Caretakers

We throw away the key.
That which remains ought not leave, even for the gods.
Now awakened, the caretaker waits only to snuff out the flame of life
if ever life finds him.
Blessed is this grave.
Sacred is this ossuary.
Never to be disturbed again, we leave him here to serve his final sentence.

-- Wodan Alberich, Prayer to Vecna - God of the Dead.

Caretakers are undead guardians of sealed tombs, crypts and catacombs. They are doomed to shuffle about for eternity; cleaning the stone walls, polishing the valuables, and maintaining the burial crypts. The Caretakers overseeing this wealth also tirelessly wait for anyone who might seek to plunder their charge.

The Caretakers usually appear gaunt, with sunken lidless eyes that flicker with a faint blue flame. They are adorned with the ceremonial robes and sandals of their burial, which are often exquisitely well made and quite valuable. Unlike other types of more common undead, they keep their ceremonial robes clean from dust and dirt by means of their supernatural ability to clean, fix, or mend most lightweight materials, even those of exceptional craftsmanship. Thus, the wealth that is often buried with those able to afford a Caretaker remains in exquisite condition for hundreds of years, looking as it did the day it was buried.

---

Caretaker
L5 Soldier, XP 200
Medium natural humanoid (undead)
Initiative +6
Senses darkvision, Perception +12;
HP 66; Bloodied 33;
AC 21; Fortitude 18, Reflex 16, Will 17
Immune disease; Resist necrotic 5; Vulnerable radiant 5
Speed 6

Claws (standard; at-will) * Martial: +13 vs. AC, 1d10+5 damage.
Patient Decree (standard; at-will) * Arcane, Psychic: Range 10, +10 vs. Will, 1d6+4 and the target is slowed until the end of the Caretaker's next turn.
Baleful Sorrows (standard; recharge 4-6) * Necrotic, Psychic: Close burst 2, +8 vs. Will, 3d6+3.
Willful Purpose (minor; daily): The Caretaker may use its Patient Decree power as a free action.
Corpse Play: Caretakers recieve a +10 bonus to Stealth when attempting to pose as a motionless corpse. Even if detected - upon close inspection, a Caretaker may be indistinguishable from a normal corpse (Perception DC30 to tell the difference).

Skills Stealth +11
Alignment Unaligned
Languages common
Str 20 (+10)
Dex 13 (+6)
Wis 15 (+7)
Con 18 (+9)
Int 13 (+6)
Cha 15 (+7)
Equipment ceremonial burial robes.

Caretaker Tactics
These eternal sentinels will pose as burial corpses as soon as they sense the tomb they are guarding has been opened. Their attack will be sudden and they will immediately use their daily power Willful Purpose to attack multiple targets. The creators of Caretakers also usually instruct them to focus on lightly armored enemies (i.e. rogues first; defenders class-types are usually attacked last). In addition, Caretakers will also couple their attack with the springing of a trap or other deadly feature of the tomb.

Caretaker Lore
Characters know the following information with a successful Religion or Arcana check.

• DC 15 : Caretakers are the eternal guardians of tombs for wealthy aristocrats, merchants, and adventurers. Where there is one, often many are found cleaning, maintaining, and protecting the tomb.
• DC 25 : Caretakers will often pose as corpses in an attempt to catch intruders off-guard; waiting to attack when you least expect it.