Famine Spirit (CR 19)

Medium Undead
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative); Senses: scent, see invisibility, Listen +37, and Spot +37


AC: 18 (+8 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 18
Hit Dice: 32d12 (208 hp)
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +20
Speed: 60 ft.
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +16; Grapple +19
Attack: Bite +19 melee and 2 claws +17 melee
Full Attack: Bite +19 melee and 2 claws +17 melee
Damage: Bite 1d8+3/19-20/vorpal bite, claw 1d6+1
Special Attacks/Actions: Aura of pain, vorpal bite
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 11, Con -, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 15
Special Qualities: Create spawn, ethereal jaunt, fast healing 10, undead traits
Feats: Cleave; Improved Bull Rush; Improved Critical (bite); Improved Initiative; Improved Sunder; Improved Trip; Multiattack; Power Attack
Skills: Balance +35, Climb +38, Jump +50, Listen +37, Search +37, and Spot +37
Advancement: 33-64 HD (Medium-size)
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, brood (3-5), or band (2-5 plus 2-8 ghasts and 4-16 ghouls)
Treasure/Possessions: None

Source: Monster Manual II

Aura of Pain (Su): The famine spirit radiates a continuous symbol of pain effect (save DC 28) as a 60-foot-radius emanation. A creature that fails its save is affected while within the area and for 10 minutes after leaving it. A successful save makes a creature immune to that famine spirit's aura pain for 24 hours.

Vorpal Bite (Ex): The bite of a famine spirit severs the head of a Large or smaller opponent on a critical hit.

Create Spawn (Su): A famine spirit rarely leaves corpses in its wake, but sometimes it is forced to flee and leave slain opponents behind. Each of these corpses rises in 1d3 days; a famine spirit, unless a protection from evil spell is cast upon it before that time.

Ethereal Jaunt (Su): Three times per day, a famine spirit can produce an ethereal jaunt effect (caster level 20th). It uses this ability primarily to enter storehouses or to deal with ethereal interlopers.

See Invisibility (Su): A famine spirit can see invisible objects and beings as if under the effect of a see invisibility spell. This ability is always active.

Famine spirits ignore most other living things, turning on them only if they get in the way of its feasting, or if there is nothing else to consume. It fights primarily with its jaws, attempting to bite off the heads of any opponents.

The famine spirit, also called a ravenous ghoul, is a corporeal undead motivated entirely by hunger. It seeks to consume in death all that it was denied in life. It eats everything and anything that a living being could, but its hunger is never sated. A famine spirit can consume comestibles of a Mordekainen's magnificent mansion (caster level 14th) in a mere 5 hours and still be hungry for more. In a day, it can consume as many as one hundred humans.

A famine spirit appears as an obscenely obese humanoid or monstrous humanoid with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Should the need present itself, a famine spirit can unhinge its jaw to swallow objects too large for it to consume normally.

Undead are among the few creatures that a famine spirit does not eat, so it may attract groups of ghouls and ghasts that serve it and feast in its wake.