Publication:Dread Codex/Monsters/Filth Croc

''This creature was once a crocodile but those days are long passed. The undead version is much more unpleasant looking.dark orange skin, vermin-infested hide, and sharp scaly protrusions make this former croc a revolting opponent.''

Filth crocs stay within their dank marshes, emerging only if prey wanders too close to their lairs. Sages speculate that these creatures are the result of necromantic experimentation by an ancient sahuagin lich named Klek-tiim. The extensive marshes were the only buffer zone between Klek-tiim's burgeoning kingdom and the mainland civilization. The lich wanted to stock the marshy borderland with creatures that would deter those who wished to destroy it. As one of the most numerable types of creatures in the marsh, the crocs became the target of undead transformation. Now, centuries later, the filth crocs continue to somehow maintain their numbers despite being slain at every opportunity.

Combat
Filth crocs prefer to charge at prey from hiding places in shallow or stagnant water. They weaken their victim with their poisonous, festering tail barbs, then drag it down under the water. They use their stream of filth against any opponents who attacks them with ranged weapons (including spells). Filth crocs flee from combat only if severely damaged.

 (Ex): Three times a day, a filth croc can move at five times its normal speed (100 feet) when it makes a charge.

 (Ex): To use this ability, the filth croc must hit with its bite attack. If it establishes a hold, it tries to drag its opponent into deep water and pin it to the bottom.

 (Ex): Tail rake, Fort DC 13, 1d3 Str/1d3 Str.

Skills: Filth crocs have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.

 (Su): A filth croc can spew out a 60-foot line of maggot-infested acidic filth. Any creature in the area of effect must succeed a DC 13 Reflex save or take 2d4 points of damage and be nauseated for 1d4 rounds; creatures that save take no damage but are sickened for 1 round. If a creature takes damage, it must make a second save (Fortitude DC 13 negates) or take 1s2 points of Charisma damage and be exposed to a random nonmagical disease. The saves are Constitution-based.

Treasure
Partial &mdash; Each filth croc has a lair that it keeps interesting looking treasure in. As it is unintelligent, the undead croc cannot appreciate what it has; it simply "likes" these objects as lair furnishings.


 * Moonstone [60 gp]
 * Red garnet [130 gp]
 * 1,000 sp

In Your Campaign
If you read the descriptive text then you're probably wondering &mdash; how the hell can these undead crocs multiply? The answer is that they don't "multiply" but rather keep their numbers through a permanent enchantment laid on the marshlands by the sahuagin lich. As long as a filth croc is slain within the marsh area, its essence returns to its lair within 1d4 days and reforms as the exact same filth croc.

There are a couple of ways adventurers can put this threat to rest permanently. The first is to locate every filth croc lair and then cast a targeted dispel magic on its floor (against DC 17; the magic has weakened over the centuries allowing for a lower DC). Beating the DC by 5 or more not only means that the location cannot be used to recorporealize a filth croc, but that the croc does not even consider the place as its lair. It is homeless until destroyed for the final time.

The second way to stop the filth crocs from reforming necessitates a variant in the magic which accomplishes it. Instead of each lair being responsible for its own croc, perhaps the sahuagin lich hid a powerful magic item somewhere in the marsh which reforms them.

There could be a few adventures worth of material when the PCs are paid to locate the item and destroy it. But what if a part of the sahuagin lich remains and wants the item to remain functioning? Perhaps a bit of its soul was hidden inside the crocs themselves and needs a few more years to reform with the aid of the item? Alternately, another evil creature has discovered the item and is studying it for use outside the marsh. Imagine other types of undead that, once destroyed, are reformed &mdash; inside a city's walls!