Forsaken Shell (CR 6)

Medium Undead
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Initiative: +5; Senses: darkvision 60 ft., Listen +11, and Spot +15


AC: 17 (+1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Hit Dice: 14d12+14 (105 hp)
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +9
Speed: 30 ft., 15 ft. (burrow)
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +7; Grapple +12
Attack: Skin slap +7 melee
Full Attack: Skin slap +7 melee
Damage: Skin slap 1d6+10
Special Attacks/Actions: Constrict, create spawn, improved grab
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 13, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 10
Special Qualities: undead traits
Feats: Alertness; Improved Initiative; Improved Toughness; Lightning Reflexes; Power Attack.
Skills: Climb +13, Hide +22, Listen +11, Move Silently -18, Spot +15, and Swim +9
Advancement: 15-30 HD (Medium)
Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Solitary, gang (2-4), or mob (2-4 plus 5-10 zombies)
Treasure/Possessions: Standard

Source: Libris Mortis

*Includes adjustments for Power Attack feat.

Constrict (Ex): A forsaken shell deals 1d6+5 points of damage with a successful grapple check. Constricting uses the entire body of the creature, so it cannot take any move actions while constricting.

Create Spawn (Su): Creatures killed by a forsaken shell slough their skins after 1d4 rounds. These sloughed skins are new forsaken shells under the spawner's control. These forsaken shells do nor possess any of the abilities they had in life.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a forsaken shell must successfully hit an opponent with its skin slap attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Skills: Forsaken shells have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks (already figured into the statistics above), due to their ability to fold themselves into very small spaces.

Forsaken shells are aggressive, but prefer to strike from secret against lone prey. However, even forsaken shells, despite their lack of form, can feel the need to exact vengeance upon someone who has harmed or merely threatened other forsaken shells, especially its spawn. When this happens, they become implacable enemies, willing to attack even large groups of opponents.

A forsaken shell normally attacks using its Power Attack feat, taking a -5 penalty on its attack rolls and gaining a +5 bonus on damage rolls.

Forsaken shells are what they appear to be - the empty skins of past victims, purged of their bloody and visceral former contents. The loose skins possess an amazing strength and elasticity, driven by necromantic élan and a predatory nature that cannot be denied.

This creature's ability to strip a skin from a victim and animate new versions of itself is terrible enough, but far worse is the accidental discovery of the creature's depredations before uncovering the creature itself. When a forsaken shell skulks into a new area, it seeks to hide the evidence of its predation in out-of-the-way places such as little-opened closets or beneath piles of discarded supplies. Still, sometimes a telltale finger or toe peeking our from the obscuring barrier leads to the discovery of tangled, skinless bodies of fellow friends or family, their dead eyes reflecting their last silent screams.

Forsaken shells weigh about 20 to 30 pounds.

Forsaken shells do not speak, but they understand Common.