12th level Wizard

Zaius Rathe's Ghost

Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Challenge Rating: 17
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Zaius is probably the most infamous of the golem creators in Inzeladun.  He served as the court wizard of King Zyrus Allamahiny of Ingara from 1229 V to 1240 V.  His service was ended when his first creation, Astin, killed the king.  During that period, however, Zaius had the funding to completely research with impunity the secrets of life.   Zaius made a rare, and insanely hazardous, trip to Khemt in 1230 where he was given permission to examine royal Undead mummies.  Upon his return in late 1230, Zaius traveled to the Forbidden Castle in Drychtnoth where he was given permission by whatever forces that lurk there to study a vampire.  Armed with new knowledge, Zaius began his experiments.  Creating small homonculai at first, Zaius strove onward, wanting to not just grow new life, but to reanimate the dead.  He achieved his goal in 1237 with disastrous results.  He changed his focus to making new life, but out of the corpses of others.  Using the powers vested in him, and the immunity from prosecution, Zaius would frame the people who had body parts he wanted so that they would be executed.  He would either attend the execution or would act as the executioner so that he could quickly get the parts he needed.  He constructed a body in mid 1240.  He succeeded.  He created his first flesh golem.  Astin. 

Unfortunately, Astin went insane within three months and escaped after killing the king.  The next king did not know that the king's assassin was created by his court wizard, so Zaius retained his post.  The insane behavior of Astin was no matter to Zaius.  He had learned from past mistakes and opted to create another.  He felt that Elvish bodies, being innately magical, would make for a better creation.  He also hoped to make a more tranquil creation than Astin, so to this end he opted to create a female.  He spent two years modifying his research.  Traveling to Drychtnoth in early 1242, Zaius bought 7 Elvish female slaves.  Once back in Ingara, he killed them and began to assemble his new life form.  He called her Lenore.

Astin was still a cause of woe to Zaius.  He would return every so often to torment his creator.  Zaius was also being targeted by the Ingaran nobility for his excesses.  Finally, in 1247, Zaius was cast out from Ingaran society because of the actions of Astin and the nobility.   Zaius wanted revenge.  He began the creation of his third monster to be a hunter to destroy Astin and the nobles that participated in his fall from grace.  And so Trendar Plague-Maker was created.  With the arms and torso of a hill giant, the legs of a horse, and the head of a bull, Trendar Plague-Maker was truly a monster.  But the plan for revenge did not work.  Trendar escaped shortly after his creation, nearly killing Zaius in the process.  Zaius had to flee his new home. 

In 1260, one of Zaius Rathe's friends, had battled with the undead and was afflicted with mummy rot.  Seeing his friend die of this disease, Zaius, against his friend's wishes, decided to rescue him.  The alchemist put together a new body for the warrior and transferred the warrior's mind into that body.  Jenson, the warrior, killed Zaius after his memories returned and he realized what had happened to him.

Draining Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack drains 1d4 points from any one ability score it selects. On each such successful attack, the ghost heals 5 points of damage to itself. Against ethereal opponents, it adds its Strength modifier to attack rolls only. Against non-ethereal opponents, it adds its Dexterity modifier to attack rolls only.  Zaius usually drains Wisdom to make his Malevolence more effective.

Horrific Appearance (Su): Any living creature within 60 feet that views a ghost must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 21) or immediately take 1d4 points of Strength damage, 1d4 points of Dexterity damage, and 1d4 points of Constitution damage. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same ghost’s horrific appearance for 24 hours.

Malevolence (Su): Once per round, an ethereal ghost can merge its body with a creature on the Material Plane. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th or the ghost’s Hit Dice, whichever is higher), except that it does not require a receptacle. To use this ability, the ghost must be manifested and it must try move into the target’s space; moving into the target’s space to use the malevolence ability does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 20). A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same ghost’s malevolence for 24 hours, and the ghost cannot enter the target’s space. If the save fails, the ghost vanishes into the target’s body.

Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon (see Ghostly Equipment, below). A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.

When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets.

A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes.

Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research.

Turn Resistance (Ex): A ghost has +4 turn resistance.

Ghostly Equipment

When a ghost forms, all its equipment and carried items usually become ethereal along with it. In addition, the ghost retains 2d4 items that it particularly valued in life (provided they are not in another creature’s possession). The equipment works normally on the Ethereal Plane but passes harmlessly through material objects or creatures. A weapon of +1 or better magical enhancement, however, can harm material creatures when the ghost manifests, but any such attack has a 50% chance to fail unless the weapon is a ghost touch weapon (just as magic weapons can fail to harm the ghost).

The original material items remain behind, just as the ghost’s physical remains do. If another creature seizes the original, the ethereal copy fades away. This loss invariably angers the ghost, who stops at nothing to return the item to its original resting place.