Converting Forgotten Realms monsters

Fixed.

Here's the next one...

Half-Wight
The only relief for this cheerless existence is the occasional intrusion of living beings. These they attack without parlay or pity, trying to drain the life energies of the victims and make them into pale shadows of wights hemselves.

These pitiful victims are doomed to a long but not eternal existence with the remnants of their spirits bound to their slowly decaying bodies. They do not gain the rock-like skin of their masters because they are never petrified, and eventually they become too decayed to hold together and return to dust. What becomes of their spirits is still a matter of speculation. It is known that slaying such a creature releases its spirit in normal fashion; this has been confirmed with speak to dead spells. But whether the spirits of those half-wights (as they are known) that just finally dissolve are finally allowed to pass to other pastures is still undetermined.

A cleric can turn a half-wight with the same chance he can turn ghouls. The spirit of a half-wight that is slain or dissolves without ever draining a life energy level goes to whatever reward to which he normally would have gone. He can also be raised from the dead by a cleric of sufficient level. However, once the creature has stolen the life energy of a victim, its spirit becomes that of a wight. In effect, the creation of half-wights is the wight reproduction system. Raise dead will no longer work on this victim, though it will destroy the wight spirit.

The half-wight is described thusly:
FREQ uncommon; # APP 1-20; AC 7; MV 12"; HD 2 + 3; % IN LAIR 80; TREAS TYPE nil; # ATT 1; Dmg. 1d3; SA energy drain; SD silver or magic weapons to hit; MAGIC RES as wights; AL LE; Size M; IN average; PSI nil; ATT/DEF MODES nil.

Half-wights have to follow the orders of their creators. Once they have drained an energy level, they become willing wights. If they strike a target, they automatically drain energy. They still have some command of their communication facilities, but wights rarely allow their half-wights who have not drained energy to get to a position where they might warn potential targets.

Originally appeared in REF5 – Lords of Darkness (1989).

Looks like they actually statted up the "half-strength wight" from 1st edition.

Basically, it's the Wight equivalent of a Vampire Spawn, so we could start by taking the SRD Wight and applying a similar power shift as occurs between the Spawn and a full Vampire.

Half-Wight
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 2d12 (13 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2
Attack: Slam +2 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Full Attack: Slam +2 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Energy drain
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +6, Listen +8, Move Silently +14, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, gang (3-5), or pack (6-11)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 3 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a half-wight’s slam attack gain one negative level. The DC is 13 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the half-wight gains 1 hit dice. When the half-wight reaches 4 HD it transforms into a wight.

Skills: Half-wights have a +8 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

Yep, that is looking about right.

Maybe reduce slam damage to 1d3 like the original?

Maybe a slightly larger pack due to the original # appearing of 1-20?

Shade said:

Yep, that is looking about right.

Maybe reduce slam damage to 1d3 like the original?

Maybe a slightly larger pack due to the original # appearing of 1-20?

Click to expand...

Maybe lower the Strength to 10 as well, since they're "decayed" and "pale shadows of wights"?

Str 10, 1d3 slam?

I have no idea what's going on with that wide No. Appearing, but I guess we might as well include it.

Organisation: Solitary, pair, gang (3-5), or pack (6-20)

There should be some regular wights in the mix, though, perhaps:

Organisation: Solitary, pair, gang (3-5 plus 0-2 wights), or pack (6-20 plus 3-5 wights)

Added to Homebrews.

Shade said:

Added to Homebrews.

Click to expand...

That looks pretty done, except it's missing a "Medium Undead" at the start.

Well, that was easy.

freyar said:

Well, that was easy.

Click to expand...

Yes it was.

Oh well, I'm sure we'll come across something more maddening challenging soon enough.

Cleon said:

Oh well, I'm sure we'll come across something more maddening challenging soon enough.

Click to expand...

Currently, it's called the Ghast-Lord.

Fixed the missing size and type.

Lesser Ghost“You earlier said something about a ghost dominating its dead victims. Do you mean to say a ghost can have other ghosts under its control?”

“Not really. What I was referring to are lesser ghosts. They’re merely restless spirits whose passing on to the next world is prevented for a number of reasons: For instance, the person may have died with an urgent need to pass on an important message to someone or accomplish some sort of unfinished task. Thus, it remains on the Prime Material Plane, unable to rest until the message is delivered or the task completed. In another case, the lesser ghost may, as true ghosts, be angered over its betrayal and murder in life, and the creature cannot rest until the one who committed the crime against it is properly punished. A lesser ghost might also, through its own misbehavior in life, find itself bound to an unhappy existence between worlds until it finds some sort of way to atone for its deeds. Lastly, the relatively weak spirit might remain under the domination of a greater ghost, free from obeying it, but tormented and unable to rest until the creature is destroyed.”

“Unlike true ghosts, lesser ghosts always resemble themselves in life, appearing as transparent figures, often dressed as they were at the time of death or in what they were fond of wearing prior to that. The visage of such creatures, while possibly unnerving, certainly doesn’t even approach the horror of that belonging to a true ghost.”

“As true ghosts, lesser ghosts likewise are limited to staying near the area of their original demise. They may, however, wander about the general vicinity, although their weakness makes it difficult for them to make their presence known. In some rare cases, lesser ghosts have been known to be tied to particular objects—usually something it was fond of in life—accompanying the object when it is removed elsewhere.

“During their wanderings, lesser ghosts are entirely invisible, for it is only at the location where they died, or where their body lies, that they may become visible to the living. Their presence might otherwise be noted through a gentle wafting of air as they pass by, and some individuals seem able to even sense their presence.”

“One clue that lesser ghosts are about the area is through encountering certain sounds that are obviously out of place to their surroundings. Somehow, perhaps unconsciously, these creatures project the sounds that the spirit enjoyed in life. This can range from the sounds of children at play to the merriment of balls and dances, to goodnatured swordplay. In all cases, such noises will be heard coming through a wall or closed door--and they will always cease when the living enter the area in question, lending credence to the idea that such phenomena are not consciously created, but instead occur through some natural process while the creature’s thoughts wander back to happier times it once knew.

“Lesser ghosts have no real attack forms, other than perhaps acting in a threatening manner when their lair is penetrated,” the halfling replied. “They may, however, possess objects for up to about 10 minutes, causing, for example, the chimes of a clock to ring, or a chandelier to swing oddly, or the strings of a musical instrument to be strummed. Unlike true ghosts, these creatures lack the strength to actually cause physical harm through haunting an object, and such phenomena are at worst poltergeist-like.”

“Lesser ghosts may for several minutes possess an individual in order to communicate. The host usually must allow physical contact to be made, although the creature may attempt to touch a target, gaining temporary possession of his body if successful. The duration for such possession is up to 10 minutes, after which the ghost will depart, leaving the host none the worse for the experience.”

“Hmm. They don’t sound as nearly as nasty as their cousins..”

“No, indeed. It is also much easier to deal with lesser ghosts than their greater counterparts. If communication is established, the creature usually is more than willing to impart what may be done to lay it to rest. It otherwise may be turned as easily as a shadow by clerics, and may be slain with silver or magical weapons.”

“You’re a fountain of information today, Desmore,” Delsenora said. “But tell me-- why didn’t you mention all this before I bought the book?”

“You didn’t ask,” the Halfling answered with a grin and a wink,”.and ‘.d have been 10 crowns poorer.”

Other Notes
The statistics for lesser ghosts follows:
AC 3; MV 18.; HD 3; # AT 0; SA nil; SD silver or magic weapon needed to hit; turned as shadows; AL any; XP 100 + 10 per hit point.

Originally appeared in REF5 – Lords of Darkness (1989).

These remind me quite a bit of the kada.