Incarnate

Incarnates are living abstractions, such as pure evil or pure courage, invisible except to magical sight, which shows a ball of shifting colored light. They roam the upper and lower Outer Planes, favoring layers that suit them. The two major kinds are good and evil; the fourteen minor kinds are the seven virtues and seven vices detailed below. Statistics in parentheses are for minor incarnates.

Each hunts creatures rich in its own essence to claim as hosts, its touch draining 2 Constitution. At zero, the victim makes a system shock roll on his original score, and success blocks the takeover; either way, Constitution is restored at once. If the attack stops early, it returns at 2 points per turn. Creatures lacking the score count as 12.

Once in, it links telepathically and may control the host's words, deeds and spells (good ones seldom do). It grants powers, blocks ghosts, haunts and magic jar, and gives the host the mental resistance of Wisdom 25.

Harming the host never touches the incarnate. Only the host's death or a spell evicts it: dispel evil/good or limited wish for minor incarnates, and abjure, exaction, holy/unholy ward or wish for any. Outside a host it can be struck by +1 or better weapons and ignores heat, cold and electricity.

Hosts under 10 HD are burned to nothing. A higher-level host of different alignment suffers 10d8 damage less 1d8 per level over 10th (5d8 at 15th, none at 20th), then temporarily takes on the incarnate's alignment. A major incarnate has no powers without a host.

Good ones (LG) dwell on the heavenly mountain's seventh layer, sometimes its fourth to sixth, hosting only in the highest archons there; elsewhere they seek paladins, lawful good priests and gold or silver dragons. Their host gets permanent 20-foot protection from evil plus detect evil, the turning power of a 5th-level cleric (five levels better if it already turns), +1 Strength and Wisdom and +3 Charisma (maximum 19).

Evil ones (CE) lurk in the vilest pits of the Abyss and target the powerful. Their host gets permanent 10-foot protection from good plus detect good, may command undead and turn paladins like a 5th-level evil cleric (five levels better if already able), +2 Strength (maximum 19), -1 Wisdom and -3 Charisma (minimum 3).

Score changes apply at once, within 3-18, and neutral hosts are only stopovers. Good minors never compel and leave hosts they would harm; evil minors prefer good hosts and force vile acts, and resisting costs 2 Dexterity.

Good: Charity (LG; heavenly mountain, twin paradise) +1 Wisdom and Charisma, immune to greed, envy and berserk rage, leaves if a yielding foe is slain. Courage (NG; upper planes) +1 Constitution and Charisma, immune to magical fear, bold but not rash, leaves if the host turns evil. Hope (CG; upper planes; most numerous) +1 Charisma, +1 all saves, immune to despair. Faith (LG; upper planes) +2 Strength and Wisdom, +1 Charisma, immune to magical alignment change, paladin or lawful good priest hosts only. Justice (LG; heavenly mountain; fewest good) +1 Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma, leaves at any unfair act. Temperance (NG; plane of perfect order, sometimes the plane of beasts or heavenly mountain) +2 on saves against fear, charm, taunt, confusion, symbol, emotion and spook, no evil hosts. Wisdom (NG; heavenly mountain) +1 Wisdom, evil hosts only as a last resort.

Evil: Anger (NE; lower planes) +1 Strength, -2 Intelligence and Charisma, sudden murderous rage. Covetousness (NE; a volcanic lower plane, the gray wasteland of despair) -2 Wisdom and Charisma, gold fever or miserliness. Envy (CE; lower planes; rarest) -2 Wisdom and Charisma, hidden spite, rumor and sabotage of others' treasure. Gluttony (NE; most lower planes) -2 Wisdom and Charisma, constant overeating and food theft, +2d4+4 lbs. weekly with -2 Strength, Dexterity and Constitution per 100 pounds. Lust (CE; the Abyss) +1 Charisma, -2 Intelligence and Wisdom, desperate unmet craving. Pride (LE; the hells) -1 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence and Charisma, treats all as servants. Sloth (NE; lower planes) -2 Strength, Dexterity and Wisdom, takes any host, who turns idle and careless, sleeping on watch and skipping spells or prayers.