Medium-Size Undead

Hit Dice: 6d12 (39 hp)

Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)

Speed: 30 ft

AC: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 natural)

Attacks: Claw +4 melee

Damage: Claw 1d6+1

Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft

Special Attacks: Teleport other

Special Qualities: Undead, darkvision 60 ft, damage reduction 10/+1, turn resistance +4

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +7

Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con –, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15

Skills: Bluff +8, Intimidate +7, Listen +12, Move Silently +8, Search +6, Sense Motive +9, Spot +13

Climate/Terrain: Any underground

Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: Always neutral

Advancement: 7-13 HD (Medium-size); 14-18 HD (Large)

Crypt things are undead creatures that are found guarding tombs, graves, corpses, and crypts.

   A crypt thing appears as a skeleton wearing a brown or black hooded robe.  Its eyes appear as small, red pinpoints of light. If left undisturbed the crypt thing will not attack.

   A crypt thing, despite its undead status, can speak Common.

COMBAT

A crypt thing will avoid combat if possible by using its teleport other ability. If any creature succeeds at its Will save, the crypt thing will attack with its claws.

   Teleport Other (Sp): All creatures within a 50-foot range that fail a Will save (DC 17) are teleported in a random direction (roll 1d4; 1-north, 2-south, 3-east, 4-west) and a random distance (1d10 x 100 feet) away from the crypt thing. Roll randomly for each creature that fails its save. A teleported creature never arrives in solid material and will arrive in the closest open space available, if the target spot is solid; however, victims need not arrive at floor level.

   A creature that succeeds at its save is unaffected by that crypt thing’s teleport other ability for one day.

   Undead: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

The Crypt Thing first appeared in the Fiend Folio (1981).

Variant Crypt Thing

There exists, in some parts of the world (and maybe only truly in legend) a variant of the crypt thing. This variant has all the same abilities and powers as a normal crypt thing with the following changes.

   The variant does not possess the Teleport Other ability. Instead it possesses an ability known as Cloak Other.

   Cloak Other (Sp): All creatures within a 50-foot range that fail a Will save (DC 17) are simultaneously paralyzed and turned invisible. Those affected will remain so for 2d4 days before the effects wear off.

A creature that succeeds at its save is unaffected by the crypt thing’s cloak other ability for one day.

Create Crypt Thing

   Necromancy [Evil]

   Level: Clr 7, Death 8, Sor/Wiz 7

   Components: V, S, M

   Casting Time: 1 hour

   Range: Close (25 ft. +5 ft./2 levels)

   Target: One corpse

   Duration: Instantaneous

   Saving Throw: None

   Spell Resistance: No

You may create a crypt thing with this spell.  This spell must be cast in the tomb, grave, or corpse that the crypt thing is assigned to protect. 

   A crypt thing can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones (so no oozes, worms, or the like). If a crypt thing is made from a corpse, the flesh falls from the bones. The statistics for the crypt thing depend on its size; they do not depend on what abilities the creature may have had while alive. Only one crypt thing is created with this spell and it will remain in the tomb where it was created until destroyed. 

   Material Component (for Crypt Thing): A black pearl gem worth at least 300 gp. The gem is placed inside the mouth of the corpse. Once animated into a crypt thing, the gem is destroyed.