The Zombi Bottle and Zombi Powder

[clavis123]

The following two magic items are inspired by the Vodun lore of Haiti and New Orleans. Zombi Bottles are sometimes employed as a protection against evil spirits, while Zombi Powder has only evil uses. Both are used in the creation of Zombi Servants.


Zombi Bottle

A Zombi Bottle can take many forms, from a stoppered glass flask to a decorated gourd. Whatever its shape, the Zombi Bottle is used to trap souls.

If an empty Zombi Bottle is opened in the presence of a non-corporeal Undead (such as Wraith, Ghost, or Spectre), the creature must make a Mental Saving throw (with CL equal to the Level of the bottle's possessor), or be sucked inside the bottle. People who own such a bottle will sometime leave it open next to them as they sleep, as a trap for any wandering phantoms. Once an Undead spirit is trapped in a Zombi Bottle it becomes the slave of the bottle's possessor, and once a night it can be commanded to to leave the bottle, perform a service, and return to its prison. Such a servant is called a Zombi Astral, and Zombi Bottles already inhabited by Zombi Astrals are sometimes sold by unscrupulous necromancers. Care must be taken that an inhabited Zombi Bottle is never broken, or the imprisoned spirit will revenge itself upon its former master.

Alternately, a Zombi Bottle can be used to trap the soul of a living person, usually as a preliminary step in the creation of a Zombi Servant. The owner of the Zombi Bottle must open the bottle in the presence of the potential victim, and say the person’s name. The victim receives a Charisma Saving throw, with a CL equal to the Level of the Bottle's possessor. If the Save fails, the victim's soul is drawn into the Zombi Bottle, and he will thereafter regard whoever holds the bottle as if under the influence of a Charm Person spell. If such a victim is thereafter killed with Zombi Powder, he will become a Zombi Servant under the control of whoever possesses the Zombi Bottle. If a victim is slain by means other than Zombi Powder, their soul becomes a Zombi Astral (usually equal to a Wraith)

Witches with no interest in creating actual Zombi Servants will often employ Zombi Bottles to create living love slaves, either for their own use, or to be sold. As with incorporeal spirits, breaking a Zombi Bottle frees the soul inside.

A Zombi Bottle's possessor can choose to free any soul trapped inside a Zombi Bottle by opening it and stating that the soul is free.

Obviously, creatures with no souls (such as Elves) are immune to the effects of a Zombi Bottle.

Value: Empty – 8,500 gp; Filled: 8,500 + 1,000gp per Hit Die or Level of creature or person.
Experience: 3,000

*If the CK uses the Magician class, Create Zombi Bottle is a 5th Level Ceremony.


Zombi Powder

Zombi Powder is a deadly magical poison used primarily in the creation of Zombi Servants, but sometimes employed for simple assassinations. There are two kinds of the poison. The primary kind of Zombi Powder is made with recipe that is a closely guarded secret of certain necromancers, and includes puffer-fish, toad skins, and certain plants. The secondary form of Zombi Powder can be made cheaply, by grinding up the bones of those slain with the primary form. In fact, sorcerers will often make a small supply of the primary form, then use it to go on a murder spree in order to harvest a large amount of Zombi Powder from the bodies of the victims.

Zombi powder can be administered either in food and drink, or by being blown into a victim's face. The effects are horrible either way. The victim must Save versus Poison or be slain instantly. Even if a victim successfully Saves, they must Save again to avoid being completely Paralyzed for a 12-24 hours thereafter. Zombi Powder is so virulent in fact that it is hazardous to those who employ it. Anyone (other than a Leveled Assassin) handling or administering Zombi Powder must Save versus Dexterity or inadvertently dose themselves with the terrible substance. Even the sorcerers who make Zombi Powder are often slain by it.

If a victim is slain by Zombi Powder while their soul is trapped (usually in a Zombi Bottle), the victim becomes a Zombi Servant under the control of whoever holds his soul.

Needless to say, employing Zombi Powder in any form is an intensely evil act. Those involved with it can expect the most severe punishments at the hands of the civil authorities - except, of course, in those places where such people are the civil authorities.

Value: Primary – 1,000gp per dose; Secondary – 1 gp per dose
Experience: 900

*If the CK uses the Magician class, Create Zombi Powder is a 5th Level Ceremony. The Ceremony creates the primary form of the poison. The secondary form can be made by anyone who can locate a corpse slain with the primary Zombi Powder, and who possesses a strong stomach. Secondary Zombi Powder is thus often sold by Grave Robbers.

[Rikitiki]

Wow, Clavis...these are wicked cool!
Back to back, belly to belly...

[koralas]

Obviously, creatures with no souls (such as Elves) are immune to the effects of a Zombi Bottle.

Just curious, on what do you base that Elves have no souls?

[clavis123]

In game terms, Elves lacking souls goes back to 1st Edition AD&D. It was pretty clearly stated in numerous sources that Elves reincarnated beacuse they had spirits rather than souls. AD&D made that point because European folklore makes it very clear that Elves and similar creatures lack souls. Its why they frolic and do whatever they please - because there is no Heaven or Hell for them. One of the big things Elves and Fairy Folk hoped to get from human beings were souls. Marrying a human was one way for a Fairy women to acquire a soul. She would then, of course, become a mortal person.

It can be hard to see post-Tolkien elves as soulless, since he made them such moralistic creatures. Traditional elves, however, (such as many people in Iceland still believe in) are depicted as soulless, hedonistic, amoral, and hostile to religion.

[koralas]

In game terms, Elves lacking souls goes back to 1st Edition AD&D. It was pretty clearly stated in numerous sources that Elves reincarnated beacuse they had spirits rather than souls. AD&D made that point because European folklore makes it very clear that Elves and similar creatures lack souls. Its why they frolic and do whatever they please - because there is no Heaven or Hell for them. One of the big things Elves and Fairy Folk hoped to get from human beings were souls. Marrying a human was one way for a Fairy women to acquire a soul. She would then, of course, become a mortal person.

It can be hard to see post-Tolkien elves as soulless, since he made them such moralistic creatures. Traditional elves, however, (such as many people in Iceland still believe in) are depicted as soulless, hedonistic, amoral, and hostile to religion.

Hmm, ok, I guess I never caught references in 1st Ed. to elves lacking souls, do you have a reference for it? As you mentioned, Tolkien-esk elves would seem to have souls, and I tend to look upon the RPG archetype following that mold more than the European folklore of the faerie folk. I see your point on the European folklore though, it makes sense if you look at them in that way.

When it came to the whole spirit/soul differential, I guess I've always looked at it as if the soul was what made a person unique, gave them their personality and intellect, basically what made a person themself. While the spirit is the divine spark within that allows you to commune with your deity. Granted, this is a very Judeo-Christian outlook...

[clavis123]

Hmm, ok, I guess I never caught references in 1st Ed. to elves lacking souls, do you have a reference for it?

In in several places. As per the Player's Handbook, Elves cannot be Raised from the Dead or Resurrected. Dieties & DEmigod (later Legends & Lore) stated that Elves had spirits rather than souls, and so didn't reside permanently on the Outer Planes after death.

As you mentioned, Tolkien-esk elves would seem to have souls, and I tend to look upon the RPG archetype following that mold more than the European folklore of the faerie folk. I see your point on the European folklore though, it makes sense if you look at them in that way.

When it came to the whole spirit/soul differential, I guess I've always looked at it as if the soul was what made a person unique, gave them their personality and intellect, basically what made a person themself. While the spirit is the divine spark within that allows you to commune with your deity. Granted, this is a very Judeo-Christian outlook...

The problem is that folklore is so fuzzy on the concept of the "soul". So, you get stories stating that such and such creatures have no souls, but the stories don't define the "soul"! Generally, in folklore the term seems to imply the capacity for moral choice and the ability to have a spiritual life (and afterlife). Your definitions are more in line with ancient philosophical speculations, however. In the terms you use, Elves lack spirit (any connection to the Divine).

For game purposes, I use "Soul" to mean the quality that allows for a personal connection to spiritual powers, and allows for a true moral and spiritual life. It relates to the way we might call someone who has no conscience "soulless". Elves have no souls. Therefore they have no true consciences, and can never feel guilt, shame, or any spiritual affect. They can consider evil acts to be ugly and intellectual undesirable, but won't spend a moment thinking about the lost humans they casually kill in order to maintain the secrecy and privacy of the Elfin village.

[koralas]

Thanks, I guess the whole Raise Dead/Resurrection/Reincarnation issue never really came up as the groups I played with did not employ them at all, or at best very infrequently. The cost to have an NPC cast the spell was always phenomenal, requiring a major quest to undertake, and had to be cast by a cleric/druid of the same deity as the character, or a very close, and defined, ally. PC spell casters could not use those spells as it made death cheap if you were playing a high-level game, scrolls found never contained those spells.

The way you describe, the sons of Faenor would be souless, as would many of the others of the Noldor and a few other eldar, while the remaining elves, be the Moriquendi (the dark elves, not to be confused with Eol the Dark Elf) or others of the Calaqunedi (those that traveled to live under the light of the trees in Valinor) would have a soul.

In game terms, since elves lack a connection to their diety, do you have dieties for them? Do you allow elven druids and clerics?