Publication:Dread Codex/Monsters/Fire Phantom

''This burning creature appears as a humanoid encased in flames. Its eyes are tiny balls of molten fire and its tongue is a snake-like stream of flame. Its teeth are charred and flames dance in the back of its throat.''

When a creature dies on the Elemental Plane of Fire, its soul often melds with part of the fiery plane and reforms as a fire phantom; a humanoid creature composed of rotted and burnt flesh swathed in elemental fire. Fire phantoms desire nothing more than to return to the Material Plane and destroy as many living creatures as possible by consuming them in the same flames that now house their spirit.

Fire phantoms are encountered in areas where fires are already burning (campfires, pyres, vigils, etc.). They step through a portal from the Plane of Fire into a fire on the Material Plane. This fire must be at least Small or larger; else any attempt by the fire phantom to enter the Material Plane through that fire fails automatically. Once it enters the plane, it often lies in wait in the fire for potential victims to come near it. A fire phantom hiding inside a fire is difficult to see (Spot check DC 25, +2 for each size larger than Medium the fire is).

Combat
A fire phantom waits inside its fire until it spots a living creature. It then rushes out, shrieking and hurling globes of fire. If faced with overwhelming odds or facing certain destruction, the creature attempts to close the distance between itself and as many of its opponents as it can so it can use its immolation ability. In normal melee, a fire phantom alternates between hurling globes of fire and pummeling a foe with its burning fists. Fire phantoms fight until destroyed or all opponents are dead of flee. When a fire phantom is wounded, flames dance and play around the wound.

 (Ex): A fire phantom's fists are swathed in elemental fire. Any melee hit deals fire damage. Creatures attacking a fire phantom unarmed or with natural weapons take fire damage each time their attacks hit.

 (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds as a standard action, a fire phantom can hurl a small globe of elemental fire to a range of 30 feet (no range increment). By making a successful ranged touch attack, it deals 2d6 points of fire damage. A creature hit must succeed on a DC 15 Reflex save or catch on fire. The save DC is Charisma-based. (See the SRD for more information on catching on fire.)

 (Su): Normally used as a last resort, a fire phantom can detonate itself in an inferno of elemental fire that deals 6d6 points of fire damage to all creatures within a 10-foot radius. A successful DC 15 Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.

This instantly kills the fire phantom if it fails a DC 20 Will save. Even if the fire phantom survives, its flames are extinguished for 1 minute. During this time the fire phantom cannot use its fire blast ability and does not deal fire damage with its slam attack. It retains the fire subtype. After 1 minute, its fire relight. If the fire phantom survives the immolation, it may not use it again for one day.

 (Ex): A fire phantom is in a constant state of agony from the elemental fire that consumes its body. Therefore, it is always in a berserk rage and gains Str +4 and -2 AC (both already included in the stat block above). The fire phantom cannot end this rage voluntarily and it cannot be suppressed or negated.

 (Ex): A fire phantom cannot be turned, rebuked, or commanded.

Treasure
None &mdash; Whatever treasures the creature might have had before becoming a fire phantom have long since burned to ashes in the extreme conditions on the Elemental Plane of Fire.

In Your Campaign
For some reason, undead and fire seem to go hand in hand when new undead are written for a campaign. However, this fiery-based undead can just as easily be one of extreme cold and originate from an icy region on the Elemental Plane of Water. Its game mechanics need only be changed from heat/fire to chill/cold (see the Flame Servant below for an example of this switch). For introducing the "chill phantom", use extremely cold arctic environments. The chill phantom attacks from beneath a mound of snow. Its skin is blue and mysterious snows swirl about its form.