# Dread >[!rimg]+ > ![[Placeholder2.png]] *A skeletal pair of arms hovers in the air, both hands gripping a rusty old longsword. The arms move together and strike as if they were the limbs of a human-sized skeleton.* <div class="grid-container"><div class="MON">Dread</div> <div class="CR">CR 2 (600 XP)</div> <div class="SOU">Lost Empires of Faerûn pg. 169</div> <div class="SYS">Dungeons & Dragons 3.5</div></div> NE Small Undead **Init** +3 **Senses** darkvision 60 ft.; **Perception** +5 **Aura** frightful presence (30 ft., DC 11 Will) #### defense **AC** 16, 14 touch, 13 flat-footed (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size) **hp** 14 (3d8) **Fort** +1, **Refl** +4, **Will** +4 **Feint** —, **Demoralize** — **DR** 5/bludgeoning **Immune** cold, undead traits #### offense **Speed** fly 40 ft. (good) **Melee** longsword +4 (1d8+1/19-20) or 2 claws +4 (1d3+1) **Space** 5 ft., **Reach** 5 ft. #### statistics **Str** 12, **Dex** 16, **Con** —, **Int** —, **Wis** 12, **Cha** 10 **BAB** +2, **CMB** +2, **CMD** 15, **TA** +4, **RTA** +6 **Skills** Fly +9, Perception +5 **Racial Modifiers** +4 Perception **SQ** oversized weapons #### special abilities ### Oversized Weapons (Ex) A dread can wield weapons sized for a creature one size category larger without penalty. #### tactics Dreads attack relentlessly as ordered by their creator, typically from above their foes. The necromantic magic used in their creation surrounds them with an aura of supernatural fear. #### ecology **Terrain** Any **Organization** Solitary, pair, or gang (3–4) **Treasure** None **Advancement** 4 HD (Small); 5–6 HD (Medium) A dread is a pair of animated skeletal arms created for use as an undead guardian. Like a skeleton, it is a mindless automaton that obeys the commands of its master, but it also carries an aura of supernatural terror. Each of a dread’s arms is 2 to 4 feet long and weighs 10 to 40 pounds. Dreads do only what they are ordered to do, but they can accept reasonably complex commands based on observable characteristics such as race, equipment, spoken passwords, or specific actions. For example, a dread might be ordered to attack all intruders except elves and creatures displaying a certain token. These dreads are often incorporated into complex trap designs. A dread can be created with an animate dead spell, but in addition to all the normal requirements of the spell, the caster must provide a zendalure gemstone worth at least 1,000 gp.