Monday, May 12, 2014

New Monster: Heartless Corpse

"They call me The Scourge of the Salt Coast." Fellkin muttered to himself, as he picked at a flake of dry skin on his hand. "The Desiccator of Dell." The stacks of small boxes arrayed around him glowed red, and beyond the boxes the flicker of blue flames. "I freed you. All of you... I freed you from having to choose. I freed you from pain. You will never be alone, abandoned... waiting for someone to come.. knowing they never will."

He stood then, and turned in a circle, looking in turn at each of his creations. Their skin was stretched tight, charcoal grey, and glossy. A low deathrattle gasped out of their dry mouths as their unseeing eyes followed Fellkin's movements, while ghostly blue flames licked out of the gaping holes where their hearts would be.

"Come! Let us usher another poor soul into your ranks." He stepped to the wall, and picked up one of the dark boxes. He then turned, and walked to the far end of the hall, where a young man lay bound nude to a rough wooden table. His eyes rolled in terror at the monsters around him. The gag holding back his sobs bit harshly into the corners of his mouth.

"Now now" Fellkin soothed "You'll feel better soon." He paused, and smiled. "Well, you'll feel much less, anyway." He set the box beside the boy on the table. "Let's begin" Fellkin picked up a large knife with a serrated edge. "You might want to steel yourself. This part does seem to hurt."

The boy whimpered as Fellkin poised the knife above his chest.


Heartless Corpse by Me!

Heartless Corpse
Armour Class: 6
Hit Dice: 4+2**
Move: 120' (30')
Attacks: Claws
Damage: 2d4 and paralysis
No. Appearing: 1d6 (1d8)
Save As: F5
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: E
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 275

Monster Type: Undead (rare)
A Heartless Corpses is the animated remains of someone whose heart has been cut from them as part of a necromatic ritual. The heart must then be sealed in a specially prepared container. Whoever possesses the box can control the Heartless Corpse. The creature will dry out, becoming an emaciated monster with glossy blackened skin. The hole through which the heart was removed will burn with faint blue flames.

They can only be harmed by magical weapons, and are immune to all sleep, charm, and hold spells. Their touch causes paralysis, and the very appearance of them causes fear, as per the spell.

3 comments:

  1. Solid idea. But a few questions: Destruction of the box destroys the heartless corpse as well, yes? How long does the paralysis it causes from its claws last?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Destruction of the box would end the animation of the corpse. As for the paralysis, my thought was to treat it like a ghoul's paralysis.

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    2. Or: Destroying the heart container only ends the necromancer's control of the creature, letting it run amok.

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