummy Rot are fatigued (this does not stack with other effects of fatigue to exhaust foes). Foes affected by Mummy Rot that are below half health are exhausted. These effects and penalties apply even if the foe is otherwise immune to fatigue and exhaustion.

Once a day, the Mummy may make a foe that has been affected by Mummy Rot reduce all ability scores to the nearest multiple of five. This lasts until the Mummy Rot is cured.
Example: A foe with Str 26, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 20, Cha 17 would have their ability scores reduced to 20, 10, 10, 5, 20 and 15, respectively. Daily uses of Apocrypha of Famine are refreshed should an enemy within 100' perish of Mummy Rot.

Comments
The Mummy. I set myself the challenge to create a Mummy monster class that was compelling, but still fitting to lore.

The biggest problem with the Mummy, in my opinion, is the flavor. Whatever the fluff and mechanics may attempt to convey, the Mummy isn't a terrifying foe. We think of a decrepit old man wrapped in bandages and we scoff. We think 'Egyptian, boring'. As adventurers, we may worry if a remove curse spell isn't immediately in reach, but the Mummy itself isn't so daunting a concept.

So how does one create a Mummy that conveys the fear that was originally intended by the creature? I decided to expand the core ideas of the Mummy to encapsulate more cultures than just Egyptian mythology. Imagine, if you will, Moira Ironblack, the dwarf priestess who was dessicated in a kiln and sealed in a sarcophagus of clay with hundreds of her worshipers being buried alive with her... waking to wreak vengeance on the enemies of the dwarves, bringing plague and armies of the undead in her wake. Or Tarhuf the Rider, a half-hill-giant, half-centaur warlord that was preserved by the cold of the mountain tundra, raised by dark cultists by the sacrifice of hundreds of northland villagers, and gifted with rune-encrusted armor so he might ride as a Harbinger of Erythnul.

To me, these characters serve as variations of the Mummy we're so used to (and somewhat tired of). The core idea is still there, dessicated undead powered by dark gods, but it's expanded to logical conclusions.

Mechanically, I designed the class to serve as a sort of aggressive 'tank'. The Anguish aspect of Anguish and Despair gives you durability and 'threat' with the ability to punish enemies that fail to pay attention to the Mummy. I wanted disease to feel different from poison, but disease is utterly useless in an adventuring capacity, so its effects are all delayed in a way poison isn't, though the Mummy retains the ability to accumulate some horrendous effects through it (including but not limited to a sizable stat penalty when the thing is successfully/aggressively incubated).

Changelog

...

[TheGeckoKing]

Graveknight
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu89/Gecko-King/graveknight_by_akeiron-d3kop7r-1.jpg
Source: Pathfinder SRD (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/graveknight-template)

Description: A Graveknight is a warrior who drags his soul from its final rest kicking and screaming and binds it to a set of heavy armour. A graveknight’s body exists as a desiccated husk of bone and flesh within its armor, but these constantly rejuvenated remains are of no particular significance or function. Rather, it’s the armor of a graveknight that is its true flesh, the lifeline and cage that shackles it to the material world. Similarly, the glowing eyes that can be seen through the creature’s helmet are not its actual eyes, but rather twin points of light manifested by the raging spirit itself. The exact look of a Graveknight is not set in stone, although most Graveknights tend to have demonic looking armour, betraying their nature.

Adventures: A Graveknight adventures to gain power, fame, glory and riches beyond mortal comprehension and at all costs. In becoming a Graveknight, the adventurer most certainly damns their souls to a horrific afterlife, and so to not take advantage of their sacrifice is utter stupidity. Many Graveknight adventurers tend to make heavy use of spells like Alter Self and Polymorph any Object to prevent drawing too much attention from easily terrified peasants on their travels, and to indulge in the pleasures of the living such as eating and drinking fine foods and drinks.

Alignment: The alignment of a Graveknight is near enough always some sort of Evil, as the widely known rites needed to achieve this form of immortality is downright obscene and requires a willingness to commit horrible acts. There is rumoured to be a more neutral version of Graveknights known as the Iron Sentinels, but most of these legends are simply the rumours and hollow wishes of deluded Graveknights.

Background: The path to become a Graveknight is a hard one, as a minimum skill of battle is required to become a Graveknight and even then the rites to become a Graveknight are written in blood. Tyrannical knights, cold hearted mercenaries and psychopathic berserker are normally the ones to become Graveknights. It could be theorized that people simply wishing to defy the eroding passage of time and devoted protectors could be Graveknights, although there really are better ways for those kinds of people to achieve a similar immortality.

Religion: The Graveknight is not a pious creature, although Crusaders and Clerics will normally keep the religion they had in life. Other characters will sometimes turn to gods like Erythnul and Nerull or more obscure ones like Evening Glory(LM), and even Demon Lords like Orcus.

Other Classes: A Graveknight by requirement must be martially adept and able to wear heavy armor with ease, and so the normal classes that become a Graveknight are Fighters, Knights, Crusaders and Warblades, with Clerics occasionally taking up this mantle.

Class:

Prerequisites:

Any non-Good alignment
BaB of +5 or higher
Heavy Armor Proficiency
Must own a suit of Heavy Armor and designate it as their chosen armour. Once chosen, this cannot be changed.
Must of been killed while wearing their designated armour. Recklessly getting themselves killed on purpose is acceptable for this requirement, and encouraged for convenience.


HD: d12
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will |Special
1st|+1|+0|+0|+2| Graveknight Body, Ruinous Revivication, Ruinous Channeling, Phantom Mount
2nd|+2|+0|+0|+3| Sacrilegious Aura, Devastating Blast, Undead Mastery
[/table]
Skill Points 2+Int per level
Class Skill Skills: Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Listen (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Ride (Dex).

Graveknight Body: At 1st level, the Graveknight's type changes to Undead (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Undead_Type), gaining Undead traits and the Augmented subtype if necessary. Lastly, all past, present and future hit dice are changed to d12, re-rolling hit points if necessary. Additionally, from now on the Graveknight may not remove its armour under any circumstances, although it may still get it enchanted and repaired as normal.
Additionally, upon becoming a Graveknight, the player character becomes just that harder to kill. One day after a graveknight is destroyed (reduced to 0hp, destroyed by Undead to Death, etc.), its designated armour begins to rebuild the undead warrior’s body inside the armour.
This process takes 1d10 days — if the body is destroyed before that time passes (Object with hardness 10 and 45hp), the armor merely starts the process anew. After this time has elapsed, the graveknight wakens fully healed.
Simply breaking the Graveknight's armour will not suffice - the armour simply rebuilds itself as well, the process complete just as the Graveknight is fully revived. A Graveknight's armour must be utterly annihilated without possibility of being reformed, such as by being melted into slag, cast onto the Positive Energy Plane, or sunk into the crushing depths of the sea.

Ruinous Revivification (Ex): At 1st level, the graveknight chooses one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. This energy type should be relevant to the graveknight’s life or death, as this energy type influences the effects of several of a graveknight’s special abilities. Additionally, at 12HD the Graveknight gains immunity to the chosen energy type.

Ruinous Channelling (Su): At 1st level, the Graveknight gains the ability to grant its weaponry special properties, depending on what energy it chose for its Ruinous Revivification. All weapons the Graveknight holds gain one of the properties below;

Acid - Caustic (As Flaming, only dealing Acid damage instead of Fire damage)
Cold - Frost
Electricity - Shock
Fire - Flaming


Phantom Mount (Su): At 1st level, the Graveknight gains Phantom Steed as a 1/hour SLA with a Caster Level equal to the Graveknight's HD. A Graveknight's mount always has the same distinctive form on each use of the SLA. If the Graveknight had/already has the Special Mount class feature as a Paladin/ex-Paladin, then instead of gaining Phantom Steed as an SLA, the Graveknight regains its Special Mount class ability if it lost it previously, and Graveknight levels stack with the Graveknight's Paladin levels with regards to their Special Mount class feature.

Sacrilegious Aura (Su): At 2nd level, the graveknight constantly exudes an aura of intense evil and negative energy in a 30-foot radius. This aura functions as the spell Desecrate, which the graveknight constantly gains the benefits of. In addition, this miasma of fell energies hinders the channeling of positive energy. Any creature that attempts to summon positive energy in this area—such as through a cleric’s Turn Undead ability, a paladin’s Lay on Hands, abilities that require the expenditure of a Turn Undead/Lay on Hands use or any spell with the healing descriptor — must make a Concentration check with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 HD + Cha Mod. If the character fails, the effect is blocked and its number of uses of that ability being reduced by 1 or the spell being lost.

Devastating Blast (Su): Once per 1d4 rounds as a standard action, the graveknight may unleash a 30-foot cone of destructive force. This blast deals 2d6 points of damage for every 3 Hit Dice a graveknight possesses. Creatures within the area may make a Reflex save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 HD + Cha Mod for half damage. This damage is of the energy type determined by the graveknight’s ruinous revivification special quality.

Undead Mastery (Su): At 2nd level, the Graveknight gains the ability to to bend any undead creature within 50 feet to its will as a standard action. The targeted undead must make a successful Will save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 HD + Cha Mod or fall under the Graveknight’s control. This control is permanent for unintelligent undead, while undead with Intelligence scores are allowed an additional save every day to break free from the Graveknight’s control. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same Graveknight’s Undead Mastery ability for 24 hours.
A Graveknight can control 5 Hit Dice worth of undead creatures for every Hit Die it possesses. If the graveknight exceeds this number, it loses control over some of its minions, as per the spell Animate Dead.

At 2nd level, a Graveknight may opt not to gain this class ability and instead gain Undead Leadership (Libris Mortis) as a bonus feat. If they do, they do not gain any modifier penalties to their Leadership Score, such as for cruelty or aloofness.


Feats:

Relentless Soul
You now substitute your iron body with an unrelenting sense of being.
Prerequisites: Undead type, Will Save +6.
Benefits: Firstly, you gain immunity to being turned or rebuked. Secondly, you may substitute your Charisma score for your Constitution score when making Fortitude saves. Lastly, you gain bonus hit points equal to your Charisma modifier times your hit dice.

Sentinel of the Grave
Even in death, you serve your code.
Prerequisites: Graveknight Body class feature, Knight's Challenge class feature.
Benefits: Your Knight and Graveknight levels stack to determine your Knight's Challenge class feature. Additionally, you may expend one use of your Knight's Challenge ability as an immediate action if you are destroyed in battle. If you do, then you reform back to un-life in 1 day instead of 1d10 days.


Comments:

Graveknights - Because the pansy dress wearing finger-wigglers aren't the only ones that do the rejuvenating undead shtick.

The template itself seems to me to be balanced enough for the CR increase and its minimum CR, something Paizo seems to do better than WotC (*coughLAisawfulcough*), and so most of the work was literally transcribing the abilities from the template and tweaking them to make them a bit more player friendly. The result is a pimpin' prc that might have a few too many class features for my liking (hence the feats), not that melee really needs to have its toys taken away.

[Mystic Muse]

Voting thread. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12137035#post12137035)

(If anybody wants to shorten the voting deadline, that'd be reasonable. It's usually about ten days. Right now, I have the suspicion this month will be very busy for a lot of people, so it could just end up being skipped if that's what you guys vote for.)