Priests of Hextor, using a form of resurrection spell, a Pit Fiends wish and a fiendish artifact(a coffin of bone) make these happy campers.Enjoy.
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any (no need for sleep)
DIET: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Variable
TREASURE: Special
ALIGNMENT: Any evil
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 10
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 14
THACO: 7 oe Better
NO. OF ATTACKS: Variable (1)
DAMAGE/ ATTACK: By weapon type +4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (Variable)
MORALE: Fanatic (17-18)
XP VALUE: Variable
The animus is a unique undead creature created by priests of the evil Power Hextor with the help of infernal, fiendish aid. Animuses are driven creatures filled with cold hatred and burning ambition for cruel rulership, the infliction of suffering, or some other equally dire goal.
Most animuses appear to be humans with weathered and wrinkled skin-prematurely aged, but clearly strong and of powerful build. Some (about 25%) are hideous in appearance, almost lichlike; such creatures have an effective Charisma of 3 and often wear masks to disguise their appearance. A small minority (around 10%) are almost indistinguishable from normal, middle-aged humans.
Almost all animuses are somewhat vain and dress well, as befits their former station in life. Animus creatures were formerly nobles, generals, and advisers t{) the Over king of the Great Kingdom, and had human lives as priests, warriors, and the like.
Combat: The animus has a plethora of special attacks and defenses that make it a formidable opponent. Animuses that had special abilities in their living state by virtue of class (or more rarely, by race) still possess these in animus form. Thus, an animus created from a 12th-level warrior has two melee attacks per .round; an animus-priest can cast spells as per its experience level while alive; and so on.
Animuses are very strong; they possess 18/76 Strength and 18 Constitution, while other ability scores equal those they possessed in life. Their touch creates fear. They can radiate a circle of command to a 10-yard radius; with a gesture to any single creature in the area, they can force that creature to its knees (or equivalent) for one round by sheer force of will. This action takes one segment, and is ineffective against any creature that has Intelligence of 3 or less. Other creatures are permitted a saving throw versus spell to negate. The animus may use its command gesture once per turn.
An animus also has a domination gaze; a victim who fails to make a saving throw versus spell is unable to act as long as the animus continues to stare (and does not otherwise attack) at him. A victim so dominated can have one suggestion implanted into his mind by the animus that has dominated him. An animus may make no other action on it round on which it uses its domination gaze.
An animus may command nonintelligent undead creatures (skeletons, zombies, etc.) automatically. Other undead have neither special enmity, nor any special liking or respect for an animus.
An animus has many immunities and special defenses: it is immune to poison, paralyzation, charm, sleep, hold, and magic jar spells, and to nonmagical weapons. No form of fear will affect an animus. Because the animus is highly vigilant, it cannot be surprised. Animuses suffer half or quarter damage from acid, cold, and electrical attacks, and are immune to energy drains. If an attempt is made to turn or command an animus, the animus is treated as a Special on the Turning matrix, and the priest attempting to influence the animus makes his attempt as if he were four levels lower than his actual level. The animus receives a saving throw versus spell to negate the turning/commanding.
Holy water affects an animus normally (2d4 hp damage per flask). An animus can suffer from the effects of diseases (although it cannot be killed by disease). In some instances, splashing holy water may be the best way of recognizing an animus for what it is.
Most feared of all is the remarkable difficulty of destroying an animus. Animuses regenerate 2 hit points per round in combat, but they also regenerate after death. Even severed and separated body parts will crawl back together to reform the body of the animus (after being reduced to 0 hit points, the creature regenerates 1 hp per turn). The only sure way to destroy an animus is to burn the body to ashes or dissolve it completely in acid.
As noted, an animus may use spells if it did so in life. A wizard- animus still needs spellbooks, magical components, and the like. A priest-animus must still receive the favor of its Power to be able to cast spells.
Habitat/Society: The origin of the animus is central to under- standing what motivates it. Animuses were created largely against their wills by priests and fiends serving Ivid V; powerful warriors, priests, and wizards were slain and then revivified in animus form. Some were powerful local rulers in their own right before this process, and others have gained such status in the sundered lands of old Aerdy, their invulnerability making it easy for them to eliminate competition and take power into their own hands.
Animuses are torn between being solitary and having to exist in a social world. An animus has no friends and, no longer feels any affiliative needs, friendship, love, or the need for companions, just as it needs no food, drink, or other bodily pleasures or sustenance.
The motivations that drive ananims are dark: revenge, hatred, and fury. Dominant motivations from the previous life will still exist if these are not inharmonious with this list: the desire for power, wealth, battle, and the like. But almost every animus is filled with self-loathing at the same time, as it hates the living creatures around it, for they remind it of what it once was itself. An animus needs plenty time alone to brood on its dark and wretched emotions. Some have developed a very tight self-control in such hours, to mask their stormy furies when dealing with others.
Since most animuses are rulers or nobles, each has a hierarchy of servants and henchmen with which it must deal. Some rule with cold tyrannical brutality, sadistically plunging wretched subjects into abject terror. Others are more measured and controlled, but still burn with an icy fire of hatred within. A very few have developed some capacity for detachment, irony, and cynicism which allow them to go through the motions of courtly life and the manners and pleasantries of society, but they are few indeed.
Ecology: The exact processes by which animuses have been brought into being are unknown. What is known is that priests of Hextor, using a form of resurrection spell, together with fiends, work on the corpse and spirit of a slain human to create the animus, working its special defenses into its body and affecting its spirit. Ivid wanted single-minded, utterly loyal servants. What the priests and fiends created was a creature with the capacity to be ferociously single-minded and cold in its motivations and utterly implacable in its pursuit of what it wanted. How they did that, and whether the result was exactly what they wanted, is not clear.
It is rumored that some animuses have special attacks or defenses in addition to those previously listed as standard (but no more than one special attack or defense per animus). Szeffrin, the animus ruler of part of old Almor, is said to have skin as tough as iron, and to be resistant to attacks with edged weapons; the animus-priest Delglath of Rinloru is said to be able to raise blisters on the palms of his hands from which he can secrete a terrible burning corrosive acid, without any harm to himself, but which he uses for shaking the hand of a terrified prisoner while smiling in triumph. “Delglath’s blessing” is a phrase whispered in Rinloru to refer to this dread touch.
Finally, note that as a result of their creation, many animus crea- tures are as paranoid as they are arrogant. Animuses see enemies, real and imagined, all around them. They are usually obsessed with assas- sination even to the point that they have their food tested for poison, despite the fact that they cannot be slain by it (animuses often rationalize this by saying that they cannot be certain that no poison found anywhere can kill them). Some animuses, the more intelligent of the breed, have a detached ironical insight into their own paranoia, but again, this is a rarity.
But, hey!, don't let me stop you :whatsthis
You mean to tell me that this little nugget of information is not readily available to players?
Given that the animus is a major archtype in the black hole called the Great Kingdom, I just supposed that everyone knew what these monsters were.
Nice, but I enjoyed it a long time ago.
You mean to tell me that this little nugget of information is not readily available to players?
Given that the animus is a major archtype in the black hole called the Great Kingdom, I just supposed that everyone knew what these monsters were.
I had never heard of them until I got my issue of Greyhawk Journal #2 about 6 months ago. All of us who are still kinda new to Greyhawk are oblivious to a lot of things, for example: The Animus.
Older guys don't know that we don't know and we don't know that we don't know. So the vicious cycle continues... luckily i have a great friend who has a great knowledge of Greyhawk and occasionally he gives me scraps from his table to chew on, but for the most part us newcomers have to fend for ourselves and jump into a vast ocean of details and try to flesh it all out somehow. Hard to do blind and when you don't even know what you are lookign for.
Most of those that download (and print) Ivid the Undying, have few other D&D resources...
I *choked* with a Warhammer player that was usind the Aerdy as a battleground for Dark Elves and didn't even know what Greyhawk was...
It`s CR +3 , gains undead type (HD, saves, based on Cha etc) and the following:
Command Undead, Fear Touch, Gr. Command, Paralyzing Gaze, Suggestion, DR 10/+1, Turn Resistance, Resist cold/acid/elec 20, Fast Healing 5, Grim Visage(25% chance to get this; -4 Diplomacy,Disguise, Gather ino but +4 Intimdation), Disease Vulnerability(can get diseases but scores don`t go to zero), 5% for unique power (examples DR 10/- (Szeffrin), Melf`s Acid Arrow touch (Delglath), breathe stinking cloud(Kobasten)) Usually 2nd level sor/wiz spell.
Abilities: Str+4, Cha+2
Skills: +4 on Listen, Sense Motive, Spot,
Feats: gain alertness, Impt ini, Lightning reflexes
CR +3
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Greyhawk/Animus.rtf
I had never heard of them until I got my issue of Greyhawk Journal #2 about 6 months ago. All of us who are still kinda new to Greyhawk are oblivious to a lot of things, for example: The Animus.
Older guys don't know that we don't know and we don't know that we don't know. So the vicious cycle continues... luckily i have a great friend who has a great knowledge of Greyhawk and occasionally he gives me scraps from his table to chew on, but for the most part us newcomers have to fend for ourselves and jump into a vast ocean of details and try to flesh it all out somehow. Hard to do blind and when you don't even know what you are lookign for.
Boy that sounds like the last 20 years of published Greyhawk material history right there. In other words, (To paraphrase) those who don't know about the past are doomed to reinvent it.
I guess I had not thought about it from a new player perspective for some time. My apologies if I offend. . . . Sounds like you are on your way to finding that missing data. Networking and searching on the web.
Also, the Animus is a river in SW Colorado (flows through Durango). I hesitated for a split-second the first time I saw that sign out there. :D
I guess I had not thought about it from a new player perspective for some time. My apologies if I offend. . . .
No offense taken but the fact that most new players struggle to find solid information doesn't help in promoting the world. But dedicated players who fell in love with the game and want to use it as the world they DM in, will always go the extra mile to find out more. So I guess it is a double edged sword in that case. The amount of new GH fans is small but those that are new are almost guaranteed to be lifelong, diehard fans of the WOG because they have already dedicated themselves to a world that is hard to learn about without searching the web and used book stores.
Reason #1 why I feel WotC should publish a new Greyhawk hardcover. i'm a new player, and I have spent far too much time and money on trying to dig up out-of-print resources just so I can learn that there is more out there for me to learn. A lot of the older gamers think that releasing a new book would just be a scam to try to get more money, but I can't help but feel they forget about the new gamers who were introduced to D&D and Greyhawk as of 3e.
Dito.
Although we WoG newbies may be a small minority (on these boards and between roleplayers as well), I think what prevents people from starting playing Greyhawk is not the lack of quality of the setting, but the lack of comprehensive material. I said so on my first days on these boards, and of course, that's sensitive - with the resources available at CF, the genial OJs and all the free stuff by WotC we're provided with far more and better material than any other *dropped* or *minor/d20* setting and I enjoy and use that material often.
But I guess that although CF as the centre of Greyhawk fandom is quite famous, not all Greyhawkers know about it. - I mean, there are thousands and hundreds of thousands D&D players that not post on message boards nor frequent the internet nexus (err, nexusES). I personally was such a player/DM for years.
To use the *free* older material however, involves a lot of work, even with conversion guides etc. So, such superb modules like ItU tend to be *put in your PDF box and be forgotten*.
What we really should try to buildwould be a comprehensive starter set, based on the older, freely available modules, such as Dark Sun or Planescape have for their newbies. (I mean, Athas.org gives you a free monster manual! Darn, that would be so great!!!)
For me old battleaxe of the Adri to look if it fits with my earlier conversion, for newbies to make the conception of a campaign based on ItU easier!
As the mighty WizOs have not commented this thread to violate any copyright, maybe we can do some more in that direction?
