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Ogre in the Playground
Join Date: Feb 2008
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Re: Monster Compedium for the maligned, forgotten & misunderstood monsters
The Wights: worse than the Black plague, in a "fits all" new size! (a Template, and several sample creatures included) (by batsofchaos)
this is the second entry not done by me, but by batsofchaos. It was originally posted in the Home brew forum, since it detailed a full template (in the game mechanics section), not just general suggestions as i normally do. the entry is all his work (i mostly used "copy-paste") and is added here with his permission. so, without further ado
Wight MMI
And now, presenting to you, the new and improved Wight:
Perception and Concept
Spoiler
Perception:
The perception shift is subtle but important. Standard Wights are somewhat limited in their use as the current guidelines place them in graveyards and the like. Additionally, it is a somewhat irksome mechanic that makes it so any humanoid felled by a Wight’s energy drain rises as a Wight, which is human-sized and human-shaped. A dwarf becomes a foot taller and a bit narrower. A Halfling doubles in size and height. A lizardfolk loses its scales and tail and has horrible deformations to its skull. What sense does that make? As a template, these problems lessen. They also open up a host of questions; questions that can form the heart of adventures. After all, would a Wight act the same way if it were five feet taller? How about five feet shorter? And for that matter, what if a Wight doesn’t even have to be necessarily humanoid?
Concept:
Changing the Wight into a template opens up a world of possibilities. The standard Wight has one Modus Operandi; smash the living with their fists while consuming the victim’s life force. In this regard, the Wight is perfect. However, it’s not very interesting or versatile. The PCs go into a dungeon, or a cavern, or a graveyard, or some sewers and a Wight shows up and starts smashing. It’s kind of a one-trick-pony, which is kind of a let-down since they’re intelligent undead. Opening up to a wider variety of creatures, as well as having them retain some vestiges of their living life, allows limitlessl more options for encounters. Wight Kobolds; devious little abominations looking to eat the living through trickery and stealth. Wight Minotaurs; powerful brutes hunting fierce and powerful creatures to get the biggest meal for their insatiable appetite. Wight Dragons; corrupted beasts that abandon their hordes and lay whole country sides to waste in their consumption.
Place and Interactions
Game Mechanics and Mysteries
Spoiler
Game mechanics:
Wight
A Wight’s appearance is a weird and twisted reflection of the form it had in life. A Wight is about the height and weight of its base creature.
Wights speak whatever languages they could when alive.
Creating A Wight
"Wight" is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead) that has a skeletal system (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to undead. It retains any subtype except for alignment subtypes (such as good) and subtypes that indicate kind. It does not gain the augmented subtype. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Hit Dice
Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Speed
Same as base creature
Armor Class
The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +4.
Attacks
A Wight retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a slam attack if it didn’t already have one. If the base creature can use weapons, the Wight retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A Wight fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A Wight armed with a weapon uses its slam or a weapon. However, Wights effectively eat through slam attacks, so they will never use weapons on creatures that are susceptible to their energy drain.
Slam Damage by Size Category
| Wight Size | Slam Damage |
|---|
| Fine | 1 | | Diminutive | 1 | | Tiny | 1d2 | | Small | 1d3 | | Medium | 1d4 | | Large | 1d6 | | Huge | 1d8 | | Gargantuan | 2d6 | | Colossal | 2d8 |
Damage
Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A slam attack deals damage depending on the Wight’s size. (If the base creature already had slam attacks, use the Wight slam damage only if it’s better.)
Special Attacks
A Wight retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + ½ Wight’s HD + Wight’s Cha modifier unless noted otherwise. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Create Spawn (Su)
Any creature slain by a Wight becomes a Wight in 1d4 rounds. Spawn are under the command of the Wight that created them and remain enslaved until its death. A Wight may voluntarily free an enslaved Wight, but once freed, a Wight cannot be enslaved again. Wights that have twice as many Hit Dice as their creator are automatically free of control.
Energy Drain (Su)
Living creatures hit by a Wight’s slam attack gain one negative level. For each such negative level bestowed, the Wight gains 5 temporary hit points.
Special Qualities
A Wight retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Darkvision 60 ft.
A Wight has darkvision out to 60 ft.
Saves
A Wight's base saves are Fort 1/3 HD, Ref 1/3 HD, Will 2 + 1/2 HD
Abilities
Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. As an undead creature, a Wight has no Constitution score.
Skills
Wights have a +8 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Feats
Wights gain Alertness and Blind-Fight, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn’t already have these feats.
Environment
Any, usually same as base creature.
Organization
Solitary, pair, gang (3-5), or pack (6-11)
Challenge Rating
Same as the base creature +2.
Treasure
None.
Alignment
Always lawful evil.
Advancement
As base creature, or by character class.
Level Adjustment
Same as the base creature +4.
Sample Wights:
Wight Kobold, 1st-Level Warrior
| Size/Type: | Small Undead |
|---|
| Hit Dice: | 1d12 (6 hp) | | Initiative: | +2 | | Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares) | | Armor Class: | 18 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 16 | | Base Attack/Grapple: | +1/-3 | | Attack: | Spear +1 melee (1d6-1/×3), sling +4 ranged (1d3-1) Slam +1 melee (1d3 plus energy drain) | | Full Attack: | Spear +1 melee (1d6-1/×3) or slam +1 melee (1d3 plus energy drain) | | Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. | | Special Attacks: | Create Spawn, Energy Drain | | Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitivity | | Saves: | Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +3 | | Abilities: | Str 11, Dex 15, Con -, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 12 | | Skills: | Craft (trapmaking) +2, Hide +14, Listen +2, Move Silently +2, Profession (miner) +2, Search +2, Spot +2 | | Feats: | Alertness, Blind-Fight | | Environment: | Any | | Organization: | Solitary, pair, gang (3-5), or pack (6-11) | | Challenge Rating: | 2 | | Treasure: | None | | Alignment: | Always lawful evil | | Advancement: | By character class |
Wight Human, 4th-Level Commoner (Standard Wight)
| Size/Type: | Medium Undead |
|---|
| Hit Dice: | 4d12 (26 hp) | | Initiative: | +1 | | Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares) | | Armor Class: | 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14 | | Base Attack/Grapple: | +2/+3 | | Attack: | Slam +3 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain) | | Full Attack: | Slam +3 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain) | | Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. | | Special Attacks: | Create spawn, energy drain | | Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits | | Saves: | Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5 | | Abilities: | Str 12, Dex 12, Con -, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 15 | | Skills: | Hide +8, Listen +10, Move Silently +16, Spot +10 | | Feats: | Alertness, Blind-Fight | | Environment: | Any | | Organization: | Solitary, pair, gang (3-5), or pack (6-11) | | Challenge Rating: | 3 | | Treasure: | None | | Alignment: | Always lawful evil | | Advancement: | By character class |
Wight Minotaur
| Size/Type: | Large Undead |
|---|
| Hit Dice: | 6d12 (36 hp) | | Initiative: | +1 | | Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares) | | Armor Class: | 18 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +9 natural), touch 10, never flat-footed | | Base Attack/Grapple: | +6/+14 | | Attack: | Greataxe +10 melee (3d6+7/×3), gore +10 melee (1d8+5 plus energy drain), or Slam +10 melee (1d6+5 plus energy drain) | | Full Attack: | gore +10 melee (1d8+5 plus energy drain) and slam +10 melee (1d6+5 plus energy drain) | | Space/Reach: | 10 ft./10 ft. | | Special Attacks: | Create Spawn, Energy Drain, Powerful charge 4d6+6 | | Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., natural cunning, scent | | Saves: | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | | Abilities: | Str 21, Dex 12, Con -, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 12 | | Skills: | Intimidate +2, Listen +7, Search +2, Spot +7, Move Silently +8 | | Feats: | Alertness, Blind-Fight, Great Fortitude, Power Attack, Track | | Environment: | Any | | Organization: | Solitary, pair, gang (3-5), or pack (6-11) | | Challenge Rating: | 6 | | Treasure: | None | | Alignment: | Always lawful evil | | Advancement: | By character class |
Mysteries and the Unknown:
Why these Wights haven’t taken over everything is a mystery. They are powerful and attack to eat and transform. They are also fairly tactless (the big ones, anyway), so it is not through self-control that their numbers have not spiraled out of control. Is there perhaps a limit to the number of Wights that can be created at a time? Do the Wights have a life cycle, where given time they will expire? Are they fueled by a source that can only be spread so thin? Or perhaps there are secret organizations that are formed solely to keep the undead abominations in check…?
Playing at a DnD Table Near You!:
In Conclusion:(by batsofchaos)
Not too much different from the standard Wight which is a fairly useful monster, but a strong alteration that can lead to much greater intrigue and versatility.
Comment by Kol Korran: as you see different forumists with widely different choice of emphasis. all works are accepted though, so feel free to contribute, so we could all enjoy the fruits of your imagination and creativity.
Last edited by Kol Korran : 10-22-2010 at 04:13 PM.
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