and with that out of the way...
Mystara Monstrous Compendium stat block:
Malice
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any ruins
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Cluster
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night
DIET: None
INTELLIGENCE: Non- (0)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
NO. APPEARING: Special
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVEMENT: 15
HIT DICE: 1
THAC0: 11
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10, 1d8, or 1d6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Attack as 9 HD creature
SPECIAL DEFENCES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: T (1'-2' long)
MORALE: Champion (15)
XP VALUE: 120
Selected text from
AC9:
These animated thoughts, known as malices, appear as small, luminous, translucent whisps with vaguely human faces, gaping maws and spindly, clawed hands. They fly through the air,constantly searching for victims on which to vent their spite. Malices do not stray more than 100 feet from their philosopher, but are able to squeeze through the narrowest of gaps in their wanderings. A grey philosopher typically creates 2-8 malices for each century of its deliberations. Clerics turn malices as spectres.
Malices have the same Hit Rolls as a 9 Hit Dice creature, and the amount of damage done depends on the alignment of the victim: 1d6 for chaotic characters, 1d8 for neutrals and 1d10 for lawfuls.
All malices vanish instantly when the philosopher is destroyed.
DMR2:
These animated thoughts, known as malices, appear as small, luminous, translucent wisps with vaguely human faces, gaping maws, and spindly, clawed hands. They fly through the air, constantly searching for victims on which to vent their petty, but eternal, spite. Malices do not stray more than 100 feet from their philosopher, but are able to squeeze through the narrowest of gaps in their wanderings. A gray philosopher typically creates 2d4 malices for each century of its deliberations. Clerics turn malices as spectres.
Malices have the same attack rolls as a 9 Hit Dice creature, and the amount of damage done depends on the alignment of the victim: 1d6 points of damage for chaotic characters, 1d8 for neutral characters and 1d10 for lawful characters.
All malices vanish instantly when the philosopher is destroyed.
Both the philosopher and the malices are immune to mind-affecting magic (cham, phantasmal force, etc.) and to attacks from nonmagical weapons.
And MMC:
Flying through the air surrounding the philosopher are a number of tiny, luminous, wispy creatures known as malices. They have vaguely human faces, gaping maws, and spindly, clawed hands. These vindictive creatures are actually the philosopher's evil thoughts, which have taken on substance and a will of their own.
Both the philosopher and its malices are immune to mind-affecting magic (charm, phantasmal force, etc.) and to attacks from nonmagical weapons.
Unlike the philosopher, malices constantly search for victims on which to vent their petty but eternal spite. Malices do not stray more than 100 feet from their philosopher but may pass through the narrowest of openings in their ceaseless flight.
When they find a victim, the malices immediately launch themselves at it. The creatures attack as 9 Hit Dice monsters, and the amount of damage their vicious bite inflicts depends on the victim's alignment: 1d10 for good characters (whom the malices especially despise), 1d8 for neutral characters, and 1d6 points of damage for evil characters. Clerics can turn malices as spectres. A malice normally attacks until destroyed or turned. However, all these creatures vanish instantly if their philosopher is destroyed.
Mortis got us started on the stat block:
Malice
Tiny Undead (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 1d12 (6 hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed : 0 ft. (0 squares)
Armor Class: X (+X Dex), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-
Attack: X
Full Attack: X
Space/Reach: 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +X, Ref +X, Will +X
Abilities: Str -, Dex X, Con -, Int X, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: X
Feats: 1
Environment: X
Organization: X
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: X
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: -
Mortis said:
Again some suggestions regarding the stats
Attack and Full Attack: Although the previous versions state that the Malice attacks as a 9HD creature I think that that is based on the HD of the Gray Philosopher that created it. So I would suggest a Special Quality that states that the Malice uses the BAB of the Gray Philosopher which generated it.
Saves: The base saves are
Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +2
Adding the modifiers from the abilities I suggest below we get
Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Again as an incorporeal undead the malice gets no Str or Con score.
Dex I suggest should be rather high, I suggest 20.
Int as given by previous editions would be 0
Wis as for other mindless undead should be 10
Cha I would go for something like 13-14
Skills: As a mindless undead the malice wouldn't get any skills. Maybe we could give them a proportion of the points that the Gray Philosopher should have?
Feats: A malice gets 1 feat - I would suggest Weapon Finesse.
Environment and Organization: Same as the Gray Philosopher.
Alignment: Again 2ed gives it as neutral evil which I could accept. but I would prefer to give it chaotic evil as a nice counterpoint to (at least as I suggested) the Gray Philosopher's lawful nature.
