Starfinder: Desiccated
Desiccated CR 3 XP 800
Chaotic Evil medium undead
Init +0; Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5
Defense HP 18
EAC 16; KAC 17
Fort +2; Ref +3; Will +5
Defensive Abilities Regeneration
Weaknesses Acid, cold, fire, sunlight vulnerability
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Fist, +4, (1d4+1 B) or bite +4 (1d6+1 P crit automatic feeding), or by melee weapon +3 (typically a longsword)
Ranged Arc Pistol, static +4, (1d6 E, Crit Arc 2)
Offensive Abilities Create spawn, infectious bite, regeneration, regenerative feeding
Statistics
Str +1; Dex +1; Con -; Int +0; Wis +2; Cha +2
Skills Athletics +4, climbing +4, stealth +4
Feats Concentrated shot, deadly aim
Languages Common
Gear Arc Pistol, static, longsword, carbonskin, graphite
Ecology
Environment Any
Organization Large bands (2d12)
Special Abilities
Cold Vulnerability When these creatures are exposed to cold-based weapons or attacks, they must make a Fort save (DC 10 + 1/3rd – rounded down, minimum DC 11) the damage inflicted) or become staggered for 1d6 rounds.
Create Spawn (Su) Any creature that is slain by a Desiccated will rise as one in 1d4 hours. Although they are free-willed and not under any compulsion to remain with their creator, many do, adding to the pack.
Infectious bite (Su) Anyone bitten by one of these creatures must make a Fort save (DC 15) or become infected with the necromantic virus. Each hour the victim is allowed another Fort saving throw (DC 15) or lose 1d3 points of Constitution. When the Constitution score reaches zero, the victim dies and will rise as a spawn (see Create Spawn above). A cure disease or other similar spell, spell-like ability, or medical drug will cure the victim, and the lost Constitution score will return at the victims’ natural healing rate per day.
Regeneration (Ex) The creatures regenerate all damage except for acid, cold and fire damage at the rate of 3 points per round.
Regenerative Feeding (Ex) The only way the creature can regenerate from any acid, cold or fire damage is to feed. The creature must make a successful CM to grapple a target, and as long as it has the target grappled, it will feed, draining 1d2+1 points of Constitution per round. The creature will automatically heal 5 points of damage inflicted (including acid, cold and fire) per point of Constitution drained through this manner. It will also lose the staggered condition if it is suffering from it. The lost Constitution can be regained through magic or by rest.
Sunlight Vulnerability Exposing the creature to direct sunlight staggers it on the first round of exposure and each round of exposure after this inflicts damage on a the creature equal to one-third of its maximum hit points— when it is reduced to 0 hit points it is destroyed.
Say what you will about the merging of Necromancy and technology, they have created some of the most terrifying undead monsters ever to walk the prime material plane. During the search to create a viable zombie-like weapon of mass destruction, many different viruses were created and tested on the unsuspecting.
One partial success that they stumbled upon was creating a virus that reanimated the dead, but instead of turning them into mindless creatures that hungered for the flesh of the living, they created semi-intelligent monsters that instead of craving flesh, required blood.
These particular undead monsters have the appearance of a zombie, but are in fact vampires. They decay to a point, typically accumulating about three to four days’ worth of decomposition before it halts for good. The wounds that killed these creatures never actually heal, and clearly set them apart from the living. Most of the time the wounds are located on the neck or throat of the victim, as that is where the creature always tries to attack in order to gain the blood it requires for survival.
If the undead state it is in could be considered to be a form of survival.
Many who encounter these creatures believe that they are simple zombies and as such are easily dispatched, but they quickly learn that they are anything but. In order to lure victims into dropping their guard or becoming overconfident, they will shamble around and act mindless. But they are in fact quite cunning even if they no longer possess the same level of intellect that they had before succumbing to the virus that created them.
The only way to really kill one of the creatures is to destroy the brain, much in the same manner as destroying a zombie, or simply to inflict enough damage to destroy the body. Fire and acid are a great way to destroy these creatures. They cannot heal damage from either except by feeding. Furthermore, cold is another excellent way of dealing with these creatures.
Also they are still capable of using armor, weapons and equipment, and often will do so, and are especially prone to using armor, despite their ability to regenerate damage they have sustained.
