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Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead


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Let's tackle this guy...

Hacamuli (possibly derived from the Hebrew-withering, fading)
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVE: 12”
HIT DICE: 60 hit points
% IN LAIR: 50%
TREASURE TYPE: U
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10/1-10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: + 1 or better weapon to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 65%
INTELLIGENCE: High
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
SIZE: L
PSIONIC ABILITY: 150
Attack/Defense Modes: ACE/ABE

Hacamuli is one of the messengers of Orcus. He appears as a pale, gaunt horse with hazy black eyes. Flies crawl over his mangy, sore-infested body. By gazing into a victim’s eyes, Hacamuli drains three life levels (save versus death) with appropriate changes in hit points and skill level if the player character does not make his saving throw.

In battle, Hacamuli rears up on his hind legs, striking with both front hooves. Each hoof does 1-10 points of damage. In addition, a hit by the right hoof will cause aging 3-30 years (no save) and a hit by the left hoof will cause disease (save versus death: if made, the disease is mild; if not made, the disease is terminal). Two mild diseases equal a severe case; three mild cases, or a mild case in addition to a severe case, equals a terminal case.

Non-magical armor, upon receiving a second hit with the right hoof, will disintegrate in a shower of rust Magical armor must save versus disintegration each time it is hit: If the save is made, nothing happens to the armor; if not made, the armor loses + 1 permanently. When all bonuses are gone, the magical armor is treated as non-magical armor.

Hacamuli has a 60% chance of gating in 2-12 Shadows‚ and a 50% chance of gating in 1-4 Vampires. Hacamuli has the normal demonic spells of Infravision and Teleportation (no error). He can Cast Darkness for a 20’ radius. Maximum damage caused against him per attack type is the same as for any other demon.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #42 (1980).

8
 


Think I'd go with Outsider for this one, make him a demon probably, and maybe also tomb-tainted.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a 3 level energy drain gaze seem pretty powerful at 13HD?
 

Absolutely a demon, and I like tomb-tainted for it.

Yeah, either the HD need to go up, or the energy drain needs to go down.

I'd prefer a HD boost, as the fellow is unique and an important servant of Orcus. I'd recommend putting him in the 18-22 HD range, towards the top of the non-uniques and the lower threshold of the unique demons.
 

Let's go for 21 or 22 HD to get him an epic feat. ;)

He's probably reasonably strong for his HD given the damage listed. Int is High, but we don't know much else. Do you have any thoughts?
 

Take a balor, lower the mental scores a bit?
Balor: Str 35, Dex 25, Con 31, Int 24, Wis 24, Cha 28

Here's Kerzit, another unique demon of similar size:
Str 38, Dex 16, Con 28, Int 14, Wis 22, Cha 24

Horses are all Dex 13, so stick with that?

How about...
Str 35, Dex 13, Con 29, Int 14, Wis 22, Cha 24?
 


Added to Homebrews.

We might be able to borrow/modify this:

Death-Stealing Gaze (Su): 30 feet, Fort DC 15 negates, bestows 1 negative level. Any humanoid creature drained to 0 levels by the juvenile nabassu's deathstealing gaze dies and is immediately transformed into a ghoul (MM 119) under the nabassu's permanent command. The death-stealing gaze has no effect on creatures that are not humanoids. The save DC is Charisma-based.

...and this...

Rust (Su): If Dispater succeeds on a touch, his touch causes the target metal to corrode, falling to pieces and becoming useless immediately. His touch can destroy a 10-foot-cube of metal instantly. Magic armor, weapons, and other magic items made of metal must succeed on a DC 36 Reflex save or be dissolved. The save DC is Constitution-based.

A metal weapon that deals damage to Dispater corrodes immediately unless its bearer succeeds on a DC 36 Reflex save. Wooden, stone, and other nonmetallic weapons are unaffected. Dispater can suppress or resume his rusting touch ability as a free action. The save DC is Constitution-based.
 
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They certainly need more than 13 Hit Dice!

I was thinking 24 Hit Dice (as if the 60hp original used d4s for HD). That'd give us a couple of Epic Feats to play with.

You gaze Kerzit 24 HD when you converted him, and this fellow seems a similar unique demon.

Added to Homebrews.

We might be able to borrow/modify this:

Death-Stealing Gaze (Su): 30 feet, Fort DC 15 negates, bestows 1 negative level. Any humanoid creature drained to 0 levels by the juvenile nabassu's deathstealing gaze dies and is immediately transformed into a ghoul (MM 119) under the nabassu's permanent command. The death-stealing gaze has no effect on creatures that are not humanoids. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Well the original demon seems more about spreading disease than creating undead, but I suppose we could use that.

Better make the undead a nastier variety though, maybe a life-drained victim turns into a Bodak?
 

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