Advancing a Revenant

[Currahee Chris]

Hello

My party took an unexpected action last session and I am considering throwing a REVENANT at them (Bestiary 2, p235). My dilemma is that the monster fits their actions to a T but they are a party of 11th level pcs. The creature in the book is a CR6. Can I advance it using the simple advancement template and just notch it up 4 or 5 CR's to get it to a challenging level for the party?

Or are the advancement rules taking into account the maximum level a monster can attain?

Thank you
CC

[Tarik Blackhands]

The quick and exceptionally dirty method is to just upscale the advanced template to the point the revenant is CR11 which would in the quick version would translate to +90 hp, +20 AC and CMD, +8 on attack bonus, damage, and CMB, +10 on his ability DCs.

This is probably not the best way to do it since it results in a hideously lopsided creature with 39(!) AC, a DC28 cower shriek, and still packing the saves of a CR6 creature.

The more effective way to do it is just tack on some class levels and gear to it. A basic revenant isn't a huge deal, but what about a revenant with 7 levels of whatever class you think is most fitting? That combined with some gear and a few stat bumps can make even the smallest monster a scalable threat. Takes more effort sure, but it certainly results in less oddities than just mashing Advanced templates.

[Currahee Chris]

Tarik Blackhands wrote:

The quick and exceptionally dirty method is to just upscale the advanced template to the point the revenant is CR11 which would in the quick version would translate to +90 hp, +20 AC and CMD, +8 on attack bonus, damage, and CMB, +10 on his ability DCs.

This is probably not the best way to do it since it results in a hideously lopsided creature with 39(!) AC, a DC28 cower shriek, and still packing the saves of a CR6 creature.

Thank you for your reply. That was what I was getting to as well and just had to shake my head. Ive kicked around some class levels but didn't think about the equipment. Will have to give that another go.

Thanks a lot!!! Much appreciated.

[alientude]

Check out the rules in the Bestiary appendices for advancing a monster by adding racial hit dice. They can be also be found on the PRD here (in the Adding Racial Hit Dice section)

[Mysterious Stranger]

You may not need to do anything to toughen the Revenant. Depending on how you interpret the Reason to Hate ability it could be tough enough.

Reason to Hate (Su) A revenant's existence is fueled by its hatred for its murderer. As long as the murderer exists, the revenant exists. If the murderer dies, the revenant is immediately slain. A murderer who becomes undead does not trigger a revenant's destruction. When a revenant encounters its murderer, it gains the benefits of a haste spell (CL 20th) that lasts as long as its murderer remains in sight. Against its murderer, the revenant also gains a +4 profane bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, grapple checks, and saving throws.

Taken literally this means the Revenant cannot be killed while its murderer is still alive. Just make it so that killing it only temporarily destroys it. Maybe the next day it rises up and continues to attack its murderer. Now instead of a big one time threat you have a lower level on going threat.

[Currahee Chris]

Mysterious Stranger wrote:

You may not need to do anything to toughen the Revenant. Depending on how you interpret the Reason to Hate ability it could be tough enough.

Reason to Hate (Su) A revenant's existence is fueled by its hatred for its murderer. As long as the murderer exists, the revenant exists. If the murderer dies, the revenant is immediately slain. A murderer who becomes undead does not trigger a revenant's destruction. When a revenant encounters its murderer, it gains the benefits of a haste spell (CL 20th) that lasts as long as its murderer remains in sight. Against its murderer, the revenant also gains a +4 profane bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, grapple checks, and saving throws.

Taken literally this means the Revenant cannot be killed while its murderer is still alive. Just make it so that killing it only temporarily destroys it. Maybe the next day it rises up and continues to attack its murderer. Now instead of a big one time threat you have a lower level on going threat.

You make a great point and one I have wrestled with as a GM. This could create a really fun dilemma for my party.

[Ckorik]

Here is an example of one that is on par with the party...

Spoiler:

Unnamed Hero CR 12
XP 19,200
Advanced revenant (fiery) (Pathfinder Player Companion: Monster Summoner's Handbook 19, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 288, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 235)
LE Medium undead (fire)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., sense murderer; Perception +19
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Defense
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AC 24, touch 16, flat-footed 18 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 natural)
hp 166 (13d8+91)
Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +11
DR 5/—, 5/slashing; Immune cold, fire, undead traits; SR 17
Weaknesses self-loathing, vulnerability to cold
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +19 (2d6+9 plus 3d6 fire and grab)
Special Attacks baleful shriek, constrict (1d6+9 plus 3d6 fire)
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Statistics
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Str 28, Dex 21, Con —, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 24
Base Atk +9; CMB +18 (+22 grapple); CMD 34
Feats Cleave, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Power Attack, Step Up, Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Climb +25, Intimidate +23, Perception +19, Stealth +21
Languages Common
SQ reason to hate
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Special Abilities
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Baleful Shriek (60 ft., 1/1d4 rounds, DC 23) (Su) Once every 1d4 rounds, a revenant can shriek as a standard action. All creatures within a 60-foot spread must make a DC 18 Will save or cower in fear for 1d4 rounds. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Cleave If you hit a foe, attack an adjacent target at the same attack bonus but take -2 AC.
Damage Reduction (5/-) You have Damage Reduction against all attacks.
Damage Reduction (5/slashing) You have Damage Reduction against all except Slashing attacks.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Grab: Claw (Medium) (Ex) You can start a grapple as a free action if you hit with the designated weapon.
Immunity to Ability Drain Immunity to ability drain
Immunity to Bleed You are immune to bleed.
Immunity to Cold You are immune to cold damage.
Immunity to Death Effects You are immune to death effects.
Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases.
Immunity to Energy Drain Immune to energy drain
Immunity to Exhausted You are immune to the exhausted condition.
Immunity to Fatigue You are immune to the fatigued condition.
Immunity to Fire You are immune to fire damage.
Immunity to Mind-Affecting effects You are immune to Mind-Affecting effects.
Immunity to Nonlethal Damage You are immune to Nonlethal Damage
Immunity to Paralysis You are immune to paralysis.
Immunity to Physical Ability Damage Immune to ability damage to your physical abilities.
Immunity to Poison You are immune to poison.
Immunity to Sleep You are immune to sleep effects.
Immunity to Stunning You are immune to being stunned.
Power Attack -3/+6 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Reason to Hate (Su) Gain haste and +4 profane bonus to attack, damage, grapple and saves vs. your murderer.
Self-Loathing (Ex) Rendered helpless by reflection or objects of import to you in life (DC 20 Will neg.)
Sense Murderer (Su) Know direction, no distance, to murderer. Verses murderer have constant true seeing and discern lies effects.
Spell Resistance (17) You have Spell Resistance.
Step Up When a foe makes a 5 ft step away from you, you can move 5 ft to follow them.
Undead Traits Undead have many immunities.
Vulnerability to Cold You are vulnerable (+50% damage) to Cold damage.

[Currahee Chris]

Ohhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

OUCH!!! That is very nasty indeed! :)

Well, I tested the waters and dropped a pure vanilla rev on the party this past weekend. The party was split so there were only 3 party members to take it on. It was a semi-comical encounter as it essentially rose up from a dark alleyway and attacked the party in a less populated area of Westcrown Cheliax. They dispatched it with some challenge.

The fun part was they were supposed to be looking for a dwarf. They had spent the previous day searching and no luck. Ironically, the revenant was created from a dead male dwarf, which led to some interesting, tense RPing as the murderer was not with the group who was attacked. They were also worried that he had killed the dwarf they were looking for so they spent some time looking the revenant over during the fight.