Converting Oriental Adventures creatures
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Cleon
Legend
Updating the Paper Warrior Working Draft.
Actually it says "These words spring from the page and take the form of a tattooed man" so maybe that's literally true. The Paper Warrior could be a figure formed from calligraphy in the shape of a man. Maybe dressed in robes of paper?
Or maybe a figure whose skin and clothes appear to be made of paper, with calligraphy covering its body?
Hmm…
A figure dressed in scholarly robes as white as the finest paper. Its body is an intricate pattern of calligraphy in the shape of a male human, as if a tattoed man's body vanished while leaving the tattoes visible.
A figure dressed in scholarly robes. Its body is covered in tattoes of intricate calligraphy and its eyes are featureless black orbs like pools of ink. The being's skin is as pure white as its clothes, which both resemble the finest grade of paper.
Do you like either of those?
As for background, how about:
In life, the Paper Warrior was a steward responsible for administering the affairs of the clan and its castle. In death dreams of calligraphy and inventing tyrannical rules of government. Disturbing these contemplations prompts an outraged lecture followed by attempts to confuse and destroy the intruder.
In Kara-Tur
The Paper Warrior was once Ito Chomei, a notable scholar. He cared nothing about the misery of the clan's subjects so long as the paperwork was "elegant".
Cleon
Legend
Updating the Paper Warrior Working Draft.
I'll run a quick eye over it to check for typos later, but it looks done to me.
So time for the next sword!
Cleon
Legend
Screaming Child Original Stats
Sixth is the smallest and most dangerous, seen and yet unseen: the screaming child. His strength lies in his hand.
A special note for the DM: each of the seven swords possesses a special weakness. If the characters specifically attack the item or achieve the condition, the weapon master suffers double damage from hits scored and has a -2 on initiative for the next round. The weaknesses are:
Screaming Child: His rattle (AC 3).
17. Screaming Child
This room resembles a large auditorium with a stage at one end. Dim light glows from two braziers before the stage, and two bamboo screens stand at the back of the stage. A short distance inside the room, a piece of white cloth on which rests a pin lies on the floor.
This is the chamber of the sixth weapon master, Ito Gohei, a dwarf wu jen. If the pin is disturbed, or the characters make any loud noise, a wail that sounds like a cross between a bawling child and a braying mule rends the air.
Gohei sits on the stage to the left of the screens. He has cast chameleon on himself and is difficult to see. Unless pressed into physical combat, he sits here casting spells and using his weapon to deal with intruders.
Gohei: 9th level Wu Jen, master of air (AC 10 (+1); MV 9”; hp 30; #AT 1(2); THAC0 18; Dmg 2-5 or 2-7; S 8, I 16, W 14, D 15, C 15, Ch 6; ki: +3 to initiative roll, maximum effect of one spell)
His spells include:
First Level: chameleon, drowsy insects, elemental burst, magic missile, shield
Second Level: smoke shape, stinking cloud, wind breath
Third Level: haste, protection from missiles, steam breath
Fourth Level: dancing weapon, shout
Fifth Level: telekinesis
Gohei’s melee weapon looks like a two-foot long rattle. He has the following special attacks:
Ball: The ball head is snapped up to 30 feet away on its chain, inflicting 2-5 points, then springs back to the haft.
Mace: Besides the normal damage of 2-7 points, he can hurl a foe as the martial arts maneuver.
Flash: A single foe within 10’ is blinded for 1-4 rounds unless a save vs. spells is made.
When Ito Gohei is defeated he shrivels to nothing with a whimper. In a pouch that remains are two doses of sand of time which slows a foe for 2-8 rounds, and a small katana charm pin that fits into the medallion.
Statistics
Originally from OA2 Night of the Seven Swords (1986).
Sixth is the smallest and most dangerous, seen and yet unseen: the screaming child. His strength lies in his hand.
A special note for the DM: each of the seven swords possesses a special weakness. If the characters specifically attack the item or achieve the condition, the weapon master suffers double damage from hits scored and has a -2 on initiative for the next round. The weaknesses are:
Screaming Child: His rattle (AC 3).
17. Screaming Child
This room resembles a large auditorium with a stage at one end. Dim light glows from two braziers before the stage, and two bamboo screens stand at the back of the stage. A short distance inside the room, a piece of white cloth on which rests a pin lies on the floor.
This is the chamber of the sixth weapon master, Ito Gohei, a dwarf wu jen. If the pin is disturbed, or the characters make any loud noise, a wail that sounds like a cross between a bawling child and a braying mule rends the air.
Gohei sits on the stage to the left of the screens. He has cast chameleon on himself and is difficult to see. Unless pressed into physical combat, he sits here casting spells and using his weapon to deal with intruders.
Gohei: 9th level Wu Jen, master of air (AC 10 (+1); MV 9”; hp 30; #AT 1(2); THAC0 18; Dmg 2-5 or 2-7; S 8, I 16, W 14, D 15, C 15, Ch 6; ki: +3 to initiative roll, maximum effect of one spell)
His spells include:
First Level: chameleon, drowsy insects, elemental burst, magic missile, shield
Second Level: smoke shape, stinking cloud, wind breath
Third Level: haste, protection from missiles, steam breath
Fourth Level: dancing weapon, shout
Fifth Level: telekinesis
Gohei’s melee weapon looks like a two-foot long rattle. He has the following special attacks:
Ball: The ball head is snapped up to 30 feet away on its chain, inflicting 2-5 points, then springs back to the haft.
Mace: Besides the normal damage of 2-7 points, he can hurl a foe as the martial arts maneuver.
Flash: A single foe within 10’ is blinded for 1-4 rounds unless a save vs. spells is made.
When Ito Gohei is defeated he shrivels to nothing with a whimper. In a pouch that remains are two doses of sand of time which slows a foe for 2-8 rounds, and a small katana charm pin that fits into the medallion.
Statistics
| NAME | AC | MV | HD | THAC0 | Dmg | SA | SD | AL |
| Gohei (Screaming Child) | 10+1 | 9” | 9 | 18 | 2-5/2-7 | Spells | Ki +3 init, max. spells | CE |
Originally from OA2 Night of the Seven Swords (1986).
Cleon
Legend
Okay, the Screaming Child is a wu jen, which is the Oriental Adventures equivalent of a Wizard.
A Strength 8, AC 10 wizard armed with a rattle does not pose that much of a melee combat challenge to a party of adventurers, so we might have some work to do to increase the Child's survivability.
Maybe increase its Undead HD to, say, 12 while keeping the 9th level spellcasting? I'd also consider giving it a 3/4 BAB Martial Training.
Note that the Child has no martial arts special maneuvers unless the "special attacks" of its weapon are considered such, so I wouldn't award it Martial Artistry.
It prefers to hang back and cast spells, but could do with more ways to ward off its enemies beyond hurling them away with its rattle's mace special attack. The Paper Warrior was much better designed in that area, since it could use its origami proxies to protect itself.
A direct translation of its abilities would be Str 8, Dex 15, Con —, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 6.
Those look fine apart from Charisma. Presumably we're giving it Unholy Toughness to boost its HP. I'd make the Charisma 15 to match the original's Constitution. I'm quite happy to keep the Strength so low though - we don't need everything to be optimized.
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 15, Con —, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 15
Cleon
Legend
Let me dig out my copy of the 3E Oriental Adventures…
Yup, a wu jen casts spells like a wizard (Intelligence-based DCs and bonus spells and identical spells-per-day).
They have different special abilities than a Wizard though, namely:
Elemental Mastery: The spells of a wu jen are divided into five elemental groups: earth, fire, metal, water, and wood. When a wu jen learns all the spells of a single element up to the highest level of spells she can cast, she is considered a master of that element. Thereafter, whenever the wu jen casts a spell of that element, the saving throw DC is increased by 2, while the wu jen herself gets a +2 competence bonus on saving throws against spells of that element. This bonus stacks with the bonus conferred by the Spell Focus feat. Note that when the wu jen gains the ability to cast higher-level spells, she loses her mastery until she learns all the spells of that element at the new spell level. Certain spells on the wu jen spell list are designated “All”; this means they belong to all elemental groups, and a wu jen must learn these spells in order to achieve mastery of any element.
Sudden Action: Once per day, a wu jen can focus her ki to burst into sudden action. This gives her a +4 bonus on her initiative check for that combat.
Bonus Feat: A wu jen begins play with a bonus metamagic feat.
Spell Secret: At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, a wu jen can choose one spell known to her that then becomes permanently modified as though affected by one of the following metamagic feats: Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Still Spell, or Silent Spell. The spell’s level does not change, and once the choice of spell and modification are chosen, they cannot be changed. As the wu jen goes up in level, she can choose the same spell to be modified in different ways with multiple spell secrets. She does not need to know the feat she applies to the spell.
Taboos: In order to maintain their supernatural power, wu jen must abide by certain taboos that may seem inconsequential to other characters but are vitally important to the wu jen. If a wu jen violates one of her taboos, she cannot cast any more spells that day. A wu jen must choose one taboo at 1st level, and one additional taboo every time she learns a spell secret. Possible taboos include:
Sudden Action: Once per day, a wu jen can focus her ki to burst into sudden action. This gives her a +4 bonus on her initiative check for that combat.
Bonus Feat: A wu jen begins play with a bonus metamagic feat.
Spell Secret: At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, a wu jen can choose one spell known to her that then becomes permanently modified as though affected by one of the following metamagic feats: Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Still Spell, or Silent Spell. The spell’s level does not change, and once the choice of spell and modification are chosen, they cannot be changed. As the wu jen goes up in level, she can choose the same spell to be modified in different ways with multiple spell secrets. She does not need to know the feat she applies to the spell.
Taboos: In order to maintain their supernatural power, wu jen must abide by certain taboos that may seem inconsequential to other characters but are vitally important to the wu jen. If a wu jen violates one of her taboos, she cannot cast any more spells that day. A wu jen must choose one taboo at 1st level, and one additional taboo every time she learns a spell secret. Possible taboos include:
The original 1E AD&D version of the Wu Jen had their own version of the Elemental Mastery, Sudden Action and Taboos SQs described above. They also had an additional ki power as follows:
At 4th level a wu jen gains his second ki power—the ability to summon massive magical energies. This allows him to cast any one spell that is three or more levels lower than the wu jen's level, at maximum effect. The spell automatically has maximum range (if desired), duration, and effect. Thus a 4th-level character can cast a 1st-level spell at maximum effect.
Cleon
Legend
Since we've agreed on the rough outline above I'll start a Working Draft.
Cleon
Legend
Screaming Child Working Draft
Seven Swords, The Screaming Child
Medium Undead (Spirit)
Hit Dice: 12d12+24 (102 hp)
Initiative: +7 (+11 with sudden action)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 insight), touch 16, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+8
Attack: Rattle mace +16 melee (1d6+4) or rattle ball +17 ranged (1d4+5)*
Full Attack: Rattle mace +16/+11 melee (1d6+4) or rattle ball +17/+12 ranged [+15/+15/+10 ranged with Rapid Shot](1d4+5)*
*rattle ball includes Point Blank Shot
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (30 ft. with rattle ball)
Special Attacks: Air mastery, martial training, rattle, sonic substitution, spells, spell secrets, sudden action
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., ghostform, immune to turning, rejuvenation, special weakness - rattle, unholy toughness
Saves: Fort +4 (+6 vs Air), Ref +7 (+9 vs Air), Will +10 (+12 vs Air)
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 17, Con —, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Concentration +15 (+19 combat casting), Knowledge (arcana) +18, Jump +9* [includes ring], Listen +17, Spellcraft +22 (+24 deciphering scrolls), Spot +17, Tumble +18, Use Magic Device +17 (+19 with scrolls)
Feats: Combat Casting, Combat Reflexesᴮ˟, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiativeᴮ˟, Point Blank Shotᴮ˟, Rapid Shotᴮ˟, Scribe Scrollᴮ, Spell Focus (Conjuration, Evocation, Enchantment), Weapon Focus (rattle)ᴮ˟, Weapon Specialization (rattle)ᴮ˟, Weapon Finesseᴮ˟
˟ fighter bonus feat
Environment: Ruins
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: —
A short and roly-poly figure waving a rattle as big as a club. Their skin is unnaturally grey and blotchy as if it has begun to decompose. The person resembles an exceptionally ugly baby more than an adult of a common humanoid race. It could be an really short and overweight human, but is too tall to be a halfling and its face is as round and smooth as a baby, not bearded like a dwarf or gnome. Whatever it is, the being's face twists into a scowl and it starts wailing, a horrible sound like a mule's bray mixed with the scream of an angry brat throwing a tantrum.
The Screaming Child is one of the Seven Swords, a group of seven weapon masters who were transformed into unique undead by an ancient curse that binds them to a castle they once guarded in life. If one of the Seven Swords is destroyed, the curse causes them to reform the following night and continue to haunt the castle.
In life, the Screaming Child was a petulant and possibly insane nobleman who spurned the mannerisms of adulthood. His apparent madness and pretense of being a baby meant he had few family duties despite being a brilliant student of air magic and skilled martial artist. Now the Screaming Child is undead it spends the nights play-acting in its chambers unless disturbed by outsiders, who it tries to slaughter spectacularly. The Child fights like a spoiled child having a fit, but this an affectation; it is actually a very cunning and careful combatant.
The Screaming Child stands 4 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. It can speak Common, Draconic, Undercommon, and Dwarf.
Combat
The Screaming Child seeks to fight from range using magic and its rattle's ball, only reverting to using its rattle as a mace when forced into melee. The Child favors showy magic that disables opponents such as black tentacles, hideous laughter, shout, stinking cloud or it's rattle's flash power. Disabled opponents are attacked with rattle ball or damaging spells until they perish (the Screaming Child prefers the spectacle of fireball over magic missile). If an enemy casts silence it will be answered by silenced telekinesis.
Normally the Child will have cast protection from arrows on itself as soon as it wakes. If given time to get ready for combat it adds resist energy, shield and haste plus one of its greater invisibility scrolls. Should it only have a few rounds to prepare it casts greater invisibility and haste first.
Air Mastery: Whenever the Screaming Child casts an "Air" spell the saving throw DC is increased by 2, while the Child itself has a +2 competence bonus on saving throws against spells of that element. For purposes of this ability, an "Air" spell is any Evocation spell with the Air descriptor as well as any Conjuration spell used to summon a creature with the Air subtype, plus any other spells with a gaseous or atmospheric theme (i.e. most of the spells with "cloud", "fog", "gas(eous)", "mist", "storm", "weather" or "wind" in the spell name), subject to the DM's discretion. This ability stacks with the Spell Focus feat.
Ghostform (Su): A Seven Swords undead is normally invisible and intangible but senses its surroundings normally. Should the site it is haunting be disturbed, the spirit assumes a corporeal form as a swift action. The Screaming Child materializes sitting behind a screen, accompanying by wails that sound like a shrieking baby blended with a honking mule. Once materialized, the undead spirit can remain in solid form until the sun rises. It can resume ghostform as a full-round action.
Martial Training (Ex): The Screaming Child was a master martial artist in life, and retains the martial skills it once possessed. The Child possesses the base attack bonus of an 12th-level rogue and bonus fighter feats of a 9th-level fighter. It is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and gains an insight bonus to AC equal to its Intelligence bonus. It adds its inherent fighter abilities to any fighter levels it might acquire. Thus, a Child 3rd-level fighter possesses the fighter feats of a 12th-level fighter.
Rattle: The Screaming Child wield an oversized brightly-painted rattle with a large ball for a head. Rather than a wooden toy, this rattle is a made from metal and is a rod-like magic item with three functions the Child can switch between as a free action, simply by desiring it. The functions are as follows:
The following night, the Screaming Child reappears at full strength at whatever place it haunted and the sword charm vanishes. The Child can only be destroyed permanently if its sword charm is destroyed before it rejuvenates. A typical sword charm is a Fine sized object with 20 hp, hardness 12, and break DC 24.
Sonic Substitution (Sp): When the Screaming Child casts a spell with the acid, cold, electricity, or fire, it can modify the spell to use the sonic type of energy instead. The altered spell uses a spell slot of the spell’s normal level and works normally in all respects except the type of damage dealt.
Special Weakness - Rattle (Ex): Each of the seven swords have a different special weakness. The Screaming Child's is that its existence is tied to its rattle. Whenever an attack would normally inflict damage to the rattle (AC 17 (carried) or AC 9 (unattended), hardness 16, break DC 30) the Child suffers double that amount of damage instead. Any damage done to the rattle is also inflicted upon the Child. In addition, whenever a Seven Swords is damaged through its special weakness it must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 plus damage inflicted) or be shaken for 1 round. Should the Screaming Child be destroyed, the rattle is also destroyed.
Spells: The Screaming Child has the spellcasting ability of a 9th level wizard.
Typical Wizard Spells Prepared (4/5/5/4/2/1; save DC 13 + spell level, 14 + spell level for Conjuration, Evocation or Enchantment spells):
0—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 13), mage hand, read magic;
1st—burning hands (DC 15), magic missile, shield, sleep (DC 15), ventriloquism (DC 14);
2nd—fog cloudᴬ, enlarged gust of wind*ᴬ (DC 18), hideous laughter (DC 16), resist energy, protection from arrows;
3rd—fireball (DC 17), haste (DC 16), extended stinking cloud*ᴬ (DC 19), vampiric touch;
4th—black tentacles (grapple +17), shout (DC 18);
5th—silenced telekinesis* (DC 18).
* Modified by Spell Secret (see below).
ᴬ Air spell affected by Air Mastery (see above).
Spell Maximization (Sp): Once per day the Screaming Child can cast a single spell that is maximized as though using the Maximize Spell feat.
Spell Secrets: At caster level 3, and every 3 caster levels thereafter, the Screaming Child can choose one spell it knows that then becomes permanently modified as though affected by either the Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Still Spell, or Silent Spell feat (note the Child does not need to actually know the metamagic feat). The spell's level does not change, and the choice of spell and feat cannot be changed once made. As the Screaming Child's caster level increases, it can modify the same spell with multiple spell secrets. A standard Screaming Child has the spellcasting ability of a 9th level wizard, giving it three spell secrets it will have used to modify a 0-2nd level spell at CL 3, a 0-3rd level spell at CL 6, and a 0-5th level spell at CL 9.
Sudden Action: Once per day, the Screaming Child can focus its ki to burst into sudden action. This gives it a +4 bonus on its initiative check for that combat.
Unholy Toughness (Ex): The Screaming Child gains a bonus to its hit points equal to its Charisma modifier × its Hit Dice.
Possessions: rattle, two scrolls of greater invisibility (CL 9th), ring of improved jumping.
In Kara-Tur
The Seven Swords were the leading members of the Ito clan and lived in Ito-Jo castle. The malign influence of a krakentoa led to their rule becoming tyrannical and eventually brought down a dreadful curse upon the Swords and the entire castle, turning it into a haunted place of the damned. The Seven Swords of Ito-Jo cannot be destroyed simply by destroying their sword charms. The only way to permanently lay them to rest is to slay the krakentoa responsible for the curse.
The Screaming Child was once Ito Gohei, a wu-jen magic user whose specialism was the element of air. It is unknown whether he was a korobokuru dwarf or a human with dwarfism; the latter seems more likely as he was a full member of the Ito clan. Gohei loved the theater and had a stage set up in his quarters where he pretended to be a great thespian, despite making no effort to learn any Perform skills.
Originally appeared in OA2 - Night of the Seven Swords (1986).
Seven Swords, The Screaming Child
Medium Undead (Spirit)
Hit Dice: 12d12+24 (102 hp)
Initiative: +7 (+11 with sudden action)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 insight), touch 16, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+8
Attack: Rattle mace +16 melee (1d6+4) or rattle ball +17 ranged (1d4+5)*
Full Attack: Rattle mace +16/+11 melee (1d6+4) or rattle ball +17/+12 ranged [+15/+15/+10 ranged with Rapid Shot](1d4+5)*
*rattle ball includes Point Blank Shot
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (30 ft. with rattle ball)
Special Attacks: Air mastery, martial training, rattle, sonic substitution, spells, spell secrets, sudden action
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., ghostform, immune to turning, rejuvenation, special weakness - rattle, unholy toughness
Saves: Fort +4 (+6 vs Air), Ref +7 (+9 vs Air), Will +10 (+12 vs Air)
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 17, Con —, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Concentration +15 (+19 combat casting), Knowledge (arcana) +18, Jump +9* [includes ring], Listen +17, Spellcraft +22 (+24 deciphering scrolls), Spot +17, Tumble +18, Use Magic Device +17 (+19 with scrolls)
Feats: Combat Casting, Combat Reflexesᴮ˟, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiativeᴮ˟, Point Blank Shotᴮ˟, Rapid Shotᴮ˟, Scribe Scrollᴮ, Spell Focus (Conjuration, Evocation, Enchantment), Weapon Focus (rattle)ᴮ˟, Weapon Specialization (rattle)ᴮ˟, Weapon Finesseᴮ˟
˟ fighter bonus feat
Environment: Ruins
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: —
A short and roly-poly figure waving a rattle as big as a club. Their skin is unnaturally grey and blotchy as if it has begun to decompose. The person resembles an exceptionally ugly baby more than an adult of a common humanoid race. It could be an really short and overweight human, but is too tall to be a halfling and its face is as round and smooth as a baby, not bearded like a dwarf or gnome. Whatever it is, the being's face twists into a scowl and it starts wailing, a horrible sound like a mule's bray mixed with the scream of an angry brat throwing a tantrum.
The Screaming Child is one of the Seven Swords, a group of seven weapon masters who were transformed into unique undead by an ancient curse that binds them to a castle they once guarded in life. If one of the Seven Swords is destroyed, the curse causes them to reform the following night and continue to haunt the castle.
In life, the Screaming Child was a petulant and possibly insane nobleman who spurned the mannerisms of adulthood. His apparent madness and pretense of being a baby meant he had few family duties despite being a brilliant student of air magic and skilled martial artist. Now the Screaming Child is undead it spends the nights play-acting in its chambers unless disturbed by outsiders, who it tries to slaughter spectacularly. The Child fights like a spoiled child having a fit, but this an affectation; it is actually a very cunning and careful combatant.
The Screaming Child stands 4 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. It can speak Common, Draconic, Undercommon, and Dwarf.
Combat
The Screaming Child seeks to fight from range using magic and its rattle's ball, only reverting to using its rattle as a mace when forced into melee. The Child favors showy magic that disables opponents such as black tentacles, hideous laughter, shout, stinking cloud or it's rattle's flash power. Disabled opponents are attacked with rattle ball or damaging spells until they perish (the Screaming Child prefers the spectacle of fireball over magic missile). If an enemy casts silence it will be answered by silenced telekinesis.
Normally the Child will have cast protection from arrows on itself as soon as it wakes. If given time to get ready for combat it adds resist energy, shield and haste plus one of its greater invisibility scrolls. Should it only have a few rounds to prepare it casts greater invisibility and haste first.
Air Mastery: Whenever the Screaming Child casts an "Air" spell the saving throw DC is increased by 2, while the Child itself has a +2 competence bonus on saving throws against spells of that element. For purposes of this ability, an "Air" spell is any Evocation spell with the Air descriptor as well as any Conjuration spell used to summon a creature with the Air subtype, plus any other spells with a gaseous or atmospheric theme (i.e. most of the spells with "cloud", "fog", "gas(eous)", "mist", "storm", "weather" or "wind" in the spell name), subject to the DM's discretion. This ability stacks with the Spell Focus feat.
Ghostform (Su): A Seven Swords undead is normally invisible and intangible but senses its surroundings normally. Should the site it is haunting be disturbed, the spirit assumes a corporeal form as a swift action. The Screaming Child materializes sitting behind a screen, accompanying by wails that sound like a shrieking baby blended with a honking mule. Once materialized, the undead spirit can remain in solid form until the sun rises. It can resume ghostform as a full-round action.
Martial Training (Ex): The Screaming Child was a master martial artist in life, and retains the martial skills it once possessed. The Child possesses the base attack bonus of an 12th-level rogue and bonus fighter feats of a 9th-level fighter. It is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and gains an insight bonus to AC equal to its Intelligence bonus. It adds its inherent fighter abilities to any fighter levels it might acquire. Thus, a Child 3rd-level fighter possesses the fighter feats of a 12th-level fighter.
Rattle: The Screaming Child wield an oversized brightly-painted rattle with a large ball for a head. Rather than a wooden toy, this rattle is a made from metal and is a rod-like magic item with three functions the Child can switch between as a free action, simply by desiring it. The functions are as follows:
- Ball: The Screaming Child can remove the rattle's head and hurl it as a thrown weapon with a 30 foot range and no range increment. The ball remains attached to the rattle by a 30-foot long chain and can instantly snap back to the haft when the Child wishes, allowing them to make iterative thrown attacks with the ball. In other respects, the ball is a ranged weapon equivalent to a +3 light hammer.
- Mace: The rattle head becomes heavy and flanged, becoming a weapon equivalent to a +3 light mace. In addition, if the Screaming Child hits an opponent with the rattle it can attempt to hurl them to the ground. The Child must beat the target with an opposed grapple check with a +4 bonus to its grapple check. If successful, the target ends up prone on the ground in a 5 ft. square adjacent to the Screaming Child. If unsuccessful, nothing happens (the Child and its opponent are not considered to be grappled).
- Flash: As a standard action, the Screaming Child can point the rattle at a creature within 50 feet and create a burst of light in front of them. The target must succeed at a DC 18 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.
The following night, the Screaming Child reappears at full strength at whatever place it haunted and the sword charm vanishes. The Child can only be destroyed permanently if its sword charm is destroyed before it rejuvenates. A typical sword charm is a Fine sized object with 20 hp, hardness 12, and break DC 24.
Sonic Substitution (Sp): When the Screaming Child casts a spell with the acid, cold, electricity, or fire, it can modify the spell to use the sonic type of energy instead. The altered spell uses a spell slot of the spell’s normal level and works normally in all respects except the type of damage dealt.
Special Weakness - Rattle (Ex): Each of the seven swords have a different special weakness. The Screaming Child's is that its existence is tied to its rattle. Whenever an attack would normally inflict damage to the rattle (AC 17 (carried) or AC 9 (unattended), hardness 16, break DC 30) the Child suffers double that amount of damage instead. Any damage done to the rattle is also inflicted upon the Child. In addition, whenever a Seven Swords is damaged through its special weakness it must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 plus damage inflicted) or be shaken for 1 round. Should the Screaming Child be destroyed, the rattle is also destroyed.
Spells: The Screaming Child has the spellcasting ability of a 9th level wizard.
Typical Wizard Spells Prepared (4/5/5/4/2/1; save DC 13 + spell level, 14 + spell level for Conjuration, Evocation or Enchantment spells):
0—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 13), mage hand, read magic;
1st—burning hands (DC 15), magic missile, shield, sleep (DC 15), ventriloquism (DC 14);
2nd—fog cloudᴬ, enlarged gust of wind*ᴬ (DC 18), hideous laughter (DC 16), resist energy, protection from arrows;
3rd—fireball (DC 17), haste (DC 16), extended stinking cloud*ᴬ (DC 19), vampiric touch;
4th—black tentacles (grapple +17), shout (DC 18);
5th—silenced telekinesis* (DC 18).
* Modified by Spell Secret (see below).
ᴬ Air spell affected by Air Mastery (see above).
Spell Maximization (Sp): Once per day the Screaming Child can cast a single spell that is maximized as though using the Maximize Spell feat.
Spell Secrets: At caster level 3, and every 3 caster levels thereafter, the Screaming Child can choose one spell it knows that then becomes permanently modified as though affected by either the Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Still Spell, or Silent Spell feat (note the Child does not need to actually know the metamagic feat). The spell's level does not change, and the choice of spell and feat cannot be changed once made. As the Screaming Child's caster level increases, it can modify the same spell with multiple spell secrets. A standard Screaming Child has the spellcasting ability of a 9th level wizard, giving it three spell secrets it will have used to modify a 0-2nd level spell at CL 3, a 0-3rd level spell at CL 6, and a 0-5th level spell at CL 9.
Sudden Action: Once per day, the Screaming Child can focus its ki to burst into sudden action. This gives it a +4 bonus on its initiative check for that combat.
Unholy Toughness (Ex): The Screaming Child gains a bonus to its hit points equal to its Charisma modifier × its Hit Dice.
Possessions: rattle, two scrolls of greater invisibility (CL 9th), ring of improved jumping.
In Kara-Tur
The Seven Swords were the leading members of the Ito clan and lived in Ito-Jo castle. The malign influence of a krakentoa led to their rule becoming tyrannical and eventually brought down a dreadful curse upon the Swords and the entire castle, turning it into a haunted place of the damned. The Seven Swords of Ito-Jo cannot be destroyed simply by destroying their sword charms. The only way to permanently lay them to rest is to slay the krakentoa responsible for the curse.
The Screaming Child was once Ito Gohei, a wu-jen magic user whose specialism was the element of air. It is unknown whether he was a korobokuru dwarf or a human with dwarfism; the latter seems more likely as he was a full member of the Ito clan. Gohei loved the theater and had a stage set up in his quarters where he pretended to be a great thespian, despite making no effort to learn any Perform skills.
Originally appeared in OA2 - Night of the Seven Swords (1986).
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