Since a couple of us have this ability, I (Surreal) thought I'd include a brief summary of the possession rules from the ECS for reference. Note however that ghosts and the Fiend of Possession do have slightly different rule sets.

 

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Will save DC = 10 + 1/2HD + Cha

 

1) Damage to host doesn’t hurt me, not even force effects. Ethereal creatures can’t touch me either. Killing the host pushes me back into the Ethereal.

 

2) Possession can be active or passive

 

3) protection from evil stops stops possession attempts (except I’m not evil... yet)

 

4) hide my presence inside a body: Hide check using Int modifier, +4 bonus if not controlling the victim. DC = 10+spell level+casting stat

- can also use this check to avoid damage to host from alignment based spells (DC of hide check equals DC of spell; if check fails, host takes damage as if they had the alignment of the possessor)

 

5) Automatically read surface thoughts, can probe deeper (victim allowed Will saving throw DC=10+1/2HD+Cha, if safe can’t try again for 24hrs)

- note: I still have use of my Cabinet Trickster detect thoughts, with no such limitation

 

Roles

a) Rider: passive possession, host unaware, can slip past magical protection

b) Ally: host is aware, grant +4 profane bonus to any stat

c) Controller: host can try to make a Will save each round: DC=10+1/2HD+Cha +1 per previous failed attempt that day

- victims struggling against control are staggered (and that’s if they make the save???)

- gain access to all abilities, skills, feats, and spells

- the host still can still speak mentally to me, and is aware of his sensor input, unless I take a standard action each round to block its senses, or I have the option to black the host out for the duration of the possession

- adopt the host’s physical ability scores

- if I maintain control for at least 10 rounds a day for a week, gain access to SLAs and can maintain control for 1/2HD+Cha+1 per previous control

d) Enemy: impose -4 profane penalty to any stat

 

Possession of objects:

- hide in object, gain addition +8 vs spell if spell only detects for creatures (another +4 if not controlling)

 

Channeling:

- the host gains access to all my SLA and Su, gains bonus to stats

 

 

Death of Host:

- concentration check allowed to continue mental activity (such as telekinesis)

- change to "rider" - may reanimate host corpse at next action

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what you can possess anywhere:

humanoids

beasts

magic beasts

monstrous humanoids

plants

oozes

costructs (any, drop the warforged caveat)

objects

aberrations

animals

what you can't possess anywhere:

spirits-- which comprise the follwoing:

undead

elementals

fey

outsiders

these creatures are typically "soulless"... their physical bodies are their spirits.

the exception to this rule-- anything capable of possessing can be possessed- if it has a physical body to possess. ghosts and shades have no physical body.. they can't be possessed. But a marilith demon could be possessed if it itself is capable of possessing. things that can possess are capable of abndoning it's body to control another. this leaves them open to possession themselves. (ironic)

so you can try to possess them if you wish, but it's a crap shoot. You can use magics and what not to identify who can possess, and stalk them speciically. Another wonderful adventure to pursue. A strong outsider will likely be defended if leaving its body to go off. Bear in mind, good forces channel... which akes the physical body with it. only the evil types will possess. so you will only have access to the evil.

 

 

 

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Questions

 

Surreal

If I possess a body passively (as an Ally or Rider for example):

1) can I choose for my warshaper abilities to apply to my host?

^^fil here: No... but you can choose to channel and give host ALL of your su sp and ex abilities.

 

2) does my ghostly deflection bonus to AC apply to my host?

^^fil here: No... that only applies if you are free floating.

 

3) as a ghost, can I possess object? (or should I leave this to the Fiend of Possession)

^^Fil here: Yes, it may come in handy. cursing someone before possessig them directly is a wise tactic.

 

4) If a host is channeling me (and thus gains the ability to use my SLAs and Su's, do I still retain the ability to use my mental abilities as well? (for example, could both my host and I mind stun separate opponents in the same round?)

^^Fil here: no... you remain pasive without any true separate actions from the host. If you were to take the road of having a construct at your disposal, you effectively get all your typical abilities plus whatever the costruct provides.. good tanking, buddy.

 

5) Just looking for clarification here: according to the "controller" role, if the victim fails the saving throw then I am in control of them. But even if they make the save they are still staggered?

^^Fil here: Yep. If they get 3 successful saves in a row, they are safe from control for 24 hours... at which point, a quick dash to the silver flame or other organization can assure a fast ghost hunt to fire up. This is also a great way of disabling ANY oponent in combat. high level characters and important folks will likely have wards to prevent possession altogether.

For sul, this makes his history even more valid... suicides from low level, no one peasants with no saves, and Vic would be channelling/willingly surrendering control. Sul does have the ability to switch from possessing to channelling as he pleases, since he's a ghost, not a fiend/angel. This can lead to fun rolelayig opportnities. What young adventurous lad wouldn't want ot be chosen to channel a great spirit? oops.. where am I? wait... I didn't kill that guy... the spirit I was channelling must have done it! (and with false memory implantation, evidence gets interesting with psionic probing... have fun!)

 

^^Surreal here: if an opponent has protection from possession, can I still make the attempt to cause them to be staggered?

 

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Surreal Another question about the "controller" aspect: at what point do I make the attempt to gain control (or when does my host make his save to resist being controlled?). I presume that if I win, my host loses his actions for the next round and I get to act normally on my turn through his body?

 

 

^^fil here

control attempts may begin the following round of succesful possession.

--you spend a standard action attempting control, and the host gets a save.

if the host fails the save, you use the host as you please for 16 rounds (1/2hd +cha modifier), and the host gets a cumulative -1 to its next save.

--at the end o the 16 rounds, the victim has a chance to resist posesion. if it fails, you now have 17 rounds of abuse.if successful, the hos is staggered, and only gets a standard action or move acton this round, and you must wait your turn to take control again, triggerig another save. If the victim is capable of suceedig the save 3 times in a row, you lose for the day. but each time it fails, it has to start the 3 cosecutive saves over, and each successful control echeck adds a round of duration and increaes the dc by 1. you will eventually win unless the host is lucky 3 times in a row.-- attempitng to posses someone in their sleep will wake them up, but they will have already failed the save since they were asleep. (sleeping = autofail saves, yes? is that RAW?)

^^Surreal the sleep = autofail saves is a tricky subject and I don't think it is ever covered explicitly. Technically by RAW, you are considered helpless. The helpless condition however does not have a bearing on saves (except for considering your Dex=0 which affects Reflex saves). A lot of DM's just rule it as an autofail however, so it's up do you. I can always do some telepathic muttering into a person's dreams and get them to drop their guard though, making the possession easier.

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Surreal Also, Fiendish Codex outlines another two possibilities while possessing someone:

5) Mutterer: still passive, similar to "rider", does not reveal my presense, I can whisper/mutter or send emotions, host must make a will save or perform a specific action/spend the round confused. Even if the host makes the save, they may still not realize my presence. Lengthy muttering can lead to sleep deprivation, exhaustion, nervous twitches, even insanity (all fluff, no rules per se)

6) Transformer: not really applicable in my case - this is where a demon tries to transform a host into a demonic body. The process takes a minimum of four days. If you want the writeup I can send it to you.

 

^^fil here

absolutely. options are good!

 

Surreal Here is the last option:

6) Transformer: (I'll just type in shortform notes)

- demon uses the host to gain a foothold on the material plane

- can attempt only one change per day

- Fort save DC = 10 + 1/2 fiend HD + CON mod, failure means a quarter of the host's body changes

- regardless of save or fail, make a will save (DC 10+1/2hd+Cha) means the host recognizes the transformation and can seek help, failure means the demon hides the transformation

- full transformation takes minimum 4 days, demon gains full use of it's abilities, victim is trapped in the body (essentially the host now becomes the "rider" in the demon's new body) but can't even communicate or have any control

- killing the body releases the demon, and the host can be raised back as normal

- a transformer demon can not be banished

- but it can be exorcised, but at great risk to the host (fort DC 10+1/2fiend HD + Cha) success means demon is exorcised, failure means host dies from shock, but can be raised as normal

- some demon cults consider transformation a religious rite

 

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Surreal

- When I possess someone, I have the ability to read their surface thoughts. Does this bypass the usual "mind blank" or similar spells? If so, would I then be able to apply by mind tricks?

- I ask because I wonder if I'll be of any use in the mind games area when we hit higher levels, when opponents will have ample resources to such spells and items to block mental control/compulsion effects, which basically halts half my repertoir

^^Fil here: I would say mindblank still works even if possessing.  I don't think this would hinder any of the possession activities.. just prevent surface thought reading..

I also think that you are overestimating how liberally I place wards on people... warding is more a matter of status than level.  High level grunts and servants are nott gonna be warded normally... a high level wizard/cleric/etc will be... a high level warlord might not at all.  

This is gonna make it tricky on how to go about it.. but considerng you can stagger or shut down virtually anyting NOT warded.. even if strong, this is a fair exchange.

just trust that if they look like they should be warded, they probably will be.

screwing with enemies is a small part of your repetoir you have thusfar decided to focus on.  the fact that you can combine your abilities with anything you possess/channel is INCREDIBLE... all su ex and sla is virtually ALL your temlate, class and feat abilities. not a bad trade off.  ultimately making your flexibility the most potent than anyone in game...  

^^Surreal(07-09-12) - yeah, the above question was written way before my legacy item stuff was figured out. I think I'm fine with the current set "evolution" of Sul.

 

- How quickly can I "unpossess" a body? I thought I read that it was a free action somewhere, but can't seem to find it (must be failing my spot check on that one)

^^Fil here: unpossess as a free action-- either from controlling or completely including riding at all.. your choice.

 

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1 Nov 2007

http://www.dndonlinegames.com/showthread.php?p=2314936

 

-- spirit world and beyond are the only two locations a spirit exists naturally. I'd say they are a bit whispy or something. types will vary.

-- if you are possessig something, the default is "hidden". but if they go lookig for you, then they can find you. you would appear as a double superimposed over whatever shoud be there normally.. like aurok with a little sul in the same place.

or a rock with sul crammed in it.

--If you are controlling something, I'd say your whisperyness would match the contours of the possessed object. but again, they would have to look for it to have a chance to detect.

unless you have detect spirits then you'd detect all this stuff automatically.