Darkhood (Rorphyr)
by Jamie BatyDMR2 25
Medium Undead (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 13d12 (84 hp)
Initiative: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 80 ft. (16 squares)
Armour Class: 21 (+4 Dex, +7 Deflection), touch 21, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+6
Attack: Claw +10 touch (1d4 + Dread Touch)
Full Attack: Claw +10 touch (1d4 + Dread Touch)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: Dread touch, hideous vision
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/cold iron, darkvision 60ft., turn resistance (+2), undead traits
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +14
Abilities: Str -, Dex 19, Con -, Int 13, Wis 18, Cha 24
Skills: Concentration +10, Hide +15, Intimidate +23, Listen +17, Search +12, Spot +17
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse, Track
Environment: Any underground
Organisation: Solitary, or Pair
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -
A translucent grey figure wearing a cowled robe, with its face completely shrouded in shadow moves towards you. It does not speak, and horror overtakes your mind...
The darkhood (also called a rorphyr) is a spectral undead creature that thrives on fear. Although the creature seldom causes much physical harm to its fleeing victims, it often leaves a party of adventurers scattered, weakened, and vulnerable to attack by other monsters.
A darkhood has a particular territory, typically a small area in a crypt, dungeon, or abandoned village. The darkhood cannot leave its territory. Within those confines however, it enjoys complete freedom of movement. Unimpeded by solid objects, it often appears unexpectedly, emerging from a wall, floor, or ceiling.
Darkhoods are lonely creatures. Only rarely is in more than one encountered, and never more than two haunt the same territory. Legends say that darkhoods are the restless life forces of those who died in a state of extreme terror, especially terror of death itself. To maintain its connection to its territory the darkhood feeds on the terror of other sentient beings, thus replenishing its own energies. No one has yet found a way to communicate with or adequately study a darkhood, and so the truth behind the legends remains unsubstantiated.
Combat
A darkhood's purpose is to cause terror, rather than simply pure slaughter. The darkhood draws fey visions from the dark depths of its victims' imaginations. Those who are the most intelligent have the most fertile minds and thus are the most susceptible to the darkhood's attack. This vision can panic the victim so strongly they overstress their bodies in the attempt to flee. Those that don't succumb to the darkhood's hideous vision will be engaged in melee.
The darkhood pursues encountered creatures until they drop, often overtaking them by moving unseen through the walls so as to suddenly appear in front of them. In this way, the darkhood keeps fleeing victims herded within its territory until they collapse from fear and it can feed. It will ignore unconscious foes.
Dread Touch (Su): Any creature touched by the darkhood must make a fortitude save vs DC 23 (Cha based) or be panicked for 1d4+1 rounds and take 1d3 Constitution damage.
Each subsequent round, the victim must make a fortitude save vs DC 23 or take another 1d3 Con damage. Creatures reduced to 3 Con or lower, fall unconscious for 10 minutes.
Hideous Vision (Su): All that see a darkhood must make a will save (DC 23 + victim's intelligence modifier). Those that fail are panicked for 1d4+1 rounds and take 1d3 Constitution damage.
Each subsequent round, the victim must make a fortitude save vs DC 23 or take another 1d3 Con damage. Creatures reduced to 3 Con, fall unconscious for 10 minutes.
Damage Reduction (Su): A darkhood has damage reduction of 10/cold iron.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A darkhood adds +2 to its hit dice total when resolving a turn, rebuke, command, or bolster attempt.
Undead Traits: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a fortitude save unless it also works on objects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if it is willing. The creature has darkvision 60 ft. unless otherwise noted.
Incorporeal Subtype: Can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magic weapons, or magic, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. Can pass through solid objects at will, and own attacks pass through armour. Always moves silently. Please see the 3.5E Monster Manual for additional information on incorporeal traits.