6th-Level Spells
Corpse Host (Necromancy)
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 day/level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
This spell enables an individual touched by the caster to transfer his or her
life force to temporarily animate the fresh corpse of a human, demihuman, or
humanoid. This spell will fail if cast on undead. The recipient wills the cadaver
to move and act and can even cast spells through it—all while his or her own
body is safely up to 5 miles away per level of the caster. While animated by the
host’s life force, the corpse ceases to decay; however, unless illusionary
magic is cast upon it, the cadaver will appear to be a form of undead (such a
ju-ju zombie).
The recipient (who may be the caster) can see, hear, and sense through the
corpse host. The host can fight, talk hoarsely (with the voice of the corpse), and
carry things—in fact, it can perform all tasks less exacting than
lock-picking, sewing, and similar handicrafts. It can even go adventuring and earn
experience points for its “master.”
The recipient’s mind functions in two places simultaneously—within the corpse
host and within his or her real body. The real body can still sense (see, hear,
and so on) exactly as before, even benefiting from enhancements such as a
magical ring. The tradeoff is paralysis. Aside from breathing, blinking, and moving
his or her eyes, the recipient cannot move his or her real body while the host
is animated. (Friendly guards are a wise precaution. So is a pleasant or
strategic view). The real body does not need to eat, drink, or sleep.
The recipient is vulnerable when his or her corpse host is the target of
magical and psionic powers that affect the mind. The host can be fooled by illusion
spells to the same degree as the recipient. It works this way because both
recipient and host are actually sharing the same mind.
Physical attacks against the corpse host don’t damage the real body, though
they do harm the host. The latter has a number of “hit points” equal to the
recipient’s normal maximum (even if the recipient is currently crippled). The host
has the recipient’s natural armor class (10), though it may wear armor and
employ weaponry with the same restrictions that apply to the recipient. The host
does not benefit from anything worn or carried by the recipient’s real body,
however.
The corpse host can withstand attacks as well as (or as poorly as) the
recipient can normally. Note that since the host is not undead, it may not be turned
or affected with spells or magical items that influence such creatures.
If the host drops to 0 or fewer hit points, the owner must make a system shock
roll. Failure indicates that the real body also dies along with the host. The
spiritual link between the recipient and host can also be abruptly severed by
(successfully) casting the wizard spells dispel magic, limited wish or wish or by employing the clerical spells spirit release or dispel evil. Severance of the spiritual link also requires the recipient to make a system
shock roll in order to survive the ordeal.
The recipient of this spell can abandon the link with the corpse host at any
time, with no harm to him- or herself. The host immediately collapses (resuming
its usual decay), and the recipient immediately regains control of his or her
real body. The same thing occurs when the spell ends or the corpse host somehow
moves beyond the spell’s range or to another plane.
The material components include a fresh corpse (of an individual who has been
dead for no longer than 1 day per level of the caster) and a freshly-excised
patch of the recipient’s skin. Harvesting this piece of flesh from the subject at
the time of casting also inflicts 1–3 hit points of damage. At the conclusion
of the spell, the recipient is entitled to a saving throw vs. death magic. If
failed, the hit point loss is permanent (consumed by the spell) and cannot be
reversed or magically healed except with a wish or restoration spell. If successful, the loss in hit points, while temporary, can only be
regained by normal rest.
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