A question reguarding the skeleton warrior (converted from 2e?) [Archive] - Wizards Community

A question reguarding the skeleton warrior (converted from 2e?) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ksbsnowowl
09-10-03, 09:55 PM I'm going to be running the Labyrinth of Madness, but have converted it to 3rd edition. A few years back I was able to find a D20 site that had converted all the 2e monsterous manual entries who had not made it into the 3e monster manual, and printed off the entries needed to run the LoM in 3e (I've been wanting to run it for a long time now.)

The skeleton warrior has become a template (similar to the lich) and the write up is very good, except for not answering one glaring question that I have. I'm hoping some of you more experienced players will be able to answer my question given experience with or access to the 2e version; or perhaps it is in the 3e MMII.

Here's the Question:
The Skeleton Warrior's soul is trapped in the circlet, and if he retrieves it and puts it on he 'dies.' What happens if he's brought to 0 HP's through combat? He can't really die without his soul, can he? Does his body crumble like most undead, and then his soul is treated as if caught in a soul bind (or is it trap the soul; the one that imprisons it in a gem)? Or is he somewhat like a lich, and the headband somehow like a phylactery? Does he regenerate a new body elsewhere?
The Abominable Darkling
09-10-03, 10:05 PM Well, the first part of your question is rather straight forward. The skeleton warrior has no ability to return once reduced to 0 hit points. If it is, it is destroyed just like any other undead. Most undead do not possess a soul, but that has no bearing on whether or not they can be destroyed in combat. As to the seond part of your question, I imagine the soul would remain trapped within the circlet. The circlet would have to be destroyed to release the soul within.
Brian.C
09-10-03, 10:23 PM I would say that to create a skeleton warrior, use the template for a death knight, with the following "ability."

Circlet Dependency (Su): The skeleton warrior's soul is imprisoned in a circlet of pure gold which it constantly searches for - only by obtaining it can the creature rest. The circlet, though made of gold, has the hardness of adamantine, and fifty hp. If it is destroyed by another creature, or the warrior gains possession of it, the warrior is destroyed (and the circlet crumbles to worthless powder). The value of the circlet is 300 gp, possibly far more to someone who knows what it is and can use it somehow.
The warrior cannot determine the location of its circlet; not even a wish cast by the creature will reveal to it the location. This forces the creature to rely on others to find it.

- Brian
Brian.C
09-10-03, 10:24 PM Oh, did you say the skeleton warrior is already a template? Where?

- Brian
ksbsnowowl
09-10-03, 10:57 PM Suprizingly, I found it fairly easily:

http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/template/skeleton_warrior.htm

and here's the home page of the site:

http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/
Gez
09-11-03, 12:21 AM It's also in the Tome of Horrors, the monster book whose author is behind the Creature Catalog.
The Abominable Darkling
09-11-03, 01:17 AM There's also a new version in the Dragonlance campaign setting (released last month). I haven't look at it though, so I can't tell you anything about it.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ksbsnowowl 09-10-03, 09:55 PM	I'm going to be running the Labyrinth of Madness, but have converted it to 3rd edition. A few years back I was able to find a D20 site that had converted all the 2e monsterous manual entries who had not made it into the 3e monster manual, and printed off the entries needed to run the LoM in 3e (I've been wanting to run it for a long time now.) The skeleton warrior has become a template (similar to the lich) and the write up is very good, except for not answering one glaring question that I have. I'm hoping some of you more experienced players will be able to answer my question given experience with or access to the 2e version; or perhaps it is in the 3e MMII. Here's the Question: The Skeleton Warrior's soul is trapped in the circlet, and if he retrieves it and puts it on he 'dies.' What happens if he's brought to 0 HP's through combat? He can't really die without his soul, can he? Does his body crumble like most undead, and then his soul is treated as if caught in a soul bind (or is it trap the soul; the one that imprisons it in a gem)? Or is he somewhat like a lich, and the headband somehow like a phylactery? Does he regenerate a new body elsewhere?
The Abominable Darkling 09-10-03, 10:05 PM	Well, the first part of your question is rather straight forward. The skeleton warrior has no ability to return once reduced to 0 hit points. If it is, it is destroyed just like any other undead. Most undead do not possess a soul, but that has no bearing on whether or not they can be destroyed in combat. As to the seond part of your question, I imagine the soul would remain trapped within the circlet. The circlet would have to be destroyed to release the soul within.
Brian.C 09-10-03, 10:23 PM	I would say that to create a skeleton warrior, use the template for a death knight, with the following "ability." Circlet Dependency (Su): The skeleton warrior's soul is imprisoned in a circlet of pure gold which it constantly searches for - only by obtaining it can the creature rest. The circlet, though made of gold, has the hardness of adamantine, and fifty hp. If it is destroyed by another creature, or the warrior gains possession of it, the warrior is destroyed (and the circlet crumbles to worthless powder). The value of the circlet is 300 gp, possibly far more to someone who knows what it is and can use it somehow. The warrior cannot determine the location of its circlet; not even a wish cast by the creature will reveal to it the location. This forces the creature to rely on others to find it. - Brian
Brian.C 09-10-03, 10:24 PM	Oh, did you say the skeleton warrior is already a template? Where? - Brian
ksbsnowowl 09-10-03, 10:57 PM	Suprizingly, I found it fairly easily: http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/template/skeleton_warrior.htm and here's the home page of the site: http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/
Gez 09-11-03, 12:21 AM	It's also in the Tome of Horrors, the monster book whose author is behind the Creature Catalog.
The Abominable Darkling 09-11-03, 01:17 AM	There's also a new version in the Dragonlance campaign setting (released last month). I haven't look at it though, so I can't tell you anything about it.