Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

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Is there a precedent for incorporeal (non-ethereal) creatures with ghost touch weapons and a Str score?

Alternatively, we could have them "animate" their suit of plate armor and wield weapons through it, yet remain incorporeal within. I'm thinking ringwraiths from the LotR movies.

 

[demiurge1138]

Is there a precedent for incorporeal (non-ethereal) creatures with ghost touch weapons and a Str score?

Alternatively, we could have them "animate" their suit of plate armor and wield weapons through it, yet remain incorporeal within. I'm thinking ringwraiths from the LotR movies.

I think Moldovay was thinking along the same direction.

How about giving them an "incorporeal defense" ability? They are themselves corporeal, but are treated by spells and effects as if they were incorporeal.

 

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Sounds like a plan.

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 20%

SR = HD + 5?

It is considered to have exceptional attribute statistics (S 18/00, D 18, C 17, I 17, W 15, Ch 17 (to undead only).

Wraith has +6 Dex, +4 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha.

Maybe +6 Str, +6 Dex, +6 Int, +6 Wis, +6 Cha?

A wraith-king can drain life levels by gaze alone at the rate of one level per round for any one victim within clear view in a 30' range (the victim must save vs. death ray each round to avoid this effect).

Energy drain gaze.

Retain Con draining touch of normal wraith?

Any victim completely drained of life levels becomes a full-strength wraith under the control of the wraith-king.

Create spawn.

A wraith-king can cast either a permanent illusion or programmed illusion once per round, without limit. It can also cast a mass charm spell once per day. All spells are cast at the 15th level of ability.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will--permanent image, programmed image; 1/day-mass charm. Caster level 15th.?

A wraith-king is so powerful that any individual of a level lower than the wraith-king must make a saving throw vs. spells or flee in panic from fear.

Use lich's fear aura again?

The following spells or attack forms have no effect on a wraith-king: charm, sleep, enfeeblement, polymorph, cold, electricity, insanity, and death magic.

Borrowing from the lich...

Immunities (Ex): Liches have immunity to cold, electricity, polymorph (though they can use polymorph effects on themselves), and mind-affecting attacks.

A wraith-king can be harmed only by magical weapons with at least a +2 bonus, and even these weapons do only half damage.

DR 15/magic? Maybe add a special material or good?

A wraith-king is even more powerful than a lich. A cleric of level 9-13 has a chance to turn a wraith-king on a roll of 19 or better. A cleric of level 14 + has a chance to turn a wraith-king on a roll of 16 or better.

Lich's have +4 turn resistance. +6 or even +8 for these guys?

Because a wraith-king's undead power comes directly from a god, a raise dead spell will not affect a wraith-king.

Can only be restored to life by a cleric of the wraith-king's god?

 

[demiurge1138]

I like the resistances/immunities, huge turn resistance, create spawn and SLAs. Is it mass charm person, or mass charm monster? I like that a wraith-king can only be returned to life by a follower of its own god.

As for DR, 15/good would appeal to me. I think it should have both a Con-draining touch and its negative level gaze. Perhaps its weapon attacks do a single point of Con damage/drain, no save?

 

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Added to Homebrews.

Is it mass charm person, or mass charm monster?

Preferences?

Here are some things from the wraith and dread wraith we might wish to use:

Daylight Powerlessness (Ex): Wraiths are utterly powerless in natural sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) and flee from it.

Lifesense (Su): A dread wraith notices and locates living creatures within 60 feet, just as if it possessed the blindsight ability. It also senses the strength of their life force automatically, as if it had cast deathwatch.

Unnatural Aura (Su): Animals, whether wild or domesticated, can sense the unnatural presence of a wraith at a distance of 30 feet. They will not willingly approach nearer than that and panic if forced to do so; they remain panicked as long as they are within that range.

Both have Alertness and Improved Initiative as bonus feats.

It looks like Infernal as a bonus language as well.

 

[demiurge1138]

Let's go mass charm monster. These guys are very high level, after all. And that lets them get armies of things more monstrous than orcs.

I like all of the above for the wraith king except for the daylight powerlessness. The ringwraiths(who we should use as examples of wraith king par excellence) run around in broad daylight.

 

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Updated.

Armor Class: Give them a deflection bonus to AC equal to their Charisma modifier?

Organization: Solitary, retinue (wraith-king plus 2-12 wraiths and 1 nightmare), or tomb (wraith-king plus 4-24 wraiths)?

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +x. (They seem about on par with vampires at +2 or death knights at +3)

Treasure: Double standard?.

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +6? (Vamps are +8, but are harder to permanently destroy)

 

[demiurge1138]

Deflection bonus? Yes!

CR? +3.

Oh! I forgot to mention earlier...I don't think the fear aura should be as weak as a lich's. The original text was "creatures with less HD than the wraith king". I think it should be more akin to a devil's fear aura (ie no HD cap).

LA should still be +8. They're easier to kill, but energy drain gaze!

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Anything else or are we ready for the sample creature?

 

[demiurge1138]

Time for a sample, methinks. How about something more interesting than a 5th level human fighter this time?