Bog Slain (Dread Codex Monster)

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	Bog Slain
Size/Type:	Medium Undead
Hit Dice:	1d12 (6 hp)
Initiative:	+0
Speed:	30 ft., swim 20 ft.
Armor Class:	16 (+6 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple:	+0/+1
Attack:	Slam +1 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack:	Slam +1 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach:	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:	Breath Weapon
Special Qualities:	Darkvision 60 ft., Damage Reduction 3/-, Fire Resistance 10, Undead Traits
Saves:	Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +3
Abilities:	Str 13, Dex 10, Con -, Int ., Wis 12, Cha 3
Skills:	—
Feats:	Ability Focus (breath weapon)B
Environment:	Any marsh
Organization:	Solitary, gang (2-5), squad (6-10), or mob (11-20)
Challenge Rating:	1
Treasure:	Standard
Alignment:	Always chaotic evil
Advancement:	2-3 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment:	-

This bloated excuse for a humanoid bears a foul stench and squishy footfalls. It has pale green skin and heavy brown eyes devoid of intelligence. Its mouth opens as it spots you, releasing thin orange wisps from its insides.

The bog slain is essentially a better version of a zombie. Created by a water mage of little repute (her name is not even remembered today), the only corpses the woman had to work with were ones found in the bog nearby her home. Harvesting the lost bog bodies proved difficult, but did not expose her machinations to the authorities (as would stealing bodies from the local cemetery). The bog slain served the mage for many years before her death at the hands of a rival sorcerer. This man took her notes, copied them, and sold them to all interested parties. This is how bog slain have come to be located in all parts of the world; as wizards similar in situation to the water mage worked to make their own undead servants.

Combat

Bog slain are unintelligent creatures that exist to slay others. They attack anything that moves unless ordered otherwise by their master. A blast from the bog slain's breath weapon is a common first attack against a foe before closing in for melee slams. That is as tactical as a bog slain gets.

Breath Weapon (Su): Instead of attacking with a slam attack, a bog slain may instead spew a gout of foul water from its lungs and stomach out through its mouth as a standard action every 1d4 rounds. No attack roll is necessary; the line of water reaches 60 feet, and is 5 feet high and 5 feet wide. It fills the area, and any creature who fails a Reflex save (DC 12) is caught in the area; he is checked for one round and must make a Fortitude save (DC 11) or become infected with blinding sickness (the save DC is Strength-based). This disease has an incubation period of 1d3 days and inflicts 1d4 points of temporary Strength damage. Each time a victim takes 2 or more points of Strength damage from the disease, he must make another Fortitude save or be permanently blinded. Bog slain can use their breath weapon three times before needing to submerge in water again to replenish their water reserve. Replenishing the breath weapon takes two rounds for each time the bog slain has used the ability.

Treasure

Standard -- the poor souls who die in bogs are usually low-level commoners caught in a bad spot or who ran afoul of the local crime organization. What little in treasure they had upon death is still on them.

• Masterwork sling [300 gp]
• 100 sp

In Your Campaign

As long as they are near to a water source, bog slain can indefinitely survive. Not only do their breath weapons need replenishing, but you might rule that their body does as well. For every day a bog slain does not submerge for at least an hour, its fire resistance rating decreases by 2 and they take 1 hit point of damage. Since water is part of their nature, it seems only natural to throw in this hindrance.

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