I'm running an adventure where some grave robbers have stolen the body of a priest who has died. I don't want to give spoilers, but the villains have a particular ritual in mind for this body. However, I don't want to point a giant arrow at this when I give info to my players, and they asked the priest's successor to help them research possible uses, so I want to give them several possible scenarios.
Obviously, the ritual in question will be there. I also know good priests make the strongest Huecuvas (iirc). What else might I mention? The fact that the grave robbers only targeted this grave in particular, not any others, precludes the idea of simple undead, and they already know (or think they do) that nobody had a grudge against him, so it was definitely his status as a priest that made them target him.
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Speak with dead perhaps.
Depending how long ago (and by what cause) he died and who they have working for them, raise dead or resurrection might bring him back within the body-snatchers' control.
They could have stolen the body to forestall either of these, or some similar spell, that they knew good-aligned or rival evil-aligned casters would have a particular reason to use. Animating this particular body as undead would help, if this is their purpose.
He might have had some physical peculiarity that the body-snatchers want to use in an animated undead or construct, or that they want to prevent people discovering.
edit: He might have swallowed something important (and the perpetrators are just vicious or well-informed enough to steal the body, but not to cut it open themselves at the scene).
A very large marionette puppet.
Perhaps there is an old, vague prophecy that could be interpreted to mean the deceased priest. Throw a few bogus clues that suggest that sometime the priest would live again and right great wrongs, destroy foul fiends, or whatnot.
Another idea: let the PCs learn that if you feed the body of a good priest to a ghoul/mohrg/undead of choice, the undead gain sustenance and power from it.
Soap.
Rival city wanting the saint for their own political purposes. This is pretty much how St.Mark got to Venice.
Personal revenge, perhaps? Or an attempt to take a stab at a rival god/religion?
target practice.
Speak with dead perhaps.
Depending how long ago (and by what cause) he died and who they have working for them, raise dead or resurrection might bring him back within the body-snatchers' control.
They could have stolen the body to forestall either of these, or some similar spell, that they knew good-aligned or rival evil-aligned casters would have a particular reason to use. Animating this particular body as undead would help, if this is their purpose.
He might have had some physical peculiarity that the body-snatchers want to use in an animated undead or construct, or that they want to prevent people discovering.
edit: He might have swallowed something important (and the perpetrators are just vicious or well-informed enough to steal the body, but not to cut it open themselves at the scene).
I was pretty much gonna say the same thing that starglim here said. They could have stole him to prevent someone else from raising him.
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I can't believe no one has suggested this yet: To make a huecuva!
Creating a Huecuva
Most huecuvas arise when a god rejects a heretic priest’s soul, forcing the slain to rise as horrible undead, but this is not the only way a huecuva can come into being. A huecuva can be created using create undead. The caster must be at least 11th level and the spell normally uses the body of an evil cleric. The faithless aura of huecuvas created from the bodies of good clerics in this way grants a +4 profane bonus on Will saves to resist channeled energy and any effects based off that ability.
ETA: Oh, now I get why no one mentioned it. Its there in the OP. Doh.
Material components for an evil magic item.
Hmmm.... We need the flayed skin of a holy man. IGOR!!!
Thanks for the ideas, everyone!
Sex
While I am tempted to drop this one, it would probably get me banned from the forums I am running the game on. Especially since one of my players is an admin on said forums. :D
Thanks for the ideas, everyone!
SexWhile I am tempted to drop this one, it would probably get me banned from the forums I am running the game on. Especially since one of my players is an admin on said forums. :D
Nothing stopping you from hinting at it in a suitably roundabout way.
Is there a spell that makes the body rise up and do the thriller dance?
That'd be awesome.
Is there a spell that makes the body rise up and do the thriller dance?
That'd be awesome.
Many of them. Animate Dead, Animate objects, telekinesis, pick one.
Which brings up a neat trick. Use "animate objects" on some bodies and mix them with your regular undead. That will throw your enemies for a loop.