Then I actually started working on it. Oh man. At first, he really didn't translate into 3.5 edition at all. So I had to start from the ground up. Here's what I came up with. There is no level adjustment on this race, because I honestly don't know where to begin. Some of the stuff screams overpowered at me, at the top of it's lungs, while the rest of it is screaming "ouch!" in an equally loud voice. Tell me what you think.
Talking Skull
Ability Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma.
Talking Skulls are quick, agile, fun-loving, and talkative. Unfortunately, they just don’t know when to shut up.
Size: Small (+1 to AC, +1 to attack, +4 to hide.)
Movement Speed: 30’ Hovering Flying (Talking Skulls fly with Good maneuverability, but they cannot ascend higher than 5’ above the ground. A skull lifted higher than this will take falling damage as normal, then resumes hovering.)
Intelligent Undead: (Modified Undead Type) No constitution score. Intelligence is used for bonus hit points and natural healing. Darkvision 60’. Immunity to mind-affecting effects. Immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects. 25% chance to avoid critical hits, but is otherwise susceptible. Immune to nonlethal damage, ability drain, and energy drain. Immune to strength, dexterity, and constitution damage, as well as fatigue and exhaustion. Immunity to effects requiring a fort save, unless it also affects objects or is harmless. Immune to death from massive damage and destroyed at 0 hp, but can be brought back by resurrection and true resurrection. They are healed by negative energy. They do not breathe, eat, or sleep. 4+int for skills.
Made of Bone: Natural Armor +1, DR 5/bludgeoning, d12 hit dice.
They have a natural weapon in the form of a bite attack (1d4, bludgeoning). However, they possess no other limbs. Talking skulls are treated as having weapon proficiency (teeth) for purposes of determining the availability of feats. They may take monster feats that they qualify for.
Equipment: Talking Skulls are… skulls. Or, rather; floating, disembodied skulls. Because they don’t possess any other body parts they are incapable of wearing armor, using shields, and wielding weapons other than their own teeth. This also means that they are limited to having only two magic item slots; head and face. Head and Face items can be crafted for and used by them that give a bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. These can only be used by them, other characters become confused when trying to use these. They can use ioun stones. They cannot carry anything other than that which can be worn on their skulls. They cannot use any skill that requires the use of hands or feet.
Alignment: Even though they are created and bound to the Pillar of Skulls in the depths of Baator (Hell), they can be of any alignment. Typically, they match the alignment of the person who rescued them from the pillar, serving that person out of guilt for the pain they inadvertently caused them.
Languages: Common, Infernal.
Favored Class: Fighter. Since they have no hands, talking skulls cannot perform the complex gestures needed to cast spells. They cannot take any levels in a spellcasting class.
See what I mean? Undead Traits!? Overpowered!! Only two magic item slots!? BROKEN!! Majority of skills worthless!? UGH!!
Anyway, I also wrote up a thing for the Pillar of Skulls, where the Nameless One first meets Morte.
The Pillar of Skulls
Somewhere, hidden deep in the plane of Baator, stands the horrific edifice known as the Pillar of Skulls. Standing in the middle of a hellish clearing, its height is seemingly infinite, stretching up further than the eye can see. It is composed of the souls of traitors, deceivers, oath-breakers, and con-men bound to their skulls and the pillar for all eternity. Blood serves as the glue the holds the skulls together, and the pillar seems to pulse with its movement.
The pillar is mildly omniscient, and possess the combined knowledge of all the souls it is made up of. It acts as a sort of information broker in Hell. A visitor can ask a question of the pillar, which always answers the question truthfully, provided it knows the answer. The pillar knows all common knowledge, and most secret knowledge. It does not know the answers to questions like “Why do we exist?”, or if it does, it has been carefully instructed not to answer. If the pillar does not have an answer to your question, it will tell you so, but it will suggest that you might get an answer if you phrase the question differently.
If you ask the pillar a question and successfully receive an answer, you are now indebted to the pillar. It will now ask a favor from you. These can vary, but are often equal to the question you yourself asked. For example, if you asked for the true name of the Evil Wizard you are hunting (for use in your scrying attempts) and the pillar knew the answer, you now owe the pillar your true name. Anything you happen to know is free game for the pillar. You can attempt to lie to the pillar, but it has a +20 on its Sense Motive check, and always takes 10. (DC 30) If you successfully lie to the pillar, it will treat whatever lie you told it as fact, until it learns that its information is false. If you fail to lie to the pillar, or you attempt to leave without giving the pillar what it asks for in return, it will attack. 4d6 skulls will fly out of the pillar, each attacking you for 1d4 damage. Even if you successfully escape, the pillar will remember you. Anytime you attempt to approach the pillar, it will attack.
Sometimes, a skull will attempt to strike a deal with a visitor on its own. Being bound to the pillar is torture for them, the constant connection to the vast collected knowledge eating at the sanity. In exchange for freedom from the pillar, the skull will answer questions on any topics its savior wishes to know about. It takes three rounds to do this. On the first round, make a touch attack on the skull, DC 10. You may take ten on this check if you are not otherwise threatened. If you succeed, 2d4 skulls will notice what you are doing. They will attempt to stop you, crowding around, each attacking once. When they have all attacked, your second round begins. This time you must make a strength check at DC 10. If successful, the skull comes out halfway. You are then subject to another round of attacks. If you beat the DC by five or more, the skull comes out immediately, and you suffer no further bites. On the third round (if necessary), you must beat a strength check of DC 15. If you succeed, the skull comes out. If you fail at any time after successfully grabbing the skull, you suffer a round of attacks, then may try again at the same DC as before. You may continue to do this until the skull is out, you give up, or your hit points hit zero. If you let go of the skull at any point, it slides back into place.
Unfortunately, all this effort is really for nothing. Once the skull is removed from the pillar, it loses its connection to the knowledge of the others. It remembers only how it felt in the pillar, and things that happened around it, but the answer to your questions and even of its own life before death is a mystery to it. It does not know that this will happen when it is removed from the pillar. When the skull asks this of a visitor, it does so as a plea for salvation. It is not out to intentionally screw a visitor over. Shrewd visitors should be aware that, even if you convince the skull to tell you the answer before you remove it from the pillar, you are not out of the woods. Because it’s still connected, an answer received from any of the skulls is an answer received from the pillar. And you now owe the pillar and answer of your own.
And finally, heres a sample talking skull, suitable to throw at your players as a monster, and of course, my good buddy Morte.
Sample Talking Skull (MM entry)
Small Undead
Hit Dice: 3d12 (25 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: Hovering Fly 30’ (Good) (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+2 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size), touch 13, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/ -- (no arms!)
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d4+1 bludgeoning)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d4+1 bludgeoning)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: ---
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’, DR 5/bludgeoning, Immunity mind-affecting, Immunity death effects, Intelligent Undead traits.
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 15, Con --, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 13
Skills: Hide +12, Listen +4, Move Silently +8, Spot +4
Feats: Improved Natural Armor (I), Weapon Finesse
Environment: Pillar of Skulls, Baator
Languages: Common, Infernal
And as a today only bonus, the co-star of Planescape: Torment, Morte!
Morte (Talking Skull, Fighter 6)
Small Undead
Hit Dice: 6d12+2 (57 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: Hovering Fly 30’ (Good) (6 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+5 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size, +1 inherent (ioun stone)) Touch 17, Flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/ -- (no arms!)
Attack: Morte’s Teeth +1 +14 melee (1d6+6 bludgeoning or piercing (full-round action to change))
Full Attack: Morte’s Teeth +1 +14/+9 melee (1d6+6 bludgeoning or piercing (full-round action to change))
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: ---
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’, DR 5/bludgeoning, Immunity mind-affecting, Immunity death effects, Intelligent Undead traits.
Saves: Fort +7 (+2 Monocle of Resistance), Ref +9 (+2 Monocle of Resistance), Will +5 (+2 Monocle of Resistance)
Abilities: Str 16 (4th level ability increase), Dex 20 (headband of dexterity +2), Con --, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 18
Feats: Flyby Attack, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Teeth), Improved Natural Armor (I), Weapon Specialization (Teeth), Improved Natural Attack (Teeth, size increase to 1d6), Improved Initiative
Skills: (4+int) Diplomacy (cc) +8 ½ , Hide (cc) +13 ½ , Intimidate +13, Listen (cc) +5 ½ , Sense Motive (cc) +5 ½ , Spot (cc) +5 ½
Languages: Common, Infernal, Abyssal, Sigilese
Morte’s Teeth
Morte’s teeth are a magical weapon for Morte, or for any Talking Skull you wish to use. These teeth get stronger as he goes up in level. For the first three levels, they act the same as a normal bite attack. But every two levels after fourth, they change:
1st Level: 1d4 Bite, bludgeoning.
4th Level: Teeth become magical. (+1)
6th Level: Damage type may be changed from bludgeoning to piercing or back again as one full-round action.
8th Level: Teeth become more magical. (+2)
10th Level: Teeth may now deal slashing damage instead of bludgeoning or piercing.
12th Level: Teeth become even more magical. (+3)
14th Level: Damage type change time reduced to one standard action.
16th Level: Teeth become a Greater magical item. (+4)
18th Level: Teeth deliver poison. Add one extra dice of damage to strength or dexterity, as you choose.
20th Level: Ultimate Teeth. (+5) You may now change damage type as a free action.
Thank you for reading this wall of text. Please fix this.
I need to put some more thought into an actual stat block than what I have time for right now, but you seem to have created a decent starting point. Things that stick out as needing adjustment....
- Fly speed. As I recall, Morte moves about as if his head is attached to a body, despite the body being absent. I'd give him a regular movement speed, and just note that he hovers a few feet above the ground most of the time, rather than shoehorning him into the flight system.
- Undead type. Okay, Morte doesn't fit into any of the monster types terribly well, but I think I'd have made a few more exceptions to Morte's behavior versus regular undead. I need to put some thought into exactly where to draw the line, though. It may be that you chose as good a place as any.
- Grapple. I'd leave the grapple modifier in, but specify that it's only there to see how well he can weasel his way out of a grapple.
- Teeth. I would treat the teeth (or the entire lower jaw, perhaps) as something that can be removed/replaced/enchanted, as a manufactured weapon and wielded as a natural weapon.
- Sigilese? Planar Trade or The Chant, if you will.
- Litany of Curses. I know you were going for a generalized race, but Morte isn't Morte without Litany of Curses, either as a unique ability or in the form of the Goad feat.
I'm going to look this over some more in the coming days, scratch my head a bit, and see if I can come up with an alternative stat block.
@blueflames:
Yeah, I have no intention of letting anybody place this "race" at all. And I agree with you about the flight system as well. I started of thinking "Ooh, flying skull" and then when I got to the mechanics it was just broken broken broken. So I think changing it to a regular movement speed is a good idea. About the undead traits, that was more difficult. The question came down to "What in the Nine Hells is Morte anyway!?". Well, since his soul was sent to Baator (specifically, the Pillar) as a punishment, I just assumed that means he must be some sort of Baatorian creature. And since I didn't think a variety of fiend really fit his type, I went with the old undead standby. You'll notice I did modify it a bit, with the inclusion of resurrection/true resurrection not turning him back to human (or whatever he began as) but just bringing him back as a skull. I also agree with your next two points (grapple and teeth). As for the "Sigilese"... I thought it was funny?
Seriously though, I totally forgot about The Chant. And it was about 2 am when I finally got to putting Morte's stat block together, so I'm kinda proud that I at least got his teeth done. I'll see about doing something with the litany though. A unique ability sounds good.Anyway, by all means see what you can come up with. If you check Morte's stats in the game, you'll notice that his charisma is actually his *lowest* stat, with wisdom second, so I did change somethings there. I only created the "Talking Skull" template as a starting point for Morte, so play around with it a little. :D
@Rhialto:
About the size category... In the first monster manual, the creature Vargouille is a medium creature that is a flying head. From what I remember about Torment, when you encountered those things they were only a little bigger than Morte. And anyway, tiny size? +2 to hit, +2 AC, +8 hide? Let's not make my version of Morte any more broken than he already is, hmm? :D
This message is Morte tested,
Nameless One approved!
Regarding skill use, I'd handle him as if he had 'phantom limbs' for most of them. Since he bobbles about while 'walking' as if he was moving about on legs, I treat him as having arms and legs, while using any movement skills that require their use. He'll look especially wierd, while climbing a wall, but he did a lot of wierd stuff in Torment too, such as sighing and speaking without lungs or a tongue. Morte likely would have adapted techniques to use skills requiring some degree of fine manipulation, but I would penalize or deny the use of a few such skills: Disable Device, Sleight of Hand, and Use Rope.
I focused in on the subtype and stat block, since Morte's history is pretty well explored during the course of Torment.
Lifeless Subtype: Somewhere between living and undead, the lifeless behave as though they are alive, while bearing great resemblence to markedly less fortunate walking corpses.
Features & Traits listed below override those of the creature's normal type, except where noted in the specific creature's stat block.
Features
• 12-sided hit dice
Traits
• Immunity to poison, disease, and death effects
• Immunity to fatigue and exhaustion.
• Raise Dead, Resurrection, True Resurrection, and similar spells restore the lifeless creature to its lifeless form.
• Lifeless creatures do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe. They may or may not be capable of performing these actions, but whether they are or not, none of them are necessary.
Morte CR6
Small, CN, Lifeless Humanoid Fighter 6 (8HD)
Init: +1; Senses Darkvision 60ft.; Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages: Planar Trade, Infernal
AC 16 (10 base + 1 DEX + 1 size + 4 natural); flat-footed 13, touch 12
HP 70 (2d12 + 6d10 + 24); DR 5/bludgeoning
Immune to poison, disease, death effects, fatigue, and exhaustion
Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +1
Speed 30ft. (levitates approximately 5'6" off the ground, but otherwise has no flight capability)
Melee Enchanted Teeth (+12/+7, 1d6+4), cannot be disarmed
Space/Reach: 5ft./5ft.
Base Attack: +7/+2; Grapple: +5 (may only attempt to escape a grapple)
Special Attack: Litany of Curses (Su)
Abilities
STR 15, DEX 12, CON 16, INT 13, WIS 8, CHA 10 -- (elite array, with two stat-ups in CON, used for derived stats)
STR 14, DEX 14, CON 18, INT 14, WIS 8, CHA 10 -- (32-point buy, with two stat-ups in CON)
Feats Ability Focus (Litany of Curses), Improved Natural Attack (Teeth), Skill Focus (Bluff), Weapon Focus (Teeth), Combat Expertise, Weapon Specialization (Teeth), Improved Feint
Skills Bluff +11, Climb +5, Intimidate +5, Jump +8, Knowledge(Local/Sigil) +4, Listen +1, Sense Motive +1, Spot +2
Possessions Enchanted (+2) Teeth (someone suddenly became a dentist)
Litany of Curses (Su): Morte unleashes a torent of insults, the likes of which few have heard before and fewer can tolerate now. Morte chooses a single target who has a line of sight to Morte, can hear him, and has an intelligence of three or greater. If the target fails a DC 16 will save (12 + 1/2 HD + CHA mod), then during its turn, it must attempt to physically attack Morte with whatever weapon is at hand or unarmed strikes, if no weapons are available. Additionally, the target gains +3 to its damage rolls against Morte and -3 to its armor class and all attack rolls. (These bonuses and penalties scale as 2 + 1/4 HD, so Morte at fighter level 14 will cause his target to gain +6 to its damage rolls against him and -6 to armor class and attack rolls.)
Footnote: Class skill list for racial HD
Bluff, Concentration, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Local/Sigil), Listen, Sense Motive, Spot
Footnote 2: How's Morte climb or jump? Nobody's quite sure, given the lack of limbs, but he's not half-bad at either task.
The demilich is listed as having diminutive size; I would guess that Morte is the same size as a typical demilich, although I think that for a human skull, tiny size is better than diminutive size.
The game statistics of Morte from torment were: str 12, dex 16, con 16, int 13, wis 9, cha 6. Given how flamboyant Morte was, his low cha seemed a bit baffling, but whatever. His AC was 2, which translates to 18 in 3rd edition, equal to 10 base + 3 dex + 4 size (if diminutive) + 1 natural, or + 2 size (if tiny) + 3 natural.
As for type, his status on Baator is, I believe, petitioner. The Practical Incarnation of the Nameless One took him out (petitioners can't leave their planes even with assistance or coercion according to Deities and Demigods rules, but hey...), so that would make him an outsider, with the extraplanar subtype when anywhere but on Baator. He looks like a skull, but outsiders can look like anything. The one thing kinda undead-ish about him is that he benefits from embalming fluid, but then again, so does the Nameless One.