Buy me a coffee“Church Grim: The Spectral Hound Guardian of Sacred Ground”
“A towering spectral black hound with eyes like burning coals, the Church Grim silently prowls graveyards and sacred grounds, guarding the dead and punishing those who dare disturb their eternal rest.”
A spectral black hound bound to ancient consecrated ground, the Church Grim is a vigilant spirit that guards graveyards and sanctuaries from desecration, striking terror into the unworthy with its burning eyes and thunderous, otherworldly howl.
Appearance
The Church Grim manifests as a towering black dog wreathed in mist and shadow, its fur absorbing light like a void. Its eyes blaze with ghostly fire—red, gold, or pale blue—and its paws leave no prints upon the earth. When enraged, its form distorts, revealing hints of bone, smoke, and spectral chains that clatter with unseen weight.
Behaviour
Solitary and ever-watchful, the Church Grim patrols the borders of its sacred domain, pacing silently between gravestones or appearing at the edge of torchlight. It rarely attacks without cause, but will materialize suddenly when a grave is disturbed or holy ground defiled. Though it seldom speaks, some report hearing its low growl echo within the bell tower when danger nears.
Habitat
Found exclusively in consecrated places—churchyards, ruined monasteries, crypts, and burial grounds—the Church Grim is forever bound to the site of its creation. It cannot stray far from its hallowed soil and fades with the sunrise if lured beyond its sacred bounds.
Modus Operandi
The Grim hunts by stealth and fear, using its spectral nature to phase through walls or vanish into shadows before reappearing in a burst of cold wind. In combat, it relies on terrifying howls to scatter foes and spectral bites that chill the soul rather than tear flesh. It favors ambushes, defending the dead with supernatural precision.
Motivation
Driven by duty older than memory, the Church Grim exists to guard the sanctity of death and the divine. Whether created through ancient ritual, sacrifice, or divine will, its loyalty is absolute—to the church, the spirits it protects, and the eternal order of the dead. It seeks no reward, only peace through vigilance.
Church Grim 5e 2024
Church Grim, Pathfinder
Church Grim
Medium undead (spirit), lawful neutral
Armor Class 15 (spectral hide)
Hit Points 93 (11d8 + 44)
Speed 40 ft., ethereal stride 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 10 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws Wis +6, Cha +5
Skills Perception +6, Stealth +5, Religion +3
Damage Resistances necrotic, cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages understands Celestial, Common, and Infernal but doesn’t speak
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) • Proficiency Bonus +3
Divine Guardian.
The Church Grim can’t willingly leave consecrated ground. While within 120 feet of consecrated terrain or a holy site, it has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spectral Form.
The Grim can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Eternal Vigil.
The Church Grim always knows the presence and direction of undead, fiends, or any creature that has desecrated a grave or holy place within 300 feet of its domain.
Innate Spellcasting (Divine).
The Church Grim’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14). It requires no material components when casting these spells:
- At will: detect evil and good, thaumaturgy
- 3/day each: bane, protection from evil and good, silence
- 1/day each: banishment, spirit guardians
Actions
Multiattack.
The Church Grim makes two Spectral Bite attacks.
Spectral Bite.
Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) necrotic damage. If the target has desecrated a grave or holy site, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of its next turn.
Howl of the Sanctum (Recharge 5–6).
The Church Grim releases a soul-freezing howl audible within 300 feet. Each hostile creature of the Grim’s choice within 30 feet that can hear it must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) psychic damage on a failed save or half as much on a success. A creature that fails the save is also frightened for 1 minute. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success.
Reactions
Sanctified Retaliation.
When a fiend, undead, or desecrator hits the Grim with an attack, radiant energy lashes outward. The attacker must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.
Legendary Actions
The Church Grim can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn.
- Spectral Step. The Grim moves up to half its speed, passing through creatures and objects during this movement.
- Warding Growl (Costs 2 Actions). The Grim emits a low, divine growl. Each ally within 20 feet gains advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed until the end of its next turn.
- Vigilant Scent. The Grim targets one creature within 60 feet. Until the end of the Grim’s next turn, it knows that creature’s location, even if invisible or hidden.
Combat Tactics
The Church Grim defends sacred ground with methodical precision. It begins combat with protection from evil and good active, using silence to hinder enemy spellcasters. It opens with Howl of the Sanctum to sow fear and confusion, then closes in with Spectral Bite to punish desecrators. It phases through obstacles with Spectral Step, flanking foes or striking from cover. When pressed, it summons spirit guardians to dominate the battlefield, fighting until its territory is cleansed or it is unmade.
Church Grim
This creature resembles a large, ghostly black dog with glowing red eyes.
Church grims are good spirits that guard cemeteries from those who seek to steal from the dead, or those who wish to desecrate the sanctity of the graves there. The eyes of a church grim see all evil that crosses into its territory, and it spares no mercy for such trespassers.
The precinct of a church grim is the cemetery and church it has chosen to protect, and it cannot leave that holy ground around. A church grim cannot truly be destroyed, for it is not a mortal creature of flesh and blood. If dispatched, a church grim will return the following night to resume its duties.
A church or temple dedicated to a good deity is 25% likely to have attracted a guardian church grim; this chance increases to 75% if the church or temple grounds have been hallowed.
A church grim does not attack or harm anyone that enters the churchyard or the cemetery if they are there to worship or pay their respects. It only attacks evil creatures and those who enter the churchyard to rob from the dead. Church grims always attack undead creatures on sight.
Church Grim CR 5
XP 1,600
LG Small magical beast (incorporeal)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., know alignment, low-light vision; Perception +12
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+2 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 size)
hp 37 (5d10+10)
Fort +6; Ref +6; Will +5
Defensive Abilities incorporeal, rejuvenation; DR 10/evil
Weaknesses limited domain
OFFENSE
Speed fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Melee incorporeal bite +8 (1d6 holy plus 1d4 Wisdom)
Special Attacks howl
STATISTICS
Str —, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 14
Base Atk +5; CMB +6; CMD 18
Feats Ability Focus (howl), Alertness, Iron Will
Skills Fly +16, Knowledge (religion) +5, Perception +12, Sense Motive +9
SQ soul defender
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Howl (Su)
The howl of a church grim causes any evil creature within its limited domain (its churchyard; see below) to make a successful DC 16 Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. Good or neutral creatures are completely unaffected by the howl as long as they are not there to steal from the dead or attack the church. Whether or not the save is successful, a creature cannot be affected by the same church grim’s howl for one day. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Know Alignment (Su)
A church grim makes automatically knows the alignment of any creature that enters its churchyard. This ability can be dispelled, but the church grim can reactivate it the following round as a free action. It cannot extend this ability beyond the limits of its domain, however.
Limited Domain (Ex)
The realm of a church grim encompasses only the churchyard it defends; it can wander freely in its cemetery and any adjoining church grounds, but it cannot move beyond; it must stop at the boundary of consecrated land.
Rejuvenation (Su)
It is difficult to destroy a church grim through simple combat. A slain church grim restores itself within 24 hours. Even the most powerful spells are often only temporary solutions. A church grim that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its churchyard with a successful level check (1d20 + the church grim’s HD) against DC 16. The only sure way to get rid of a church grim is to raze the church it protects and cast unhallow on the churchyard.
Soul Defender (Su)
It is the sacred duty of a church grim to defend the bodies and souls of those buried in its churchyard. Any attempts to cast an animate dead or similar spell to create undead within the confines of an area guarded by a church grim requires the caster to make a successful DC 20 caster level check. If the check fails, the spell fizzles away just as if it had been cast. Whether the check succeeds or not, the caster incurs the full wrath of the church grim immediately.
Wisdom Damage (Su)
The incorporeal bite of a church grim deals 1d6 points of holy damage and 1d4 points of Wisdom damage to the target. A successful DC 14 Fortitude save negates the Wisdom damage. The save DC is Constitution-based. On each successful attack that does Wisdom damage, the church grim gains 5 temporary hit points.
ECOLOGY
Environment any land (graveyards and cemeteries)
Organization solitary
Treasure none
Section 15: Copyright Notice
Church Grim from the Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Erica Balsley.