Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[freyar]

I'll have to look that up tonight. However, based on the example stats listed in the original text, I'd say we need Str +4, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +2 or even more.

 

[freyar]

The suggestion in the AB for a "wight template" is the same as that in Savage Species.
The dread wight gets Str +2, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. Like I mentioned in the last post, I think we should probably go at least this high.

Suppose the king-wight example in the orginal text started with an elite array of Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 12 (reasonable for a fighter and almost in line with the example stats S 18/50, D 17, C 16, I 15, W 13, Ch 15). Tweaking to get even ability bonuses, this looks like Str +4, Dex +2 or +4, Int +6, Wis +2 or +4, Cha +2 to +4.

 

[Shade]

Let's go with Str +4, Dex +4, Int +6, Wis +4, Cha +4.

When it becomes undead, a king-wight gains many special abilities. A successful attack can drain two life levels from a victim, as per a vampire. Any victim completely drained of life points by the kingwight becomes a full-strength wight under the control of the king-wight.

Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by a king-wight becomes a wight in 1d4 rounds. Spawn are under the command of the king-wight that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a king-wight’s slam attack gain two negative levels. The DC is X for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the king-wight gains 5 temporary hit points.

A king-wight also has the ability to cast spectral force and confusion spells, one spell per round, without limit. It can teleport once per day, but only to or from its barrow home.

per the conversion guide, spectral force = major image.

So confusion and spectral force as at-will SLAs? Greater teleport 1/day?

When the king-wight is destroyed, the action causes an earthquake (as per the clerical spell, at the 14th-level of effect), centered on the king-wight's body, in 4-16 rounds. Since a king-wight is often encountered in its underground barrow, such an earthquake can be especially deadly.

This sounds like a death throes ability.

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

Fear aura or frightful presence?

The following spells or attack forms have no effect on a king-wight: charm, sleep, enfeeblement, polymorph, cold, electricity, insanity, and death magic. A raise dead spell turns the king-wight into a normal 12th-level fighter unless a saving throw vs. spells is made.

Most of that is handled by the undead type, but we can add in immunity to cold and electricity.

A cleric attempting to turn a king-wight should use the "special" column. A king wight can be harmed only by magical weapons.

We should also retain this...

Skills: Wights have a +8 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

 

[demiurge1138]

I think word of recall would be more thematically appropriate than greater teleport, but that cuts on it being able to teleport out. The fear sounds more like an aura than a frightful presence.

Maybe call the death throes something closer to contingency. Doesn't necessarily sound like a "throe" to me.

 

[freyar]

I'm ok with greater teleport, but we could do one each of greater teleport and word of recall per day. That would allow it to get out, but it does give a little more freedom.

I'm actually thinking that the fear thing sounds more like frightful presence due to the HD restriction.

Could go with either death throes or contingency; the idea is pretty similar, right?

So turning resistance 8? DR 10/magic? Or put in some special material, given the magic weapons will probably be pretty common by the time anyone faces one of these?

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

Liches and vampires only have +4 turn resistance, so I think we shouldn't exceed that.

 

[freyar]

Added to Homebrews.

Liches and vampires only have +4 turn resistance, so I think we shouldn't exceed that.

That's ok with me. Ideas on natural armor? I'll look at the dread wight again tonight; the regular wight has +4. Maybe +8?

 

[Shade]

Lich is +5, vampire +6.

When the king-wight is destroyed, the action causes an earthquake (as per the clerical spell, at the 14th-level of effect), centered on the king-wight's body, in 4-16 rounds. Since a king-wight is often encountered in its underground barrow, such an earthquake can be especially deadly.

How's this?

Contingent Earthquake (Sp?): 4d4 rounds after a king-wight is destroyed, a contingent earthquake spell (caster level 14th) is triggered. The effect is centered upon the king-wight's corpse.

 

[demiurge1138]

The contingent earthquake looks good.

Incidentally, liches have a HD-dependant fear aura.

 

[freyar]

Umm, I'll settle for +6 natural armor. The dread wight doesn't seem to have any (?!).

Agreed on the earthquake, and I'm not too picky on the fear aura.