The Gaunt

GAUNT

The gaunt are a horrid degenerate race found in the Great Waste and the Ironsands Desert. Some say they have been found in the Deserts of Uln as well. Certain places in these regions have a destructive effect on living creatures that enter them for prolonged periods of time. Those not spared the painful mutation by being killed soon after entering are turned into the Gaunt.

So far as has been seen, any creature can be turned into a gaunt. They resemble zombies, with patches of rotting flesh and tight leathery skin, but gaunt are far more dangerous. They still possess a feral intelligence, with most of their higher brain functions being destroyed by their mutation.

Gaunt move with a surprising quickness when they discover prey. In combat they attack with whatever natural weapons they possess. Humanoids for example will attack with fists and bite. The primary goal of a gaunt is to wrestle its opponent (+4 on wrestling check) and score a pin. Once a victim is held they will begin to feed immediately by biting. The bite of a gaunt is extremely dangerous, as it will infect the victim with the gaunt’s mutated cells and start the process in them on a failed Toughness saving throw. After 1d6+1 hours a System shock is needed for infected individuals, failure meaning they die. On a success, each hour afterwards the victim loses a point of Constitution until they reach a zero, whereupon they become gaunts themselves.

Gaunt (M) - AC 8[12]; HD 4; Att wrestle (special) or bite (1d8+disease); Save 13; Morale Nil; MR Nil; Special disease, immune to sleep, charm and hold, wrestler (+4); Move 150 ft (50 ft); TC A; CL/XP 6 / 400