| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The concept of Death Feats was covered in Kobold Quarterly #10. Basically, these are feats available to characters who have died and been raised or resurrected. I like the basic concept but wasn't thrilled with the specific feats listed.
We've just had a PC death in our Runelords game. Not the first, but the first where the party had the wherewithal to have the character raised. As GM I'd like to secretly award a death feat to that character and have her gradually discover that the experience has left its mark on her, but I can't quite figure out how I want to do that. Suggestions?
The effect should be slightly creepy, but not so much so that the character comes off as some new type of undead. It should be advantageous to the PC but not so much so that she's going to want to use it all the time. The PC in question is a Bard/Ranger with undead as a favored enemy.
How about an ability to sense undead within 60 feet but while the ability is active her eyes get that opaque white dead quality.
Yar.
Following up on the detect undead 60' rad effect, you can introduce it slowly and in a creepy way. When some undead are nearby, have the Ranger "hear dead people". Only she can hear them, and it starts off as a distant moan/groan, zombie-eque, but with a tinge of fear. She can easily tell which direction it is coming from (even though only she can hear it).
Upon investigating, she discovers an undead creature, who turns away from her in fear, letting out the same fearful moan/groan that she heard before, but this time anyone can hear it.
As time goes by, the ability increases, so that instead of occasional distant moans/groans that only she can hear, it develops into full blows whispers... some of them fearful, even naming the Ranger as their doom, and some hateful, cursing the Ranger by name and calling him/her their bane.
In time, it becomes apparent that being dead has touched her... with the ability to detect undead around her (via whispers and moans of hatred and fear that only she can detect)... thus: At will, detect undead 60' rad.
Or something like that.
~P
Sensing or hearing undead is about the right level of effect, but someone in the party already has a dagger that glows in the presence of undead (effectively detect undead @ 60', always on) so it would be redundant.
I did find three things in the linked thread that bear thinking about:
22) Corpse Whisperer You can communicate with the recently departed. You gain speak with dead as a spell-like ability (Will negates; DC 10 + 1/2 current Hit Dice + Charisma modifier). Your caster level is equivalent to your current Hit Dice.
39) Kindred Spirits Your time in the land of the dead has granted you affinity for those who have also been there, as well as those who should have been. You know on sight if a person has died and been revived, as well as a rough indication of how many times this has occurred. In addition, you sense the presence of ghosts, specters, and any other incorporeal undead within 60' as if you were using the detect undead spell. This is a supernatural ability and continually active. You must concentrate to learn more specific information, as per the spell.
109) While You're There... Pharasma, or whichever diety allowed you to return, has a little something she wants done, as long as you are headed back anyway. A sample quest might be to seek out someone who similarly returned to life, but wasted their 'second chance' by not accomplishing (or even attempting) the great task for which they were returned to life. You might choose to remind them of the importance of completing this task, you might complete it yourself, or you might just kill them, as an object lesson that a second chance at life shouldn't be squandered. Pharasma was unclear, but she put an insurance policy on the resurrection to prevent you from similarly walking away from this task, and you are sickened and feel like you are dying all over again if you do not attempt to somehow right this wrong. The sickened condition goes away if you return to seeking out / dealing with this situation, and while sickened, you do not heal naturally. Other sample quests might be to kill X number or HD worth of undead, or to seek out some lost scroll of lore from one of her older temples, lost beneath the sands of Osirion, to restore to her clergy, etc.
How about an ability to sense undead within 60 feet but while the ability is active her eyes get that opaque white dead quality.
+1
Or a deathly cold pallor. She might seem extremely gaunt and grey-skinned.
-Ben.
Sensing or hearing undead is about the right level of effect, but someone in the party already has a dagger that glows in the presence of undead (effectively detect undead @ 60', always on) so it would be redundant.
Not if her ability allows her to also unerringly track them within that radius. It would be more of an enhancement.
That being said, I like Kindred Spirits, too.
RISE FROM THE DEAD! *very appropriate thread necromancy*
I think the death feats and death flaws are an awesome idea, though I wouldn't mind combining them more so that each feat had its own flaws.
Can anyone think of more to add to the list?
If they're anything like the Death Feats, I may have to buy that book. I imagine the DFs could be tailored to individual APs, too. Anyone want to try to come up with one? My choice would be Rise of the Runelords. :)