All Creatures
Abilities | Monsters | NPCs
All | Families | Templates
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z


Floodslain Creature

Source Pathfinder #207: Resurrection Flood pg. 84
The sudden, crashing waters of the Deluge kill many creatures in Belkzen each year. The surprise and terror these victims of the Deluge feel during their last moments is sometimes enough to raise them from the dead as floodslain. As the waters that killed them recede, the undead seek others to join them. Despite their broken, shattered bodies, floodslain are often recognizable to those who knew them in life.

Floodslain creatures are rare outside Belkzen, leading some scholars to speculate that the waters of the Deluge are somehow cursed. Others believe the proximity of Gallowspire could be the cause. If so, this means the Gravelands could soon see floodslain arise there too, as the Whispering Tyrant furthers his plots after escaping that prison.

Members

Floodslain Orc (Creature 3)

Creating a Floodslain Creature

You can build a floodslain creature from the ground up using the standard rules for monster creation (which is how the floodslain orc and floodslain wolf were built), or you can turn an existing creature into a floodslain creature by completing the following steps. In either case, the specific floodslain creature abilities listed below work the same.

Select a creature that has the animal or humanoid trait; this is the base creature. Increase the creature's level by 1 and change its statistics as follows.
  • It gains the amphibious and undead traits.
  • It gains darkvision.
  • Increase AC, attack bonuses, DCs, saving throws, and skill modifiers by 1. If the base creature didn't have any listed DCs, use the moderate DC for a creature of its level for any new abilities that require a DC.
  • Increase its Hit Points as shown on the table below.
Starting LevelHP Increase
1 or lower +10
2–4 +15
5–19 +20
20+ +30

Floodslain Creature Abilities

A floodslain creature gains the following abilities. If the base creature has any abilities that specifically come from it being a living creature, it loses them. It also loses any traits that represented its life as a living creature, such as human and humanoid. You might need to adjust or remove other abilities that conflict with the floodslain's theme as an undead creature.

Darkvision
Void Healing
Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, sleep
Drowning Touch (occult) When the floodslain creature damages a creature with a non-weapon melee attack, the target's lungs begin to fill with water. The target must attempt a Fortitude save against the floodslain's Will DC. A target affected by Drowning Touch can spend a single action coughing in an attempt to recover, which immediately lets them attempt a new Fortitude save against the effect. A success improves the previous result by 1 step. A critical success improves the previous result by 2, and a critical failure decreases it by 1.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature is slowed 1 for 1 round.
Failure The creature is slowed 2 for 1 round.
Critical Failure The creature is slowed 2 and drowning.
Floodslain Spawn (occult) A living animal or humanoid killed by a floodslain creature will rise as a floodslain if their corpse is left in water for 24 hours. The new floodslain isn't under the control of the floodslain creature that killed it.
Hard to Burn The creature gains resistance to fire damage equal to its level (minimum 1).
Sodden Ground (aura, occult, water) 20 feet. Water flows endlessly from a floodslain creature, making the area around it slippery. The ground in the aura is difficult terrain for all non-floodslain creatures.
Swimmer Despite their ungainly appearance, floodslain are excellent swimmers. The creature gains a swim Speed equal to its base Speed.
Vomit Flotsam [two-actions] (occult) A floodslain creature's body is filled with debris from their horrific death, which they can spew at their enemies. The floodslain vomits flotsam in a 15-foot cone. Any creature in the area takes 1d8 bludgeoning damage per level of the floodslain creature (minimum 1d8) with a basic Reflex save against the floodslain's Fortitude DC.

Sidebar - Additional Lore In Search of Water

Floodslain tend to move toward lower ground, instinctively seeking water. Belkzen's flat floodplains, however, mean that the creatures wander in unpredictable ways. A common saying among old orc crafters is “build on high, keep dry,” but many add “build low, the dead flow.”

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Panicked Eyes

One distinctive feature all floodslain share are their wide, panicstricken eyes. A floodslain's gaze is permanently frozen in the expression of terror the creature felt moments before its death. Some floodslain are rumored to have the ability to spread this fear to others with a mere glance.