Revised Necropolitans (base race that can become almost any undead)

[rferries]

A "race" of undead arising from standard undead. Skeletons that have stood guard for centuries and spontaneously awakened, spirits conjured up by residual magic around a battlefield, mortal commoners who were forced into cannibalism and became cursed to become zombies or vampires, and so forth.

Necropolitans retain memories of their mortal lives but this isn't really intended as a template. As with elves, Necropolitans might have existed for an arbitrarily long time but they've only recently decided to start adventuring (so they still start at 1st level rather than 20th or somesuch).

All Necropolitans were originally humans, save those that have the Mortal Memories feat. I'm dithering about what happens if they're raised - either they turn back into their mortal race or they come back as Necropolitans (except via true resurrection or similarly powerful effects).

P.S. For the purpose of this race, undead have Constitution scores (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?533099-Potential-houserule-Constitution-scores-for-constructs-and-undead&p=22283354#post22283354).

https://i.imgur.com/yVt5fMy.png
Necropolitans
Physical Description: Necropolitans vary in appearance according to their particular subtype, but generally resemble their standard undead counterparts. Skeletons are skeletons, zombies are rotted cadavers, vampires are pale with ruby-red eyes, and spirits are luminous and translucent versions of their living selves (often bearing obvious mortal wounds or skeletal visages).

Society: Due to their unnatural origins Necropolitans are not very numerous, though occasionally enough of them congregate to form a city (called a Necropolis, appropriately enough). These cities might also be formed wholesale by a divine curse upon a mortal city or graveyard, and so forth. Otherwise, Necropolitan society is generally limited to individual Necropolitans and small groups.

Relations: Necropolitans are rarely welcomed by other races, often leading to bitterness on both sides (and self-hatred amongst Necropolitans for their "curse"). Often their only options for alliances are with cults of death and evil, even if the Necropolitans themselves are benign.

Alignment and Religion: Many Necropolitans forsake the gods and alignments they followed in life, tending towards Chaos and Evil (or at least Neutrality) out of bitterness. However, more than a few remain true to themselves and do their best to get on with (un)life.

Adventurers: Even the most mild-mannered commoner can become bored in the face of Necropolitan immortality. Many become adventurers, seeking excitement, destruction (as an escape from themselves), or even a cure for their condition.

https://i.imgur.com/8SEVppm.jpg
Necropolitan Racial Traits
+2 Constitution: Necropolitans vary greatly according to their type, but all of them possess unnatural vitality.

Mortal Undead: Necropolitans are undead creatures with the human and mortal subtypes. As undead creatures they do not need to breathe, eat, or sleep.

Mortal (Ex): This creature lacks the immunities normally granted by virtue of its type. It may be raised by raise dead and similar effects, regardless of its type. Furthermore, a creature of this type may only assume humanoid forms when using the alter self spell.
Medium: Necropolitans are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Necropolitan Subrace (Ex): Each Necropolitan begins play as a particular kind of undead (see below).

Tireless Tread (Ex): Necropolitans have a base speed of 30 feet, and their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.

Discorporation (Ex): A Necropolitan is not permanently harmed by the loss of a limb, head, or other vital organ (though it may greatly reduce their combat effectiveness). They may reattach a severed body part as a free action by holding it to the stump.

Necropolitan Immunities (Ex): Necropolitans are immune to sleep effects, fatigue, exhaustion, nonlethal damage, and nonmagical poisons and diseases. They are immune to level drain, death effects, and negative energy effects (and are in fact healed by negative energy). They are susceptible to ability drain (from non-negative energy sources) but may heal it as though it were ability damage.

Necropolitan Resistances (Ex): Necropolitans have a +2 racial bonus on saves against mind-affecting effects and on all Fortitude saves. These bonuses do not apply against effects that also affect undead or objects.

Necropolitan Vulnerabilities (Ex): Necropolitans are harmed by positive energy effects just as standard undead. They can be rebuked and turned by turn attempts.

Turn Resistance (Su): Necropolitans have turn resistance equal to +2 plus their Charisma bonus (if any).

Favoured Class: The class in which a Necropolitan takes their first character level (no matter how adventurous they might become in undeath, a Necropolitan still clings to their mortal life).

Languages: Necropolitans begin play speaking all languages they knew in life (see Automatic Languages and Bonus Languages for humans in the SRD).

Level Adjustment: +1.

https://i.imgur.com/Q55ztyc.jpg
Necropolitan Subraces
All traits given below are in addition to those of a base necropolitan.

Skeleton
You are a fleshless skeleton. You gain a +2 bonus to your Dexterity score, a -2 penalty to your Strength score, and damage reduction 5/bludgeoning. Unlike other undead creatures, you may be treated with the Heal skill to regain hit points (by reassembling/splinting your bones).

Spirit
You are an incorporeal spirit. You gain a +2 bonus to your Charisma score, a fly speed equal to your base land speed with perfect maneuverability, and the incorporeal subtype. Although this gives you incredible freedom and protects you from many dangers you have great difficulty in affecting the material plane (see below).


Ghostly Arms and Armour (Ex): You retain ghostly versions of any equipment you were originally buried with or slain whilst possessing (read: purchased at character creation). You may manipulate these items as though they were substantial for you and they retain all their normal properties, though they cannot reliably be used to harm corporeal creatures (see Insubstantial, below).

Your corpse must wield, wear, or carry the physical versions of these items on its person at all times (generally limiting your spiritual self to one suit of armour, one melee weapon and a shield (or two melee weapons, or one two-handed melee weapon), two magic rings, and so forth).

Whenever you gain a level you may choose to inter any number of new items with your corpse, losing the benefits of any prior item that would compete for the same body slot and gaining a ghostly version of the new item. You may also upgrade preexisting items (e.g. with new enhancement bonuses) in this way.

If the spiritual items are damaged or destroyed, the physical items are similarly damaged and destroyed (and vice versa). If the spiritual items are removed from your person they vanish and reappear 24 hours later. If the physical items are removed from your corpse their spiritual versions vanish until the physical items are returned.

Insubstantial (Ex): Corporeal creatures have a 50% chance to ignore your attacks and spells, except for [Force] effects and those made with ghost touch weapons. You cannot manipulate corporeal objects other than those from your Ghostly Arms and Armour.

Vampire
You are a blood-drinking vampire. You gain a +2 bonus to your Charisma and Strength scores, and damage reduction 5/silver.


Sunlight Vulnerability (Ex): While in areas of natural sunlight you are dazzled and automatically catch fire (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/environment.htm#catchingOnFire), taking 1d6 points of fire damage per round. The flames cannot be prevented or extinguished while you remain exposed to the light, save by magical means.

Zombie
You are a shambling zombie. You gain a +2 bonus to your Strength score, a -2 penalty to your Dexterity score, and damage reduction 5/slashing.

https://i.imgur.com/CTILCX0.jpg
Necropolitan Feats
Brain-Eater
Braaaaaaaaaaaains...

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (zombie).

Benefits
As a full-round action you may extract and devour the brain of a fresh (i.e. slain within the last hour) humanoid corpse. Whenever you do so, you heal hit points and ability damage as though you had rested for a night. Additionally, you gain a +2 insight bonus to all of your mental ability scores for the next 24 hours.

Death's Grin
Your skeletal smile and morbid sense of humour are infectious.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (skeleton), character level 3rd.

Benefits
Your charm, fear, and other morale mind-affecting effects affect undead creatures.

Once per day you may duplicate the effects of hideous laughter as a supernatural ability (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier, caster level = your character level). This counts as a morale effect.


Danse Macabre
No matter one's station in life, the Danse Macabre unites us all.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (skeleton), Death's Grin, character level 15th.

Benefits
You may use your hideous laughter ability at will. Additionally, three times per day you may use it to duplicate irresistible dance instead (no save).

Ghost Powers
You have learned some of ways in which your kind can harm mortals.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (spirit), character level 9th.

Benefits
Choose a ghost special attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/ghost.htm) other than manifestation (corrupting gaze, corrupting touch, draining touch, frightful moan, horrific appearance, malevolence, or telekinesis). You gain that special attack (any save is DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier, any caster level is equal to your character level).

Damage from corrupting touch applies to attacks you make with natural weapons and any weapons you wield, at your option.

Special
You may select Ghost Powers more than once, each time selecting a different special attack.

Spectral Touch
You touch drains life-energy.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (spirit), Ghost Powers (corrupting touch or draining touch), character level 15th.

Benefits
Living creatures hit by your touch attacks or any weapons you wield gain one negative level. For each negative level bestowed, you gain 5 temporary hit points.

Ghoulishness
You are no mere zombie, but in fact a flesh-eating ghoul!

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (zombie), must be taken at 1st level.

Benefits
Once per hour you may devour humanoid flesh to heal hit points and ability damage as though you had rested a night. The flesh may have been dead for any length of time but you must spend at least 10 minutes feasting in this way (so the corpse(s) must be mostly intact to start with, lest you run out of food). You may pause and resume feasting at any time within the hour.

You gain two claw attacks as primary natural attacks (dealing 1d4 damage) and a bite attack as a secondary natural attack (dealing 1d6 damage). Creatures hit by your bite must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier) or contract ghoul fever as though you were a ghoul.

Special
If you died at sea (and with the DM's option), you may also gain the aquatic subtype and 30-foot swim speed of a lacedon.

Ghastly
You are as dangerous and loathesome as a ghast.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (zombie), Ghoulishness, character level 6th.

Benefits
Any creature hit by one of your natural attacks must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier, caster level = your character level) or take 1d4 points of Dexterity and Strength damage.

You radiate a noxious cloud of stench out to 10 feet. Living creatures within 10 feet must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC as above) or be sickened for 1d6+4 minutes. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by your stench for 24 hours. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from a sickened creature. Necropolitans and creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison receive their normal bonus on their saving throws. You cannot suppress this ability.

Kiss of the Vampire
You have come to crave the taste of mortal blood, and those you bite fall under your spell.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (vampire).

Benefits
Whenever you successfully pin a living opponent, you may bite them as a free action to drain their blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength damage. Whenever you drain blood in this way you heal 5 hit points (any excess hit points are lost).

Add your character level as an insight bonus to all Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks you make against any creature you have bitten via this feat. Such creatures can never have a worse attitude than "unfriendly (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/diplomacy.htm)" towards you.


Vampiric Powers
You have gained some of the powers of the Nosferatu.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (vampire), Kiss of the Vampire, character level 9th.

Benefits
You gain the ability to use gaseous form (self only), polymorph (self only, and only into a bat, dire bat, dire wolf, or wolf), suggestion, and summon swarm (bats or rats only) each once per day as a supernatural ability (any save is DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier, any caster level is equal to your character level).

Material Influence
Through great effort you have learned to affect the material world, at least in part.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (spirit), Spell Focus or Weapon Focus, character level 3rd.

Benefits
You may ignore your Insubstantial special quality for spells of the school(s) you have selected for Spell Focus as well as for weapons you have selected for Weapon Focus (provided they are part of your Ghostly Arms and Armour). This allows you to use those spells and weapons on corporeal creatures without a 50% chance for failure.

Mummy's Burial
You were buried in a special religious ritual and are now a bandage-swathed mummy.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (skeleton or zombie), must be selected at 1st level.

Benefits
You gain +2 Charisma and +2 Wisdom (in additional to your base racial ability adjustments for being a skeleton or zombie).

Special
If you take this feat you are no longer considered a skeleton or zombie for the purpose of other Necropolitan racial feats.


Mummy's Curse
You may call down a terrible curse upon your enemies.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan, Mummy's Curse, character level 6th.

Benefits
You may use bestow curse three times per day as a supernatural ability (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier, caster level = your character level).

Memories of Life
You retain some of your old human adaptability, or perhaps originated from a non-human race.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan, must be selected at 1st level.

Benefits
You gain 4 extra skill points and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.

Alternatively, choose another core race (dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, halfling, or half-orc). You gain the traits of that race in addition to those for being a Necropolitan. Adjust your racial subtypes, movement speed, favoured class, and languages as appropriate.

Play Dead
You can hold yourself so still that you appear to be a normal corpse, and you recover more quickly while "resting".

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (non-spirit).

Benefits
You may hold yourself so still that you appear to be a mundane corpse (this generally requires you to first drop prone, unless you can prop yourself up against a wall or somesuch). A Spot check (DC 20 + your character level) is required to notice that you are actually undead. While "resting" you may only take purely mental actions, or the effect is broken.

While immobile in this way, you heal hit points and ability damage every hour rather than every day.


Pop It Back
Your dislocated bones can be reconnected just as easily.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (skeleton), Play Dead, character level 6th.

Benefits
You gain fast healing 1.

Whenever you are reduced below 0 hit points, you are not destroyed. Instead, your fast healing continues to function as your bones reassemble themselves. The only way for your enemies to overcome this feat is with appropriate spells (disintegrate, wish, etc.) or by reducing you to below 0 hit points and then destroying your body with a bonfire or other source of energy damage (e.g. an acid pool, a wall of ice, etc.).

Undying Armour
Rigor mortis grants you unnatural toughness.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan (non-spirit), character level 3rd.

Benefits
You gain a natural armour bonus equal to one-third your character level.

Undying Resistance
Your cadaverous (or spectral) flesh is inured to the elements.

Prerequisites
Necropolitan.

Benefits
You gain resistance to cold and electricity each equal to your character level, stacking with all other forms of energy resistance.

[rferries]

Edited to make a bit more readable, and shifted the skeleton and zombie abilities into being racial feats as well.

To do:
-Split the telekinesis from Ghost Powers into a Poltergeist feat, maybe do the same for the magic jar Malevolence and even add an illusion-based Ghost feat to cover the effects they can typically create (e.g. in a haunted house).
-Give zombies a slam attack?
-Flesh out Spectral Touch as a series of feats duplicating the Strength damage/Constitution damage/energy drain of shadows, wraiths, and spectres?
-Flesh out the traditional vampire powers with more feats?
-Tackle other undead (wights, liches, devourers, etc?)

And a question:

Is the incorporeal subtype/flight/etc. too broken for spirits, even with the current limitations and LA? It's kind of essential to that subrace but I suppose it could be reworked as damage reduction 10/magic, with feats to upgrade it to being fully incorporeal later on (e.g. an intermediate feat that gives you the confidence to fly and/or walk through walls). Or spirits could arise from Necropoltans that have had their material bodies destroyed...?

[Gideon Falcon]

I like it a lot. The basic subraces make sense, and the feats are potent but flavorful. There's a lot of room for further expansion and customization, potentially turning Necropolitan feats into as big a category as aberrant feats or Lix Lorn's outsider feats she made a while back.

Not quite sure about the spirit. I mean, it certainly has drawbacks for it's power, but there's Grod's Maxim to consider about the wisdom of balancing with drawbacks. Still, it's an archetype that demands representation, but the only other thing I could say is maybe give it an extra LA or two.

One other thing is to give skeletons a feat to gain cold immunity, like the normal monsters have. It makes sense, since bones don't get all that much from being chilly.

[Caelestion]

If you're allowing a feat to gain fast healing, why on earth can't vampires take that feat?

[rferries]

I like it a lot. The basic subraces make sense, and the feats are potent but flavorful. There's a lot of room for further expansion and customization, potentially turning Necropolitan feats into as big a category as aberrant feats or Lix Lorn's outsider feats she made a while back.

Not quite sure about the spirit. I mean, it certainly has drawbacks for it's power, but there's Grod's Maxim to consider about the wisdom of balancing with drawbacks. Still, it's an archetype that demands representation, but the only other thing I could say is maybe give it an extra LA or two.

One other thing is to give skeletons a feat to gain cold immunity, like the normal monsters have. It makes sense, since bones don't get all that much from being chilly.

Yeah an additional LA may be the way to go for spirits, I'll see if anyone else chimes in too.

I'm torn about about a cold immunity feat - I wanted this race to capture the essence of each undead type in popular culture and it's never quite made sense to me that skeletons are immune to cold but zombies (equally dead flesh) and spirits (incorporeal!!!) etc. aren't also immune to cold (as well as electricity, etc.). As a compromise I've made the Undying Resistance feat - a common thread amongst skeletons, liches, nightshades and vampires is cold and/or electricity resistance/immunity, though few other undead have such resistances.

Thanks for the feedback, and for mentioning the Lix Lorn feats, I had fun looking through them. :)


If you're allowing a feat to gain fast healing, why on earth can't vampires take that feat?

That particular feat was meant to evoke the image of reassembling skeletons; I've made a general rapid healing Play Dead feat for the other non-spirit Necropolitans, and added the Discorporation racial trait. I know DnD vampires have fast healing but it's never quite fit their flavour IMHO... I was considering giving vampires a blood dependence/buff (where they age without drinking blood and vice versa, a la Dracula).

Thanks for the input!

[Gideon Falcon]

Most media portrayals nowadays depict vampires as healing like Wolverine, though the Dracula style aging without blood is a very flavorful aspect- though they currently do kind of get the shaft before taking feats. Unbalanced ability scores and a harder DR to overcome is a significant boost, but maybe not quite worth the full on burning in sunlight deal. Probably give them effects similar to exhaustion in sunlight at base, but some of the more powerful vampires feats increase the effect up to the flaming death (though by then it would have to be boosted so a ring if fire resist let's them sunbathe all day, if just by piercing resistance).

[petermcleod117]

I really like it, especially the Spirit type.
One thing to watch out for, though, is Clerics with that subtype. I would imagine it would be a hell of a hard time trying to pose a decent challenge to a party whose healer can fly, pass through enemies, and is immune to physical attacks, as least at low level.

[rferries]

Most media portrayals nowadays depict vampires as healing like Wolverine, though the Dracula style aging without blood is a very flavorful aspect- though they currently do kind of get the shaft before taking feats. Unbalanced ability scores and a harder DR to overcome is a significant boost, but maybe not quite worth the full on burning in sunlight deal. Probably give them effects similar to exhaustion in sunlight at base, but some of the more powerful vampires feats increase the effect up to the flaming death (though by then it would have to be boosted so a ring if fire resist let's them sunbathe all day, if just by piercing resistance).

Yes, balancing the flavour with the mechanics is very tricky. Your earlier point about Grod's Law is well-taken to the point where I'm reconsidering the viability of the vampire and spirit subraces - they might work better as feat chains that introduce weaknesses along with powers. Perhaps vampires are zombies that regain vitality, and spirits are skeletons that lose their flesh and bones entirely?

Alternatively:


Vampire Weaknesses (Ex): Whenever you take a Necropolitan feat, you gain one of the weaknesses listed below. Unless otherwise specified you may not select the same weakness twice. All vampires start play with the Bloodthirsty weakness.


Afraid of the Light: You are fatigued while in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Whenever you take damage from a light-based spell or effect, you are exhausted for 1d4 rounds. These effects overcome your Necropolitan immunity to fatigue and exhaustion.

Bloodthirsty: Eternal life has brought you eternal hunger. For each day that you go without consuming the blood of a living creature, you advance one apparent age category (to a maximum age of venerable). You do not gain any aging bonuses to your mental ability scores from this aging but you do accrue aging penalties to your physical ability scores (to a maximum of a -6 penalty to Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength). As an undead creature you are still immune to dying of old age. The apparent age categories modify your Disguise checks as appropriate.

Whenever you drink fresh blood, you instantly remove one of these apparent age categories and cannot gain any others for the next 24 hours. Drinking blood is a full-round action that inflicts 1d6 damage and 1d4 points of Constitution damage on your victim. You can only drink blood from a willing, pinned, or helpless living creature.

Sunlight Vulnerability: You fear and loathe sunlight, for its merest touch burns your impure flesh. Each round of exposure to the direct rays of the sun deals 1 point of damage to you, and you risk catching fire (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/environment.htm#catchingOnFire). You may heavily swathe yourself with a hat, smoked glasses, gloves, coat, parasol, armour or other items to protect yourself from this effect but you will naturally draw attention to yourself by doing so.

Unholy: Any creature may attempt to turn (but not destroy) you by presenting a holy symbol. Creatures turn you as clerics of their character level but may do so only once per creature per day (not counting any actual turn attempts they are permitted).

Warded: You may not enter holy grounds (e.g. the church of a non-evil deity or a hallowed area) or a residence where you have not been invited. While within 10 feet of holy symbols, mirrors, garlic or similar holy items you are sickened (no save).

Water Rejects The Dead: Holy water deals double damage to you. While immersed in running water you take 10d6 damage per round. You cannot travel over large bodies of water under your own power (not even by flying); you must be carried, aboard a vessel, or use a teleportation effect.


Daylight Powerlessness (Ex)
Wraiths are utterly powerless in natural sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) and flee from it.

Light Blindness (Ex)
Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.

Light Sensitivity (Ex)
Orcs are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

Sunlight Powerlessness (Ex)
Spectres are powerless in natural sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) and flee from it. A spectre caught in sunlight cannot attack and can take only a single move action or standard action in a round.

Vulnerability to Sunlight (Ex)
Bodaks loathe sunlight, for its merest touch burns their impure flesh. Each round of exposure to the direct rays of the sun deals 1 point of damage to the creature.
I don't really want to overdesign the base races... plus it's hard to balance out the weaknesses. I might just replace the current racial traits with your suggested fatigue fix after all.

As for spirits: Start out with +2 Cha, damage reduction 10/magic, ghostly arms and armour but not incorporeal or insubstantial and no fly speed? A feat at 6th level to fly, a chain of feats that grants 25% concelament, 50% concealment, and finally incorporeality?



I really like it, especially the Spirit type.
One thing to watch out for, though, is Clerics with that subtype. I would imagine it would be a hell of a hard time trying to pose a decent challenge to a party whose healer can fly, pass through enemies, and is immune to physical attacks, as least at low level.

Indeed! Though such a cleric's spells only have a 50% chance of working on her allies anyways... Unfortunately I think the spirit type might be just too powerful as it is.

[rferries]

Addendum: Could these be balanced at LA+0? If I were to reduce the undead immunities even more, and give them all weaknesses along the lines of bloodthirsty/insubstantial? Though I can't see doing it without removing the damage reduction, which is sort of a core ability...

[Caelestion]

Personally, I'd say that +1 LA is nothing to be sneezed at. Yes, planestouched don't deserve to be +1 LA, but it's not an onerous burden for feats like these.

[DMwithoutPC's]

I recently ran a game set in Innistrad, where a player wanted to play a Geist character. I decided to balance it in the following way:

remove physical invulnerability:

Geists are attackd with intend of harm, instead of physical harm. Doesn't matter the sword should pass through empty air, the striker intended to harm the geist, so the geist gets harmed.

Haunting an item:
The geist has a physical item that houses there spirit, and it cannot travel to far away from it.

In this case it was a pendant worn by her husband, and she could not travel more then 15 feet away from it. However, within those 15 feet she had perfect ghostly maneuverability. floating, passing through walls and enemies, etc.

If the item was dropped by the husband, she would stop manifesting after 1 round. if the pendant was broken, she would stop manifesting after one round.

I think these were quite severe restrictions, but flavorfull as well. And she was still a very powerfull character (indeed, as mentioned before, a cleric.)

[Caelestion]

Dumping a few spoonfuls of paprika on your pasta would be flavourful as well, but I wouldn't recommend that either. Well done that it worked for you, but the whole "cannot move move than 15 feet from a fixed point" idea sounds like a terrible idea in practice.

[DMwithoutPC's]

What are you talking about, spicy pasta is amazing :P
But i get what you are saying. This was a quick "fix" for a one shot campaign for first time players, where balance wasn't as much of a priority as story.


The fact that carrying the pendant tied there movement together definitely complicated some things, and in the end we had to make them go at the same initiative as well, and there would probably become even more issues appearant if we played longer. On the other hand, having a player that is semi incorporeal, has flight and physical invulnerability sounds pretty problematic as well :P



I mostly added it here to serve as inspiration for the OP. Take from it what you want, or nothing at all.

[rferries]

What are you talking about, spicy pasta is amazing :P
But i get what you are saying. This was a quick "fix" for a one shot campaign for first time players, where balance wasn't as much of a priority as story.

The fact that carrying the pendant tied there movement together definitely complicated some things, and in the end we had to make them go at the same initiative as well, and there would probably become even more issues appearant if we played longer. On the other hand, having a player that is semi incorporeal, has flight and physical invulnerability sounds pretty problematic as well :P

I mostly added it here to serve as inspiration for the OP. Take from it what you want, or nothing at all.

I like your idea re: "intent" being the important thing when you attack a ghost, and even your "restricted range" could work too, it ties in well to the ghostly arms & armour thing. I'll mull things over more.