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Thursday, 9 February 2023

Some Undead Variants Two





































So some more of these which is kinda a feature in my dream monster book would be mutations and scenario threads for every monster.

d12 Wightification
1 Elder warrior chief with a d4 throwable stone weapons and +1 spear cursed to any other wielder makes them have bloodlust and try to massacre all unconscious foes or prisoners. May have prehistoric huge beast companions 
2 Ancient warriors with bronze weapons and armour +1 AC carry a horn that attracts local lesser HD undead to its service, has a spear and a shortsword and dagger. Some may even have undead horses and chariots
3 War fierce barbarian berserker wights who once a fight starts are +2 hit and damage and fight when up to -10 HP (they don't lose HP from bloodless and Mov is halved). Some have even raided from the sea in unatural sunken ships
4 Dark warriors served a dark evil spirit long ago chasing magic trinkets and chosen ones. All are armed with swords +1 +2 vs good, for non evil users swords carry berserker curse. Wounds made with these require magical healing as natural healing won't recover this damage. May have undead hounds and horses or pterodactyl mounts
5 Knight carry a sword +2 to hit +5 damage, also +2 AC superior armour. Prefer to drain fallen foes or cowards, often exhibit codes of honour and archaic codes of combat. Prefer to fight worthy noble foes with sword combat. May ride a horse and have lesser undead squires and even use a lance
6 Bog can swim in water or even viscous muck, use ambush and may even grapple a victim and drag them under, they may also try choking or even use a noose or rope or net. They were sacrificed by druids long ago
7 Reaper wear black robes and carry a 2d6 scythe but are slow to strike like a zombie. Have been seen with mount and in other lands they may have other weapons like a two-handed executioners sword or axe, or a length of rope or a spiked club. They may act as executioners of wicked or enact vengeance or guard tombs  
8 Doom has a gaze attack as a spell causing fear to a target in 60 foot once a round as well as its use its touch or weapon in the same round. It enjoys hunting prey and can track hoping victims will flee to where there are more people. Many are dressed as hunters and may even use a normal spear or javelins or a bow as it closes on a target or to herd them. When it finally sucks out the life of prey it evokes its supernatural master
10 Shadow its touch also drains a d4 strength like a shadow and three times a day it can teleport through a shadow to another known one. Bright light lakes them blind and they prefer darkness or at least twilight or night. A candle or torch will ward them back a lamp or some spells spells or a bonfire will keep them outside a 30 foot circle
11 Witch these angry women were hunted and killed. They will have a spell per HD per day they can select of the same spell type (divine and arcane etc). Many have an imp (or other planar spirits) familiar in animal form. Can fly at their normal ground speed using a broom or cauldron or beast like a huge goat. Can carry passengers but reduces speed +1 halves speed, +2-4 quarter speed. There are also male warlocks mostly the same except they have separate orders or serve women coven as hunters of monsters and cult enemies
12 Pyre burned in cremation and can change from undead warrior to a burning flame pouring out smoke. Immune to fire. Will use a weapon that acts as a flamebrand in its hands. Uses a sword attack and a touch attack. Any within a 20 foot circle needs a save or lose 1hp from hot choking smoke. Sparks emit when struck by weapons and may ignite flammables. Will use fire as weapon of terror or distraction and hide in the fire to ambush confused people

d12 Spiritification
1 Corpsejack fragments of own body or possibly a ritual victim's remains are used as an anchor to this world which could be found and destroyed to release it. Some want to be released but for those that want to hang on they may animate their body as a corporeal undead of lesser HD for a round per spirit HD per day. Some can animate body and also act as a spirit or the body can defend itself if attacked while spirit is away and it will know
2 Tree is the spirits anchor and even in daylight is aware of activity around it. May produce an illusion form to pretend to be human briefly
3 Water body is the spirits anchor like a pond or creek or well or riverbank. It may manifest a body from water and muck resembling something human briefly
4 Treasure is a valuable item or object coveted by nobles and rich and usually magical is the spirits anchor. If damaged spirit may be banished
5 Idol acts as spirits anchor to this place which it may animate briefly and watch the world
6 Artwork acts as spirits anchor to this world and inside is an illusory world where the lonely spirit dwells. May produce an illusion form to pretend to be human briefly
7 Tomb spirit guards a holy or unholy place and may possibly not be evil but still wrathful. Cannot be turned in the holy or unholy zone it defends and as long as the location remains blessed the spirit can reform next full moon
8 Diabolic spirit sold soul to hell and now serves devils. Has a pet imp that it sends on missions to aid it and informs hell of every move
9 Shade is imbued with the power of darkness, nightmares and the underworld. May summon HD of shadows up to the shades HD each day. May visit dreams of people that interest it 
10  Bodyjack is able to possess a mortal beast or person and use it as it pleases until exorcised or abandoned. Strongly desires host bodies but eventually, the spirits fell powers like life-draining and ageing take their toll and kill them. A loved one or friend may aid the victim to break free with a charisma roll. Hosts with less HD are easier to control longer but might die faster for some spirits
11 Master is able to place a poltergeist per level in the area it haunts or guards or live in which can act as traps or alarms and security. A destroyed poltergeist requires the master to murder a new victim in the desired location without draining their soul
12 Cold blow freezing wind and air that can clear gas or fog. Anyone on 10 foot per HD in a 30-degree cone will take a HP per HD and be hidden in a white freezing opaque mist for a d4 rounds. Can use breath once per day and wall of wind once per day and blow smaller gusts and breezes at will

Spirits cover a wide range of spirits, phantoms, ghosts, spectres, spectral minions, shades, shadows, wraiths, ghosts and other things that go woo with sheets

d12 Vampirism
1 Servitor has only half HD and to level draining ability, can tolerate but dislike dim light of dawn or sunset. Serve their full vampire masters 
2 Vermin hideously emaciated with ratlike features, can turn into a swarm of rats or summon them instead of other animals. Hide in the darkness both coveting beauty and destroying it so no one can have it
3 Serpentine worship a subterranean serpent god who grants their power, turns into snakes and summons them instead of other animals and has paralytic psychedelic vision-inducing venom. Often ally with serpent folk and other wicked snake creatures
4 Lycan former werewolves killed in human form and made into vampires. No bat form or flight but use wolf form or any in-between shape it pleases at will. Devours fresh flesh, especially hearts and livers and lungs of the living
5 Penangelang by day lives among normal but by night the head and viscera float away to feed on victims then return to live among humans by day
6 Locust made by the lords of famine, can summon locust swarms that can devour crops or any organic material like rope or wood. Sheds to change shape to human and can change to and from human in a day
7 Sea marine based able to summon barracuda and transforms into a giant squid or octopus to attack ships and whales
8 Cranial has swollen veint bald head and drinks cranial fluid instead of blood. Drain a d4 INT per round on a helpless victim until zero when they die. If still alive recover 1 point per month. The points they drain boost their own intellect but drops one per day requiring more. Some also drain knowledge and even their HD in spell levels  
9 Siren prefers to steal charisma and especially enjoys the company of bards they can feed off and use to meet important people. Drain d4 CHA point each lasts about a day and the victim takes a month to recover each point so they often move on and don't have a set home as other vampires. They also learn a bardic song and spells this way and have a spell stored per HD. They can renew or change them by draining a new victim. Can live in daylight as a human but at night they gain supernatural powers. 
10 Ice wizened ancients who drain heat and life by touch. Wary of fire and vulnerable to being stabbed by holy water icicles and only take minimum damage from edged or piercing weapons on their frozen ice hard corpses. Can transform into various winter and arctic animals or fish
11 New Blood are aristocratic and desire power and status, they use vampire guilds and clans. Most are vain, spoiled brats and bullies and insist they are cool when they are creeps and bullies who wish to flaunt their power but limited by their code about hiding from mortals 
12 Old Blood are so old, bothering to act like humans is an effort and a bore (1 hour per HD). Their real forms are hideous naked winged nightmares that radiate fear in a 20 feet radius. The oldest remember the first generation of humans. Thankfully most sleep for decades feed and sleep for thousands of years. Many have levels in spell casting as per their HD and other often unique demonic powers and transformations

d12 Corporeal Undead Oddballs & Quirks
Infested with fungus which attempts to take control for a fungus hivemind using undead as drones. One will grow antlers that release spores and signify it as the colony master. If it dies another grows horns
2 Infested with moss, lichen, algae, roots and living creatures. Now is a humanoid marsh elemental and no longer connected to the negaverse and not subject to turning or spells targeting undead. Affected by plant or fungus magic
3 Disgusting bloated rotting corpse infused with disease and body is home to by a d4 obnoxious possibly intelligent corpse-eating groglins AC+3 HD d4 Mov 9 Att bite d3 who defend their home and food source. They may come out to eat other gore and take it home to repair their damaged host a d3hp after ten minutes of work with spare corpses. After any injuries from these save or contract a non-magical disease usually -2 all rolls for a d4 days or worse
4 So hungry for corpses it will even kill and eat lesser undead to get what it craves, starts off slow and subtle cullings then massacres. Will be aggressive and protect food even seizing it in combat and fleeing. Kind of goes along with general orders most of the time blending in 
5 Growing unnaturally huge and larger appetite and food aggression vs own kind. Gain several HD, possibly morbidly obese or tall or ogrish in proportions
6 Wants to be near people and spy on them which people find creepy and get alarmed. Has actual memories of what happens around it. Increasingly takes its own initiative and is more interested in prisoners it can talk to than murder or eating people 
7 Bone spikes and spurs on the body look painful and any unarmed or animal attacks on undead infancy a d4 damage on the attacker
8 Craves drugs, alcohol and vice but it can't really enjoy them mostly which makes them frustrated. Mostly obedient but if left alone will have parties and mimic human rivalry. A pirate necromancer preferred these for his skeleton crew. The more fun undead
9 Screams and moans frequently, mutters, swears at enemies and is incapable of silence 
10 Bestial characteristics like an abhuman beast hybrid folk, +2HP per HD, minimum d4 unarmed attack and possibly other abilities depending on species
11 Shapeshift into a monstrous animal form possibly good for travel
12 As long as on unholy ground regenerate 1hp per round

d12 Smart Undead Oddballs & Quirks
1 Has occasional streaks of independence from master and urge to destroy them
2 Falls in love or obsessed with some lover or revenge for some past lover
3 Craves flesh and delights in devouring living people but animals will do
4 Desires human blood, to be covered in it and bath in it, its like a euphoric drug
5 Gives superiors unwanted advice and tips, talks quite a bit
6 Takes delight in spying on and scaring people, somehow feeds from fear 
7 Revenge against enemies or anyone in the way is the only purpose
8 Obsessed with an occult mystery, lost treasure or historic secret to uncover
9 Cruel and sadistic and will play with victims instead of murdering them efficiently
10 Has memories of some past wrong it seeks to repair and alignment shifts
11 Receives dreams from a great hidden evil power
12 Seeks remains to resurrect or a corporeal form it can possess

When your dumb spirits and undead animations start thinking to much it's obedience is no longer reliable. There is a real danger they will go of on adventures and even become more powerful and even resent their creator once old business is done. A few undead even became sort of heroes and changed teams.

d12 Stuff Undead Don't Like
1 Holy Symbols 1hp damage to any touch, flesh burns and smokes
3 Salt handful causes 1hp damage, bucket brine d4, a circle or line requires a save to cross if fails takes a d4 damage
3 Running Water is difficult to cross requiring a save and taking d4 damage if fail, a mortal can assist them crossing water in a crate or wrapped in cloth, the sea is very difficult without help
4 Silver or Iron many types vulnerable only to magic weapons include either of these metals
5 Sunlight 1hp damage per round
6 Light -2 in dim light and -4 in bright light to hit, avoid the light as best it can
7 Flowers and certain rare herbs can form a barrier undead save to cross and take d4 damage if fail. If someone else moves the barrier they can cross fine
8 Holding holy symbols of the old faith like a live snake, mistletoe, an egg or pinecone. Various symbols of life used by nature worshipers regionally
9 Certain types of holy wood like rowan, ash or oak may cause damage as if a magic weapon is required to hit certain supernatural beings and a barrier like a door or window shutter of them cant be touched
10 Holy water usually a bottle does 2d4 or can be splashed over a 10 foot area for a d4, unholy water heals undead and evil priests carry them to heal their undead
11 Sound of a cockerel or morning church bells indicating sunrise is near, will make many hesitate and check they can get under cover or just flee
12 Fire harms most undead and some are more vulnerable, its a bit hard to use and not burn down your youse or in melee

Maybe undead need morale after all poor things with so many flaws

did find these during research

https://www.dragonoak.com/Magical-Wood-Properties.html

4 comments:

  1. Better and better all the time. I love the "Oddballs and Quirks", they'll definitely be getting some play.

    Thanks for all you do. I routinely get ideas from reading your posts.

    ReplyDelete

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