Spirit of Sorrow

Large Undead (Incorporeal)

Hit Dice: 16d12 (104 hp),dying/dead —/0 Initiative: +1 Speed: Fly 60 feet (perfect) Armor Class: 23 (–1 size,+1 Dexterity,+12 deflection, +1 dodge),touch 23,flat-footed 21 Base Attack/Grapple: +8/— Attack: Touch +8 melee (1d8 plus paralysis and energy drain) Full Attack: Touch +8 melee (1d8 plus paralysis and energy drain) Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet (Face/Reach:5 feet by 5 feet/10 feet) Special Attacks: Energy drain,moan ofsorrow, greater animate the dead,paralysis Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 feet,incorporeal,SR 25, unnatural aura,sunlight powerlessness,undead traits Saves: Fort +5,Ref+8,Will +12 Abilities: Str —,Dex 13,Con —,Int 10,Wis 15,Cha 34 Skills: Intimidate +28,Listen +21,Sneak +21,Spot +21 Feats: Defensive,Defensive Move,Defensive Stance,

Lightning Reflexes,Night Owl,Weapon Finesse,Weapon

Focus (touch)

Environment: Any Organization: Solitary Treasure: Standard Challenge Rating: 13 Advancement: 17–24 HD (Large),25–32 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment: —

Very rarely,when a giant dies an ignoble death,or when a giant does a disservice to that which it has sworn to serve as steward and dies before righting its wrong,its despair is so great that the afterlife rejects its spirit.That giant is cursed to roam the world ofthe living as a spirit ofsorrow.

The spirit ofsorrow is so inwardly focused,so utterly selfabsorbed,that it no longer realizes its existence inflicts pain and suffering upon others.It sees only its own plight and feels only its own monumental sorrows and regrets.

The spirit ofsorrow created its lot in life—or rather, afterlife.It’s said that only a giant has the capacity for the strong emotion needed to accomplish such a feat,as ignominious as it might be.In any event,only giantish spirits of sorrow have been recorded.

Unlike other types ofincorporeal undead,spirits ofsorrow do not create spawn.Only specific,heartbreaking circumstances can bring about the creation ofa spirit ofsorrow.

These undead spirits haunt ruins and desolate areas,almost always in places once frequented by giants.Sometimes,a spirit ofsorrow will move into a city or stronghold currently occupied by giants,driving them out or forcing them to take a certain action.Some types ofundead creatures,particularly the more intelligent ones,see the value in having a spirit ofsorrow nearby.Not only can it animate more undead,but its moan can affect large numbers offoes while leaving its fellow undead unaffected.These vile creatures will lure a spirit ofsorrow into their lair or trick it into going where they wish it to go.

This hulking spectre looks like nothing more than a floating hooded cloak ofgiantish proportions.It leaves behind a sticky residue wherever it goes,which dries slowly into a grey stain.This substance,called the “tears ofloss,” is prized by some as a treasure (see next page).

Spirits ofsorrow speak Giantish and sometimes Common.They possess whatever knowledge they had in life, but they would never share that knowledge,and most of what they know only heightens their despair.

Combat

The spirit ofsorrow avoids melee—it attempts to avoid being struck at all.In melee,it gains an additional +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class (Defensive Stance) and against ranged attacks it gains a +4 dodge bonus to AC ifit moves more than 10 feet in a round (Defensive Move).Usually,in a combat situation,the spirit uses animated undead to attack its foes while it moans and stays clear ofassailants.After a few rounds,even the hardiest ofopponents finds it difficult to deal with its undead servants.

Moan ofSorrow (Su): As a standard action,the spirit of sorrow can moan,afflicting all living,intelligent creatures within 50 feet with terrible sadness.Foes who fail a Will saving throw (DC 27) suffer a –2 penalty to attacks,damage rolls,ability checks,skill checks,and saving throws.The penalty stacks with itself,so consecutive rounds ofmoaning bestow greater and greater penalties.The sorrow lasts for 10 rounds.This is considered a mind-affecting attack,and the saving throw is Charisma based.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a spirit ofsorrow’s incorporeal touch attacks gain three negative levels.For each such negative level bestowed,the spirit ofsorrow gains 5 temporary hit points.Removing a negative level requires a Fortitude save (DC 27).The saving throw is Charisma based.

Paralysis (Su): The touch ofthe spirit ofsorrow,in addition to bestowing negative levels,chills a living victim to the bone with sorrow,paralyzing it.The paralysis lasts for 10 rounds.A Will save (DC 27) negates the effect.This is considered a mind-affecting attack,and the saving throw is Charisma based.

Greater Animate the Dead (Sp): Three times per day,the spirit ofsorrow can use this spell to create undead creatures to help protect it.

Incorporeal (Su): An incorporeal creature has no physical body.It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons,

and spells,spell-like abilities,or supernatural abilities.It is immune to all nonmagical attack forms.Even when hit by spells or magic weapons,it has a 50 percent chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source (except for positive energy,negative energy,force effects such as forcebeam).

An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects,but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior,and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own.It can sense the presence ofcreatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location,but enemies have total concealment (50 percent miss chance) from an incorporeal creature that is inside an object.In order to see farther from the object it is in and attack normally,the incorporeal creature must emerge.An incorporeal creature inside an object has total cover,but when it attacks a creature outside the object it has only halfcover,so a creature outside with a readied action could strike at it as it attacks.An incorporeal creature cannot pass through a force effect.

An incorporeal creature’s attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor,armor,and shields,although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as eldritch armor) work normally against it.Incorporeal creatures cannot grapple or be grappled.

Unnatural Aura (Su): Animals,whether wild or domesticated,can sense the unnatural presence ofa spirit ofsorrow at a distance of30 feet.They do not willingly approach nearer than that,and they panic ifforced to do so;they remain panicked as long as they stay within that range.

Sunlight Powerlessness (Ex): Spirits ofsorrow are powerless in natural sunlight and flee from it.A spirit ofsorrow caught in sunlight cannot attack and can take only a single move or attack action in a round.

Spirit of Sorrow Encounter (EL 13)

While investigating a giantish ruin,the player characters find a dried,grey substance covering the floor and even some of the old,abandoned furniture.The ruin,a fortress built during the war with the dramojh,is haunted by a spirit ofsorrow.The spirit animates the bones ofa few giantish generals entombed below the fortress.Ifthe PCs attempt to breach the underground level,the giant skeletons attack.The spirit remains in the background. During the battle,it advances close enough to use its moan of sorrow,but ifany foe approaches,it fades incorporeally into a wall or the floor to escape.The spirit continues to harass the characters until they leave or until it is finally defeated.

New Alchemical Substance

Tears of Loss

The ectoplasmic residue a spirit ofsorrow leaves behind can be gathered by those with skill in alchemy (DC 18).Ifthe tears ofloss are collected and sealed within a flask (to prevent them from dying out),no other checks or work is required.Usually,wherever there is a spirit ofsorrow,one can find enough residue to fill 1d4 flasks.Ifa flask’s worth ofthe residue is thrown upon an intelligent living creature, that creature must make a Will saving throw (DC 15) or suffer a –2 penalty to attacks,damage rolls,ability checks,skill checks,and saving throws for 10 rounds.A flask oftears of loss can be thrown as a grenadelike missile.It is considered a mind-affecting attack.Ifthe check to gather the tears ofloss fails,the character making the attempt is affected by the tears herself.A flask oftears ofloss is worth 35 gp.