A beautiful young maid stands ankle-deep in the water ahead. She turns to you and offers a sweet, welcoming smile.
Rusalka CR 3
Rusalka illustration copyright © 1982. Used without permission.
Always CE Medium undead
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +5, Spot +5
Aura unnatural aura (30 ft.)
Languages Common
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13
(+2 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 26 (4 HD); DR 5/silver or magic
Immune undead traits
Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +5
Spd 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 60 ft.
Melee 2 claws +3 (1d4+1)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +2; Grp +4
Atk Options improved grab, magic strike
Special Actions kiss (DC 15)
Abilities Str 13, Dex 14, Con –, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 17
Feats Alertness, Weapon Focus (grapple)
Skills Bluff +8, Hide +7, Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +1 (+9 to perform some special action or avoid a hazard)
Advancement 6–12 HD (Medium)
Kiss (Su) Any creature meeting the lips of a rusalka must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of damage as the rusalka floods the creature’s lungs with water. Each round thereafter, for the next 10 rounds, the victim must make a DC 15 save or take 1d4 points of damage. Three consecutive successful saves means the character has coughed up enough water to shake the effects of this attack and takes no further damage. An affected creature can take no actions other than to defend itself in any round it takes damage from this ability. At 0 or less hit points, the victim falls unconscious. In the next round, he drowns. The save DC is Charisma-based. Holding one’s breath does not prevent drowning (water is already in the lungs). A dispel magic, break enchantment, remove curse, heal spell, or successful DC 20 Heal check halts the damage if applied before the creature reaches 0 or less hit points.
Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a rusalka must hit with both claws. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and drags the opponent underwater, attempting to drown him.
Unnatural Aura (Su) Animals, whether wild or domesticated, can sense the unnatural presence of a rusalka at a distance of 30 feet. They do not willingly approach nearer than that and panic if forced to do so; they remain panicked as long as they are within that range.
Rusalka Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (religion) can learn more about rusalka. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 13 | Rusalka are undead maidens that haunt the watery places where they drowned. |
| 18 | Animals are afraid to come near any place where a rusalka waits. |
| 23 | Rusalka are resistant to all but silver and magic weapons. |
| 28 | The kiss of a rusalka can drown a victim. |
Rusalka are the undead spirits of evil female spellcasters who died by drowning.
Strategy and Tactics
A rusalka will attack with her clawed fingers or by a more subtle method: if a rusalka can entice her victim to kiss her, she may attempt to flood the victim’s lungs with stagnant water. A rusalka may also attempt to grapple swimming persons. Grappled creatures are dragged underwater and drowned.
Sample Encounters
Rusalka are normally encountered either alone or in pairs.
Solitary (EL 3): A single rusalka haunts the river’s edge where she drowned herself in despair over a slain lover.
Pair (EL 5): Deep in a trackless fen, two rusalka—sisters in life—now lurk about the black, stagnant pool where they perished together after getting lost.
Ecology
As undead creatures, rusalka have no natural ecology.
Environment: Rusalka are found in temperate and cold aquatic areas—typically lonely places near a marsh, swamp, lake, or river where they wait for unwary passers-by. They make their lairs in the shallow waters of such dreary spots.
Typical Physical Characteristics: Rusalka initially appear to be lightly clad women, not unlike dryads, nymphs, or normal women. Viewed at close quarters, the all-green eyes of the rusalka may give it away, but by then the rusalka may be preparing to attack.
Society
Given the unusual conditions associated with their creation, rusalka are naturally very rare. They are favored servants of Orcus, the Demon Prince of the Undead.
Typical Treasure
Rusalka have standard treasure for their Challenge Rating, about 900 gp. They prefer silver, gold, and gems above all else, which typically lie sunken in the muck of their watery lairs.
Standard Treasure: 2,000 sp, 300 gp, 5 freshwater pearls (10 gp each), 3 onyxes (50 gp each), and 2 golden pearls (100 gp each).
Advanced Rusalka
Although rusalka normally advance by Hit Dice, the following is an example of a rusalka advanced as a sorcerer.
Rusalka Sorceress Queen CR 13
Female rusalka sorcerer 12
CE Medium undead
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +6, Spot +6
Aura unnatural aura (30 ft.)
Languages Common
AC 24, touch 16, flat-footed 20
hp 61 (16 HD); DR 5/silver or magic
Immune undead traits
Fort +8, Ref +14, Will +17
Spd 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 60 ft.
Melee 2 claws +10 (1d4+2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +8; Grp +10
Atk Options improved grab, magic strike
Special Actions kiss (DC 21)
Spells Known (CL 12th)
6th (4/day)—circle of death (DC 24)
5th (6/day)—shadow evocation (DC 22), waves of fatigue
4th (7/day)—crushing despair (DC 21), enervation (+12 ranged touch), lesser globe of invulnerability
3rd (8/day)—dispel magic, ray of exhaustion (+12 ranged touch), suggestion (DC 20), vampiric touch (+10 melee touch)
2nd (8/day)—blur, command undead (DC 20), darkness, hideous laughter (DC 19), minor image (DC 19), resist energy
1st (8/day)—charm person (DC 18), disguise self, magic aura, ray of enfeeblement (+12 ranged touch), shield
0 (6/day)—dancing lights, daze (DC 17), detect magic, flare (DC 17), ghost sound (DC 17), message, open/close, prestidigitation, touch of fatigue (+10 melee touch, DC 18)
Abilities Str 15, Dex 18, Con –, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 24
Feats Ability Focus (kiss), Alertness, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Concentration), Spell Focus (necromancy)
Skills Bluff +18, Concentration +16, Diplomacy +9, Disguise +7 (+9 acting), Hide +9, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Listen +6, Spellcraft +8, Spot +6, Swim +2 (+10 to perform some special action or avoid a hazard)
Possessions bracers of armor +3, ring of protection +2, amulet of natural armor +2, cloak of resistance +3
Kiss (Su) Any creature meeting the lips of a rusalka sorceress queen must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of damage as the rusalka floods the creature’s lungs with water.