Okay I've got a challenge on my plate. I have a friend who has little to no D&D experience but is still pretty excited about playing. I asked him to think about a type of character that would be fun and he spits out "I'd be cool to play a manipulator, like a demon or something that controls people."
So I've been batting around the idea of an intangible spirit like Azrael from the movie "The Fallen". He would have rules as to how far he could jump between bodies and what happens when his host dies. His main opponents in the game would obviously be clergy and other spellcasters, who will have (or stand the greatest chance of having) spells that can find/attack him directly. And I'm thinking an attempt to jump into a paladin kills the host rather than controls it
I really like the idea since a single player campaign is about the only chance to play with an idea like this. Plus his spectral form has the advantage of being relatively easy to thwart, but very difficult to actually kill. So if he screws up it's usually gong to be a setback not a campaign ender. Plus if I can manage the campaign correctly I'll have a small stockpile of chracters for him to dominate. Exposing a newbie to a buttload of different class concepts and items while still having a uniform legitimate story.
As far as the story I'm thinking I won't tell him about his character at all. I'll just give him the character sheet and backstory of Jeremy Bellhinder, a 15 year old 1st lvl rogue with a violent history and a small city that would rather hang him than wait for his first victim. The campaign will start with Jeremy cornering and attempting to mug an old woman in an alley. The old woman screams and in panic he slams his knife into her gut. He turns as he hears the sound of Steel being bared and behind him stands Sir Jhom. A paladin who has made a futile but earnest effort of steering Jeremy in the right path. He pleads with the boy to let him heal the old woman. That he will try and persuade the judges to let him take the boy as a student of the light rather than hung as a murderer. But Jeremy knows that Jhom won't lie for him, and this is just the thing the city council has been waiting for. The only way out of this alive is through Jhom and out of the city.
This is not a fight he will win.
As Jeremy dies he feels the strangest since of freedom as he floats above his ruined mortal shell. And he flood with pure exhilaration as his now formless conciousness slams into the paladin he has loathed since his early boyhood. He feels the purity of Jhoms soul rebel against his presence, trying to drive him out. But in this Battle darkness is triumphant and soon the paladin, vomiting bile and blood, lies dead in the alley next to the boy. Moments later the dying old woman's eyes open with purpose. A dark grin spreads to her old lips as she stands easily despite an obviously mortal wound. She walks out of the alley with no clear understanding of what she is. But knowing that she is far far more than Jeremy Bellhinder.
The campaign will revolve around the PC trying to discover what he is and eventually to recover his memory and perhaps his purpose. In the meantime devils will attempt to collect him, demons will try to unleash him and every diviner in the material plane will know that a great evil has been loosed upon the world.
As always I look to Paizo for help/troubleshooting/ideas
So if you have anything to add I'd love to hear it! thanks in advance!
I wholeheartedly recommend using the World of Darkness ruleset instead of D&D. It is made for games like this. D&D is based on loads of assumptions about what will be played. You will have to rule on just about everything, and will thus be making your own ruleset anyway. Just use one that already copes admirably with disembodied characters and is much better for solo play anyway.
Go to A free download of the Vampire rules from the White Wolf website..
You can probably dig up a copy of Wraith: the Oblivion second ed. online for very little.
I realize it's going to be a bit of work but I'd like to stay with D&D as a learning experience so that he gets exposed to the mechanics of the system for future campaigns (hopefully with more people) but still I appreciate the suggestion.
well, the person could play a Night Hag if you would set up the world for it; could bring peeps nightmares; also, I think there is a creature called a bahazuru or somesuchthing that sits in the ether and senses around for creatures to possess; or the person could play a ghost; there ghost book has all kinds of rules that takes them away from being undead and lets them do a lot of new and cool stuff; he could play a ghost that inhabits another player; and could manifest around the player and take over when the player was sleeping or fell unconcious in a fight and could over time both use the body to at the same time; ie one use the right hand to fight and the other the left hand to cast spells; the ghost and player could adventually use all the skills and spells and stuff from each other and when bondeded long enough there is practically no way to excersize or do anything to get the ghost out of the body; if this sounds interesting, I suggest you check out the book Ghostwalk; sounds like it could provide information and supplements to what your player is trying to do.
I'm willing to homebrew everything involving his character and the corresponding abilities. In fact I prefer it tremendously to suppliments.
I'm just not sure what they are yet.
Here are a few of the things I've been thinking.
No xp for combat. He will be improving through different means eventually, but for the forseeable future his power will be based around what hosts he can aquire.
He can only travel 200 ft in his spectral form (all he can do in his spectral form is travel to a new host), and only after the host body has died. His normal means of transfer is through touch. (this is pretty much straight from the movie by the way). Host domination is instant and does not allow a saving throw. Clerics recieve a saving throw to resist and paladins get a save or die.
The things I'm trying to figure out now.
How will the host be altered by this malignant presence. Stat bonuses? Special abilities?
What would be a good short term goal? What obstacles could drive the player toward an exciting way to overcome them?
Just use the spell Magic Jar. It covers everything you need to know.
Magic Jar
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 hour/level or until you return to your body
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes
By casting magic jar, you place your soul in a gem or large crystal (known as the magic jar), leaving your body lifeless. Then you can attempt to take control of a nearby body, forcing its soul into the magic jar. You may move back to the jar (thereby returning the trapped soul to its body) and attempt to possess another body. The spell ends when you send your soul back to your own body, leaving the receptacle empty.
To cast the spell, the magic jar must be within spell range and you must know where it is, though you do not need line of sight or line of effect to it. When you transfer your soul upon casting, your body is, as near as anyone can tell, dead.
While in the magic jar, you can sense and attack any life force within 10 feet per caster level (and on the same plane of existence). You do need line of effect from the jar to the creatures. You cannot determine the exact creature types or positions of these creatures. In a group of life forces, you can sense a difference of 4 or more Hit Dice between one creature and another and can determine whether a life force is powered by positive or negative energy. (Undead creatures are powered by negative energy. Only sentient undead creatures have, or are, souls.)
You could choose to take over either a stronger or a weaker creature, but which particular stronger or weaker creature you attempt to possess is determined randomly.
Attempting to possess a body is a full-round action. It is blocked by protection from evil or a similar ward. You possess the body and force the creature’s soul into the magic jar unless the subject succeeds on a Will save. Failure to take over the host leaves your life force in the magic jar, and the target automatically succeeds on further saving throws if you attempt to possess its body again.
If you are successful, your life force occupies the host body, and the host’s life force is imprisoned in the magic jar. You keep your Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, alignment, and mental abilities. The body retains its Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, hit points, natural abilities, and automatic abilities. A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal. You can’t choose to activate the body’s extraordinary or supernatural abilities. The creature’s spells and spell-like abilities do not stay with the body.
As a standard action, you can shift freely from a host to the magic jar if within range, sending the trapped soul back to its body. The spell ends when you shift from the jar to your own body.
If the host body is slain, you return to the magic jar, if within range, and the life force of the host departs (it is dead). If the host body is slain beyond the range of the spell, both you and the host die. Any life force with nowhere to go is treated as slain.
If the spell ends while you are in the magic jar, you return to your body (or die if your body is out of range or destroyed). If the spell ends while you are in a host, you return to your body (or die, if it is out of range of your current position), and the soul in the magic jar returns to its body (or dies if it is out of range). Destroying the receptacle ends the spell, and the spell can be dispelled at either the magic jar or at the host’s location.
Focus
A gem or crystal worth at least 100 gp.
Here is a thought. Have the character be trapped in a magic jar spell a long time ago. None have come close enough for him or her to possess them. This way, he is new to the world and has a solid reason to ask basic questions about the game world. If the character is immortal or long lived instead, he would know much more than the player, which causes player knowledge-character knowledge conflicts.
I would heartily recommend rogue as a class.
Incorporeality
Spectres, wraiths, and a few other creatures lack physical bodies. Such creatures are insubstantial and can’t be touched by nonmagical matter or energy. Likewise, they cannot manipulate objects or exert physical force on objects. However, incorporeal beings have a tangible presence that sometimes seems like a physical attack against a corporeal creature.
Incorporeal creatures are present on the same plane as the characters, and characters have some chance to affect them.
Incorporeal creatures can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, by magic weapons, or by spells, spell-like effects, or supernatural effects. They are immune to all nonmagical attack forms. They are not burned by normal fires, affected by natural cold, or harmed by mundane acids.
Even when struck by magic or magic weapons, an incorporeal creature has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source—except for a force effect or damage dealt by a ghost touch weapon.
Incorporeal creatures are immune to critical hits, extra damage from being favored enemies, and from sneak attacks. They move in any direction (including up or down) at will. They do not need to walk on the ground. They can pass through solid objects at will, although they cannot see when their eyes are within solid matter.
Incorporeal creatures hiding inside solid objects get a +2 circumstance bonus on Listen checks, because solid objects carry sound well. Pinpointing an opponent from inside a solid object uses the same rules as pinpointing invisible opponents (see Invisibility, below).
Incorporeal creatures are inaudible unless they decide to make noise.
The physical attacks of incorporeal creatures ignore material armor, even magic armor, unless it is made of force (such as mage armor or bracers of armor) or has the ghost touch ability.
Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air.
Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage.
Corporeal creatures cannot trip or grapple incorporeal creatures.
Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are triggered by weight.
Incorporeal creatures do not leave footprints, have no scent, and make no noise unless they manifest, and even then they only make noise intentionally.
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Check in the eberron campaign setting book for rules on possession. In eberron certain evil outsiders(read as special individuals out of pretty much any type) can possess the bodies in a similar way to the magic jar spell, however once there they share the body rather then simply taking it over and can either convince the body to work with them(give a bonus to its abilities which they can take away freely if it displeases them), threaten it to work with them(give them a negative on abilities), or try and subvert them to its will through forcing them to make saves as it grinds them down.
There is also a clerical domain that allows one to essentially 'turn' possessing spirits and the like, but spirits can be canny and if they possess someone but don't make their presence known they have abilities to hide within the controllers body, faking like they don't exist(so they can pass through alignment based spells and the like safely).
I'm not a big eberron fan, but the possession rules were one of the things I really liked. And feared since I'm playing a low willsave char.
-Tarlane
I was going to suggest a ghost that was tied to an object instead of a place. This way you can mix in some class abilities and "racial" abilities. Also it adds the element of his achilles heel (the object). It makes him hard to kill but he still must fear priests and mages (not just for destruction but for evil ones bending him to their will). Have a powerful person trying to manipulate him by having a means to destroy his 'source' object. I suggest something portable and valuable (preferably a small statue, ring, tribal mask or other expensive art token).
Rules out of the SRD on Ghosts:
GHOST
Ghosts are the spectral remnants of intelligent beings who, for one reason or another, cannot rest easily in their graves.
A ghost greatly resembles its corporeal form in life, but in some cases the spiritual form is somewhat altered.
CREATING A GHOST
“Ghost” is an acquired template that can be added to any aberration, animal, dragon, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or plant. The creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature) must have a Charisma score of at least 6.
A ghost uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. Do not recalculate the creature’s base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. It gains the incorporeal subtype. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: All current and future Hit Dice become d12s.
Speed: Ghosts have a fly speed of 30 feet, unless the base creature has a higher fly speed, with perfect maneuverability.
Armor Class: Natural armor is the same as the base creature’s but applies only to ethereal encounters. When the ghost manifests (see below), its natural armor bonus is +0, but it gains a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma modifier or +1, whichever is higher.
Attack: A ghost retains all the attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect creatures that are not ethereal.
Full Attack: A ghost retains all the attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect creatures that are not ethereal.
Damage: Against ethereal creatures, a ghost uses the base creature’s damage values. Against nonethereal creatures, the ghost usually cannot deal physical damage at all but can use its special attacks, if any, when it manifests (see below).
Special Attacks: A ghost retains all the special attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect nonethereal creatures. The ghost also gains a manifestation ability plus one to three other special attacks as described below. The save DC against a special attack is equal to 10 + 1/2 ghost’s HD + ghost’s Cha modifier unless otherwise noted.
Corrupting Gaze (Su): A ghost can blast living beings with a glance, at a range of up to 30 feet. Creatures that meet the ghost’s gaze must succeed on a Fortitude save or take 2d10 points of damage and 1d4 points of Charisma damage.
Corrupting Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack deals 1d6 points of damage. Against ethereal opponents, it adds its Strength modifier to attack and damage rolls. Against nonethereal opponents, it adds its Dexterity modifier to attack rolls only.
Draining Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack drains 1d4 points from any one ability score it selects. On each such successful attack, the ghost heals 5 points of damage to itself. Against ethereal opponents, it adds its Strength modifier to attack rolls only. Against nonethereal opponents, it adds its Dexterity modifier to attack rolls only.
Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours.
Horrific Appearance (Su): Any living creature within 60 feet that views a ghost must succeed on a Fortitude save or immediately take 1d4 points of Strength damage, 1d4 points of Dexterity damage, and 1d4 points of Constitution damage. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same ghost’s horrific appearance for 24 hours.
Malevolence (Su): Once per round, an ethereal ghost can merge its body with a creature on the Material Plane. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th or the ghost’s Hit Dice, whichever is higher), except that it does not require a receptacle. To use this ability, the ghost must be manifested and it must try move into the target’s space; moving into the target’s space to use the malevolence ability does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 15 + ghost’s Cha modifier). A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same ghost’s malevolence for 24 hours, and the ghost cannot enter the target’s space. If the save fails, the ghost vanishes into the target’s body.
Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon (see Ghostly Equipment, below). A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.
When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets.
A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes.
Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the ghost’s HD, whichever is higher). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again.
Special Qualities: A ghost has all the special qualities of the base creature as well as those described below.
Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are require a good deal of research.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A ghost has +4 turn resistance.
Abilities: Same as the base creature, except that the ghost has no Constitution score, and its Charisma score increases by +4.
Skills: Ghosts have a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Environment: Any, often as base creature.
Organization: Solitary, gang (2–4), or mob (7–12).
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Any.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +5.
Ghostly Equipment
When a ghost forms, all its equipment and carried items usually become ethereal along with it. In addition, the ghost retains 2d4 items that it particularly valued in life (provided they are not in another creature’s possession). The equipment works normally on the Ethereal Plane but passes harmlessly through material objects or creatures. A weapon of +1 or better magical enhancement, however, can harm material creatures when the ghost manifests, but any such attack has a 50% chance to fail unless the weapon is a ghost touch weapon (just as magic weapons can fail to harm the ghost).
The original material items remain behind, just as the ghost’s physical remains do. If another creature seizes the original, the ethereal copy fades away. This loss invariably angers the ghost, who stops at nothing to return the item to its original resting place.
Alternately you can look at the Fiend Folio for ideas with the fiends of corruption at the back.
The Magic Jar suggestion is a good one for the basic mechanic.
Also - I don't see why the host has to die to be possessed - seems like you're cutting off some roleplay potential... but.. see point 2.
I think you should go ahead and give xp - and have him progress level to level in "Possessor" or whatever you want to call it. Make up a class progression and levels, with attack and save bonuses (maybe with HD? - d12 HD for undead?, but no con mod for those) and special abilities. Just try to keep at least a level or so ahead of him. Might want to cut the xp in half for a slower progression.
This will let you:
1. Reinforce the leveling system that you want to introduce him to anyways.
2. Allow him to gain power a bit more linearally. One level's power could be to possess a living host, etc.
Good luck!
Also - I don't see why the host has to die to be possessed - seems like you're cutting off some roleplay potential... but.. see point 2.
The host does not have to die. He can simply touch a new host and transfer instantly with no harm to the person he was occupying. But if he wants to aquire a host he cannot reach then he must kill the body he is in. I realize this was not statedclearly, I think I'm assuming that too many people have actually seen the movie.
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Magic Jar, already mentioned, is a must; HOWEVER, make him advance toward it; ie., he gets it in a few levels. It will be very overwhelming for the newbie to have all the abilities at once (that's too many rules to learn and too many options); create a class progression chart; keep his options simple until he gets comfortabe using them.
Dream, Nightmare, Charm Person, Suggestion, Mass Charm -- heck, just go through the Enchantment Spell list, also Clairaudience/clairvoyance and other divination spells and Bardic Performance abilities. Create a Class progression chart on what you think is appropriate.
Also, the PrC "Mindbender" from Complete Arcane is the thing I immedietly thought of when first reading your post. You have to check it out. Since you're going to homebrew this and work with the rules set anyway, you can adjust whatever you need from the PrC -- it doesn't have to BE a PrC!
MOST IMPORTANTLY, the problem I see with the first encounter is that the Player isn't running his PC; you are. This is a serious problem indicating you're going to railroad the campaign. Now, it's usually good to, after the Newbie lets you know what he "kind of" wants to run (which he's done) that you work on his Character and background; he's never done it before, afterall. But he's got to take control of it completely once you start playing. DO NOT write out "what happens" when you prep a session; write out what he's going to see, hear, etc., and ask him what he does about it.
If you feel the game must start this way then do the entire scene as a narrative intro, not stopping to ask anything. But seriously consider not doing it this way. There is a (perhaps) huge chance he says, "I'm not going to stab that lady!!" And, you know, it's HIS character.
-W. E. Ray
If you feel the game must start this way then do the entire scene as a narrative intro, not stopping to ask anything. But seriously consider not doing it this way. There is a (perhaps) huge chance he says, "I'm not going to stab that lady!!" And, you know, it's HIS character.
-W. E. Ray
The narrative intro has value here, I think. Regardless of method used for possession (the rules for possession mentioned above in the ECS sound very similar to the ones in the FC 1, by the way), it may be advisable to start the campaign after the murder. "In darkness you stand, caught in the gaze of the cold eyes looking up blankly from the ground, blood dripping off your hands." Or after the first possession (though you mentioned a paladin, who by your thoughts will die if possessed, so this may not work; but, if you chose another class, it could); essentially as I just described, but start within the mind of the possessed, as the possessor settles into his new host, their consciousness merging, and thus reflecting on the events just a few seconds ago which led to this point. Thus, you let the player know what's going on right from the start, don't risk him taking the wrong turns during the intro scene, and let him completely run his character once that intro is over.
My 2cp.
For what its worth, I think introducing someone to the game this way is an overly cumbersome challenge, if not a poor idea altogether.
Its not really the D&D is designed to work - and is not going to give the person a good idea of the game.
Doesn't mean it might not be fun for all parties, but it doesn't seem like a good intro to the game. (and it wasn't even that good a movie)
My opinion
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It may be advisable to start the campaign after the murder.Let the player know what's going on right from the start, don't risk him taking the wrong turns during the intro scene, and let him completely run his character once that intro is over.
Exactly! You said it more precisely than I but that is exactly how that first scene should play out IF you go with it. I'm still leary of it because if the Player REALLY doesn't want to have killed the old lady . . .
So definetly let the Player know your idea for the flavor of the campign and the PC.
-W. E. Ray
It may be advisable to start the campaign after the murder.Let the player know what's going on right from the start, don't risk him taking the wrong turns during the intro scene, and let him completely run his character once that intro is over.
Exactly! You said it more precisely than I but that is exactly how that first scene should play out IF you go with it. I'm still leary of it because if the Player REALLY doesn't want to have killed the old lady . . .
So definetly let the Player know your idea for the flavor of the campign and the PC.
-W. E. Ray
Well he's the one that asked to play a demon. One of the first things I explained to him was what a demon actually was. Pure representations of destruction and death incarnate. So if he wants to jump into Lucifers boots then I doubt he'll get all queasy when it comes to murder.
The reason I still think this is a good introduction is precisely because I do not want him to be an incorporeal creature at all. He won't be able to do anything unless he is in a host body. And leaving a host body alive will cause complications as the surviving victim will know that something is up due to all the time they've lost track of, and killing his host is trickier still since it's the one of the few times he risks destruction.
I want the campaign spent tying to puzzle out where it is he needs to go to find what he wants and then finding the body he'll need to aquire access to it. All the combat will be done using the bodies and skills of his victims. Meaning he will get a crash course on all of the classes hopefully in short order.
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Well he's the one that asked to play a demon.
LOL.
Obviously, you know what the situation is better than we. Certainly, it may not be a problem. It does sound like fun.
I want the campaign spent tying to puzzle out where it is he needs to go to find what he wants and then finding the body he'll need to aquire access to it. All the combat will be done using the bodies and skills of his victims. Meaning he will get a crash course on all of the classes hopefully in short order.
Sounds good. I'd recommend starting with "easier" classes and lower level hosts first. Just be wary of railroading.
I'd like to read how it turns out. Maybe if you have the time you (and he) can post a Campaign Journal.
-W. E. Ray
Perhaps the paladin should be more of a threat to him. If the paladin dies, he dies, for though paladins, being pure, cannot tolerate the evil of the possesser, the same go's for the paladins foe.
I think it's pretty cool, but as was already said, it might not be a good intro. At any rate, the way you have it planned, it would start to lose a bit of the D&D feel. It might work well in Ravenloft, though...
yakfolk