Fantasy NPC: Herald Of Bitter Memories

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Herald Of Bitter Memories

A bald man with pale blue skin, sunken cheeks, and dark eyes, wearing baggy, steel-gray frock.

CR 7; 3,200 XP 
NE Medium Undead
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., deathwatch; Perception +20

Defense
AC 20, touch 18, flat-footed 16 (+4 deflection, +4 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 85 (10d8+40); fast healing 5
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +10
Defensive Abilities phase shift; DR 10/magic and silver; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (good)
Melee 2 slams +13 (1d4+6), razor tongue +13 (1d4+6 plus memory probe)
Special Attacks memory probe
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th, concentration +14)
Constant—deathwatch, greater magic fang
At Will—call spirit (DC 19), desecrate (when cast on a fresh grave, lasts permanently), speak with dead (DC 17)

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 18, Con —, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 19
Base Atk +7; CMB +11; CMD 29
Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Deceitful, Improved Initiative, Run
Skills Bluff +19, Disguise +19, Fly +21, Knowledge (religion) +16, Perception +20, Sense Motive +20, Stealth +17
Language Common, Necril, Undercommon
SQ awaken memories

Awaken Memories (Sp) Herald Of Bitter Memories can spend a minute whispering to a corpse or an undead creature unlocking its past memories... And distorts them so they will exaggerate the bad and diminish good moments of the victim's lives. When used on mindless undead, or those with animalistic intelligence, it has the same effects as awaken spell, though it makes the newly sapient undead evil. When used on undead that are already fully sapient, it merely makes them more bitter and hateful of those whom they knew in life. Dead corpses who are subject to awaken memories are turned into immobile, mostly powerless undead shells, that can only observe their surroundings, speak their bitter minds, and at worst lash at those who come into their reach with unimpressive slam or claw attack (an attack of opportunity with +4 bonus, dealing 1d4+4 points of bludgeoning or slashing damge, depending on state of the corpse). Such undead shells can be turned into awakened skeletons or zombies with further casting of animate dead.

Memory Probe (Su) Herald can extend his tongue and use it to lash at his enemies, dealing slashing damage and probing the victim's mind for a painful memory (Will save against DC 19 negates), which grants knowledge of such event to the Herald and renders the victim staggered for 1 round. This is mind-affecting and necromancy effect that ignores mind-affecting immunity of sapient undead. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Phase Shift (Su) Herald Of Bitter Memories can become incorporeal as a swift action, gaining all the benefits and limitations of an incorporeal subtype and special quality. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to Herald's Charisma bonus (4) after which he turns corporeal and can't use it again for a minute.


Neither ghost, nor vampire, the Herald Of Bitter Memories seems to be feeding on, or at least enjoying souring the memories of the dead, and the memories that living have about them. He travels masquerading as a simple itinerant monk or priest, attending an occasional funeral or speaker with the dead, offering communication with the departed. It never ends well, though he is most delighted, when such events turn bad revealing the past malice without him having twist the truth.