Cause Plague
Note: This is NOT the horror power of the same name.Some Undead have the power of Cause Plague, which infects the victim with a highly contagious and lethal illness. Upon touching its victim the undead makes a Spellcasting test (up to its max. # of spells if it hits multiple times) and if successful rolls its step in Cause Plague (plus Karma if it desires to do so) against a target number equal to the victims Toughness step. If this test is successful the victim is infected and will serve as a carrier for the disease. The exact disease (hemorrhagic fever, the plague, leper, etc) is up to the GM, but is usually lethal in one or two weeks if untreated.
If others stay in close contact with the ill character there is a chance that they too will be infected, even if they state that they are careful. Each day they stay with the ill character, they have to pass a toughness test against the total number of days which they had contact, if they fail, they will get sick in 1 to 4 days and are themselves carrier of the disease.
Healing the original character is only possible by magical means and requires the simultaneous casting of Dispel Magic (Wi1, others 5), Assuring Touch (Il1), Reverse Withering (Ne7) all cast in a Life Circle of One (Ne2) and against a target number equal to the result of the Cause Plague test. (... and in turn requires at least three magicians)
All other characters may be healed normally by using the physician skill or any other applicable power or talent (GM's choice).
Drain Life
This Power allows the undead creature to transfer some of its target's lifeforce to itself. Some undead require this form of transfer to stay "healthy". Although the denial of sentient lifeforce will not cause them to die, they will eventually go crazy.There are two methods with which an undead creature may drain lifeforce.
The first one requires the undead to succeed in a close combat attack with at least a good success which causes no damage, after which it has secured a hold on its prey. The target may resist by making a strength test against the undead's attack step each round, but loses all other actions.
At the end of each following round the undead makes a Drain Life test, which automatically does the same amount of damage. Add half of this damage to the undead's Death Rating (Creatures with Drain life have two ratings). This damage (the damage added) is permanent and can only be recovered after the creature which drained the lifeforce is slain.
The second method is not initiated by the undead, but by a spellcaster who casts the spell Undead Struggle, in which case the undead may substitute its Drain Life step with its Willpower step. Most undead use this power only when it can single out and surprise one member of a group (while sleeping, etc).
All undead prefer willing targets since this allows them to gain the full damage they caused with Drain Life, although only half of the damage is permanent to the subject. Often this power involves the draining of blood which symbolizes the target's essence of life.
Drain Strength
Upon causing a wound in a close combat attack, make a Spellcasting test. If successful, roll the Drain Strength dice, subtract that much from the target's strength attribute. If the character's strength attribute reaches zero or lower, the character dies from heart failure. This Power does not require an action and NO Karma may be added to the result of the test in any case.Note that reduction of the strength attribute may make the use of certain weapons impossible or very difficult and lead to encumbrance modifiers.
Strength points lost may be recovered at the rate of one point per full night of rest.
Fear
Treat the Undead Power of Fear like the Dragon Power with the same name. (p. 291 ED)
Possession
As the name might suggest this power allows an undead entity to take control of a living being, including animals, but not plants.The undead has to touch its target or occupy the same place in the astral (most undead with this power are incorporeal). To accomplish this it makes a spellcasting test against the target's Spell Defense and if successful, follows up with a Possession test against the target's willpower (not willforce, sorry) step plus the Mystic Armor rating.
The amount of control the undead gains is relative to the success level of this test, in any case though the undead's "body" is now contained in the hosts body. Any damage from spells (inc. spells which only target undead, like undead struggle, etc.) or astral attacks hit both the undead and the host and all physical attacks only hit the host.
Control success levels:
- All-ones: The undead is repelled and suffers targets CHA+WIL step damage, it may never attempt to possess that individual again.
- Below average: No control.
- Average: Body control, no mind control. The host can still think and if allowed to speak, can talk normally.
- Good: As average, although the undead gains access to the host's foreground thoughts.
- Excellent: Body & Mind control, may control body and implant thoughts, close companions will notice a change since the undead does not have access to long-term memory.
- Extraordinary: As Excellent, complete access to memory. Unless the spirit does make serious mistakes, even close friends won't notice a difference.
As soon as the undead leaves the host's body the host suffers Possession Step damage, although this damage never causes a wound.
A character may willingly accept a possession by lowering his SD to 2, his MA to 0 and his WIL Step to 1.
Getting rid of a possession: (aka exorcism)
Requires the character to be placed in a Circle of Astral Protection (Ne5), with Blessed Light (Ne6) shining on his or her body, followed by a Dispel Magic (Wi1, others 5) test with a good success level against the undead's spell defense. Note that the undead will usually try to resist, using its host's talents (but not skills unless it achieved an excellent or higher success level in its Possession test as detailed above).
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