I intend to use the skeletal warrior as it's printed in the Tome of Horrors, but could use some suggestions as to exactly how.
For those unfamiliar with the skeletal warrior, here's a short description. Skeletal warriors are undead that have their souls bound to a circlet. By wearing the circlet someone can take complete control of the undead. If the circlet and the skeletal warrior are ever seperated more than 300', or when the circlet leaves the wearers head, the skeletal warrior gets control over it's actions. And every action serves it purpose...to get the circlet in it's possession, for only by placing the circlet on it's own head can the skeletal warrior find release from his eternal slavery.
I want to avoid a simple fight between my players and the skeletal warrior. That would make it just another monster and wouldn't take full advantage of it's background.
My party consists of evil characters, serving an evil empire. The personal power they could gain if they got hold of a circlet, and thereby control of a skeletal warrior, would be very alluring.
They don't have to worry about any of the usual problems having an undead servant would bring. In the empire they serve, having undead servants is accepted, and a sign of power.
The circlet doesn't only bring power, but it also brings limitations. The character can never part more than 300' from the undead, or it's turned loose. The character can never remove the circlet, or the undead is set loose. When controling the undead the wearer can't do anything but take a 5' step.
My basic idea is to let the party get hold of a circlet by having a previous owner part with it happily cause he doesn't want to live under the fear of the undead trying to kill him whenever possible.
The adventure is in them trying to handle the skeletal warrior better than their previous owner, cause if they slip, it WILL destroy them. It may possibly end in them deciding to give the undead it's circlet, just because it isn't worth the trouble.
Any other ideas as how to use this interesting undead in an other roll than personal bodyguard of the badguy?
For those unfamiliar with the skeletal warrior, here's a short description. Skeletal warriors are undead that have their souls bound to a circlet. By wearing the circlet someone can take complete control of the undead. If the circlet and the skeletal warrior are ever seperated more than 300', or when the circlet leaves the wearers head, the skeletal warrior gets control over it's actions. And every action serves it purpose...to get the circlet in it's possession, for only by placing the circlet on it's own head can the skeletal warrior find release from his eternal slavery.
I want to avoid a simple fight between my players and the skeletal warrior. That would make it just another monster and wouldn't take full advantage of it's background.
My party consists of evil characters, serving an evil empire. The personal power they could gain if they got hold of a circlet, and thereby control of a skeletal warrior, would be very alluring.
They don't have to worry about any of the usual problems having an undead servant would bring. In the empire they serve, having undead servants is accepted, and a sign of power.
The circlet doesn't only bring power, but it also brings limitations. The character can never part more than 300' from the undead, or it's turned loose. The character can never remove the circlet, or the undead is set loose. When controling the undead the wearer can't do anything but take a 5' step.
My basic idea is to let the party get hold of a circlet by having a previous owner part with it happily cause he doesn't want to live under the fear of the undead trying to kill him whenever possible.
The adventure is in them trying to handle the skeletal warrior better than their previous owner, cause if they slip, it WILL destroy them. It may possibly end in them deciding to give the undead it's circlet, just because it isn't worth the trouble.
Any other ideas as how to use this interesting undead in an other roll than personal bodyguard of the badguy?
