The Harrowing Halloween Harvest of Horror

[Zaydos]

Harrowing Halloween Harvest of Horror

Welcome witches and ghouls, and frightening goblins and horrors one and all to the Harrowing Halloween Harvest of Horror. I will be your MC of the bone garden, the ever skeletal, ever undead Zaydos, so please let me show you the way into a labyrinth of fear and fright.

From now till All Hallow's Eve I will be collecting any submitted Horror themed homebrew here within the Harvest. Submit it here and it will be added to the little bone garden growing in this thread. So have no fear and bring it here. Whether dark mages, new undead, magical weather of horror, or whatever you desire. Bring me your darkness and dread and let us make a carnival of terror together.

Personally I will be creating and posting a variety of horror themed homebrew over the next few weeks, and kicking us off with the Hematomancer, a blood mage who obtains immortal youth by sacrificing the youthful and who sees the future in the blood of the slain, and a variety of Vile Feats added to my ongoing thread of them due to popular vote. I will attempt to post at least one piece of Halloween homebrew each day until Halloween has come and gone and I cordially invite you to bring your own to bare, so check back here every day because I might not double post to say oh yeah I updated. While I will be primarily dealing in those pieces of work which fit into Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 all systems are welcome. So let us join together to make it a season of terror and a Happy Halloween

I will also be making a Halloween Harvest tag for this purpose and search it 1/day so if you want things added here link them here or tag them with that.

Crop	Farmer	Description
Deadwood	Zaydos	Zombie trees (3.5)
New Vile Feats	Zaydos	An update to an old thread and what it says on the tin. (3.5)
Affable Shadow	erradin	Host seeking sentience formed on the Astral/Ethereal (5e)
Hunger	Stratovarius	Cannibalistic Ritualists (3.5)
Hematomancer	Zaydos	Blood mage (3.5)
The Outside Woman	Amechra	Aberration Demigoddess which pokes holes in the 4th wall. (3.5)
Uncle Kittie's Hopefully Humorous Guide to Abominations	Bhu	Various monster threads on Minmax Boards. (3.5?)
Dumb Supper	erradin	Ritual to invite the dead to dinner (5e)
Vampiric Treant	Zaydos	Undead treants which reduce forests to twisted blights. (3.5)
The Hungry Dead	Zaydos	Exploring PC ghouls (3.5)
Anglermaids	GuesssWho	Deepwater Merfolk (race) (5e)
To Serve the Ancient Ones	Zaydos	Feats for cultists. (3.5)
Spells for Thralls	Zaydos	Summon Elder Thrall I-IX (3.5)
Kidslayer Goblin Tribe	kinem	A goblin tribe which slays unmasked children.
Bloodshed of Hatred	spikeof2010	Fell a favored enemy to increase your favored enemy bonus temporarily
"Tree of Salvation"	erradin	A necromantically engineered food source gone awry. (3.5/5e)
Calrass Tree	Zaydos	An evil tree which digests souls over '1000' years.
Bonfire of the Vanities	debihuman	Burners of the words of magic, especially holy works.
Burrowing Dread	Stratovarius	Burrowing aberration inspired by Brian Lumley
Disciple of Yog-Sothoth	Zaydos	Wizardly servant of Yog-Sothoth
Grave Apple	Zaydos	Fruit which grows with the knowledge of the dead (3.5/5e)
Jack's Lantern	erradin	Pumpkin lantern repels the undead (3.5/5e)
Frightening Fiends	Zaydos	Two takes on fear based fiends (3.5)
Village of Graveshire	inuyasha	A village of ghouls ruled by a vampire (PF)
Sirraco of the Last Breath	erradin	Wind that strips the power to breathe (3.5/5e)
Kurbivirens	spikeof2010	Pumpkin People (3.5)
Feats (and Flaws) of Fear	Zaydos	Fear based feats and flaws (3.5)
Complete Taint	Xuldarinar	Taint system for PF
Mask of Nyarlathotep	Zaydos	Servant of Nyarlathotep who wears the faces of their victims.
Scarecrow Golem	Zaydos	A low level golem.
Lord of Masks	erradin	Majora's Mask inspired PrC
Masks of Monstrosity	erradin	Masks grant monstrous abilities.
Jack o' the Harvest	Zaydos	Genius loci of the pumpkin patch, and lord of the harvest.
Dryad Wight	Zaydos	Undead dryad
Plague Golem	Zaydos	Golem made of diseased matter to spread plague.
Elder Cat	Zaydos	100 year old cat awakens to sapience and power
Beast Heart Adept	Stratovirus	Half-caster with monstrous companion
Dread Fiddler	Zaydos	Musical skeletons
Thrall of Shub-Niggurath	Zaydos	Far Realm Druid
Living Graveyard	Zaydos	A genius loci of the graveyard.
Meatdoll	Zaydos	A doll made of human flesh to protect a child
Corpse Hound	Zaydos	A ghostly wolf that seeks out the master who betrayed it.
Thrall of Cthulhu	Zaydos	Psionic priest of Cthulhu
Jack o the Pumpkin Patch	Zaydos	Seelie pumpkin fey
Horror Film Vestiges	Zaydos	Bind horror icons Ash, the Xenomorph, the Thing, or Christopher Lee.
Boenmold	erradin	New Material Type
Joke o' Lantern	Voodoo Paladin	Jack o' Lantern that overlays distorted images
Cat Swarm	Zaydos	A vicious swarm of cats, inspired by stories by H.P. Lovecraft
Tumoral Ancestor	Zaydos	A last ditch attempt at immortality, body horror, and family protection.
Sprite, Face Stealer	Zaydos	A fairy which steals the faces of humans and wears them as masks.
B Movie Monsters	Zaydos	Killer shrews, giant gila monsters, and things from another planet!
The Loving Dead	Zaydos	'Vestige' of loved ones lost but still remembered.
Soul Lantern	Zaydos	Jack o' Lantern of soul harvesting.
Racial Halloween Celebrations	Zaydos	Fluffy bit to add some magic to the world and some explorations of the various humanoid races
Player in Yellow	Zaydos	Servants of the King in Yellow (PrC)
Harvest Domain	Zaydos	Domain of the (Halloween) Harvest
Corpse Fungus	Zaydos	Fungus which grows in corpses animating them to kill in preparation for the next generation

And to further kick us all off a list of some of the ideas I intend to implement. Feel free to make your own versions, or suggest new things.

• Sprite, Face-Stealer: Never injures a creature that has attempted it no injury. Puts things to sleep and steals their faces leaving them with strange blank visages which inspire disgust and hatred instead and the only way to restore a face stolen this way is to kill the Face-Stealer responsible and use a Remove Curse spell, or else just cast Limited Wish or better. Don't go after adults unless pissed, gaining extra pleasure from stealing a child's face. Wears stolen faces as "masks" able to change the appearance of their own between all stolen faces.
• Grave Apple (Draconic name Corpse Fruit, dwarven name Ancestor's Bell, elven name Grave Magically Engineered Fruit*): Poisonous fruit which allows questioning corpses that the roots have penetrated as if with Speak with Dead when it is eaten. Closer to a plum than an apple. *More precisely it means "grave fruit designed with the botanomancy of the Age of Fable"
• Treant, Vampiric: Undead treant which steals nutrients and life force from other plants killing them. Trees it kills reanimate as zombie trees, can also momentarily animate living trees killing them in the process. Has necromantic powers.
• Nymph, Unseelie: Evil nymph, gains power by causing others to break their vows especially sacred ones and ones of love (x100 points if it's a sacred vow of romance). Addictive kisses.
• Well Maiden: Evil fey, lives in wells, drowns people. Dissolves bodies afterwards.
• Soul Lantern: Made from a magically reinforced pumpkin this lantern traps a creature's soul and becomes a construct by doing so (HD = trapped soul's).
• Jack o' the Pumpkin Patch: A small friendly fey attracted to pumpkin patches. Wards a house in exchange for a jack o' lantern to live in. Specifically undead, evil outsiders, and evil fey cannot enter a warded house without permission or succeeding on a Will save (failed save inflicts damage). Extraplanar evil outsiders are sickened within, and incorporeal undead (and outsiders) become partially corporeal (magic weapons hit them as if ghost touch, non-magic hit as if magic, takes a full round action to pass through a solid wall).
• Tree, Calrass: An inanimate tree that uses wide range telepathic commands to draw in prey, kills them, use them as fertilizer, and bind their spirits to its service for 1000 years forcing them to help it draw in more.
• Cat, Elder: A cat that has become immortal and gained magical powers. Has the power to take a spellcaster as a "familiar".
• The Dancing Dead: Intelligent skeletons with hypnotic dances and plague powers.
• Weather of Terror: Dread Mist (mist causes fear and insanity), Blood Moon (increases violence, drives animals to aggression, makes lycanthropes and murderers crazy and harder to kill), Dead Snow (deadly cold and reanimates the dead), Banshee Wind (howling sound, desiccates), Star Wind (comes from space, drives insane).
• Thrall of Outer God PrCs (Hastur, Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath, and Yog-Sothoth).
• Jack o' the Harvest: A jack o' lantern headed demon born at the end of the harvest period to harvest humans.
• Poltergeist: Variant ghost
• Cat, Swarm: Tiny animal swarm of murderous alley cats. Weak/unimpressive. 2nd version with Intelligence, magic damage, and limited magic abilities.
• "Plague Doctors": Undead which cause diseases and then cure them in exchange for your eternal soul. Comes with a series of magical plagues.
• Fear Demon and Devil Contrast and Compare: Specifically Mindless Panic versus Fear as Control, make as a set to compare and contrast Chaotic versus Lawful methods and thought patterns.
• Murder Weapon: Cursed weapon which possesses its wielder and turns them into a Psycho Killer.
• Hatebound Killer: Jason. Resilient undead murderer bound to the place of their own murder.
• Living Graveyard: What it says on the tin; Graveyard that has become an elemental, can make walls, murders of crows, lightning that hits flying creatures, has a "heart" which must be destroyed, effectively casts from hit points.
• Dryad, Wight: Dryad turned undead due to her tree being necrotized.
• Merchant of Nightmares: Fiendish figure (NE?) which steals the dreams of mortals, warps them into black magic, and then sells them either as wild curses to the unsuspecting or as fuel for evil mages.
• Tumoral Ancestor: A new dread necromancer (and maybe Improved) familiar option. Your necromancer ancestor in tumor form. Maybe also a symbiote.
• Meatdoll: Undead? Construct? Made from a sack of skin sewn into human shape stuffed with organs and animated. Protects small children. Murders your enemies. Made by black mages as bodyguards for their children.
• Plague Golem: Golem constructed from heavily diseased flesh (the bulbous swellings of filth fever, tumors, gangrenous limbs) stitched bonelessly together and filled infected bodily fluid (pus, puke, blood, etc). Huge.
• Mirror Demon: Actually NE, and from the plane of mirrors. Emerges under certain circumstances (Total eclipse of a full moon?) or when called from a mirror. Attacks the person looking into the mirror and steals their life INCLUDING CLASS FEATURES. Did I mention they are sociopathic serial killers?

[erradin]

In a world where magic is, in many ways, normal and spirits of varying power are known to exist, this creature is among the more curious of things. Little more than a passing flicker of psychic resonance, the Affable Shadow might be the first swirlings of consciousness that have accumulated on the Ethereal or Astral Plane. Perhaps they are the seeds of ghosts or the final thoughts of a dead god. The theory goes that they flicker into existence from some unknown phenomenon, often passing from the planes as their meager energy is expended and they dissipate. But every once in a while, one will find its way to a sentient creature and establish a symbiotic relationship of sorts.

Scholars suspect that many cases of seeming madness can be attributed to Affable Shadows, which have apparently developed an instinct to help and protect their host while they drain them of vital psychic energy. Whatever the case, and Affable or not, it is quite clear that the 'symbiotic relationship' is much more useful to the Shadow than its host, which often comes out of the deal broken and hallucinating.

Affable Shadow
Tiny Outsider
HP: 1d4-1
AC: 14
Attacks: Psychosymbiosis(Su) DC 13 Cha save. Psychic Osmosis
Special Qualities: Ethereal, Evanescent
Saves: STR: - CON: - DEX: +2 INT: - WIS: +3 CHA: +3
Skills: Perception +5, Investigate +5, Insight +5
Organization: Almost always alone

Ethereal: This creature is almost entirely non-physical and suffers no damage from non magic weapons. This creature is also very difficult to see, requiring DC 25 Wisdom(perception) check to notice.

Evanescent: The Affable Shadow cannot long survive on its own, especially not on the material plane. It suffers 1 damage every 1d6 rounds while it lacks a host on the Material Plane. This damage is unrecoverable unless it successfully performs Psychosymbiosis on a living, sentient being.

Psychosymbiosis: Once per round, while in physical contact with a living, sentient being, the Affable Shadow may force the subject to make a DC 13 Charisma save. On a failed save, the Affable Shadow secretes itself within the touched creature and claims it as its host. The host remains unaware that anything odd has happened. If the saving throw is successful, the creature becomes immune to this particular Affable Shadow's Psychosymbiosis ability and the Affable Shadow takes 1 damage.

Psychic Osmosis: As long as the Affable Shadow resides within a creature, it absorbs psychic energy from it. This process is mostly unnoticeable by the host, at least a first. However, the longer the process continues, the more effects the psychic drain produces on the host.

Every week, the host is entitled to a DC 13 Charisma saving throw. See the chart below to determine the effects of successive failures. The host creature remains unaware of the cause of these effects, attributing them to disease, lack of sleep, or other mundane or magical causes, unless it succeeds on a DC 18 wisdom check, which it may make whenever it has cause to suspect the effects are not entirely mundane. If it succeeds, the subject becomes aware of the presence of another mind within its own and may seek magical assistance for removing or communicating with it. For each previous failure, add a circumstantial +1 to the next check.

Number of Failed saves	Negative Effect	Positive Effect
1	Host receives an 'invisible' -1 penalty to all checks involving Wisdom, Charisma and Intelligence. The DM adds this penalty without informing the player. This stage is often mistaken for mild distraction or 'having an off day.'	The Affable Shadow begins to manifest a small degree of personality and strives to defend its host. The host feels an improved sense of alertness in dangerous situations and receives a secret +2 bonus to Initiative checks, as well as all checks made to avoid being surprised or caught off guard.
2	The host begins to feel occasionally lightheaded or tired, even after a long rest. Non-magical examination suggests he or she may have a cold, or perhaps isn't sleeping enough. The host may also experience odd dreams. The secret -1 penalties now extend to all ability checks.	The Affable Shadow gains a distinct shard of personality and intelligence, and can now experience the host's senses. It actively alerts the host of any threats, providing a secret +3 bonus to initiative and checks made to avoid being surprised or caught off guard. The host also gains a secret +1 dodge bonus to AC.
3	Remove all previous penalties. The Host now finds themselves feeling tired all the time and continually suffers from one stage of Exhaustion. He or she just can't seem to get enough sleep. The host continues to have strange dreams and may also begin seeing or hearing things just at the edge of perception which are not actually there. These experiences last only a second or so. (consider having the PC roll perception checks and describing a noise or glimpse of something which no amount of investigation reveals the source of.)	The Affable Shadow is now strong enough to influence the host's emotions and perceptions. It also has an intelligence of its own, equal to either 8, or the host's intelligence score, whichever is lower. The Affable Shadow continues to provide its previous benefits, but now also actively seeks the happiness and success of its host. It can now make its own Perception, Investigation and Insight checks independent of the host, using it's own bonuses. The Affable Shadow is capable of conveying basic feelings to the host, such as: "you're missing something", "DANGER!" or "keep going!" The host experiences these as if they were its own emotions and feelings.
4	The host now finds it difficult to focus on tasks, easily losing his or her train of thought. Sometimes, the character will also suffer from momentary amnesia, even forgetting intimately known details for the space of a breathe or two. The odd dreams continue, expanding into vivid landscapes of utterly bizarre design. The character also continues to suffer minor hallucination, though more frequently. The penalties from the level of Exhaustion now apply to all checks and saves. In addition, the host cannot maintain Concentration for more than one round.	The Affable Shadow now has an intelligence equal to 14, or the Host's Intelligence +2, whichever is less, and can now freely influence the host's perceptions, as if using the Phantasmal Force spell (no save) in order to direct the host's attention to important details, improve the taste of food and drink, ease pain, avoid being lost, etc. For these purposes, the Affable Shadow should be treated as if it is continually reading the host's thoughts using Detect Thoughts. The Affable Shadow has no knowledge or experiences it has not gained from its time with the host.
5	In an explosive rush of psychic energy, the host's mind is overwhelmed. Remove all effects from the Affable Shadow up until this point. The host makes a DC 15 wisdom saving throw and, on a failure, is rendered insane, gaining some form of psychosis or other instability, such as occasional hallucinations, paranoia, sociopahy, a major phobia or the like. This effect grants permanent disadvantage to all checks and saves involving one of the following states: Intelligence, Charisma or Wisdom. Either roll for it or determine it by circumstance. (You can encourage this to become an RP related effect or keep it as a status effect depending on the comfort level of the player.) Heal, Wish, or the intervention of a deity can remove this effect.	As the psychic energy the Affable Shadow has gathered reaches critical mass, it departs its host and leaves behind a single, often useful, scar upon the creature's mind. It may find itself aware of ethereal creatures through some sixth sense. It may gain a stunningly accurate portent of the future. Perhaps it gains the ability to read or influence minds. Whatever the result, the Affable Shadow departs, having gained the ability to sustain itself outside of a host creature. It ventures to the Ethereal or astral plane where it slowly mutates into an intelligent, ethereal creature native to that plane. It retains a personality similar to that of its previous host.

[Stratovarius]

So I figured I'd drop in a few bits and pieces of undead/horror material I've got sitting around. First off, a Ritual Magic prestige class that gains power by eating living creatures:

Hunger

"I sense food! I crave food!"
– Liala, halfling hunger

A Hunger is a ritualist who enjoyed the eating of the dead, even to the point of sometimes using his teeth to complete a ritual by tearing out the sacrifice's throat. This eating eventually took on its own power, as the ritual magic coursed through his body in the flesh of the fallen, and eating that flesh to gain the rush became the end in itself. Addicted to the few moments when a dying creature releases its energy into his body, a Hunger lets nothing stop him from eating and consuming, reducing all before him to the level of food.

Becoming a Hunger
Hungers are very, very rare, for there are few indeed who enjoy the flavour of flesh and the power and grace of the ritual. Those who do almost always follow this path, letting the warping and entwining effects of ritual magic and the lifeblood that powers them guide their hand above rational thought. These creatures are almost always on the move, never staying in one place for fear of being killed due to their horrid nature, making them natural adventurers, at least until the hunger becomes too strong and they consume their allies.

Spoiler: Hunger

Show

Hunger

"I sense food! I crave food!"
– Liala, halfling hunger

A Hunger is a ritualist who enjoyed the eating of the dead, even to the point of sometimes using his teeth to complete a ritual by tearing out the sacrifice's throat. This eating eventually took on its own power, as the ritual magic coursed through his body in the flesh of the fallen, and eating that flesh to gain the rush became the end in itself. Addicted to the few moments when a dying creature releases its energy into his body, a Hunger lets nothing stop him from eating and consuming his way, reducing all before him to the level of food.

Becoming a Hunger
Hungers are very, very rare, for there are few indeed who enjoy the flavour of flesh and the power and grace of the ritual. Those who do almost always follow this path, letting the warping and entwining effects of ritual magic and the lifeblood that powers them guide their hand above rational thought. These creatures are almost always on the move, never staying in one place for fear of being killed due to their horrid nature, making them natural adventurers, at least until the hunger becomes too strong and they consume their allies.

Table 1: The Hunger
Hit Die: d8

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities               Rituals            
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +0     +0    +2    +2     Consumptive Gift, Expend Ritual –––
  2    +1     +0    +3    +3     Ritual Bound Body               +1 Ritual Level 
  3    +2     +1    +3    +3     Twisted Blood                   +1 Ritual Level 
  4    +3     +1    +4    +4     Ritual Bound Body               +1 Ritual Level 
  5    +3     +1    +4    +4     Twisted Blood                   +1 Ritual Level 
  6    +4     +2    +5    +5     Ritual Bound Body               –––                
  7    +5     +2    +5    +5     Twisted Blood                   +1 Ritual Level 
  8    +6     +2    +6    +6     Ritual Bound Body               +1 Ritual Level 
  9    +6     +3    +6    +6     Twisted Blood                   +1 Ritual Level 
  10   +7     +3    +7    +7     Corrupted Body                  –––

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Spellcraft, Use Magical Device, Use Rope.

Requirements:
Feats: Consumptive Fetish.
Rituals: 2nd level Rituals or above.
Special: Must have eaten a creature used as a ritual sacrifice.

Class Features
Consumed and consuming, you scavenge across battlefields, eating the rotting corpses of the dead and waylaying the living equally, a monster focused only on feeding the consuming hunger that drives you onward, a hunger that keeps you alive and in its grasp.

• Rituals Known: The Hunger increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in the Ritualist class at each indicated level.
• Consumptive Gift (Su): Whenever the Hunger kills a creature, it must spend 1 round per hit dice of the killed creature to consume it, gaining the effects of one ritual that only affects the caster. There is no gold or spellcraft check required. It cannot dismiss that ritual normally, nor can it use Consumptive Gift again until that ritual is gone. It will only overcome the compulsion to feed when already affected by a ritual or when in serious danger, at which time it will defend itself or run. The ritual is randomly chosen from the highest level he can cast, and cannot exceed his hit dice cap. If it does, he must dismiss an existing ritual. Every day that the Hunger is not affected by Consumptive Gift, it must make a Will save vs 15 + the number of weeks without using Consumptive Gift or go into a frenzy, seeking out the nearest living creature, slaying and eating it.
• Expend Ritual (Su): The Hunger must achieve and maintain a grapple for one full round, and be under the effect of a ritual gained through Consumptive Gift. If it does so, it can release a rush of ritual magic and force that ritual into the grappled creature, dealing it 3d6 points of damage per level of the ritual. The Hunger loses the effect of the ritual and is again under compulsion to feed to create a new one.
• Ritual Bound Body (Ex): The Hunger has suffered and been warped by the constant energies of ritual magic flowing through his body, and at the same time, those energies have come to give his life strength. A Hunger takes 1 point of Constitution damage per day that he is not under the effect of a ritual, and cannot heal any damage naturally, including ability damage, while not under the effect of a ritual. Due to his mangled form and unclean ways, the Hunger takes a –1 penalty every two levels in the class to Diplomacy, Bluff and Sense Motive. He gains a +1 bonus to Intimidate every two levels. He also gains a number of abilities as more and more powerful ritual energies course through his body.
  
  • At level two the Hunger gains a bite attack that deals 1d6 damage as a Medium creature, his jaw distending to more easily allow him to feed on corpses.
  • At level four the Hunger gains a +2 bonus to Strength, the twisting and and gnarling of his limbs giving him an increase in physical power.
  • At level six the Hunger gains damage reduction 5/–. A Hunger's anguish and twisted self allow it to shrug off normal attacks.
  • At level eight the Hunger gains a +2 bonus to Constitution, the energies within his body toughening him against any outside interference.
• Twisted Blood (Su): The Hunger learns to warp rituals, altering them within himself. This can only be used on rituals gained with Consumptive Gift. The benefits of these effects last for the remaining duration of the ritual.
  
  • At level three the Hunger can warp a ritual to increase the damage his bite attack does to 2d6, his body hardening against any blows, giving him a +1 Natural AC bonus for each hit dice of the sacrifice.
  • At level five the Hunger can warp a ritual to cloud himself in tiny motes of blood that deals 1d4 damage and 1d2 points of constitution damage to any creature who strikes the Hunger with a melee attack. A Fortitude save vs DC 10 + Sacrifice's hit dice (Of the original, unwarped ritual) + 1/2 class level negates the Constitution damage.
  • At level seven the Hunger can warp a ritual to strength his ability to shoulder aside damage, increasing his damage reduction to 10/–.
  • At level nine, the Hunger can warp a ritual such that whenever the Hunger is the target of a spell or ritual, he may attempt a check of the Sacrifice's hit dice + his class level vs a DC of 10 + caster level of the spell. If he succeeds, he heals 5 points of damage per level of the spell. If he fails, he takes a –4 penalty on any save the spell might have, due to leaving himself open to the magic. This can only be used on spells that have the Hunger as a target.
• Corrupted Body (Ex): The Hunger undergoes an apotheosis, his type changing to aberration and gains all racial features of the type as the rituals warp him fully. His gnarled and twisted body is so infused with blood and ritual energy that any ritual he performs has its duration doubled if the Hunger is the only target.

Now I also have a metric ton of Necromantic material sitting around, but I figured I should ask if that really qualifies as horror material before porting it over here. Items in question are Dread Magnate, a fear based necromancer, Netherlord, a horde based necromancer, and Necromantic Magic, a complete undead magic system with three base classes, necromantic companions, fleshgrafting, and some other material. I figure the latter, especially, is just too much for this thread.

[Debihuman]

We had a Halloween thread a while back. See here http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...-Halloween-3-5 for just more Halloween stuff. The more the merrier. I'm sure you can mine a lot of good material there.

I have a question about prerequisites for ritual levels for the Hunger. Where can I find a base class that uses rituals? I have no idea where the Consumptive Fetish feat could be found or what it does. BTW, if the rituals class and the feat are homebrew, please post them as well. Thanks!

My work is going to be in 3.5 as well since that is the system that I'm most familiar with.

Debby

[Stratovarius]

I have a question about prerequisites for ritual levels for the Hunger. Where can I find a base class that uses rituals? I have no idea where the Consumptive Fetish feat could be found or what it does. BTW, if the rituals class and the feat are homebrew, please post them as well. Thanks!

Ritual Magic is over here. It's kind of large, though. I'll edit in a link.

[Zaydos]

As for what to bring in. The goal is to encourage people to make new material, not just to collect old stuff, but if someone wants to add it and its at least sort of appropriate they can post a link or if it is reasonably sized and they don't want to give it its own thread post it here.

[Stratovarius]

As for what to bring in. The goal is to encourage people to make new material, not just to collect old stuff, but if someone wants to add it and its at least sort of appropriate they can post a link or if it is reasonably sized and they don't want to give it its own thread post it here.

Thought as much, which is why I only posted the Hunger. Necromantic Magic is definitely a WIP system, but too big for here. Also, your table is a little wonky in the header post.

[Amechra]

I would link old material here, but that would require me to find and, god forbid, look at my old homebrew.

So expect something newer out of me.

[Bhu]

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?board=60.0 couple of the threads here would qualify :D

[erradin]

In various pagan myths and traditions, Halloween can often be counter-posed to a different sort of celebration. The festivals and rituals associated with them had great significance to these peoples and many of the echos of that significance can be seen in Halloween. Some pagan and druidic circles celebrated Samhain (sow-ahn), a time of year when the veil between the living world and the dead world is supposed to be at its thinnest. Some groups still hold these ceremonies today. There are different versions of the rituals involved, but they all tended to center around remembering the dead and inviting them to commune with the living for the night. Below, I borrow from some of these traditions. The original traditions were reverent and respectful, and I've tried to echo some of that, while adding bad consequences for getting it wrong.

The Dumb Supper (Ritual Incantation)
Checks Required: 5 successful Cooking checks, DC 12 (int or wis, at caster's option), 3 successful Knowledge (religion) or (arcana) checks DC 15, and 1 wisdom save* (DC 13) per participant to avoid calling out or speaking during the ritual.
* Depending on your players, it may be more fun to rp this instead of having them simply roll for it.
Failure: If a preparation failure occurs (cooking or religion/arcana check), the table catches fire and the ritual fire blazes up intensely before winking out. Participants suffer 4d6 psychic damage and must wait until next year before attempting this ritual again. But see text.
Components: V, S, M, B
Duration: Sunset until midnight.
Participants: At least one, but no more than three.
Checks: One per participant for each 15 minutes of the two-hour preparation period.
Backlash: If the ritual succeeds, the participants are unable to sleep for 24 hours, waking from bizarre nightmares if they try.

There are times when the veil between the living and the dead runs thin. After the autumnal equinox, when the scorpion-tailed constellation rests 15 degrees above the horizon, this time has come. For 24 hours after that event, this ritual may be invoked to invite the spirits of the dead to cross over that divide, joining the living for company and conversation. But among the dead are many who would take advantage of such an invitation for their own ends and great care must be taken when preparing the ritual to ensure unintended guests are not set free to wander.

In order to work this Incantation, the caster and any assistants must prepare the feast of the dead. The ritual begins with the clearing of the ceremonial space that is to be used, which must be enclosed in a circle of salt, Marigold petals, and burning incense at least 15 feet wide. A table is set in the circle, bearing small bowls and plates, along with a few extra plates for ghostly visitors. A fire is lit within the circle as well, along with white candles for the table. The invitation to the dead is spoken and the ritual is begun. (Note: the ritual need not be outside. If the circle is drawn around a residence, the ritual may take place at the kitchen table. The fire lit may be the hearth or stove. If inside, doors or windows must be left open to the outside.)

Over the next two hours, the participants must prepare various symbolic foods, including at least one favorite of the deceased that is to be summoned. Each dish is prepared, as far as possible, within the circle during the ritual- using the ritual fire to complete cooking. Some preparation may, of course, occur beforehand. Once finished, the food is placed on an appropriate dish and run through the smoke while its symbolic meaning is recited, then placed on the table. While the food is being prepared, invitations and summons to the dead are repeated in a chant. Foods might include various roasted nuts and seeds, dried fruits dipped in honey, fresh bread, hearty stew and the like. Taken together, these form an invitation for the dead that linger near the border between life and death.

Once the last dish is laid on the table, the guests sit for dinner, but now they have company. Ghostly forms, indistinct, linger in the air around them. The dinner is eaten in silence. The only sounds heard are the sounds of night, the clicks and clatters of dishes, and a faint susurrus of whispers that gradually becomes audible from the visiting spirits. As their voices rise, so, too do their forms gradually gain distinction and color. Some of the dead will appear to help themselves to portions of the food. It is common for the more mischievous of the dead to try provoking sounds from ritual participants, which they may do by pretending to be a loved one, making it seem as if the table has caught fire, and other forms of trickery. If one of the participants does speak, or make any other vocalization, the ritual is ruined. Worse, the magic binding the dead to civility is broken, and they may attack, ruin property, or attempt to possess one of the casters. If any of the casters leave the circle, the dead are also free to do so and may wreak whatever deeds they will until the first light of dawn burns away the gossamer magic that ties them to this side of the veil. (The spirits are generally similar to Unseen Servants in what they can move or do, but there is almost always mixed in one or two more powerful ghosts.)

Once all but the favorite dish of the invited spirit is eaten, that person, or at least something that looks and acts like them, manifests itself. The spirit sits in an empty chair and begins eating the last dish. While it eats, the spirit makes conversation, which the ritual casters may respond to. During this conversation, the visiting spirit will answer one question from each participant truthfully as if they had cast the Commune spell, though the spirit may respond with any one word or short phrase, rather than just yes or no. The spirit takes 5-10 minutes to finish eating, and when it does, the candles on the table go out and the spirits depart.

[Zaydos]

Added links, added today's brew of my own (Vamp Treant and fluffy bits of The Hungry Dead). Expect Racial Substitution Levels soon and expect them to count as that day's, and Feats. Mordiggian may or may not get added eventually.

[GuesssWho]

The Anglermaid homebrew in my sig might fit in here, what do you think?

[Zaydos]

Did daily update.

Added Racial Substitution Levels and Feats to the Hungry Dead.

Added feats for serving Lovecraftian entities... expect things to build on that in the next few days.

[inuyasha]

I'll dig around and see if I have some old horror concepts to revisit. I want to be part of this fun sounding thing. I really haven't posted a whole lot lately though

[Zaydos]

Added my daily update... It's still Lovecraft themed because my mind goes to readily to Lovecraft for horror.

I'll dig around and see if I have some old horror concepts to revisit. I want to be part of this fun sounding thing. I really haven't posted a whole lot lately though

I'd love to see what you cook up. If any of the ideas in the OP stir your interest feel free to steal it (I might still end up making my own version but having two to compare against each other would be cool).

[kinem]

Kidslayer Goblin Tribe:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...r-Goblin-Tribe

[spikeof2010]

Bloodshed of the Hated
Prerequisites: Favored Enemy
Benefits: Your blade hungers more for the foe you hate so much with a passion. Whenever you bring down a favored enemy down to 0 HP or less, for the next 3 rounds, all numerical bonuses against your favored enemy is increased by 4. If you should bring another favored enemy down to 0 HP or less, this simply resets the duration of this feat. If you actually manage to kill a favored enemy, this duration increases to 1 minute, and if you kill another favored enemy within that time, it increases to 1 hour. Killing any more favored enemies does nothing.

[Zaydos]

Kidslayer Goblin Tribe:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...r-Goblin-Tribe

Added. Nice cute little piece of work It or the Outside Woman is my favorite thing to show up yet.

Bloodshed of the Hated
Prerequisites: Favored Enemy
Benefits: Your blade hungers more for the foe you hate so much with a passion. Whenever you bring down a favored enemy down to 0 HP or less, for the next 3 rounds, all numerical bonuses against your favored enemy is increased by two. If you should bring another favored enemy down to 0 HP or less, this simply resets the duration of this feat.

Added. If you don't mind a critique, check the spoiler.

Spoiler

Show

I like the feat flavor wise but compared to Improved Favored Enemy which grants +3 to damage against Favored Enemies it's just bad. I'd suggest improving the bonus to +5 since I'd say the feat is at most half as useful as Improved Favored Enemy or improving the duration so that the less direct damaging aspects of favored enemy (Listen, Spot, Sense Motive, Tracking) have a chance to come into play maybe making it an hour or more even. Coupled with it stacking with Improved Favored Enemy and being available with less than +5 BAB it'd help make it worth taking over it or in addition to it. As it is it's very conditional weapon specialization.

[erradin]

So I admit that this one is being suggested mostly because it is creepy. This has been somewhat inspired by your Necrobotany ideas, Zaydos. I hope you don't mind. If you do, just say the word and it's gone. :)

Once, a necromancer thought to turn her unique talents to good. She thought she could create a tree that would turn the bodies of the dead into food for the population of her starving homeland. Using her knowledge of disease and death, she devised the Tree Of Salvation, her crowning achievement. Not only would it quickly turn the deceased into a solution to the food problem, but its apples would also keep the population safe from plague! It wasn't until she had convinced her home town of its perfect safety, however, that she learned the terrible mistake she had made when she imbued the fruit with necromantic magic. Some stories are told of explorers stumbling upon a wonderous grove of apple trees growing in the ruins of an abandoned town. It was eventually burned down with the strongest of fire magic, but not before some foolish man took a few apples to save his dying mother...

Tree of Salvation(The Devil Tree)

Take a deep breath and you'll find yourself overcome with the delightful scent of crisp autumn apples and the faintest hint of cinnamon. Gaze upon this tree and find yourself dazzled by its canopy of fiery colors. The apples that hang alluringly from its slender branches are the perfect shade of red, shot through with tiny flecks of golden yellow. The tree itself stands 10 feet tall, its fruit just within reach.

The fruit of this tree is highly nutritious, instantly restoring 1 hp for every apple eaten. The apples also cure any non-magical poison and diseases. The apples also seem to be seedless! Unfortunately, the tree carries a dark secret. The tree does not reproduce through seeds. Instead, a disease grows in the apples that infests the bodies of anyone who eats them. (DC 15 fort save (3.5e)/ DC 13 Con save(5e)) On a failed save, the disease provides a +3 bonus(3.5e)/advantage(5e) against diseases and poisons until winter nears its end. Then, the disease begins to act, assaulting the brain of its host. The victim is compelled (Will DC 17/Wis DC 15) to find suitable ground for planting and linger there. Once this phase begins, the subject begins taking damage as though starving to death, no mater how much they eat or drink. No amount of hunger overcomes the compulsion, however.

Bugs and animals shun the corpse and, 1d6+3 days after the host's death, a new tree begins growing from the head of the deceased, using the body of the dead as nutriants.

[Zaydos]

Updated for the day (my daily contribution was the calrass tree).

Any opinions on whether meatdoll should be undead or construct? I mean it is made in a similar fashion to a flesh golem (via skin and organs of various dead people) so I could go either way, and I was wondering if anybody had opinions on which would be cooler.

So I admit that this one is being suggested mostly because it is creepy. This has been somewhat inspired by your Necrobotany ideas, Zaydos. I hope you don't mind. If you do, just say the word and it's gone. :)

Mind? No. Flattered possibly (read yes). I mean the reason I listed things I plan on making was to try and stir up ideas in others.

[erradin]

Updated for the day (my daily contribution was the calrass tree).

Any opinions on whether meatdoll should be undead or construct? I mean it is made in a similar fashion to a flesh golem (via skin and organs of various dead people) so I could go either way, and I was wondering if anybody had opinions on which would be cooler.



Mind? No. Flattered possibly (read yes). I mean the reason I listed things I plan on making was to try and stir up ideas in others.

Hey! So two things: I enjoyed the Meatdoll(which is suitably horrifying) and suspect it would be cooler as a form of Necromancy. The reason I suggest this is because, either way, you have to assemble the parts but necromancy gives you the added horror option of binding the unwilling soul of a creature that cared for the child in life (his or her pet or friend or parent?) as a requirement. Constructs are just mindless drones and, if you wanted to make it as horrifying as possible, it should, in some sense, actually care for the child.

Item 2: The Calrass tree is pretty awesome! However, the link you posted to it in this thread is non-functional.

[Debihuman]

Bonfire of the Vanities
Large Elemental (Extraplanar, Fire)
Hit Dice: 15d8+60 (127 hp)
Initiative: +11
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +7 Dex +3 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 12
BAB/Grapple: +11/+19
Attack: Slam +14 melee (2d6+4 plus 2d6 fire)
Full Attack: 2 slams +14 melee (2d6+4 plus 2d6 fire)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Burn, Gout of Flame, Objects of Sin
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/—, darkvision 60 ft., detect magical writing, elemental traits, immunity to fire, sin blessed, vulnerability to cold
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +16, Will +7
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 25, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 15
Skills: Concentration +18, Disguise +18 (to appear as normal bonfire only), Listen+20, Spot +20
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative^B, Iron Will, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse^B
Environment: Elemental Plane of Fire
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral Evil
Advancement: 16-18 HD (Large), 19-36 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

A bonfire of the vanities is a particularly evil fire elemental that appears to be a normal bonfire. It stalks places of worship and attempts to destroy all magical writing on scrolls and spellbooks.

A bonfire of the vanities cannot enter water or any other nonflammable liquid. A body of water is an impassible barrier unless a bonfire of the vanities can step or jump over it.

Bonfires of the vanities speak Common and Ignan, though they rarely choose to do so.

COMBAT

Once a bonfire of the vanities has located magical writing, it attack the scrolls or magic books with the highest level spells first and then attacks the owner with its slam attacks. It takes particular delight in setting a large group of unsuspecting humanoids alight with its gout of flame ability.

Burn (Ex): A bonfire of the vanities’ slam attack deals bludgeoning damage plus 2d6 points of fire damage from the elemental’s flaming body. Those hit by a fire elemental’s slam attack also must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 21) or catch on fire. The flame burns for 1d4 rounds. A burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Creatures hitting a bonfire of the vanities with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the creature’s slam attack, and catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save.

Detect Magical Writing (Sp): A bonfire of the vanities can detect any magical writing within 60 feet as detect magic spell.

Elemental Traits:

• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning.
• Not subject to critical hits or flanking.
• Unlike most other living creatures, an elemental does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an elemental is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on an elemental. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection, to restore it to life.
• Proficient with natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
• Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) that it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Elementals not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Elementals are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
• Elementals do not eat, sleep, or breathe

Gout of Flame (Su): Once a day as a standard action, a bonfire of the vanities can utter a blasphemous phrase that causes droplets of flame to rain down upon all creatures within a 300-foot radius. Only good and neutral (not evil) creatures are harmed by the fire, taking 6d6 points of fire damage unless they succeed at Reflex save (DC 19) for half damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Objects of Sin (Ex): Three times a day as a standard action, a bonfire of the vanities may target any scroll or spellbook within 30 feet, whether or not is has line of sight and even if the object has full cover, causing it to immediately burn to cinder unless it succeeds on a Reflex save (DC 19). The save DC is Charisma-based.

Sin Blessed (Su): A bonfire of the vanities gains a +2 profane bonus to all saves from any attack from creatures with the Good subtype.

[inuyasha]

looks like a good monster, though by using VT's CR method, I think it should be CR 12 not 8. I could have done something wrong though.

[Stratovarius]

Going to throw in a link to my Burrowing Dread monster. It's based on the titular horrors of The Burrowers Beneath by Brian Lumley (it's a Lovecraft-inspired work).

Some of the other material in that thread is also based on/inspired by various Lovecraftian stories. Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath is the basis for the Dream Quest power, for instance.

[Debihuman]

looks like a good monster, though by using VT's CR method, I think it should be CR 12 not 8. I could have done something wrong though.

I think you counted things like Darkvision and Elemental Traits, which I normally don't. Con might be a tad too high so that can be reduced. Lemme tweak it a bit. I don't want to overpower this. This should be CR 11 now.

[inuyasha]

I didn't count darkvision, but I did count elemental traits. CR 11 sounds about right.

[Zaydos]

Bonfire of the Vanities

Added. Those poor books

Going to throw in a link to my Burrowing Dread monster. It's based on the titular horrors of The Burrowers Beneath by Brian Lumley (it's a Lovecraft-inspired work).

I need to give Lumley's work a try at some point. I thought I had read The Burrowers Beneath, at least I recognized its name as Mythos stuff, but apparently not since I thought it was a short story.

And added my own daily contribution. Just need to make 12 more things and I'll be able to double up some day.

[Stratovarius]

I need to give Lumley's work a try at some point. I thought I had read The Burrowers Beneath, at least I recognized its name as Mythos stuff, but apparently not since I thought it was a short story.

Beneath the Moors is probably what you had in mind. Burrowers Beneath is the best of the series, IMO. The rest wander a little bit more away from horror and a little bit more toward just plain bizarre. The existential dread of Burrowers Beneath and Lovecraft's best work just isn't there.

[Zaydos]

Updated for the day with Grave Apples, my first... no actually 2nd piece of 5e homebrew.

Beneath the Moors is probably what you had in mind. Burrowers Beneath is the best of the series, IMO. The rest wander a little bit more away from horror and a little bit more toward just plain bizarre. The existential dread of Burrowers Beneath and Lovecraft's best work just isn't there.

Might have been, it's been a very long time.

[erradin]

Before even the first among the undead, the fight between light and dark has raged. Men and women have, since long before memory, held up the light as a talisman against the many fears and uncertainties that they faced. But the faces of darkness became ever more frightful, leading many to fear that the glittering stars of civilization that dotted the darkened map would be extinguished. So they fought fear with fear and sought to give the light a terrible visage of its own. They took to their crops and gathered up gourds, turnips and pumpkins. These they hollowed, hallowed and carved until they glared upon the world with pointed fangs and gaping eyes. Within these shells they stowed the sacred light, and held them aloft to terrify the darkness with burning shadows of their own.

Jack's Lantern
This pumpkin has had terrible faces of anguish and fright carved upon it in many varying sizes and expressions. From every angle, hollow eyes and twisted grins greet the world. A twisting, green stem serves as a rope to hang or hold the lantern. There is a place inside for a candle, which can be reached through the largest of the mouths. When lit, twisted, glowering shadows are projected in every direction from the various faces cared into the lantern. They flicker as the fire does, seeming almost alive.

As long as the lantern is lit, mindless undead cannot move closer than 20 feet from it. They are not pushed back if the lantern bearer advances, however. Outsiders and sentient undead are also repelled, though they may make a DC 15 wisdom(DC 18 Will) saving throw to ignore the effects. Success renders them immune to this effect for 24 hours. Treat Jack's Lantern as a hooded lantern for the purposes of exposure to wind. If the fire goes out, it must be re-lit before Jack's Lantern will function again, entitling all who failed their saves the first time around to a second saving throw.