Aura of Heat. The ankholian undead owlbear zombie emits an aura of intense heat. Any creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the zombie must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 1d8 fire damage. A creature that touches the zombie or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 1d8 fire damage.
Create Spawn. If a creature dies while within 10 feet of the ankholian undead owlbear zombie and the zombie is not destroyed within 24 hours, the dead creature rises as a zombie under the ankholian undead owlbear's control at the start of the zombie's next turn.
Undead Nature. The ankholian undead owlbear zombie doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Multiattack. The ankholian undead owlbear zombie makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its slam.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 1d8 fire damage.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 1d8 fire damage.
Breath Weapon (Recharge 6). The ankholian undead owlbear zombie exhales a 30-foot cone of freezing green flames. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Contaminate Undead (Recharge 5-6). The ankholian undead owlbear zombie can release a burst of necrotic energy in a 10-foot radius around itself. Each undead creature in that area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Description
Ankholian undead are the result of imbuing standard undead with the properties of a fireshadow. All ankholian undead can be spotted by the eerie green glow of their bones managing to shine even through flesh, casting a slight pale-green illumination all about the creature. In addition to the light provided by the bones, the undead creature is sheathed in an aura of heat so great that it burns anything to come in contact with it. Those who fight ankholian undead often prepare against fire and are in for a surprise when the monster unleashes its breath weapon, which—despite a resemblance to green flame—deals cold damage.
Texts found in the libraries of the Tower of Wayreth say the ankholian undead first arose early on during the Age of Might when a wizard named Ankholus attempted to create a fireshadow. These texts state that Ankholus, though powerful, had a limited understanding of planar entities and assumed the fireshadow was an undead creature that could be easily recreated. The fate of Ankholus was never made clear, though the texts speculate that he succumbed to an ankholian form of undeath as a lich.
Ankholian undead speak any languages used by their standard undead counterparts.
Sample Encounter: A group of adventurers exploring a long-forgotten crypt stumbles upon the remains of an ankholian undead owlbear zombie. Its eerie green glow illuminates the chamber as it prepares to unleash its deadly breath weapon on intruders.
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