Apparitions to Zombies

From Jade Tower

Title Page

Apparitions to Zombies – A Practical Guide to the Walking Dead.
8th edition

Edited by E'osa Brightwing, Secretary of the Order of the Light of ORB.
Published by Barnabus and Nobble, Gnomish Book Printers.

Preface

Almost 500 years ago, on the battlefield at Windy Point, our Order was founded, with a mandate to search out and destroy the unliving and those who would use them as tools. And destroy them, we have.

In the process, we have recorded much information about the types and powers of the walking dead, how to fight them, and how to survive the battle. About 300 years ago, the Order began to compile that information into a book, to better carry out our mandate. That book was the first edition of Apparitions to Zombies.

The first edition contained much that was, to our modern knowledge, incorrect, or at least apocryphal. It was also small, containing only 8 or 9 entries, and those short. A personal favorite was the entry about skeletons, wherein it was claimed that only human skeletons could be converted into that type of undead. We know, now, of course, that virtually any corporeal being, once dead, can be converted into an animated skeleton. Whether that represents broader knowledge on our part, or an advance in necromatic magical theory on the part of our enemy, is, I suppose, open to debate.

This new edition is something special. Printed, for the first time, in bulk, by Barnabus and Nobble, Gnomish Book Printers , on their innovative movable-type printing press, this book allows for wider distribution of our knowledge at a much lower cost. Our hope is to get a copy not only into the hands of each Hunter, as has always been our tradition, but into the hands of anyone who fights the undead - be they Fist, Sword, Shield, or free agent.

And that, my brethren, is a good thing. For there are evil things afoot, and the dead are walking easy - altogether too easy - in the dark. Let this knowledge be a shining beacon in the growing darkness. And, as this knowledge benefits you, let your experience benefit the rest of the Order, and all those who stand in the Light. File reports, share your experience, learn from one another!

Yours in the Light, E'osa Brightwing

Undead Traits

All of the walking dead seem to share some similarities.

  • All undead can can see as well in the dark as a dwarf.
  • Illusions and Enchantments, as well as poison, paralysis, disease, and magical death effects, seem to have little effect on the walking dead.
  • Being dead, damage to their organs or nerve centers seems to have no effect, though some warriors specializing in hunting the undead have reported that some undead do have specific vulnerabilities.
  • The mindless undead seem to have no ability or inclination to heal their damage on their own.
  • Positive energy, such as a cleric's cure light wounds spell, harms the undead in the same measure as it heals the mortal. Conversely, the inflict series of spells heal the walking dead in the same measure as they harm the living.
  • Only the most powerful of resurrection magic has an effect on the walking dead.
  • The unliving need not food, nor water, nor air, nor sleep.

Undead Types

Ghost

Sometimes, dying isn't the final end. Sometimes, there is unfinished business left behind by the departed. And if that business is compelling enough, and the will of the deceased strong enough, the spirit remains in the mortal world, haunting a place or a person, waiting to finish that business.

Those spirits are called ghosts, and they gain power from their anger or their confusion. Destroying them with weapons and magic is difficult, and often a temporary solution at best, as until their business is complete, they will return again and again. The best way to destroy a ghost, then, is to help it complete its business in the mortal world, thus releasing it from eternal torment.

Notable Members

Recorded Powers

Incorporeal
Every ghost seems to exist in this state naturally, being creatures solely of spirit and lacking a physical body entirely. They may pass through walls, are invisible, and ignore both the armor and weapons of mortals, unless they are magical.
Manifestation
Every ghost seems to have this ability, which allows it to become visible to mortals, and use its other powers.
Corrupting Gaze
Even the gaze of a ghost is dangerous, and can corrupt mortal flesh and spirit.
Corrupting Touch
The touch of a ghost is corrupting to mortal flesh, and armor provides no protection.
Draining Touch
The touch of some ghosts is even more draining, as they can render mortals weak of body and spirit, and seemingly gain strength from the same attack.
Frightful Moan
Some ghosts emit a frightful moan, which can panic all but the most string-willed.
Horrific Appearance
It is recorded that simply looking upon the Hag of the Waters was enough to drain the body of virtue.
Malevolence
Ghosts seem able, sometimes, to take over or enter the bodies of mortal creatures, allowing them access to the pleasures and temptations of the flesh.
Telekinesis
The anger that often fuels a ghost's powers often allows it to move objects, hurling them or breaking them as an attack or a simple display of fury.

Ghoul

One of the most dangerous types of undead, ghouls are smart, cunning, and driven by a boundless hunger for the flesh of mortals. Many ghouls are known to have retained and even expanded upon their mortal skills, adding to them the dark power of the undead.

Recorded Powers

Claws and Fangs
The dark hunger that animates ghouls also gives them to tools to feed.
Ghoul Fever
The bite of a ghoul carries a foul disease, which not only kills, but causes the victims to rise as ghouls, or sometimes ghasts, themselves.
Paralysis
Those hit by a ghoul’s bite or claw attack are often subject to being paralyzed. Elves seem to have some immunity to this paralysis, for reasons unknown.

Ghast

A more powerful sub-type of ghoul, ghasts share all the same qualities of ghouls and add to them.

Recorded Powers

Claws and Fangs
The dark hunger that animates ghasts also gives them to tools to feed.
Ghoul Fever
The bite of a ghast carries a foul disease, which not only kills, but causes the victims to rise as ghouls or ghasts themselves.
Paralysis
Those hit by a ghast bite or claw attack are often subject to being paralyzed. Elves are not immune to the paralysis of ghasts.
Stench
The stink of death and corruption surrounding these creatures is overwhelming, and can often sicken the living.

Lich

Arguably the most powerful type of undead creature in Crescent, a lich was a powerful mortal spellcaster who devised and performed a dark ritual, dragging himself through death and into undead immortality. Retaining all of their spellcasting ability, and adding to it a great many unliving abilities and an immortal patience, liches are a grave enemy to face.

Notable Members

The last known lich, Va'aster DarkLight, was destroyed in the Year of the Sun 377, by the Company of the Lamp.

Recorded Powers

Following are the abilities the survivors from the Company of the Lamp attributed to Va'aster DarkLight, in their own words:

Touch of Darkness
The touche of the lich is the touche of death, for the creature's dark energy dealt damage unto the hale with but a touche, and also rendered Valen of the Wooden Wheel like unto one dead, silent and fell. Valen we thought passed, until Elan saw the faintest spark of life stirring in his tiny soul.
Fearfule Presence
The creature was shrouded in a dreadeful aura of death and evil. Our lackeys and beasts turned and ran, as though faced with death itself.
Magick
The fell creature we fought assaulted us with powerful magicks, seemingly without end.
Shroud of Darkness
Even the light of ORB, bright in the eyes of Elan HeartStorm, brought no fear to the beast.
Body of the Dead
The creature was unmoved by most magick, and by the hammer of Argus SunSpot, shrugging off many blows and spells. It was also immune to the galvanick elemental power of Jorill, forcing him to rely instead on fire and force.
Regeneration
Some 5 days after his destruction, we discovered among his treasure a strange child-sized skeleton, clutching a black metal amulet, with terrible energies swirling about it. We destroyed both the skeleton and the amulet, dousing them with the raw fire of the Sun. Elan theorizes that the amulet was the container for his mis-beggoten soul, and that had we not discovered it, he would have returned to bring destruction upon us all. Elan dubbbed the container his phylackterie.

Lich Spawn

Entry by Kimo FallenLeaf and Jericho Arnon, to be printed in the forthcoming 9th edition.

A type of lich, but rather than performing a ritual that pulls them through death into undeath, they are apparently the subject of such a ritual, presumably performed by a much more powerful entity, possibly an actual lich. This results in a creature that shares many of the characteristics of liches, but at a much lower power level.

The only example of such a creature yet encountered by the Light of ORB is now interred at the Zoo in Luminaux. He was laid low by the Companions of the Rising Sun, who actually encountered him on multiple occasions, and finally brought his phylacterie to the Order. The existence of such a creature is worrisome, as it implies a threat as yet unknown, in the shape of its master.

Notable Members

Recorded Powers

The Companions of the Rising Sun reported Salem as having the following abilities:

Mummy

The eternal protectors of a tomb, shrine, or dungeon, mummies are undead with a purpose. Most mummies are slow, strong, and possessed of only limited intellect, knowing only their purpose and domain. History records that most were unwilling victims, sacrificed to a dark power and bound by that same power to eternal slavery. This tends to account for their rather negative outlook on (un)life.

However, there are reported encounters with some mummies that have retained not only their intellect, but their reason and magical power. Additional reports hint at the possibility that some of these intelligent, reasonable mummies are powered not by negative energy, but by the Light, having given their lives willingly to protect a sacred location or item.

Notable Members

Skeleton

The weakest of the common undead, skeletons are exactly what they sound like - the skeleton of a mortal being, animated by a small amount of dark energy. They possess no intelligence, limited power, and virtually no resistance to damage, making them effective only in large numbers. Unfortunately, their low power level means that it is relatively easy for necromancers to obtain a large number of them.

Vampire

Bloodsucking undead. Major bad news.

Notable Members

Vampire Spawn

Spawn of bloodsucking undead. Bad news.

Notable Members


Zombie

Only marginally more powerful than skeletons, zombies are animated corpses, with both flesh and bones. They too are possessed of no independent will or intellect, existing solely at and for the whim of their masters. They are relatively slow, with an unmistakable shambling gait. However, like skeletons, they are fairly easy to animate, so they are commonly used as shock troops by necromancers bent on conquest.

Illustrations from the book

Undead Illustrations created with South Park Studio.

Game Notes

Using the most recent (8th) edition of this book as a reference confers a +2 masterwork bonus on Knowledge:Religion Checks made in reference to undead. The previous edition confers a +1 bonus.

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