Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[Cleon]

Wraiths are only CR 5 and deal 1d6 Con drain, so I think 1d2 drain is reasonable here.

Freedom of movement doesn't appear to work against hold person (as hold person paralyzes the victim, rather than "impede movment"). At least, that's how I read it.

There's a slight problem with that theory.

This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web.

 

[Cleon]

Ahh...sure enough.

I think making it work like hold monster is probably the most elegant mechanic, and allowing victims to be freed in similar manners is fine with me.

The problem is the trapped person is free to move within the area of the shadow-draining field, they just can't leave it.

It's not a hold or paralysis effect, the closest spell-equivalent in the SRD is planar binding, or at least this part of it:

To create the trap, you must use a magic circle spell, focused inward. The kind of creature to be bound must be known and stated. If you wish to call a specific individual, you must use that individual’s proper name in casting the spell.

The target creature is allowed a Will saving throw. If the saving throw succeeds, the creature resists the spell. If the saving throw fails, the creature is immediately drawn to the trap (spell resistance does not keep it from being called). The creature can escape from the trap by successfully pitting its spell resistance against your caster level check, by dimensional travel, or with a successful Charisma check (DC 15 + ½ your caster level + your Cha modifier). It can try each method once per day. If it breaks loose, it can flee or attack you. A dimensional anchor cast on the creature prevents its escape via dimensional travel. You can also employ a calling diagram (see magic circle against evil) to make the trap more secure.

If the creature does not break free of the trap, you can keep it bound for as long as you dare.

The magic circle that planar binding is linked to is a 10-foot radius, remember.

So I'm thinking this power resembles a blood-draining planar binding that works on living material plane residents.

This may get a bit nasty, depending on what methods we allow to escape from the aura or to "break the circle" and allow its occupants to escape.

Of course, we might want it to be nasty.

 

[freyar]

Personally, I prefer the compulsion mechanic, but I'm fine with being nasty.

 

[Shade]

As long as we don't overcomplicate it, I'm OK with either approach.

Doesn't a psionic power exist that forces victims to remain close to the manifester? I can't find one at the moment. Attraction isn't quite what I'd thought.

 

[freyar]

I'm not seeing any power that would do what we want. So how do we break the deadlock?

 

[Shade]

Let's return to the original text...

If the shadow of a character falls upon a ghost-stone, that person is trapped. The individual can still fight and cast spells, but is unable to move more than 10' away from the stone. The ghost-stone uses the shadowy connection to drain the victim's blood, doing 1-20 hp damage per round automatically.

Since ghost-stones look like any other stones, they normally attack with surprise. The first indication of trouble is when a character's shadow gets automatically trapped.

Any character who strikes the ghoststone physically, without first choosing an attack angle that guarantees that his shadow will not fall upon the stone, could end up trapped also. Each person in addition to the first gains a saving throw vs. wands to avoid entrapment. Only one person at a time will be drained of blood, however. Other trapped individuals are simply unable to move away. If the ghoststone survives attacks against it, it eventually drains all of its victims of blood.

So, in summary, the victim is trapped by its own shadow, which "streches" to 10 feet.

Here's a precedent we might be able to (heavily) modify...

Shadow Strands (Su): At will, a darkweaver can create an aura of weblike, supernatural, semisolid shadow that emanates outward from it in a 60-foot spread. A darkweaver can see normally through the shadow strands, but other creatures have great difficulty doing so. Each full 5 feet of shadow strands grants one-quarter concealment. Thus, a creature in the shadow strands 10 feet away from another creature would have one-half concealment and a creature in the shadow strands 20 feet away would have total concealment. A creature in the shadow strands has no concealment from creatures within 5 feet. Creatures with darkvision suffer these effects, and the shadow strands even baffle blindsight, but true seeing allows a creature to see normally through them.

Any creature that enters this area can freely move toward the darkweaver, but any attempt to move in any other direction is resisted by the semisolid shadow strands. A creature attempting to move in such a fashion must make a Strength check or an Escape Artist check; the creature can move away from the darkweaver 5 feet for each full 5 points by which the check result exceeds 10. If a creature is adjacent to the darkweaver (within 5 feet), it can move freely so long as it remains adjacent to the darkweaver. A creature protected by a freedom of movement spell is immune to the constraining effects of the shadow strands.

The darkweaver can move about as it wishes and bring the area of shadow strands with it. Creatures are not affected by the darkweaver's moving the strands, but the direction toward the darkweaver will likely change.

Creatures within the strands do not need to guess in which direction the darkweaver lies; it becomes immediately obvious when they try to move away and the shadow strands snarl and twist to block all other routes. When a creature without freedom of movement attempts to move against the strands, the darkweaver is immediately aware of its location even if it cannot see the creature due to invisibility.

Darkweavers are immune to other darkweavers' shadow strands and can see through them.


Some other possibilities/considerations:

• If a creature casts no shadow, I'd assume it can't be trapped
• If light conditions change to total darkness or other areas where a shadow isn't cast, all victims could be freed
• Rather than limiting movement to 10 feet, shouldn't it be based on the creature's Space instead?
• Could a creature with the ability to hide in its own shadow be able to hide from the ghost-stone, or would it become more vulnerable?
• How would shadow jump work?

 

[freyar]

Add to that the idea that the ghost is restricted to the range of the aura. The shadow strands might just work, though.

 

[Cleon]

So, in summary, the victim is trapped by its own shadow, which "streches" to 10 feet.

Here's a precedent we might be able to (heavily) modify...

Shadow Strands (Su): *SNIP*

Having them "hooked by their own shadow" is about right. I'm thinking the shadow-trapping is a means of fixing the victim's soul/spirit to the stone, hence their inability to escape.

However, I'm not seeing that Shadow Strands as being much like what we're talking about.

Some other possibilities/considerations:

• If a creature casts no shadow, I'd assume it can't be trapped
• If light conditions change to total darkness or other areas where a shadow isn't cast, all victims could be freed
• Rather than limiting movement to 10 feet, shouldn't it be based on the creature's Space instead?
• Could a creature with the ability to hide in its own shadow be able to hide from the ghost-stone, or would it become more vulnerable?
• How would shadow jump work?

#1 Makes sense.
#2 Would make escaping from them way to easy methinks.
#3 Sounds OK in principle but I think it'd be easier just sticking to 10 feet.
#4 Could go either way, but I see no reason not to let it try to Hide from the blood drain, or even "wiggle out of its shadow" with an Escape Artist like check.
#5 I'm thinking shadow jump would allow the victim to escape.

 

[freyar]

Wow, I get the real feeling this is going to be messy.

I'd like to leave out hiding in its own shadow, just to keep it slightly simpler.

#2 makes sense, though maybe it's too easy. It's this kind of thing that makes me want to turn this into an aura rather than a "shadow grab."

 

[Shade]

The aura may be the best approach, as there are no rules to really adjudicate where a shadow falls.

Here's a stab at a first draft...

Shadowtrap Aura (Su): A ghost-stone continually projects an aura to a radius of 10-feet that grabs hold of creatures' shadows. Any creature within the area that casts a shadow must succeed on a DC X Will(?) save or become tethered to the ghost-stone via its shadow for x rounds/minutes. The save DC is Charisma-based.

A creature trapped by the aura may not physically move (or be physically moved by others) outside the aura's area, but is otherwise unhindered. The area within the shadowtrap aura is treated as a dimensional anchor for purposes of teleportation and other forms of extraplanar escape. A creature with the shadow jump ability or other mode of shadow travel (such as the shadow walk spell) may escape the area as normal for the spell or ability.

A ghost-stone may employ its blood drain upon any creature trapped by its aura. A ghost-stone's shadowtrap aura does not function in areas of total darkness.