Corpse Host
This spell enables an individual touched by the
caster to transfer his or her life force to temporarily animate the fresh corpse of a human, demihuman, or
humanoid. This spell will fail if cast on undead. The
recipient wills the cadaver to move and act and can
even cast spells through it — all while his or her own
body is safely up to 5 miles away per level of the caster.
While animated by the host's life force, the corpse
ceases to decay; however, unless illusionary magic is
cast upon it, the cadaver will appear to be a form of
undead (such a ju-ju zombie).
The recipient (who may be the caster) can see, hear,
and sense through the corpse host. The host can fight,
talk hoarsely (with the voice of the corpse), and carry
things — in fact, it can perform all tasks less exacting
than lock-picking, sewing, and similar handicrafts. It
can even go adventuring and earn experience points
for its "master."
The recipient's mind functions in two places simultaneously — within the corpse host and within his or
her real body. The real body can still sense (see, hear,
and so on) exactly as before, even benefiting from
enhancements such as a magical ring. The tradeoff is
paralysis. Aside from breathing, blinking, and moving
his or her eyes, the recipient cannot move his or her real
body while the host is animated. (Friendly guards are a
wise precaution. So is a pleasant or strategic view). The
real body does not need to eat, drink, or sleep.
The recipient is vulnerable when his or her corpse
host is the target of magical and psionic powers that
affect the mind. The host can be fooled by illusion
spells to the same degree as the recipient. It works this
way because both recipient and host are actually sharing the same mind.
Physical attacks against the corpse host don't damage the real body, though they do harm the host. The
latter has a number of "hit points" equal to the recipient's normal maximum (even if the recipient is currently crippled). The host has the recipient's natural
armor class (10), though it may wear armor and
employ weaponry with the same restrictions that
apply to the recipient. The host does not benefit from
anything worn or carried by the recipient's real body,
however.
The corpse host can withstand attacks as well as (or
as poorly as) the recipient can normally. Note that
since the host is not undead, it may not be turned or
affected with spells or magical items that influence
such creatures.
If the host drops to 0 or fewer hit points, the owner
must make a system shock roll. Failure indicates that
the real body also dies along with the host. The spiritual link between the recipient and host can also be
abruptly severed by (successfully) casting the wizard
spells dispel magic, Limited Wish or Wish or by employing
the clerical spells Spirit Release or Dispel Evil. Severance of
the spiritual link also requires the recipient to make a
system shock roll in order to survive the ordeal.
The recipient of this spell can abandon the link
with the corpse host at any time, with no harm to
him- or herself. The host immediately collapses
(resuming its usual decay), and the recipient immediately regains control of his or her real body. The
same thing occurs when the spell ends or the corpse
host somehow moves beyond the spell's range or to
another plane.
Material Components
Harvesting the piece of flesh from the subject at the time of casting inflicts 1 - 3 hit points of damage. At the conclusion of the spell, the recipient is entitled to a saving throw vs. death magic. If failed, the hit point loss is permanent (consumed by the spell) and cannot be reversed or magically healed except with a wish or Restoration spell. If successful, the loss in hit points, while temporary, can only be regained by normal rest.[Complete Book of Necromancers]
School: Necromancy
Level: 6
Rarity: Common
Level: 6
Rarity: Common
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 day/ level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 day/ level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
a fresh corpse (of an individual who has been dead for no longer than 1 day per level of the caster) and a freshly-excised patch of the recipient's skin
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