Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead
Shade
Monster Junkie
Skotos
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any usually subterranean
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Roving bands
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night or darkness
DIET: Living beings
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: 5% E
ALIGNMENT: Any evil
NO. APPEARING: 3-30 in wilderness; 1-10 in dungeons
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 5
THAC0: 15
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit points increase
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Special
SIZE: M (5-6’ tall)
MORALE: Fearless (20)
XP VALUE: 420
Skotos are spirits that have broken free of the netherworld and now roam the world of the living as undead. They form hunting packs to better swarm over their prey. Skotos look like pale, shadowy versions of normal beings. They can be of any intelligent race and any evil alignment, for only evil creatures would voluntarily leave the afterlife to prey upon the living.
Combat: A skotos is drawn by fresh blood, which it consumes. As it absorbs the blood, it grows stronger (it absorbs blood even from the wounds it inflicts in combat against living creatures). The skotos gains a number of hit points equal to the damage it inflicts in combat; thus, a skotos that hits for 8 hp damage gains 8 hp, up to its maximum hit-point total (40). Note that the hit points are not permanently lost by the victim, who still heals normally.
In a normal encounter, skotos as a group have a 75% chance to hide in shadows successfully and thus surprise their prey.
Skotos encountered during or immediately after a bloody conflict will be so frenzied by the sight of blood that they will make no attempt at concealment, immediately attacking any living creature in sight. Intelligent prey is, however, preferred. As with many types of undead, skotos are not affected by sleep, charm, hold, or cold-based spells, nor by poison or paralyzation. Holy water causes 2-8 hp damage to them per vial, and a raise dead or resurrection spell will destroy a skotos. Any skotos reduced to zero hit points or less is forced back into the netherworld. A cleric .s chance to turn a skotos is the same as for a ghast. Normal weapons will harm a skotos.
Habitat/Society: Skotos usually roam in bands composed of similar races and alignments, though different beings may band together in their common goal of feeding upon the living. Though they have escaped the netherworld, skotos generally inhabit places that remind them of it. Subterranean caverns and tunnels are preferred, although skotos bands will sometimes roam wilderness wastelands at night. While skotos are not harmed by sunlight, they dislike it intensely and will flee sunlight if at all possible.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #162 (1990).
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any usually subterranean
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Roving bands
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night or darkness
DIET: Living beings
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: 5% E
ALIGNMENT: Any evil
NO. APPEARING: 3-30 in wilderness; 1-10 in dungeons
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 5
THAC0: 15
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit points increase
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Special
SIZE: M (5-6’ tall)
MORALE: Fearless (20)
XP VALUE: 420
Skotos are spirits that have broken free of the netherworld and now roam the world of the living as undead. They form hunting packs to better swarm over their prey. Skotos look like pale, shadowy versions of normal beings. They can be of any intelligent race and any evil alignment, for only evil creatures would voluntarily leave the afterlife to prey upon the living.
Combat: A skotos is drawn by fresh blood, which it consumes. As it absorbs the blood, it grows stronger (it absorbs blood even from the wounds it inflicts in combat against living creatures). The skotos gains a number of hit points equal to the damage it inflicts in combat; thus, a skotos that hits for 8 hp damage gains 8 hp, up to its maximum hit-point total (40). Note that the hit points are not permanently lost by the victim, who still heals normally.
In a normal encounter, skotos as a group have a 75% chance to hide in shadows successfully and thus surprise their prey.
Skotos encountered during or immediately after a bloody conflict will be so frenzied by the sight of blood that they will make no attempt at concealment, immediately attacking any living creature in sight. Intelligent prey is, however, preferred. As with many types of undead, skotos are not affected by sleep, charm, hold, or cold-based spells, nor by poison or paralyzation. Holy water causes 2-8 hp damage to them per vial, and a raise dead or resurrection spell will destroy a skotos. Any skotos reduced to zero hit points or less is forced back into the netherworld. A cleric .s chance to turn a skotos is the same as for a ghast. Normal weapons will harm a skotos.
Habitat/Society: Skotos usually roam in bands composed of similar races and alignments, though different beings may band together in their common goal of feeding upon the living. Though they have escaped the netherworld, skotos generally inhabit places that remind them of it. Subterranean caverns and tunnels are preferred, although skotos bands will sometimes roam wilderness wastelands at night. While skotos are not harmed by sunlight, they dislike it intensely and will flee sunlight if at all possible.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #162 (1990).
Shade
Monster Junkie
Oddly, these are supposed to be variant shadows!
I think the temporary hp should suffice in this case.
Ghast: Str 17, Dex 17, Con —, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16
Shadow: Str —, Dex 14, Con —, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 13
Greater Shadow: Str —, Dex 15, Con —, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 14
Use the ghast physical scores, set Int in the 8-10 range, and use the greater shadow's Wis and Cha?
I think the temporary hp should suffice in this case.
Ghast: Str 17, Dex 17, Con —, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16
Shadow: Str —, Dex 14, Con —, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 13
Greater Shadow: Str —, Dex 15, Con —, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 14
Use the ghast physical scores, set Int in the 8-10 range, and use the greater shadow's Wis and Cha?
Shade
Monster Junkie
Cleon
Legend
The flavour text would indicate they have the Extraplanar subtype (escapees from the Lower planes, to which they return when destroyed). Apart from that, the stats look good so far.
I'd be tempted to have the damage act as healing up to their original hit points, then as temporary HP for any excess, plus a max hit point cap. I'm also a bit dubious about it being an Extraordinary attack, Supernatural seems more appropriate. Something like:
Blood Feast (Su): A skotos absorbs life-force through the blood it sheds. On each successful attack, the skotos gains hit points equal to the damage dealt. If its hit points exceed its original hit points, the excess become temporary hit points. the skotos can not use Blood Feast to increase its total hit points by more than 5 temporary hit points per Hit Dice - e.g. a skotos with 20 hp and 5 HD can gain a maximum of 45 hit points (20 plus 5 times 5) using Blood Feast.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Good suggestions!
Updated.
Borrow this?
Skills: Shadows have a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks and a +4 racial bonus on Search checks. *A shadow gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in areas of shadowy illumination. In brightly lit areas, it takes a –4 penalty on Hide checks.
Updated.
Borrow this?
Skills: Shadows have a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks and a +4 racial bonus on Search checks. *A shadow gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in areas of shadowy illumination. In brightly lit areas, it takes a –4 penalty on Hide checks.
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