Corpse Host (Wizard Spell)

This spell enables an individual touched by the caster to transfer his or her life force to temporarily animate the fresh corpse of a human, demihuman, or humanoid. This spell will fail if cast on undead. The recipient wills the cadaver to move and act and can even cast spells through it—all while his or her own body is safely up to 5 miles away per level of the caster. While animated by the host's life force, the corpse ceases to decay; however, unless illusionary magic is cast upon it, the cadaver will appear to be a form of undead (such a ju-ju zombie).
The recipient (who may be the caster) can see, hear, and sense through the corpse host. The host can fight, talk hoarsely (with the voice of the corpse), and carry things—in fact, it can perform all tasks less exacting than lock-picking, sewing, and similar handicrafts. It can even go adventuring and earn experience points for its “master."
The recipient's mind functions in two places simultaneously—within the corpse host and within his or her real body. The real body can still sense (see, hear, and so on) exactly as before, even benefiting from enhancements such as a magical ring. The tradeoff is paralysis. Aside from breathing, blinking, and moving his or her eyes, the recipient cannot move his or her real body while the host is animated. (Friendly guards are a wise precaution. So is a pleasant or strategic view). The real body does not need to eat, drink, or sleep.
The recipient is vulnerable when his or her corpse host is the target of magical and psionic powers that affect the mind. The host can be fooled by illusion spells to the same degree as the recipient. It works this way because both recipient and host are actually sharing the same mind.
Physical attacks against the corpse host don't damage the real body, though they do harm the host. The latter has a number of “hit points" equal to the recipient's normal maximum (even if the recipient is currently crippled). The host has the recipient's natural armor class (10), though it may wear armor and employ weaponry with the same restrictions that apply to the recipient. The host does not benefit from anything worn or carried by the recipient's real body, however.
The corpse host can withstand attacks as well as (or as poorly as) the recipient can normally. Note that since the host is not undead, it may not be turned or affected with spells or magical items that influence such creatures.
If the host drops to 0 or fewer hit points, the owner must make a system shock roll. Failure indicates that the real body also dies along with the host. The spiritual link between the recipient and host can also be abruptly severed by (successfully) casting the wizard spells dispel magic, limited wish or wish or by employing the clerical spells spirit release or dispel evil. Severance of the spiritual link also requires the recipient to make a system shock roll in order to survive the ordeal.
The recipient of this spell can abandon the link with the corpse host at any time, with no harm to him- or herself. The host immediately collapses (resuming its usual decay), and the recipient immediately regains control of his or her real body. The same thing occurs when the spell ends or the corpse host somehow moves beyond the spell's range or to another plane.
The material components include a fresh corpse (of an individual who has been dead for no longer than 1 day per level of the caster) and a freshly-excised patch of the recipient's skin. Harvesting this piece of flesh from the subject at the time of casting also inflicts 1–3 hit points of damage. At the conclusion of the spell, the recipient is entitled to a saving throw vs. death magic. If failed, the hit point loss is permanent (consumed by the spell) and cannot be reversed or magically healed except with a wish or restoration spell. If successful, the loss in hit points, while temporary, can only be regained by normal rest.
Category:Wizard Spells
Category:Spells from Book of Necromancers
Category:Spells
Category:Spells from Wizard's Spell Compendium