tothe damage, the victim must succeed at an additional Will saving throw (DC 15) every day or be treated as stunned for thar day. Even moving takes 100 great an effort. Possession Infection: This malady occurs only after an evil spirit, outsider, or other dominating force (including the effect of dominate person cast by an evil caster) has pos sessed the victim. The victim slowly becomes despondent and lethargic, apparently mentally attected by the alien pres ence that was within her soul Sound Sickness: When a character takes more than 30 points of sonic damage and is at the same time exposed to great evil (as with acid fever, above), he risks contracting sound sickness. Given to fits of shouting, the victim of this disease shows no visible illness, but he staggers about, barely able to keep to his feet Soul Rot: Creatures that eat the flesh of an evil outsider can contract this horrible malady. Soul rot eats atthe victims rind and soul until she dies a horrible, agonizing death full of pain and misery. Vile Rigidity: This infection at first seems a boon. The victim’ skin toughens, granting +1 natural armor bonus to AC 24 hours after the infection starts. On the second day, this becomes a +2 bonus. On the third day, the natural armor hhonuis improves to +3, but the victim takes a -2 penalty to Dexterity. Each day thereafter, the victim’ skin becomes thicker and thicker, adding a cumulative +1 natural armor bonus and a ~2 penalty to Dexterity. This lasts until the victims Dexterity reaches 0, indicating that his ever-thick ening flesh has entrapped him. At this point, the victim dies of suffocation. Warp Touch: One of the worst effects of raw chaos and dissolution, the malady known as warp touch has a random set of effects that manifest immediately: Once it rakes hold, no more saving throws are needed: The malady gets neith better nor worse, A remove disease accomplishes nothing, When a character falls vietim to this disease vious table oll on the pre: — OTHER ASPECTS OF EVIL The following elements of evil lore ean be used as plot hooks, new game mechanics to further depict evil, oF some of both. THE CALLING Once every few years, a creature of pure evil—a medusa, troll, lamia, or similar being—feels something loremasters have named the Calling. When this occurs, the creature leaves its lair, following a solitary magical compulsion. No one knows exactly where the creature goes, but a good guess is that it is taken away by a powerful fiend or some minor evil god. It can be gone for as long as several months. When a creature returns home atte it has heard the Call ing, it has the ability to use spell completion magic items even if itis nota spelleaster, and itis armed with some terri: ble item of evil (a wand of unholy blight ora wand of dart, for example), The creature has had some spell cast upon it that was then made permane (demon wings and se invisi biliy are common). The creature is proficient with light medium, and heavy armor as well as martial weapons. Creatures who return from the Calling often become leaders of their kind, ready to combat the forces of good with their new weapons and abilities. his lends further cre- dence tothe idea that some evil force is preparing them for a larger conflict. DARK CHANT ‘A few undead learn the secret ofthe dark chant from forbid den scrolls and forgotten books. The dark chant is not 2 spell, but a number of particularly foul necromantic words and phrases strung together into a litany of evil power. Ifa least wo undead creatures intone the dark chant together, all undead within 100 feet (including the chanters) gain +1 turn resistance for every 2 HD possessed by the chanters on average. For example, ifa 7-HD vampire and an 11-HD lich perform the dark chant together, the turn resistance bonus is +4 (7 HD and 11 HD averages out to 9 HD, which yields 4 after its divided by 2 and rounded down). Furthermore, if incorporeal undead perform the dark chant together, the words and phrases take on extradimen sional energy, adding +1 turn resistance ro the final result So if two 7-HD spectres intone the dark chant, the turn resistance bonusis +4 (7+2= 333+ 14). ‘Undead with no Intelligence scores cannot use the dark chant. Intoning the dark chant is a supernatural ability Some surmise that the dark chant has power because itis actually uses some words ftom the Dark Speech (see below), although the words and phrases may be bastardized, barely understood, and mispronounced. DARK SPEECH There exists a language so dire, so inherently full of spite malice, corruption, and hatred that it is simply called the Dark Speech. This is the secret language of evil gods, s0 foul and so potent that even demons and devils refrain from its tse, lest it consume them. Not surprisingly, very few mortals know even a few words of the Dark Speech. But those who do are wise to never underestimate the power of words. the safest way to use the Dark Speech is through spells such as dread word (see Chap- ter 6). Most characters must take the Dark Speech feat to begin to learn the Dark Speech language. The Dark Speech is extremely difficult to master. A special feat is required to speak even a single word of it correctly, for mortal tongues were not designed to utter these words of pure evil, Some evil outsiders know smat terings (or more) of the Dark Speech and need no feat to To actually communicate by means of the Dark Speech— that is, for a knowledgeable speaker to convey some infor- ‘mation to knowledgeable listener—the speaker must rake great care, or both listener and speaker will be harmed. There are no words in the Dark Speech for good concepts such as kindness, mercy, and purity. However, evil charac ters can speak of misery, anguish, hate, and betrayal with an accuracy impossible in any other tongue.The Dark Speech has no written form. It cannot be transliterated into another language’ written form without losing all ofits meaning and power. Besides communicating in the language of evil itself there are four ways that a speaker can use the Dark Speech. Dread: The words spoken cause fear, loathing, and dread inall who hear them. Speaking words of dread is draining to the speaker, dealing 1d4 points of Charisma damage each round the Dark Speech is spoken. When dread words of the Dark Speech are uttered, all within 30 feet of the speaker rust make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 speaker level + speaker's Cha modifier), Listeners who know the Dark Speech by possessing the Dark Speech feat gain a +4 cir cumstance bonus on this saving throw. Ifa listener fails its saving throw, it suffers the following effects, depending on its Hit Dice or level and alignment: Levels 1-4, Nonevil: Characters are shaken by the intoned Dark Speech, and they flee from the source of their fear as quickly as they can, although they can choose the path of their flight. Other than thar stipulation, once out of sight and hearing of the source of their fea, characters can act as they want. Characters unable to flee can fight (though they are still shaken for 110 rounds) Levels S10, Nonevl: Characters are shaken, taking a -2 morale penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks jf for 1dt0 rounds. Levels 11+, Nonevil: Characters are filled with Joathing for the speaker and must attack him on theit Levels t-4, Evil: Characters cower and are frozen in fear. They lose their Dexterity bonus to AC (ifany) and can take no actions for 1d10 rounds. Foes gain a +2 bonus to hit cowering characters. | Laity $10, Bal Charictersarenastered bythe (UA Dark Speech, acting asf charmed (as described inthe “4 charm person spell) for td410 minutes 4 Levels 11, Evil: Characters are impressed, reacting to the speaker with more respect and wariness. This adds a +2 competence bonus on subsequent attempts to change their autitude (see NPC Attitudes in Chapter 5 of the DuxctoN Masten’ Guide) Power: The words of the Dark Speech help energize evil magic items and spells. Again, this is draining to the speaker, dealing 1d4 points of Charisma damage each time the words of power are uttered. If used in conjunction with an evil spell that has a verbal component, the Dark Speech increases the spells eff by +1. [Fused when creating an evil magic item, the Dark Speech increases the items caster level by +1 without increasing the cost Both caster level increases are considered profane bonuses. It is likely that the Dark Speech is a requirement for many evil artifacts Corruption: The words of the Dark Speech, whispered softly, an weaken physical objects. As a full-round action, the speaker can whisper vile words of corruption and destruction at an inanimate object such as a door or wall, reducing its hardness by half, This minor use of the Dark WF Speech is not draining to the speaker. It cannot be used more than ance on a single abject. Dark Unity: The words of the Dark Speech can create a hivemind. Up to one hundred vermin or animals (none of which can have more than 1 HD) form an evil hivemind, as described in the Hivemind section below: the united com sciousness of the creatures will take one command from the Dark Speech speaker, as if from the suggestion spell. Pulling creatures under the sway of evil is draining to the speaker, dealing 1d points of Constitution damage each time words of dark unity are uttered. SOULS AS POWER Souls are the incarnate manifestation of life energy. As such, they containa vast amount of power. Their power is so great, in fact, that they serve as currency on the Lower Planes (see Chapter 7), Night hags or fiends gather evil souls in the form of larvae, then sel or trade them for goods, services, or simply as tribute ro more powerful entities. Huge infernal machines and demonic devices are powered by souls in those dark realms (see Diabolic Engines and Demonic Desicesin Chater § Souls can be used as spell components (see Chapter * i 3), and they can also replace eeeuae point iapendl J tures when creating magic items. Each soul is the equivalent of 10 experience points needed to create an item, When the creator finishes making the magic item, itis tainted with lasting evil as described in Lin ering Effects of Evil, later in this chapter. Magic item ereators can use souls in conjunction with dark craft experience points and dark craft gold pieces \ To use a soul in any way, it must be properly pre- pared and stored, The best way to do this is ina \ ‘proper receptacle, suchas the gem involved in a soul bina oF trap the soul spell, o the storage object used in an imprison soul spell. The dark altar stone magic tem is also useful in this regard, Subdued or cap- tured larvae, or other extraplanar spirit of the dead (often 1 serve as souls if properly prepared -an be used in this way if they can called petitioners), Even incorporeal undea be imprisoned somehow. Using a soul in any way other than simply transferring it as barter consumes it completely, destroying it forever. Destroying a soul is an evil act of the blackest sort, even if the soul was evil itself PAIN AS POWER Some spells and magic items (such as the liquid pain spell and the pain extraclor wondrous item) allow pain to be stored in special receptacles. The distilled pain, often called agony, isa thick liquid Evil spelicasters can use liquid pain in magic item cre- ation. Each dose is the equivalent of 3 experience points needed to create the item. Liquid pain can be used in com junction with dark craft experience points and souls used for experience points ‘A dose of pain can also be used as a special evil spell com ponent (see Chapter 3), Some infernal magic items are pow.