New Monster – Deep Miner

DEEP MINER
A sickly green glow lights the corridor as an emaciated specter of a dwarven miner emerges from the wall.  The wreckage of a dwarven soul mutters to himself, his eyes unfocused until he sees the gold ring on your finger.  “Gold!” it cries, a spectral pick appearing in its hand as it charges towards you.

Deep Miner                                                  CR 5 (1,600 XP)
NE medium undead (incorporeal)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 13; (+3 Deflection, +2 Dex, +1 Dodge)
hp 30 (4d8+12)
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +6; +2 vs. spells and spell-like abilities
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +1, incorporeal, resistance to cold 15; Immune undead traits
OFFENSE
Spd fly 30 ft (good)
Melee spectral pick touch +5 (1d4 cold + Life and Mineral Drain)
Special Attacks create enslaved dead, driven by gold
STATISTICS
Str —, Dex 15, Con —, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 16
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 16
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative
Skills Appraise +3, Perception +9, Stealth +6
SQ dwarf even in death, gold fascination, smell gold
Languages as before death
Environment underground
Organization Solitary
Treasure Value handful of gold dust
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Create Enslaved Dead (Su) A humanoid creature killed by a deep miner’s spectral pick becomes a zombie under the control of its killer in 1d4 rounds.

Driven by Gold (Ex) When attacking a target who obviously has more than 100 gp worth of gold on them, the deep miner gains a +2 moral bonus to attacks.

Dwarf even in Death (Ex) The deep miner retains all of the dwarven racial traits that it can still use as an incorporeal being.

Gold Fascination (Ex) If given five or more gold piece value of gold, the deep miner will be dazed as it gazes in wonder at it for one round unless it makes a DC 15 will save.  It gains a +5 circumstance bonus to this if it is attacked at the same time or to future saves against the same group if it was attacked while dazed from this effect.  The DC for the save is increased by 1 for each 200 gp worth of gold up to a maximum DC of 25.

Life and Mineral Drain (Su) A deep miner’s pick sucks out both the life force of the victim as well as minerals from their blood and bone.  The spectral pick deals 2 points of Constitution damage to a living creature, a Fortitude save (DC 15) reduces this to one point. For every 2 points of Constitution damage taken, the victim also takes 1 point of Strength damage.  The deep miner heals 5 hit points for every point of Constitution damage inflicted.

This is a negative energy effect and the save is Charisma based.

Smell Gold (Su) Deep miners are treated as having the scent ability only for locating gold.

Some dwarves become obsessed with the hunting and acquisition of gold, while other dwarves will try to turn them from this dark path, sometime they do not succeed.  These tortured spirits quest deep and along every more risky paths until they perish.  Often, even death will not extinguish their lust for gold and their spirit continues to seek that which they are doomed never to possess.

When killed, they dissolve into a handful (1d10 gold coins worth) of gold dust.

What you may know about the deep miner:
Knowledge (Dungeoneering or Religion) DC 20.  These benighted spirits died in their quest for gold and now their spirits still seek it.

Knowledge (Dungeoneering or Religion) DC 25.  The spirit of the deep miner can be briefly distracted by giving it gold.

Dwarves gain a +2 bonus to these skill checks.

TACTICS
Before Combat: Deep miners wander aimlessly looking for gold, they do not prepare for combat, but launch themselves after any source of gold they encounter.

During Combat: The deep miner focuses its attack on the greater source of gold it can perceive, single-mindedly trying to kill the possessor of the gold so that the deep miner can possess it.

Morale: A deep miner’s obsession with gold overrides all else and it will seek to grasp gold even when it will only cause its destruction.

Variants: Rarely a dwarf becomes obsessed with a gem or other mineral type rather than gold, in that case, replace all references to gold with whatever material the dwarf was obsessed with.