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Undead Origins
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<blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 8238486" data-attributes="member: 2209"><p><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/112605/2012-Rappan-Athuk--Swords-and-Wizardry?affiliate_id=17596" target="_blank">Rappan Athuk - Swords and Wizardry</a></p><p>Swords & Wizardry</p><p><strong>Barrow Wight:</strong> Creatures hit by a barrow wight’s slam attack are drained of one level. Creatures killed by this level drain rise as barrow wights in 1d4 rounds and remain under their creator’s control until it is destroyed.</p><p><strong>Devouring Mist:</strong> Spawned of the dreams of the Bloodwraith, devouring mists are undead composed of equal parts blood and malice, wedded together by negative energy.</p><p>If a victim’s constitution is reduced to 0 due to the devouring mist’s ability drain, the blood from the victim’s body forms into a new devouring mist in 1d4 rounds.</p><p>A fearful exhalation of the Bloodwraith, the devouring mist seeks only to feed its insatiable hunger for blood.</p><p>Spawned of the dreams of the Bloodwraith, devouring mists are undead composed of equal parts blood and malice, wedded together by negative energy.</p><p>Duke Aerim the Bloodwraith can cough up a devouring mist 3/day.</p><p><strong>Meat Puppet:</strong> Meat puppets are boneless, skinless corpses reanimated after being exposed to necromantic energies.</p><p>Enemies killed by a bonesucker's attack reanimate within the Temple as meat puppets 24 hours after dying.</p><p>The room also holds 8 human meat puppets, the legacy of past bonesucker victims.</p><p><strong>Mordnaissant:</strong> Occasionally when a pregnant mother dies violently in a place infused with unholy or negative energies, the unborn child within her does not simply perish, but instead continues to grow, vitalized by dark power, until it is capable of clawing its way free from its dead mother.</p><p>Anyone entering the room must make a saving throw or succumb to the scent’s intoxicating effect. Those who make their save are immune to its effects for a day. It generates a feeling of pleasurable lassitude coupled with heightened lust. This prompts those affected to copulate again and again, exhausting themselves. Once they begin, victims sustain 1 point of constitution damage per ten minutes spent in this vigorous pursuit. When their constitution drops to 1 point, they become too weak to continue, though the drive remains; victims typically die of thirst or starvation even while they continue to feel the need to mate.</p><p>Additional saving throws are allowed for failed victims once every 30 minutes for as long as they remain within the room, or once per minute if they are removed from the chamber. The scent is produced by a specially bred form of magical mold infesting the cushions and carpet, and a thorough cleansing of the room with fire (at least 20 points of damage to all surfaces) eliminates the mold and the threat.</p><p>The bodies lying amid the cushions have been looted by past adventurers, and bear only tattered robes or ancient, non-magical armor that is in too poor of shape to function. Horribly, due to a necromantic taint on the room, infants created through this chamber’s powers do not die if the mother dies in the room; her womb continues to expand, and eventually a mordnaissant bursts free.</p><p><strong>Undead Soldier:</strong> When not warring against rival demon princes, Orcus likes to travel the planes, particularly the Material Plane. Should a foolish spellcaster open a gate and speak his name, he is more than likely going to hear the call and step through to the Material Plane. What happens to the spellcaster that called him usually depends on the reason for the summons and the power of the spellcaster. Extremely powerful spellcasters are usually slain after a while and turned into undead soldiers or generals in his armies.</p><p><strong>Undead General:</strong> When not warring against rival demon princes, Orcus likes to travel the planes, particularly the Material Plane. Should a foolish spellcaster open a gate and speak his name, he is more than likely going to hear the call and step through to the Material Plane. What happens to the spellcaster that called him usually depends on the reason for the summons and the power of the spellcaster. Extremely powerful spellcasters are usually slain after a while and turned into undead soldiers or generals in his armies.</p><p><strong>Black Skeleton:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Zelkor, Lich:</strong> Zelkor was a powerful wizard who led the army of Light into Rappan Athuk to attack the high priests of Orcus. They say that he didn’t die, and one day he’ll return.</p><p><strong>Zelkor the Spectre-Mage, Magic User 9:</strong> Zelkor was a powerful wizard who led the army of Light into Rappan Athuk to attack the high priests of Orcus. They say that he didn’t die, and one day he’ll return.</p><p>This area is the lair of Zelkor, who was once a good-aligned archmage of some renown. During his quest to drive the evil from this place, he was captured by the evil priests, tortured and eventually slain by Nodroj the spectre once he agreed to worship of Orcus.</p><p><strong>Nadroj the Spectre-Wizard:</strong> [F]ormerly a magic-user/merchant favored by Orcus, and thus allowed to retain his knowledge of spells.</p><p><strong>Restless Spirits:</strong> A powerful adventuring group called the Dancing Blades were slain in the dungeon. Their restless spirits now wander its halls, attacking anyone they come across with their phantom weapons.</p><p><strong>Exploding Skeleton:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Dissolving Zombie:</strong> The zombies dissolve into foul greenish goo that will eat your flesh and turn you into one of them!</p><p><strong>Duke Aerim the Bloodwraith:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Damien, Lich:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Simrath the Vampire:</strong> Simrath the vampire is the long-undead lord of a small barony in the foothills. He was once a great general of good, and was much loved by his troops. Like many other heroes of the region, Simrath rode off against the forces of Orcus. He was slain in a nighttime battle at the field east of the ford of the Wild Edge River by a vampire serving the evil priests. That vampire was slain by the holy light of a sun priest. Simrath’s companions were unaware of his fate (being turned to a vampire), and buried him with full honors in the foothills near the battlefield, in a wild grove of great beauty.</p><p><strong>Shekahn the Vampire:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Agamemnon Vampire-Wizard:</strong> Agamemnon was a 19th level magic-user who quested for immortality. To this end, as his life drew to a close, he willingly became a vampire, summoning and dominating a member of the undead to do his will. Using a wish spell, he devised a ritual that destroyed his creator after he was transformed, making him free to roam and do as he pleased without a controlling master. Sadly, this process caused him to lose 2 levels of experience; hence, now Agamemnon is only a 17th level magic-user.</p><p><strong>Vampire Spawn:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Oldaric, Human Fighter 6 Vampire Spawn:</strong> He died early on in the Bloodways after a devouring mist sucked him dry. He has become one of the many vampire spawn that lurk within the labyrinth.</p><p><strong>Swoana, Vampire:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Mhao, Vampire:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Itara, Vampire:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Grezell, Vampire:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Vampire Harlot:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Auriferous, Vampiric Gold Dragon:</strong> In an attempt to draw forth the soul of an ancient gold dragon named Auriferous, the beast was instead turned in to a vampire.</p><p><strong>Meat Puppet Human:</strong> These loathsome, twitching undead either descended from the Temple of Final Sacrament, or arose spontaneously from the corpses of victims slain within the Bloodways.</p><p><strong>Meat Puppet Otyugh:</strong> Some years back several clusters of otyughs swarmed into the Bloodways, only to fall victim to its malign influence. Now the remains of these long-dead creatures roam the halls, attacking any living creature they come upon.</p><p><strong>Black Skeleton Artillery:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Yokim, Banshee:</strong> The acolytes of Orcus entombed Yokim, the unwilling elven concubine of King Goov during life, alive—her crypt sealed and walled up so that she could not leave Goov after his undeath. As she starved to death, sealed in her coffin, Yokim transformed into a banshee.</p><p><strong>Malliw Catspar, Ghost:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Kor, Storm Giant Ghost:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Phalen, Ghost:</strong> Once a devout worshiper of Hecate, Phalen was corrupted by the Orcus clerics and damned to guard their burial grounds for eternity.</p><p><strong>Igni, Paladin 12 Ghost:</strong> Igni was a paladin who almost defeated the avatar of Orcus. When Igni was defeated, Orcus concocted a particularly cruel undeath for the man. The demon lord cursed Igni to his current ghost state but also perverted all of Igni’s abilities into those of an antipaladin. Under the curse Igni is compelled to slay any who try to open the doors. Because the change from paladin to antipaladin was involuntary Igni remains lawful, but cannot act on his alignment, further adding to his torture.</p><p><strong>Iron Ghoul:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Deserach, Demi-Lich:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Deserach, Lich-Mage:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Slavish, Lich, Arch-Lich, Sorcerer-Lich 18:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Magerly, Lich Necromancer:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Cleric Lich:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Wizard Lich:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Patrol Captain Luther Dwarf Graveknight:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Graveknight:</strong> In death, the graveknight’s life force lingers on in its armor, not its corpse, in much the same way that a lich’s essence is bound within a phylactery.</p><p><strong>Captain Killbessa, Mummy of the Deep:</strong> While most of the crew died, the captain and his most ruthless pirates rose again in undeath.</p><p><strong>Brine Zombie:</strong> While most of the crew died, the captain and his most ruthless pirates rose again in undeath.</p><p><strong>Amurru:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Mummy Guardian:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>King Goov, Greater Mummy:</strong> Goov made a covenant with Orcus to remain alive after death. In trade, Goov sacrificed 500 young maidens to the evil god, which triggered a revolt among his people, leading to regicide. Honoring his promise, Orcus made Goov undead.</p><p><strong>Mummy Priest of Orcus:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Plethor, Mummy Cleric 15:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Xillin, Mummy Magic-User 15:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Naphra-Tep, Greater Mummy:</strong> The boy in the sarcophagus was once a powerful prophet of Tiamat and was interred in this temple at some point in ages past. He now exists as a greater mummy, sealed within his tomb.</p><p><strong>Goat-Human Skeleton:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>False-Black Skeleton:</strong> These alcoves each contain a false black skeleton (8 total) which are simply normal skeletons painted black, with a minor enchantment allowing limited spell casting.</p><p><strong>Abbot Cyngamon, Wight:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Guardian of Cyngamon, Undead Swordsman:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Bone Warrior:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Sword Wight:</strong> Creatures killed by Duke Aerim the Bloodwraith rise as a sword wight in 1d4+1 rounds.</p><p><strong>Hardier Enchanted Zombie:</strong> The documents in the leather case reveal the procedure to create hardier enchanted zombies. This method requires 250 gp worth of material components per zombie and a fully equipped laboratory.</p><p><strong>Putrid Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Zombie Horse:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Zombie Charcharodon:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Kalina, Zombie:</strong> A follower of a god of knowledge, Kalina was separated from the rest of the group. She too was captured, and tortured to death at the Talon of Orcus. Her lifeless corpse was then reanimated, and now stands ready to serve her former captors in the Talon as one of the zombies.</p><p><strong>Goblin Juju Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Hacked Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Fire Beetle Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Giant Rat Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Troll Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Otyugh Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Humanoid Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Giant Crayfish Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Giant Beetle Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Goblin Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Basilisk Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Yellow Mold-Encrusted Troll Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Zombie Behir:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Black Dragon Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Beetlor Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Purple Worm Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Rhinoceros Beetle Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Gray Render Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Vrock Demon Zombie:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Haunted Choir:</strong> These poor souls, survivors of the retreat but not their master’s cruelty, have each offended one of the clergy of Orcus in some way.</p><p><strong>Zombie Horde:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Aaphia, Crypt Thing:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Bodak Priest:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Nightcrawler:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Ghul:</strong> ?</p><p></p><p><strong>Ghoul:</strong> Inside are the gnawed-on skeletons of some thirty frog-cultists who had rebelled against a long-dead abbot, but were put down to face live entombment. Five of them remain as ghouls inside the room, envious of the living.</p><p>These creatures were common soldiers of the army of good, buried within the room and reanimated by the evil presence of the priests of Orcus.</p><p><strong>Lich:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Mummy:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Shadow:</strong> Any targets drained by the shadows join their ranks in this room forever.</p><p><strong>Skeleton:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Spectre:</strong> The souls of paladins slain by Nadroj.</p><p>Lorvius is extremely cautious about anyone meeting him on this level (fear of assassinations) and never meets with outsiders without his retinue of 4 spectre bodyguards he specifically created for the task and never leaves his side.</p><p>The 10 builders have become powerful allips, and the wizard who created the prismatic wall is bound here as a horribly malignant spectre. As all their bones were ground to powder and included in the finishing touches of the room, their restless spirits cannot leave the room, nor pursue beyond the vault door.</p><p>The Cursed Tomb curse.</p><p><strong>Vampire:</strong> If a victim’s constitution is reduced to 0 due to the devouring mist’s ability drain, the blood from the victim’s body forms into a new devouring mist in 1d4 rounds. Further, the victim’s corpse arises as a vampire in 1d4 days, unless the remains are blessed prior to this rising.</p><p>Those killed by a devouring mist rise as vampires 1d4 days later unless their remains are blessed.</p><p>Shekahn wants to make spawn rather than kill the PCs outright. Anyone taken prisoner is drained and turned into a vampire.</p><p>Agamemnon cast spells until engaged, then he fights using his bite attacks until he spawns 1or 2 new vampires.</p><p><strong>Wight:</strong> The wights gang up on one character at a time; any PC killed by a wight adds to their number and joins the fight on their side.</p><p><strong>Wraith:</strong> The wraiths are the restless spirits of those slain in the dungeon, out to seek revenge on all living things.</p><p>The boy in the sarcophagus was once a powerful prophet of Tiamat and was interred in this temple at some point in ages past. He now exists as a greater mummy, sealed within his tomb. The spirits of his advisors were then captured in the dragon heads as 5 wraiths to serve him in the afterlife and protect his tomb.</p><p>Ulman Dark's Raising the Dead Failure.</p><p><strong>Zombie:</strong> Any character killed by mohrg will rise after 1d4 days as a zombie under the morhg’s control.</p><p>Greatly diminished, the order of Tsathogga now counts 8 acolytes (all heavily armed ruffians), and 4 under-clerics, who in turn control 16 zombies raised in the under-temple.</p><p>This room contains 4 zombies. They do not roam around the dungeon because they were raised to protect the room’s treasure.</p><p>those killed by the mohrg rise in 1d4 days as zombies under its control.</p><p>This level contains an evil artifact, the Zombiestone of Karsh. This artifact causes any creature that is killed within 500 yards to re-animate as a zombie creature.</p><p>Any creature slain on this level immediately rises as a zombie (1d3 rounds, except in Areas 13C–9 and 13C–10) of HD equal to 1+ the base HD of the creature.</p><p>When a zombie horde is destroyed there are 2d6 zombies from the horde remaining.</p><p><strong>Plague Zombie:</strong> Pestilence disease.</p><p><strong>Juju Zombie:</strong> Juju zombies’ hatred of living creatures and the magic that created them are what hold them to the world of the living. When a humanoid or monstrous humanoid is slain by an energy drain or a similar spell or spell-like ability, it may rise as a juju zombie.</p><p>These tortured creatures were warriors of light who refused to join the army of evil. Their mouths and eyes were sewn closed by evil priests while they were alive and then sacrificed to Orcus. Against their will, they are now undead creatures.</p><p><strong>Mohrg:</strong> Mohrgs are the animated corpses of mass murderers or similar villains who died without atoning for their crimes.</p><p><strong>Ghast:</strong> These creatures were common soldiers of the army of good, buried within the room and reanimated by the evil presence of the priests of Orcus.</p><p><strong>Demi-Lich:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Undead Ooze:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Oblivion Wraith:</strong> ?</p><p><strong>Allip:</strong> The allip’s touch does not deal damage, but causes the victim to lose 1d4 points of wisdom. If a victim’s wisdom falls to 0, it dies and will become an allip within 2d6 days.</p><p><strong>Devourer:</strong> ?</p><p></p><p>The Pestilence: The Pestilence is a disease that was spread into this level of the dungeon when the Healers failed to control the demonic power they had summoned. Various monsters and hazards in the level can infect intruders with the Pestilence. Anyone infected will begin losing hit points at a rate of one per hour until death. A saving throw at +4 is allowed each hour to avoid the hit point loss for that hour, but the process continues afterwards. Magical healing will increase the victim’s hit points, but the progress of the disease will continue after the curing. Cure disease will completely remove the disease and return the victim back to health, although it will not restore the lost hit points. If the victim dies from the course of the disease, the body will rise as a plague zombie in 1d4+1 rounds. A sprinkling of holy water or a cure disease spell cast on the body will prevent this from happening. The body may be raised from the dead normally, but not while it is still “alive” as a plague zombie.</p><p></p><p>10A–26. The Cursed Tomb</p><p>On top of this short hill is a hidden, locked trapdoor. Once opened, it reveals a narrow set of stairs that descends 20 ft. to a paved stone landing and an iron bound oak door. Written in Orc across the top of the door are the words, “Those Who Enter Will Someday Return.”</p><p>Beyond the door is a tomb, 30 ft. square, containing 4 spectres who attack immediately. Anyone who crosses the threshold of the tomb is instantly cursed (no saving throw; see below). While there are many open chests, sarcophagi, and urns throughout the chamber, all are empty.</p><p>The Curse</p><p>A cursed PC is doomed to one day return to the tomb as a spectre. When that PC dies, he is immediately transformed into a spectre and begins journeying back to the tomb to guard it against intruders. A cursed PC who dies cannot be aided by a raise dead or resurrection spell. Moreover, a cursed PC cannot remove the curse, either on himself or another, with a remove curse spell; only a non-cursed cleric can do so. A cursed PC is not aware of his affliction while alive except that once a year, on the anniversary of the day he was cursed, the PC is overwhelmed with a sense of doom and hopelessness. The feeling passes the next day. Powerful divination magic is necessary to determine the source of this annual ennui.</p><p></p><p>The Zombiestone of Karsh</p><p>Artifact, Chaotic</p><p>This 2-foot square stone of eerily glowing purple material seems to waver in shape and form, and at times even seems to bleed a black ichor. No carvings or markings are present on the stone, except some faint chisel marks on the exposed top. The stone radiates chaos, evil and magic of the greatest power.</p><p>Minor powers</p><p>—curse (all living creatures, as a reversed bless spell, 60’ radius continuous)</p><p>—cause disease 40-foot radius, continuous (save avoids for 10 rounds each save)</p><p>Major powers</p><p>—anti-turning field, 100 foot radius (100%), -8 levels (300 feet), and -4 levels (700 feet), continuous</p><p>—Toughen undead, 100 foot radius (12 hp absorbed) -8 hp absorbed (300 feet), and –4 hp absorbed (700 feet), continuous — anti-magic shell, continuous (all magic except artifact or deity level powers)</p><p>Primary Power</p><p>— Any creature slain on this level immediately rises as a zombie (1d3 rounds, except in Areas 13C–9 and 13C–10) of HD equal to 1+ the base HD of the creature. The possessor of the stone cannot control the newly risen zombies.</p><p>Deleterious effects</p><p>— turn evil (save avoids, new check 1/ hour) if exposed to the stone for more than 1 hour (within 100 ft.)</p><p>—Lose will (–1 wisdom per hour within 100 ft. of the stone (save avoids)</p><p>Method of destruction</p><p>— a simple hammer and chisel coated in the blood of a unicorn and wielded by an innocent child can crack the stone, thereby killing the child (irrevocably and forever).</p><p></p><p>Raising the Dead: Ulman charges 3,000 gp to attempt this difficult task, and has a 20% chance to fail in some way (see below). If he fails, he weakens and is unable to do anything but lie abed for a period of one month thereafter. If three gems worth 250 gp or more each are used in the procedure, the chance of failure drops to 10%. Failure results are listed on the table below:</p><p>1 Character remains dead</p><p>2 Character returns from the dead but with 1d2 lost Constitution points and must rest for 2 weeks</p><p>3 Character’s body turns into a grey ooze (not the monster, just disgusting putrescence)</p><p>4 Character returns from the dead, but grows to ogre size, gaining 4 extra hit points but losing 1d4 points of Intelligence</p><p>5 Character’s body remains dead, character’s soul returns as a wraith and attacks</p><p>6 Character remains dead</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Voadam, post: 8238486, member: 2209"] [URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/112605/2012-Rappan-Athuk--Swords-and-Wizardry?affiliate_id=17596']Rappan Athuk - Swords and Wizardry[/URL] Swords & Wizardry [B]Barrow Wight:[/B] Creatures hit by a barrow wight’s slam attack are drained of one level. Creatures killed by this level drain rise as barrow wights in 1d4 rounds and remain under their creator’s control until it is destroyed. [B]Devouring Mist:[/B] Spawned of the dreams of the Bloodwraith, devouring mists are undead composed of equal parts blood and malice, wedded together by negative energy. If a victim’s constitution is reduced to 0 due to the devouring mist’s ability drain, the blood from the victim’s body forms into a new devouring mist in 1d4 rounds. A fearful exhalation of the Bloodwraith, the devouring mist seeks only to feed its insatiable hunger for blood. Spawned of the dreams of the Bloodwraith, devouring mists are undead composed of equal parts blood and malice, wedded together by negative energy. Duke Aerim the Bloodwraith can cough up a devouring mist 3/day. [B]Meat Puppet:[/B] Meat puppets are boneless, skinless corpses reanimated after being exposed to necromantic energies. Enemies killed by a bonesucker's attack reanimate within the Temple as meat puppets 24 hours after dying. The room also holds 8 human meat puppets, the legacy of past bonesucker victims. [B]Mordnaissant:[/B] Occasionally when a pregnant mother dies violently in a place infused with unholy or negative energies, the unborn child within her does not simply perish, but instead continues to grow, vitalized by dark power, until it is capable of clawing its way free from its dead mother. Anyone entering the room must make a saving throw or succumb to the scent’s intoxicating effect. Those who make their save are immune to its effects for a day. It generates a feeling of pleasurable lassitude coupled with heightened lust. This prompts those affected to copulate again and again, exhausting themselves. Once they begin, victims sustain 1 point of constitution damage per ten minutes spent in this vigorous pursuit. When their constitution drops to 1 point, they become too weak to continue, though the drive remains; victims typically die of thirst or starvation even while they continue to feel the need to mate. Additional saving throws are allowed for failed victims once every 30 minutes for as long as they remain within the room, or once per minute if they are removed from the chamber. The scent is produced by a specially bred form of magical mold infesting the cushions and carpet, and a thorough cleansing of the room with fire (at least 20 points of damage to all surfaces) eliminates the mold and the threat. The bodies lying amid the cushions have been looted by past adventurers, and bear only tattered robes or ancient, non-magical armor that is in too poor of shape to function. Horribly, due to a necromantic taint on the room, infants created through this chamber’s powers do not die if the mother dies in the room; her womb continues to expand, and eventually a mordnaissant bursts free. [B]Undead Soldier:[/B] When not warring against rival demon princes, Orcus likes to travel the planes, particularly the Material Plane. Should a foolish spellcaster open a gate and speak his name, he is more than likely going to hear the call and step through to the Material Plane. What happens to the spellcaster that called him usually depends on the reason for the summons and the power of the spellcaster. Extremely powerful spellcasters are usually slain after a while and turned into undead soldiers or generals in his armies. [B]Undead General:[/B] When not warring against rival demon princes, Orcus likes to travel the planes, particularly the Material Plane. Should a foolish spellcaster open a gate and speak his name, he is more than likely going to hear the call and step through to the Material Plane. What happens to the spellcaster that called him usually depends on the reason for the summons and the power of the spellcaster. Extremely powerful spellcasters are usually slain after a while and turned into undead soldiers or generals in his armies. [B]Black Skeleton:[/B] ? [B]Zelkor, Lich:[/B] Zelkor was a powerful wizard who led the army of Light into Rappan Athuk to attack the high priests of Orcus. They say that he didn’t die, and one day he’ll return. [B]Zelkor the Spectre-Mage, Magic User 9:[/B] Zelkor was a powerful wizard who led the army of Light into Rappan Athuk to attack the high priests of Orcus. They say that he didn’t die, and one day he’ll return. This area is the lair of Zelkor, who was once a good-aligned archmage of some renown. During his quest to drive the evil from this place, he was captured by the evil priests, tortured and eventually slain by Nodroj the spectre once he agreed to worship of Orcus. [B]Nadroj the Spectre-Wizard:[/B] [F]ormerly a magic-user/merchant favored by Orcus, and thus allowed to retain his knowledge of spells. [B]Restless Spirits:[/B] A powerful adventuring group called the Dancing Blades were slain in the dungeon. Their restless spirits now wander its halls, attacking anyone they come across with their phantom weapons. [B]Exploding Skeleton:[/B] ? [B]Dissolving Zombie:[/B] The zombies dissolve into foul greenish goo that will eat your flesh and turn you into one of them! [B]Duke Aerim the Bloodwraith:[/B] ? [B]Damien, Lich:[/B] ? [B]Simrath the Vampire:[/B] Simrath the vampire is the long-undead lord of a small barony in the foothills. He was once a great general of good, and was much loved by his troops. Like many other heroes of the region, Simrath rode off against the forces of Orcus. He was slain in a nighttime battle at the field east of the ford of the Wild Edge River by a vampire serving the evil priests. That vampire was slain by the holy light of a sun priest. Simrath’s companions were unaware of his fate (being turned to a vampire), and buried him with full honors in the foothills near the battlefield, in a wild grove of great beauty. [B]Shekahn the Vampire:[/B] ? [B]Agamemnon Vampire-Wizard:[/B] Agamemnon was a 19th level magic-user who quested for immortality. To this end, as his life drew to a close, he willingly became a vampire, summoning and dominating a member of the undead to do his will. Using a wish spell, he devised a ritual that destroyed his creator after he was transformed, making him free to roam and do as he pleased without a controlling master. Sadly, this process caused him to lose 2 levels of experience; hence, now Agamemnon is only a 17th level magic-user. [B]Vampire Spawn:[/B] ? [B]Oldaric, Human Fighter 6 Vampire Spawn:[/B] He died early on in the Bloodways after a devouring mist sucked him dry. He has become one of the many vampire spawn that lurk within the labyrinth. [B]Swoana, Vampire:[/B] ? [B]Mhao, Vampire:[/B] ? [B]Itara, Vampire:[/B] ? [B]Grezell, Vampire:[/B] ? [B]Vampire Harlot:[/B] ? [B]Auriferous, Vampiric Gold Dragon:[/B] In an attempt to draw forth the soul of an ancient gold dragon named Auriferous, the beast was instead turned in to a vampire. [B]Meat Puppet Human:[/B] These loathsome, twitching undead either descended from the Temple of Final Sacrament, or arose spontaneously from the corpses of victims slain within the Bloodways. [B]Meat Puppet Otyugh:[/B] Some years back several clusters of otyughs swarmed into the Bloodways, only to fall victim to its malign influence. Now the remains of these long-dead creatures roam the halls, attacking any living creature they come upon. [B]Black Skeleton Artillery:[/B] ? [B]Yokim, Banshee:[/B] The acolytes of Orcus entombed Yokim, the unwilling elven concubine of King Goov during life, alive—her crypt sealed and walled up so that she could not leave Goov after his undeath. As she starved to death, sealed in her coffin, Yokim transformed into a banshee. [B]Malliw Catspar, Ghost:[/B] ? [B]Kor, Storm Giant Ghost:[/B] ? [B]Phalen, Ghost:[/B] Once a devout worshiper of Hecate, Phalen was corrupted by the Orcus clerics and damned to guard their burial grounds for eternity. [B]Igni, Paladin 12 Ghost:[/B] Igni was a paladin who almost defeated the avatar of Orcus. When Igni was defeated, Orcus concocted a particularly cruel undeath for the man. The demon lord cursed Igni to his current ghost state but also perverted all of Igni’s abilities into those of an antipaladin. Under the curse Igni is compelled to slay any who try to open the doors. Because the change from paladin to antipaladin was involuntary Igni remains lawful, but cannot act on his alignment, further adding to his torture. [B]Iron Ghoul:[/B] ? [B]Deserach, Demi-Lich:[/B] ? [B]Deserach, Lich-Mage:[/B] ? [B]Slavish, Lich, Arch-Lich, Sorcerer-Lich 18:[/B] ? [B]Magerly, Lich Necromancer:[/B] ? [B]Cleric Lich:[/B] ? [B]Wizard Lich:[/B] ? [B]Patrol Captain Luther Dwarf Graveknight:[/B] ? [B]Graveknight:[/B] In death, the graveknight’s life force lingers on in its armor, not its corpse, in much the same way that a lich’s essence is bound within a phylactery. [B]Captain Killbessa, Mummy of the Deep:[/B] While most of the crew died, the captain and his most ruthless pirates rose again in undeath. [B]Brine Zombie:[/B] While most of the crew died, the captain and his most ruthless pirates rose again in undeath. [B]Amurru:[/B] ? [B]Mummy Guardian:[/B] ? [B]King Goov, Greater Mummy:[/B] Goov made a covenant with Orcus to remain alive after death. In trade, Goov sacrificed 500 young maidens to the evil god, which triggered a revolt among his people, leading to regicide. Honoring his promise, Orcus made Goov undead. [B]Mummy Priest of Orcus:[/B] ? [B]Plethor, Mummy Cleric 15:[/B] ? [B]Xillin, Mummy Magic-User 15:[/B] ? [B]Naphra-Tep, Greater Mummy:[/B] The boy in the sarcophagus was once a powerful prophet of Tiamat and was interred in this temple at some point in ages past. He now exists as a greater mummy, sealed within his tomb. [B]Goat-Human Skeleton:[/B] ? [B]False-Black Skeleton:[/B] These alcoves each contain a false black skeleton (8 total) which are simply normal skeletons painted black, with a minor enchantment allowing limited spell casting. [B]Abbot Cyngamon, Wight:[/B] ? [B]Guardian of Cyngamon, Undead Swordsman:[/B] ? [B]Bone Warrior:[/B] ? [B]Sword Wight:[/B] Creatures killed by Duke Aerim the Bloodwraith rise as a sword wight in 1d4+1 rounds. [B]Hardier Enchanted Zombie:[/B] The documents in the leather case reveal the procedure to create hardier enchanted zombies. This method requires 250 gp worth of material components per zombie and a fully equipped laboratory. [B]Putrid Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Zombie Horse:[/B] ? [B]Zombie Charcharodon:[/B] ? [B]Kalina, Zombie:[/B] A follower of a god of knowledge, Kalina was separated from the rest of the group. She too was captured, and tortured to death at the Talon of Orcus. Her lifeless corpse was then reanimated, and now stands ready to serve her former captors in the Talon as one of the zombies. [B]Goblin Juju Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Hacked Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Fire Beetle Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Giant Rat Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Troll Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Otyugh Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Humanoid Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Giant Crayfish Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Giant Beetle Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Goblin Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Basilisk Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Yellow Mold-Encrusted Troll Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Zombie Behir:[/B] ? [B]Black Dragon Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Beetlor Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Purple Worm Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Rhinoceros Beetle Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Gray Render Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Vrock Demon Zombie:[/B] ? [B]Haunted Choir:[/B] These poor souls, survivors of the retreat but not their master’s cruelty, have each offended one of the clergy of Orcus in some way. [B]Zombie Horde:[/B] ? [B]Aaphia, Crypt Thing:[/B] ? [B]Bodak Priest:[/B] ? [B]Nightcrawler:[/B] ? [B]Ghul:[/B] ? [B]Ghoul:[/B] Inside are the gnawed-on skeletons of some thirty frog-cultists who had rebelled against a long-dead abbot, but were put down to face live entombment. Five of them remain as ghouls inside the room, envious of the living. These creatures were common soldiers of the army of good, buried within the room and reanimated by the evil presence of the priests of Orcus. [B]Lich:[/B] ? [B]Mummy:[/B] ? [B]Shadow:[/B] Any targets drained by the shadows join their ranks in this room forever. [B]Skeleton:[/B] ? [B]Spectre:[/B] The souls of paladins slain by Nadroj. Lorvius is extremely cautious about anyone meeting him on this level (fear of assassinations) and never meets with outsiders without his retinue of 4 spectre bodyguards he specifically created for the task and never leaves his side. The 10 builders have become powerful allips, and the wizard who created the prismatic wall is bound here as a horribly malignant spectre. As all their bones were ground to powder and included in the finishing touches of the room, their restless spirits cannot leave the room, nor pursue beyond the vault door. The Cursed Tomb curse. [B]Vampire:[/B] If a victim’s constitution is reduced to 0 due to the devouring mist’s ability drain, the blood from the victim’s body forms into a new devouring mist in 1d4 rounds. Further, the victim’s corpse arises as a vampire in 1d4 days, unless the remains are blessed prior to this rising. Those killed by a devouring mist rise as vampires 1d4 days later unless their remains are blessed. Shekahn wants to make spawn rather than kill the PCs outright. Anyone taken prisoner is drained and turned into a vampire. Agamemnon cast spells until engaged, then he fights using his bite attacks until he spawns 1or 2 new vampires. [B]Wight:[/B] The wights gang up on one character at a time; any PC killed by a wight adds to their number and joins the fight on their side. [B]Wraith:[/B] The wraiths are the restless spirits of those slain in the dungeon, out to seek revenge on all living things. The boy in the sarcophagus was once a powerful prophet of Tiamat and was interred in this temple at some point in ages past. He now exists as a greater mummy, sealed within his tomb. The spirits of his advisors were then captured in the dragon heads as 5 wraiths to serve him in the afterlife and protect his tomb. Ulman Dark's Raising the Dead Failure. [B]Zombie:[/B] Any character killed by mohrg will rise after 1d4 days as a zombie under the morhg’s control. Greatly diminished, the order of Tsathogga now counts 8 acolytes (all heavily armed ruffians), and 4 under-clerics, who in turn control 16 zombies raised in the under-temple. This room contains 4 zombies. They do not roam around the dungeon because they were raised to protect the room’s treasure. those killed by the mohrg rise in 1d4 days as zombies under its control. This level contains an evil artifact, the Zombiestone of Karsh. This artifact causes any creature that is killed within 500 yards to re-animate as a zombie creature. Any creature slain on this level immediately rises as a zombie (1d3 rounds, except in Areas 13C–9 and 13C–10) of HD equal to 1+ the base HD of the creature. When a zombie horde is destroyed there are 2d6 zombies from the horde remaining. [B]Plague Zombie:[/B] Pestilence disease. [B]Juju Zombie:[/B] Juju zombies’ hatred of living creatures and the magic that created them are what hold them to the world of the living. When a humanoid or monstrous humanoid is slain by an energy drain or a similar spell or spell-like ability, it may rise as a juju zombie. These tortured creatures were warriors of light who refused to join the army of evil. Their mouths and eyes were sewn closed by evil priests while they were alive and then sacrificed to Orcus. Against their will, they are now undead creatures. [B]Mohrg:[/B] Mohrgs are the animated corpses of mass murderers or similar villains who died without atoning for their crimes. [B]Ghast:[/B] These creatures were common soldiers of the army of good, buried within the room and reanimated by the evil presence of the priests of Orcus. [B]Demi-Lich:[/B] ? [B]Undead Ooze:[/B] ? [B]Oblivion Wraith:[/B] ? [B]Allip:[/B] The allip’s touch does not deal damage, but causes the victim to lose 1d4 points of wisdom. If a victim’s wisdom falls to 0, it dies and will become an allip within 2d6 days. [B]Devourer:[/B] ? The Pestilence: The Pestilence is a disease that was spread into this level of the dungeon when the Healers failed to control the demonic power they had summoned. Various monsters and hazards in the level can infect intruders with the Pestilence. Anyone infected will begin losing hit points at a rate of one per hour until death. A saving throw at +4 is allowed each hour to avoid the hit point loss for that hour, but the process continues afterwards. Magical healing will increase the victim’s hit points, but the progress of the disease will continue after the curing. Cure disease will completely remove the disease and return the victim back to health, although it will not restore the lost hit points. If the victim dies from the course of the disease, the body will rise as a plague zombie in 1d4+1 rounds. A sprinkling of holy water or a cure disease spell cast on the body will prevent this from happening. The body may be raised from the dead normally, but not while it is still “alive” as a plague zombie. 10A–26. The Cursed Tomb On top of this short hill is a hidden, locked trapdoor. Once opened, it reveals a narrow set of stairs that descends 20 ft. to a paved stone landing and an iron bound oak door. Written in Orc across the top of the door are the words, “Those Who Enter Will Someday Return.” Beyond the door is a tomb, 30 ft. square, containing 4 spectres who attack immediately. Anyone who crosses the threshold of the tomb is instantly cursed (no saving throw; see below). While there are many open chests, sarcophagi, and urns throughout the chamber, all are empty. The Curse A cursed PC is doomed to one day return to the tomb as a spectre. When that PC dies, he is immediately transformed into a spectre and begins journeying back to the tomb to guard it against intruders. A cursed PC who dies cannot be aided by a raise dead or resurrection spell. Moreover, a cursed PC cannot remove the curse, either on himself or another, with a remove curse spell; only a non-cursed cleric can do so. A cursed PC is not aware of his affliction while alive except that once a year, on the anniversary of the day he was cursed, the PC is overwhelmed with a sense of doom and hopelessness. The feeling passes the next day. Powerful divination magic is necessary to determine the source of this annual ennui. The Zombiestone of Karsh Artifact, Chaotic This 2-foot square stone of eerily glowing purple material seems to waver in shape and form, and at times even seems to bleed a black ichor. No carvings or markings are present on the stone, except some faint chisel marks on the exposed top. The stone radiates chaos, evil and magic of the greatest power. Minor powers —curse (all living creatures, as a reversed bless spell, 60’ radius continuous) —cause disease 40-foot radius, continuous (save avoids for 10 rounds each save) Major powers —anti-turning field, 100 foot radius (100%), -8 levels (300 feet), and -4 levels (700 feet), continuous —Toughen undead, 100 foot radius (12 hp absorbed) -8 hp absorbed (300 feet), and –4 hp absorbed (700 feet), continuous — anti-magic shell, continuous (all magic except artifact or deity level powers) Primary Power — Any creature slain on this level immediately rises as a zombie (1d3 rounds, except in Areas 13C–9 and 13C–10) of HD equal to 1+ the base HD of the creature. The possessor of the stone cannot control the newly risen zombies. Deleterious effects — turn evil (save avoids, new check 1/ hour) if exposed to the stone for more than 1 hour (within 100 ft.) —Lose will (–1 wisdom per hour within 100 ft. of the stone (save avoids) Method of destruction — a simple hammer and chisel coated in the blood of a unicorn and wielded by an innocent child can crack the stone, thereby killing the child (irrevocably and forever). Raising the Dead: Ulman charges 3,000 gp to attempt this difficult task, and has a 20% chance to fail in some way (see below). If he fails, he weakens and is unable to do anything but lie abed for a period of one month thereafter. If three gems worth 250 gp or more each are used in the procedure, the chance of failure drops to 10%. Failure results are listed on the table below: 1 Character remains dead 2 Character returns from the dead but with 1d2 lost Constitution points and must rest for 2 weeks 3 Character’s body turns into a grey ooze (not the monster, just disgusting putrescence) 4 Character returns from the dead, but grows to ogre size, gaining 4 extra hit points but losing 1d4 points of Intelligence 5 Character’s body remains dead, character’s soul returns as a wraith and attacks 6 Character remains dead [/QUOTE]
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