Crypt Thing
Climate/Terrain:
|
Any/Tomb or grave area
|
|
Frequency:
| Very rare
|
Organization:
| Solitary
|
Activity Cycle:
| Any
|
Diet:
| Nil
|
Intelligence:
| Very (11-12)
|
Treasure:
| Z
|
Alignment:
| Neutral
|
No. Appearing:
| 1
|
Armor Class:
| 3
|
Movement:
| 12
|
Hit Dice:
| 6
|
THAC0:
| 15
|
No. of Attacks:
| 1
|
Damage/Attack:
| 1-8
|
Special Attacks:
| Teleport
|
Special Defenses:
| See below
|
Magic Resistance:
| Nil
|
Size:
| M (6' tall)
|
Morale:
| Fanatic (17-18)
|
XP Value:
| 975
|
Crypt things are strange undead creatures that sometimes guard tombs, graves,
and corpses. There are two types of crypt things -- ancestral and summoned. The
former type are "natural" creatures, while the others are called into
existence by a wizard or priest of at least 14th level.
A crypt thing looks like nothing more than an animated skeleton, save that it
is always clothed in a flowing robe of brown or black. Each eye socket is lit
by a fierce, red pinpoint of light that is almost hypnotic in its intensity.
Combat: A crypt thing exists only to protect the bodies of those who have been laid to
rest in its lair. It acts only to defend its crypt. Should grave robbers or
vandals seek to enter and profane the sanctity of its tomb, the crypt thing
becomes instantly animated.
A crypt thing's first line of defense is a powerful variety of teleportation,
which it can cast once on any given group of adventurers. Each of those
attacked with this spell must roll a successful saving throw vs. spell or be instantly
transported away from the crypt. DMs should use the following table as a
guideline, rolling 1d100 for each person who fails the saving throw, but they are
free to use their own judgment as well:
01-20
| 1d10 x 100' north
|
21-40
| 1d10 x 100' east
|
41-60
| 1d10 x 100' west
|
61-80
| 1d10 x 100' south
|
81-90
| 1 dungeon level up
|
91-00
| 1 dungeon level down
|
Those teleported by the crypt thing cannot materialize inside solid matter,
but they do not necessarily arrive at floor level. Particularly clever crypt
things have been known to transport victims several hundred feet into the air or
atop a vast chasm, leaving them to fall to their deaths.
Once it has employed this power, a crypt thing attacks by clawing with its
skeletal hands for 1d8 points of damage.
A crypt thing can be hit only by magical weapons.
Like all undead, crypt things are immune to certain spells. It is impossible
to employ a
charm, hold, or
sleep spell against a crypt thing with any chance of success. Crypt things are
harmed by holy water or holy symbols, as are many undead creatures. The magic that
roots them to their lairs is so powerful, in fact, that it also eliminates any
chance for priests or paladins to turn them.
Habitat/Society: Crypt things are not a natural part of our world; they have no organized
society or culture. They are found wherever tombs and crypts are located.
The most common crypt thing is the summoned variety. By use of a 7th-level
spell (see below), any caster capable of employing necromantic spells can create a
crypt thing.
Ancestral crypt things are the raised spirits of the dead that have returned
to guard the tombs of their descendants. This happens only in rare cases
(determined by the DM).
Ecology: The crypt thing is not a being of this world and, thus, has no proper
ecological niche. It is rumored that the powdered marrow from a crypt thing's bones can
be used to create a
potion of undead control. In addition, anyone who employs the bones of a crypt thing to manufacture a
set of
pipes of haunting is 80% likely to create a magical item that imposes a -2 penalty to its
victims' saving throws and has double normal effectiveness if the saving throws fail.
Create Crypt Thing
7th-level Wizard or Priest spell (necromantic)
(Reversible)
Range: Touch
| Casting Time: 1 round
|
Components: V,S
| Area of Effect: 1 corpse
|
Duration: Permanent
| Saving Throw: None
|
This spell enables the caster to cause a single dead body to animate and
assume the status of a crypt thing. This spell can be cast only in the tomb or grave
area the crypt thing is to protect; the spell requires that the caster touch
the skull of the subject body. Once animated, the crypt thing remains until
destroyed. Only one crypt thing may guard a given tomb.
A successful
dispel magic spell returns the crypt thing to its original unanimated state. Attempts to
restore the crypt thing before this is done fail for any magic short of a
wish.
The reverse of this spell,
destroy crypt thing, utterly annihilates any one such being as soon as it is touched by the
caster. The target is allowed a saving throw vs. death magic to avoid destruction.