So, Dhekeon the Disgraced is a skeletal warrior in
Barrowmaze, so I guess that is next up on the conversion circuit … skeletal
warriors are undead forms of powerful warriors, described in the Fiend Folio,
and are pretty powerful foes to encounter.
We’ll keep the AC of 18 (and give them chainmail trappings),
tone down the HD from 9 to 6, but we’ll make it 6d12+12, we’ll give them the
appropriate action dice equal to a 6th level Warrior, give them some
magic resistance (but not the original version of 90%!), give them resistance
to non-magical weapons … because it’s a 6th level warrior, even in
death, we’ll give it the appropriate Mighty Deed die, increase to Initiative,
and critical hit range. We don’t need to
give it a fear attack, make it immune to turning, or give it a temporary
magical bonus to its sword that is ultimately non-magical – all that is just
extra verbiage that can be cut to keep the monster entry tight and fun for the
Judge to run.
Now, on the original monster entry, there’s a golden circlet
containing the dead warrior’s soul that can control the warrior, and that the
warrior wishes to seek out – let’s do something interesting with this. What if we treat it a little bit like a
magical sword in the DCC Core Rulebook, with an Alignment, Intelligence score,
purpose, and with an opposed Will check to control the skeleton warrior corpse,
and maybe an extra power granted to the circlet wearer if they can bend the
warrior’s spirit to it’s will? And what
happens if the skeletal warrior gets a hold of their personal circlet?
Thoughts, comments, tales of terror with running and
screaming? Email me at archadethered@gmail.com.
Skeletal Warrior
These are undead warriors of yore, legendary
warriors in life, and now walk as un-dead after an unholy rite has bound their
soul to a golden circlet and animated their armored corpse.
Skeletal warriors ever seek to possess
their golden circlet, for if it comes into possession of another, that person
can attempt a contest of wills to master the circlet and command the skeletal
warrior. The circlet is a powerful magic
item, possessing similar qualities to a magic sword (DCC Core Rulebook, page
366), having a random alignment, 2d6+2 Intelligence, a special purpose (roll
1d12 under the appropriate alignment), and a random Type I power.
Most skeletal warriors are clad in
tattered chainmail and wield two-handed swords, but may be equipped differently
depending on the trappings possessed by their living forms.
Skeletal Warrior: Init
+7; Atk two-handed sword +2+1d8 melee (1d10+1d8+2); AC 18; HD 6d12+12 (51 hp);
MV 30’; Act 2d20+1d16; SP increased critical hit range 18-20, magic resistance
(-2 to any spell checks targeting the skeletal warrior directly), mighty deeds
of arms, resistant to slashing and piercing attacks, soul bound circlet,
un-dead traits; SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +2; AL C
If the golden circlet containing the
skeletal warrior’s soul is possessed by another, an opposed Ego check will
allows the wearer to command the skeletal warrior if they can be seen and heard
– each nightfall, or if sight is lost between the wielder and the skeletal
warrior, a new Ego check must be made.
If the skeletal warrior possesses their circlet, they may either choose
to have their soul pass on to the afterlife and ‘die’, or they may permanently
fuse the circlet to their skull, and reunite their soul with their body,
gaining all the powers of the circlet and an additional +2 to all checks.
A skeletal warrior is un-dead, and thus
can be turned by clerics. They do not
eat, drink, or breathe, and are immune to critical hits, disease, and poison.
As un-dead, they are immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells, as
well as other mental effects and cold damage.
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