Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[demiurge1138]

This is equivalent to a... 6th level spell? 7th?

 

[Cleon]

OK, blending the two...

Create Spawn (Su): Any fey creature slain by a sluagh's envenomed arrow becomes part of the sluagh swarm. For each fey creature slain, the sluagh swarm gains one negative level.

A sluagh swarm with a negative level gains a +1 competence bonus on all skill checks and ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws, and gains one effective level or Hit Die (whenever level is used in a die roll or calculation) for each negative level. These gains persist until the negative level goes away (is removed by the gain of a positive level). A negative level that is not removed by a positive level for 3 weeks becomes permanent, resulting in advancement by 1 HD.

Should a fey creature slain by the sluagh swarm later be restored to life, the swarm gains one positive level. Undead react to positive levels the way nonundead react to negative levels. A sluagh swarm with positive levels at least equal to its current Hit Dice is instantly destroyed. After 24 hours, the swarm must make a DC 18 Will save. If the saving throw succeeds, the positive level goes away with no harm to the swarm. The sluagh swarm makes a separate saving throw for each positive level it has gained. If the save fails, the positive level goes away, but the sluagh swarm's Hit Dice are also reduced by one.

Any other living corporeal creature slain by a sluagh, including fey creatures a sluagh slays by means other than an envenomed arrow, becomes a zombie in 1d4 rounds. These zombies are under the command of the sluagh that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

That looks fine to me.

 

[Cleon]

Bestow Flight (Sp): This functions exactly as the overland flight spell, except the target is one creature per Hit Die of the sluagh. Caster level equals sluagh's Hit Dice.

This is equivalent to a... 6th level spell? 7th?

Well wind walk is Cleric 6, Druid 7 and it also gives gaseous form, so I'd think 6th level should be enough.

 

[freyar]

Agreed to all that including 6th level spell.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Skills: 44
Listen, Search, Spot...

Feats: 3

Environment: Temperate and cold hills and mountains?

Organization: Solitary, host (1 plus 3-24 zombies), or warband (x swarms plus x-x zombies and 1 greater undead leader)?

Alignment: Usually chaotic evil?

Sluagh speak Elven and Sylvan?

 

[freyar]

Maybe Intimidate for that last skill?

Great Fort, Ability Focus (arrow storm), Ability Focus (sluagh arrow poison) ?

The rest sounds good with perhaps 2-6 swarms, 6-48 zombies, and a dread wraith leader? I'm not sure how much I think the greater undead leader flavor fits with the rest, though.

 

[Cleon]

Maybe Intimidate for that last skill?

Great Fort, Ability Focus (arrow storm), Ability Focus (sluagh arrow poison) ?

The rest sounds good with perhaps 2-6 swarms, 6-48 zombies, and a dread wraith leader? I'm not sure how much I think the greater undead leader flavor fits with the rest, though.

Those feats look good, and I like Intimidate for the last skill.

I quite like the idea of them being accompanied by incorporeal flying undead (e.g. shadows, wraiths & spectres).

 

[Shade]

Updated.

CR 7? They are slightly better than the feral spirit swarm (CR 6), but arguably not as deadly as a bloodfiend locust swarm (CR 8).

 

[demiurge1138]

I'm still tempted by CR 8. The bloodfiend locusts do grant negative levels, which is very nasty, but these are a swarm with a ranged attack! Perhaps we go for CR 8 and unholy toughness?

 

[Cleon]

I'm still tempted by CR 8. The bloodfiend locusts do grant negative levels, which is very nasty, but these are a swarm with a ranged attack! Perhaps we go for CR 8 and unholy toughness?

Well it's a tiny Swarm, so its not immune to ranged weapons. Still, it is incorporeal and takes half damage even if that fails, which is nasty.

So, yes I can see CR8. Might as well add Unholy Toughness, although I don't think the extra 16 hit points would be worth a CR boost by itself.

I don't think I've seen the Feral Spirit Swarm, where's it from?