Dread Spectre (CR +3)[3pp]

Like ghosts, dread spectres are the incorporeal spirits of living beings that continue to act after death. They haunt the places they frequented in life, seeking to grant their loved ones the same tortured existence that they now endure.

A dread spectre appears much as it did in life, except that its face is twisted into a mask of hatred and despair. Spectres are often confused with ghosts.

Creating a Dread Spectre

Dread Spectre” is an acquired template that can be added to any living, intelligent creature killed by a spectre or a dread spectre (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A dread spectre uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +3.

Alignment: Any evil.

Type: The creature’s type changes to undead and gains the incorporeal subtype if the base creature did not already have it. Do not recalculate base attack bonuses, saves, or skill points.

Senses: A dread spectre gains darkvision +60 ft.

Aura: A dread spectre gains frightful presence (60 ft.) and unnatural aura (30 ft.). The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Armor Class: Being incorporeal, the base creature’s armor, shield, and natural armor bonuses no longer apply, but the dread spectre gains a deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to its Charisma bonus (minimum +1). Dread spectres cannot use or carry equipment of any kind.


Defensive Abilities: A dread spectre, in addition to normal undead traits, gains the incorporeal ability, and channel resistance +4.

Weaknesses: A dread spectre gains the following weakness:

Daylight Vulnerability (Ex)

A dread spectre is not powerless in natural daylight, but it does take a -4 penalty on all attack rolls, checks, and saves when in natural sunlight (but not within the radius of a daylight spell).

Speed: A dread spectre loses all the base creature’s speeds and gains a fly speed equal to double the base creature’s highest speed, with perfect maneuverability.

Attacks: All of the base creature’s attacks become incorporeal touch attacks, retaining the same primary or secondary status they had for the base creature. The dread spectre gains a primary incorporeal touch attack if it has no other natural attacks.

The dread spectre’s incorporeal touch attacks deal normal damage as well as energy drain (2 levels). If the dread spectre gains an incorporeal touch attack from the application of this template, its damage is as a slam attack of two size categories larger.

Special Attacks: The dread spectre loses all special attacks that require corporeal contact and gains energy drain (2 levels) on all of its incorporeal touch attack as well as the following.

Command Spectres (Su)

As a free action, dread spectre can automatically command all normal spectres within 30 feet (as command undead). Normal spectres never attack a dread spectre unless compelled.

Create Spawn (Su)

Any creature with a Charisma score of 16 or higher that is killed by a dread spectre rises as a dread spectre in 1d4 rounds. Any other creature slain by a dread spectre instead rises as a normal spectre in 1d4 rounds. A spectre or dread spectre created in this manner is under the command of its creator (as dominate monster) and remains so until either it or the creator is destroyed.

Spellcasting: A dread spectre cannot cast spells that require material components unless it has the Eschew Materials feat.

Abilities: Dex +6, Int +4, Wis +4, Cha +6. As an incorporeal creature, a dread spectre lacks a Strength score, and as an undead creature, it has no Constitution score.

Section 15: Copyright Notice


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