Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[Cleon]

So we seem to be agreed on having this thing spread lycanthropy, but does it only affect the living?

What happens if a victim of "Prikolic Lycanthropy" dies? Do they rise again as a zombie-werewolf.

If it kills a humanoid does it turn them into a zombie-werewolf à la Create Spawn?

If it bites a zombie, does it turn it into a zombie werewolf?!

 

[freyar]

All good questions. How about yes, no, yes, no?

 

[Cleon]

All good questions. How about yes, no, yes, no?

That's my preference as well - exposure to Lycanthropy (werewolf) if a living victim survives an attack, Create Spawn if it kills a victim.

So:

Curse of Lycanthropy (Su): Any humanoid or giant hit by a prykolic's bite attack in hybrid form must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or contract lycanthropy.

Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid of giant slain by a prykolic in hybrid form becomes a prykolic in 1d4 rounds. [The Question of Control] They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

Do you like "The spawn is not under the control of its killer" or "Spawn are under the command of the prykolic that created them and remain enslaved until its destruction"? I prefer free-willed spawn that form into roaming packs out of some brutish instinct.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Since they're mindless, I would go with not being under the control of the creator.

 

[Cleon]

Since they're mindless, I would go with not being under the control of the creator.

That makes sense.

How's this for a revised version:

Curse of Lycanthropy (Su): Any humanoid or giant hit by a prykolic's bite attack in hybrid form must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or contract lycanthropy.

Create Spawn (Su): The corpse of any humanoid of giant slain by a prykolic in hybrid form becomes a prykolic in 1d4 rounds. Such spawn are not under the control of their killer, but will instinctively join other prykolic in hunting the living. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

 

[Shade]

Looks good. Updated.

Environment: Temperate forests?

Organization: Solitary, pair, pack (6–10), or troupe (2–5 plus 5–8 wolves)?

Challenge Rating: 2?

Advancement: 5 HD (Medium); 6-9 HD (Large); 10-15 HD (Huge)?

Should we include a method for creation (via create undead, etc.), or leave them purely as created by others of their kind?

 

[freyar]

I think I'll vote for CR 3, but the rest looks fine.

I'd be happy enough leaving them "naturally" created (we could put in flavor about their accidental creation by animating a werewolf, though).

 

[Cleon]

Looks good. Updated.

Why have we given them two claws as their primary attack and a bite as secondary again? The original only had a single bite in wereform, same as a werewolf.

I don't mind giving them claws, but I'd make them secondary and the bite primary.

Maybe throw in Multiattack as a bonus feat too...

Environment: Temperate forests?

Yes, same as werewolves.

Organization: Solitary, pair, pack (6–10), or troupe (2–5 plus 5–8 wolves)?

I don't think natural animals would have anything to do with these things, but I'd be happy to have the run with werewolves.

Organization: Solitary, pair, pack (3–6), or troupe (3–6 plus 1–4 werewolves)?

Challenge Rating: 2?

I think they're tipped over into a CR 3 by their DR and Undead Immunities.

Advancement: 5 HD (Medium); 6-9 HD (Large); 10-15 HD (Huge)?

Hmm, I'd expand that HD a bit. A Zombie Ogre is 8 Hit Dice, and I reckon a Werewolf Ogre would be 8HD too (An SRD Large Wolf is 4HD as is a basic Ogre), so I'd quess a Large Zombie Werewolf should have at least 8HD, I'll say 9+ HD for the sake of argument:

Advancement: 5-8 HD (Medium); 9-16 HD (Large); 17-24 HD (Huge)

Should we include a method for creation (via create undead, etc.), or leave them purely as created by others of their kind?

Might as well leave it out.

 

[Shade]

Why have we given them two claws as their primary attack and a bite as secondary again? The original only had a single bite in wereform, same as a werewolf.

I don't mind giving them claws, but I'd make them secondary and the bite primary.

Borrowed straight from the werewolf's hybrid form...2 claws (primary) and bite (secondary).

Maybe throw in Multiattack as a bonus feat too...

I'm on-board with that. It'll help cement CR 3.

I don't think natural animals would have anything to do with these things, but I'd be happy to have the run with werewolves.

Organization: Solitary, pair, pack (3–6), or troupe (3–6 plus 1–4 werewolves)?

Sounds good.

I think they're tipped over into a CR 3 by their DR and Undead Immunities.

Fair enough.

Hmm, I'd expand that HD a bit. A Zombie Ogre is 8 Hit Dice, and I reckon a Werewolf Ogre would be 8HD too (An SRD Large Wolf is 4HD as is a basic Ogre), so I'd quess a Large Zombie Werewolf should have at least 8HD, I'll say 9+ HD for the sake of argument:

Advancement: 5-8 HD (Medium); 9-16 HD (Large); 17-24 HD (Huge)

That works for me!

Updated.

 

[freyar]

I'm pretty happy with that. Done?