Monster Monday: Kherty - Scourge of the Living, Defender of the Dead

Today's Monster Monday is kherty, an outsider who strides through ancient desert ruins, protecting the dead and slaughtering the living. The kherty has the gaunt, bandaged body of a mummy, but its head is a dried out ram's skull.

Limned in negative energy, the kherty's every attack is inimical to life itself. But aside from its array of spells, its life-taking spear, and its draining touch, this creature is outfitted with a range of abilities that bolster nearby undead, making tomb encounters particularly deadly for adventurers who run afoul of this unwholesome beast. Undead within the immediate vicinity of a kherty gain bonuses to their AC and saves, and the kherty's touch can mend the wounds of the undead. Plus, dying creatures close to the kherty cannot stabilize, so fallen heroes are just two rounds (death knell + create undead) away from joining the ranks of kherty's allies.

The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is ©2018 Jonah Bomgaars.

This unnerving entity has the body of a mummy, but its head is the skull of a desert ram

Kherty          CR 8

XP 4,800

NE Medium outsider (native)

Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +20

Aura aura of death (30 ft.), defender of the dead (30 ft.)

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 22 (+10 natural, +1 Dex, +2 deflection)

hp 95 (10d10+40)

Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +10; channel resistance +4

DR 5/good; Immune cold, death effects

Defensive Abilities negative energy affinity

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Melee +2 keen heartseeker spear +16/+11 (1d8+8 plus 1d6 negative energy [19-20/x3])

Special Attacks touch of unlife +14 (3d6 negative energy)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10^th)

   At will –death knell (DC 15), doom (DC 14), ghoul touch (DC 15), spectral hand

   3/day – cause fear (DC 15), grasping dead, inflict moderate wounds (DC 15)

   1/day – antilife shell, create undead, gaseous form, mass inflict moderate wounds (DC 19), slay living (DC 18)

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 16

Base Atk +10; CMB +14; CMD 25

Feats Alertness, Critical Focus, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Vital Strike

Skills Bluff +16, Diplomacy +16, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (planes) +15, Knowledge (religion) +15, Perception +20, Sense Motive +20, Stealth +14

Languages Common, Necril

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Aura of Death (Ex)

Any dying creatures within 30 feet of a kherty automatically fail their Constitution checks to stabilize. Any stable creatures within that radius immediately begin dying again.

Defender of the Dead (Ex)

All undead creatures and outsiders within a 30 foot radius (including the kherty) gain a +2 deflection bonus to their AC and a +2 resistance bonus to all saves. Both of these bonuses apply only against attacks made by living creatures.

   All undead creatures within this radius fall under the sway of the kherty and consider it an ally. Undead creatures with an Intelligence score are entitled to a DC 18 Will save to resist the kherty’s influence. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Touch of Unlife (Su)

A kherty’s touch is infused with negative energy. As a standard action, a kherty can deliver a touch attack that deals 3d6 points of negative energy damage. Against undead or itself, this heals 3d6 points of damage. Negative energy is also transferred through a kherty’s weapon. Any weapon wielded by a kherty deals an additional 1d6 points of negative energy damage.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm desert, ruins

Organization solitary

Treasure standard

The kherty is a being known as the slayer of the living and protector of the dead. It appears as to be a royal mummy, desiccated and bound in spell-scribed bandages, but its head is the skull of a desert ram with black smoke issuing from its mouth and eye sockets. Kherty are ruthless in their pursuit and destruction of the living, just as they are steadfast in their protection of the dead. In ancient times, kherty were often summoned and bound to protect the tombs of great kings. They are most often found walking the ruined halls of these tombs, tending to the dead and defending them from living intruders.

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Plot Hooks and Encounter Ideas

• A kherty has taken over the royal mummification chamber, preventing the recently deceased king from being transported to his tomb.
• The local necromancer's collection of undead has been hijacked by a kherty, who is seeking to kill the necromancer. He hires the PCs to slay the kherty, ideally without damaging his undead servants.
• The PCs begin to explore an ancient tomb complex, but find that a trio of ancient kherty are making it more difficult than expected.

-your longipes d20 despot