Crypt Thing

Crypt things were a rare kind of intelligent undead bound to protect a specific burial site.

Description

A crypt thing resembled a human-sized skeleton wearing dark robes. Their empty eye sockets contained eerie points of red light.

Combat

What made crypt things most dangerous was their ability to teleport adversaries away. Otherwise they attacked with their bare, skeletal hands. Aside from the common immunities of the undead, only weapons imbued with magic were able to hurt a crypt thing. Due to their strong attachment to the place they guarded, priests were unable to drive them away with their holy power.

Rumors & Legends

Some rumors claimed that there existed a type of crypt thing would paralyzed its opponents and make them invisible at the same time, rather than teleporting them.

Society

On rare occasions, a corpse rose as a crypt thing on its own accord and was driven by a desire to protect the graves of its descendants. More often, such an undead was created by a priest or wizard with the help of the create crypt thing spell. Only one crypt thing was found at one burial place, but it sometimes commanded a group of less powerful crypt servants.
The bones of a crypt thing could be used in the creation of a potion of undead control or especially effective pipes of haunting.

Homelands

According to the sage Elminster, crypt things existed in the ruins in the Undermoor, the area of the Underdark below the Fingers of Yucha and the Plains of Ash. They could also be encountered in dreaded ruins.
Crypt things also dwelt in the Abyss, both in the endless black sand of the Layer of Desert, as well as in the realm of Blathmac, where there existed a whole Valley of Crypt Things. As an exception to the rule, 24 of them sat together, each on a throne, at the sides of this vale. They could also be found in the Domains of Dread.

Size
Medium
Alignment
Always Neutral
Challenge Rating
3
Activity Cycle
Any
Diet
None
Favored Climate
Any
Favored Terrain
Tombs, grave areas
Average Height
6 ft (1.8 m)
Eye color(s)
Red

Scientific Name

Undead

Geographic Distribution

• Underdark