What power should I give these Good-aligned undead?

[Rel]

First off, if you're playing in my Orcz game at the NC Game Day next weekend, I'd appreciate it if you didn't read any further.

In the game I'm running the PC's will be a band of Orcs who are pursuing a Paladin who has stolen away with their women and children with the intention of "turning them from the path of Evil". They will eventually arrive at his stronghold to attempt a rescue and I wanted to throw in some adversaries with a twist.

What I came up with were some Good-aligned undead. Right now I'm calling them Holy Ghosts. The backstory is that these are the spirits of individuals so dedicated to their god (Pelor) that they serve him, even in death. For my playtest, all I did was to take the plain old Shadow from the MM and describe them differently (as sort of "shining translucent figures"). But I kept the Strength Drain touch attack and so forth.

I'm left feeling like I'd like to make these guys a bit more unique and I'm looking for suggestions of a different sort of power that fits with the concept. Just to be clear, the PC's are 5th level and I'm looking for something that you think would be balanced at the same general power level as a Shadow.

Thanks.

 

[drunkmoogle]

Slap the Celestial template on the Shadow. IIRC, the Shadow's HD are <5, so they won't get too much nifty stuff, but enough to cause the players to pause a bit.

Like most temples, this one's probably Hallowed, right? Give them the same bonus that undead would normally get in an Unhallowed area.

 

[rkanodia]

If you've got the Eberron Campaign Setting, you could throw in some Undying Soldiers led by an Undying Councilor, and simply change their flavor from 'ancestor elves powered by the faith of their people' to 'servants of Pelor who serve even in death'.

 

[diaglo]

dig out your Ghostwalk book.

 

[Rel]

Alas, I've got neither Ghostwalk nor Eberron as of yet. I do have access to the Book of Exalted Deeds through a friend. Does anybody know of something from it that might fit the bill before I go borrow it?

 

[diaglo]

do you have any of the 2edADnD FR stuff?

in particular the stuff concerning the elven ghosts.

book of exalted deeds has some unbalanced stuff in it.

 

[Rel]

do you have any of the 2edADnD FR stuff?

in particular the stuff concerning the elven ghosts.

Nope. I have never owned any 2E stuff. I'm really just looking for some ideas for a distinctive offensive or defensive power to slap on these guys to make them unique and memorable. I needn't worry much about balance and long term reprocussions for my game world since this is a one-shot.

 

[diaglo]

well i always get images of Exorcist or other horror movies in my head... and think

RUn you idiots.. Get out of that house...

so maybe Good aligned undead have those powers. to convince characters to leave and to leave the place undisturbed or unmolested. but cause no harm to the invaders/interlopers.

some form of compulsion magic. or illusion to hide things. like in the Others movie.

 

[Rel]

some form of compulsion magic. or illusion to hide things. like in the Others movie.

In the playtest, after one PC was immobilized from Str drain, I had the Holy Ghost hover nearby, singing songs of good and holiness that began to sap the PC's will to do evil. I applied no mechanical effect to represent this but I suppose that I could give them some kind of Sanctuary like effect where they had to make a Will Save in order to attack the other members of the Paladin's order.

Hmm...

Keep the ideas coming but that could work somehow.

 

[diaglo]

i'm not sure what level you are building this for.. so i'll just throw out a few more ideas concerning undead...



possession a la magic jar is always nice. hand the player a new character sheet.

flashbacks or hollographs or programmed images played back by the spirits for the PCs to watch... I6 Ravenloft comes to mind ...

do you have the Scourge of WOrlds DVD? perhaps you can use the angel idea from that but replace it with a spirit....