Tombdrift 5 (15)

High Noon at Midnight

Necrovore sand dunes 30 feet (9 m) in diameter are sometimes seeded from those who die in the desert and are buried only by shifting sands. When inactive, it's nearly impossible to distinguish tombdrifts from regular desert dunes. But when one senses life, the necrovore rolls forward like a slow ocean wave, or alternatively, condenses into the shape of the spirit that seeded the undead thing. When assuming the echo of the person who seeded them, tombdrifts might speak. However, keeping such a shape requires energy—the assumed shape is constantly crumbling away and reforming, until it collapses once again into an unquiet, hungry dune.

Motive: Bury the living; feed on life

Environment: Desert and badlands

Health: 23

Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (5 points)

Movement: Immediate (but see Dust Devil Speed)

Modifications: Speed defense as level 2 due to size

Combat: The tombdrift abrades every creature in immediate range with scouring sand. The tombdrift is immune to poison, disease, and life-draining effects.

They also have one or more of the following attacks and traits.

• Drain Life. One target damaged by the tombdrift is subject to life drain, taking 3 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) on a failed Might defense roll. In addition, the target is sickened until the end of their next turn, hindering all tasks. On a successful defense roll, the target still takes 1 point of Speed damage, but isn't sickened.
• Dust Devil Speed. The tombdrift spins up into a dust devil of sand that speeds forward a long distance (no more than once every minute), attacking all creatures along the line of travel. On a failed Might defense roll, damaged targets are also blinded on their next turn.
• Sand Regeneration. Tombdrifts regain 1 health each round they are in a desert or badlands region, unless they've taken damage from banishing rounds or similar anti undead attacks (in which case they don't begin regaining health again for a couple of minutes).

Interaction: When they take the echo of their former shape, tombdrifts can communicate in rasping voices, and may choose to negotiate with other creatures instead of draining their life. Tombdrifts may want their remains properly buried, or something else. Some tombdrifts don't care or don't remember their lives and simply wish to feed.

Use: A sandstorm blew through the town's cemetery with enough force to rip graves out of the ground. Now, some drifts of sand left in the storm's wake have started moving.

Loot: A tombdrift, which contains the remains of the individual who seeded it (maybe just a few eroded bones), might also have some of their belongings, such as a box with a few remaining alchemical rounds.

GM Intrusion: The character is pulled into the dune and is crushed and suffocated for 5 points of ambient damage each round until they can escape with a Might-based roll as their action.