Barrow Wight (Template)

Akin to wights, these are only found near barrows, guarding treasure within.

The Dread Codex

Author Bret Boyd

Series Dread Codex

Publisher Adamant Entertainment

Publish date 2004

“Barrow wight” is a template that can be added to any sentient creature with an organic body and a culture with death rituals and has recently died either by a barrow wight’s energy drain ability or naturally; if naturally, the creature must be raised as a barrow wight by some magical force (referred to hereafter as the ‘base creature’).

The creature’s possession of a soul is a determination for the GM to make, but in most campaigns it includes any dragon, giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid. fey, elementals, and other such creatures depend on the campaign’s cosmology; creatures that are a type of spirit are not subject to being raised as a barrow wight. It uses all the creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted below.

Size and Type: The base creature’s type changes to undead. As base creature

Hit Dice: Change to d12, and adjust hit points bonus for ability score modifications.

Speed: Same as the base creature but 5 ft. in daylight.

Armor Class: The barrow wight has +4 natural armor or the creature’s natural armor, whichever is better, though it loses any manufactured armor bonuses.

Base Attack: A barrow wight has a base attack bonus equal to one-half its Hit Dice.

Attack: The barrow wight retains any natural attacks, and gains 2 natural claw attacks if it doesn’t already have them, though it loses any attacks with manufactured weapons. Adjust retained natural attacks for ability score modifications.

Damage: Creatures without natural weapons gain 2 claw attacks based on the barrow wight’s size category. If the creature already has claws that do more damage, the creature retains these, but adjusted for ability score modifications.

Size	Claw Damage
Fine	–
Diminutive	1
Tiny	1d2
Small	1d3
Medium	1d4
Large	1d6
Huge	2d4
Gargantuan	2d6
Colossal	2d8

Special Attacks: A barrow wight retains all of the special attacks of the base creature. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 barrow wight’s HD + barrow wight’s Charisma modifier. It also gains the following:

Create Spawn (Su): Any sentient creature with a soul and death rituals slain by a barrow wight’s energy drain rises as a barrow wight the next night, as per this template. The new barrow wight is under the command of the barrow wight that created it and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction as well as the destruction of every master in the direct line of creation back to the first master barrow wight of that line. Once the creator line of wights is destroyed, the wight spawn has free will. From that point on, every time the barrow wight uses its create spawn ability on a creature with a soul, it gains 1 HD and remains its original size.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a barrow wight’s claw attack gain one negative level. For each negative level bestowed, the barrow wight gains 5 temporary hit points. A barrow wight can use its energy drain ability once per round.

Special Qualities: A ghoul retains all the special qualities of the base creature and receives those special qualities listed below.

Damage Reduction 10/silver (Ex): The barrow wight ignores 10 hit points from most weapons and natural attacks. A silver weapon or better negates the ability.

Fire Vulnerability (Ex): A barrow wight takes double damage from fire attacks unless a save is allowed for half damage. A successful save halves the damage and a failure doubles it.

Life Sense (Ex): The barrow wight can sense the presence of any creature subject to its energy drain attack. One round of Concentration reveals the presence of life forces within 30 feet of the wight. A second
round of Concentration reveals the general number and Strength (Hit Dice) of the life forces. A third round of Concentration reveals the exact position of the life forces.

Nature Rejection (Ex): The barrow wight’s connection to the Negative Energy Plane is tangible to natural creatures within 200 feet of the wight, and they react accordingly. animals and fey become agitated in the presence of barrow wights, often exhibiting fear reactions.

Sunlight Vulnerability (Su): A barrow wight’s connection to the Negative Energy Plane is significantly impaired in sunlight. In sunlight, the wight’s abilities are all effectively reduced to 1, its speed is reduced to 5 feet, and the wight can only take partial actions. The wight cannot use its energy drain ability in sunlight and loses its damage reduction but not its natural armor. Time spent in sunlight does not count for recovering for those barrow wights who are spellcasters.

Turn Resistance (Ex): A barrow wight has +3 turn resistance. Saves: As base creature, modified by changes to abilities.

Abilities: As base creature, though an undead creature has no Constitution score.

Skills: Barrow wight class skills when advancing are Climb, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot. Barrow wights otherwise use the skills of the base creature and also gain a +8 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

Environment: Any land or underground.

Organization: Solitary, gang (1 barrow wight and 1-4 spawn), or pack (1 barrow wight and 5-10 spawn).

Challenge Rating: As the base creature +2.

Treasure: Varies from none to double standard.

Alignment: Usually chaotic evil.

Advancement: Special; see the create spawn ability.