Spawn of Kyuss (CR 5)
Medium Undead
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Initiative: -1 (Dex); Senses: Spot +3
AC: 11 (-1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 11
Hit Dice: 4d12+3 (29 hp)
Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +4
Speed: 30 ft.
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +2; Grapple -3
Attack: Slam +6 melee, or touch +6 melee touch, or Kyusss gift +1 ranged touch
Full Attack: Slam +6 melee, or touch +6 melee touch, or Kyusss gift +1 ranged touch
Damage: Slam 1d6+6 and Kyusss gift
Special Attacks/Actions: Create spawn, fear aura, Kyusss gift
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 9, Con -, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 15
Special Qualities: Curative transformation, fast healing 5, turn resistance +2, undead traits
Feats: Stealthy,Toughness
Skills: Hide +5, Jump +7, Move Silently +5, and Spot +3
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Medium-size); 9-12 HD (Large)
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, shamble (3-4), or horde (3-4 plus 1-6 Huge or larger zombies)
Treasure/Possessions: None
Source:
Monster Manual II
Create Spawn (Su): Once per round as a free action, a spawn of Kyuss can transfer a worm from its own body to that of an opponent. It can do this whenever it hits with a slam attack, but it can also make the transfer by means of a successful melee touch attack or a ranged touch attack, hurling a worm at a foe from a distance of up to 10 feet.
Each worm is a Fine vermin with AC 10 and 1 hit point. It can be killed with normal damage or by the touch of silver. On the spawn's next action, the worm burrows into its host's flesh. (A creature with a natural armor bonus of +5 or higher is immune to this burrowing effect.) The worm makes its way toward the host's brain, dealing 1 point of damage per round for 1d4+1 rounds. At the end of that period, it reaches the brain. While the worm is inside a victim, a remove curse or remove disease effect destroys it, and a dispel evil or neutralize poison effect delays its progress for 10d6 minutes. A successful Heal check (DC 20) extracts the worm and kills it.
Once the worm reaches the brain, it deals 1d2 points of Intelligence damage per round until it either is killed (by remove curse or remove disease) or slays its host (death occurs at 0 Intelligence). A Small, Medium-size, or Large creature slain by a worm rises as a new spawn of Kyuss 1d6+4 rounds later; a Tiny or smaller creature quickly putrefies; and a Huge or larger creature becomes a normal zombie of the appropriate size. Newly created spawn are not under the control of their parent, but they usually follow whatever spawn of Kyuss created them.
Fear Aura (Su): A spawn of Kyuss continuously radiates a fear effect. This ability functions like a fear spell (caster level 7th; Will save DC 14), except that it affects all creatures within a 40-foot radius. Any creature that makes a successful saving throw against the effect cannot be affected again by the fear aura of that spawn of Kyuss for 24 hours.
Kyuss's Gift (Su): Any creature hit by a spawn of Kyuss's slam attack must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 12) or contract this supernatural disease. The incubation period is 1 day, and the disease deals 1d6 points of constitution damage and 1d4 points of Wisdom damage (see Disease in Chapter 3 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). These effects manifest as rotting flesh and dementia. An affected creature gets only half the benefits of natural and magical healing, though a cure disease effect removes the affliction.
Curative Transformation (Ex): Any remove curse or remove disease effect, or a more powerful version of either of these effects, transforms a spawn of Kyuss into a normal zombie.
Fast Healing (Ex): A spawn of Kyuss regains lost hit points at the rate of s per round. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, and it does not allow the spawn of Kyuss to regrow or reattach lost body parts.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A spawn of Kyuss is treated as an undead with 6 Hit Dice for the purpose of turn, rebuke, command, and bolster attempts.
Unlike zombies, spawn of Kyuss are not limited to partial actions, and they are intelligent enough to pretend that they have restricted movement until ready to attack. They normally use their fear auras to scatter victims, then gang upon individuals until they have caught all opponents.
Spawn of Kyuss are disgusting undead creatures created by Kyuss, a powerful evil cleric turned demigod. Completely mad, the spawn of Kyuss wander caverns, crypts, and some times the open countryside searching for victims.
A spawn of Kyuss looks like a well-rotted zombie. Only once the monster is within 20 feet do the writhing, green worms crawling in and out of its skull orifices become apparent. A spawn of Kyuss is usually clad in rotted clothing, though a rare few wear decaying pieces of armor.
A cleric of 16th level or higher may use a create greater undead spell to create new spawn of Kyuss. This process requires maggots from the corpse of a diseased creature in addition to the normal material components.
Spawn of Kyuss split into multiple smaller groups when creating their own spawn, and it is rare to encounter more than three of them together. Occasionally a larger creature falls under the curse of a spawn of Kyuss and follows it as a normal zombie.