2021-04-04

Fantasy Monster: Mortuaries

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Mortuaries

A big black ram with matted fur, and rusty-brown horns. A shimmering constellations flicker above its head.


CR 5; XP 1,600
LE Medium Undead
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see fate; Perception +12
Aura of desecration (20 ft.)

Defense
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 52 (7d8+21)
Fort +5; Ref +5; Will +8
Defensive Abilities channeling resistance +4; DR 10/magic; Immune undead

Offense
Speed 50 ft.
Melee gore +10 (1d6+5), 2 hooves +8 (1d4+3)
Special Attacks astrological misalignement

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 14, Con —, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 15
Base Atk +5; CMB +10; CMD 21 (25 vs. trip)
Feats Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +9 (+17 leaping), Intimidate +12, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Knowledge (religion) +12, Perception +12, Sense Motive +12
Language Abyssal, Common, Infernal

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary, pair, pack (3—8)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Astrological Misalignment (Su) At the start of an encounter with one or more mortuaries, all of the living creatures that aren't its allies have to make a 1d12 roll and note the result, with each number representing a different constelation—with an adequate image made of pale light briefly flashing above their head. The characters that share the same constelation share their woes—when any of the people with the same number rolled suffers damage, receives a negative conditions, or becomes subject to a harmful effect, all of them suffer the same. Those who have no matching constelations among their companions are overwhelmed with feeling of loneliness and lack of connection, not counting as allies and not counting anyone as their ally for purpose of abilities, effects, and flanking. Any ability or effect that allows rerolling an attack roll, a skill check, an ability check, or a saving throw can be used to make the recipient reroll their d12 roll and accordingly switch the constellation assigned to it. This is a curse effect that expires when all the mortuaries that were initially are destroyed or the curse is removed. Summoned creatures are unaffected by this effect.

Aura Of Desecration (Su) A mortuaries corrupts its surrounding emanating a constant desecration effect (its bonuses are already included in the stat block).

See Fate (Su) A mortuaries sees any curse and fortune effects affecting creatures within 60 feet and may understand their nature with a successful Knowledge check. This ability allows it notice invisible creatures that are currently under a curse or fortune effect.


When a ram is sacrificed during one of celestially significant events, some obscure inasupicious astrological conjunctions or certain accidental (or deliberate) errors commited during the ritual might invoke dark stellar spirits that proceed to ride the dead beast turning it into a nexus of ill fate.

A mortuary might arise during a community festival cursing all the participants, signifing there is something deeply inauspicious happening behind the scenes—maybe the community hides a greater evil behind the veil of normalcy, maybe someone bearing a grudge corrupted the ceremony, or maybe an unknown curse lingers on the community or some its members.

There are rumors of greater mortuaries, which can't be easily dispatched, rejuvenating a few days after being killed untill the inauspicious events that created them are properly taken care of and their results, good or bad, corrected.


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