"Haunted" as a type of "hazard"

[der_kluge]

You know I really like this idea, and I love the idea EN posted, but this is just so far outside of the d20 mechanic, it's just painful. There's just no way to properly implement within the d20 framework. Not without a lot of bending of the rules.

 

[Michael Morris]

You know I really like this idea, and I love the idea EN posted, but this is just so far outside of the d20 mechanic, it's just painful. There's just no way to properly implement within the d20 framework. Not without a lot of bending of the rules.

I don't think so. Undead give a physical side of a haunting for players to fight, and yet once destroyed an evil presence remains - tangible and yet you quite put a finger on it.

It's really a matter of staging.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Hazards of Hauntings...

Eric, grab a book called "WildScape" by Legends and Lairs.

The book covers adventuring environments and classifies 'Hazards' similar to traps.

As such, your Haunted Forest could be a section of land with the following hazards:

Moderate Oppression (pg 65 ) CR 1/2. Will saves every hour, failure results in a morale penalty to attacks and skill checks.

Low Sentience (pg 67 ) CR 1 (BAB +4, STR 14, Dex 12 Slam attack 1d3 damage ), read text for details of actions in combat and alignment.



Other effects could be written up in the same Hazard format and applied to the journey.

This one book is enough for my outdoor adventuring needs. I have no plans on getting the any more of the Frostfell/Sandstorm series. Each section has a peice for the overall journey and a piece for combat level terrain and complications.

Anyway, thats my 2 cents.

 

[Tonguez]

You know if a Haunting is NOT undead but a psychic residue that persist after some major traumatic event then you could do all sorts of stuff and not have any undead involved

Of Erics list I'd allow
cause fear
inflict a curse
create illusions (or hallucinations)
communicate (dripping blood forms words)
impart knowledge
take them back in time/show a scene from the past
cause PCs or others to speak in an ancient tongue
inflict a disease
damage/drain WIS or CON or CHA
paralyze (with fear)
create ectoplasmic goop (grease, entangle/web type effects)
change alignment of others
bestow temporary insanity or confusion
cause things to burst into flame
cause things to freeze

I might even rule that Hauntings attract undead and so you may have a whole haunt of ghosts attending the Haunting but not the cause of it

 

[der_kluge]

I don't think so. Undead give a physical side of a haunting for players to fight, and yet once destroyed an evil presence remains - tangible and yet you quite put a finger on it.

It's really a matter of staging.

Maybe from a story perspective, but not from a rules perspective. So, you're saying that a group of clerics and paladins of 20th level can come to this area and conclude "well, there's really nothing we can do about this haunted place.", shrug, and walk away?

Tell that to the high level cleric in the group.

If it's just a lingering effect, it's called desecrate and can be countered with consecrate.

 

[Alchemist]

Maybe from a story perspective, but not from a rules perspective. So, you're saying that a group of clerics and paladins of 20th level can come to this area and conclude "well, there's really nothing we can do about this haunted place.", shrug, and walk away?

Tell that to the high level cleric in the group.

If it's just a lingering effect, it's called desecrate and can be countered with consecrate.

I guess I don't see why a "malevolent presence" has to automatically be undead, or even evil. And why should everything in a world be perfectly malleable in the hands of 20th level characters? Nature can certainly controlled by such powerful beings, but they can't singlehandedly do everything to reshape the world in their image.

How about a consciousness that can only communicate in seemingly malevolent ways and cannot recognize the fact that posessing the weak willed or causing nightmares that sap the sanity of even the most stable is, indeed, malevolent? It might even be unaware of the effect it causes on its subjects. This consciousness might desire sweet, blissful peace but characters would probably find it a place of evil.

Beings immune to such effects (Undead, etc) might flock there for the easy prey.

Considering it as a "Force of Nature" rather than a "Haunting" puts a different perspective on it, IMHO.

Edit: Me grammar good.

 

[Gez]

I think there's a ghost of some sort that's classified as a Hazard in the Tome of Horrors... Phantom or Haunt or something like that.

Alternatively, they could be a new kind of "traps", but instead of trapfinding you'd need Turn Undead to be able to find them. And Knowledge Religion instead of Disable Device, so as to know the proper rituals to appease the spirits or put them at rest.

PS: "Malevolent", by definition, is evil. It can be undead or fiendish or whatever, but it'll have evil intents. Otherwise it would be benevolent. (Malevolent=willing evil; benevolent=willing good.)

 

[Alchemist]

PS: "Malevolent", by definition, is evil. It can be undead or fiendish or whatever, but it'll have evil intents. Otherwise it would be benevolent. (Malevolent=willing evil; benevolent=willing good.)

I'm not going to bog this down with semantics, but as far as the characters are concerned the haunted area can *seem* malevolent, while in fact it is not.

Certainly any sort of force that posesses individuals, writes horrid things on the wall in blood and does all the other haunted house things is going to likely seem like pure evil to me, even if it's largely unaware or uninterested in me.

I'm not trying to say that all of these Haunted places are like that. I'm all about the evil ghost/poltergeist brigade as well. I'm just trying to offer a "Amoral Force of Nature" sort of alternative.

 

[jaerdaph]

For an excellent system of hazard-like haunting, I'd like to suggest/recommend Visions 2: Phantasmal Memories from Ronin Arts:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=3563&SRC=EnWorld

 

[Psion]

For an excellent system of hazard-like haunting, I'd like to suggest/recommend Visions 2: Phantasmal Memories from Ronin Arts:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=3563&SRC=EnWorld

Upon reading Eric's post, I was just about the suggest the exact same thing.

It's cheap and all the work is done for you. The only challenge is figuring out what else you want to buy with it.