Special Conversion Thread: Plants

[freyar]

Hmm, ok, we have

The Tree of Wailing Souls can manifest as many as a dozen heads at a time at the tips of its branches. Each head is identical to that of a past victim and retains the spellcasting abilities, innate magical abilities, and psionic powers it had in life at the time of its death, as well as a fragmentary collection of memories. Spells are regained twenty-four hours after being cast, and spell-like abilities and psionic powers return at the rate they would have at the time of death. The Tree of Wailing Souls contains literally hundreds of trapped spirits, and it can vary which heads it manifests as it pleases, withdrawing or manifesting at most one head per round. Curiously, the Tree does not seem to select which heads it manifests based on the attendant powers it can employ, but rather choosing heads most likely to horrify whomever (if anyone) currently stands atop Turlangtor.

Maybe the heads are flavor, but the ability essentially just allows it to use almost any spell as an SLA 1/day?

 

[Cleon]

Here are the flying fruit stats:

Like a hydra, creatures may attack the tree or its fruit. The tree is only killed if its main body is attacked; attacking the fruit does not harm the tree. The Tiny fruits can be attacked individually. Destroying a fruit does not affect the tree's hit points. Any attack that is nor or cannot be a sunder attempt affects its main body. For example, area attacks deal damage to the main body, not to the fruit. Targeted magical effects cannot attack a fruit while it is attached to the tree.

I was thinking more what AC and HP the heads have, for if/when the PCs try to attack them.

Never mind, I checked the relevant issue of Dragon and the Head Fruit are AC 15 (+2 size, +3 Dex), HD 2d8 (9 hp); Saves Fort +3, Ref +3, Will -3; Abilities Str 6, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 5, Cha 1.

The rest of their stats don't seem relevant.

 

[freyar]

Does attacking the heads do anything anyway? It can just remanifest another one. I think we can just put that in the ability.

 

[Cleon]

Does attacking the heads do anything anyway? It can just remanifest another one. I think we can just put that in the ability.

If I remember correctly, severing a head and casting some spell (I forgot which) on it allows the trapped soul to go free, which presumably means it "moves on" and can be subjected to resurrection-type magic.

 

[freyar]

Ahh, ok:

The tree absorbs any blood shed on the ground within reach of its roots (i.e. anywhere on the slopes of Turlangtor). Once a single drop of blood of any creature’s blood is absorbed, that victim’s fate is thereafter tied to the tree, unless a remove curse is for some reason cast before the fated being’s death. Upon death (i.e. upon dropping below 0 hit points), the victim’s soul is drawn into the tree in a fashion akin to the 8th level wizard spell trap the soul, no matter how much time has passed or how much distance lies between the cursed victim and the Tree of Wailing Souls (assuming the victim is within Realmspace at the time of his death). Once this occurs, the trapped soul can only be freed by physically severing its head from the tree and placing it in contact with whatever remains of his or her mortal form.

So I'd suggest maybe two abilities: (1) a "use-any-SLA 1/day" from the combination of soul-heads and a (2) trap-the-soul kind of thing.

Also, we need to remember that it's immune to fire and rejuvenates.

 

[Cleon]

Ahh, ok:

So I'd suggest maybe two abilities: (1) a "use-any-SLA 1/day" from the combination of soul-heads and a (2) trap-the-soul kind of thing.

Also, we need to remember that it's immune to fire and rejuvenates.

I'd explicate it has an SLA "spell book" equal to all the spells known to its trapped souls.

Also, it must manifest a trapped soul as a "head fruit" to cast spells known to the soul.

Should we have some limit to the levels and numbers of spells it can cast? What caster level does it use?

Maybe make it equal to, say, a 15th or 20th level sorcerer that can spontaneously cast any spell known to its trapped souls? With divine spells cast as arcane spells. Oh, and Cha-based DCs for all its spells too, I guess.

 

[freyar]

Well, the point is that it has thousands of trapped souls and can manifest any of them at will. So I'd say it can cast anything in the SRD at will, but maybe any other spells it has to get from a PC it kills?

I'd agree to something like 20th level sorc and Cha-based DCs.

 

[Cleon]

Well, the point is that it has thousands of trapped souls and can manifest any of them at will. So I'd say it can cast anything in the SRD at will, but maybe any other spells it has to get from a PC it kills?

I'd agree to something like 20th level sorc and Cha-based DCs.

Yes, that'd be easier than listing a caster level and spell list for thousands of trapped souls...

However, the spells it can cast are limited to those that its manifested heads know, and the original text says it doesn't pick heads for effective spellcasting, but more to frighten or demoralize its opponents. That means its available spells are essentially random.

It also implies some kind of fear aura, or that the heads give it a circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks.

 

[freyar]

Well, I'd think a dozen or so heads lets it cover the SRD spell list pretty well, and I think any mechanism to select spells would be pretty cumbersome. As for the demoralizing, I'd think that mostly means it manifests any PC's head if it kills one.

Shade, your thoughts?

 

[Cleon]

Well, I'd think a dozen or so heads lets it cover the SRD spell list pretty well, and I think any mechanism to select spells would be pretty cumbersome. As for the demoralizing, I'd think that mostly means it manifests any PC's head if it kills one.

Shade, your thoughts?

Yes, it's mainly the cumberousness I'm worries about. The same problem crops up with most monsters that steal spells (or other abilities).

I am becoming tempted by a circumstance bonus to Intimidate / fear DCs if it chooses an appropriate head.