Saturday 8 October 2016

Non Corporeal Undead Horrors pt1: Standard Types




































This started as d100 then i got caught up in research but it was something I have planned a long time. Took way too long but the research based stuff does. Enjoy the new undead and I will do corporeal ones some time in future. Feel free to share about. Let me know if there are any screw ups.

Note on my turning rules.
Undead of less HD than cleric - cleric effects d12 per level
Number rolled is number of HD driven away for a ten minite Turn/Lv
If total is double then the undead is destroyed

If Undead is of greater HD than the cleric they get a saving throw and they require double the number of HD to effect them and cannot destroy them.

Weakest undead effected first - after they are turned or destroyed the remaining levels of clerics turning power applied to greater undead

Evil clerics can issue one command to undead instead of driving them away
Instead of destroying undead they can give them a permanent command
Guard something is most common command

This is mod on my previous system to make life harder vs tougher undead

Check out my previous petty undead post too

Non Corporeal Undead Horrors
I wanted a spread of varied strength undead.

These are the classic types in ADnD. OA has lots of good ones also. I hadn't used some of these much so this will help. Spectral minions originally in Dragon Lance a useful spirit type with great roleplaying fun for DM's turned by 4th ed into a playable race and ruined. I added animal types for interest to spectral minion. Actually I have made shadows with hound form before with no stat changes. I mostly changed haunt slightly. I added d3 to poltergeist damage as if it can be thrown it can hurt.  Heucuva described as a spirit so I took their polymorph ability as a material form disguise. I would give some spell casting abilities occasionally too.

Interestingly lots of female varieties. It's as if women had more to be unhappy about or more frequently died tragically through all history and fantasy worlds.

Part 2 tables tables no goats (probably) d100 Non Corporeal Undead

Undead are immune to mind effecting spells like charm, mental ilusions, fear spells. Immune to non magical cold and do not breath and cannot be effected by poison. Non corporeal undead immune to non magical acid and fire also.

New undead by me to fill some gaps:
Shade, Gloom Child, Spectral horde, Fright, Spook, Lurking Fear, Unholy presence, Headless Spirit, Plague lord, Grim reaper, Flame Shroud, Drowned Spirit

I'm including here stats of basic undead of this type. Im now using full target number for AC so 14 is same as +4 same as AC7 in adnd. "=10 foot indoors or yards if outdoors. *=how many magic +'s needed to hit.  I use stat based saves also.

Phantom AC- HD- ATT- MOV 9"

Unintelligent echo of a death or dying person
Mostly from tragic circumstances and bound to location
Any witnessing a phantom SAV vs fear -2 or flee
Holy water or symbol may make them back off, exorcism will destroy

Poltergeist AC +10 HD d4 ATT d3 fear MOV 6"

Invisible angry spirit that hurls common found objects
Attacks a 5HD if hits save vs fear, once saved immune to that poltergeist
Each round fleeing 50% chance of dropping anything
Repulsed by holy symbol or holy water
Silver or magic required to hit, turned as a 1HD

Shade* AC +16 HD 1 ATT Touch d6 MOV 12"
Spirits of the dead who dwell in the underworld, often failing to attain better resting place
Semi transperant as if formed of smoke
Shades are able to communicate and may have useful information
Are often hungry for essence of food, wine or blood sacrificed to them
Angry or hungry shades without a sacrifice might touch the living to drain life as HP
Shades are gloomy many dwell in squallor and degradation in the pit
Specific shades may be called and may require specific sacrifices to share knowledge

Spectral Minion* AC +18 HD 1 or more ATT As weapon if any MOV 30"

Spirits doomed to be trapped in repetitive action, many are harmless some armed
Faded transparent luminous figures
Some engaged in tasks like revelry or despair and do not interact
Some talkative and philosophical or searching area for something
Animal minions like guard dog, huge raven, dinosaur or horse possible
Some guards, crazed beserkers or warriors but cannot harm other spectral minions
Weapons if any are apart of them, unarmed ones cannot hurt anyone
Some especially warriors might have higher amounts of HD
Remove curse or exorcism will free them from the earth
Turning will drive away or banish to spirit wold for a week (instead of destroy result)

Heucuva AC+17 HD 2 ATT Touch d6 plus disease MOV 9"
Rotten flesh covered skeleton form actually spirits of priests, liars and heretics
Touch causes disease if victim fails CON save
Polymorph self 3/day used to appear as coporeal beings to decieve victims
Silver or magic required to hit, Turned as 4HD

Flame Shroud AC+15 HD 2 ATT Burning Touch 2d4 MOV 6"/12" fly
Skeletal spirit with flaming shroud is vindictive remains of person burned unjustly
Flying flaming horrors scream as they fly about and enjoy burning buildings
Silver or magic required to hit, remove curse can destroy one

Drowned Spirit AC+16 HD 2 ATT Grapple then drown MOV9"
Translucent spirit of drowning victim can appear beautiful or as rotting corpse
Bound to a body ow water like a well or pond or sea cannot go more than 3" from water
When changes to rotting form viewers make a save vs fear
Can charm person 3/day which uses to lure victim close, especially if too far away to reach
Hit victims grappled, make a STR save to escape to not be dragged into water
If dragged in water victim must make a CON save each round to not be drowned
Silver or magic required to hit, exorcism or remove curse will destroy it

Fright AC+15 HD 2 Touch d6 fear MOV 12"
Shroud wearing spirits that keep living away from places of the dead by night
Often in groups and carrying torch or candle or lanterns light
Touched victims make WIS save or flee in fear
Silver or magic required to hit when it is attacking

Headless Spirit* AC+16 HD 3 Axe or Sword d10 MOV 12"
A glowing translucent spirit of beheaded unsually executed victim,
Spirit seeks to steal heads of the living with a spirit weapon it can manifest at will
May carry own severed head alas no amount of stolen heads will satisfy it
Some quite talkative, some may ride a Spectral Minion horse
Can walk through walls and floors to ambush victims, enjoy hunting mortals
Can cause fear by laughing three times a day 3" radius
Exorcism will free it from location and put to rest otherwise will reform in week if destroyed

Shadow* AC+13 HD3+3 ATT Touch d4+1 drains 1 STR MOV 12"
A shadow of a deceased person risen as evil spirit
1 STR Drain per touch returned 2d4 turns later
Victims drained to 0 HP or STR die and arise as shadows
Mostly invisible in darkness or shadows
May appear in animal forms also

Gloom Child** AC +16 HD 4 ATT touch d6 drains 1 WIS MOV 12"
A child spirit returned to torment adults who it believes robbed it of life unfairly
Each has a human form and a small animal form and can turn invisible at will
May try to trick strangers into helping it and try to lure them into danger
Laugh creepily causing fear three times a day
Exorcism or remove curse send them to final rest

Spook AC+16 HD 4 ATT touch d8 drain 1 CHA MOV 9"/16" fly

A foul spirit engrossed in seven deadly sins such as greed, lust, envy
Spirits with floating upper body and torso tapering into a trailing tail
Spooks can be annoying by lifting things or eating food
Howl once a day causes fear to all in 12"
Victims grasped appear aged, lose hair and skin develops foul boils
Silver or magic required to hit when it is attacking

Haunt AC+20 HD 5 ATT Touch drain 2 DEX MOV 6"

Transparent spirit of person killed without forfilling a quest often turned evil in despair
Bound to 6" of where original person died (or last host died)

When DEX drained to 0 haunt possess victims body and DEX returns to normal
DEX recovers at 1 hp per turn otherwise (if drained but not possesed)
Haunt will use body to complete purpose and move beyond area it died in
Can strangle instead 1 HP first round doubling each round till it or victim victim dead
Exorcism will expel haunt from victim or location, if killed in combat reforms in week
Hold person will drive spirit from body if it is paralyzed by spell
Struck by silver or magic, normal fire and weapons cause 1HP damage (and any +'s)

Wraith AC+16 HD 5+3 ATT Touch d6 drains 1 level MOV 12"/24" fly

Black shadowy smoke like dark spirit with glaring glowing eyes
Formed from most evil followers of darkness like evil priests
Victims drained return as half strength wraiths in service to the one which killed them
Silver weapons half damage magic can cause full non magic cannot harm

Kuei AC+24 HD 3-6 ATT Touch depends on HD MOV 18"
Evil unforfilled spirit seeking resolution of evil desires with demonic appearance
HD 3* d6 touch 
HD 4** d8 touch HD 5***d10 touch HD 6****d12 touch
Posses victim 3/day standard undead immunities and half damage from fire
Will occupy victim for years until desire forfilled or exorcised


Lurking Fear* AC+16 HD 6 ATT Engulf d4 or Fear MOV 6"
Spirit formed in place where many died over long time in pain and despair
Invisible mostly but sometimes seen as mass of fused pain filled faces
Surround person invisibly causing fear or draining life
Exorcism or remove curse can remove them from the location they haunt

Con Tinh** AC+13 HD 6 ATT Touch d6 MOV 12"

Spirit of young maiden died unfulfilled inhabits old tree by day and roams by night
May appear attractive or turn hideous at will, may try and convince people to help it
3/night can laugh victims in 3" WIS save or struck mad
Madness results in WIS & INT dropping to 2 until 
Heal spell cast
Can posses a target and inhabit the person in daylight hours
Will use body to forfil maidens desires often selfish and destructive

Cutting down tree or exorcism will destroy the spirit
Whom cuts down tree save or struck with ancient curse affecting descendants 


Banshee* AC+20 HD7 ATT Touch d8 MOV 15"
Spirit of evil woman or elfmaid dwells in lonely forbidden places
Dark gloomy spirit lit by eerie green light from within
Sight causes fear WIS save
Wail 3" range CON save or die once a night
Exorcism kills them

Spectre* AC+18 HD 7+3 ATT Touch d8 2 levels drained MOV 15"/30" fly
Spirit of evil or wicked person, terrorfying glowing translucent figure
Victim drained to 0 levels or HP returns as half strength spectre slave or original
Raise dead spell will kill spectre if fails to save

Apparition AC+20 HD 8 ATT Touch MOV12"

Spirit of evil or wicked person in form of a translucent skeleton in clothing
Uses 20" telepathy to locate and surprise through walls and floors etc
Victim touched makes INT save, If fail make second INT save
Success makes victim flee as fear effect, fail causes heart attack and death
If victim corpse left they become apparition
Silver or magic required to hit when it is attacking

Plague Lord*** AC+18 HD 9 ATT Touch 4d6 disease MOV12"/24" fly

Spirit of evil high priest sent by evil god or demon lord to spread disease
A decaying robed skeleton that may turn invisible to inflict disease in innocent
Mostly it just causes disease by touch but if detected will manifest and kill witnesses
Any who sees it in visible form save vs fear or flee, can cast insect swarm 3/day

Spectral Horde* AC+14 HD 3d6+6 ATT 1 melee/HD d8 MOV 9"A mass of warrior spirits fused together forever usually bound to a past battlefeild
As each HD lost (HP divided by HD) loses a melee attack and reduces chance to hit
If one HD survives the horde recovers the next full moon
Exorcism will remove them from the battlefield and send them to the netherworld

Ghost AC+20 HD10 ATT Touch age d4x10 years MOV 12”
Spirit of evil or wicked person, horryfying glowing translucent figure
Age 10 years on sight and flee 2d6 turns if fail WIS save
6th+ lv clerics immune, others with 8HD+ get +2
Can possess as per magic jar or touch attack
Victims killed cannot be raised
Silver or magic required to hit

Unholy Presence** AC+20 HD 12 ATT engulf up to 12 persons d12 fear MOV 12"
A powerful spirit formed from most hideous massacre and slaughter
Invisible mostly but sometimes seen as mass of fused pain filled faces
Large enough to engulf a dozen normal persons in close proximity
Less if apart (six if one per 5 foot square) or more for smaller beings
Causes damage and fear to most targets but if under 4 HD save vs death instead of fear

Grim Reaper***** AC+30 HD 20 ATT Scythe 6d6 death MOV 16"/32" fly
A robe wearing scythe wielding skeletal spirit empowered by death god to kill mortals
Formerly individual who committed some great epic slaughter in the name of death
Anyone struck must save vs death, can strike anyone in melee range with a sweep
Immune to spells of 4th level or less, can see invisible, anyon it kills returns as a zombie
Can turn invisible at will and commune with it's patron god once a day

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