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Credit: Alexander Koval

## Rook

*Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor,*

*rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief.*

*Took sick, poor Nick; shoulda been haler.*

*Rooks on his rooftop, and now worms beneath.* 
___


Among the hordes of shambling undead returned from the dark places beyond death, few sow as much terror and dread among the living as the mask and tatter form of the Rook. While skeletons and zombies make up the front lines of necromantic armies, Rooks fill the place where sentient and non-sentient undead blur. Not possessed of the charm and elegance of a vampire or the spellcasting prowess of a lich, but with the cunning and carefully calculated cruelty to serve as special operatives of necromancers, Rooks spread fear and disease amongst those who would stand in their creator's way.

***Doctors of Agony.*** The guise of the Rook is carefully tailored to strike terror into mortals. The mask of a plague doctor hides the putrid and plague-ridden remnants of an evil humanoid, smoke lenses staring impassively upon the ruin a Rook spreads. Hanging from its belt are the tools of its grisly trade: daggers, flensers, vials of alchemical concoctions specially crafted to provide excruciating death, and the odd trophy from a past victim.

***Silent Operatives***. Rooks are adept at moving with surprising stealth. When they execute their nefarious missions, their victims often do not realize that they share the room with a Rook until it is far too late. While the clatter of bones and groaning announces the advent of a necromantic horde, the silent tread of a Rook has long since prepared the way.

___
> ## Rook
>*Medium Undead, Neutral Evil*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 15
> - **Hit Points** 46 (8d8 + 10)
> - **Speed** 40ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|14 (+2)|18 (+4)|15 (+2)|6 (-2)|13 (+1)|5 (-3)|
>___
> - **Vulnerabilities** Bludgeoning
> - **Damage Immunities** Poison, Acid
> - **Condition Immunities** Poisoned, Charmed, Exhausted
> - **Skills** Stealth +6, Acrobatics +6
> - **Senses** passive Perception 16
> - **Languages** Understands the languages it spoke in life, but cannot speak.
> - **Challenge** 4 (1100 XP)
> ___
> ***Ambush Predator.*** On the first round of any combat, the Rook has advantage on attacks against any creature that has not yet acted.
>
> ***Death Burst.*** When a Rook is reduced to 0 hitpoints, it explodes in a choking gout of poisonous gas. All creatures within 5 feet must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take  19 (3d8+6) poison damage and be poisoned for 1 minute. Creatures who pass the saving throw take half as much damage and are not poisoned.
>
> ***Multiattack.*** A rook makes two attacks with its dagger or thrown vials.
>
> ### Actions
> ***Alchemical vial.*** *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target. *Hit* 7 (1d10 + 4) acid damage.
>
> ***Dagger.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. *Hit* 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage. Creatures hit by a Rook's dagger must make a DC 13 Constitution check or suffer a bleeding wound. These wounds bleed for 1d4 damage per round for 1 minute or until the creature recieves magical or mundane healing.
>
> ***Breath of Plague. (Recharge 5-6)*** The Rook opens a vent in its mask and breathes forth a gout of virulent poison gas in a 30 ft. cone. Creatures within the cone must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or else take 24 (5d8) poison damage and be poisoned for 1 minute. Creatures who fall to 0 hitpoints due to this damage die. On the Rook's next turn, a Rook may detonate the corpse of a creature killed by its breath of plague as a Death Burst, as above.     

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