[Labyrinth Lord] Savage Menagerie: Gravedigger

No. Enc.: 1

Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 7
Attacks: 1
Damage: 6d6 + Special
Save: MU5
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None

The Gravedigger is the spiritual embodiment of the dead and buried, though it is not an undead creature and cannot be turned. It is always initially encountered walking from far away toward the party. It appears to be a black-cowled figure with a shovel in one hand and a tombstone in the other. On the tombstone is written the name of the party member which the Gravedigger has come to bury.

The Gravedigger moves slowly, always attacking last in a round. It attacks by striking with its shovel for 6d6 hp of damage. In addition, if the "chosen one" is struck with the shovel, they will automatically be teleported 6 feet underground where they will begin to suffocate. The grave will be marked with the stone the Gravedigger held, and the creature will disappear. If not dug up, the buried person will suffocate for 1d12 hp per round. Spells such as Move Earth, Stone to Flesh, Polymorph Any Object, etc. will automatically excavate the buried victim. If time runs out, the victim suffocates, and the Gravedigger's "mission" was fulfilled.

The Gravedigger can detect things as if it had a permanent spell of True Seeing. The Gravedigger will only attack the one it is "attuned to", and will attack others only if they get in the way. If a Gravedigger does not succeed in burying its victim, the victim will never again encounter a Gravedigger. The Gravedigger will only stop its mission if it is destroyed.

NOTE: Today's monster originally appeared in my Weird Works monster book written back in 1982!