Witchman (Ulogo)[]
Description: The Witchman or Witchwoman—also known as the Ulogo—is a self-appointed champion of righteousness. He believes that some men are contaminated with an evil force called m'loa that compels them to perform evil actions. The Witchman injures the enemies of good by constructing and damaging clay dolls imbued with their m'loa.
The Witchman also believes that an evil man's m'loa persists after his death, taking the form of an invisible ghost. Such ghosts cannot be destroyed or harmed; they can only be frightened away. To that end, the Witchman cultivates a horrifying appearance. He paints broad white circles around his eyes, and streaks his arms and legs in red. Stones lodged in his nostrils make his nose flair at bizarre angles. He pierces his earlobes and lips with sharp bones, and allows his fingernails to grow into grotesque spirals. A red tattoo on his chest, shaped like a jagged X, declares his opposition to m'loa.
Requirements: A Witchman must be of lawful alignment.
Homeland Terrain:
- Required: Forest, Jungle, or Swamp.
Role: To keep the m'loa ghosts at bay, the Witchman constantly experiments with new ways to make himself more horrifying. He sharpens his teeth to fine points, snarls like a tiger, and imitates serpents by slithering on the ground. He may color his face blue one day, cake his body with mud the next.
The Witchman takes a submissive role in an adventuring party, keeping to himself and rarely socializing with his companions. He is cautious around animals, believing that a m'loa ghost can turn a friendly dog vicious or cause a docile horse to throw its rider.
On the battlefield, the Witchman advances with leaps and jumps, shaking his long hair, eyes ablaze. He tramples fallen enemies and shrieks at their corpses. He celebrates the death of a hated enemy by dancing around a roaring fire, long into the night.
Secondary Skills: Dancer, Fire-maker, Herbalist.
Weapon Proficiencies:
- Required: Dagger or knife.
Recommended: Blowgun, axe (battle or throwing), dart, spear, spiked club*.
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
- Recommended: Artistic Ability, Dancing, Fire-building, Signaling*, Religion.
- Barred: Animal Handling, Animal Lore, Animal Training, Horde Summoning*, Riding (Airborne or Land-based), Leadership".
Economic System: Animal products barter.
Wealth Options: The Witchman starts with only 1d4 gp worth of animal products.
Armor and Equipment: The Witchman begins with padded or leather armor. He may upgrade his armor to hide, but he only wears skins of animals he kills himself. He covers himself with leaves, claws, and bone fragments, secured to his clothing with strips of leather.
Spheres:
- Major: All, Charm, Combat, Necromantic, Protection.
- Minor: Divination, Elemental, Healing, Sun.
Talisman: The skull of a rat or a lizard, dyed red, impaled on a sharpened stick.
Special Benefits[]
M'loa Doll: The Witchman can attempt to harm an enemy by creating a small replica called a m'loa doll. To create a doll, the Witch- man must gather enough mud or clay in his homeland terrain to form a humanoid figure 4—6 inches tall. A fingernail, a lock of hair, or some other piece of organic material from the intended target is imbedded in the doll's chest. Alternately, a piece of an item owned by the target—a shred of clothing, a chip from a weapon—may be substituted for the organic material. A scrap of food partially consumed by the target also works. Once the Witchman has shaped the doll, he must allow it to dry for a day in the sun. A Witchman can use only one m'loa doll at any given time.
Whenever the Witchman breaks a piece from the doll, sticks a blade in it, or otherwise damages it, the target it represents may be harmed. No attack rolls are needed to damage the doll; the "attack" succeeds automatically. Nor is distance a factor, though the target and the Witchman must be on the same plane of existence. The Witchman can take no other actions during a round in which he damages the doll. He can damage the doll a total of four times, but can damage it no more frequently than once per hour. The doll automatically crumbles to dust after the fourth time it's damaged.
Whenever the doll is damaged, the target saves vs. spells, applying all relevant modifiers from Table 27. If the save succeeds, the target is unharmed. If the save fails, the target suffers 3d6 hp damage.
| Condition | Target's Saving Throw Modifiers* |
|---|---|
| Witchman's level is less than or equal to target's level or hit dice |
+2 |
| Witchman can see target | -1 |
| Witchman has inflicted physical damage on target in last 24 hours** |
-2 |
| Witchman's level (choose one) | |
| 1-3 | +2 |
| 4-6 | +1 |
| 7-12 | 0 |
| 13+ | -1 |
Bestow Curse: Once a week, the Witchman can attempt to curse any creature or character that he can see. The Witchman must spend one round doing nothing but standing still and staring at the target. He then spends the following round with both hands on his own chest, covering his tattoo; he may not take any other actions during this round. The target saves vs. spells. If the save succeeds, nothing happens. If the save fails, he suffers the effects of bestow curse, similar to the 4th-level wizard spell. If the save is a natural 20, the attempt backfires, and the Ulogo is affected by bestow curse.
Special Hindrances[]
Vulnerability to Undead: A Witchman can't turn wraiths, spectres, or ghosts. He suffers double physical damage from these creatures, but suffers level draining normally.
Reaction Penalty: Because of his intimidating appearance and manner, the Witchman suffers a -3 reaction penalty in encounters with all outworld NPCs. This is addition to any other reaction penalties normally imposed on barbarian characters.
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