Cadaver Fever: At the end of a battle against cadavers, anyone who was clawed or bitten by a cadaver must make a DC 13 Con saving throw against disease. Failure indicates the character is infected with cadaver fever. An infected character gains one level of exhaustion immediately and must repeat the saving throw at the end of every long rest. Each failed saving throw adds one more level of exhaustion; a successful saving throw at the end of a long rest means only that the character’s condition doesn’t
worsen. The character recovers fully when he or she makes successful saving throws at the ends of two consecutive long rests or when lesser restoration or comparable magic is used on the character.
Reanimation: When reduced to 0 hit points, a cadaver is not destroyed; rather it falls inert and begins regaining 1 hit point per round. Hit points lost to magical weapons
or spells are not regained. When the creature reaches
its full hit point total (minus damage dealt by magical
attacks and weapons), it reassembles itself and stands up, ready to fight
again. Scattering or even destroying the pieces of its body don’t prevent it from
magically reassembling and reanimating. If gentle repose is cast on
the cadaver when it is at 0 hit points, it can’t reanimate. A bless spell delays the reanimation, causing the creature to regain 1 hit point per minute instead of per
round.
Multiattack: The cadaver bites
once and attacks once with
claws.
Melee Attack—Bite: +3 to hit (reach
5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 1d8 + 1
piercing damage and the target
may be infected with cadaver
fever (see below).
Melee Attack—Claw: +3 to hit (reach
5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 2d6 + 1
slashing damage and the target may
be infected with cadaver fever (see
below).
Description
Cadavers are the skeletal remains of people who were
buried alive or given an improper burial (an unmarked grave or mass grave for example).
They can be found haunting graveyards and cemeteries. Cadavers are infused with
a hatred that rivals many other undead creatures. This hatred is directed toward
its own existence as well as the existence of all living
creatures. Thus, the cadaver attacks all creatures it encounters. They have a distinct hatred for light, but it does not damage them. All encounters with cadavers are at night or in places cloaked in darkness.
Encounters are most often with a solitary creature. Multiple cadavers
do not work in concert with each other, though they do not attack each
other. Being mindless, they simply charge into combat with no thought
for tactics or finesse. Cadavers are sometimes found in the employ of greater undead such as
wights or ghasts.
A cadaver attacks by raking with its filthy claws or biting with its
sharp, disease-infested teeth. They often lie in shallow graves waiting for
potential victims to wander too close, where they immediately spring to
the attack, raking and biting until destroyed or until all foes are dead.