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.