Scarecrow, Dread
HD: d12
| Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Class Features |
| 1st | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Construct Body, Stinging Curse, +1 Cha |
| 2nd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Elemental Resistances, +1 Str |
| 3rd | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Damage Reduction/Magic, Rotting Curse, The Dark Call, +1 Cha |
Skills (2 + Int modifier, quadrupled at 1st level): No skills are class skills for the Dread Scarecrow.
Proficiencies: A Dread Scarecrow is proficient with its own natural weapons, all simple weapons, the scythe, no armor, and no shields.
Class FeaturesConstruct Body: A Dread Scarecrow loses all racial bonuses and gains the Construct type, with all of its penalties and advantages except for the extra hit points:
• No Constitution score.
• Low-light vision.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
• Cannot heal damage on their own, but often can be repaired by certain spells. The DM may also allow the construct to be repaired with the use of the right skills with the right tools. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from this quality.
• Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
• Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
• Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
• Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected except for limited wish, wish and miracle. The 1st makes the construct lose a level, the other two don't.
• However, it can be "repaired" if destroyed by spending 24 hours of work and 500 GP of materials, which make it lose a level.
The Dread Scarecrow is Medium Size, a base land speed of 30 feet, has two natural slam attacks which deal 1d4+Strength modifier bludgeoning damage, a Natural Armor bonus equal to its Charisma bonus, and is vulnerable to fire (takes double damage on a failed save and half damage on a successful save).
Ability Increases: The Dread Scarecrow gains +1 Charisma at 1st and 3rd level and +1 Strength at 2nd level, for a total of +1 Strength and +2 Charisma at 3rd level.
Stinging Curse (Ex): Once per day per HD, as part of an attack, a foe hit by a Dread Scarecrow’s melee attack must succeed on a Fortitude Save (DC 10 + ½ HD + Cha mod) or take 1d4 additional points of damage per HD as a cloud of stinging insects shoot out of the Scarecrow’s body onto the target. A successful initial save means that the swarm fails to form. The swarm occupies a 5 foot by 5 foot square and persists for a number of rounds equal to the Dread Scarecrow’s HD before dissipating (dealing the same amount of damage per round). The Dread Scarecrow can only have one swarm active at a time, and can direct the cloud to another target within 30 feet of itself as a move action.
At 3 HD, opponents who failed the Fortitude Save are also sickened until they leave the swarm’s occupied square. An opponent who leaves the square cannot be sickened again by the Dread Scarecrow’s insect swarm for 24 hours. Other opponents who enter the square must make a Fortitude save as well or be sickened as normal.
At 6 HD, the Dread Scarecrow can direct the cloud to another target within 30 feet of itself as a swift action.
Elemental Resistances (Ex): At 2nd level, a Dread Scarecrow becomes immune to all forms of cold damage and gains Electricity Resistance equal to its HD. Additionally, the Dread Scarecrow adds its Charisma modifier as a bonus to hit points gained per hit die (this bonus is retroactively gained).
Rotting Curse (Ex): At 3rd level, once per day per HD, as part of an attack, a foe hit by a Dread Scarecrow’s melee attack must succeed on a Fortitude Save (DC 10 + ½ HD + Cha mod) or take 1d4 points of Constitution damage as the target’s skin takes on a clammy, rotted texture. The attack is treated as a poison, and the target who failed the save must roll another within 5 minutes or take 1d4 secondary points of Constitution damage.
At 5 HD, the initial and secondary damage increases to 1d6. At 9 HD, the damage increases to 1d8. At 12 HD, it increases to 2d6 and can affect opponents immune to poison (although they still must have a Constitution score to be affected, and they receive a +5 bonus on the save).
Damage Reduction/Magic (Su): At 3rd level, a Dread Scarecrow gains DR X/Magic, with X being half its HD.
The Dark Call (Su): At 3rd level, as a standard action, a Dread Scarecrow can call upon the birds known as winged messengers of death in mythology (crows). A murder of 300 crows flies around the area. The murder (swarm) is treated as a Swarm of Bats, except that it is composed of Tiny creatures, takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons, has no blindsight, and a fly speed of 60 feet. As a swift action, the crows can lift the Scarecrow or another Medium sized creature or combined total of objects weighing 400 pounds or less into the air, granting them a fly speed of 30 feet (poor maneuverability) or moving an object or unwilling creature up to an equal distance in a direction of the Dread Scarecrow's choosing. The target must be adjacent to or within the space of the swarm in order to be affected. Unwilling creatures can resist with a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Cha mod). At least 15 crows are needed to perform this action, and since the crows are carrying the subjects, any movement taken by a willing subject counts as the crow swarm's move action for the round. The crow swarm loses the move action on its next turn if the willing target moves with the granted fly speed; the swarm moves with the target.
The crows remain in contact with the Dread Scarecrow and near its person for 1 hour per HD of the Dread Scarecrow, after which they disperse and fly away. If the Crows are reduced to 0 hit points and dispersed, the Dread Scarecrow must wait for 1 minute before he summons another swarm again. Only one murder of crows can accompany the Dread Scarecrow at a time.
CommentsThe Dread Scarecrow is a Ravenloft monster from the 3.X book Denizens of Darkness/Dread. The monster focuses on melee attacks and “debuffing” opponents with its curses. It also gets some defensive abilities to keep it up in battle, and relies on its Charisma for its staying power.
