Revived Fossil
Revived fossils are the remains of animals or monsters that were preserved in a petrified state. Fossils are found encased in stone or other geological deposits, but revived fossils are the freed and animated remains of the dead. They are mindless automatons that obey the orders of their evil masters.
A revived fossil does only what it is ordered to do. It can draw no conclusions of its own and takes no initiative. Because of this limitation, its instructions must always be simple, such as "Kill anyone who walks down this road." A revived fossil attacks until destroyed, for that is what it was created to do.
Revived fossils cannot be created with the animate dead spell, but instead are created through special necromantic rituals that vary depending on the fossil to be revived.
Creating A Revived Fossil
"Revived fossil" is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead) that has a skeletal system (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A revived fossil has all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature's type changes to undead. It retains any subtype except for alignment subtypes (such as good) and subtypes that indicate kind (such as goblinoid or reptilian). It also gains the augmented subtype.
Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice gained from experience and raise remaining Hit Dice to d12s.
Speed: Winged revived fossils can't use their wings to fly. If the base creature flew magically, so can the revived fossil.
Armor Class: Natural armor bonus changes to a number based on the revived fossil's size:
| Size | Bonus |
| Diminutive, Fine, Tiny | +6 |
| Small | +9 |
| Medium | +12 |
| Large | +15 |
| Huge | +18 |
| Gargantuan | +24 |
| Colossal | +30 |
Attacks: A revived fossil retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature, except for attacks that can't work without flesh (such as a mind flayer's tentacle attacks). A creature with hands gains one claw attack per hand; a revived fossil can strike with each of its claw attacks at its full attack bonus. A revived fossil's base attack bonus is equal to 1/2 its Hit Dice.
Damage: Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A claw attack deals damage depending on the revived fossil's size. (If the base creature already had claw or talon attacks, use whichever damage value is higher.)
| Size | Damage |
| Diminutive or Fine | 1d3 |
| Tiny | 1d4 |
| Small | 1d8 |
| Medium | 2d6 |
| Large | 2d8 |
| Huge | 2d10 |
| Gargantuan | 2d12 |
| Colossal | 2d20 |
Special Attacks: A revived fossil retains none of the base creature's special attacks.
Special Qualities: A revived fossil loses most special qualities of the base creature, though it retains any extraordinary special qualities that improve its melee or ranged attacks. A revived fossil also gains the following special qualities.
Bonus Hit Points: Because its body is a mass of stone, a revived fossil is hard to destroy. It gains bonus hit points based on size, as shown on the following table.
| Size | Bonus Hit Points |
| Diminutive, Fine, Tiny | - |
| Small | 10 |
| Medium | 20 |
| Large | 30 |
| Huge | 40 |
| Gargantuan | 60 |
| Colossal | 80 |
Damage Reduction 10/Adamantine: Revived fossils are similar to animated stone statues.
Immunity to Cold (Ex): Revived fossils are not affected by cold.
Saves: Base save bonuses are Fort +1/3 HD, Ref +1/3 HD, and Will +1/2 HD + 2.
Abilities: A revived fossil's Dexterity decreases by 2, it has no Constitution or Intelligence score, its Wisdom changes to 10, and its Charisma changes to 1.
Skills: A revived fossil has no skills.
Feats: A revived fossil loses all feats of the base creature but gains Combat Reflexes.
Environment: Any, usually same as base creature.
Organization: Any.
Challenge Rating: Depends on Hit Dice, as follows:
| Hit Dice | CR |
| 1/2 | 1/3 |
| 2-3 | 2 |
| 4-5 | 3 |
| 6-7 | 4 |
| 8-9 | 5 |
| 10-11 | 6 |
| 12-14 | 7 |
| 15-17 | 8 |
| 18-20 | 9 |
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral evil.
Advancement: As base creature (or - if the base creature advances by character class).
Level Adjustment: -
Sample revived fossil: Revived Fossil Megaraptor.