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Avicenex
2006-11-14, 02:44 PM
Story/Background
The Mornavilanus, or Coldtouched, originated from deep within the icy north. Some say they came from the vile experiments of an ancient lich while others tell of a cursed man who frozen form rose again for vengeance. While their origin is enigmatic, their formation is not. The Mornavilanus are icy undead that can propagate themselves; those they slay rise again as more Coldtouched. Most rise as mindless zombies, but some rise as ghouls or wights. Older Mornavilanus often have degenerated into mere skeletons. While most Coldtouched rise from the fallen, they can be created by powerful casters. Those Coldtouched that still retain flesh are indigo and ebon, resembling someone consumed by frostbite. All of them have two pinpoints of cerulean light in place of eyes that burn with a sapphire fury.

Coldtouched are special in one aspect; while most undead are merely animated by negative energy (from a connection to the plane of negative energy), Mornavilanus also have a connection with the elemental plane of water. This unique bond grants them many abilities.

The Mornavilanus template can be added to any corporeal undead. It most often is applied to zombies, ghouls, and wights. The undead retains all abilities of its type with the following additions.

Size/Type
Size remains the same. The creature’s type changes to undead.

Hit Dice
All current and future hit dice become d12s

Armor Class
The Mornavilanus' natural armor increases by 2.

Full Attack
Unarmed Coldtouched use their natural weapons. If they are armed, they generally will use the equipped weapon.

Special Attacks
Cold Attack: A Mornavilanus undead does an extra 1d6 cold damage with their natural weapons.
Gaze of Despair (Su): Any creature that sees the raging blue eyes of the Mornavilanus must make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2HD + Cha modifier) or be paralyzed with fear for 1d4 rounds.

Special Qualities
Fast Healing 2: Mornavilanus can reattach severed appendages by reattaching them. If the creature has 0 hit points, it collapses, as if dead. However, if its body is not destroyed (such as by fire) it will continue to heal damage until it can rise again.

Turn Resistance: The connection with the elemental plane of water means Coldtouched cannot be turned unless the person turning them can also turn elementals. Against all turning, they have +4 resistance.

Cold Affinity: Any spell or effect that would do cold damage to a Mornavilanus undead instead heals it.

Vulnerability to Fire: These undead take half again (+50%) as much damage from all fire. If fire damage puts their hit points at 0, the Coldtouched is utterly destroyed as if by disentigrate, turning into a small pile of black ash.

Abilities
Increases from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +2.

Skills
Mornavilanus have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently.

Challenge Rating
Same as base creature +1

Alignment
As base creature.

Advancement
By base creature

Level Adjustment
Same as base creature +2

Uses
These are the undead that just keep coming. Against an unprepared party they can be quite nasty, especially against clerics who think their turning will help. Obviously their weakness warrants a low challenge rating, but the Mornavilanus template adds an interesting aspect to what otherwise would be a fairly boring undead.

Update: Made suggested changes. Probably will add example creature soon.

Mike_Lemmer
2006-11-14, 09:29 PM
Hmmm, looks good. There's nothing I would change.

LordOfNarf
2006-11-15, 09:48 PM
Armor Class
Mornavilanus have +2 natural armor. This is in addition to any natural armor the creature might have had before.

Change to read The Mornavilanus' natural armour increases by 2


Alignment
Usually neutral evil

Undead are just about always always evil, I'd suggest just as base creature


Gaze of Despair (Su): Any creature that sees the raging blue eyes of the undead must make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2HD + Cha modifier) or be paralyzed with fear for 1d4 rounds.

Specify the Coldtouched here, it reduces ambivalance that munchkins will exploit.

Other than that, looks really good, though it could have gone heavier on the fluff, and it wouldn't hurt to have an example creature.

XtheYeti
2006-11-16, 12:58 PM
Hey now i have a non-vampire undead that my Enlarge person Human fighter cant kill in one hit! Bwahahaha!

HealytheHealslime
2006-11-16, 08:32 PM
Size/Type
Size remains the same. The creature’s type changes to undead.



Question. If the template can only be applied to undead in the first place, then isn't this piece of text kind of redundant? I'm not an expert on the rules in any case so if there's something I'm missing out on here feel free to correct me.

Balesirion
2006-11-26, 02:40 PM
Shouldn't it just gain the cold subtype? That would encompass both the cold immunity and the fire vulnerability.