Dark Puppeteer (3.5e Template)
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Dark Puppeteer[edit]
A dark puppeteer is an incorporeal undead controlling its own zombified body. This terrifying kind of undead possess has a foothold in both world. The origin of dark puppeteers are varied. A dark puppeteer could be a ghost that got attached to a body not it own, or maybe a mortal who barely survived a [death] spell but still got her soul knocked out of her body. In any case the dark puppeteer possess multiple abilities associated with a ghost alongside it psychical body. In essence they have the best of both worlds.
This template also features variant of itself, such as a celestial or fiend possessing a mortal from afar among other things.
Creating a Dark Puppeteer[edit]
The Dark Puppeteer is an acquired template that can be added to any living creatures.
Ability Scores: A dark puppeteer loses its Strength and Constitution score. However keep note of both, as the flesh puppet retain its strength, and the template's fast healing ability, and relies on its 'old' constitution.
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to Undead. Do not recalculate the creature’s Base Attack Bonus, saves, or skill points. It gains the Incorporeal subtype. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: All current and future Hit Dice become d12s.
Armor Class: A dark puppeteer lose its natural armor bonus to AC, however it gains its Charisma Modifier as a deflection bonus to AC.
Feat: A dark puppeteer and its flesh puppet receive the Anima Toughness and Sensitive Corpse feats as bonus feats without needing to meet the prerequisites.
Special Attacks: A creature receive the following special qualities:
Poltergeist (Su): A dark puppeteer of CR 4 or lower can replicate the effect of mage hand at will. Starting at CR 5 it can replicate the effect of telekinesis at will. At CR 11 this ability further improves to improved telekinesis.
Possession (Su): Once per round a dark puppeteer is able to possess a corporeal creature much like magic jar, except that it does not require a receptacle. The dark puppeteer needs to pass through the creature's square, which provoke an attack of opportunity, the creature is allowed a will save as normal. If the possession fails, the dark puppeteer materializes in a square adjacent to the creature it attempted to possess, as is unable to take any action until the beginning of it next turn. The creature it attempted to possess is immune to further possession attempt for 24 hours.
Special Qualities: A dark puppeteer receive the following special qualities:
Fast Healing (Ex): Both the dark puppeteer and its flesh puppet possess Fast Healing equal to 1 + their former Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).
Flesh Puppet (Ex): A dark puppeteer possesses two bodies, one physical and one purely Incorporeal. The dark puppeteer's actual body is it incorporeal one and the physical is merely a puppet to do as it please. In essence treat the physical body as a Simple Zombie of the Dark Puppeteer which lack the Dark Puppeteer's Incorporeal Subtype and do not get double hit points. The physical body 'level up' whenever the Dark Puppeteer do (essentially just gaining extra HDs). The Dark Puppeteer share initiative with her flesh puppet. The Flesh Puppet usually look very much alive, only a DC 25 Heal check can determine it is in fact a zombie. It still act like a zombie, obeying it last order, etc, when the dark puppeteer isn't present.
If the physical body is destroyed, the dark puppeteer can raise it as a full-round action as per corpse reanimation. If the corpse is horribly damaged or completely destroyed the dark puppeteer can restore it over the course of 24 hours.
Immunities (Ex): In addition to the undead's normal immunity a dark puppeteer is immune to any effect which would manipulate or move or soul as well as possession effect (such as magic jar in both cases) under normal circumstances. However if it destroyed by such an effect it is bodily dragged into the soulgem or thinaun weapon used to destroy it and remain trapped as normal.
Invisible Nature (Su): A dark puppeteer is always invisible as per persistent invisibility. It may suppress or resume this ability as a free action. When it become 'visible' it appear as a dark mote of shadow or similar ghostly appearance.
Perfect Control (Su): When a dark puppeteer is within 120 feet of it Flesh Puppet it gains the ability to see through it senses, speak as it, and otherwise control the body perfectly. In this case the Flesh Puppet gain the BAB, skills, feats and class abilities of the dark puppeteer. It's still mindless as it being controlled by an outside force. The Flesh Puppet still possesses 'Single Action Only', however if the Dark Puppeteer focus on controlling it flesh puppet it can take a full turn worth of action instead. A dark puppeteer focusing on control may only take a single move action per turn. The Flesh Puppet can never gain any of this template's special abilities unless specified otherwise in the ability.
Rejuvenation (Su): A dark puppeteer's incorporeal form is extremely hard to destroy. When destroyed by conventional means it will simply dissolve into nothing, leaving it flesh puppet as a mindless undead. However destroying a Dark Puppeteer this way only disperses it for 24 hours after which it will return to the material world unharmed. If a dark puppeteer is slain by a holy weapon or due to the result of being turned all it will be dispersed for 2d6 days.
Finally while not extraplanar, a dark puppeteer's incorporeal form is vulnerable to the banishment spell when weakened, causing it to disperse for a year per caster level. The Dark Puppeteer is able to return early, each year it can make a character level check against the caster level of the banisher, if the dark puppeteer is successful it reform as normal. Only dark puppeteer with 50% hit points remaining or less are vulnerable to banishment.
A dark puppeteer can be permanently taken care of by dispersing or banishing it on the same day it rejuvenated after it was slain by either a holy weapon or Banished, at which point it cease to exist or move on to whatever appropriated afterlife. One can alternatively trap it 'soul' using a spell or weapon capable of doing so, although if it soul is release the Dark Puppeteer will reform immediately.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A Dark Puppeteer has +4 turn resistance. If the Dark Puppeteer is not turned or rebuked then it flesh puppet cannot be.
Challenge Rating: +4
Level Adjustment: +4
Variant[edit]
See Here.
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