View source for Publication:Dread Codex/Monsters/Gray Death

=== Combat ===

Gray deaths pursue and engage all living creatures they find. They use their great agility and flight to close with slow-moving opponents, usually reserving Flyby Attack and their engulf ability for quicker foes or against greater numbers of targets.

'''{{Anchor|Burn}} ([[Ex]]):''' A gray death's touch attack deals 2d6 points of fire damage. Flammable substances or creatures touched by a gray death must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be ignited (see "Catching on Fire" in the SRD). A creature or flammable item that remains in contact with the gray death for 1 full round takes 16 points of fire damage.

'''{{Anchor|Engulf}} ([[Ex]]):''' A gray death can simply engulf creatures smaller than itself. It cannot make a touch attack on a round during which it attempts to engulf. To engulf a target, the gray death need only move into that creature's space. The target of the engulf attack may make an attack of opportunity against the gray death, but doing so prevents it from making a Reflex save (DC 10 + {{1/2}} the gray death's HD + the gray death's Dex modifier) to avoid being engulfed. Engulfed creatures automatically take burn damage every round and are also smothered (see below). Creatures that succeed their Reflex save dodge back or aside (player's choice) when the gray death move into their space.

The body of a creature slain while engulfed by a gray death bursts into flames and is completely consumed at the beginning of the gray death's next turn. The ashes of victims one or two sizes smaller than the gray death merge with it and cause it to grow; a victim two sizes smaller grants it one extra HD, while a victim one size smaller grants it 2 HD (up to its maximum of 36 HD and size Huge). A ''[[SRD:Resist Energy|resist energy]]'' (fire) spell cast on the victim's corpse prevents this transformation for 1d4 rounds, while a protection from energy (fire) spell cast on the victim's corpse prevents the transformation for the spell's duration.

Similar spells or powers also retard or stop this process, at the GM's discretion. Touch-range healing spells applied to an engulfed creature damage the gray death instead.

'''{{Anchor|Smother}} ([[Ex]]):''' Any creature engulfed by a gray death must make a DC 16 Reflex save or begin to smother. If the creature makes its save, it catches its breath in time and merely begins the process of suffocation normally (see "Suffocation" in the SRD). If the save failed, the creature is nauseated, and is unable to hold its breath: It must begin making Constitution checks immediately (per the suffocation rules) to avoid passing out and suffocating. Leaving the gray death ends the checks, but a creature that had begun to make Constitution checks is nauseated for 1d3 rounds after leaving the death's space. Successfully turning a gray death forces it to expel any engulfed victims.

'''{{Anchor|Cloudform}} ([[Ex]]):''' This ability is identical to the effects of the spell gaseous form.

'''{{Anchor|Lifesense}} ([[Su]]):''' Gray deaths can sense the presence and the direction toward all living creatures within one mile.
Alignment	Always neutral evil +
Challenge Rating	7 +
Environment	Warm desert +
Level Adjustment	— +
Size	Large +
Subtype	Fire +
Title	Gray Death +
Type	Undead +