Creatures of Freeport: Plague Wraith

The plague wraith was originally introduced in "Focus on Freeport #8: An Unwelcome Guest." In this column, I present a straightforward conversion of that v.3.0 stat block to Pathfinder, then provide a much more dangerous alternate build using a template from the Advanced Bestiary. I then update the detect disease spell to Pathfinder.

Plague Wraith

This creature has a vaguely humanoid form outlined in greenish mist. Its only definite features are a pair of glowing pinpoints where eyes should be. 

PLAGUE WRAITH (CR 5)

XP 1,600
CE Medium undead (incorporeal)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., sense disease; Perception +11
Aura unnatural aura (30 ft.)

Defense
AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+3 deflection, +3 Dex)
hp 45 (6d8+18)
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +7
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2, incoporeal; Immune undead traits
Weaknesses sunlight powerlessness, vulnerable to remove disease

Offense
Speed fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee incorporeal touch +7 (1d4 negative energy plus disease)
Special Attacks disease
Statistics

Str --, Dex 16, Con --, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 16
Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 20
Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative
Skills Fly +7, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (humanoids, planes) +8, Perception +11, Sense Motive +11, Stealth +12
Languages Abyssal, Common

Ecology

Environment any land or undeground

Organization solitary or gang (2-5)

Treasure none

Special Abilities

Disease (Su) Wraith Plague; Incorporeal touch--injury; save Fort DC 16; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d6 Con drain; cure --. A humanoid who dies from Constituion drain rises as a plague wraith after 1d4 days. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Sense Disease (Su) A plague wraith can sense disease in any humanoid, and will not attack those already suffering from any kind of illness. Sense disease is a free action for the plague wraith.

Sunlight Powerlessness (Ex) A plague wraith caught in sunlight cannot attack and is staggered.

Unnatural Aura (Su) Animals do not willingly approach within 30 feet of a plague wraith, unless a master makes a DC 25 Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check.

Vulnerable to Remove Disease (Ex) A plague wraith is vulnerable to the remove disease spell. A caster must hit the plague wraith with a touch attack. If the plague wraith fails its save, it is destroyed. Note that the plague wraith’s normal immunity to effects that require Fortitude saves does not apply.

The alternative stat block below was created by adding the plague-bearer template (Advanced Bestiary 220) to a standard wraith (Bestiary 281). This template makes the resulting creature much more dangerous because it combines all of the regular wraith's powers with multiple disease vectors. 

PLAGUE-BEARER WRAITH (CR 7)

XP 3,200
LE Medium undead (incorporeal)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., lifesense; Perception +10
Aura disease cloud (30 ft., bubonic plague, mind fire, DC 20), unnatural aura (30 ft.)

Defense
AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 13 (+5 deflection, +3 Dex)
hp 62 (5d8+40)
Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +6
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2, incoporeal; Immune undead traits
Weaknesses sunlight powerlessness

Offense
Speed fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee incorporeal touch +6 (1d6 negative energy plus 1d6 Con drain and disease)
Special Attacks create spawn, disease (filfth fever, leprosy, DC 20)
Statistics

Str --, Dex 16, Con --, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 27
Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 21
Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative
Skills Diplomacy +13, Fly +7, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (planes) +7, Perception +10, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +11
Languages Common, Infernal
SQ carrier, diseased flesh (blinding sickness, DC 20), quick incubation

Ecology

Environment any 

Organization solitary, pair, gang (3-6), or pack (7-12)

Treasure none

Special Abilities

Carrier (Ex) See the plague-bearer template (Advanced Bestiary 220)

Constitution Drain (Su) Creatures hit by a plague-bearer wraith's touch attack must succeed on a DC 20 Fortitude save or take 1d6 points of Constitution drain. On each successful attack, the plague-bearer wraith gains 5 temporary hit points. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Create Spawn (Su) A humanoid slain by a plague-bearer wraith becomes a plague-bearer wraith in 1d4 rounds. These spawn are less powerful than typical plague-bearer wraiths, and suffer a -2 penalty on all d20 rolls and checks, receive -2 hp per HD, and only drain 1d2 points of Constitution on a touch. Spawn are under the command of the plague-bearer wraith that created them until its death, at which point they lose their spawn penalties and become free-willed plague-bearer wraiths. They do not possess any of the abilities that they had in life.

Disease (Ex) See the plague-bearer template (Advanced Bestiary 220)

Disease Cloud (Ex) See the plague-bearer template (Advanced Bestiary 220)

Diseased Flesh (Ex) See the plague-bearer template (Advanced Bestiary 220)

Lifesense (Su) A plague-bearer wraith notices and locates living creatures within 60 feet, just as if it possessed the blindsight ability.

Quick Incubation (Ex) See the plague-bearer template (Advanced Bestiary 220)

Sunlight Powerlessness (Ex) A plague-bearer wraith caught in sunlight cannot attack and is staggered.

Unnatural Aura (Su) Animals do not willingly approach within 30 feet of a plague-bearer wraith, unless a master makes a DC 25 Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check.

And finally, here is a Pathfinder conversion for the new spell that appears in "An Unwelcome Guest."

DETECT DISEASE

School divination; Level cleric/oracle 0, druid 0, inquisitor 0, paladin 1, ranger 1, shaman 0, witch 0

Casting

Casting Time 1 action

Components V, S  

Effect

Range Close (25 ft + 5 ft / 2 levels) 

Target or Area one creature, one object, or a 5-ft cube 

Duration Instantaneous 

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You determine whether or not a creature, object, or area is diseased or is a carrier of a disease. You can determine the exact type of disease with a successful Heal check (DC 20). The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt block it.