Chaotic Evil Man-sized Undead
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-10
SURPRISE: 33%
SENSES: infravision
ARMOR CLASS: 3
SPEED: 90 ft.
HIT DICE: 2 (hp 9)
% IN LAIR: 10%
TREASURE TYPE: C
ATTACK AC 0: 16
MELEE: claw (1d6) plus disease
SPECIAL ATTACKS: disease, spell-like abilities; Hits As: +1
SPECIAL DEFENSES: undead; Immune cold; DR +1/silver
WEAKNESS: undead (wight)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Semi- (2-4)
MORALE: +10%
SAVES: Poison 14, Petrify 15, Wand 16, Breath 17, Spell 17
LANGUAGES: any spoken in life
LEVEL: III (XP )
Disease. [curse, disease, poison] Any creature that takes damage from a huecuva's claw attack must make a save vs Poison or contract an acute cardiovascular-renal disease (save avoids). The onset time is one hour. The severity of the disease is rolled normally with the typical adjustments.
Spell-like Abilities. (CL 7)
3/day—polymorph self*
* Once in effect, changing form is a minor action.
This rotting and decaying humanoid is dressed in defiled and tattered priestly vestments. Worms crawl and slither into and out of its eye sockets, rib cage, and other decaying areas of its rotting form. Huecuva are the undead spirits of good clerics who were unfaithful to their god and turned to the path of evil before death. As punishment for their transgression, their god condemned them to roam the earth as the one creature all good-aligned clerics despise — undead. Huecuva resemble robed skeletons and are often mistaken for such creatures.
Combat. A huecuva polymorphs mindlessly into a copy of it's previous victim, in an attempt to lure the living closer to it. While it cannot speak, it makes pitiful noises as it approaches. Once in melee range, the creature changes into it's original form and attacks. A huecuva attacks with its claw, raking and slashing at its opponents. It attacks relentlessly until either it or its opponent is dead. During combat, if a Good-aligned cleric attempts to turn a huecuva and fails, the huecuva concentrates all attacks on that cleric, ignoring all other opponents until the cleric or the huecuva is dead. Otherwise, if the creature loses morale, it will change form into a flying creature it would have encountered (such as a bat; or a swimming creature if water is near) and attempt to escape.
Environment. Underground.