Phantom Limb (3.5e Monster)

''A ghostly hand lunges out at you! As it grasps you your own matching hand seems to go numb.''

A phantom limb is the ghost of a severed limb, usually formed from amputees that regret the loss of the body part or those who died by violent explosion and were dismembered, and thus when they rose as a ghost they rose in pieces. They seek bodies to inhabit again, possessing them and then driving its owner to their death in a hope for a complete spectral body. They come in the form of hands and arms, feet and legs, and severed heads. Rarely they may also appear as wings or tails for inhuman creature's phantom limbs.

Combat
Phantom limbs leap out in ambush, numbing the body in preparation for possession. After possession it often tries to lay low and act normal or even aid its user so they do not try and remove them until they are stuck in a compromising position, in which case their possession becomes baneful and they attempt to murder their host.

Phantom limbs sometimes work together, especially if they have a complete set of arms, legs, and head. With this they can appear as a torso-less ghost and most will assume them one single creature.

Crowded Fighting : A phantom limb can pass through and fight in the same square of other creatures (with exception of rare creatures that entirely fill their 5 ft space).

Extended Reach : Phantom limbs can attack out to 5 ft reach. However they do not threaten, they still have a normal reach of 0 ft.

Ghost Touch : Phantom limbs are selectively incorporeal and are able to manipulate objects as if they were ghost touch items. They use their Dexterity modifier for their Strength modifier.

Limb Traits : Phantom limbs come in various shapes and sizes, and their shapes have a subtle effect on what they are capable of.


 * Hands: Hands can hold items and wield light or one-handed weapons, as well as make combat maneuver checks such as grapple or disarm. Their numbing touch disables the use of one of the creature's hands for 1 round, which may prevent the use of weapons or shields (but the creature does not drop their item).


 * Feet: Feet threaten a 5 ft area around them, and they may make trip attacks and their incorporeal touch deals 1d8 damage. Their numbing touch disables the use of one of the creature's legs, reducing its movement speed in half for 1 round (minimum 5 ft) or 0 ft if all legs are disabled.


 * Head: Heads gains several spell-like abilities: At will-ghost sound, shatter; 3/day-sound burst (DC 15). The saves are Charisma based.  Their numbing touch disables the ability to speak or avert one's gaze for 1 round.


 * Wings: Wings can make two incorporeal touch attacks as a standard action, and their fly speed is increased to 60 ft (perfect). Their numbing touch disables the use of flight by wings for 1 round, which may cause a creature to fall.


 * Tail: Tails have a sweeping attack dealing their incorporeal touch attack to all creatures in a 15 ft cone with a single attack roll. Their numbing touch disables the use of tail attacks and reduces balance checks by -10 for 1 round.

Numbing Touch :  When a phantom limb hits with its incorporeal touch attack the creature must make a DC 16 Fortitude save or have the limb it represents go numb (with various penalties, see Limb Traits). The creature also takes a -2 penalty against its Possess ability for 1 round as well. The saving throw is Charisma based.

Possess :  The phantom limb can possess its living counterpart within touch range as a standard action and a DC 16 Will save. The limb becomes possessed and the phantom limb vanishes, effectively untouchable for the time. When the limb is possessed it radiates as being undead and evil, and the phantom limb can choose to aid or assume control of the victim's body. It can choose to aid another as a free action, providing a +2 circumstance bonus on any check involving the hands, legs, or other appropriate limb. However it can also choose to inhibit an action and take control, using the limb to perform actions and using its victim's ability scores if greater (but not class features, skill ranks, or feats). Hands can attack with weapons, feet can control movement, and heads can talk and bite (but cannot use spells except their own SLAs). The victim gains a Will save to resist undesired movements and commands for 1 round, but it does not free them from possession. remove curse followed by break enchantment or the application of holy water (which burns the host as if they were an evil outsider) causes the phantom limb to flee and manifest in the nearest empty space.

The phantom limb possesses empathy with its host while it resides within them. It will usually cooperate, then backstab its host when the opportunity presents itself. Because only a portion of the body is possessed multiple phantom limbs can possess a single creature, up to one phantom limb for every hand, foot, head, and so forth and each must be removed from the possessed host individually. The saving throw is Charisma based.