Morpheum

Ladies & Gents

My first stab at a new monster - just the concept no stat blocks. The idea is to act as an inspiration.

Morpheum

The Morpheum is the undead form of a human(oid) that died in the throws of withdrawal from drug addition. As such it feels a consant craving for drugs it can no longer metabolize (having no metabolism). After a while the constant craving unhinges the Morpheum's mind, most are quite crazy.

There are two ways to forget the nagging addiction, the rush of combat and destruction or the morpheum's ultimate death. The need for release turns the Morpheum in to a relentless death machine, constantly slaying the living around it to provoke even more powerful foes in to attacking it, so it can be defeated. Ultimately, for a morpheum, combat is just an elaborate form of suicide.

Ironically a morpheum regenerates. Even if slain the morpheum will re-grow and become whole again. Only burning prevents this, bit if only one small piece of the body remains the morpheum will eventually come back to un-life. Unless there is a handy volcano nearby this pretty much precludes the morpheum from taking its own life.

Its also ironic that the Morpheum's body is full of the drug it so craves. The Morpheum's claw attacks if successful inject Morphine in to its victim. The victim feels no pain from the attack - indeed a sense of calm and well being seep in to the victim's body. The victim will feel no pain for 3d10 minutes after the attack. The benefit of this is that with morphine flowing through your veins you are no longer required to make fortitude attacks for massive damage.

There are no immediate drawbacks to having morphine in your system except you have no idea how much damage you are taking. The DM must roll all damage in secret and keep track of the players HPs in secret until the Morphine wears off. The players have no idea how much damage they have taken. They can not even tell by looking at each other (remember 90% of DnD damage is NOT physical). However a successful heal check at DC10 will determine the creatures current HP total.

The real damage occurs when the morphine wears off. Players feel awful and lethargic, -1 on ALL stats for 24 hours unless they make a Fortitude Save (DC?). Morphine counts as a poison and all bonuses to poison saves count vs morphine. However some effects last for ever. Each time a character sees a morpheum he will remember how good it felt to be struck by its claws. Each player who was struck previously must make a will save (DC?) if he fails then he loses all dex and dodge AC bonuses; subconsciously he wants to be struck by those beautiful claws again. If anyone fails by 10 or more they just drop all their weapons and rush towards the Morpheum into its embrace. They count as a helpless target to the Morpheum’s attack.

Note that the addiction effect is psychological – cure disease and cure poison won’t effect it. Cure poison will stop the morphine deadening pain but that’s it.

Anyone slain within whilst in withdrawal from a morpheum attack has a 10% or rising in 1d6 hours as a morpheum.

Some powerful, addicted individual keeps morheums, breaking off parts of their bodies and then grinding down the bones in to powder which they then smoke.

Cheers

Bob

Krishnath said:

A creature worthy of the BOOK OF VILE DARKNESS, mind if I suggest you create the creature as a template? A very interresting concept... I like it, very nasty.

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Glad you like it

My problem is I'm new to d20, Ive only played 4 times or so after a break role playeing of about 10 years. I'm a bit shakey on the rules which is why I left it without any stats. Anyone else fancy a go at it on my behalf. I was thinking of circa CR7 but then again I don't have a good feel for CR either

Cheers

Bob

It's Keith Richards!

OK Ive given it a go - this is the first monster template Ive done - critism is welcome (especially rules blunders) but please be gentle. I real need help with CR and advancement as i don't realy understand how they work

Cheers

Bob

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Morpheum Template

The Morpheum is the undead form of a creature that died in the throws of withdrawal from drug addition. As such it feels a constant craving for drugs it can no longer metabolize (having no metabolism). After a while the constant craving unhinges the Morpheum's mind, most are quite crazy.

There are two ways to forget the nagging addiction, the rush of combat and destruction or the Morpheum's ultimate death. The need for release turns the Morpheum in to a relentless death machine, constantly slaying the living around it to provoke even more powerful foes in to attacking it, so it can be defeated. Ultimately, for a Morpheum, combat is just an elaborate form of suicide. Ironically a Morpheum regenerates. Even if slain the Morpheum will re-grow and become whole again denying it the release it so fervently desires. Only fire will ultimately kill the creature, unless a volcano is nearby this pretty much precludes the Morpheum taking its own life.

The Morpheum appears as a skeleton with sickly pale grey skin stretched taught across the bones. It is constantly wracked with shivers and can not stand still, twitching and pacing in perpetual agitation. Morpheum always appear quite naked, all the fleshy parts sag, lifeless and limp. The eyes are cold, distant and lifeless, the pupils massively dilated always appearing to be staring off into some distant land; they never move. Despite this the Morpheum is perfectly aware of its surroundings. The hands of the Morpheum have needle thin razor sharp claws at the end.

Some powerful, addicted individual keeps morheums, breaking off parts of their bodies and then grinding down the bones in to powder which they then smoke.

Creating a Morpheum

Morpheum is a template, it is usually applied only to humanoids, but could be applied to any reasonably intelligent being that has a metabolism that can process narcotics. This precludes: constructs, elementals, oozes, outsiders, plants, undead and vermin. The creature’s type changes to undead.

Hit Dice – Increase to d12

Speed – as base creature

AC - +10 natural armour class or the base creatures natural armour class whichever is better. Remember the Morpheum ultimately wants to be slain so they never wear armour or use protective magic.

Attacks – the ferocity of the Morpheum’s attack adds +2 to the BAB it had in life. Humanoid creatures may attack with both hands without penalty.

Damage – creatures without natural weaponry grow needle like claws on their hands, these inflict 1d12 damage on a hit. Other creatures retain their usual attacks.

Special Attacks - Any successful hit by a Morpheum injects Morphine into the victim. The victim feels no pain from the attack - indeed a sense of calm and well being seep in to the victim's body. The victim will feel no pain for 3d10 minutes after the attack. The benefit of this is that with morphine flowing through your veins you are no longer required to make fortitude attacks for massive damage. There are no immediate drawbacks to having morphine in your system except you have no idea how much damage you are taking. The DM must roll all damage in secret and keep track of the players HPs in secret until the Morphine wears off. The players have no idea how much damage they have taken. They cannot tell by looking at each other (remember 90% of DnD damage is NOT physical). However a successful heal check at DC10 will determine the creature’s current HP total. The real damage occurs when the morphine wears off. Players feel awful and lethargic, -1 on ALL stats for 24 hours unless they make a Fortitude Save (DC15 + Morpheum’s HD). However some effects last for ever. Each time a character sees a Morpheum he will remember how good it felt to be struck by its claws. Each player who was struck previously must make a will save (DC15 + Morpheum’s HD) if he fails then he loses all dex and dodge AC bonuses; subconsciously he wants to be struck by those beautiful claws again. If anyone fails by 10 or more they just drop all their weapons and rush towards the Morpheum into its embrace. They count as a helpless target to the Morpheum’s attack. Note that the addiction effect is psychological – cure disease and cure poison won’t affect it. Cure poison will stop the morphine deadening pain but that’s it.

Anyone slain whilst in withdrawal from a morpheum attack has a 10% of rising in 1d6 hours as a morpheum.

Spells – Morpheum are generally too crazy to have the mental discipline to cast spells, so lose all spell casting abilities.

Special Qualities

Undead - The Morpheum gains the undead type

Regeneration - A Morpheum regenerates 10hp a turn. Fire deals normal damage.

Turn Resistance - +4

Saves – the Morpheum has the same saves as the base creature, however as its mind is so unhinged it difficult to affect, the Morpheum gets a further +4 on will saves.

Abilities – being undead it has no constitution score. As its mind has been destroyed by its hopeless addiction the maximum intelligence, wisdom and charisma scores are 6, otherwise it uses the ability scores are as the base creature.

Skills – the Morpheum has the skills it had in life, modified by its lower intelligence. Due to its deranged state it can’t concentrate properly, so loses skill points from skills that require intelligence first, then wisdom and finally charisma. If there are excess points left then remove points randomly.

Feats – the Morpheum retains the feats it had in life.


Climate/Terrain – Any urban

Organisation – Solitary or Den (2-12)

CR - ? (Help!)

Treasure – None

Alignment – Chaotic Evil

Advancement - ?

Krishnath said:

Change the regeneration to fast healing, or the creature will be immune to everything but fire.

The CR should be: +1
Advancement should be: As base creature.
Also consider giving the creature bonuses in Str and Dex, +4 in each would suffice.
For feats, I would consider giving it the Toughness feat as a bonus feat.

That's about it, looks good.

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Thanks for the comments.

Given that the creature is the undead form of a sickly drug addict I don't think +4 str & dex is appropriate

I picked regeneration because the Morpheum WANTS to die. If it just has fast healing commiting suicide would be too easy - the Morpheum would just jump off a tall building and smash itself beyond any repair (I assume fast healing fails at -11 hp or below). With regeneration the PC's still have the option of hacking the the Morpheum in to unconciousness then pouring oil on and burning the bits.

Given that the thing must regenerate in order to "work" I think Toughness is probably overkill!

Cheers

Bob

and undead are immune to subdual damage.

Ah - that bit I'd forgotten

Late now I'll give it some thought

Cheers

Bob

What about this?

OK lets give it Fast Healing (5hp - round) per the MM plus a new ability "Pseudo-Immortal (ex)"

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Pseudo-Immortal (ex) - PI creatures can never be killed no matter what level their HP drop to. They will continue to heal at all negetive hit point totals. Even chopping the corpse in to multiple small pieces does not help, one of pieces still holds the life spark and will start to heal immediately.

Any creature with PI will have one or more weaknesses that allow for its final death. Such weaknesses do not apply until the creature is at -1 or lower HP. Creature descriptions will describe the weakness.

All PI cretures are vulnerble to death by attack forms that don't deal HP damage such as poison & disintegrate

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In the case of the Morpheum its PI weakness when at -1 or lower HP is a vulnerabiliy to fire. If the corpse (all parts of the corpse) are burned the Morpheum will be slain. It takes one pot of oil and a full round action to set light to and burn the Morpheum


Does this work OK, comments?

Cheers

Bob Mackenzie