Samples from onging design of "White Zombie d20"

[Steve Miller]

Unedited, raw, first draft stuff...

First, a feat and stuff.

Create Zombie Powder
The character knows the carefully guarded methods by which zombie powder is created.

Prerequisite: Zombie Master 1 or better, Craft (chemical) +7, Knowledge (arcane) +4

Benefit: Without this feat, the character cannot create zombie powder, the foundation of a zombie master’s ability to create Living Dead.

Creating Zombie Powder
Zombie powder is very difficult to create, and the raw materials are even harder to come by. One phial requires 1 gram of graveyard soil, 1 gram of afterbirth secured following the delivery of a stillborn baby, 30 grams of finely ground human bone, and one pound of shade blossom, a very rare flower that can only be found in remote, virtually inaccessible valleys in the mountains of Burma, or in greenhouses kept by zombie masters—maintained. The shade blossom is a very delicate plant and it’s very hard to transplant and maintain, so only the most skilled horticulturists can manage this feat.

The raw materials are processed and distilled over three months, working from full moon to full moon. The resulting powder is then filtered for an additional month. The equipment used for distilling the powder is highly specialized, and its design is almost as well kept a secret at the ingredients.

At he end of the process, the Zombie Master must roll a Craft (chemical) skill check (DC 11). If the check is successful, 1d3 phials are created; the rest of the powder is so much useless white dust, although it may be useful for a zombie master who wants to bluff enemies, or sell useless trash to would-be rivals. If the skill check is failed, none of the end product is useful.

The upside to this extensive creation process is that, depending on how the zombie master uses the phial of zombie powder, he could conceivably expose hundreds or thousands of people with just one phial.

And how zombie powder is used.

Zombie Powder
This fine white powder is created using methods carefully guarded and only revealed from zombie master to apprentice. It is the means by which the zombie masters transform men and women into living dead.

Zombie powder can be introduced into a victim’s system in several different ways, and once it is there, the zombie master can intensify its effect through rituals, or he can simply let the substance gradually and painfully rob the victim of his mental faculties and any semblance of life.

The powder is typically packaged in glass phials that are roughly the length of an adult’s index finger. One end is stoppered with a rubber or wax seal. It can be administered to a victim by anyone with access.

The zombie powder is extracted from the phial using a syringe, as oftentimes all that is needed is a few grains, and at most just a pinch.

Zombie powder is most effective when used in conjunction with a magical ritual performed by a zombie master in possession of a personal item belonging to the victim, as well as a small wax figure representing her.

In such a case, only a few grains of zombie powder need to be administered to the victim, either by ingestion or inhalation. As the zombie master completes his ritual, the victim must roll a Fortitude saving throw (DC20 + the zombie master’s level). If the saving throw fails, the victim immediately falls into a state of suspended animation so deep they appear dead. The victim remains in this state for three days, or until the zombie master awakens her by placing her under his control.

The zombie master must perform the magic ritual within 12 hours of the grains of zombie powder being introduced into the character’s system or all this tiny dose does is make the character feel a bit lethargic for a day.

If the zombie master does not have a personal item belonging to the person, a pinch of zombie powder is needed, and the victim is gradually turned into one of the Living Dead while he remains conscious; he loses the ability to speak, he starts to go blind, and he feels the coldness of death draining his strength and will to survive.

The zombie powder in this instance must be ingested or injected. The transformation process takes three days, and the victim receives a progressively more difficult Fortitude save each day to fight off the effects (DC20 on the first day, DC 20 + ½ Craft (chemical) ranks of the person who made the zombie powder on the second day, and DC24 + ½ Craft (chemical) ranks of the person who made the zombie powder on the third day). At the end of the third day, the victim falls into a deathlike-state where he remains for three days, unless a zombie master awakens the victim to serve him as one of the Living Dead.

The most costly and least effective way to use zombie powder is to attempt to use it in a fashion similar to a smoke bomb and affect multiple targets with it at the same time. This method requires the user to hurl an entire phial of powder onto the ground where it explodes in a wispy white cloud. Any characters within 5 feet of the impact must roll Fortitude saves (DC18) or be rendered immobile for 1d4 rounds by severe breathing difficulty. (Such a wasteful use of zombie powder is only done when a zombie master feels cornered; it may give him just enough time to escape.

Although victims may believe they are fine once their breathing returns to normal, they may be terribly mistaken. Each character exposed to the airborne zombie powder must roll an additional Fortitude save (DC18). If the save is successful, their bodies have successfully rejected the unnatural chemicals.

(FYI, the product in question will have some feats and class abilities for the zombie master advanced class that take the place of spellcasting. The design approach also makes this product compatible with "Modern Advances: Spookmaster" and "Mind Over Matter" & "Mind Expansion")

[Jack of Tears]

Looks good, Steve. I'll be looking for this book when it becomes available.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Real neat, but one question:
Why does the shade blossom come from Burma?

When I think of zombie lords (people who make zombies), I usually think of carribean voodoo sorcerers (and from thence, use herbs from the islands or from Africa.)
Are voodoo zombies going to be a seperate thing?

[Steve Miller]

Real neat, but one question:
Why does the shade blossom come from Burma?

Because of some references within the sources the book is adapting. (Maybe. I may just simplify things and not draw Asia into the picture.)

When I think of zombie lords (people who make zombies), I usually think of carribean voodoo sorcerers (and from thence, use herbs from the islands or from Africa.)

How DARE you stereotype hardworking zombie lords?!

Are voodoo zombies going to be a seperate thing?

Yes and no. The product will have ways to make two different kinds of zombies ("Living Dead"--zombie-fied people who can be released from their state--and your typical animated corpse).

In the material I'm adapting from there's really no evidence that one has to be involved in voodoo to create zombies.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Neat.

[Joël of the FoS]

Hey, that's a fun possibility for villains, esp. the "bomb"

At he end of the process, the Zombie Master must roll a Craft (chemical) skill check (DC 11).

DC 11? Considering the +7 craft needed to create this powder, DC 11 is quite easy. Is that what you meant, i.e. the real trouble is to get the ingredients, making it is easy?

In such a case, only a few grains of zombie powder need to be administered to the victim, either by ingestion or inhalation. As the zombie master completes his ritual, the victim must roll a Fortitude saving throw (DC20 + the zombie master’s level). If the saving throw fails, the victim immediately falls into a state of suspended animation so deep they appear dead.

While you appear dead, do you need to breathe ? (guess not, if you are in suspended animation) What if you get burried ?

The victim remains in this state for three days, or until the zombie master awakens her by placing her under his control.

And if not awaken by the ZM? Do you wake up sick, but no harm otherwise?

Joël

[alhoon]

Hey! I like the idea that skill checks make zombies.

I think in Starwars D&D game force powers are skill checks? This sounds neat to me.

When will this product be out?

[JinnTolser]

I think in Starwars D&D game force powers are skill checks? This sounds neat to me.

They sure are. Skill checks that generally have an associated hit point cost to be paid as well. Works out pretty well, I think.

[Steve Miller]

Hey! I like the idea that skill checks make zombies.

I think in Starwars D&D game force powers are skill checks? This sounds neat to me.

When will this product be out?

It will be out in mid-October, if current plans hold. (And as of this writing, there's no reason they won't.)

Here's an early rough sketch for the cover image.



(Although that will undoubtedly give away what's being adapted.)

And thanks to Joel for pointing out some oversights, flaws, and typos in the already-posted material.

[Steve Miller]

More raw first draft stuff. Comments welcomed.

(This may be too complicated, so let me know what y'all think. I think it's a neat game concept, and very Ravenlofty, too.)

SOUL MATE
The character has a deep, spiritual connection with another character. If and when they meet, it will be “love at first sight.”

The Soul Mate feat models the “instant romance” that is so common in the movies of the 1930s and 1940s. Examples of it include Frank and Helen in "The Mummy," Hugh and Phyllis in the “Bulldog Drummond” series, and Neil and Madeleine in “White Zombie.”

Benefit: The character designates another character who also has the soul mate feat to be the “soul mate” (that in turn designates this character as his or her “soul mate.” Whenever those two characters are together and working toward a shared goal, or fighting for or defending each other, each of the receives a +4 morale bonus to all related skill checks, and a +1 bonus to attribute checks, attack rolls, and to Defense rating. (If the characters are in two separate locations but still working on the same task, the morale bonus to skill checks is reduced to +2. There is no bonus to attribute checks, attack rolls and Defense ratings.)

It is possible for a character to just select this feat without specificying a matching soul mate. However, in such a case, the player leaves it up to the GM to decide if and when the feat's benefits and penalties kick in, and who the soul mate ends up being, should the character ever meet him or her. (Evil GMs may even designate a campaign's major villain as a PC's soul mate if left to his own devices.)

Special: The bond these two characters share is so deep that they can sense each other’s distress when they are apart.

When one of the soul mates is sick, frightened, or in danger, the other feels agitated and restless. For every hour that goes by without the character taking some action to help his beloved, the character must roll a Will save (DC12, with a +1 to the DC for every hour). Once the saving throw fails, the character suffers a -2 morale bonus to all saving throws, attack rolls, and skill checks until he starts making an effort to reach and help his soul mate. (The action can be something as small as calling the soul mate on the phone to see what is wrong… but if the call doesn’t result in answers, it won’t remove any penalties or stop the Will saves until the character rushes to find his soul mate.)

The restless and agitated feeling possesses the character even if he doesn’t know his soul mate is in danger or not feeling well. In such a case, the character just knows “something is wrong.”

If the situation is such that the soul mate has been kidnapped, or is perhaps trapped in a collapsed building, or otherwise in endangered in an unknown location, the bond they share allows the character to “sense” where the soul mate is located. Whenever the character is within a radius of miles equal to his Wisdom bonus, he can make a Wisdom check (DC11) to know the general direction to the soul mate’s location. A new roll is required every hour of searching.

If the soul mate dies, the character must roll a Will save (DC19; DC25 if the character witnesses the death with his own eyes). If the saving throw fails, the character falls victim to a temporary insanity.

Every day (starting immediately after the death of the soul mate) the character must roll on the following chart. He is subject to the conditions described for that day.

Soul Mate Loss Insanity Chart
d20 roll Result
1-8 Depression. -4 to all skill checks and attack rolls
9-14 Mania. +2 to all skill checks and attack rolls related to avenging the soul mate, or honoring his or her memory.
15-17 Weakness. Temporary -6 to Con score.
18 Roll two more times. Both results apply. Treat additional 18s as 19-20.
19-20 Character seems normal.

The character also re-rolls the Will save each day. The temporary insanity (and the daily rolls) persist until the character succeeds at the saving throw. At that time, he manages to shake off the impact of losing his soul mate, but this still doesn’t fill the void in his heart.

(It is possible for a soul mate to both be “dead” and “in danger” if they have been added to the ranks of a zombie master’s Living Dead. Somewhere, buried deep within the zombie-fied soul mate, the connection still exists, causing no end of torment and confusing for the still-living soul mater, who is torn between the knowledge that his beloved is dead and the instinctual sense that she is still out there somewhere, suffering.)

NOTE: The permanent death of a soul mate results in the loss of all benefits from this feat. The character does not get to replace this feat with another one, nor can he ever designate a second soul mate.

(I probably don't need to do this, but... the above material is Open Gaming Content. It may only be reproduced with proper attribution and under the terms described in the Open Gaming License. Copyright © 2006 Steve Miller.)

[alhoon]

Comments welcomed.

Neat.
It is well thought and I cannot think of something I disagree with or wish to add.

Pressing my mind to think... hard... nothing to add yet.
Oh! What about a +2 morale bonus to fear/horror saves if your soulmate is alive and well even if not in your presence?

[Steve Miller]

Create Wax Effigy

The wax effigy is a minor enchanted item that can be used in a number of different ways. It is highly useful for zombie masters, as it is key powerful enchanted item that has numerous uses. It can be used as a scrying device, or as a way to visit curses upon the person the wax effigy represents.

A wax effigy is a symbolic carving of a person that is carved with a ritual dagger from wax from one or more candles that have burned at least 7 minutes and which has been in close contact with something closely relating to the person it is made to represent, such as a piece of clothing, hair, or fingernail trimmings.

A wax effigy need not be terribly detailed, but it must be recognizable a human figure when its creator is done. (It must have a head, a body, arms, and legs.)

Prerequisite: Create Ritual Dagger, Summon Death Familiar, Knowledge (arcane) +6

Benefit: A wax effigy is used to perform a variety of harmful magical rituals. Each use requires a successful Knowledge (arcane) skill check, and possibly items in addition to the wax effigy. The uses of a wax effigy follow.

Bestow Curse (DC16): The maker touches the wax effigy while concentrating on the target. This causes him to feel weak, feverish, and makes it hard for him to focus. The target suffers a -4 penalty on skill checks, attack rolls, ability checks, and saves. The penalty lasts for as long as the character maintains concentration.

The curse can strike the target anywhere in the world, unless he is inside a properly sanctified holy place or protected by charms that ward off curses

Remote Viewing (DC12): So long as the maker holds the wax effigy and concentrates on the target, he can “see” the person and his location in his mind’s eye. Only the target and a five-foot area around him can be “seen”—anything beyond that is seemingly obscured by swirling mist.

The target being spied upon in this fashion gets a momentary sense that someone is watching him, and the GM should roll a secret Will save (DC21) for the target. If it is successful, the holder of the wax effigy only manages to spy upon the character for just one round, and cannot do so again for at least 24 hours.

The target can be viewed anywhere in the world, unless protected by spells, charms or magic artifacts that prevent remote viewing (or scrying, or any other term for magical observation of distant people and locales).

Torture (DC11): By squeezing or inserting needles into a wax effigy, varying degrees of pain and suffering can be visited upon the person it represents.

When the wax effigy is squeezed, the victim finds it difficult to breathe; the difficulty depends on how hard the effigy is gripped. If the grip is light, the target feels as though the air is somehow thick around him and feels slightly short of breath, but if it is held in a crushing grip, the target feels as though heavy weights have been placed on his ribcage and he finds it impossible to breathe. He must roll a Fort save (DC 21) or fall unconscious. If the save is successful, he suffers a -6 penalty to all attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws until the grip is released on the wax effigy. The GM can adjust the DC for the initial saving throw and the later penalties according to how hard the wax effigy is being gripped.

If needles are inserted into the wax effigy, the target suffers a sharp stabbing pain in the corresponding part of his body. The pain makes it difficult to function, so target suffers a -4 penalty to all attack rolls, skill checks, Ref saves, and Will saves. A successful Will save (DC15) reduces the penalties to -2, as he or she manages to struggle on despite the pain.

The pain persists for as long as creator of the wax effigy holds it and the needle remains in place. Although any number of needles can be stuck in the effigy, the penalties to the target remain the same; but, for the purposes of roleplaying, it must be noted that the pain is more intense.

Either use of torture can only be invoked once per 24 hours; once the character releases the target from torment, a full day must pass before the dark powers may again be called upon for that purpose.

Zombify (DC8): By holding the wax effigy over a flame while concentrating, the character can attempt to kill the target and cause him to rise as a zombie.

In order to perform zombify, the character must be within 10 yards of the target and his death familiar for every point he has in Intelligence. (If Murder Legendre wanted to use a wax effigy to slay an animate a foe, he would need to be within 150 yards of the target and his familiar.)

Kill the Target: The character can cause his victim to die of seemingly natural causes (massive stroke, heart failure, etc.). He must concentrate on the target and envision how he wants him to die, while holding the wax effigy for a full 13 minutes. This requires full and total concentration on the part of the character, and as the minutes tick by, the target feels increasingly sickly and uncomfortable. The wax effigy is destroyed during the ritual.

At the end of the 13 minutes, the target receives a Fort save (DC15). If the save is successful, the target takes 1d6 points of damage, as he suffers a minor version of whatever physical ailment the character was attempting to slay him or her with. The target suffers a temporary -1 penalty to all attack rolls and skill checks for a number of days equal to 20 minus his or her Constitution score (minimum of 1 day).

If the target fails the Fort save, he or she dies immediately at the end of the 13th minute, perhaps letting out a scream of horror and pain. If the target’s body is not cremated or buried with rituals that will prevent it from animated as a zombie, the corpse will rise two nights later as an uncontrolled zombie and go on a rampage.

This function can be directed at the target only once every three months, and the character must create a new wax effigy of the target before attempting again.

(There is a second way to zombify a target using a wax effigy, but only characters who have one or more levels in the zombie master advanced class are able to use it. See the description of that class later in this book.)

Presented under the OGL, excerpted from "White Zombie". Copyright 2006 Steve Miller

[alhoon]

Just one thing:

Ouch.

Make sure you burn those fingernails after you're done triming your nails, and always be polite and kind to the person that cuts your hair.

Nice ideas Mr Miller.

[Desertrising]

Wow Steve! I like it a lot and may just have to buy some of your stuff.

[Steve Miller]

Wow Steve! I like it a lot and may just have to buy some of your stuff.

I'm glad you like it... and there's plenty of stuff out there to buy.

"Divine Forces: Benten" will be available at RPGNow, DriveThru, and e23 tomorrow, and "White Zombie" will be on sale around the middle of October.

(BTW, I think "Modern Advances: Spookmaster", "Modern Advances: Masked Avenger", and "Modern Advances: Fugitive" have plenty of stuff of interest to Ravenloft-oriented gamers. I recommend those... and they're available at the outlets mentioned above. Here's a page with some links and cover images: http://www.geocities.com/nuelow/d20moderna.html ).

And if you DO get something I've done, I love to get feedback.