Sort of Last Minute GM help request.

[Chrisasaurus_Rex]

Hi Everybody!

I am currently running my brothers through a home-brew world. Both are pathfinder novices and as I am still new to GMing I've been keeping things pretty simple. Core only options for them, while I run things more like syndicated tv show then a standard save-the-world quest. Our third session is coming up later on tonight and I was looking to bounce some ideas around the internet.

Character 1 is human a sword and shield fighter who just looted a masterwork longsword from a bandit leader. Character 2 is a switch-hitter ranger. The pair is traveling with a dwarven cleric of Cayden Cailean and their current employer a halfling merchant.

The small party is approaching a small mining camp where the next adventure awaits. Trope and cliche heavy as it is, think I am going to with a cave in type problem. Mining operations have stopped, monthly quota needs to be met or lose charter, etc. On top of it all there has been desertions every night, even stalwart and committed miners have left one by one every night since the cave in. This is of course not desertions at all but the deliberate murder by the only "survivor"

Cave in revealed an ancient structure (don't you hate it when that happens) that is filled with negative energy. Centuries of menace and hopeless all that.. The "survivor" died with his co-workers but is currently possessed by the malicious negative energy spirit.

The question I have, is there a Possessed template? I was thinking of the dread zombie one, but I want the players to solve the mystery rather then the cleric spotting it right away. The previous sessions have been me introducing combat and wilderness skills to them, this one might gear around gather information and sense motive. With the zombie underneath will be introducing undead and damage reduction mechanics.

[Beopere]

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/demon-possessed -creature-template

Not Paizo product, but its a homebrew. I'd be a bit cautious with the DR. These have DR 10, I would suggest at most 5. I'm not sure what level you are, but at 3rd session DR can be nasty.

[Rynjin]

There is a (3rd party) Demon Possessed Creature Template that might serve as a jump off point.

There's a CR+0 Ghost variant that allows them to possess a body and reanimate it as a Skeleton or Zombie.

Shadow Demons can possess people via Magic Jar, though they have to be living (easily changed).

Demonic Mohrgs can also possess people.

However, as I don't know what the level of your party is, I can't suggest any of these as being the best option. The latter two are for mid level parties, though the Shadow Demon is probably doable for a level 5 party.

The former two can work at any level.

[Chrisasaurus_Rex]

Both are still level 1, so I have to watch the potential to kill them in one bad roll of the dice. I like the Ghost variant, might run with that. Might see about the "possessor" being an object inside the ancient structure more then a actual being. Depends really on how they handle it. As new players they are coming up with very creative solutions. I half expect them to just rig some explosives and blow the tunnel.

[Peasant]

I would caution against an actual possessed template. The most common source of possession in the core rules is the Magic Jar spell (5th level). Any kind of template you find is therefore likely to be tailored to mid-level play and would present a very stiff if not insurmountable challenge to your small, low-level party. The beasties capable of using possession also tend to have a number of other nasty tricks your game might not be ready for (like energy drain, fear effects and curses).

Keep it simple. Use the Dread Zombie if it will produce the type of fight you're hoping for. Since the cleric is an npc, simply incapacitate the cleric when he attempts to detect evil, overwhelming his senses with the background noise left behind by this ancient evil. A low level character might actually be incapacitated by the kinds of things that possess, so you're not even venturing far outside rules as written to do so.

[mcbobbo]

The upside of killing off a first level character - at least they didn't have time to get attached to it!

:)

[DeltaOneG]

You could just have the desired possessed to behave as though they have been dominated. There are specific rules in Sense Motive use with regards to dominated people.

The purpose of the template is to add generic special powers but it kind of sounds like you just want behavioral changes which can be achieved with performing actions as the possessor would dictate rather than would come natural. (i.e. not responding to reason, acting against alignment, peculiar responses to stimuli)

[Chrisasaurus_Rex]

@ DeltaOneG. Thanks for the heads up, that kind of exactly what I was looking for, more behavioral. I just went about asking for it in an odd way. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I think the ghost template might have to wait for a bigger plot consideration. This might be a good warm up introduction to the fact there was once a much older society in this "quiet region."

[DeltaOneG]

Also remember that incorporeal creatures will eat for breakfast adventures without magic or magic weapons.