Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[Shade]

Nice catches. I believe the full attack line was a holdover from the work-in-progress phase.

Updated.

Advancement: 31-60 HD (Gargantuan); 61-99 HD (Colossal)?

A necromantic colossus stands 33 feet tall and weighs x pounds.

 

[freyar]

Advancement seems good.

Uhh, 10000 lb?

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Let's work on construction...

Nathaire was a powerful alchemist, astrologer, and necromancer. Working with his 10 students, he robbed a graveyard of all its corpses. In a kind of magical assembly-line, the corpses were stripped of all clothing, then the flesh and bones were separated into separate vats and rendered down to a pliable mass. All the bones were then reshaped and rehardened to form a huge skeleton. Finally, the skeleton was once again fleshed out. The separate ingredients were thus used to create a giant zombie. Along similar lines, the lesser and greater colossus herein may be added to the AD&D game.

The pieces of a flesh golem must come from normal human corpses that have not decayed significantly. Assembly requires a minimum of six different bodies—one for each limb, the torso (including head), and the brain. In some cases, more bodies may be necessary. Special unguents and bindings worth 500 gp are also required. Note that creating a flesh golem requires casting a spell with the evil descriptor.

Assembling the body requires a DC 13 Craft (leatherworking) check or a DC 13 Heal check.

CL 8th; Craft Construct, animate dead, bull’s strength, geas/quest, limited wish, caster must be at least 8th level; Price 20,000 gp; Cost 10,500 gp + 780 XP.

Only a master necromancer of surpassing power can create a flesh colossus. The bodies of not less than three hundred previously animated Medium humanoid creatures must be stripped of their flesh and the bones, which are then rendered in two great vats. The resulting semi-liquid bone-paste is then cast into a new articulated skeleton of great size, to which the rendered flesh is applied like wet clay to shape the figure. Finally, the necromancer must bind a ghost of at least 10 HD (the more powerful the better) into the colossus to act as the controlling spirit. Without the controlling spirit, the colossus is just an oversized zombie; with it, it functions as a golem of great size and repugnant appearance. If no ghost is available, the necromancer may occupy the colossus himself by casting magic jar.

The colossus costs 760,000 gp to create, which includes 100,000 gp for the body. Assembling the body takes no great skill, and many flesh colossi reveal that fact in their uncouth forms.

The creator must be 29th level and able to cast epic spells. Completing the ritual drains 30,600 XP from the creator and requires magic jar, limited wish, polymorph any object, and finger of death.

 

[freyar]

Let's go with the basics of the flesh colossus (making the paste, etc, since that's in the original text). I'd say maybe 50 corpses (but we can drop the previously animated bit). Then we can drop the ghost. Required spells: animate dead, limited wish, polymorph any object? Maybe geas/quest, too. CL 16? Cost around 80,000 gp (like iron golem)?

Something weird about the flesh golem: how can an 8th level anyone cast limited wish? You have to go buy a scroll from someone?

 

[demiurge1138]

Something weird about the flesh golem: how can an 8th level anyone cast limited wish? You have to go buy a scroll from someone?

Yep. This was actually a plot point in Paizo's Curse of the Crimson Throne AP.

 

[Shade]

Like so?

The pieces of a necromantic colossus must come from normal human corpses that have not decayed significantly. Assembly requires a minimum of fifty different bodies. In some cases, more bodies may be necessary. Special unguents and bindings worth 5,000 gp are also required. Note that creating a necromantic colossus requires casting a spell with the evil descriptor.

Assembling the body requires a DC 20 Craft (leatherworking) check or a DC 20 Heal check.

CL 16th; Craft Construct, animate dead, geas/quest, limited wish, polymorph any object, caster must be at least 16th level; Price 80,000 gp; Cost 40,500 gp + 3,000 XP.

 

[demiurge1138]

I dunno about Craft (leatherworking). The flavor text (and a Hellboy comic inspired by the original story) involved melting down the bodies, then reassembling them in vast molds, which is both unique and much grosser.

 

[freyar]

Agreed. In fact, I particularly wanted the text "The corpses must be stripped of their flesh and the bones, which are then rendered in two great vats. The resulting semi-liquid bone-paste is then cast into a new articulated skeleton of great size, to which the rendered flesh is applied like wet clay to shape the figure." This is in the flesh colossus and the original text. I don't think we need a Craft or Heal check. Also, I'm ok with special unguents, but I don't think we need bindings. The numbers seem fine, though.

Interesting about CotCT. I wish I had shelf space for all the Pathfinders. One day...

 

[demiurge1138]

Use Craft (sculpture) for the skill involved? A giant composite monster is a lot like a statue made of clay... in a way I'd rather not think too much about.

 

[Shade]

Ewww!

How about Craft (sculpting) or Knowledge (architecture and engineering), the latter for the creation of the giant vats?