Vengeful Undead

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The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.

Here's some criteria:
A) He's a dragon.
B) I don't want him tied to a location.
C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
(IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
D) Primary motive will be revenge.

Any suggestions from WotC books?

 

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Ophidian wrote:
> The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
> Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
> But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.
>
> Here's some criteria:
> A) He's a dragon.
> B) I don't want him tied to a location.
> C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
> (IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
> D) Primary motive will be revenge.
>
> Any suggestions from WotC books?

You could go with the Spectral or Shadow Creature templates from Savage
Species (I think).

Otherwise, a really fun monster that I've used in a similar capacity is
the Hullathoin from either the Fiend Folio or the MMII. It's a big,
nasty, undead thing with some hideous abilities that is based on a
dragon, but the text is vague as to the thing's true origins. In short,
it's a great ex-dragon undead to torment PCs with, and they'll
definitely remember it.

--
Jay Knioum
The Mad Afro

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Ophidian wrote:
> The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
> Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
> But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.
>
> Here's some criteria:
> A) He's a dragon.
> B) I don't want him tied to a location.
> C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
> (IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
> D) Primary motive will be revenge.
>
> Any suggestions from WotC books?

Wow. Lots of options. Oe that I'm fond of is reincarnate. It's a
nice way to bring him back as somehting other than a dragon. The right
political connections can put him anywhere with any sort of powers,
magic items, as any sort of creature. Heck, reincarnate plus polymorph
or shapechange work just fine.

if you want to stay away from cheese, just a plain old ghost is never a
bad idea, or a specter.

Since a dragon is also a spellcaster, spectral mage might not be a bad
idea.

Or, create a unique undead for the situation. Possibly one that has
somehting to do with the death and the creature. I would personally
say that the force of personality of the dead dragon was too much for
the surrounding area and he merged with it. So now he is sort of a
semi-undead acid lake (or wherever he was thrown). So he can move
about iincorporeally as himself (invisible unless he chooses to
manifest) but he can also create a body for himself of up to his
previous size (and as small as probably small or tiny). An acidic
creature would be a nice template to work on, and the only way they
could actually "kill" this bad guy would be to exorcise him from the
lake (maybe impossible, maybe not) or to utterly destroy it and all the
acid within. Not a bad high level villain.

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"Ophidian" wrote
> The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
> Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
> But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.
>
> Here's some criteria:
> A) He's a dragon.
> B) I don't want him tied to a location.
> C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
> (IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
> D) Primary motive will be revenge.
>
> Any suggestions from WotC books?

How about a deal with a powerful outsider and true resurrection? Then they
throw in a geas/quest spell to keep him in line
He is back, he is pissed, but now he is working for someone else.

John

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Ophidian wrote:
> The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
> Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
> But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.
>
> Here's some criteria:
> A) He's a dragon.
> B) I don't want him tied to a location.
> C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
> (IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
> D) Primary motive will be revenge.
>
> Any suggestions from WotC books?

Draconomicon has rules for ghost dragons, and I don't think they HAVE to
be tied to an area... In fact I could see a ghost dragon being obsessed
with recovering every last copper in its hoard and not being able to
rest until it does so.

- Ron ^*^

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Ophidian wrote:
>
> The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
> Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
> But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.
>
> Here's some criteria:
> A) He's a dragon.
> B) I don't want him tied to a location.
> C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
> (IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
> D) Primary motive will be revenge.

How about a revenant or a dracolich template?

Revenant: Monsters of Faerun
Dracolich: 3E Draconomicon, 3E Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting


Arivne

 

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Ophidian wrote:
> The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
> Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
> But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.
>
> Here's some criteria:
> A) He's a dragon.
> B) I don't want him tied to a location.
> C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
> (IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
> D) Primary motive will be revenge.
>
> Any suggestions from WotC books?

Add the ghost template to the dragon and make him roam. It'll work
well.

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

arivne@cox.net wrote:
> Ophidian wrote:
> >
> > The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
> > Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
> > But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.
> >
> > Here's some criteria:
> > A) He's a dragon.
> > B) I don't want him tied to a location.
> > C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
> > (IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
> > D) Primary motive will be revenge.
>
> How about a revenant or a dracolich template?
>
> Revenant: Monsters of Faerun
> Dracolich: 3E Draconomicon, 3E Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
>

Question on dracolich: does the dragon's body have to be intact if it
was destroyed before achieving lichdom?

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"Rum Ranger" <hayes13@fadmail.com> wrote in message
news:1112187850.305076.304750@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> arivne@cox.net wrote:
> > Ophidian wrote:
> > >
> > > The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
> > > Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
> > > But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.
> > >
> > > Here's some criteria:
> > > A) He's a dragon.
> > > B) I don't want him tied to a location.
> > > C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
> > > (IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
> > > D) Primary motive will be revenge.
> >
> > How about a revenant or a dracolich template?
> >
> > Revenant: Monsters of Faerun
> > Dracolich: 3E Draconomicon, 3E Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
> >
>
> Question on dracolich: does the dragon's body have to be intact if it
> was destroyed before achieving lichdom?
>

Forget ghost template. make him a wraith.
And make his motivation "rebirth, and vengeance".

My players in my last campaign had to face the wraith of a mad dragon who
was a master wizard. He gave the PC cleric/mage with the dragonblooded feat
the Darth Vader option ( "If you will not agree, then perhaps your younger
niece will...") to get pregnant by another PC ( he had mind comtrolled both
of them by this point) so he could take possession of the fetus, and be
reborn. Once he was born, he intended to polymorph himself into a dragon
once more, at full power.

Was a pretty cunning plan if I do say so myself. My players still talk about
it as one of the most evil, must ruthless episodes they ever had to deal
with.


--
Trav
hoodyhoo@KODT.net
To reply, replace 'KODT' with 'rfci'.
11/Sept/01: Never forget. Never forgive.
"A liberal is a man too broad minded to take his own side in an argument" -
Robert Frost

 

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Ophidian <oNpEhMiOdian23@cox.net> wrote in news:8wW1e.43886$le4.11283
@fed1read04:

> The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
> Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
> But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.
>
> Here's some criteria:
> A) He's a dragon.
> B) I don't want him tied to a location.
> C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
> (IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
> D) Primary motive will be revenge.
>
> Any suggestions from WotC books?

How about a Revenant? Or a Dracolich? But there's nothing wrong with
having a ghost dragon.

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Quentin Stephens wrote:

> Ophidian <oNpEhMiOdian23@cox.net> wrote in news:8wW1e.43886$le4.11283
> @fed1read04:
>
>
>>The players recently killed a recurring nemesis.
>>Despite their protests <g>, I _know_ they want to face him again.
>>But I can't think of an undead appropriate to bringing him back.
>>
>>Here's some criteria:
>>A) He's a dragon.
>>B) I don't want him tied to a location.
>>C) His body was severely severed and then thrown in acid.
>> (IOW, he'll likely be incorporeal.)
>>D) Primary motive will be revenge.
>>
>>Any suggestions from WotC books?
>
> How about a Revenant? Or a Dracolich? But there's nothing wrong with
> having a ghost dragon.

I reread Ghost.
looks like what I'll use.
I definitely want Malevolence and Horific Appearance.
Haven't decided on the third power.
Corrupting Gaze or Touch are most likely.