Draug

This ragged humanoid is lean and ravaged by decay with bits of bone showing beneath waterlogged, blue-green rotting flesh. Its clothes hang in tatters and its weapons are pitted and rusted.

Draug (CR 4)

Medium Undead (Water)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Initiative: +2
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet; Perception +10

Speed: 30 feet, Swim 30 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +5 natural)
Hit Points: 38 (5d8+10)
Saving Throws: Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6
Channel Resistance +2
Immunity: undead traits
Energy Resistance: fire 10

Offense

Melee: cutlass +6 (1d6+2/19-20) or 2 claws +5 (1d4+2)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: call storm

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
14 (+2)	15 (+2)	-	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)

Base Attack Bonus: +3
CMB +5
CMD 17

Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Weapon Focus (Cutlass)

Skills: Acrobatics +5, Climb +8, Escape Artist +5, Perception +10, Profession (sailor) +6, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +8, Survival +5, Swim +17

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Swim

Languages:

Special Qualities: control ship

Special Abilities

Call Storm (Su)

Once per day, a draug can summon inclement weather to harass its opponents. The effects are felt immediately (i.e., there is no gradual shift in the weather). Otherwise, this ability is identical to the control weather spell (caster level 6th).

Control Ship (Su)

A draug has full control over its vessel (wind notwithstanding) so long as it remains at the wheel or within 20 feet of the helmsman. Should it leave the area, its ship meanders in a random direction until the draug regains control. A draug also imbues its ship with special abilities (see Draug Ships, below).

Ecology

Environment: Any
Organization: solitary or crew (1 draug plus 6-11 brine zombies and 1-4 mummies of the deep, 2-8 lacedons, or 2-8 skeletons)
Treasure: standard


The draug is the vengeful spirit of a ship's captain who died at sea, thus being denied a proper burial. If an entire ship sinks at sea with the loss of all hands, the ship itself and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers. The captain usually rises as a draug and his crew rises as brine zombies (see that entry). A draug looks as it did in life, wearing the same clothes and bearing the same possessions it held at the moment of death. The arrival of a draug is often taken as a death portent, for even if it does not attack, some dire circumstance is likely to befall the witness. A draug often acts as a death token, rising out of the sea and staring at or pointing a bony finger at a sailor fated to drown. Draugs are jealous of the living and try to bring death and misfortune to them at every opportunity. They have been known to suddenly appear in a sea mist and climb aboard the ships of the living. A draug's favored form of attack is with its cutlass, though if disarmed it uses its claws to attempt to grapple an opponent, leaping back into the waves in an effort to drown the unfortunate victim.

Draug Ships When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons. The ship appears as it did at the time of its demise. The sails are tattered and the decks covered with seaweed.

When a draug is at the helm, the \"ghost ship\" gains the following powers:

Buoyancy (Su) Regardless of the condition of the hull, a draug-piloted ship remains afloat in any weather conditions. It is not affected by wind of any type (though the draug can still use the wind to maneuver and sail the ship) and can even sail against gale-force winds. Strong waves may toss the ship about, but will not capsize it as a result.

Flight (Su) A draug can maneuver his ship to leave the waves and take to the air as long as the draug remains on board. This functions as fly cast by a sorcerer with a caster level equal to the draug's HD.

Immunity to Fire (Ex) A draug ship is so waterlogged and infused with negative energy that it is completely immune to all fire effects.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.