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This is spoiler territory, but it's unavoidable to explain the context. Do not read on if you're wanting to avoid spoilers for the Dark Designs in The Realms/Keepers of the Three Rings.

There is a spirit, Morlhoss, that serves as a BBEG for one of the Dark Designs. We have his statblock as a spirit (p57).

He has an Orc...keeper? Minder?...called Zagruk. We have a statblock for him (p58).

The book suggests that Morlhoss can possess Zagruk (p58, "The Mask of Spirits"), but does not provide a statblock for the merged form, nor instructions on how to integrate them...which is the crux of Doctor's question. How do we represent this possessed form?

I haven't actually run this at all yet, so I was going to refrain from opening. I'm not sure we have another comparable amount sample of something like this to work with, so it's challenging. I can draw a few conclusions, for this new entity (which I'll call Morlruk) gun to head:

1. The stat array is identical for both, with the exceptions of Parry, which is +2 for Zagruk Vs 0 for Morlhoss and Distinctive Features. I don't think this is a coincidence, so Morlruk would keep the stat array. Since Parry is different, and it's a physical thing (to my mind), I'd adopt Zagruk's, giving Morlruk Zagruk's stat array, essentially. Zagruk's Distinctive Features are personality based and Morlhoss is in charge (to my mind), so Morlruk retains only Morlhoss'. I'd keep Endurance the same, but I'll expound slightly on point 7.

2. The one thing I'm tempted to do is to pool their Hate. I don't think the designers would do that, for simplicity, and would either just buff their Attribute Rating and Hate a bit to something like 7 or 8, or just keep the array, but it makes sense to me to allow Morlruk to draw on the extent Hate of either Morlhoss or Zagruk (so if, say, Zagruk had already spent 1 Hate, then Morlruk can either spend one of Zagruk's 5 Hate or Morlhoss' 6 Hate). These should be tracked separately IMO though, for reasons I'll go into later in point 7. Normally, I'd say Morlruk would use Zagruk's Hate first. Attribute Rating remains at 6 though. Just pick which resonates most with you out of those three options.

3. Zagruk, being an Orc, has Hate Sunlight (according to the CRB, all Orcs do and there's no exception carved out for Zagruk, so I'm assuming he has it too). Since Morlhoss does, I'd say Morlruk does too.


4. Zagruk's Fell Abilities still make sense, so I'd say Morlruk retains them, but Combat Sorcerer still only applies to Dreadful Spells: Poisonous Concoction. To me, it makes sense that that's about that ability rather than Zagruk being able to cast magic per se.

4. Morlruk isn't Bodiless, so it loses that Fell Ability. Likewise, Invisible makes no sense, so that goes too.

5. Wights have Heartless and Deathless, so obviously having a body doesn't interfere with those Fell Abilities, so Morlruk retains those. Thinking about Bodiless, he loves the first bit about being immune to weapons,but can still cancel Wounds etc and can still be affected by Bane on Undead (likewise it triggers Against the Unseen).

6. That leaves Morlhoss' two Dreadful Spells. I believe there are Wights with similar abilities, so I'd say retain them.

7. Circling back, I'd say once you defeat Morlruk, you simply kill the body, which is to say, Zagruk. Once you've done that, Morlhoss is ejected, and you have to fight the normal Morlhoss statblock. If you don't want to do this, and just want the one fight, I'd go with the buff option from point 2 to 8 to make it a tougher fight. My proposal differs from Wights, but I think makes the encounter more unique and interesting. You could justify the difference by saying that because Zagruk is willing and living, it takes less "energy" to inhabit the body, plus Morlhoss is accustomed to having a physical body since he used to have his own, and so retains the ability to attack the living etc even without a body.

Those are my thoughts. I've tried to justify each decision, I daresay the designers would disagree on at least one point, but I'm not sure which. Take what resonates with you and do what makes sense for you for that parts that don't.

This is spoiler territory, but it's unavoidable to explain the context. Do not read on if you're wanting to avoid spoilers for the Dark Designs in The Realms/Keepers of the Three Rings.

There is a spirit, Morlhoss, that serves as a BBEG for one of the Dark Designs. We have his statblock as a spirit (p57).

He has an Orc...keeper? Minder?...called Zagruk. We have a statblock for him (p58).

The book suggests that Morlhoss can possess Zagruk (p58, "The Mask of Spirits"), but does not provide a statblock for the merged form, nor instructions on how to integrate them...which is the crux of Doctor's question. How do we represent this possessed form?

...

thanks linklite, what do you suggest then? While possessing Zagruk, this entity combines the innate physical traits of an orc with the dark magical abilities of the spirit, or something else?

P.S. I think we need to read the whole setting and make the preparations to play it in order to find the right "angle" we want to give to this entity. I will let someone who's already done this setting answer (more fully). Doktor, if you want the authors' opinion and intention, you'll have to ask Free League's customer service directly. Here (forum), we can only offer our interpretation.

Arthur.

I haven't actually run this at all yet, so I was going to refrain from opening. I'm not sure we have another comparable amount sample of something like this to work with, so it's challenging. I can draw a few conclusions, for this new entity (which I'll call Morlruk) gun to head:

1. The stat array is identical for both, with the exceptions of Parry, which is +2 for Zagruk Vs 0 for Morlhoss and Distinctive Features. I don't think this is a coincidence, so Morlruk would keep the stat array. Since Parry is different, and it's a physical thing (to my mind), I'd adopt Zagruk's, giving Morlruk Zagruk's stat array, essentially. Zagruk's Distinctive Features are personality based and Morlhoss is in charge (to my mind), so Morlruk retains only Morlhoss'. I'd keep Endurance the same, but I'll expound slightly on point 7.

2. The one thing I'm tempted to do is to pool their Hate. I don't think the designers would do that, for simplicity, and would either just buff their Attribute Rating and Hate a bit to something like 7 or 8, or just keep the array, but it makes sense to me to allow Morlruk to draw on the extent Hate of either Morlhoss or Zagruk (so if, say, Zagruk had already spent 1 Hate, then Morlruk can either spend one of Zagruk's 5 Hate or Morlhoss' 6 Hate). These should be tracked separately IMO though, for reasons I'll go into later in point 7. Normally, I'd say Morlruk would use Zagruk's Hate first. Attribute Rating remains at 6 though. Just pick which resonates most with you out of those three options.

3. Zagruk, being an Orc, has Hate Sunlight (according to the CRB, all Orcs do and there's no exception carved out for Zagruk, so I'm assuming he has it too). Since Morlhoss does, I'd say Morlruk does too.


4. Zagruk's Fell Abilities still make sense, so I'd say Morlruk retains them, but Combat Sorcerer still only applies to Dreadful Spells: Poisonous Concoction. To me, it makes sense that that's about that ability rather than Zagruk being able to cast magic per se.

4. Morlruk isn't Bodiless, so it loses that Fell Ability. Likewise, Invisible makes no sense, so that goes too.

5. Wights have Heartless and Deathless, so obviously having a body doesn't interfere with those Fell Abilities, so Morlruk retains those. Thinking about Bodiless, he loves the first bit about being immune to weapons,but can still cancel Wounds etc and can still be affected by Bane on Undead (likewise it triggers Against the Unseen).

6. That leaves Morlhoss' two Dreadful Spells. I believe there are Wights with similar abilities, so I'd say retain them.

7. Circling back, I'd say once you defeat Morlruk, you simply kill the body, which is to say, Zagruk. Once you've done that, Morlhoss is ejected, and you have to fight the normal Morlhoss statblock. If you don't want to do this, and just want the one fight, I'd go with the buff option from point 2 to 8 to make it a tougher fight. My proposal differs from Wights, but I think makes the encounter more unique and interesting. You could justify the difference by saying that because Zagruk is willing and living, it takes less "energy" to inhabit the body, plus Morlhoss is accustomed to having a physical body since he used to have his own, and so retains the ability to attack the living etc even without a body.

Those are my thoughts. I've tried to justify each decision, I daresay the designers would disagree on at least one point, but I'm not sure which. Take what resonates with you and do what makes sense for you for that parts that don't.

This is spoiler territory, but it's unavoidable to explain the context. Do not read on if you're wanting to avoid spoilers for the Dark Designs in The Realms/Keepers of the Three Rings.

There is a spirit, Morlhoss, that serves as a BBEG for one of the Dark Designs. We have his statblock as a spirit (p57).

He has an Orc...keeper? Minder?...called Zagruk. We have a statblock for him (p58).

The book suggests that Morlhoss can possess Zagruk (p58, "The Mask of Spirits"), but does not provide a statblock for the merged form, nor instructions on how to integrate them...which is the crux of Doctor's question. How do we represent this possessed form?

...

thanks linklite, what do you suggest then? While possessing Zagruk, this entity combines the innate physical traits of an orc with the dark magical abilities of the spirit, or something else?

P.S. I think we need to read the whole setting and make the preparations to play it in order to find the right "angle" we want to give to this entity. I will let someone who's already done this setting answer (more fully). Doktor, if you want the authors' opinion and intention, you'll have to ask Free League's customer service directly. Here (forum), we can only offer our interpretation.

Arthur.

When writing on this official forum there are interesting insights from other loremasters' experiences, but of course I'm especially interested in the authors' intention, as they sometimes chime in here.