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Disciple of Darkness 07-16-05, 06:03 AM

This is something I made for my soon-to-be Epic campaign (any players of mine - bugger off, this is none of your business :)) as the villains. :) Any feedback is welcome. And as it says, this is a lesser Dark Master. There are greater Dark Masters, but I'll post their template later (and the example Dark Master as well). DARK MASTER (lesser) The world of darkness holds many strange beings, but only few are as terrifying, mysterious and powerful as the Dark Masters. These beings possess strange powers and constantly work to achieve ever greater control and power. Usually the Dark Masters work in unison, but they have a constant power struggle going on and some have even become renegades – Dark masters who oppose other Dark Masters and only do their own bidding. A shroud of terror, mystery and power accompanies these creatures. They often appear clothed in black and sinister robes, cloaks, armour and clothes, but underneath their clothing, there is only shadowy, incorporeal forms. Many who have encountered an ”unclothed” Dark Master have spent the rest of their lives being afraid of the dark and any strange whisper or noice. Creating a Dark Master ”Dark Master” is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid of 10th level or higher (referred hereafter as the character). The character’s type changes to undead. A Dark Master uses all the character’s statistics and abilities expect as noted here. Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12. Armour Class: in its corporeal form, a Dark Master has +4 natural armour bonus or its own, whichever is better. In its incorporeal form, it has +5 deflection bonus or its Charisma bonus, whichever is higher. Attacks: a Dark Master uses usually its own weapons, but if disarmed, will use its touch attack. Damage: the Dark Master’s touch attack uses negative energy to deal 1d8 + its Charisma modifier (if any) damage to living creatures. A Will save (DC 10 + ½ Dark Master’s character level + Dark Master’s Charisma modifier) reduces the damage by half. Characters with natural attacks can use their natural weaponry or use the touch attack, as they prefer. Special Attacks: Dark possession (Su): while in its ethereal form, a Dark Master can try once per round to possess someone (just like a ghost with malevolence ability). This ability is similar to magic jar spell (caster level equals Dark Master’s character level), except that it does not require a receptacle. To use this ability a Dark Master must move (while manifested) into the target’s space; this action does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The target can resist the possession with a successful Will save (DC 15 + Dark Master’s Charisma modifier). A creature that succesfully saves is immune to this particular Dark Master’s dark possession ability for the next 24 hours. After the period of time for dark possession has elapsed (meaning that the magic jar’s effect would end) a Dark Master can choose to remain inside the target, in which case the target can make an another Will save, but takes –1 penalty for previous successful possessions done by that Dark Master. These penalties are cumulative. Once the Dark Master has successfully possessed the target for a year, the target can no longer try to shake off the powers of the dark possession – he has effectively become a drone for the Dark Master’s will. After this, the target’s Constitution score drops by one for each year the Dark Master possesses him and once it reaches 0, the target dies and the Dark Master suffers no penalties for this. Should the Dark Master leave its victim before the first year has elapsed, the target does not suffer any ill effects. Should the Dark Master leave its victim after that first year has elapsed, the victim immediately suffers –4 penalty to Charisma and Wisdom – it’s sense of self and ability to successfully comprehend the outside world have seriously suffered due to the Dark Master’s overwhelming presence. This penalties do not go away normally – they must be healed through magic. If the Dark Master returns to possess this victim again, the target does not gain any Will save against the Dark Master’s dark possession, unless it has been healed through magic. If the Dark Master’s own corporeal body is slain, it has exactly 24 hours to find a new body for itself before it dies. Also, during this time, it takes 1d4 points of Charisma damage each round it stays in direct sunlight (not in magical light), because the natural light harms its magical connection to the evil of the world. If its Charisma reaches 0, it does not die, but is unable to move before it gains at least one point of Charisma back before the 24 hours have elapsed. The Dark Master uses this ability to gain a new body for itself. After the target’s Constitution has dropped to zero, its body does not die, but rather joins the shadow essence of the Dark Master and becomes his new body. The Dark Master retains his Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, class, BAB, base saves bonuses, hit points, and mental abilities (such as skills and feats and class abilities). The body retains its Strength (which gains +2 bonus upon becoming an undead body), Dexterity and Constitution (which disappears upon becoming an undead). If the target body’s physical scores are not great enough for some of the feats of the Dark Master, he loses access to them. Before this new body has become an undead, the Dark Master can leave from it, but must find an another body within 24 hours or be destroyed. Fear aura (Su): Dark Masters are shrouded in an aura of death and evil. Creatures of less than 5 HD who are in a 60-foot radius that looks at the Dark Master must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Dark Master's HD + Dark Master's Charisma modifier) or be affected as by fear spell cast by a sorcerer of Dark Master's character level. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected by the same Dark Master's aura for 24 hours. When a Dark Master is incorporeal, it also radiates an unnatural aura similar to spectre's. Manifestation (Su): while without a body, a Dark Master dwells on the Ethereal Plane, and as an ethereal creature, cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a Dark Master manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested Dark Master can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested Dark Master can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armour. A manifested Dark Master always moves silently. Manifestation is a standard action and it can be used at will. Furthermore, a Dark Master can, of course, return to its ethereal form at will as a standard action. A manifested Dark Master can strike with its own touch attack or with any material objects it can find (thanks to its free Ghostly Grasp feat). A manifested Dark Master remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where it is not incorporeal. A manifested Dark Master can be attacked by opponents on either the Material or the Ethereal Plane. The Dark Master’s incorporeality helps it to protect it from enemies on the Material Plane, but not from enemies on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting Dark Master is not manifested is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against targets on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting Dark Master manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested Dark Master’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal objects. Unlike many other ethereal creatures, a Dark Master can speak to material creatures while in ethereal form and be audible to them. However, it does not have to be audible unless it wishes so. A Dark Master has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. Spell-like abilities: a Dark Master gains spell-like abilities depending on its HD. The Dark Master uses this spell-like abilities as a sorcerer of his character level. 10-12: 3/day – darkness 13-14: 1/day – enervation 15-16: 1/day – nightmare 17-18: 1/day – greater dispel magic 19-20: 1/day – power word kill Teleport (Sp): the Dark Master of at least 14th level can use greater teleport three times per day to reach a shadowy locale in the same world as he currently is. Special qualities: Damage reduction (Su): a Dark Master gains damage reduction 10/magic. Daylight sensitivity (Ex): in bright daylight, a Dark Master is dazzled. Also, abrupt exposure to daylight spell or similar blinds a Dark Master for 1 round and then it's treated as dazzled so long as the light spell effect continues. Detect magic (Su): the Dark Master has this ability, just as the spell, continuously at work within his line of sight. It does not require concentration, but it still takes three rounds to fully use this ability on each thing within the line of sight. Eyes of the Dark Master (Ex): a Dark Master sees perfectly in normal and magical darkness. Furthermore, even while in corporeal form, it can see into the Ethereal Plane. Fast healing (Ex): a Dark Master gains fast healing 2. Immunities (Su): a Dark Master is immune to polymorph effects (although it can voluntarily lower this immunity – for example, when using shapechange in battle). Resistances (Ex): a Dark Master has cold resistance 10 and electricity resistance 10. Shed the body (Su): a Dark Master is usually clothed in black robes and clothing – those clothes give form to its darkness and formless power. When it is without clothing, it is considered to be incorporeal and ethereal (it decides this as it ”unclothes”). When incorporeal, it appears as a figure of darkness, loosely resembling a shadow in shape of a robed humanoid (this is also the form true seeing reveals). Usually, Dark Masters retain their original bodies’ general appereance, but over time this too disappears. To become corporeal again, a Dark Master just needs to ”clothe” itself again. Spell resistance (Su): the Dark Master gains spell resistance 20 + 1 for each character level over 10th level. Telepathy (Su): a Dark Master can communicate with any sentient being within 100 feet that has a language or can communicate. This is a free action. Like its normal speech, the Dark Master’s telepathy extends to the Material Plane even if it’s ethereal. Turn resistance (Ex): a Dark Master gains +4 turn resistance. Undead type: a Dark Master is immune to mind-affecing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, any any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if its willing. Darkvision 60 feet. Abilities: a Dark Master gains +2 to Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, but being undead, has no Constitution score. Skills: a Dark Master gains +6 bonus to Bluff, Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently (although, while incorporeal, it is always considered to be walking silently), and Spot. Feats: a Dark Master gains Ghostly Grasp feat (from [i]Libris Mortis[/b]) for free, even if it doesn’t fulfill the requirements for that feat. Environment: any land or underground. Organization: solitary, pair, or group (2-4). Challenge Rating: as base creature +2. Treasure: double standard. Alignment: always evil (any). Advancement: by character class. Level adjustment: +6 Creation of a Dark Master Every Dark Master is an unique being with its own ambitions and powers, and as such, they cannot be created through create undead and create greater undead or any similar spell. The ritual in which a Dark Master is created is known only to few (that is, to the other Dark Masters) and is without any doubt so evil and vile that only a totally ruthless person could undertake it. The ritual’s specifics are unknown, but it takes 24 hours to complete and at the end of it, the soon-to-be Dark Master is consumed by the dark powers and transformed into a Dark Master. The ritual’s conductors must be able to cast at least 6th level spells and have access to Necromancy school and/or domains of Death and/or Undeath. How to add the Dark Masters into your own campaign The Dark Masters are powerful, evil, and cunning undead shadows who work towards their goal of world domination silently, patiently, and ruthlessly. In the campaign world into which they were designed, almost all of them are comrades and allies, united under one banner (expect for the renegades), but that doesn’t need to be so in your campaign world. In Faerûn, these beings might be servants of Shar, for example, and in Krynn they might be leftover souls of the One God’s army who have refused to continue along the River of Souls. Although the Dark Masters are excellent manipulators, there is no need for them to cooperate – they might be bitter rivals for power.