Cadaver

This monster resembles a humanoid dressed in tattered rags. Rotted flesh reveals corded muscles and sinew stretched tightly over its skeleton. Hollow eye sockets flicker with a hellish glow. Broken and rotted teeth line its mouth, and its hands end in wicked claws.

Cadaver (CR 2)

Medium Undead
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Initiative: +5
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet; Perception +0

Speed: 30 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +2 natural)
Hit Points: 16 (2d8) reanimation
Saving Throws: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3
Damage Reduction: 5/bludgeoning
Immunity: cold, undead traits

Offense

Melee: 2 claws +2 (1d4+1 plus disease) and bite +2 (1d6+1 plus disease)
Reach: 5 feet

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
13 (+1)	13 (+1)	-	-	10 (+0)	10 (+0)

Base Attack Bonus: +1
CMB +2
CMD 13

Feats: Improved Initiative

Skills:

Languages:

Special Abilities

Disease (Ex)

Filth fever: Claw and bite-injury; save Fort DC 11; onset 1d3 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Dex damage and 1d3 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Reanimation (Su)

When reduced to 0 hit points or less, a cadaver is not destroyed; rather it falls inert and begins the process of reanimating by regaining 1 hit point per round. Hit points lost to magical weapons or spells are not regained. When the creature reaches its full hit point total (minus damage dealt by magical attacks and weapons), it stands up, ready to fight again. If the creature is destroyed by channeled positive energy, it cannot reanimate. If a cleric casts gentle repose on the cadaver when it is reduced to 0 hit points, it cannot reanimate. A bless spell delays the reanimation, causing the creature to regain hit points at half the normal rate (i.e. 1 hit point every other round).

Ecology

Environment: Any
Organization: solitary or gang (2-5)
Treasure: standard


Cadavers are the undead skeletal remains of people who have been buried alive or given an improper burial (an unmarked grave or mass grave for example). They can be found haunting graveyards and cemeteries. Cadavers are infused with a hatred that rivals many other undead creatures. This hatred includes its own existence as well as the existence of all living creatures. Thus, the cadaver attacks all creatures it encounters.

They have a distinct hatred for light, but it does not damage them. All encounters with cadavers are at night or places cloaked in darkness. Encounters are most often with a solitary creature. Multiple cadavers do not work in concert with each other; being mindless they simply charge into combat, killing all creatures they can. Cadavers are sometimes found in the employ of greater undead (such as wights or ghasts).

A cadaver attacks by raking with its filthy claws or biting with its sharp, disease-infested teeth. They often lie in shallow graves waiting for potential victims to wander too close, where they immediately spring to the attack, raking and biting until destroyed or until all foes are dead.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.