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Message: <blockquote data-quote="frankthedm" data-source="post: 3191574" data-attributes="member: 1164"><a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=2931190#post2931190" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=2931190#post2931190</a>In much fantasy fiction and previous editions of the D&D game, mortal souls [and spirits for elves and non demi-humans] were semi-regularly at grave risk; death effects, becoming undead, energy drains, water weirds slurping the souls of those they drown, dying to the claws of outsiders, being sliced with the one of those black bladed swords, evil magic users stealing souls for eternal youth… etc, all meant no Raising, Resurrecting or afterlife.  Even in 3e, in which Resurrection could now restore a victim after Death effects and undeath, The Manual of the Planes specified several ways of souls not reaching the afterlife. Only in the 3.5 Complete Divine was it claimed virtually all souls make it to their eternal reward without a Wish/Miracle getting involved. I assumed this was done to set a brighter, more heroic, tone on what is usually the darkest subject in D&D and fantasy fiction. But now it looks like not all wotc staff feel that way. While looking over one of the new MM4 undead monsters, I noticed this delightful ability. While it does not explicitly put Soul Food back on the menu, it is a step in that direction.<a href="http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060704a&page=2" target="_blank">Steal Face (Su) </a> If a defacer's slam attack kills a creature with an Intelligence of 3 or higher, or if the defacer touches the body of such a creature within 1 day of its death, the defacer steals its face as an immediate action. This physically erases the facial features of the body, including bone structure, mouth, and teeth, leaving a smooth and blank surface. Attempts to cast speak with dead on victims of this attack always fail.This defilement of the corpse also draws the soul of the creature to the defacer, and it becomes one of the keening faces that whirl about the defacer's head. This prevents the soul from reaching the afterlife, becoming undead, or being raised or resurrected. Nothing short of destroying the defacer restores a corpse's face and frees the soul.I say the mortal soul can not be harmed by non magical means. Once magic enters the scene the soul is very vulnerable, after all a 1st level spell [magic missile applied enough times] can destroy a incoporeal spirit. I see nothing wrong Death Effects destroying souls.The body is what guards the soul in most of these instances [fort save / HP]. If the body is weak, the black magic gets to the soul and obliterates it like a needle popping a soap bubble. Energy drains are even worse, they are a direct assault on the soul and will cause the victim to rise as a wight should the victim succumb to them. Damned to walk the world, consuming more souls for eternitySoul eating monsters are a part of many mythologies and are as tied to the Genre as Conan.</blockquote>

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