Limb grafts

[Kerrick]

I'm working on something, and I was wondering - what would be the effects of grafting undead or fiendish limbs onto a living being? I could pretty easily figure out the effects for, say, a ghoul's arm - it gets a paralysis touch - but would adding a wight's arm grant it energy drain? Would its type change to undead? I've got plans for side effects in the case of a failed operation - a slowly-spreading infection or disease that eventually kills the subject and turns it into an undead of the same type as the grafted limb.

And what about fiendish limbs? I know fiendish grafts have been done somewhere, but I can't find them now. Can anyone help me out here?

 

[FrostedMini1337]

Book of Vile Darkness and Lords of Madness has those rules I think. Maybe Libris Mortis...

 

[Vorput]

Acolyte of the skin in Complete Arcane is sort of like the fiendish thing... there you sell your soul to evil in exchange for slowly grafting a fiend onto your body.

Monster Manual 2 had half-golems, which isn't undead, but is instead of construct body parts (though it did have a flesh golem... which is sort of close)- there they went crazy and turned into chaotic evil killing machines.

I don't know precisely what effects I'd end up creating in terms of mechanics (I don't think any exist)... realistically it would just be a decaying sack of flesh stitched to your body... I like your idea of a slow disease though... Sort of "Whoa! Cool!!! I can paralyze people with a touch now!!!! I shall be a strong warrior for good!!!" (1 month later) "Brrraaaaiiinnnnsss"

Vorp

 

[Bad Paper]

I'm working on something, and I was wondering - what would be the effects of grafting undead or fiendish limbs onto a living being? I could pretty easily figure out the effects for, say, a ghoul's arm - it gets a paralysis touch - but would adding a wight's arm grant it energy drain? Would its type change to undead? I've got plans for side effects in the case of a failed operation - a slowly-spreading infection or disease that eventually kills the subject and turns it into an undead of the same type as the grafted limb.

And what about fiendish limbs? I know fiendish grafts have been done somewhere, but I can't find them now. Can anyone help me out here?

Fiend Folio. Libris Mortis. Lords of Madness. You don't have to reinvent the wheel.

 

[frankthedm]

I've got plans for side effects in the case of a failed operation - a slowly-spreading infection or disease that eventually kills the subject and turns it into an undead of the same type as the grafted limb.

For an energy drainer, the side efeect should be a negative level a round. But then again, i feel even thinking about doing this is laughably foolish!

 

[Kerrick]

Acolyte of the skin in Complete Arcane is sort of like the fiendish thing... there you sell your soul to evil in exchange for slowly grafting a fiend onto your body.

Seen that, but it wasn't very helpful (and hideously overpowered, to boot).

Monster Manual 2 had half-golems, which isn't undead, but is instead of construct body parts (though it did have a flesh golem... which is sort of close)- there they went crazy and turned into chaotic evil killing machines.

Ah, cool. I thought Monte had done half-golems in the BoEM, but I checked all three and couldn't find it. Thanks.

You don't have to reinvent the wheel.

I don't want to - I wanted to take a look at the mechanics so I can adapat them for this project. Hence why I asked.

For an energy drainer, the side efeect should be a negative level a round. But then again, i feel even thinking about doing this is laughably foolish!

Yeah, I'm still not sure if grafting on an energy-draining undead's limb is a good idea, balance-wise. I'll check out Libris Mortis and see what they did. Thanks for all the suggestions, guys.