Infectious (Template)

Destroy the body to survive the battle. Destroy the brain to survive the plague.

Victims of Virus Mortiferum become the creatures known simply as the infected. Unlike true undead animated by negative energy, the infected are corpses reanimated by a supernatural pathogen that colonizes the brain and extinguishes all higher thought. Every instinct, every movement, and every attack serves one purpose alone: to spread the disease.

Although biologically dead, infected creatures retain much of their physical speed and coordination. They sprint, climb, batter through obstacles, and relentlessly pursue living creatures that can serve as new hosts. They neither eat for sustenance nor kill from malice. Once a victim is no longer capable of resisting, the infected instinctively abandons it in search of another.

The infected are not undead in the metaphysical sense. They are something far more terrifying: a plague that walks.

Creating an Infectious Creature

"Infectious" is an acquired template that may be gained only by a living, corporeal creature of the Humanoid or Giant type that has succumbed to Virus Mortiferum. The resulting creature is referred to as an infectious creature.

An infectious creature uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted below.

Size and Type

The creature's type changes to Infected.

Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice

All current and future Hit Dice become d12s.

Speed

Unchanged.

Armor Class

The creature's natural armor bonus improves by +2.

Base Attack

As Undead (1/2 Hit Dice).

Attack

The infectious creature retains all natural attacks of the base creature.

If it lacks a bite attack, it gains one as a primary natural weapon.

Size	Bite Damage
Fine	1
Diminutive	1d2
Tiny	1d3
Small	1d4
Medium	1d6
Large	1d8
Huge	2d6
Gargantuan	2d8
Colossal	4d6

Special Attacks

Virus Mortiferum (Ex)

Any living creature of the Humanoid or Giant type damaged by an infectious creature's bite must attempt a Fortitude save.

Save DC: 10 + ½ the infectious creature's Hit Dice + the infectious creature's Strength modifier + the damage dealt by the bite attack.

Failure indicates infection.

Virus Mortiferum cannot be overcome through natural healing.

Remove Disease suppresses the disease for 24 hours but does not eliminate it. Only Heal, Limited Wish, Wish, Miracle, or similarly powerful magic completely cures the infection.

Once infected, the victim remains conscious and fully functional throughout the incubation period.

Failed Save By	Incubation Period
1-4	8 hours
5-9	4 hours
10-14	1 hour
15-19	10 minutes
20+	1d4 rounds

When the incubation period expires, the victim dies immediately.

After 1d4 rounds, the corpse rises as an infectious creature.

Spawn (Ex)

Only living, corporeal creatures of the Humanoid or Giant type slain by Virus Mortiferum rise as infectious creatures.

A creature whose type has changed to another type (such as a half-dragon, whose type becomes Dragon) is no longer a suitable host and cannot contract Virus Mortiferum through ordinary means.

Pack Frenzy (Ex)

Whenever an infectious creature successfully bites a living creature of the Humanoid or Giant type, every infectious creature within 60 feet that can see or hear the attack immediately becomes aware of the victim's location and instinctively converges upon it by the most direct route possible.

Special Qualities

Cerebral Dominance (Ex)

Virus Mortiferum has completely consumed and replaced the creature's higher neurological functions.

Destruction of the heart, lungs, liver, spine, or any other organ has no effect upon an infectious creature.

The creature is immune to:

• Critical hits
• Sneak attacks and other precision damage
• Ability damage
• Ability drain
• Death from massive damage
• Death effects that rely upon living physiology

An infectious creature is destroyed only when its brain is destroyed.

If decapitated without destruction of the brain, the severed head remains animate indefinitely (see Animate Head).

Single-Minded Predation (Ex)

Infectious creatures instinctively recognize living creatures of the Humanoid and Giant types as suitable hosts.

Unless attacked or physically prevented from doing so, they ignore creatures of all other types.

Scent (Ex)

An infectious creature gains the Scent special quality.

Darkvision

60 feet.

Infected Traits

An infectious creature possesses the following traits.

• d12 Hit Dice.
• No Constitution score.
• Immune to poison.
• Immune to disease
• Immune to sleep effects.
• Immune to paralysis.
• Immune to stunning.
• Immune to fatigue.
• Immune to exhaustion.
• Immune to nonlethal damage.
• Does not breathe.
• Does not eat.
• Does not sleep.

Because infectious creatures are animated by Virus Mortiferum rather than negative energy, effects that specifically target undead (including Turn or Rebuke Undead, detect undead, hide from undead, undead bane weapons, and disrupting weapons) have no effect upon them unless they specifically state otherwise.

Saves

As Undead.

Abilities

Str +4, Dex +2, Con —, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 1

Skills

An infectious creature loses all skill ranks possessed by the base creature.

It gains a +8 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.

Feats

The creature loses all feats requiring conscious training.

It gains Toughness as a bonus feat.

Environment

Any land.

Organization

Solitary, pair, hunting pack (3-8), mob (9-30), or horde (31-500+).

Challenge Rating

Same as the base creature +2.

Treasure

None.

Alignment

Always Neutral.

Advancement

By character class.

Animate Head (CR 1/8)

When an infectious creature is decapitated without destruction of the brain, the severed head remains animate.

Treat the head as a Tiny Special Hazard.

Trigger: A living creature of the Humanoid or Giant type enters an adjacent square or physically interacts with the head.

Reset: Automatic.

Attack: Bite (use the infectious creature's normal bite attack bonus).

Hit: Normal bite damage plus exposure to Virus Mortiferum.

The head cannot move, pursue prey, make attacks of opportunity, or take any action other than its triggered bite attack.

Destroying the brain (hardness 0, 2 hit points) permanently destroys the head.

 

Spell: Echo of the Fallen

Echo of the Fallen

Divination

Level: Bard 2, Cleric 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One object once personally owned by a deceased creature
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The caster gently touches an object that once belonged to a deceased creature and speaks a few quiet words of remembrance. The spell does not contact the spirit of the deceased, nor does it communicate with the afterlife. Instead, it awakens the emotional impressions left upon the object by years of companionship and use.

For the duration of the spell, the caster experiences fleeting impressions of the object's former owner. These impressions consist of emotions, habits and defining memories rather than precise historical events. The caster may learn details such as the individual's personality, greatest joy, deepest regret, strongest conviction or the ideals by which they lived.

As these memories unfold, the caster draws strength from the individual's example. At the beginning of the spell, the DM selects one quality that best reflects the remembered individual. For the spell's duration, the caster gains one of the following benefits.

• Courage: +2 morale bonus on attack rolls.

• Resolve: +2 morale bonus on Will saving throws.

• Skill: +2 competence bonus on one skill appropriate to the remembered individual's life or calling.

• Endurance: Damage Reduction 2/-.

• Fortitude: 5 temporary hit points.

The spell never reveals passwords, secret locations, hidden treasures, spell formulas or other information intended to bypass adventures or mysteries. Likewise, it cannot expose crimes committed by or against the deceased unless those events fundamentally shaped who they became.

The impressions are always truthful but incomplete, resembling memories shared by a close friend rather than a complete account of a life.

The spell automatically fails if cast upon an object whose owner still lives or upon an object that held no meaningful significance to its former owner.

Material Component: A single white flower petal, which crumbles into dust as the spell is completed.

Feat - Unshakable Identity

Unshakable Identity [General]

You possess an unwavering sense of self that resists attempts to bend your mind or redefine your will.

Prerequisites: Wisdom 13.

Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against all mind-affecting spells and effects of the charm and compulsion subschools. In addition, whenever you succeed on such a saving throw, you are aware that an attempt was made to influence your thoughts or behavior, even if you do not know the source.

Normal: A creature that succeeds on a saving throw against a mind-affecting effect is not always aware that magic was used against it.

Special: A fighter may select Unshakable Identity as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Spell: Shared Understanding

Shared Understanding

Divination [Mind-Affecting]

Level: Bard 2, Cleric 2, Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: You and one willing creature
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You establish a gentle empathic bond with a willing creature. For the duration of the spell, each participant instinctively perceives the other's broad emotional state. Feelings such as joy, fear, sorrow, determination, uncertainty, affection, anger, grief, or hope are understood without words.

This spell does not transmit thoughts, memories, images, intentions, languages, or specific information. It cannot be used to interrogate a creature, reveal secrets, determine truthfulness, or communicate detailed plans. It merely allows each participant to experience the emotional context behind the other's actions and expressions.

If either participant becomes unconscious, unwilling, or moves beyond the spell's range, the spell immediately ends.

This spell has no effect upon creatures immune to mind-affecting effects.

Spell: Circle of Mutual Aid

Circle of Mutual Aid

Abjuration

Level: Clr 8, Drd 8
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 full round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: Up to one willing creature/level, no two of which may be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You forge a powerful magical bond among willing allies, creating a network through which aid may freely flow. While the spell lasts, each participant remains an individual, yet all are connected by a shared purpose.

As an immediate action, a participant may voluntarily provide aid to another participant in any of the following ways:

• Healing: The donor may transfer any number of hit points from itself to another participant. This transfer cannot reduce the donor below 1 hit point.

• Spell Energy: A prepared spellcaster may expend one prepared spell to allow another willing prepared spellcaster in the circle to prepare that spell in an empty spell slot of the same level after 10 minutes of study. A spontaneous spellcaster may instead expend one unused spell slot, allowing another spontaneous spellcaster to regain one expended spell slot of the same level. Neither transfer allows a spellcaster to exceed his normal number of prepared spells or spell slots.

• Skill: Before a participant attempts a skill check, one other participant may grant a +4 aid bonus to that check as an immediate action, even if that participant could not normally use the aid another action or is not adjacent to the recipient. Only one participant may grant this benefit to any single check.

• Equipment: As a move action, a participant may cause one unattended object weighing no more than 10 pounds per caster level that it carries to instantly appear in the possession of another willing participant, provided both are carrying no more than their maximum load. Magic items receive a Will saving throw (using their holder's save bonus if higher) to resist this transfer.

All transfers are entirely voluntary. No participant may be compelled to give hit points, spell energy, skill assistance, or equipment, nor may any participant receive aid unwillingly.

If a participant leaves the spell's range, it immediately ceases to be part of the network but may rejoin if it returns to a legal position before the spell expires. The spell ends for all participants if the caster dismisses it or its duration expires.

Spell: Shared Burden

Shared Burden

Abjuration

Level: Clr 4, Drd 4, Pal 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: Up to one willing creature/2 caster levels, no two of which may be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You forge a mystical bond among willing allies, allowing them to shoulder one another's hardships.

Whenever a target affected by this spell takes hit point damage from any source, that creature may choose to distribute any portion of that damage among the other willing creatures affected by shared burden. The damage is divided as the creatures desire, with each recipient taking its assigned portion simultaneously. Damage cannot be reduced below 0, and no damage may be assigned to creatures outside the spell's area of effect.

As a standard action while the spell remains in effect, any affected creature may voluntarily transfer one of the following to another willing creature affected by the spell:

• The fatigued condition.

• The sickened condition.

• Up to 1 point of ability damage to a single ability score.

The recipient immediately gains the transferred condition or ability damage, and the original creature is relieved of it.

Conditions or ability damage transferred in this manner retain their normal duration and are otherwise unchanged. This spell cannot transfer ability drain, negative levels, hit point damage already suffered, disease, poison, curses, blindness, deafness, paralysis, petrification, or any condition not specifically listed above.

A creature cannot be forced to accept transferred damage or conditions. All transfers are voluntary. Only creatures affected by the same casting of shared burden may exchange burdens.

Spell: Helping Hand

Helping Hand

Universal Cantrip

Level: Brd 0, Clr 0, Drd 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One willing creature
Duration: 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You weave a subtle enchantment that grants another creature a fleeting moment of confidence and capability.

When you cast Helping Hand, choose one of the following skills: Balance, Climb, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Heal, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Survival, Swim, or Tumble.

The target gains a +2 competence bonus on the next check it makes with the chosen skill before the spell's duration expires. Once the bonus is applied to a skill check, the spell immediately ends.

A creature may benefit from only one Helping Hand spell at a time. Casting the spell again replaces the previous effect.