I thought there might be a wotc archive on this, but didn't spot one. Need a little help figuring out an aspect of this creature's special ability.
The question is, under this ability as written, WHAT HAPPENS when the original body of the monster is slain while it is out possessing a host body? In other words, a monster with this ability has already switched souls with, say, the fighter of the party, and a fireball streaks across the battle and kills the possessing monster's original body? The soul of the monster is still posesssing the fighter, and the fighter's soul is trapped in the monster's body.
Soul Exchange (Su): As a full round action, the monster can attempt to take control of a nearby creature, forcing an exchange of souls as the monster possesses the creature and forces the creature’s soul into its stunted, crippled and caged body. This ability is identical to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th), except that it does not require a receptacle. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 18). A creature that successfully saves is immune to the same monster's soul exchange for 24 hours. If the save fails, the monster takes control of the target body and makes primitive, ferocious attacks.
As a standard action, the monster can shift freely from their host and back to their body if within range, sending the trapped soul back to its body. If the host body is slain, the monster returns to their original body, if within range, and the life force of the subject creature departs (it is dead). If the host body is slain beyond the range of the ability, both the monster and the host body die.
Magic jar's final lines give some insight, but ultimately we can't figure out the fate of the fighter or the monster if the monster is slain while posessing:
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.
What's the call?
B.
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The fighter dies when the monster's body is slain.
The monster dies when the spell ends, either from duration, being expelled, or the fighter's body being dead.
This spell works great for PCs who have other party members who can take care of their body. Monsters have to hope the PCs remember that killing the monster's body kills their friend.
Another reason protection from evil is your friend. :)
Two lines in the spell discription seem to clarify everything to me:
"Any life force with nowhere to go is treated as slain"
so the original body was destroyed... which the fighter's soul was stuck in, since the fighter has no where to go he dies.
"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)."
After the effect ends the monster doesn't have an original body to return to, so it dies as well.
My thoughts:
This ability is identical to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th), except that it does not require a receptacle. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 18). A creature that successfully saves is immune to the same monster's soul exchange for 24 hours. If the save fails, the monster takes control of the target body and makes primitive, ferocious attacks.
So basicly, if the body of the monster is destroyed while the monster is still in the fighter then the monster will be dead as soon as it leaves the fighter's body. If the monster is aware that its body is destroyed it sure will do some nasty things to the fighter's body :>, if it still has time left (see spell duration at caster level 10).