Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[Shade]

Sounds right to me. To simplify the possession, do you want to rip from ghost's malevolence or go look up whatever loumarae do?

Loumara reference the Demonic Possession rules in FC1, which aren't OGL. So the ghost route may be the way to go, with a sidebar mentioning they can be treated as loumara (and thus use those rules) if used with FC1. Thoughts?

From flipping through FC1, I noticed that the dybbuk (1 of only 2 loumara) don't really use the full possession rules. They just take over a corpse. So, to simulate the possession rules, let's steal from malevolence for the spirit-ghoul to become a "rider" and grant the victim a second save to resist transformation (successful save means immune to transformation for 24 hours). So we'd essentially be writing a statblock for the incorporeal fiend and a small template for the transformed victim.

How's that work?

Here's malevolence...

Malevolence (Su): Once per round, an ethereal ghost can merge its body with a creature on the Material Plane. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th or the ghost’s Hit Dice, whichever is higher), except that it does not require a receptacle. To use this ability, the ghost must be manifested and it must try move into the target’s space; moving into the target’s space to use the malevolence ability does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 15 + ghost’s Cha modifier). A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same ghost’s malevolence for 24 hours, and the ghost cannot enter the target’s space. If the save fails, the ghost vanishes into the target’s body.

 

[freyar]

Here's a draft. Don't know if we should keep it as two abilities or merge them to one.

Possession (Su): Once per round, a spirit-ghoul possess a creature by moving into that creature's space (this movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity). The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC X). A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same spirit-ghoul’s possession for 24 hours, and the spirit-ghoul cannot enter the target’s space. If the save fails, the spirit-ghoul vanishes into the target’s body. While the spirit-ghoul does not control the target, it is aware of everything the target is. X, X, X or similar magic ends the possession.

Fiendish Transformation (Su): After X rounds (?), the spirit-ghoul may attempt to transform any creature that it possesses. The target must make a DC X Fortitude save or gain the spirit-ghoul victim template (see below). If the save succeeds, the victim is immune to the spirit ghoul's fiendish transformation for 24 hours. If the save fails, the spirit-ghoul takes control of the victim (as a magic jar spell, except that it does not require a receptacle). Once the victim is transformed, only X, X, X or similar magic can end the possession and return the target to its previous state, as can a turning attempt that would destroy an undead of the spirit-ghoul victim's HD plus 2.

 

[Shade]

Great start!

Should the fiend fail on its transformation check, does it remain in possession, or is it ejected from the creature's body (and space)?

 

[freyar]

I had thought it would just stick around as a rider, but I don't mind having it booted out. What do you think?

 

[Shade]

I have no preference, just felt we needed to clarify.

 

[freyar]

Let's let it stay:

Fiendish Transformation (Su): After X rounds (?), the spirit-ghoul may attempt to transform any creature that it possesses. The target must make a DC X Fortitude save or gain the spirit-ghoul victim template (see below). If the save succeeds, the victim is immune to the spirit ghoul's fiendish transformation for 24 hours, but the possession is not ended. If the save fails, the spirit-ghoul takes control of the victim (as a magic jar spell, except that it does not require a receptacle). Once the victim is transformed, only X, X, X or similar magic can end the possession and return the target to its previous state, as can a turning attempt that would destroy an undead of the spirit-ghoul victim's HD plus 2.

What kind of magic do you want to allow to end a possession and/or reverse the transformation? I don't know about protection/magic circle spells -- the possession doesn't exert mental control (so I don't think protection from evil applies, for ex), and the transformation seems too strong to be ended by those, too.

 

[Shade]

Protection/magic circle would prevent the initial possession, so theoretically that barrier has already been bypassed by the time it can attempt the transformation. So, I'll agree with "no".

Danishment, dispel evil, dismissal, and holy word?

 

[freyar]

Just for possession or for both? Dispel evil is a 4th level spell -- could a 7th level cleric easily destroy a ghoul with a turning check? Or advanced ghoul?

 

[Shade]

A 7th-level cleric would automatically destroy any standard (or advanced to 3 HD) ghouls he/she turns.

 

[freyar]

Then that's fine by me for both of them.