Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[demiurge1138]

How about both? A fairly easy Craft check to make the body man-shaped, and a higher DC Knowledge (arch and engineering) check to make the molds. The molds, however, could be reused.

 

[Shade]

Revising...

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. 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. 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 (sculpting) check. Alternatively, special vats may be designed with a DC 30 Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check. These vats may be used to create additional necromantic colossi, provided the other prereqs are met.

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]

Looks fantastic!

 

[freyar]

Looks fantastic!

Agreed!

 

[Shade]

Updated. I think we're done.

Downsize to Large and 11 HD (with a few other slight modifications) for the lesser?

Lesser Colossus
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 8
MOVE: 12”
HIT DICE: 11 (50 hp)
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-18
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Non-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
SIZE: L (11' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

A lesser colossus is about 11' tall (between the size of a hill giant and a stone giant). A greater colossus is an amazing 33' tall (larger than the largest titan). Either one can rip up a whole tree to use as a club, doing double-normal damage. Otherwise, colossi use only their massive fists.

A cleric has the same chance to turn a lesser colossus as he would a mummy.

 

[freyar]

Yeah, I think so. Seems like no turn resistance in the turning vulnerability.

 

[Shade]

Do we want to call it "lesser necromantic colossus", and change the other to "greater", or give it a different name, since it is far from colossal?

 

[freyar]

I think "lesser necromantic colossus" is ok (no need to add greater to the other one), but we could go with something else. Is there a necromantic golem anywhere? This is sort of between a flesh golem and a zombie, really.

 

[Shade]

There's a cadaver golem, but I believe "necromantic golem" is still unused. In fact, that makes the most sense, as a necromantic colossus implies a really big necromantic golem, much like a stone colossus implies a really big stone golem.

 

[demiurge1138]

Necromantic golem is good.