Haunts
The distinction between a trap and an undead creature blurs when you introduce a haunt — a hazardous region created by unquiet spirits that react violently to the presence of the living. Haunts arise from tremendous mental or physical suffering; a single event can create multiple haunts, and a classic haunted house is typically a dozen or more distinct haunted areas rather than one unified entity.
Haunt Rules
Haunts cannot be easily observed until the round they manifest — making them harder to spot than mundane traps.
- Detect undead or detect alignment (appropriate type) allows a Notice check at −4 before manifestation.
- Area: up to 5-ft. radius per CR (usually bounded by room size).
- Some haunts are tricked by hide from undead, invisibility, or Stealth.
When triggered, a haunt manifests at initiative rank 10 in a surprise round.
- All creatures in the haunt's area may attempt a Notice check at the start of that surprise round.
- Positive energy applied before initiative rank 10 can prevent the effect entirely if it reduces the haunt to 0 hp.
- Ranged positive energy attacks must hit AC 10 to affect the haunt rather than the structure.
Only positive energy damages a haunt's hit points (channeled energy, cure spells, etc.) unless a weakness applies. No other attack form reduces hp.
- Haunts never gain a Will save against positive energy effects.
- Reducing a haunt to 0 hp neutralizes it — it stops acting but is not destroyed.
- A neutralized haunt can reset after a period of time (DC 10 caster level check).
Neutralizing a haunt does not destroy it. Permanent destruction requires a specific act tied to the haunt's origin (burying remains, burning the structure, etc.).
- Persistent haunts continue to trigger once per round on their initiative rank until destroyed or without a target.
- All haunt effects are mind-affecting fear effects — immunity to fear grants immunity to direct haunt effects (but not secondary consequences).
Haunt Stat Block Format
- Name / CR
- The haunt's name and Challenge Rating.
- XP
- XP awarded to PCs for surviving the haunt, based on its CR.
- Alignment & Area
- Alignment and dimensions of the infused area (up to 5 ft. per CR). Persistent haunts are noted here.
- Caster Level
- Effective CL for dispelling ongoing effects and determining spell results. Equals the haunt's CR.
- Notice
- Skill check and DC to detect the haunt before it acts. The sensory cue (smell, sound, vision) is listed in parentheses.
- hp
- Effective hit points for positive energy damage. Standard: CR × 2. Persistent: CR × 4.5 (round down).
- Weakness
- Any additional damage types that affect it or effects that trick it (e.g. hide from undead, invisibility, Stealth).
- Trigger
- Proximity — activates when a creature enters the area. Touch — requires contact with a specific object or location; can still sense (and target) any creature in the area.
- Reset
- Time before the haunt can attempt to reset (DC 10 CL check). Failure means it must wait again.
- Effect
- The haunt's exact effect — always identical to an existing spell, though the sensory presentation can differ dramatically from the spell's normal appearance.
- Destruction
- The specific act required to permanently destroy the haunt. Nearby haunts often share the same destruction condition.
CR Modifiers of Haunts
| Feature Type | CR Modifier |
|---|---|
| Persistent | +2 |
| Notice DC | |
| 15 or lower | −1 |
| 16–20 | — |
| 21–25 | +1 |
| 26–29 | +2 |
| 30 or higher | +3 |
| Reset Time | |
| 1 minute | +2 |
| 1 hour | +1 |
| 1 day | +0 |
| 1 week | −1 |
| Weaknesses | |
| Slow (manifests at initiative rank 0) | −2 |
| Susceptible to an additional damage type | −1 per type |
| Tricked by hide from undead | −2 |
| Tricked by invisibility | −1 |
| Tricked by Stealth* | −3 |
| Triggered by touch | −2 |
| * The haunt makes a caster level check instead of a Perception check to notice Stealth. | |