The Rotspitter

Decay from Within

It wasn't an attack—not at first. It began as a convulsion, the corpse doubled over, chest heaving like bellows stoking an unseen furnace. Then its jaw snapped open, and that burning, foul liquid spewed forth, melting through wood, steel, and flesh alike. I still dream of the sound—like boiling tar poured from a rusted kettle.

The creatures commonly called Rotspitters are an especially grotesque manifestation of the Rotmire Blight. Their bodies were once human, now twisted by the relentless decay and corruption that defines the plague. Unlike typical shamblers, however, their internal rot has mutated, producing potent, acidic bile within their throats and chests, eating them away from within even as it serves as their most fearsome weapon.

Rotspitters appear as hunched, emaciated undead, their fragile forms barely able to support their own weight. Skin hangs loosely over jutting bones, and their limbs are gnarled, warped by the Blight’s cruel grip. The most distinctive—and disturbing—feature of these abominations is their throats and upper torsos, grotesquely swollen with acidic fluid, throbbing and convulsing visibly beneath paper-thin, blistering skin. Their slack, perpetually open mouths drip continuously with corrosive, greenish-black bile, sizzling audibly as it pools around their feet, melting small pits into stone or wood.

They dwell primarily in elevated, secluded positions—on battlements, in trees, atop dilapidated buildings—always choosing terrain that allows them to safely unleash their corrosive payload from afar. Rotspitters instinctively avoid direct confrontation, shambling away clumsily if forced into close combat, driven only by an instinctive need to release the painful internal pressure that builds endlessly inside their decaying frames.

Encounters with Rotspitters are tense affairs, forcing travelers to manage line-of-sight and move tactically under cover to avoid their caustic projectile attacks. Adventurers who underestimate their capabilities or hesitate too long find their armor and flesh burned by an agonizing, sticky bile that clings persistently, dissolving their protections and weakening their bodies.

Veteran explorers warn of their final, dreadful retaliation: upon being slain, a Rotspitter’s corpse ruptures violently, spraying nearby foes with its remaining internal reservoir of acid. This final spiteful eruption ensures that even victorious adventurers must carefully consider the cost of their triumph, reinforcing the necessity of ranged combat and strategic positioning.

Stories of Rotspitters carry beyond battlefields into tales whispered around desperate campfires—grim reminders of how even after death, humanity continues to twist and suffer under the Rotmire Blight’s relentless advance. They serve as potent symbols of Faulmoor’s unending decay, teaching travelers never to underestimate how far the corruption can spread, nor the grotesque forms it can create.

Stat Block

Medium undead, unaligned

Damage Immunities: Poison, Acid
Condition Immunities: Poisoned, Exhaustion
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 8
Languages: —
Challenge: 1/2 (100 XP)

Special Traits

• Caustic Death:
  Upon being reduced to 0 hit points, the Rotspitter ruptures, spilling corrosive fluids. Each creature within 10 ft. must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d4 acid damage.

Actions

• Caustic Spew:
  Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target.
  Hit: 7 (2d6) acid damage. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or suffer 1d4 additional acid damage at the start of their next turn as the corrosive bile continues to burn their flesh and equipment.
  
  
• Caustic Swipe: (if forced into melee)
  Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
  Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage.