DM Entry: Crawling Dead (new zombie variant + new spell)

The material below has been added to the "Aryathan Jiil Tome of Monsters III.pdf" and uploaded to the google drive.

Zombie Variant: Crawling Dead

The crawling dead are zombies that have had their lower torso removed (by any means) and must crawl around using only its arms. Crawling dead may be created with a create crawling dead spell, see below.

Size: Reduce its size category by one. Do not adjust the creature according to the table “Changes to Statistics by Size” from the Monster Manual. The crawling dead uses its new size modifier for armor class, attacks, grapples, and Hide checks.

Speed: A crawling dead can move 5 feet as a move action and can’t run or charge.

Armor Class: Reduce natural armor by 1 (minimum +0).

Crawling (Ex): Because of its mutilated condition, it must always crawl using only its arms and hands. It is always considered to be prone and cannot be tripped. A crawling dead has a -4 penalty on melee attack rolls and cannot use a ranged weapon or two-handed weapons. A crawling dead gains a +4 bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, but takes a -4 penalty to AC against melee attacks. It is impossible for a crawling dead to stand up.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a crawling dead hits a creature one size larger than itself or smaller with a slam, it deals normal damage and may attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required. When a crawling dead gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space. This act does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can even move (possibly carrying away the opponent), provided it can drag the opponent’s weight.

Trip (Ex): A crawling dead that hits with a slam attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the crawling dead.

Abilities: Dex -2.

CR: One-half of the base zombie.

Sample Creature:

Crawling Dead Minotaur Zombie	CR 2
Minotaur, zombie, crawling dead variant zombie
NE Medium Undead
Init -2; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +0, Spot +0
AC 15, touch 8, flat-footed 15; prone +4 vs ranged, -4 vs melee
(Dex -2, Natural +7)
hp 81 (12 HD); DR 5/ slashing
Immune undead immunities
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8
Weakness single actions, crawling
Speed 5 ft; can’t run
Melee gore +6 (3d6+7/ 20 x3)
Melee slam +6 (1d8+5)
Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft
Base Attack +6; Grapple +11
Attack Options improved grab, trip
Abilities Str 21, Dex 6, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1
Feats Toughness B
Skills None
Crawling (Ex) Because of its mutilated condition, it must always crawl using only its arms and hands. It is always considered to be prone and cannot be tripped. A crawling dead has a -4 penalty on melee attack rolls and cannot use a ranged weapon or two-handed weapons. A crawling dead gains a +4 bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, but takes a -4 penalty to AC against melee attacks. It is impossible for a crawling dead to stand up. These numbers are already added into the statistics above.
Improved Grab (Ex) If a crawling dead hits a creature one size larger than itself or smaller with a slam, it deals normal damage and may attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required. When a crawling dead gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space. This act does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can even move (possibly carrying away the opponent), provided it can drag the opponent’s weight.
Single Actions Only (Ex) Crawling dead have poor reflexes and can perform only a single move action or attack action each round.
Trip (Ex) A crawling dead that hits with a slam attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the crawling dead.
Typical Treasure None
Advanced Creature None

Create Crawling Dead

Necromancy [Evil]

Level: Cleric 1, Sorcerer 1, Wizard 1

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Range: Touch

Target: One or more corpses touched

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

This spell turns the bodies of dead creatures into undead crawling dead zombies that follow your spoken commands.

The undead can follow you, or they can remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place. They remain animated until they are destroyed. (A destroyed crawling dead zombie can’t be animated again.)

Regardless of the base creature you use with this spell, you can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of create crawling dead. (The desecrate spell doubles this limit).

The undead you create remain under your control indefinitely. No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. (You choose which creatures are released.) If you are a cleric, any undead you might command by virtue of your power to command or rebuke undead do not count toward the limit.

A crawling dead zombie can be created only from a mostly intact corpse, although lower extremities are optional since they are lost as part of the casting of the spell. The corpse must be that of a creature with a true anatomy.

Material Component: You must place a black onyx gem worth at least 25 gp per Hit Die of the undead into the mouth or eye socket of each corpse you intend to animate. The magic of the spell turns these gems into worthless, burned-out shells.

Shackled City: ECL 5 Osiris Eloah elf generalist wizard: Entry 12

Another day, another dead ettercap and another poor trapped soul unfortunate enough to meet a terrible end, I often ponder who will be next. With time running out as the city continues to swell with water, it becomes even more imperative that we hurry to locate the remaining wands. I can’t help but to think that there must be a better way to navigate these tunnels. Would it be better to split up to cover more ground? Possibly, but I believe it certainly makes us an easier target for the creatures that go bump in the night.

DM Entry: New Achievements

The Stuff of Legend

Tier I Earn “+1 ability level” according to the Heroic Luck rules.

Tier II Earn “+2 ability levels” according to the Heroic Luck rules.

Tier III Earn “+3 ability levels” according to the Heroic Luck rules.

Osiris has picked up tier I of this achievement.

These have been added to the Aryathan Jiil Campaign Setting.pdf and updated on the google drive.

Shackled City: ECL 6 Ethel Schmidt Goblin Scout 3 Rogue 2: Journal 5

You know it's gettin really bad when even giant spiders bore ya.  Don't know what we were expectin.  It ain't like they gave any of these lousy wands over to a bunch a bugs for safekeepin.

They made us sleep in here last night.  It's fine I guess.  I wasn't plannin on it tho.  Maybe I'm gettin soft.  I tried to get em to go back to Triel's room.  There was more pillows there.  And a pool.  And a lockin door covered in razor blades.  But I guess they was too tired to walk down the hall.  Elves for you, huh?

Speakin of Triel she was a lot more interestin when she was conscious.  It's a damn shame but I think it'll be easier for me and also everybody else if I just slit her throat now while she's still sleepin.  These folks don't got the guts to go thru with it.

But I sorta want her to be lookin me in the eyes when it happens.

ECL 6 Shoemowetochawcawe (Shoat) Sheild Elf Swashbuckler 3 / Dungeon Specialist Scout: Entry 3

Shoemowetochawcawe smiled. The priest and his new angel friend were making the funniest sounds, clearing their throats and growling, growing impatient. It's not like he was wasting time, however. He was going as fast as he could. Every cocoon in here needed to be opened and searched in case one of them contained some unfortunate soul who had been tasked with hiding one of the "special wands." The holy duo had even agreed this needed to be done. It wasn't as if he was just looting the dead, or gawking at their mummified bodies.

...staring at the preserved yet consumed corpses...

...seeing their faces; withered grotesque masks of horror. Did they feel pain in their silk coffins as their life was sucked away? Or were they in a venom-filled timeless fog? Every mouth was open in a silent scream, but was this from the draining, or the initial pain of the paralyzing sting? What if he found one that had been prepared but never --

*COUGH COUGH COUGH*

Shoemowetochawcawe smiled.

Shackled City: ECL 6 Korinth the Protector Silverbrow Human Cloistered Cleric 5/ Radiant Servant of Pelor 1: Entry 7

Not sure what I should say.  Korinth has asked me to record my thoughts and the events that occur during our adventures.  I can't say much about it yet.  I'm not entirely certain this is the proper place for me to utilize my talents.  Is this really what The Shining One would want me doing?  Don't get me wrong, we have obviously done some sort of good here.  But this group doesn't seem to care one way or another if we accomplish what we actually came here for.  Certainly not the female member.  I have to say that I am quite proud of our victory over that servant of Hextor, but it is my understanding we are under a time constraint to find the wands that will save the city from the coming floods.  Everyone else seems more intent on finding treasure for themselves.  Oh well... what else can I do.  I will follow Korinth until the end of my trials.

Shackled City: DM Entry

Limited Time Character Swap Out

I have a couple of pregenerated characters that anyone can trade out their character for. These pregens are ECL 4 or less.

Experience Points: You take your current XP total with you to the new character. If your XP total would level up the pregen, then it gains the appropriate level(s).


Pregens available for this offer include only the following:

ECL 4: Stal, undead shadow

ECL 4: Mogus "Necromaster" Bitterblaster, arcane gnome deathwalker 2, incarnate 2 (comes with a giant undead fly familiar, a grick necrocarnum zombie as a mount, and 5 controlled human commoner zombies) Jr has reserved dibs on this since its his own design, if he wants it

ECL 3: Infactus, ghaele eladrin (angelic race)

ECL 2: Zhet-Rell, grell (blind and with paralyzing tentacles)

ECL 2: Fate Norbard, human duskblade 2


This offer ends when the game starts this Saturday 9-21-2013.

Shackled City: ECL 5, Osiris Eloah, Elf Wizard, and (Generalist): Journal Entry 11

At long last, we've finally found and soundly defeated Triel. However, I'm shocked to find only one wand of the Church of Saint Cuthbert in her possession. After a short debate the party decided to bring her with us. I prefer to have her where I can keep an eye on her as opposed to her sneaking up on us when we try to get some much needed rest. Strangely, after hearing a loud splash and noticing the disappearance of Holkin, I find him doing battle with a strangle creature just outside the tunnels. Being the only one, naturally, equipped to do battle in the water Holkin managed to slay the horrid beast! Now the next step will be to continue to clear out these underground tunnels. Remembering another saying of my family "May the odds ever be in your favor" I hold on to this in my minds eye and continue to press forward.

Shackled City: ECL 6 Ethel Schmidt Goblin Scout 3 Rogue 2: Journal 4

Those bastards burnt down my gondola!

That's it.  Nobody else is leavin here alive without my say-so.  I ain't gonna stand here while the gates to my new fortress walk off on their own.  It was stupid to let em go in the first place.  Vershnat knows I woulda done worse in their place.  If I was them and they was me I'd be blind an naked an bleedin out in an alley.  I mean they me, not me them.

On the plus side we got our mitts on the cunt who was runnin this show.  Or I would have if the holy men weren't in the way.  It ain't like she weren't offerin.  But they'd rather punch her out and roll her in a rug.  I don't mean that in the fun way neither.

She's got fascinatin taste in readin material tho.  Honestly she's fascinatin all around.  I kinda hope they don't kill her.  Look at me, am I a little smitten maybe?  Oh well.  Don't tell nobody.  You know it's been a while.  I don't even care she tried to kill me with razor blades.  It hurt but I think the scars is kinda eyecatchin.  I wanna tell her I'll be gentle but I know she wouldn't like that.  I read the book after all.

Anyway, I betta make sure the dragon ain't plannin on dunkin himself again.  Unless it's to dredge up my gondola.  ~~~

Shackled City: ECL 5 Holkin the Slayer Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale Dragonborn Totimist 2: Journal Entry 1

After we slept for eight hours, we decided to explore the ruins. As we went further and further into the ruins we find a door. This door was locked, so naturally we have the rouge go and try to unlock the door. When she starts to mess with the door it spins around with razor blades on the other side. She gets stuck in the spinning door. Bleeding everywhere she can't tell us weather or not someone is in the room, because she is in so much pain. After a while I hold the door open and she slips out. I look at the door and close my eyes. As dust particles start to orbit me my blink shirt starts to glow a low, faded blue. As this happens, I'm picturing the room on the other side of the razor-door. Then in the blink of an eye all the dust sucks in like a vacuum and I vanish. When I appear in the room all the dust pushes away from my person and my shirt stops glowing. As I look around the room, I notice a woman standing there with shiny armor and a shiny weapon. As soon as I appear in the room she says "I'll enjoy killing you." So I breathe electric and fire on her but yet she stood there as if she was not taking damage from my breathe. When I do this she gets mad and slashes me with her weapon. And I think to my self "I'm not going to be able to kill her in this small room, so I start to think of the room next to the room I'm in. Dust starts to orbit me and my shirt starts to glow once more. And all of the sudden I'm in the next room. After the door opens the rest of the group go in the room and dominate her. After we defeat her we start walking around again. We come up to this door that seems to be locked as well. So I vanish, and some how I pictured the small lake ,in the front of the ruins, instead of the other side of the door. As I appear over the water I sense something, something big. There seems to be a big dragon fish in the water, with four tails. When I start to slaughter this thing I notice something else in the water, about half the size of me. Then it just vanishes out of my sight. After I kill this big thing it just vanishes out of sight in a cloud of ink. When this happens I think to my self " No one is going to believe me if I told them this."