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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardUnrisen

An unrisen is a mangled conglomeration of splintered bones, decaying organs, and rotting flesh, created when a ritual such as resurrect goes catastrophically wrong. Immense care must be taken, for if the ritual is a critical failure, an unrisen can be the result—as many a ritualist has learned to their horror.

Unrisen are barely intelligent, aware only of the agony constantly inflicted by their flawed creation and their resentment for the living. They tend to attack the casters involved in the botched ritual first before lashing out at everyone else around them. Though an unrisen's twisted form is unrecognizable as the intended target of the resurrection, its wordless howls are often disturbingly similar to the deceased's voice. If an unrisen is destroyed before it can rise again, it's reduced to a handful of metallic blue-green salts referred to as essential salts.

Recall Knowledge - Undead (Religion): DC 28
Unspecific Lore: DC 26
Specific Lore: DC 23

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Changes from being Weak are marked in red below.
NOTE: The -2 damage penalty to non-strike offensive abilities (-4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.

Weak UnrisenCreature 10

Legacy Content

NE Medium Undead 
Source Book of the Dead pg. 153
Perception +21; darkvision, lifesense 30 feet
Languages Common; (can't speak any language)
Skills Athletics +22, Stealth +17
Str +7, Dex +4, Con +5, Int -2, Wis +6, Cha +3
AC 26; Fort +20, Ref +15, Will +19
HP 200 (meant to live, negative healing); Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious; Weaknesses resurrection vulnerability
Meant to Live (occult, necromancy) Whenever an unrisen would take damage from positive energy, it instead heals half that number of Hit Points.Resurrection Vulnerability A creature with a prepared or spontaneous spell that can restore the dead to life (such as breath of life or raise dead) can expend an appropriate spell slot as a 2-action activity to destroy an unrisen within 30 feet. The attempt fails if the unrisen succeeds at a Will save against the creature's spell DC.Rise Again (necromancy, occult) If the unrisen is reduced to 0 Hit Points by means other than fire damage, disintegration, or its resurrection vulnerability, it returns to unlife at the start of its next turn. It has 100 Hit Points and is prone in the space in which it was destroyed. The unrisen can't be returned by this ability again for 1 hour.
Speed 30 feet
Meleejaws +22 [+17/+12] (deadly d10, magical), Damage 3d8-2+13 piercing plus GrabMeleeclaw +22 [+18/+14] (agile, magical), Damage 2d8-2+13 slashing plus GrabAgonized Howl [two-actions] (auditory, enchantment, mental, occult) The unrisen howls in pain at its cursed existence. Creatures within a 30-foot emanation take 9d8 mental damage (DC 28 basic Will save). The unrisen can't use Agonized Howl again for 1d4 rounds.Awful Approach [one-action] The unrisen reshapes its grotesque form to move swiftly. It Strides twice. Any living creature that can see the unrisen during this movement must succeed at a DC 26 Fortitude save or be sickened 1 (sickened 2 on a critical failure). This is a mental and visual effect. The unrisen can't use Awful Approach again for 1d4 rounds.Death Grip [one-action] (curse, necromancy, occult) Requirements The unrisen has a living creature grabbed or restrained; Effect The unrisen attempts to destroy its victim's life force to share the unrisen's fate. The creature must succeed at a DC 28 Fortitude save or become doomed 1. While the curse lasts, the creature regains only half as many HP from positive healing effects; if it dies, any attempt to raise it from the dead causes it to return as an unrisen. The curse ends automatically if the creature's doomed value is reduced to 0.

Sidebar - Treasure and Rewards Unrisen Salts

An unrisen's essential salts, formed from its remaining distilled life essence, can be used for spells and rituals such as raise dead or resurrect, replacing 600 gp worth of diamonds. The existence of these essential salts doesn't damage the soul of the unrisen's source creature, but devout Pharasmins still frown on its use.