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Corruptions

Even the most pure creature can succumb to tides of darkness. What begins as a minor malady or errant idea can grow into something malignant—a spreading corruption that can obscure your morals, cloud your judgment, and ultimately devour your soul. There are a number of different types of corruptions, from the hunger of vampirism to the horrifying transformation of the promethean. Living with a corruption is often a terrifying experience, but also offers the temptation of dark gifts. Hosts sometimes choose not to fight the corruption, but rather accept it and allow it to progress. These unfortunate folk either succumb to lust for the corruption’s power or attempt to control the stain of corruption and use its gifts for some greater good.

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Demonic Corruption Source Horror Realms pg. 56 Close contact with the Abyss or demons clouds your mind and twists your body. Catalyst Prolonged contact with Abyssal energies or demons, whether willing or otherwise, has corrupted your soul. Progression Demonic corruption thrives in the presence of sin. One could become initially corrupted by demonic influence through being exposed to raw Abyssal energies in the Worldwound, accepting one too many profane gifts from a succubus, or using a wish granted by a glabrezu, but the progression of the corruption is often tied to the individual’s most powerful sin. When an opportunity arises to carry out a significant action that matches the corruption’s theme (GM’s discretion), you are tempted to take it. The action might include wanton destruction and violence, or merely tempting someone to behave in a chaotic evil manner. You must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC = 15 + your manifestation level) or succumb to this temptation and perform the action. What counts as significant is up to the GM. If something prevents you from performing this act, the GM chooses a time over the next week when you’re compelled to otherwise further the cause of chaotic evil. Corruption Stage 1: The first time you perform a significant act that matches the corruption’s theme, your alignment shifts one step toward chaotic evil (toward evil first, if you aren’t yet evil). Any attempt to raise you from the dead requires a successful caster level check (DC = 15 + double your manifestation level). Corruption Stage 2: The second time you perform such an act, your alignment shifts to chaotic evil. Corruption Stage 3: The third time you perform such an act, you become a demonic entity under the GM’s control. Removing the Corruption Redemption requires slaying the demon who corrupted you or cleansing the site where you were corrupted. Manifestations The following are manifestations of the demonic corruption. Abyssal Deformity Source Horror Realms pg. 56 Your body mirrors the ugliness of your corruption. Gift: You gain a +3 bonus on Intimidate checks and on Diplomacy checks to interact with demons and their cults. Your stain penalty does not apply to these checks. At manifestation level 5th, the bonuses double. Stain: Your hideousness unsettles others. You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy, Disguise, and Handle Animal checks. At manifestation level 5th, the penalties double. Chaotic Mutation Source Horror Realms pg. 56 Your physical form is unpredictable. Prerequisite: Manifestation level 2nd. Gift: Permanent fleshcrafts cost 10% less to apply to you. Once per day, you can gain any one of the abilities listed in alter self, as well as an apt physical feature or body part of a typically chaotic or evil race (using that race’s ability or that in alter self, whichever is worse). Abilities gained in this manner persist for 1 hour per manifestation level. At manifestation level 7th, the ability granted lasts until you use the ability again to gain a different feature. Stain: Your aura detects as chaotic and evil instead of your true alignment. The aura is strong, like that of a cleric. At manifestation level 5th, whenever you activate this ability, you risk undergoing a fleshwarp mutation unless you succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 15 + manifestation level). All fleshwarp mutations from your demonic corruption gained in the same day count as originating from the same area. Corrupted Claws Source Horror Realms pg. 57 Your hands twist into terrible claws. Gift: You gain a claw attack as a primary natural weapon. This attack deals 1d6 points of damage (or 1d3 points of damage if you are Small). At manifestation level 6th, you gain a second claw attack. Stain: You take a –2 penalty on attack rolls with manufactured weapons and on Disguise checks where you must hide your claws. Demonic Enhancement Source Horror Realms pg. 57 Demonic power surges within you. Prerequisite: Manifestation level 4th. Gift: You gain a +2 profane bonus to the ability score of your choice. Stain: You take a –2 penalty to an ability score of the GM’s choice (other than the one you select as your gift). Demonic Wings Source Horror Realms pg. 57 You’ve grown a pair of demonic wings from your back. Prerequisite: Manifestation level 4th. Gift: You gain a fly speed of 30 feet with poor maneuverability. At manifestation level 8th, the fly speed increases to 60 feet and your maneuverability increases to good. Stain: Your wings cannot be hidden by magic, but you can conceal them by mundane means. Your wings periodically flap and rasp reflexively, imposing a –4 penalty on Escape Artist and Stealth checks. Hideous Urges Source Horror Realms pg. 57 Your base instincts grow stronger. Gift: Whenever you are confused, you can roll twice and take the result of your choice to determine the actual effects of confusion. Once per day, if you become dazed, frightened, nauseated, panicked, or stunned, you can instead choose to become confused for the twice the duration of the original effect. Stain: You become addicted to exposure to the Abyss and demonic creatures. Each week that you go without spending at least 1 hour within 30 feet of a demon or in the Abyss, you must attempt a Will saving throw to resist the urge to create a bit of the Abyss on the spot by performing a chaotic evil act (as if you had been tempted as defined in this corruption’s progression). If you fail the saving throw, you are compelled to perform an act within the next week befitting the demon who corrupted you. Unless you are prevented from doing so, your corruption progresses. Scarred by the Abyss Source Horror Realms pg. 57 Your body is horrifically scarred. Prerequisite: Manifestation level 5th. Gift: You gain damage reduction equal to half your manifestation level that can be overcome by cold iron or good weapons. Stain: You take a –2 penalty on all saving throws against spells with the lawful or good descriptors and against spell-like abilities and supernatural abilities created by outsiders with the lawful or good subtypes. Terrible Truths Source Horror Realms pg. 57 The Abyss reveals the awful truths of reality to you. Prerequisite: Manifestation level 5th. Gift: You can see the truth, as per true seeing, as a full-round action. You can use this gift for a number of rounds per day equal to your manifestation level, and the rounds need not be used consecutively. Stain: When you cease to use this manifestation’s gift, you become confused for a number of rounds equal to the number of rounds you used the gift. Special: Upon receiving this manifestation, you must take both the gift and the stain, even with the useful corruption or vile corruption variants. Warping Claws Source Horror Realms pg. 57 Your claws carry the warping energies of the Abyss. Prerequisite: Manifestation level 7th, corrupted claws, demonic enhancement. Gift: The damage caused by your corrupted claws increases as if you were one size larger. The threat range for your claws becomes 19–20. On a confirmed critical hit, a targeted creature must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw to resist becoming warped by your infusion of demonic energy. This inflicts 1d4 points of damage to a randomly determined ability score and causes the creature to be staggered for 1 round. Stain: You take a –4 penalty on melee attack rolls with manufactured weapons and on Disable Device and Sleight of Hand checks. You have 5% spell failure chance on spells with a somatic or emotion component. This stacks with all other chances of spell failure.

Demonic Corruption

Source Horror Realms pg. 56
Close contact with the Abyss or demons clouds your mind and twists your body.

Catalyst

Prolonged contact with Abyssal energies or demons, whether willing or otherwise, has corrupted your soul.

Progression

Demonic corruption thrives in the presence of sin. One could become initially corrupted by demonic influence through being exposed to raw Abyssal energies in the Worldwound, accepting one too many profane gifts from a succubus, or using a wish granted by a glabrezu, but the progression of the corruption is often tied to the individual’s most powerful sin. When an opportunity arises to carry out a significant action that matches the corruption’s theme (GM’s discretion), you are tempted to take it. The action might include wanton destruction and violence, or merely tempting someone to behave in a chaotic evil manner. You must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC = 15 + your manifestation level) or succumb to this temptation and perform the action. What counts as significant is up to the GM. If something prevents you from performing this act, the GM chooses a time over the next week when you’re compelled to otherwise further the cause of chaotic evil.
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you perform a significant act that matches the corruption’s theme, your alignment shifts one step toward chaotic evil (toward evil first, if you aren’t yet evil). Any attempt to raise you from the dead requires a successful caster level check (DC = 15 + double your manifestation level).
Corruption Stage 2: The second time you perform such an act, your alignment shifts to chaotic evil.
Corruption Stage 3: The third time you perform such an act, you become a demonic entity under the GM’s control.

Removing the Corruption

Redemption requires slaying the demon who corrupted you or cleansing the site where you were corrupted.

Manifestations

The following are manifestations of the demonic corruption.

Abyssal Deformity

Source Horror Realms pg. 56
Your body mirrors the ugliness of your corruption.
Gift: You gain a +3 bonus on Intimidate checks and on Diplomacy checks to interact with demons and their cults. Your stain penalty does not apply to these checks. At manifestation level 5th, the bonuses double.
Stain: Your hideousness unsettles others. You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy, Disguise, and Handle Animal checks. At manifestation level 5th, the penalties double.

Chaotic Mutation

Source Horror Realms pg. 56
Your physical form is unpredictable.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 2nd.
Gift: Permanent fleshcrafts cost 10% less to apply to you. Once per day, you can gain any one of the abilities listed in alter self, as well as an apt physical feature or body part of a typically chaotic or evil race (using that race’s ability or that in alter self, whichever is worse). Abilities gained in this manner persist for 1 hour per manifestation level. At manifestation level 7th, the ability granted lasts until you use the ability again to gain a different feature.
Stain: Your aura detects as chaotic and evil instead of your true alignment. The aura is strong, like that of a cleric. At manifestation level 5th, whenever you activate this ability, you risk undergoing a fleshwarp mutation unless you succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 15 + manifestation level). All fleshwarp mutations from your demonic corruption gained in the same day count as originating from the same area.

Corrupted Claws

Source Horror Realms pg. 57
Your hands twist into terrible claws.
Gift: You gain a claw attack as a primary natural weapon. This attack deals 1d6 points of damage (or 1d3 points of damage if you are Small). At manifestation level 6th, you gain a second claw attack.
Stain: You take a –2 penalty on attack rolls with manufactured weapons and on Disguise checks where you must hide your claws.

Demonic Enhancement

Source Horror Realms pg. 57
Demonic power surges within you.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 4th.
Gift: You gain a +2 profane bonus to the ability score of your choice.
Stain: You take a –2 penalty to an ability score of the GM’s choice (other than the one you select as your gift).

Demonic Wings

Source Horror Realms pg. 57
You’ve grown a pair of demonic wings from your back.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 4th.
Gift: You gain a fly speed of 30 feet with poor maneuverability. At manifestation level 8th, the fly speed increases to 60 feet and your maneuverability increases to good.
Stain: Your wings cannot be hidden by magic, but you can conceal them by mundane means. Your wings periodically flap and rasp reflexively, imposing a –4 penalty on Escape Artist and Stealth checks.

Hideous Urges

Source Horror Realms pg. 57
Your base instincts grow stronger.
Gift: Whenever you are confused, you can roll twice and take the result of your choice to determine the actual effects of confusion. Once per day, if you become dazed, frightened, nauseated, panicked, or stunned, you can instead choose to become confused for the twice the duration of the original effect.
Stain: You become addicted to exposure to the Abyss and demonic creatures. Each week that you go without spending at least 1 hour within 30 feet of a demon or in the Abyss, you must attempt a Will saving throw to resist the urge to create a bit of the Abyss on the spot by performing a chaotic evil act (as if you had been tempted as defined in this corruption’s progression). If you fail the saving throw, you are compelled to perform an act within the next week befitting the demon who corrupted you. Unless you are prevented from doing so, your corruption progresses.

Scarred by the Abyss

Source Horror Realms pg. 57
Your body is horrifically scarred.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 5th.
Gift: You gain damage reduction equal to half your manifestation level that can be overcome by cold iron or good weapons.
Stain: You take a –2 penalty on all saving throws against spells with the lawful or good descriptors and against spell-like abilities and supernatural abilities created by outsiders with the lawful or good subtypes.

Terrible Truths

Source Horror Realms pg. 57
The Abyss reveals the awful truths of reality to you.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 5th.
Gift: You can see the truth, as per true seeing, as a full-round action. You can use this gift for a number of rounds per day equal to your manifestation level, and the rounds need not be used consecutively.
Stain: When you cease to use this manifestation’s gift, you become confused for a number of rounds equal to the number of rounds you used the gift.
Special: Upon receiving this manifestation, you must take both the gift and the stain, even with the useful corruption or vile corruption variants.

Warping Claws

Source Horror Realms pg. 57
Your claws carry the warping energies of the Abyss.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 7th, corrupted claws, demonic enhancement.
Gift: The damage caused by your corrupted claws increases as if you were one size larger. The threat range for your claws becomes 19–20. On a confirmed critical hit, a targeted creature must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw to resist becoming warped by your infusion of demonic energy. This inflicts 1d4 points of damage to a randomly determined ability score and causes the creature to be staggered for 1 round.
Stain: You take a –4 penalty on melee attack rolls with manufactured weapons and on Disable Device and Sleight of Hand checks. You have 5% spell failure chance on spells with a somatic or emotion component. This stacks with all other chances of spell failure.

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