| Notes |
The haunt is the spirit of a person who died before completing some vital task. A haunt inhabits an area within 20 metres of where its body died and never leaves this area (note – a haunt in possession of a material body can leave its area and must often do so in order to finish its task). It desires but one thing; final rest. To accomplish this, it must possess a living creature and finish the task that prevents it from achieving everlasting slumber. A haunt only attacks humanoid creatures.
Dexterity Damage: The touch of a haunt deals 1 (or 1d3) point of DEX damage to a living foe. A creature reduced to 0 DEX by a haunt is subjected to its Malevolence, detailed below. DEX damage dealt by a haunt cannot be healed by any means while the haunt possesses the host’s body.
Malevolence: Once per round, a haunt can merge its body with a physical creature whose DEX has been reduced to 0, similar to common possession.
The target can resist the attack with a successful Willpower test. A creature that successfully resists is immune to that same haunt’s Malevolence for one day. If the test fails, the haunt vanishes into the target’s body (whose DEX temporarily returns to normal) and attempts to complete its unfinished task. If the haunt completes its task, it leaves the host and fades away forever.
When the haunt leaves the host, the host’s DEX drops back to 0. If the host body is slain while the haunt is in possession of it, the creature becomes tied to that area and can never leave. Its unfinished task remains the same.
A haunt’s natural form is that of a translucent image appearing much as the person did in life. As a Combat Action, it can alter its form so as to appear as a floating, luminescent ball of light (possibly being mistaken for a will-o’-wisp in this form). In this form, it cannot use its touch attack or its Malevolence.
A haunt remains in one form or the other until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be forcibly altered. A haunt cannot change forms while possessing a host.
In most cases, it is difficult to destroy a haunt through simple combat. The ‘destroyed’ spirit will restore itself in 1D4 days. Even the most powerful spells and rituals are usually only temporary solutions as a haunt that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its area with a successful Persistence test. The only way to get rid of a haunt for sure is to use some kind of miraculous incantation or allow it to finish the task that holds it to the material world.
In this adventure, in addition to the means specified above, the spirit of Ikhtanabu Xul can also be laid to rest by destroying (burning) his arcane tomes and books. |
Encounter Generator
