Voadam
Legend
Return to the Tomb of Horrors:Were winter-wights ever alive (Return to the Tomb of Horrors and later in the 3e ELH)?
"Acererak creates winter-wights from lower forms of undead in a special process. This process involves the immersion of the undead in a bath of amplified radiation from the Negative Energy Plane, in conjunction with powerful rites of binding and animation."
But also from RttToH:
Create Winter-wight
(Necromancy) (Reversible)
Level 9 Range 10 yds. Components V, S, M
Duration: Permanent Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 1 body Saving Throw: None
This spell turns a properly prepared body into a winter-wight. Preparation of the body requires many days, though the spell itself can be cast on the prepared body in only a single round. Create winter-wight can only be cast in conjunction with unique devices (such as the Dim Forge) capable of focusing and concentrating Negative Energy into a skeleton as part of the preparation step. Even with the use of this spell with the proper Negative Energy focusing devices, the spell is only effective 1% to 10% (1d10) of the time. Failures range between mere dust to warped, fragmented undead of little mobility and wit.
Once properly animated, the winter-wight obeys the commands of its creator. The personality of the created creature may vary widely but is certain to combine calculating intelligence with cold cruelty, unless animal bones are used in the process (in which case little intelligence can be found in the final deadly undead construct).
Once animated, the winter-wight remains active until physically destroyed. Destruction is also possible if the undead creature is subject to the reverse of this spell, destroy winter-wight, that utterly annihilates any single winter-wight that fails its saving throw vs. death magic.