Fogwarden

A fogwarden is a hazy, roughly human figure a shade darker than the fog around it, with eyes that blaze an intense blue. It is easily mistaken for a wraith but is not undead. It seems instead to be some para- or quasi-elemental being of fog and ice with an electrical nature, and the mists it haunts sometimes flicker with light. It makes no sound and has no known way to communicate.

A fogwarden would rather frighten than fight, since fear is its food. When it comes within 60 feet, the air smells of ozone and hair stands on end. Anyone within 30 feet must save vs. spell or flee from its aura of fear. It has no physical attack and seldom strikes unless attacked first, but once provoked it can release a lightning bolt every other round. This works like the spell but reaches only 30 feet and deals 3d6 points of damage, half on a successful save vs. spell.

Metal weapons that touch it must make an item save vs. electricity at once or be destroyed in a blinding flash, and the wielder takes 3d6 points of electrical damage, halved with a save vs. spell. Only wooden weapons enchanted to +1 or better can harm it. Cold, electricity, gas and poison have no effect. It avoids sunlight, and a full hour of direct exposure destroys it.

Within 15 feet, its electric field also stirs every corpse to motion. These bodies fight as zombies under its command, but they are not undead and cannot be turned, and they collapse as soon as they are more than 15 feet from it. A slain fogwarden evaporates without a trace.

Fogwardens live alone and have no known society. They drift through thick, frigid fog in search of creatures to torment. They keep no treasure, although whatever their victims carried may lie where they fell, abandoned when the fogwarden moves on. Unable to make fog of its own, a fogwarden retreats underground when the weather turns against it. How or whether they reproduce is unknown.

Intelligent creatures are its preferred prey, though it may be able to live on the fear of animals. Nothing hunts it, but lasting banks of icy fog are rare enough that it is found only in the far north, on high mountains and in other places with natural or magical cold mist, including arctic, subarctic and the coldest temperate regions.

Rarer still, the giant fogwarden stands 12 feet tall with 8 Hit Dice, and every one of its powers is doubled in scale. Its ozone warning reaches 120 feet and its fear aura 60 feet, its lightning stroke runs 60 feet for 6d6 damage, a weapon touching it deals 6d6 to the wielder, and it animates corpses within 30 feet. It is still harmed by +1 wooden weapons and still ignores poison, gas, cold and electricity, but 1st-level spells cannot affect it and fire deals it only half damage.

Unconfirmed tales speak of an even greater kind, perhaps 18 feet tall, with all abilities tripled. It would need +2 wooden weapons to harm, ignore all spells of 1st and 2nd level, and suffer half damage or none from fire. It is said to be highly intelligent, able to speak telepathically with thinking creatures, and to command the magic of a 9th-level wizard along with that of a 7th-level priest.