Re: Spelljamming

> > > It's not the mind you trade places with in Magic Jar, it's the
life
> > force.
> > > You can definitely possess undead; to say that you can't possess
> > zombies
> > > sounds like a house ruling.
> >
> > Why?  Some undead have life forces but mindless undead like zombies
> > don't so what is there to trade places with?  And yes, it is trading
> > places with the mind as yours comes with you and theirs goes into
the
> > gem.
>
> Why do you conclude that zombies don't have some kind of "life force?"
> It's not life, of course, it's negative energy. Nevertheless, do you
have
> any kind of official backing for this idea?

Actually it's just animus as is described in several of the counter
spells that can prevent a body from being made into undead.  I believe
first edition's ceremony would be a good place to start looking.

> What makes a zombie
> qualitatively different from a ghoul in terms of negative energy?

The ghoul is animated not by magic but by the perversion of the
creature and it has a mind.  Many spells note a significant difference
between mindless undead and undead with minds.

> (Incidentally, I don't think the Magic Jar spell itself differentiates
> between intelligent and unintelligent undead in terms of what can be
> possessed, just as it doesn't state that puddings--which have about as
> much mind as a zombie--are immune to Magic Jar.)

Magic jar is like simulacrum, it leaves a lot more open than it
probably should (can I simulacrum an air elemental--by the spell it
looks that way).

> If you can't find an offical ruling, I stand by my statement that it
> "sounds like a house ruling."

I guess to some extent it probably is.  I use statements in various
modules and other spells to help me make a determination.  I
reiterate, however, magic jar clearly moves the mind with any life
force so anything without a mind (even if only an ameobas instincts)
needs to be looked at closely with respect to this spell at the least.
 By definition a zombie/skeleton is completely mindless as is a golem
(most golems anyway).
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