General Rules: Monsters - Corpse Creature (Template)

Corpse Creature (from the Book of Vile Darkness)

Not all corpses risen as undead are shambling, slow-moving zombies. Some retain their intellect and abilities. Surrounded by the stench of death, the flesh of these creatures hardens and becomes brittle, but retains great strength. Corpse clerics still pay homage to their dark masters. Corpse warriors heft mighty weapons with skill. Corpse beholders still spray deadly rays from shriveled eyestalks. They cannot be the result of a simple animate dead spell, but could arise from a create undead or create greater undead spell, as undead of their equivalent Hit Dice.

"Corpse" is a template that can be added to any nonundead, nonconstruct, nonplant corporeal creature. The creature's type changes to "undead". It retains all modifiers and subtypes. It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Hit Dice: Change to d12.

Speed: Winged corpse creatures retain the ability to fly, however their maneuverability becomes clumsy.

Size	Natural Armor Bonus	Slam Damage
Diminutive	+0	1
Fine	+0	1d2
Tiny	+0	1d3
Small	+1	1d4
Medium	+2	1d6
Large	+3	1d8
Huge	+4	2d6
Gargantuan	+6	2d8
Colossal	+11	4d6

Armor Class: A corpse creature gains a natural armor bonus based on its size (see table to the right).

Attacks: The corpse creature retains all the natural attacks and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A corpse creature also gains a slam attack. The base creature's base attack bonus does not change.

Damage: Natural and manufactured weapons deal normal damage. A Slam attack deals damage depending on the corpse creature's size (see table to the right). For purposes of Strength bonuses to damage, a slam attack is considered a two-handed attack.

Special Attacks: Same as the base creature.

Special Qualities: A corpse creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature, and also gains the following ones:

• Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
• Undead: A corpse creature is immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects. It is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage. A corpse creature cannot be raised, and resurrection only works if it is willing.

If the base creature already has one or more of these special qualities, use the better value.

Saves: Same as the base creature modified by ability score adjustments.
Abilities: Same as the base creature modified as follows: Strength +4, Dexterity -2, Constitution -. As an undead creature, a corpse creature has no Constitution score.
Skills: Same as the base creature, modified by ability score adjustments.
Feats: Same as the base creature.
Climate/Terrain: Any.
Organization: Same as the base creature.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.
Treasure: Same as the base creature.
Alignment: Always evil (any).
Advancement: Same as the base creature.
Level Adjustment: Same as base creature +1.

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