Creepy templates? [3.5]

[rezplz]

So a few weeks ago I posted a thread asking if a campaign that began with the adventurers getting captured by a sorcerer BBEG was too frustrating, and thanks to the suggestions I've gotten so far, things have been going great. A couple of the players have even said its one of the best campaigns they've been in in a while, which was pretty awesome. We've had two sessions so far and the party's already been able to break out of the BBEG's Geas spell by a cleric allied to a group of paladins.

The party is willingly working with the paladins, helping them to get rid of some devil cultists. They're splitting up to take care of different dungeons of cultists, and the plan is for the players to succeed on theirs, but the group of paladins fails theirs and all get captured. So eventually the players have to go save them. But when they do, most likely the paladins would have already been tortured to insanity, many of them attacking the PC's because they're now just that bat**** insane.

So I was looking for some really creepy templates that would show what kind of horrific things these guys have gone through. Homebrew and any books are fine for this, as long as the CR adjustment is appropriate and accurate for a fairly typical party. So far I've only stumbled upon the Broken template by the vorpal tribble, and I was looking for more templates that were similar to this.



The party makeup is as follows:
lvl 4 human barbarian (adorably stupid and funny)
lvl 4 human druid (also the strategist/leader so far)
lvl 4 human fighter (greatsword-fighter. Based off of Squall from FF8)
lvl 4 dwarf wizard (just leveled up, thinking of taking 4th level in rogue and going arcane trickster)
lvl 3 catfolk scout (just bought off LA when leveled up)

I expect most, if not all, of them to be level 5-6 by the time they get to the dungeon where I hope to be using these creepy templates.

Also, general tips for creepiness would be appreciated. A couple ideas I have is a paladin who used to be an optimistic bard who tries to use the party's weapons to kill himself with, and a rogue/paladin, who's known for escaping out of confinements, rocking back and forth in his cell with the door wide open and unlocked, saying "There is no way out" over and over again. He'd also be the first "broken" the group encounters, revealing his nature when they get close. I'm still brainstorming more, so suggestions are appreciated.

[pffh]

There are some mutation templates over at crystalkeep IIRC like corrupted that makes someone insane from magical pollution.

Elder evils also has a nice supply of these templates like brood spawn (corrupts your body turning your skin dead white and jagged blue ice sticking out of your body) so if you have access to it then flip through it.

[Milskidasith]

There's the... uhh.. Voidmind, I think, template, that causes you to be controlled by a mindflayer. It's on Crystalkeep. It gives a huge Int boost and not much else, AFAIK.

[Thurbane]

My favorite horror themed templates are:

Half-farspawn (LoM) - your daddy was a Lovecraftian squiddly

Unholy Scion (HoH) - you are the escence of evil and corruption, even from your first moment of awareness in the womb

[Thurbane]

To simulate torture and madness, the Paladins could have the Deformity (Madness) feat, and maybe some of the other deformity feats (a Paladin who's been on the rack could have the Deformity [Tall] feat)...

[Milskidasith]

My favorite horror themed templates are:

Half-farspawn (LoM) - your daddy was a Lovecraftian squiddly

Unholy Scion (HoH) - you are the escence of evil and corruption, even from your first moment of awareness in the womb

I don't think either of those works particularly well for paladins who are insane from torture...

[Thurbane]

I don't think either of those works particularly well for paladins who are insane from torture...

Yep, it was a general comment on the title of the post. See my second post for specifics to the OP.

[rezplz]

To simulate torture and madness, the Paladins could have the Deformity (Madness) feat, and maybe some of the other deformity feats (a Paladin who's been on the rack could have the Deformity [Tall] feat)...

What book are those from, and is there any easy way for me to get access to them if I don't have the book?

[Tanuki Tales]

What book are those from, and is there any easy way for me to get access to them if I don't have the book?

Book of Vile Darkness was the original source but I believe they've been reprinted in both Heroes of Horror and Elder Evils.

[rezplz]

Book of Vile Darkness was the original source but I believe they've been reprinted in both Heroes of Horror and Elder Evils.

Damn, I don't have any of those. I'll have to see if one of my friends has any of them in pdf form...

[Xenogears]

The BoVD has the Corrupt Creature Template. Basically massive exposure to evil has warped your body and mind. Now you get some minor physical buffs and your very touch causes vile damage. Vile damage can only be healed by magical healing cast in the effects of a hallow spell.

Spellwarped from MM3 might fit the theme as well.

[Elvenoutrider]

There are a few templates in savage species that ive used for similar purposes. Check out gelatinous, and insectoid templates for victims of the sorcerer's experiments. You could also just add some grafts from the fiend folio

[JeminiZero]

There's the... uhh.. Voidmind, I think, template, that causes you to be controlled by a mindflayer. It's on Crystalkeep. It gives a huge Int boost and not much else, AFAIK.

Are you kidding? It gives a whole bunch of immunities (Acid, Ability Damage/Drain, Energy Drain, Mind Affecting, uncapped Spell Resistance), not to mention some nice boosts for melee types (extra tentacle natural weapon with reach, improved grab, +4 to Str and Con). All for a low CR +1. It consequently is one of the backbone templates of the Emerald Legion.

There is the Psuedonatural template from Complete Arcane (not the epic version). Which is nothing too powerful.

[hamishspence]

Heroes of Horror also has a couple of templates for those Corrupted By Taint (physically, or mentally)

Tainted Raver is the mentally corrupted one.

Also, Lost, from Magic of Incarnum, might qualify.

[onthetown]

Somebody might have already said this, but half-fiend? I think it's a template.

Just thought I'd throw it out there; I didn't know there were so many other templates.

[Dragero]

I like to creep my gamers out with this:

You enter the room, blood is everywhere. In a corner you see two figures. One is crouching, holding something, the other is lieing down. As you approuch them, you hear hissing and gurgling sounds coming from the crouching figure. When you are close enough to see them clearly, you notice a gaping hole in the lieing down figures chest, and the crouching figure holding a heart in his hands, slowly rocking back and forth, stroking it.



Slightly based off "The warlocks hairy heart" from "tales of bettle the bard"

[IonDragon]

Probably the scariest thing for gamers is to find an (apparently) empty room. They'll spend a while searching it, then describe an inhuman howl from down the corridor/outside the building. When they get there, there are fresh bodies. Preferably of people they know, such as some Paladins. If you can find a Lets Play of Bioshock, or the really old Silent Hill those are crazy examples of great horror.

Little hints will do way more to elicit fear than rubbing the players noses in it.

@Drager0: Then have the one laying down look at the PCs and smile.

[Telonius]

The Huecuva template from Fiend Folio (also available as a 3.5 update, I believe) might interest you. A Huecuva is an undead template, added onto a Paladin, Monk, Druid, or Cleric, that failed in its vows.