Crawling Hand

With a jolt, this severed hand springs to life, its fingers propelling it forth at great speed like a deformed spider.

Crawling Hand CR 1/2

XP 200

NE Diminutive undead

Init +0; Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4

Defense

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 size)

hp 9 (1d8+5)

Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +2

Immune undead traits

Offense

Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

Melee claw +5 (1d1+1 plus grab)

Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attack mark quarry, strangle

Statistics

Str 13, Dex 11, Con —, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 14

Base Atk +0; CMB –4 (+0 grapple); CMD 7

Feats Toughness

Skills Climb +9, Perception +4, Stealth +12, Survival +4; Racial Modifiers +4 Survival

Languages Common (can't speak)

Ecology

Environment any land

Organization solitary or gang (2–5)

Treasure none

Special Abilities

Grab (Ex) A crawling hand can use its grab ability on a creature of up to Medium size.

Some say the origins of the crawling hand lie in the experiments of demented necromancers contracted to construct tiny assassins. Other tales tell of gruesome prosthetics sparked to life by evil magic, which then developed primitive sentience and vengefully strangled their hosts. Regardless, the crawling hand is an efficient killing tool.

When not commanded to kill, the crawling hand remains still and can be handled and transported safely. Typically, owners carry them about in small, velvet-lined boxes. Crawling hands can also be placed as guardians and programmed with contingency commands, such as to hunt down and slay an individual who performs a specific task like violating a shrine, opening a warded door, or breaking the seal of a casket.

Crawling Hand, Giant

A giant rotting hand rocks unsteadily, propped upon thick, stubby fingers. Its pale, necrotic flesh pulses and crawls with sickly boils.

Giant Crawling Hand CR 5

XP 1,600

NE Medium undead

Init +2; Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7

Defense

AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +6 natural)

hp 52 (7d8+21)

Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +6

Immune undead traits

Offense

Speed 30 ft.

Melee claw +11 (1d6+7 plus grab)

Special Attacks mark quarry, pus burst

Statistics

Str 21, Dex 15, Con —, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 14

Base Atk +5; CMB +10 (+14 grapple); CMD 23

Feats Dodge, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness, Weapon Focus (claw)

Skills Acrobatics +3, Perception +7, Stealth +12; Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth

Languages Common (can't speak)

Ecology

Environment any land or underground

Organization solitary or gang (2–5)

Treasure none

Special Abilities

Mark Quarry (Su) A crawling hand is assigned a quarry by anointing the hand with a drop of the intended quarry's blood. If the hand has no current quarry, it automatically gains the next creature it damages as its quarry. Once attuned to a target, it becomes aware of the target's location as if under the effect of a continuous locate creature spell. The hand gains a +1 bonus on all attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks made to seek out and destroy the marked quarry. The mark quarry ability lasts until the quarry or the hand is slain.

Pus Burst (Su) When damaged by a piercing or slashing melee weapon, a spray of vile pus strikes the attacker unless the attacker makes a DC 15 Reflex save. Weapons that provide reach protect the attacker completely from a pus burst. Creatures struck by pus become nauseated for 1d3 rounds and take 2d6 points of negative energy damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.