Planar Bestiary
A dangerous ritual passed around by necromancers promises to convert a caster into a lich using a shortcut requiring a connection to the Elemental Chaos. However, those who use it usually flub it. The result is a lava husk.
Finding a way to survive beyond a single mortal life is something many strive to achieve. However, the original mind of the corpse seeding a lava husk is usually degraded and gone. Sometimes a memory or two remain, but the core personality is absent. The strongest remaining thread of who or what the core of a lava husk once was is revealed in the charred remains that flare and burn. Despite the thread of necromancy pulsing through them, lava husks remain elementals.
Lava husks prowl the planes in search of others to burn, to batter, and in some cases, to suck the life force from. A lava husk can manifest in places of natural volcanism on the worlds of the Material Plane, in the Inner Planes, and even on the Outer Planes where lava and magma flow. In fact, lava husks are more and more common on the Lower Planes, where they are often mistaken for demons or undead.
Any creature killed on the lava path is likely to rise as a new lava husk within a week of their death.
Motive: Burning foes, hunger for life energy
Environment: Any planar location where lava or volcanic activity are common
Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: Major wound (8 points)
Armor: 3
Movement: Short; immediate when burrowing
Modifications: Attacks objects as level 7
Combat: A lava husk attacks with a molten fist, inflicting fire damage.
Striking a husk produces a reactive spray of lava within immediate range. The attacker and anyone else next to the husk take 4 points of damage, or 2 points on a successful Speed defense task. A creature that fails this Speed defense task also takes 2 points of damage on their next turn from the lava clinging to them.
Once per minute, a lava husk can create a path of lava an immediate distance wide, extending out to a long distance, that's about one foot thick. Anything in the area of the path must succeed on a Speed defense task or take 8 points of damage from fire and necrotic energy (ignores Armor). If a creature can't easily move from this path (for example, if the path entirely covers the floor of a narrow corridor) their defense task against this attack is hindered. The lava path lasts one minute. Moving into or through it inflicts damage each round. The lava husk can use the path as a bridge to cross gaps and empty space.
A lava husk sheds bright light within immediate range. Water harms them; a splash from at least a gallon inflicts a minor wound (2 points) (ignores Armor), and immersion inflicts 4 points per round (ignores Armor).
A lava husk is immune to fire and poison attacks.
Interaction: Lava husks understand the languages of earth elementals and fire elementals (Terran and Ignan), but their limited mental capacity makes it difficult to communicate with or persuade them.
Use: A necromancer keeps a few lava husks in their volcanic lair as a surprise for intruders expecting demons or undead. Enterprising miners followed a melted tunnel in search of ore, only to fall prey to the lava husk who created the burrowing path as they wandered.
As an elemental being, a lava husk doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
When a lava husk burrows, they leave behind a red-hot tunnel that cools after a few rounds.
GM Intrusion: The lava husk spews lava on a character as part of the attack, inflicting a moderate wound (4 points) and hindering all the character's physical tasks until the hardened lava is pried off of them (this requires two actions).