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The Whisperers of Vecna

Mark Chance

Boingy! Boingy!
The Whisperers Template

The Whisperers are undead servants of Vecna created from mortals who willingly enter into dark pacts with the Maimed Lord.

Unlike most undead, a Whisperer can often pass freely among the living. In many important ways, despite being undead, a Whisperer imitates living traits. Whisperers must still eat and drink even though they cannot actually starve. They still appear to age even though age itself does not diminish a Whisperer's physical abilities. Whisperers can even breed with their own kind. Only an ancient Whisperer, one who has aged to the point where his body begins to show signs of decay, is readily identifiable as undead. These Whisperers can be mistaken for zombies or skeletons.

Whisperers speak whatever languages they knew in life.

Creating a Whisperer

"Whisperer" is a template that can be added to any humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the "creature"). The creature's type changes to Undead. It uses all the creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Hit Dice: Increase to d12.
Speed: Same as creature.
AC: The Whisperer has a +2 natural armor bonus or the creature's natural armor bonus, whichever is better.
Damage: Whisperers have a touch attack that deals 1d4 points of cold damage. They can use weapons as normal for the creature.
Special Attacks: Whisperers can detach and reattach or even replace their limbs.

Detach Limbs (Ex): A Whisperer can detach its head, arms, and legs. Detached arms and legs are capable of movement (base speed 10 ft.) and combat (base attack bonus equal to total HD x 1/2). A detached head cannot move or attack, but it can direct arms and legs. Each limb has hit points equal to 1/10 the Whisperer's total hit points. The torso itself has hit points equal to 1/2 the Whisperer's total hit points. Detached limbs lose any Dexterity or dodge bonuses to AC. Detaching a limb is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A Whisperer can reattach or even replace destroyed limbs (using appropriate spare humanoid limbs usually robbed from graves). Reattaching or replacing a limb is a full round action that does provoke attacks of opportunity. Replacing a destroyed limb restores hit points equal to the amount lost due to the limb's destruction.

Special Qualities: Whisperers have the following special qualities.

Immunities (Ex): Whisperers have cold immunity. They take only one-half damage from piercing or slashing weapons.

Darkvision (Ex): 60-foot range.

Undead: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

Saves: Same as creature.
Abilities: Same as creature, but Whisperers have no Constitution score.
Skills: Whisperers have a +4 racial bonus on Bluff checks.
Organization: Same as creature.
Challenge Rating: As creature +1.
Treasure: Same as creature.
Alignment: Any evil.
Advancement: By character class.
 

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The way it looks I think it should add +2 - +3 to the CR of the creature.

How do you deal if they attach dragon limbs and the like. Strength up or the like. But thats probely making to hard on you.
 

Very icky!

I would limit it to just the ability to remove one arm. If you start ripping off all your apendages the base creatures won't be able to move (or make sense).

I like the idea of fighting a zombie with a sword and then it rips it's arm off and the arm attacks!

I think CR +1 is okay.
 

This n that...

The way it looks I think it should add +2 - +3 to the CR of the creature.

Liches and vampires are +2 CR to the base creature. A Whisperer is hardly as formidable as either of those undead.

How do you deal if they attach dragon limbs and the like. Strength up or the like. But thats probely making to hard on you.

Can't attach such limbs. The ability only works with "appropriate humanoid limbs," by which I mean those limbs of the same type as the creature was before becoming undead.

I would limit it to just the ability to remove one arm. If you start ripping off all your apendages the base creatures won't be able to move (or make sense).

That is a tactical decision on the part of the monster. The inherent limits of removing more limbs than prudent is itself limitation enough on the ability.
 

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