The following updates the necromantic siege engines from Green Ronin's Secret College of Necromancy to 3.5. The following text is Open Game Content:
Necromatic Siege Engine
Necromantic siege engines are terrible creations built from the flesh, skin, and bones of dead creatures. There are three known types: dragon engines, ether towers, and zombie rams. Necromantic siege engines can be found in any land or subterranean area, usually a region controlled by a powerful necromancer or undead ruler.
Necromantic Siege Engine Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can learn more about necromantic siege engines. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 18 | Necromantic siege engines are gigantic constructs that resemble and are often found with undead monsters. |
| 23 | Zombie rams are built to batter down walls and gates, ether towers are built to breach city or castle walls, and dragon engines are built to transport squadrons of undead warriors. |
| 28 | A zombie ram can strike with such force that it can actually destroy items worn by its victims, while an ether tower is able to momentarily become mist and thus may pass through many physical barriers. A dragon engine has a breath weapon of negative energy. |
Necromantic Siege Engine, Dragon Engine
Stiffly, the great shape moves forward. It has the form of a titanic dragon, but its wings are leathery and tattered, and its pallid skin is stretched tight against the bones. As it walks you can see that it is not truly alive, and that its massive body cavity has been hollowed out like a ship’s hull. Several dark figures seem to be moving within the dragon’s unliving carapace.
Necromantic Machines. Dragon engines are built from the tanned hides and preserved bones of elder dragons, retaining a breath weapon but with it transformed into one generated from a store of negative energy.
Troop Carriers. A dragon engine’s wings are leathery but functional. The flesh and internal organs are gone, the withered skin clinging to the bones. A hollow inside the bony ribcage can carry up to 12 creatures of Medium or smaller size. The entrance into this grisly chamber is hidden in the crook of a hind leg; the leg itself creates a step down from the ribcage to ground level.
Brutal Combatants. The magical processes required to trap a dragon soul within the necromantic framework allow a dragon engine some self-awareness but place it under the maker’s control. Dragon engines are willing to blast a battlement with a swooping diving blast of shadow breath, then landing on opponents and disgorging a squadron of undead warriors from their interior spaces.
Dragon Engine CR 13
Always N Gargantuan construct
Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +36, Spot +36
AC 24, touch 5, flat-footed 24
(-4 size, -1 Dex, +19 natural)
hp 236 (32d10+60 HD)
Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +11
Immune construct traits; negative energy affinity
Spd 50 ft., fly 50 ft. (clumsy)
Melee bite +15 (4d6+10), 2 claws +12 (3d8+5), tail slap +12 (2d6+5)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks breath weapon (DC 28, 20d8 negative energy), trample (DC 26, 3d8+15)
During Combat Dragon engines fight without imagination or mercy, almost entirely at their controller’s command. Occasionally, a spark of draconic rage seems to seep through, but these constructs have never been known to break free of their master’s control.
Morale Dragon engines fight as long as their controller wishes.
Str 30, Dex 9, Con –, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 14
Base Atk +24; Grp +46
Feats Awesome Blow, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Flyby Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Multiattack, Power Attack, Snatch, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Listen +36, Search +36, Spot +36
SQ provide cover
Organization solitary
Environment any land or underground
Treasure none
Advancement 33–66 HD (Colossal)
Breath Weapon (Su) 40-foot cone, once every 1d4 rounds (but no more than twice per day), 20d8 negative energy, Fortitude DC 28 half. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Negative Energy Affinity (Ex) Although a construct, a dragon engine is healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy, as if it were an undead creature.
Provide Cover (Ex) A dragon engine is large enough to provide improved cover (+8 to AC, +4 to Reflex saves, gains improved evasion against any attack to which the Reflex save bonus applies, +10 bonus on Hide checks) to creatures sheltering in its interior. These creatures can fire through small arrow slits between the ribs.
Trample (Ex) A dragon engine that simply moves over a creature and doesn’t end its movement with that creature in one of its occupied squares can trample the creature. A trampled creature takes 3d8+15 damage. The victim can either make an attack of opportunity against the dragon engine or a DC 36 Reflex save to take half damage.
Construction
A dragon engine requires the corpse of a Gargantuan dragon, as well as special unguents and bindings. These materials cost approximately 16,000 gp. Assembling the body requires a DC 23 Craft (leatherworking) check or a DC 24 Heal check.
While the dragon engine does not require the difficult fusion of many separate parts that must work in unison, the enchantment of a container capable of holding and recharging its negative energy breath weapon is entirely as difficult a task as fusing disparate parts for a zombie ram or an ether tower.
CL 17th; Craft Construct, control undead, geas/quest, limited wish, magic jar, shadow evocation, shapechange, caster must be at least 17th level; Price 176,000 gp; Cost 96,000 gp + 6,400 XP.
Necromantic Siege Engine, Ether Tower
A great monstrosity comes teetering forth, a tall tower built on a series of massive metal rollers. Curling mists bubble from the rollers as they move. As the looming tower draws closer you can see that it seems to be made entirely of corpses, all of these twisted dead bodies fused together in new and horrific shapes—hundreds of corpses, and perhaps thousands.
Shrouded in Arcane Mists. Ether towers, sometimes known as mist towers, provide a way to pass over city walls or onto upper levels of a fortified manor or keep—they are named for the curling fog and mist that bubbles from the rollers they move on, a byproduct of the arcane energies that move the enormous structures.
Constructed from Undead. Ether towers are built from hundreds of bodies of dead soldiers, sculpted into towers and sent into battle. They are powered by the legs and withered muscles of undead humanoids, and their undead carapaces are made of bones or of skulls layered as if they were shingles.
Gigantic Creations. Ether towers are often 50 feet tall and 20 feet on a side, with five interior floors, thick armor plates on the front and sides (and sometimes on the back), plus three or four steamroller-like wheels made of metal drums that are filled with blood. The bone interior of an ether tower protects any creature riding within it. Some towers are fitted with expanding bone bridges (to assault enemy walls), cauldrons of boiling oil or flame projectors (to set fire to rooftops), and even small catapults or ballistae on the top deck.
Ether Tower CR 10
Always N Gargantuan construct
Init -2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen -1, Spot -1
AC 18, touch 4, flat-footed 18
(-4 size, -2 Dex, +14 natural)
hp 181 (22d10+60 HD)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +6
Immune construct traits; negative energy affinity
Spd 10 ft.
Melee slam +23 (2d8+16)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks discorporate, trample (DC 32, 10d10+16)
During Combat Ether towers are mindless and can only follow the orders of those who made them. Ether towers often discorporate just as they reach a wall or fortification, becoming mist for a moment and then reappearing on the far side.
Morale Ether towers fight until destroyed.
Str 32, Dex 6, Con –, Int –, Wis 8, Cha 8
Base Atk +16; Grp +39
SQ grabbing claws (6d4+11), expert grappler, provide cover
Organization solitary
Environment any land or underground
Treasure none
Advancement 23–46 HD (Colossal)
Discorporate (Su) As an immediate action, an ether tower and any creature entirely within its confines can become momentarily insubstantial, disappearing in a wispy puff of smoke or sand. This effect lasts until the beginning of the tower’s next turn; an ether tower can discorporate up to 32 times per day. The ability is otherwise identical with gaseous form (caster level 20th).
Expert Grappler (Ex) An ether tower can maintain a grapple without penalty and still make attacks against other targets. An ether tower is never considered flat-footed when grappling.
Grappling Claws (Ex) The sides of an ether tower are lined with dozens of arms and clawed hands. Getting close to one can be dangerous, because the hands attempt to grab and hold anyone coming near them. Treat this as a free grappling attempt whenever the tower is subjected to a melee attack from an opponent occupying a square adjacent to the ether tower. This grappling attempt does not draw an attack of opportunity. The ether tower can then use its many clawing hands to automatically inflict 6d4+11 points of damage per round on a grappled opponent.
Negative Energy Affinity (Ex) Although a construct, an ether tower is healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy, as if it were an undead creature.
Provide Cover (Ex) An ether tower is large enough to provide cover to creatures sheltering in its interior. Creatures on the ground floor have total cover, while those on the higher floors have improved cover (+8 to AC, +4 to Reflex saves, gains improved evasion against any attack to which the Reflex save bonus applies, +10 bonus on Hide checks) and can fire through arrow slits.
Trample (Ex) An ether tower that simply moves over a creature and doesn’t end its movement with that creature in one of its occupied squares can trample the creature. A trampled creature takes 10d10+16 damage. The victim can either make an attack of opportunity against the tower or a DC 32 Reflex save to take half damage.
Construction
An ether tower requires graveyards full of corpses, a minimum of 1,000 bodies, as well as special unguents and bindings. These materials cost approximately 8,000 gp. The parts must be enchanted for motion, durability, and speed. Assembling the body requires a DC 20 Craft (leatherworking) check or a DC 21 Heal check.
CL 15th; Craft Construct, control undead, gaseous form, geas/quest, iron body, limited wish, wall of iron, caster must be at least 15th level; Price 168,000 gp; Cost 88,000 gp + 6,400 XP.
Zombie Ram
A great darkness comes upon you, like a sprawling cloudbank of shadows over a hundred feet across. And as the darkness comes, you hear a rhythmic drumming.
Crafted for Destruction. A zombie ram is built to take down a gate or wall. Zombie rams are composed of hundreds of bodies of dead soldiers, sculpted into rams and sent into battle. They are powered by the legs and withered muscles of undead humanoids, and their undead carapaces are made of bones or of skulls layered as if they were shingles.
A Fusion of Undead and Shadow Magic. A zombie ram is essentially a gigantic bone-and-iron ram with dozens of heads located on either side of the central ram. The bones are fused with iron, steel, and brass to strengthen then, and the skin and muscle of the corpses are strengthened with shadow essences to harden them. The point of the iron ram is traditionally a skull, but ram’s heads, horned demons, and other designs are common. Arms often stick out of the sides as leftovers of the fusing of iron and flesh.
The Tireless March of Zombies. A zombie ram always marches accompanied with a rhythmic drumming of feet marching in perfect unison—the motion of its two hundred feet resembles the synchronous slither of an enormous centipede.
Zombie Ram CR 9
Always N Huge construct
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +9, Spot +10
Aura darkness (60-ft. radius)
AC 27, touch 8, flat-footed 27
(-2 size, +0 Dex, +19 natural)
hp 128 (16d10+40 HD)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +5
Immune construct traits; negative energy affinity
Spd 40 ft.
Melee slam +17 (4d6+10)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks ram charge (8d6+20), trample (DC 25, 4d6+10)
During Combat Zombie rams have a minimal intelligence and are eager to smash their foes.
Morale Zombie rams fight until destroyed.
Str 24, Dex 10, Con –, Int 4, Wis 7, Cha 9
Base Atk +12; Grp +27
Feats Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Iron Will, Power Attack
Skills Listen +9, Spot +10
SQ grabbing claws (6d4+7), expert grappler
Organization solitary
Environment any land or underground
Treasure none
Advancement 17–33 HD (Gargantuan)
Aura of Darkness (Su) A zombie ram is continually surrounded by a darkness effect (as the deeper darkness spell). Any light effect or similar effect brought into the area of the zombie ram is suppressed until brought outside of the aura of darkness. Once brought outside the aura of darkness, the light effect resumes. While this darkness will suppress a daylight spell, a daylight spell does not suppress the zombie ram’s aura. When a zombie ram is destroyed, the aura of darkness fades away in 1d3 rounds. Undead and constructs can see normally within this aura.
Expert Grappler (Ex) A zombie ram can maintain a grapple without penalty and still make attacks against other targets. A zombie ram is never considered flat-footed when grappling.
Grappling Claws (Ex) The sides of a zombie ram are lined with dozens of arms and clawed hands. Getting close to one can be dangerous, because the hands attempt to grab and hold anyone coming near them. Treat this as a free grappling attempt whenever the ram is subjected to a melee attack from an opponent occupying a square adjacent to the zombie ram. This grappling attempt does not draw an attack of opportunity. The zombie ram can then use its many clawing hands to automatically inflict 6d4+7 points of damage per round on a grappled opponent.
Negative Energy Affinity (Ex) Although a construct, a zombie ram is healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy, as if it were an undead creature.
Ram Charge (Ex) A zombie ram deals 8d6+20 points of damage when it makes a charge. Any creature that takes damage from the charge is also affected as if that creature rolled a natural 1 on its saving throw against a spell effect. An exposed item worn or held by the creature (randomly determined) must make a DC 25 saving throw or also take 8d6+20 damage. The save DC is Strength-based.
Trample (Ex) A zombie ram that simply moves over a creature and doesn’t end its movement with that creature in one of its occupied squares can trample the creature. A trampled creature takes 4d6+10 damage. The victim can either make an attack of opportunity against the ram or a DC 25 Reflex save to take half damage.
Construction
A zombie ram requires graveyards full of corpses, a minimum of 100 , as well as special unguents and bindings. This costs approximately 2,000 gp. The parts must be enchanted for motion, durability, and speed. Assembling the body requires a DC 19 Craft (leatherworking) check or a DC 20 Heal check.
CL 13th; Craft Construct, control undead, forceful hand, geas/quest, limited wish, caster must be at least 13th level; Price 162,000 gp; Cost 82,000 gp + 6,400 XP.
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
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