Got an idea from Planescape: Torment

[Tertius Bellamont]

Hurrah for Planescape!

Ahem, now I've gotten that out of my system...

The Unmortal template looks really interesting actually... but might I suggest that you don't have the character lose all their memories and skills every time they die?

After all, the Nameless One died many times without losing his memories, and this was proper death, not just unconsciousness. After all, at one point he is given the option to twist his own neck!

Might I suggest that you incorporate the fabulous idea from the game that every death the unmortal suffers cast shadows upon the world? I.e. That every death he recovers from creates a shadow of the same HD that the unmortal was when he/she died by slaying an unknown person or creature of similar strength...

To make it more Ravenlofty, this effect could have a limited range, so an unmortal who keeps dying may soon find that he appears to be being stalked by a mysterious serial killer who seems to drain people of their life energy...

Once the Unmortal discovers this, of course, letting himself die essentially equates to murder, and may call for powers checks...

As in the game, then, the only way the Unmortal dies and loses his memories is if he is killed by shadows created thanks to him/her. Although this robs the character of their levels it also makes them an innocent again... until their memories start to return.

Also, can I suggest this feat from a fun idea in the game:

Bound in Torment

An Unmortal may bind the life energy of up to five companions to his own.
This allows his companions to always be able to find the unmortal as if using a constant Know Direction effect, and even if the unmortal loses all his memories, the companion will seem somehow familiar. The same applies to the unmortal, even if finding his companions dead remains.

Prerequisites: Unmortal, his companions must somehow be tormented, either actually cursed or with deep rifts in their nature.

Special: This bond also ensures that a companion will not be turned into a shadow.


Actually, whilst we're on this subject, I think Ravel Puzzlewell would make a great Darklord. Trapped in a maze of thorns and dark magic, confused as to the nature of time, but possessing strange powers to make and unmake a creature's very being, the Night Hag darklord revels in others' ignorance but is tormented by her unanswered riddle - "What can change the Nature of a Man?"

Of course, the Dark powers make sure that this time, no answer satisfies her.

[Hell_Born]

Thanks for the input Tertius Bellamont. Your suggestions for the actual creation of shadows is a greaty expansion of the special quality I already had the template bestow and I love the feat. I had the Missing Incarnations (or whatever it was) the way it is because the way I read, in both the novel and the games, it's only recently that TNO has started remembering his previous incarnations each and every time he dies- in the novel it's because of the Styxian Elixer.

I did say the template needed polishing- do you have any other suggestions for refining it and making it easier to work with? And Ravel probably would make an excellent Darklord- or at least, her circumstances from the game would make an excellent Darklord curse.

[Ronia Sun]

What an intriguing idea!! (I really must go finish playing through Planescape...)

There are all sorts of possibilities for NPCs here. A PC player would have to be extremely mature, I think, to pull this off properly. (As I am learning, to my eternal regret, that just because a player has been gaming for years it does NOT mean you should let them play a dhampir...)

I may take this idea and run with it, Hell Born. I think an Unmortal might be a cool thing to work into my campaign. That all right with you?

[Hell_Born]

That is perfectly fine with me Ronia Sun. I'm delighted someone actually wants to run with one of my ideas. Just one question; do you intend to use my Unmortal Template or make one of your own? If the former, alter the Spawn Shadows (or whatever it's called) quality so that the Shadows spawned by the Unmortal's rebirth are of equal HD to the Unmortal prior to its "death", as was suggested by Tertius Bellamont. If the latter, could you post the template here? Even if -especially if- it's just a modification of my own template. This topic represents the first time I've tried to make actual D20 rules, so I'd like to see how well I did.

[Ronia Sun]

It'll almost certainly be based of the template shown here, but if I go in another direction I will surely post it. I'm still fairly new to tabletop gaming, so I'm all about using stuff I don't have to sit down and come up with!!

It may be a while yet before this comes into play, as well. My players just got done with a murder mystery, so I'm going to try and steer clear of anything *too* close to it for a little while.

[Hell_Born]

Okay, thank you for that. Could you tell me what you intend to use your Unmortal for in your campaign? Or haven't you figured it out yet/do you want to keep that a secret in case your gamers are on this topic?

[Ronia Sun]

Haven't figured it out yet. I only just read the post today.

Still, my initial thought is as an NPC who befriends the party. Naturally, strange things begin to occur about the Unmortal, and eventually the players will discover what their friend truly is. Then, of course, they'll have to make a choice: Do they condemn their companion for sins he can no longer remember and for being an unnatural creature, or do they find a way to help the Unmortal find redemption?

Considering the party consists of a druid/rogue, a shifter*, and a werebear paladin, I imagine they'll come down on the side of tolerance...

And no, I ain't too worried they'll read these boards. They play in Ravenloft, but it's my current obsession!

*That would be an Eberron shifter, not the prestige class.

[Hell_Born]

Sounds intriguing. And an Unmortal would certainly become an epicenter f or weirdness, yes? Even if it's only using the "limited range" for the Spawn Shadows suggested by Tertius Bellamont, but I'm sure you can think of some other things.

For example, depending on whether your Unmortal is a Native or an Outlander, he/she might have strange abilities (like Stories-Bones-Tell). And there's always the fact that Powers Checks failed in one incarnation might carry over to the subsequent ones. Besides those, there are other "signs" you could use. For example; it mightn't cast a shadow/reflection, or it's shadow/reflection is wierdly distorted. The light in the Unmortal's presence might seem to dim, or the temperature may become cooler. Perhaps the PCs catch glimpses of things moving in the shadows.

Irregardless of my opinions; your campaign, your rules. I wish you luck and I'd like to hear how it turns out.

[Ronia Sun]

Well, since I am unfamiliar with such things as "Stories-Bones-Tell" I have some research to do.

Also, since I'm toying with the idea of having a fiend be the ultimate baddie in this particular campaign an Unmortal might fit in very well...:: watches in dismay as the plot bunnies abruptly multiply ::

[Hell_Born]

That would probably work well; the fiend might even be the entity that stole the Unmortal's mortality- perhaps in a slightly twisted version of the Faustian Pact? Taking the mortality instead of the soul?

And Stories-Bones-Tell is a special ability TNO can pick up in Planescape: Torment. Basically, it lets him talk to the spirits of the dead -including the original occupants of Obedient Dead like skeletons and zombies- to try and pry information from them.

[Garudos Celestar]

You wouldn't even have to go all the way to making it an "unmortal" - just check out the following feats and abilities from Van Richten's Guide to the Mists:

Undying (supernatural ability, pg 45)
Misted Ability (feat, pg 56)
Misted Memory (feat, pg 58)

These could all be appropriate ways to make the character - either as an NPC or even for a PC who'd like to role-play PS:T in Ravenloft form.

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