Saturday, February 1, 2025

OSR: Vampires

I've made more than a few posts about playing as a Vampire, but never about fighting one.  This is a severe oversight which I shall address.

Types of Vampire:

Newborn- Humans who have recently been infected with the disease of Vampirism, they have few of the cursed gifts of their condition, but similarly, almost none of the weaknesses.  Treat them as what they were before being infected, but with a few changes.  

Statblock:

To create a Newborn Vampire, create his normal statblock, add the following abilities, then roll for the random results.

All Newborn Vampires have the following abilities/conditions:

Blood Drain: Newborn Vampires have a 1d6 bite attack that causes the target to take 1d6 CON damage.  If this CON damage reduces a creature to 0 CON, it dies.  If the Vampire can regenerate, this heals him for 1d6 HP.    

Undying Thirst: All Vampires thirst for blood.  If given a chance to drink blood, the Vampire must succeed a morale check to resist the urge. 

Infectious: Vampires carry the disease known as Vampirism.  If a non-Vampires comes into contact with a Vampire's bodily fluids, such as when bitten, during sex, or any other situation where a blood-borne infection could be spread, that creature must succeed on a CON save.  On a failed save, that creature becomes infected with Vampirism.    

They have a 50% of having:

Vampire Eyes: As a free action, they can make eye contact with a human (or humanoid) and force that human to save.  On a failed save, the human becomes frightened by the Vampire and will not approach it.  The human must succeed on a COG save each round or run and hide.  On a successful save, the human overcomes their animal fear and resists the Vampire's influence.  

They have a 20% of having:

Sunlight Sensitivity: The Vampire's eyes and skin are sensitive to sunlight.  They have disadvantage on all checks and saves while in direct sunlight.  They also have difficulty seeing- their eyes have become quite sensitive to light.  Wearing dark glasses or lenses will negate this effect.  

Enhanced Senses: Compared to a human's blunt senses, this Vampire has heightened senses.  He can see in low light, though not perfect darkness, he can hear heartbeats when it is quiet and he can track scents like a bloodhound.  He makes all checks based on sensing or perceiving things with advantage, but when forced to save against some disruptive sensory effect, such as a bright light or loud sound, he has disadvantage on the save.    

They have a 10% chance of having:  

Regeneration: As an action on his turn, the Vampire can regain 1d6 HP.  If injured with fire or a silver weapon, he can only heal 1d4.  Damage from holy or blessed weapons cannot be healed this way and can only be healed by resting over time.  

Fledgling
HD 1d6
AR 1d3
Atk Weapon or Enhanced Strength (1d6+2/1d6+2) or Blood Drain
Mor 13
Saves (7+HD) or less

Undead: Undead do not feel pain or get tired.  They are immune to poison and disease.  They do not need to eat, sleep or breathe.  Any spell that says "Undead" in its title or description is talking about something like this.

Sunlight Vulnerability: Undead take 1d6 radiant damage for every round they spend in sunlight.

Blood Drain: Fledgling Vampires have a 1d6 bite attack that causes the target to take 1d6 CON damage.  If this CON damage reduces a creature to 0 CON, it dies.  This heals the Vampire for 1d6 HP.    

Enhanced Senses: Compared to a human's blunt senses, Fledgling Vampires have heightened senses.  They can see in low light, though not perfect darkness, they can hear heartbeats when it is quiet and they can track scents like a bloodhound.  They makes all checks based on sensing or perceiving things with advantage, but when forced to save against some disruptive sensory effect, such as a bright light or loud sound, they have disadvantage on the save. 

Regeneration: As an action on his turn, a Fledgling Vampire can regain 2d6 HP.  If injured with fire or a silver weapon, he can only heal 1d6.  Damage from holy or blessed weapons cannot be healed this way and can only be healed by resting over time.   

Undying Thirst: All Vampires thirst for blood.  If given a chance to drink blood, the Vampire must succeed a morale check to resist the urge.

Infectious: Vampires carry the disease known as Vampirism.  If a non-Vampires comes into contact with a Vampire's bodily fluids, such as when bitten, during sex, or any other situation where a blood-borne infection could be spread, that creature must succeed on a CON save.  On a failed save, that creature becomes infected with Vampirism.  

Tactics:
- Rush in, trusting your regeneration to save you
- Target anyone carrying anti-Vampire weapons first
- If all targets carry anti-Vampire weapons, target the biggest threat

A Fledgling, also called a Child or Neophyte, is a Vampire that has finally started to gain some actual power from the curse laid upon them.  However, they have inherited a number of weaknesses, along with their newfound abilities.  They burn in sunlight and are harmed by the touch of silver now, unlike their Newborn cousins.  They are also sensitive to loud noises and bright lights, as they are not used to their superhuman senses yet.  They find pungent odors, such as garlic, revolting.

by Madboni
Elder
HD Varies, see below
AR Varies, see below
Atk Varies, see below
Mor 15
Saves (7+HD) or less

Undead: Undead do not feel pain or get tired.  They are immune to poison and disease.  They do not need to eat, sleep or breathe.  Any spell that says "Undead" in its title or description is talking about something like this.

Sunlight Vulnerability: Undead take 1d6 radiant damage for every round they spend in sunlight.

Fear Aura: Elder Vampires, can if they wish, radiate an Aura of Fear.  All creatures within 50' must save.  On a failed save, those creatures become frightened and take 1d6 COG damage per round they can see or hear the Vampire or are otherwise threatened by it.  If this COG damage reduces a creature to 0 COG, the creature runs away or hides.  If neither is possible, it will beg for mercy.  If that produces no effect, then the creature will fight, but only so it can escape.  

Frightened creatures cannot move closer to an enemy.  Additionally, creatures who pass their save must save again each time the Elder does something sufficiently scary, such as killing another party member.    
Blood Drain: Elder Vampires have a Bite Attack that does 2d6 CON damage to any creature it hits.  If this CON damage reduces a creature to 0 CON, it dies.  This heals the Vampire for 2d6 HP.    

Enhanced Senses: Compared to a human's blunt senses, Elder Vampires have heightened senses.  They can see in low light, though not perfect darkness, they can hear heartbeats when it is quiet and they can track scents like a bloodhound.  They makes all checks based on sensing or perceiving things with advantage, but when forced to save against some disruptive sensory effect, such as a bright light or loud sound, they have disadvantage on the save.   

Regeneration: As an action on his turn, an Elder Vampire can regain 2d8 HP.  If injured with fire or a silver weapon, he can only heal 1d8.  Damage from holy or blessed weapons cannot be healed this way and can only be healed by resting over time.   

Undying Thirst: All Vampires thirst for blood.  If given a chance to drink blood, the Vampire must succeed a morale check to resist the urge.

Infectious: Vampires carry the disease known as Vampirism.  If a non-Vampires comes into contact with a Vampire's bodily fluids, such as when bitten, during sex, or any other situation where a blood-borne infection could be spread, that creature must succeed on a CON save.  On a failed save, that creature becomes infected with Vampirism.  

Sleep of Death: The Vampire must rest in a coffin each night or lose 1d6 HP per day.  This HP cannot be recovered until the Vampire rests in a coffin again.  The Coffin must be lined with soil from the land where the Vampire was born or where his ancestors were interred.  He can also rest on this earth alone, without need for a coffin.     

Specific Death Condition: The Vampire has a specific death condition.  He must be staked through the heart, beheaded and his neck stump stuffed with garlic and sage.  The head must be buried far away from the Vampire's corpse.  Unless that condition is met, the Vampire will return to unlife in (12-HD) months (min 1).  His servants, if he has any, know this and will steal his body away for safe keeping.  The only other way to ensure the Vampire dies is through immolation by sunlight.      

Staked: If impaled through the heart with a stake at 0 HP, the Vampire will go into a state of torpor until the stake is removed.  They will be helpless at this point, indistinguishable from a normal corpse.   

Tactics:
- Depends on the Elder, see below      

Also called Mature Vampires or Middle-Bloods, a name they loathe, Elders are Vampires who have been changed for some time now.  They are fully Undead, reigning over petty courts of other Undead, human sycophants and other foul creatures.  They are powerful, yes, but nearly as much as they claim.  

They are also more than a little out of touch, their personality having been frozen at the moment they became true Undead.  They have difficulty understanding the changes to mortal society and will often be obsessed with ideas and grievances from decades or centuries ago.    

by gugu-troll
To generate an Elder Vampire, roll on the Tables below:

How old is this Elder?

1d3
1- Young, for an Elder.  The Elder has only been a Vampire for decades.  He has 1d6+2 HD.  He has an AR of 2.  He makes two Attacks that do 1d8+2 damage on a hit.  
2- Mature.  The Elder has been a Vampire for a century or more.  He has 1d8+2 HD.  He has an AR of 3.  He makes two Attacks that do 1d8+4 damage on a hit.  
3- Old.  The Elder has been a Vampire for multiple centuries.  He has 1d10+2 HD.  He has an AR of 4.  He makes two Attacks that do 1d8+6 damage on a hit.  

What is their Affiliation?

1d3
1- Independent.  The Elder follows the old law, that the strong rule and the weak obey.  He does not belong to any organization and refuses to bow to any.
2- Clan Elder.  The Elder is part of a Vampire Clan, part of the entrenched aristocracy who spends his time locked in byzantine political intrigues, competing with his unaging rivals to stay atop the unstable pyramid that is Vampire society.  
3- Returned.  The Elder was staked, but not killed, in ancient times and entered torpor for an extensive amount of time.  He has been largely forgotten and has no clue how much time has passed since he was staked, or how the world has changed in the years since he entered torpor.  

Do they have any servants?

1d4
1- Not yet.  The Elder is currently alone, but likely not for long.  
2- Their Spawn.  The Elder is accompanied by 1d4 lesser Vampires, who serve at his pleasure.  These lesser Vampires have a 50% of being Newborn or Fledgling Vampires. 
3- Mortal Servant.  The Elder is assisted by a human, or a member of the local community.  This mortal serves the Vampire because 1d4 [1= He is being controlled by magic; 2= He was persuaded by the Vampire to serve him in exchange for some potential reward; 3= He was part of a blood cult that worshiped Vampires and potentially, this Elder, as a divine being; 4= He hates his neighbors or another group of people and wants to use the Vampire to harm those people.]
4- As above, except the Vampire is served by a group of mortals.  These mortals are part of a 1d6 [1= A family that has served the Vampire for generations; 2= A blood cult that worships Vampires in general or this one specifically; 3= A secret society that serves the Vampire in exchange for learning dark magic and possibly being changed into a Vampire; 4= A pleasure cult that views being infected with Vampirism as a great "blessing"; 5= A criminal syndicate which works for money, or seeks to leverage the Vampire's power to expand their hold on the criminal underworld (they are more naive than the pleasure cultists); 6= A group that holds onto some ancient belief or grievance that has long been forgotten by everyone besides them and the Vampire.]

Do they have any other powers?

1d2
1- No.  He trusts in his own strength.  
2- Yes.  The Elder knows 1d6 Blood Arts and can cast them in place of an Attack.

What tactics does the Elder use?

1d4
1- Evaluate your enemies and when you find the strongest or most dangerous one, target them ruthlessly.
2- Attack and retreat, use fabian tactics.  Avoid fairness.
3- Target the weak links, spread fear among the lesser enemies
4- Stroll in confidently and attack the first thing you see.  A lion doesn't care for the opinions of sheep.

Ancient
HD 1d8+10
AR 5
Atk Weapon or Superhuman Strength (1d10+6) x3 or Superhuman Strength (1d10+6) and Blood Drain
Mor 17
Saves (7+HD) or less

Statblock Changes:      

Use the Elder Statblock, with the following changes.  

Stuff of Nightmares: Ancient Vampires cannot be injured by non-magical weapons, unless those weapons are silver (or silver-edged) or blessed/holy.  They take damage from fire and magical weapons normally.  

Regeneration: An Ancient Vampire's regeneration lets them heal 3d8 HP as an action.  Other then that, it works the same as an Elder's.   

Blood Sorcerer: Ancient Vampires know 1d8+2 Blood Arts.  

Specific Death Condition: If not staked through the heart, beheaded and then having their body burned to ash and scattered into a river or at a crossroads, an Ancient Vampire will return to life in a year and a day.  Alternatively, immolation by sunlight will permanently destroy an Ancient Vampire.    

Tactics:
- Treat all enemies with brazen contempt, unless they prove dangerous
- Make conversation and badly ape class and sophistication
- Kill those who prove annoying
- If actually in danger, destroy all responsible and all who saw your weakness

Ancient Vampires, or the Old Blood as they grandiosely refer to themselves, are Methuselahs from a previous Age.  They have either woken after a long period of torpor or have been secretly maneuvering in the shadows for a long time.  These towering Blood Gods are extremely powerful and cruel, having long forgotten anything that once resembled their humanity.  

While an Elder can still pretend to be human, Ancients will rarely bother with any sort of pretense.  They have lived for so long that all creatures now can fit into only two categories for them- food or tools.  While younger Vampires can still retain some shred of their humanity, these creatures have long ago shed such trappings.  They are predators, a mockery of man clad in ill-fitting skin.

To generate the servants of an Ancient Vampire, roll on the tables below:

The Ancient Vampire is served by a...

1d8
1- A family line of humans, many of whom are practitioners of dark and blood magic.  Some of their ancestors were even "gifted" with the curse of Vampirism, so they could continue to serve the Vampire in death.  The family regards the Vampire as their patron.  The Vampire might have even once been one of their ancestors while he still lived.  
2- A blood cult that has members in many important positions, from the Church to the Aristocracy and the powerful Guilds.  They serve the Vampire in hopes of gaining immortality through the curse.  They are not the most physically powerful, but they command great sums of money and have large webs of influence.  They can make many problems simply disappear with a word to the right person.  
3- A band of Ghouls who feed on the desiccated corpses of the Vampire's kills.  They revere him as a predator-king and are plenty eager to bow and scrap at his feet, in exchange for more meat.  They also have more than a few half-ghouls in the group, who act as a buffer and keep prying eyes away by being as normal as they can be.
4- A mystery cult, with increasing levels of membership that reveal more and more of the truth.  Only the innermost ring of members know about the Vampire, those outside it are either dupes who genuinely believe in the religion or greedy people seeking an easy way to gain money and power.  
5- An exceptionally brutal mercenary company that prefers to be paid in slaves and plunder as opposed to coin, though they will take it.  Rumored to be a refuge for Wizards practicing dark magic and necromancers who create 'Immortal Soldiers'.  But surely those are just stories, right?
6- A Sage's Collective or Wizarding Order that is well-regarded for it's deep history and breadth of knowledge.  They possess many secrets that were long ago forgotten by others, though they will only teach them to their own members (or those who pay a considerable fee).  And while there are dark rumors about them, such as how people often disappear in the city beneath their headquarters, surely that is just scuttle-butt, the kind that occurs when too many scholars of High Art gather in one place.  
7- A slave-trading company that specializes in moving human flesh from seller to customer for very reasonable prices.  They likely deal in other things as well, but they are known for their early involvement in the slave trade.  They are very cheap and do not charge nearly as much as their competitors, making them a great fit for any less scrupulous customer.         
8- A small nation or province of an Empire that has a black reputation for being afflicted by plagues, curses and monster attacks, as well as dark magic, cults and sedition.  The people there are also said to be excessively clannish, backwards and barbaric.  They are unsophisticated rubes who believe in wild superstitions that more civilized folk rightly ignore as poppycock.  

The Ancient Vampire's favorite servant is...

1d10
1- An especially loyal human.  This human has a 50% of being a normal person (1 HD) or an equal chance of being a powerful Fighting Man with 1d6+1 class levels.  The human is devoted to their master for any number of reasons but could easily be motivated by the prestige of serving such a powerful being, a lust for power, misplaced loyalty or anything else.   
2- A lesser Vampire, one of their spawn.  The Vampire is a 1d6 [1= Newborn; 2-5= Fledgling; 6= Elder.]  The lesser Vampire feels a natural kinship with their sire and longs to attend and serve them, in the same way a child longs to bask in a parent's approval.  
3- A Magi.  The Magi has a 50% of being able to cast spells as a level 1d4+1 Wizard, or is a skilled Alchemist.  The Magi is researching Alchemy in the hopes of discovering the secret of immortality.  However, he does not wish to become a Vampire, as he does not want to end up like his Ancient Master.  
4- An ancient Ghoul.  Ghouls live only to feed and the Ancient Vampire has proved an endless meal ticket.  For that reason alone, the Ghoul has decided to remain as the Vampire's attendant. When well-fed, and he's almost always, the Ghoul is jolly and gleeful, though still terribly evil.   
5- An intelligent Undead.  The servant is a 1d4 [1= Wight; 2= Wraith; 3= Mummy; 4= Lich.]  The Undead may be bound by magic and forced to serve, but they could just as likely serve willingly, either because they appreciate the bleakness of the Vampire's perspective or hope to nudge the Vampire into helping them accomplish a task they could not do alone.  
6- A Demon.  Demons love Vampires as they are mortals at their finest, cruel, violent and endlessly depraved.  The Demon is endlessly willing to serve, while encouraging the Vampire to engage in greater acts of wickedness.    
7- An Elf or other long-lived race.  The Vampire sought a companion long ago, one who could understand the isolation caused by a perspective frozen by time.  His companion understood him then.  Now neither of them care how the world has changed- they barely notice, except to complain and to make notes on what they plan to change.  Regardless of what race the Vampire's companion is, the companion has HD equal to at least 1/2 the Vampire and is very powerful in his own right.   
8- A Succubus.  Vampires usually lose their sexual drives once they become Undead and so it was with this Vampire, until he met this Demon of Lust.  Now he has become inflamed for her and wants to possess her forever.  The Succubus is aware of this and is using her appeal to manipulate the Vampire to do this.  Note that this could be reversed- an Ancient Vampire Queen could find herself losing her head over an Incubus.  Also note that while the Demon of Lust is doing the manipulation, they might be in far more danger than they realize.   
9- A Hag.  Hags are masters of manipulation so this one has either fooled the Vampire and dragged him into some complicated scheme without his knowledge, or he knows exactly what she's up to and he's just going along out of boredom or hunger.  Alternatively, she may be far too terrified of him to do such a thing and instead acts as his spy-mistress and agent.    
10- A Skinwalker.  Skinwalkers all crave power, so acting as the right hand to the most powerful thing they've ever seen seems like not only an excellent survival strategy, but a potential way to gain more power and influence.

by KnightyNightey
Treasures of the Kindred:

These are treasures that might be in the possession of an Elder or Ancient Vampire.  If a Newborn or Fledgling has such a treasure, it was likely loaned or out stolen.  Either way, the real owner will come looking for it soon enough.  

1d8
1- Stygian Glass.  A black mirror that acts as a scry-glass.  Has a terrible demon face that can appear in it and be instructed to follow commands.  It always follows orders exactly, but will offer the owner of the mirror bad advice, misleading information and a highly skewed perspective.  It will claim to be unable to lie (this is a lie).  It wants to see you die, simply for it's own amusement.  Also, it will beg you not to break the mirror.  If you do, it will die (this is a lie).
2- Eclipse.  A huge, glittering war-scythe, with a blade sharp enough to shave with.  It does 1d8+Atk damage on a hit.  3/Day, it can extinguish any light source smaller than a bonfire.  It can also neutralize a source of fire, instantly snuffing it out.  If the fire is magically generated, the conjuror of the flame gets a save to resist the effect.  If the owner successfully saves, then the charge is not used up.  Note that this ability does not work in direct sunlight.  
3- Pall of Darkness.  A glass bottle filled with thick black smoke.  1/Day, if uncorked, the bottle will swiftly fill 30 cubic feet with darkness, dropping the light level massively.  This darkness blinds anyone who does not have the ability to see in the dark and even if a creature can see in low-light, they still have disadvantage on all checks made to see or attacks aimed with vision.  This darkness will spread each round until it covers 100' cubic feet or the bottle is corked up.  This darkness lasts for 10 minutes or until the bottle is corked up.  If opened in direct sunlight, the darkness lasts only 1 minute before it is dispelled.        
4- Eye of the Abyss.  A beautiful amulet of amber and jet, shaped like a cat's eye.  If worn by a spellcaster, it grants them +2 MD and an Affinity (+2) towards Necromancy spells.  If worn by a non-spellcaster, it grants magical abilities equivalent to a Level 1 (free-form) Wizard and an Affinity towards Necromancy spells (+1).    
5- Mourner's Shroud.  A funerary shroud, made of fine silk and woven with beautiful designs of horses.  If anyone places this shroud over a sleeping person, that person will fall into a state of suspended animation.  As long as the shroud covers them, they will not need food, water or air.  They also will not be able to wake up or move until the shroud is removed.  All creatures, besides the one who placed the Shroud over the sleeping creature, must save upon seeing the shroud-covered body.  On a failed save, they will regard the creature as dead and be totally convinced of this fact, despite any evidence to the controversy.  If the Shroud is removed, the sleeping creature can wake up as normal and anyone who believed the creature to be dead, upon seeing evidence to the controversy, will wonder why they whole-heartedly believed such a silly thing.  
6- Orb of Kingship.  When activated, 1/Month it will give the user the ability to speak in an incredibly persuasive manner and cause a mass charm effect to sweep over any group of creatures standing before him.  Those creatures must save, on a failed save, they will be Charmed to the user of the Orb for 1 Month.  However, after the Charm effect wears off the creatures will return to their more normal behavior and may start to question any decisions they made while Charmed or orders they were given.  Additionally, each time the Charm effect is used on the same group of creatures, it weakens as they slowly build a tolerance.       
7- Winter's Thorn.  A spear with a tip of frozen ice, it does 1d6+Atk damage, with an additional +1d6 ice damage on a hit.  3/Day, it can also create walls or structures of ice, as long as they are within the following dimensions: 30' long, 5' wide and 10' high.  
8- Slavemaster's Ring and Slave's Band.  A collar of hammered silver and a matching ring, both adorned with rubies.  When the Slave's Band is put on, it cannot be removed, except by the wearer of the Slavemaster's Ring.  When the wearer of the Slavemaster's Ring takes damage, the wearer of the Slave's Band takes an equivalent amount of psychic damage, unless the ring's wearer does not wish for this to happen.  The bearer of the Slavemaster's Ring can also induce physical sensations on the one who wears the Slave's Band, including pleasure or pain.

Becoming a Vampire:

Any Vampire can infect you with Vampirism by accident if you come into contact with their infected fluids (blood, saliva, sexual fluids) but most often, Vampires take care to not spread their curse to everyone they meet.  Most often, the people allowed to become Vampires are those who have served a Vampire for many years or are otherwise favored by a Vampire.  For example, a lover, a favored servant, an especially talented craftsmen, etc.  

The most common way people contract Vampirism is through their bite.  The second most common way is through sex with an infected person.  Many rakes and loose women will contract Vampirism at some point.  They will often go out of their way to hide this, as in most cultures, Vampirism carries the sentence of exile at minimum, or death in the more puritanical societies.  If someone is found to have Vampirism, rumors of them engaging in wild orgies under the moon while worshiping evil gods are sure to follow, regardless of how the disease was contracted.  

Some prostitutes also catch the disease and often spread it to many through their trade, so Vampirism is sometimes referred to as "Whore's Bite".  This is the topic of much speculation- many prostitutes have been accused of having fangs in their genitals, which they use to spread the disease, for example.  Young people are told to maintain their chastity, or they will surely be cursed with the living death of Vampirism.

Optional Rule: Vampiric Degeneration

In my revised Vampire class, I considered the idea of Vampires degenerating over time.  The idea was that Vampires slowly decline over time and if they do not control themselves, they will slowly transform into a more bestial form that is more powerful, but less controlled, similar to Vampire: the Masquerade's Humanity system.  

If you incorporate such a system, note that most Vampire Elders and Ancients must practice at least some form of discipline in their feeding, as otherwise they would have long ago degenerated into Strigoi.  

Strigoi are basically Vampires, but with the intelligence of an animal.  They have the strength and raw power of a Vampire, but cannot use most of a Vampire's other powers, as they lack the knowledge of how to employ them.  Strigoi also generally follow the orders of Vampires, unless they are hungry, in which case they just rush in and attack, feeding until sated.  Once well-fed, a Strigoi becomes docile and can be easily commanded by a Vampire of a similar or higher rank.  

For this reason, Vampire Elders and Ancients who degenerate into Strigoi are usually destroyed, as they are too dangerous to keep around and too difficult to control.  Lesser Strigoi are often kept by a Clan or Household to be used as a tool of terror, a weapon in times of war and occasionally as brute laborers, as though dumber than most dogs, Strigoi are still powerful physically.  Just keep them away from the blood-serfs, or you're looking at a massacre.  

Why do Vampires look different?

Why are there so many different types of Vampires, not necessarily in abilities, but in terms of appearance?  Here are a few explanations for why.

1d4
1- Vampires descend from their sire.  Whatever their sire looked like, the older a Vampire gets, the more like his sire he will become.  If his sire was beautiful, he will be beautiful.  IF his sire was a disgusting freak- so will he, eventually.
2- When you become a Vampire, your body is slowly modified to express your inner nature.  The older you get, the more pronounced this gets.  If you were a deceitful person, your features will become bland, unremarkable and average, so to better deceive others.  If you were an evil monster, you will become twisted and unnatural looking.  If you were vain, you will become more and more attractive as the years go by.
3- When you become a Vampire, depending on your starting morality, you degenerate a certain amount.  Those who are virtuous or at least neutral will end up looking mostly human.  Those who are bad but not evil will gain some traces of inhumanity, such as cold eyes, corpse-like complexion, etc.  Those who are evil are more monstrous.  The most wicked barely resemble humans at all, except as a cruel parody, like they were made by an evil god to mock you as they drained your corpse of life.  
4- A Vampire's body often changes dramatically throughout their unlife because of regeneration, deliberate modifications, slight errors when shapeshifting or altering your appearance with magic.  They are not as stagnant as they appear.  So maybe they reason the Vampire looks like a beautiful man is because he wants too.  Maybe he's a blood-sucking beast in appearance because he wants to be.

Sunday, January 26, 2025

OSR: Jiangshi: Chinese Hopping Vampires

by tenjiiii

Number Appearing: 1
Alignment: Any Evil
Languages: lingua Franca plus 1d4 Ancient Languages
Treasure: Books on Alchemy and Magic, Alchemy equipment, sacrificial blades, rare materials (ex: powdered diamond, unicorn horn shavings, Elephant's Foot Mushrooms)

Pursuing immortality has long been a dream of Alchemists.  The elixir of eternal life has proven to be a most tempting prize, leading to many squandering years of life and enormous sums in vain attempts to produce such an elixir.  The Alchemists of Yi Fa are notorious for this, poisoning themselves with countless failed attempts at eternal life.

And while many Alchemists pursue immortality through the Philosopher's Stone, others find the pursuit of such a lofty ideal impractical or unnecessary.  They will have plenty of time to discover how to turn lead into gold after they become immortal.

Yet despite their many failures at attaining immortality, that's not to say they have discovered nothing.  No, those foreign Sages did discover a method of obtaining eternal life.  It's just that the cost was too awful to bear...

Appearance: 

Jiangshi are Undead, so resemble the people they were while alive, but with milky-white eyes, corpse pale complexions and the subtle whiff of decay.  Despite their degraded state however they still take pride in their appearance, wearing fine clothes, brushing or oiling what hair they have left and often wearing floral perfumes to distract from their decrepit state.  Some of them do choose to revel in their debased state, but just as many try to conceal it.  Becoming Undead is only a bump in the road on the path of their true destiny, after all.

from Sleeping Dogs
Statblock:     

Jiangshi
AR 1d3+1
Atk Claw or Weapon (1d8+2) or Life Drain
Mor 8+HD
Saves (7+HD) or less
HD 1d4+2

Undead: Undead do not feel pain or get tired.  They are immune to poison and disease.  They do not need to eat, sleep or breathe.  Any spell that says "Undead" in its title or description is talking about something like this.

Sunlight Vulnerability: Sunlight Vulnerability: Undead take 1d6 radiant damage for every round they spend in sunlight.

Qi Drain: By touching a creature, the Jiangshi can cause it to take 1d6 CON damage.  This also causes the Jiangshi to regain 2 HP per point of CON drained.  If this attack reduces a creature to 0 CON, the creature dies.  CON lost to this ability occurs at a rate of 1 point per day.

Stiffening Flesh: Jiangshi's bodies drain of qi, causing them to suffer from rigor mortis.  To compensate for this, they must regularly drain qi.  The longer a Jiangshi goes without draining qi, the stiffer their movements get until they can only hop along with arms extended out rigidly.  

Tactics:
- Depends on the Dark Powers the Jiangshi has

by Yun Hsu
To customize a Jiangshi, roll on the tables below:

How was it created?

1d4
1- It was raised through dark sorcery.  The Jiangshi was raised by another and bound as a servant.  There is a scroll attached somewhere on it's body.  If the scroll is destroyed, the Jiangshi will no longer be compelled to obey the one who raised it.
2- It was a Spirit that refused to rest, still inhabiting it's dead body. The Jiangshi was born of obsession and wishes to continue it's mad quest it had while still alive.  If it sees some sign of it's obsession, it must succeed on a morale check or immediately move to investigate it.
3- It is a corpse possessed by an Evil Spirit.  All Jiangshi are evil, but most are at least focused.  This one lashes out at any who are nearby or bother it for petty reasons.  This Jiangshi also counts as an Outsider for the purposes of spells and vulnerabilities.  For example, it could be exorcised and banished from the physical plane, leaving behind an empty corpse.  
4- It was created by a dark sorcerer, who became one in order to live forever.  The sorcerer had some scheme before he passed and he wasn't going to let something as petty as death stand in his way.  The sorcerer created an anchor for himself when he chose to become a Jiangshi.  This anchor is some sort of physical object that he must keep near him, or perhaps he cannot go too far from it?  As long as that anchor remains, he cannot truly die, his body instead reconstituting itself in his grave.  But if it were to be destroyed, he would immediately perish.

How powerful is it?

If created to be a slave, it has 1 Dark Power.  It has 1 Curse of the Wretched placed upon it, for it's unnatural existence.

If born of obsession and by a soul refusing to rest, it possesses 1d3 Dark Powers.  It suffers from 2 Curses of the Wretched.

If possessed by an Evil Spirit, it has 1d3+1 Dark Powers.  It suffers from 1d3 Curses of the Wretched.  

If it was a mortal who chose this, it has 1d4+1 Dark Powers.  It suffers from 1d3+1 Curses of the Wretched.

Dark Powers:

1d8
1- Levitation.  As a free action on it's turn, the Jiangshi can levitate into the air and hover.  It can do this as much as it wants.  It's speed while levitating is double it's ordinary speed.  
2- Raise those killed by Qi Drain as Undead under your control.  Those drained of their Qi are raised by the Jiangshi as 1 HD Undead which obey the Jiangshi perfectly.
3- Mesmerize People.  By meeting the eyes of a creature, the Jiangshi can force that creature to save.  On a failed save, the creature falls into a hypnotized state and will become very vulnerable to suggestion.  They will not do anything against their moral code, but are much easier to convince.  If attacked, damaged, shaken or slapped, they can easily snap out of this state.  
4- Shapeshift.  The Jiangshi can change shape, taking the form of any Small or Medium creature.  However, regardless of what form it takes, it's stats and abilities remain the same.   
5- Walk through walls.  The Jiangshi can, as an action, become immaterial.  While in this state, it can pass through purely physical objects as if they weren't there.  It could pass through a stone wall, but not a person, as a person has a spiritual aspect.    
6- Summon Beasts.  1/Day, the Jiangshi can summon 1dX [1= A Swarm of insects; 2= A Mischief (Swarm) of rats; 3= A Tiger; 4= A Bask of crocodiles (1d4+1).]
7- Paralyzing Venom.  The Jiangshi can, as an action, spit paralyzing venom.  A creature must save or be hit by this venom.  When affected by this venom, a creature can only take one action on his turn- which includes moving.  So if he moves and tries to do anything else, he takes 1d6 DEX damage.  If this reduces his DEX to 0, he is totally paralyzed for one hour.  Once used, this ability takes 1d4 rounds to recharge.  If you have a shield or a face-covering helmet, you have advantage on your save.  
8- Turn invisible.  The Jiangshi can turn invisible as a free action on it's turn.  It remains invisible until it does something strenuous, uses one of it's Dark Powers or attacks.  Cats and dogs can still detect them while invisible.  

Curse of the Wretched:

1d8
1- It is terrified of their own reflection.  If presented with it's own reflection, the Jiangshi must make a morale check.  On a failed check, it becomes frightened and must either flee or try to destroy the image (whatever is easier).  If invisible, a Jiangshi can also be seen in a mirror.   
2- It is repelled by elements of the Peach Tree (wood, leaves, branches, blossoms).  If presented with an item freshly taken from a peach tree, with the exception of wood, the Jiangshi must make a morale check or become frightened and flee.  Weapons made of peach tree wood also do +1 damage per die to a Jiangshi.   
3- Roosters and their calls.  When it hears a rooster's call, the Jiangshi must make a morale check or flee.  This is because it fears the sunlight and since roosters usually crow at dawn, it will flee back to it's hiding place.    
4- Dry rice.  If dry rice is scattered at it's feet, the Jiangshi must make a morale save.  On a failed save, it will try to drain the miniscule amount of Qi in each uncooked grain of rice.  This will distract it temporarily, though it will still notice obvious attacks or traps while this is happening.  
5- Jujube Seeds.  If driven into the flesh of a Jiangshi, Jujube seeds suck out excess Qi, leaving it frail and weak, as if it had not drained Qi in days.  
6- Vinegar.  Vinegar is revolting to Jiangshi- if faced with it, the Jiangshi must make a morale check or leave the area, until they can no longer smell it.  
7- Donkey Hooves.  Jiangshi cannot affect those with strong wills, so anyone carrying a donkey hoof or an amulet of donkey bones will have advantage on any save against their powers.    
8- Blood of a Black Dog.  This applies to dogs with black fur and Black Dogs.  If the former is splashed onto a Jiangshi, the blood of a black-furred dog will prevent the Jiangshi from turning invisible.  If the blood of a Black Dog is splashed onto a Jiangshi, it burns it as holy water (2d6 damage) and will prevent it from using any of it's Dark Powers for 1d4 rounds.

by sasa-13-Go
Treasure of the Jiangshi:

1d6
1- Alchemical Research Supplies.  Books, vials, beakers and expensive glassware, plus a stockpile of rare ingredients to mix into potions or to combine to create new polymaterials.
2- Books and Arcane Tomes for the summoning and binding of Demons and evil spirits.  
3- A big pile of gold, silver, coins or other valuables.  The Jiangshi may be using this treasure to fund it's research, or it may be guarding these valuable materials for some other reason.
4- A stockpile of potions.  The Jiangshi has 1d10 minor (weaker) potions and 1d4 major (stronger) potions.  
5- Books and scrolls relating to Necromancy and the manipulation of Undead.  Also includes 1d20 corpses, preserved against decay using some method, magical or otherwise.      
6- Failed Immortality Potions.  Many Jiangshi still pursue immortality, as they find their current state to be pathetic and painful.  Roll on the table below to see how their latest batch of potions turned out.  Regardless of the result rolled below, you find 1d6+1 of the following type of Elixir below.         

Failed Elixirs of Immortality:

1d6
1- It's black and bubbling and looks utterly toxic.  If you drink it, take 3d6 CON damage.  If this reduces you to 0 CON, you die in agony and your corpse dissolves from the inside out.  If thrown into someone's face, it works as a flask of acid.  
2- It smells of cherry blossoms and sunlight and looks like a frothy pink drink.  If you drink it, you will be poisoned, taking 1 CON damage for 2d6+2 days.  If this reduces you to 0 CON, you die.  This elixir's effect can be canceled by using an anti-poison remedy.  
3- It's clear and crackling with mana.  It tastes like bitterly cold spring water.  When consumed, it floods the drinker's mana channels with energy, instantly restoring all their FS and giving them +2d6 FS as temporary HP for 1 hour.  Additionally, if the drinker has the ability to cast spells, he must save or cast the first spell he has prepared.  If using a free-form system, he auto-casts a spell relating to the first idea he has.  
4- It's bright green and smells like sap.  If drank, it will "heal" all your wounds by filling in the gap with bark, restoring you to full HP and decreasing your DEX by -1d4.  Each day from this point it reduces your DEX by 1.  If this DEX damage reduces you to 0, you become a living and conscious, but entirely immobile tree.  You also can't talk to anyone, as you don't have lips or a mouth anymore.
5- It's bright red and smells like blood and damp earth.  If drank, it restores 1d20+2 HP/FS.  If you have any lost appendages, they have a 50% of regenerating as extra muscular replacements that are covered in red scales.  
6- It's the color of silver, but more viscous.  Smells metallic and tastes awful.  It's actually just lightly enchanted mercury.  If consumed, you take 2d6 poison damage, save for half.

Plot Hooks: 

1d8
1- A Jiangshi has recruited a group of bandits to help him perfect his immortality elixir by kidnapping people to act as test subjects for this latest experiments.  He has promised them immortality in exchange for their service.  Whether or not they believe him, they still fear his power and will obey him.  
2- A Jiangshi has joined forces with a criminal syndicate to help them with heists, in exchange for them stealing rare and valuable ingredients he needs for his alchemical research.  
3- An evil sorcerer or Alchemist has raised a corpse as a Jiangshi, binding the soul of the deceased as his slave.  He is using the Jiangshi to assist him in his current evil scheme, grave-robbing and studying the effects of dark magic on the dead.  The party is hired to investigate the thefts and find out what is going on.  
4- A group of grave-robbers have recently switched from robbing the dead to selling fresh corpses stolen from graves and hopsices to the local Wizarding College, who has need of such things for surely not awful reasons.  However, they have recently found the supply of fresh corpses to be much diminished (see above).  They decide instead to kill that group of weirdos who just rolled into town and sell their bodies instead.  One is a Wizard, that'll surely get them extra.  
5- As above, except the grave-robbers do not think they can kill the players, so they try to get the party to investigate the graveyard thefts so they can go back to robbing graves in peace.  
6- In one of the less reputable districts of the city, a rash of strange mutations and magical maladies is occurring.  The party is hired to investigate this and find out who is responsible.  The priests suspect cultists- in reality, it is a Jiangshi, trying out some large scale experimentation to see what his latest concoction has on people.  
7- The party are in a city under siege.  The enemy Warlord is tired to waiting so he hires a Jiangshi to break into the city and poison the city's water supply so this interminable siege can finally come to an end.  Unfortunately, the party find out about the Jiangshi before it can get to the water.  They must stop it, before it's too late!
8- The local alchemist recently disappeared and the party are hired to find him.  The last known clue was that he was apparently going to confront some huckster selling "elixirs of healing" in one of the city slums.  The party's patron suspects criminal activity or perhaps the Alchemist is being held for ransom.  Both of these are horribly wrong.   

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

OSR: Revised Medium and Spirit Rules

I wrote previously about the Spirits of the Land here and Mediums here.  This post is mostly new rules concerning those creatures and how they interact with humans.

by Celestialforestfairy
Spirits, including Angels and Demons, are willing to offer power in exchange for services done them by mortals.  This is done through the making of a Pact with a Spirit.  A Pact is an arrangement between a mortal and a spirit.  Usually they take the form of "In exchange for X, you will give Y" or vice versa.  The conditions for each Pact depend on the personality and desires of both parties, as well as what they are willing to accept as potential payment.

Example Spirit Pacts:

"In exchange for blessing us with good harvests, we will give you a virgin girl to do with as you please, with a minimum of ten years before we have to give you another girl."  

"In exchange for a celebration celebrated every year in your honor, you will cure the plague afflicting our village and prevent it from ever returning."  

"In exchange for the sacrifice of a year-old bullock, you will give us a chest of gold."

Spirits can give out blessings to regions, groups or individual people either as a one-time payment for some offering or service, or in an on-going arrangement, often carried out by the mortal's children and their future generations.

Spirit Pacts are binding on Spirits, once a Spirit has made a Pact, it cannot refuse to fulfill it's obligation without harming itself, potentially even destroying itself.  However, if it feels cheated, it will try to weasel it's way out of the Pact or deliver the bare minimum possible.

Spirit Pacts can only be broken via mutual consent- if either party refuses to pay up, the Pact is still valid, even if technically nothing is happening.  Spirits will often refuse to hold up their end of the bargain if they haven't been paid or given what they were promised.

by VigintiDuoXXII

How to Summon a Spirit:

To make a Spirit Pact, one has need of a Spirit.  To attract the attention of one, you will need to perform a Summoning Ritual.  To do this, one needs either the Name of a Spirit or to simply perform an Empty Summoning Ritual.  An Empty Summoning Ritual is a summoning ritual, but it is not aimed at any particular spirit.  It is simply ringing the dinner bell and announcing that there are potential rewards available.  This will usually attract a Spirit, who might be willing to hear you out or perform the service you ask of it, provided the reward is suitable.

If you include a Spirit's Name in the Summoning Ritual, on the other hand, then only that Spirit will detect the Summoning Ritual and be drawn to it.  The Spirit does not have to appear, but it will feel the urge to appear.  It is the equivalent to someone yelling your name in a crowded room full of other conversations.  At best, it's distracting and potentially interesting.  At worst, it's annoying.  

Once the Spirit has appeared, usually a negotiation between it and the summoner will begin.  However, the summoner can also attempt to bind a Spirit to their will and force the Spirit to obey.  This can have very mixed results.

Note that the ritual above describes only a fairly basic Magic Circle.  If you wish to attempt to Bind, or even negotiate with a very powerful spirit, you will need a better circle.

Building a Better Spirit-Trap:

A magic circle is a circle created to channel and contain the forces of magic.  When a circle is formed, magical energies cannot pass over them.  If you've trapped a Demon inside one, that Demon cannot walk out of it.  It must either be released or break the circle.  Note that only magical creatures can be trapped inside these.  A Wizard, Demon or Dragon could be trapped in one.  Farmer Brown cannot.  

Similarly, if you are inside a magic circle and someone attacks you with magic, their attack isn't going to do anything unless it disrupts or breaks the circle.  If it doesn't do either, their power is going to have a much harder time affecting you.  

Of course, not all circles are created equal.

Types of Circles:

Simple-

Construction DC: 5

+1 to trap creatures inside

+1 to resist magic coming from the opposite side of the circle.  

Simple Circles are a single line or chalk, salt or iron shavings.  

Minor-

Construction DC: 10

+2 to trap creatures inside

+4 to resist magic coming from the opposite side of the circle

These are double circles with nodes at the four cardinal directions, marked with statuettes, candles, etc.  

Major-

Construction DC: 15

+4 to trap creatures inside

+8 to protect against magic coming from the opposite side of the circle

These are triple circles, marking the four cardinal directions, the elements, the prominent stars and crowned with a triangle, pentacle or a Star of Solomon.

Master-

Construction DC: 15+X (Depending on what you're trying to accomplish with the circle)

+6 to trap creatures inside

+12 to resist magic coming from the opposite side of the circle

Master circles are minimum three layers and contain countless trinkets, charms and other ritual preparations.  Each one is a masterwork of the Mage's art and painstaking to build.

Breaking a Magic Circle: 

When trapped inside a Magic Circle, a creature can attempt to break out.  It does this by engaging in a Contest with the person standing at the Locus point (Northwards, generally) of the Circle.  This person must pit their will against the trapped creature.  If the trapped creature wins, the circle breaks and it is free.  If the person at the Locus point wins, the creature remains trapped.     

What can the Spirit offer me?

Spirits follow their own Hierarchy within the Spirit World:

The more names a Spirit has, the weaker it is.  Similarly, the opposite is true.  

A Spirit's rank determines it's Will and Authority.  A Spirit's Will is the strength of it's soul and how able it to affect change on the world, in both the Physical and the Spirit World.  

A Spirit's Authority, meanwhile, determines what it has power over and what it can affect.  Spirits cannot affect things outside their Authority, except indirectly.  A Spirit's Authority is based on what type of Spirit it is, but also what it is associated with.  For example, if a Spirit had a strong relationship with a mortal, that friendship will affect the Spirit, incorporating that mortal as part of the Spirit's Authority.  So if that mortal needs help, the Spirit may be able to lend aid where they otherwise could not, though it should be noted that Spirits, as immortals, change very slowly and gradually, so much so that they seem unchanging to beings who do not possess their lifespan.     

Types of Spirits:

Spirits generally fall into two categories- Elemental and Cognitive.

Elemental Spirits are the spiritual counterparts of purely physical forces- in short, Elementals.  They embody these abstract forces and though intelligent, with their own desires, are shaped by those forces that generated them.  All Fire Spirits like to burn and consume things, even if the one you are talking to also like poetry or dancing.  Elemental Spirits are neutral in their morality, defining what is good based on their own element.  For example, Fire Elementals see fire as good and rain as bad.

An Elemental Spirit is always considered to have Authority over their Element, but can also have Authority over other things related to that Element.  The degree that their Authority expands depends on the rank of that Spirit.  For example, a Common Water Spirit cannot control ice, but a Water Knight-Spirit could.

Cognitive Spirits are the embodiments of a particular ideal.  They are often referred to as "Angels" or "Demons" by mortals, depending on whether mortals regard that ideal as a vice or a virtue.  The Humans consider the embodiment of Pride the Demon of Pride, while Elves greatly laud such a creature, referring to it as an Angel of Ego.  Similarly, Orcs Abhor the Demons of Creeping Weakness, which Humans venerate and refer to as an Angel of Peace.  

These Spirits seek to spread their particular ideal and cause it to abound more greatly.  For example, an Angel of Holy Vengeance/Demon of Wrath wants to encourage people to be angry and wrathful, so it will do things to make people angry and encourage it's allies to give in to their rage.  

Cognitive Spirits have Authority over their ideal and can influence it, increasing it, removing it or otherwise manipulating it.             

Examples:

Dendor Vaskil Artur Barker Pigdog Choplicker is a Common Cognitive Spirit that takes the form of a hound that walks on two legs, wears a bowler hat and chain-smokes cigarettes.  He is associated with the Ideal of Determination.  He is too weak to be called "Angel", though a culture that values determination would regard him as a helpful spirit still.  He has Authority over Dogs and Determination.

Oberon is a Royal Elemental Spirit, one of the Sovereigns of the Folk.  He has Authority over Autumn, Time, Lost Things, Secrets, Illusions, Aging, Madness, Decline and Rot.

<Sidebar: Spirit Powers>

If this is all too loosey-goosey for you, then grant a Spirit a number of Powers equal to their rank. 

Common = 1 Power
Uncommon = 2 Powers
Knight = 1d3+1 Powers
Lower Nobility = 1d4+2 Powers
Higher Nobility = 1d6+2 Powers
Royal = 1d8+2 Powers

You could also use the Authority system only for Blessings and if the party decide to square up with a Spirit, use the Power system described above for such encounters.

I generally alternate depending on what my Wizards can do.  If the Wizards use spells, Spirits have a number of limited powers.  If the Wizards are free-form, then so are the Spirits, able to manipulate elements of the world based on their Authority.  

</Sidebar>

by T5-Comix-Cartoonz
Mediums and the Possessed:

Spirits do not have physical bodies, so they cannot directly affect the Physical World.  Similarly, their ability to affect that world is limited the more powerful they become.  This is also why Gods choose to act through prophets and priests, rather than directly manifesting their power to instantly solve any problem they have.  They physically cannot in most cases (see below).

But Spirits have found a loophole in this rule: if you don't have a body, just borrow one.  

Mediums are people who allow a Spirit to inhabit their body, in exchange for Power.  

Medium Rules:    

You can only host a Spirit who's HD or DT is less than or equal to your HD/Level.  If their DT equals your Level, then you can let the Spirit inhabit you for 1 hour.  if you are stronger than the Spirit, it can inhabit you for a number of hours equal to the difference.  If the Spirit is stronger, then you take X CON damage, where X is the difference, per 10 minutes of the Spirit inhabiting you.  

CON Damage done by this comes back at a rate of 1 point per day.  If this CON damage reduces a creature to 0 CON, it dies as it's body can no longer support a soul.    

For example:

Jon Femurbreaker, Level 4 Fighting Man, allows Jarvis, a Spirit of Justice, to enter his body.  

If Jarvis is a Knight-Spirit (DT 4), then he can inhabit Jon's body for 1 hour before Jon starts taking 1 CON damage per every additional 10 minutes.

If Jarvis is an Uncommon Spirit (2 HD), then he can inhabit Jon's body for 2 hours before Jon starts taking 1 CON damage per every additional 10 minutes.

If Jarvis is a Spirit of the Lower Nobility (DT 6) then for every 10 minutes he inhabits Jon's body, Jon takes 2 CON damage per every 10 minutes he hosts Jarvis.

Benefits of being Possessed:


What do you bring to the table?

All Spirits grand their Medium a number of Powers equal to their Rank.  These powers will usually relate to their Authority, which all Spirits naturally possess.  

For example, a Fire Spirit grants her medium the ability to throw a fireball that does 2d6 damage, save for half, as an action.  Or she may grant the ability to manipulate fire as if you were a Free-form Wizard, but only for fire or other aspects she has Authority over.

Other Boons:

Spirits may also be able to grant other Boons to their mediums- though which ones the Spirit can grant will depend heavily on what kind of Spirit the medium has made a Contract with. 

For example, an Earth Spirit might be able to grant Superhuman strength and hardened skin, but it could not grant divination abilities or Shapeshifting powers.  Withstanding damage and being hard to stop are within the nature of Earth and thus things an Earth Spirit might have Authority over, so it could grant those abilities.  Being capable of great foresight or changing form are not things Earth is known for, so it could not offer those things.   

1d12
1- Superhuman strength.  The Medium is much stronger than normal, able to lift and carry double what he could while not possessed.  He can also do things beyond the usual boundaries of a strength roll, depending on the Spirit's rank, such as smashing through a stone wall, lifting a horse or wrestling an Ogre (and winning).  For the purposes of dealing damage with his STR bonus, he adds +1d6 to any damage he deals based on STR.  
2- Superhuman speed.  The Medium is much faster than normal when possessed, either hard to grab or a blur to the eyes of those watching, depending on the Spirit's Rank.  He can act before non-super-fast creatures and when retreating or moving through an enemy's space, he does not provoke opportunity attacks.  Additionally, add the Spirit's rank to any Pursuit rolls.  
3- Superhuman Agility.  The Medium moves like his bones are rubber and his flesh is gelatin when possessed.  He makes all saves to take all damage based on agility or Dexterity into saves to take no damage and adds the Spirit's Rank to any attempt to perform an acrobatic feat.  
4- Superhuman Endurance.  While possessed, the Medium does not get tired and can keep working at peak efficiency.  
5- Hardened Form.  While Possessed, the Medium has skin and flesh that is much harder to damage.  The Medium gains a Damage Threshold equal to the Spirit's Rank, or if the Spirit is rank 2 or less, he simply takes -1 or -2 damage from each hit respectively.  
6- Agelessness.  While possessed, the Medium does not age and cannot be magically aged.  
7- Freedom from Mortal Needs.  While possessed, the Medium does not need food, water, air or sleep.  8- Regeneration.  While possessed, the Medium's body will swiftly repair itself as a free action.  The Medium can, as a free action, roll as many MD as he wishes and recover [sum] HP.  This can also repair Horrible Wounds.  But each time this ability is used, it heavily taxes the Medium's body, shortening the amount of time the Medium can host the Spirit by 10 minutes per MD.
9- Magic Resistance.  While possessed, the Medium gains X-in-10% magic resistance, where X is the Spirit's Rank.  
10- Divination.  While possessed, the Medium can gain access to the Spirit's vision, able to look across it's domain as if using a Crystal Ball or see into the future.   
11- Void Shroud.  While possessed, the Medium is shielded from divination and other sensing abilities, concealed from those who attempt to locate him via divination or reading the threads of fate.  When someone attempts to see the future or divine information about the Medium or anyone near him, add the Spirit's Rank to the DC of the attempted divination.  
12- Shapeshifting.  While possessed, the Medium can alter his form to better suit his purposes.  He must spend at least 1 MD to trigger a transformation, with more being required for difficult transformations.  When he alters his form, his ability scores and stats remain the same (where it makes sense, Referee's Discretion applies), but this puts a toll on his body, reducing the amount of time he can host the Spirit by 10 minutes per time he shapeshifts.  Additionally, if he runs out of time to host the Spirit and it must leave him, he will remain in whatever form he was in when the Spirit left him until he can host it again.