REVENANT # 1e FREQUENCY: Very rare NO. APPEARING: 1 ARMOUR CLASS: 70 MOVE: 9" HIT DICE: 8 %IN LAIR: Nil TREASURE TYPE: Nil NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 DAMAG E/ATTACK: 2- 16 SPEC I A L ATTACKS: Paralysation SPECIAL DEFENCES: Seebelow MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below INTELLIGENCE: See below ALIGNMENT: Neutral SIZE:M PSlONlC ABILITY: Nil LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: V11/1,275+ 10 per hitpoint Under exceptional circumstances, those who have died a violent death may return from beyond the grave to wreak vengeance on their killer - as a revenant. There are few who can make this journey - to do so, a dead character must have wisdom or intelligence greater than 16 and a constitution of 18: all their characteristics must sum to 90 or more: and if both these criteria are met, the chance of the character becoming a revenant after death is 5%. Although undead, the revenant is motivated by sheer self-will. Therefore, as it is not inherently evil, it cannot be turned or destroyed by clerics, nor are holy/unholy symbols, holy water or other religious paraphernalia able to affect it. Weapons - normal and magical alike - do not affect the creature, and the surest way to kill it is to reduce it to ashes. Like other undead it is immune to all spells attempting to control or influence i t s mind or body. Even if a revenant is dismembered, its limbs will continue to function independently, as though guided by the same mind. Like a troll (see ADVANCED DUNGEONS 81 DRAGONS MONSTER MANUAL), it has regenerative properties which cause the limbs to slither together, re-unite and re-create the revenant. It can also regenerate 3 hit points of damage per round even after 'death', except by burning. It is immune to acid and to gas. The process of decay of the corpse which now houses the revenant has only slightly been attenuated, after 3-6 months of rebirth, the corpse will decompose rapidly and the spirit of the revenant will be forced to return to the plane from whence it came. The sole purpose of the revenant's existence is to wreak vengeance on i t s killer, together with any person or persons who aided his killer in the act. Though it will never attack any one else, except in selfdefence, it will stop at nothing to achieve its purpose, being able to locate i t s intended prime victim wherever he may be. (Those who aided the killer will also be tracked if they happen still to be in the company of the killer, but if they are elsewhere they will be ignored by the revenant which will concentrate on the killer only.) Its mode of attack- is to lock i t s claw-like hands around its victim's throat and then to strangle him, doing 2-16 hit points of damage each round and not releasing its grip until the victim or the revenant is dead. If necessary it will adopt other means to try to kill its victim, using extreme cunning and guile, but it will never, under any circumstances, resort to the use of weapons. The revenant can also stare into his killer's eyes and that person must make his saving throw against magic or be paralysed with terror for 2-8 rounds. This power works against none but the revenant's killer. The revenant will retain all the abilities it had before death, though it will be a creature with 8 hit dice, whatever experience level was previously attained, and will always be of neutral alignment, no matter what alignment it followed in life. It can converse fluently in the neutral and common tongues, though stiffness of its vocal chords deters it from using speech except under extreme circumstances (e.g. to cast a spell. if it was formerly a spell-caster, on its killer). Note that a revenant may never cast a spell at a person other than its killer, whatever the spell-type. If the associates of the killer are with him in a party, they will be dealt with after the killer has been destroyed, and in that respect they, too, will be regarded as 'killers'. They cannot escape, for if they attempt to do so while the revenant is occupied with the killer, the revenant will track all of them down subsequently. The creature presents a pale, corpse-like appearance, with pallid skin drawn tightly over hollow cheekbones; its flesh is unusually cold and clammy. Its eyes - sunken in the face - are at times dull and heavylidded but, particularly when nearing its intended victim, they will blaze up with unnatural intensity. Animals will shy away from it, and about the revenant hangs an unmistakable aura of tragic anger, sadness and determination. If the character who became the revanant died a particularly violent death, it may be unable to re-occupy its former body when it becomes a revenant. In such a case, the spirit will occupy any available, freshly-dead corpse. The revenant's new body may even be of opposite sex to the original character. However its killer and his active associates, if present, will always 'see' the revenant in i t s former body, while others around him will see it as it is, if they had not been involved in the killing. When the revenant has completed its mission by killing all i t s intended victims, it will immediately disintegrate and will never return again. I t s spirit rests in # 2e | | | |---|---| |Climate/Terrain:|Any| |Frequency:|Very rare| |Organization:|Solitary| |Activity Cycle:|Night| |Diet:|N/A| |Intelligence:|See below| |Treasure:|Nil| |Alignment:|Neutral| |No. Appearing:|1| |Armor Class:|10| |Movement:|9| |Hit Dice:|8| |THAC0:|13 (base)| |No. of Attacks:|1| |Damage/Attack:|2-16| |Special Attacks:|Paralyzation| |Special Defenses:|See below| |Magic Resistance:|See below| |Size:|M (5-6')| |Morale:|See below| |XP Value:|3,000| Revenants are vengeful spirits that have risen from the grave to destroy their killers. The revenant appears as a spectral, decayed version of its appearance at the time of its death. Its pallid skin is drawn tightly over its bones. The flesh is cold and clammy. The sunken eyes are dull and heavy-lidded but, when the revenant faces his intended victim, the eyes blaze with unnatural intensity. The revenant bears an aura of sadness, anger, and determination. **Combat:** A revenant attacks by hooking its claw-like hands around its victim's throat. This strangulation causes 2d8 points of damage each round. It will not release its grip until either the revenant is destroyed or its victim is dead. It never uses weapons. If the revenant stares into its victim's eyes, that person must roll a successful saving throw vs. spell or be paralyzed with terror for 2d4 rounds. This power affects only the revenant's killer. If a revenant is dismembered, the severed parts act independently, as though guided by the revenant's mind. The revenant's willpower causes the parts to reunite. It can also regenerate 3 hit points of damage each round, except for fire damage. It is immune to acid and gas. Although a revenant's body can be cut apart by normal or magical weapons, the damage is temporary and does not destroy the revenant. Only burning destroys a revenant - the original body must be completely consumed and reduced to ash. Although it is undead, the revenant is motivated entirely by self-will. Therefore, as it is not inherently evil, it is not affected by holy water, holy/unholy symbols, or other religious paraphernalia. It cannot be turned by priests nor can it be raised or resurrected. **Habitat/Society:** Under exceptional circumstances, a character who has died a violent death may rise as a revenant from the grave to wreak vengeance on his killer(s). In order to make this transition, two requirements must be met. The dead character's Constitution must be 18 and either his Wisdom or Intelligence must be greater than 16. Also, the total of his six ability scores must be 90 or more. Even if these conditions are met, there is only a 5% chance that the dead character becomes a revenant. If both Intelligence and Wisdom are over 16, the chance increases to 10%. If Intelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution are all 18, the creature can shift at will into any freshly killed humanoid, if the revenant rolls a successful saving throw vs. death. If the character died a particularly violent death, it may be unable to reoccupy its original body. In this case, the spirit occupies any available, freshly-dead corpse. However, the revenant's killer and associates always see the revenant as the person they killed. The revenant retains all the abilities it possessed in its previous life and has at least the hit points and saving throws of an 8-Hit Die creature. Its alignment is neutral, regardless of its alignment in life. It can converse fluently in its original language, although the stiffness of its vocal cords deters it from speaking except under extreme circumstances, such as when casting a spell at its killer. The sole purpose of the revenant's brief existence is to wreak vengeance on its killer, together with anyone who may have aided in the murder. It stops at nothing to achieve its purpose and can locate its intended victim wherever he may be. Accomplices are also tracked down if they are in the company of the killer, but if they are elsewhere they are ignored until the killer is dealt with. If the associates of the killer are with him in a party, they are dealt with after the killer is dead. The revenant's body does decay, though at a slower rate than normal. Within three to six months, the corpse decomposes rapidly and the revenant's spirit returns to the plane from which it came. When the revenant has completed its mission, the body immediately disintegrates and its spirit finally rests in peace. A revenant does not attack innocents except in self-defense. If necessary, the revenant can use cunning to get to its prey. **Ecology:** Revenants give murder victims a chance to avenge their own murders. They pursue their goals alone without desire or need for allies. However, if the revenant faces a powerful foe able to destroy the revenant's new form, the revenant may decide to use adventurers as pawns in its quest.