Banelich

Long ago, when the tyrant god's young church was hunted wherever its faithful gathered in small numbers, the god began to choose his mightiest priest once every 50 to 60 years and teach that servant a foul rite. Faith, willpower and the god's own hand combined to transform the priest into an undying guardian of the church, a banelich.

A banelich is a gaunt, rotting skeleton with points of red light deep in black eye sockets. It wears moldering ceremonial vestments, once elegant, and always displays its god's black-hand symbol where all can see it.

Every banelich was a cleric of 17th level or higher before its change, and some exceeded 20th. Its god grants its spells daily; they still need words and gestures but no material components, and they take normal casting time. It may use any magical item allowed to clerics of its alignment.

An aura of dread surrounds it. Creatures under 5 Hit Dice or levels who see it flee in terror for 5d4 rounds; those of 5 or more may save vs. spell to resist. Its touch deals 1d10 unnatural cold and forces a save vs. spell, as against emotion, to avoid utter hopelessness.

Twice per round it can hurl balls of blue-green negative-energy coldfire up to 60 yards for 3d10 freezing damage each. Even creatures immune to cold, by nature or by magic, take half.

Only +2 or better weapons harm it. Poison, sunlight, cold, electricity, charm, sleep, polymorph, enfeeblement, insanity and death effects all fail against it. It cannot be turned in its lair or in places devoted to its god; elsewhere it turns on the Special row. A vial of holy water blessed in a lawful good temple of the dawn god burns it for 1d10; other holy water deals 1d6.

Like an ordinary lich, it dies only when its phylactery is destroyed, and that kills it instantly. Reduced to 0 hit points with the phylactery intact, it re-forms at that site in 2d10 days. Smashing the phylactery releases a blast of negative energy: the destroyer and all within 10 feet must succeed at a -1 save vs. death magic to survive.

Banelichs once spread their god's word across a prime world and shielded his followers, and many were worshiped as demipowers, known as the Mouths of their god. Followers of good deities, especially the dawn god's clergy, rallied to destroy any banelich they discovered before it grew too strong. Worse, each banelich believed itself the church's rightful head and resisted yielding worldly power to the living high priest, which split the faith. Displeased, the god eventually stopped teaching the rite. Records show at least 35 were created, and only 10 are known to have been destroyed.

A banelich gains power with age. Every 100 years it rises one cleric level for spells, adds 5% magic resistance and acquires one of the powers below. Others may come after 400 years, but no sage has recorded them.

Painwrack: At its whim, any living creature meeting its gaze must save vs. spell or suffer 2d10 damage from wrenching muscle pain.

Voice of Maleficence: After a turn of the banelich's talk, the listener must save vs. spell or fall into a drowsy trance and spill every secret. A new save is allowed every six turns, worsening by 1 for each full hour of conversation.

Grasp of Death: Once a day, while black flame flickers around its hands, its touch slays outright unless the target saves vs. death magic. Only a good priest can raise such a victim; potions and magical items cannot.