Sarcophagus Knight:

Creating a Sarcophagus Knight
“Sarcophagus Knight” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with 5 or more Hit Dice (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Most Sarcophagus Knights were once humanoids. A Sarcophagus Knight uses the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here.

CR: Same as base creature +2.

Alignment: A Sarcophagus Knight’s alignment must be within one step of her chosen idol’s alignment, along either axis.

Special: Must be either a follower of, or have a strong connection to, a Deity, Minor Deity, similarly powerful outsider, notable historical figure, or similarly noteworthy idol that they wish to serve in unlife.

Type: The Sarcophagus Knight type changes to undead (augmented). Do not recalculate class Hit Dice, BAB, or saves.

Senses: A Sarcophagus Knight gains darkvision 60 ft.

Aura: A Sarcophagus Knight emanates the following aura.

Desiccation Aura (Su)
A Sarcophagus Knight constantly exudes an aura of intense and moisture-evaporating heatwaves in a 30-foot radius. Within this aura, all living creatures take 1d6 damage at the beginning of each round they remain inside the aura as the moisture is ripped from their bodies. Plant creatures and water elementals are especially harmed by this process, which instead take 1d8 points of damage every round. Non-magical plants and water inside this aura wither and evaporate. At 10, 15, and 20 HD, add an extra damage die to this aura.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +4.

Hit Dice: Change all racial Hit Dice to d8s. Class Hit Dice are unaffected. As an undead, a Sarcophagus Knight uses its Charisma modifier to determine bonus hit points.

Defensive Abilities: A Sarcophagus Knight gains channel resistance +4; DR 10/magic; and immunity to fire and electricity. A Sarcophagus Knight also gains spell resistance equal to its augmented CR + 11.

Weaknesses: Much like those who serve the gods, a Sarcophagus Knight has their own personal oath that they can never break(Decided upon when the transformation takes place), which always relates to the idol they choose to serve and embody eternally in their unlife. Bound by such an oath, they are restrained by supernatural forces from breaking such an oath, and to willingly do so will instantly destroy their sarcophagus and render them to dust. Finally, Each round of immersion in running water inflicts damage on a Sarcophagus Knight equal to one-third of its maximum hit points—a Sarcophagus Knight reduced to 0 hit points in this manner is destroyed, though will return to unlife as normal with their Rejuvenation ability.

Speed: A Sarcophagus Knight gains a burrow speed equal to their base land speed.

The Sarcophagus Knight also gains the following ability.

Rejuvenation (Su)
One day after a Sarcophagus Knight is destroyed, its sarcophagus begins to rebuild its withered body. This process takes 1d10 days—if the body is destroyed before that time passes, the sarcophagus merely starts the process anew. After this time has elapsed, the Sarcophagus Knight wakens fully healed.

Attacks: A Sarcophagus Knight gains a slam attack if the base creature didn’t have one. Damage for the slam depends on the Sarcophagus Knight’s size.

Special Attacks: A Sarcophagus Knight gains the following special attacks. Save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2 the Sarcophagus Knight’s HD + the Sarcophagus Knight’s Charisma modifier unless otherwise noted.

Omni-Channel (Su)
A Sarcophagus knight gains the use of the Channel Energy ability as a cleric of ½ their level, and may channel any energy type regardless of their alignment.

Omni-Smite (Su)
A numbers of timse per day equal to their Charisma modifier, a Sarcophagus Knight may use the Smite paladin ability against any alignment (Good, Neutral, Evil), but can only focus on one alignment at a time. See the Smite Good description, provided below, for further details.

Once per day, a paladin can call out to the powers of good to aid her in her struggle against evil. As a swift action, the paladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is evil, the paladin adds her Cha bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her paladin level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of smite evil is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the paladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.

In addition, while smite evil is in effect, the paladin gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the paladin targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect.

The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Paladin, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.

Special Qualities: A Sarcophagus Knight gains the following.

Omni-Detection (Su)
At-will, a Sarcophagus Knight may use the spell Detect Alignment, which functions as Detect Good, Evil, Law, and Chaos and additionally provides the same effect with Neutral alignments as well.

Mask of the Judicator (Su)
Anytime the Sarcophagus Knight is the target of a spell or special ability meant to discern their alignment or type, they are immediately alerted to such an attempt, and learn the name, type and alignment of the creature using the effect. Additionally, they may choose any alignment and type as the result returned by the spell or ability.

Eyes of Divinity(Su)
The Sarcophagus Knight gains the permanent, at-will use of the Deathwatch spell against all applicable creatures within line of sight. If this ability is used and focused on a specific target for one full minute, the Sarcophagus Knight learns the type of the target, but not subtype, and knows if the target follows or worships the Sarcophagus Knight’s chosen Deity.

Sand Form (Su)
As a standard action, a Sarcophagus Knight can assume gaseous form at will (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability. However, instead of a cloud of mist, it appears as a cloud of sand.

Ability Scores: Str +4, Int +4, Wis +4, Cha +4. As an undead creature, a Sarcophagus Knight has no Constitution score.

Skills: Sarcophagus Knights gain a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate, Sense Motive, and Knowledge(Religion) checks.

Feats: Sarcophagus Knights gain Selective Channel, Extra Channel, Improved Channel and Channel Smite as bonus feats.

The Sarcophagus Knight’s Sarcophagus
An integral part of becoming a Sarcophagus Knight is the creation of the Sarcophagus in which the character stores his soul. The only way to get rid of a Sarcophagus Knight for sure is to destroy its Sarcophagus. Unless its Sarcophagus is located and destroyed, a Sarcophagus Knight can rejuvenate after it is killed.

Each Sarcophagus Knight must create its own Sarcophagus by using the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The character must be able to either cast divine spells and have a caster level of 11th or higher, have a Knowledge Religion total of over 40, or gain the favor of a chosen idol or deity to gain permission to do so. The sarcophagus costs 50,000 gp to create and has a caster level equal to that of its creator at the time of creation.

The most common form of sarcophagus is a sealed stone coffin containing strips of parchment on which magical phrases have been transcribed. The sarcophagus is one size bigger than its creator was upon its creation, and has 100 hit points, hardness 25, and a break DC of 40.

 

The Sarcophagus Knight’s Appearance
After completing his transformation, a Sarcophagus knight’s body remains the same overall size as it did in life, though their exterior appearance takes on a stony, coffin-like appearance to symbolize their nature. As they offer up their very souls and mummify their bodies in the transformation process to the sarcophagus they create with their chosen idol or deity’s assistance, they also leave behind many of the things that once made them so human so as to better serve their god in undeath. While they lose many of the pleasures of the flesh they once enjoyed, such as taste, touch, smell, etc…, they gain an undying and renewed vigor and pleasure in knowing they are closer than any other to their object of worship. To them, though they may no longer be able to experience their favorite foods, their favorite drinks, or the touch of a companion, their object of worship ensures that their new servant remains capable of simulating such feelings in their eternal service, and they take solace in such a fact. Following their new code is how they now experience such things, though many still go through the acts of their old lives in an act of habit or comfort. However, each object of worship will treat their Sarcophagus Knights differently...a goddess of pleasure would always ensure they would remain capable of such things, a god of battle would ensure they could enjoy such an act...and so on.