Publication:Dread Codex/Monsters/Crucifixion Spirit

''This entity appears as a gaunt and translucent humanoid with puncture injuries to both wrists and both feet. Its face is twisted in eternal pain and its eyes flicker with a reddish glow. Crucifixion spirits are the ghostly remains of living beings executed through crucifixion. Their soul having not entirely departed the Material Plane, has risen to seek vengeance on the living, particularly clerics or other divine spellcasters whom they blame for forsaking them and allowing them to die in such a ghastly manner.''

Summary::Crucifixion spirits are most often encountered within 1,000 feet of the place of their execution (presumably the place where their fleshly body was laid to rest). Their only purpose seems to be to torment and kill any that cross their path. They hold no memories of their former life, save the pain and suffering they endured at their time of execution, and they want all those they encounter to share in this pain.

Combat
A crucifixion spirit engages any living creature that enters its territory. In combat, the crucifixion spirit's hatred for clerics and divine spellcasters becomes readily apparent as they are usually the first ones targeted by its crucify soul ability. A crucified soul is left to die and the crucifixion spirit turns its attention to another opponent. A crucifixion spirit attacks until it is destroyed or its foes are slain or driven off.

 (Su): Once per round, a crucifixion spirit can point at a single target within 60 feet and crucify its soul. The crucifixion spirit must succeed on a ranged touch attack. If successful, the target's soul leaves its body which collapses in a heap upon the ground. The target's soul appears as a translucent copy of the victim and is suspended above the spot its body collapsed, crucified in midair to a translucent, "X" shaped structure, the soul held in place by translucent spikes or nails, driven through the soul's wrists and feet.

The victim is not dead and is visible to all those viewing it. Furthermore, a crucified soul cannot be attacked or affected by anything, cannot take actions (other than trying to escape, see below), and experiences excruciating pain that deals 2 negative levels to it in the round it is crucified, and one negative level each round thereafter.

A creature slain in this manner cannot be returned to life except through the casting of a wish, miracle, or true resurrection spell. Even then, there is a 50% chance that such magic fails. If the check fails, the creature cannot be restored to life by mortal magic. A crucifixion spirit does not need to concentrate on this ability for it to continue to affect the target. It can divert attacks against different opponents.

A crucified creature can attempt to escape each round by succeeding on a DC 22 Will save. If successful, the creature's soul is freed and returns to its body in the same round. The target is stunned for one round, but afterwards can act normally. The Fortitude save is Charisma-based. A crucifixion spirit can use this ability five times per day.

 (Su): A living creature hit by a crucifixion spirit's incorporeal touch must succeed on a DC 22 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. Remove paralysis or any other spell that can remove a curse removes the paralysis. The effect cannot be dispelled. The save DC is Charisma-based.

 (Ex): A crucifixion spirit cannot be turned, rebuked, or commanded.

Treasure
Standard &mdash; Crucifixion spirits do not care about treasure; they care about sharing their suffering with others. That said, any time you have a powerful monster which keeps to one area, then you're going to have a lot of dead adventurers. The treasure given below reflects this and can be found scattered about the spirit's home area.


 * Blue sapphire [1,100 gp]
 * Golden yellow topaz [750 gp]
 * White pearl (x3) [100 gp each]
 * +1 chain shirt [1,250 gp]
 * Masterwork greatsword [350 gp]
 * Short sword [10 gp]
 * Wand of acid arrow (39 charges) [3,510 gp]
 * 40 gp
 * 19 pp

In Your Campaign
The crucifixion spirit is a very specific undead creature. First, your campaign must utilize that method of execution. Second, the PCs have to be adventuring near to the culture that uses it. That said, crucifixion spirits would make great undead in Biblical-themed worlds.

To make these undead a bit more generic, or at least more appropriate to medieval fantasy, have their deaths be from a torture instrument like the rack, where victims are stretched until death. The physical result of elongated limbs and a hatred for clergy still ring true. Just make sure to emphasize rope marks on the wrists and ankles instead of nails and you're good to go.

An alternate idea to consider with the spirit's turning immunity would be to allow a turning attempt if the cleric attempting it had a physical remnant of the cross/rack which was used to slay this spirit. A piece of wood or a nail from the crucifixion or a shard of wood or rope bit from a rack-slain spirit. But if the turning attempt is not successful, the spirit is immune to turning from that cleric for 24 hours.