An Undead Old Master, also known as a neogi lich[1] or a night neogi, is a rogue undead neogi from the Spelljammer campaign setting.[2]
Overview[]
An undead old master is a rogue spellcasting neogi who has fled neogi society in an effort to avoid being transformed into a Great Old Master, and has achieved undeath using magic.[2]
Description[]
An undead old master resembles a living neogi i.e. a hairy, brightly-colored spider with an eel-like head and neck, except that, with time, its' flesh begins to shrivel, its' pelt begins to fade and it exudes the stench of carrion. Its' eyes eventually shrivel, becoming empty sockets lit by ghostly lights. Undead old masters who have some facility with magic illusions tend to disguise themselves as living creatures, grander than they ever were in life.[2]
Behavior[]
Undead old masters are typically cunning, strong-willed and ruthless, and often transcend the limits of their living fellows, becoming self-sufficient predators who prey on weaker creatures. They are usually crafty and paranoid, and while they may take their time in enacting their plans, when it comes to using magic and anticipating their enemies, they are very, very quick.[2]
Combat[]
Undead old master's prefer to move in complete silence, relying on stealth to avoid combat if at all possible. However, they will use their spells without hesitation to lash out at foes, and if forced to, will fight using their claws and teeth. However, their undead state means they no longer produce a slowing poison; instead the touch of their claws and mandibles chills living creatures in a similar manner to that of a lich. Whenever an undead old master physically strikes a victim, they suffer additional cold-based damage, and may also be paralyzed for a minute. If the undead neogi manages to strike the victim again, they may be paralyzed for an additional minute, and so on.
Undead old masters retain the spellcasting abilities they had in life, and in fact can improve them through study, practice, and the acquisition of new spells.
Due to their undead state, undead old masters are immune to sleep, charm, fear, hold, and death magic. They are also immune to poison and paralysis effects, and are completely unaffected by diseases (although they can carry and transmit them) and insanity. Attacks utilising cold or electricity are less effective. Undead old masters can only be turned by experienced priests and cannot be disrupted.
Undead old masters retain the slaves they had in life, and most will usually be accompanied by a bodyguard of up to 13 umber hulks.[2]
Society[]
Undead old masters hate all other beings, including other neogi. They trust nothing and no one, and exist only to accumulate slaves and treasure, and use these to acquire more slaves and treasure, controlling all they can. What they cannot control, they yearn to destroy. Undead old masters typically lair in dark, uninhabited caverns and ruins, or onboard derelict spelljammer vessels.
Undead neogi no longer need to eat, drink, or breathe, but will devour "things". They tend to weed out the weak and servile in the societies near which they lair, and on occasion may dominate and shape these societies from behind the throne, controlling lesser beings through awe, fear, clever manipulation, and their magical powers.[2]
Notable Undead old masters[]
- Skarkesh was the overmaster of the neogi fleet that originally discovered the Cloak of the First Pilot in a block of ice. Subsequent to the theft of the artifact by one of his slave-captains, Skarkesh's subordinates attempted to transform him into a Great Old Master. Fleeing his ex-servants, Skarkesh became an undead Old Master and eventually formed an alliance with the scro Tarantula Fleet in order to capture Teldin Moore, and recover the Cloak.[3][4]
- Ulurth was a renegade undead Old Master who absconded with a neogi broodship with a broodmaster onboard.[5]
Appendix[]
External Links[]
- Undead old master article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.
References[]
- ↑ Jon Winter, "The Ecology of the Neogi", Dragon Magazine #214, February 1995, (TSR Inc.), page 56
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Ed Greenwood, SJR1 Lost Ships, 1990, (TSR Inc.), Neogi: Undead Old Master entry, page 90
- ↑ Roger E. Moore, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Maelstrom's Eye, 1992, (TSR Inc.), pages 58-70 (first appearance in disguise as a humanoid lich)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Maelstrom's Eye, 1992, (TSR Inc.), pages 263-266 (revealed as an undead neogi)
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, SJR1 Lost Ships, 1990, (TSR Inc.), The Fallen Star, Adventures 1: Beginnings, pages 10-12