These items resemble attractive dolls, of the sort beloved by children in civilised countries, with ceramic heads, arms and legs and soft, padded bodies; they are frequently dressed in pretty clothes in the latest styles. A close examination, however, reveals that the dolls are not as innocent as they first seem. The heads and limbs are not made of china, but of bone; the bodies are not cloth, but cleverly-preserved human skin. The hair used both for stuffing the body and decorating the head is that of a human being; while that fact is not disturbing in itself, the traces of dried blood and scalp on the fair show that it was not cut, but ripped brutally from the head.

A Soul Child is constructed from the dead body of a human being (or Elf, Dwarf, etc.) for the purpose of trapping a portion of the soul within it. Certain spellcasters through the ages, such as Wokani, Necromancers and Witches - and even, in some cases, Entropic Clerics - have used this technique on both unwilling souls and on each other (in some traditions, the heir to a dying mage uses his master’s body to make a Soul Child on the master’s own order). If the victim is unwilling, a Save vs. Death is permitted to resist this foul enchantment; success renders the doll powerless, allowing the soul to journey onward to Limbo.

Those who know the secret of the Soul Children - who need not be spellcasters themselves - can use them to summon forth the captive soul in the form of a Wraith, Spectre, or some form of Haunt, depending on the level and power of the living being the doll was made from. Somewhat like a genie, this Undead creature must serve the holder of the doll by performing some task or providing advice when asked, fading back into its prison when the task is over. A doll may be used by hundreds of people over the years, but no single being may summon the denizen of a particular Soul Child more than twice; a third attempt will cause the spirit to attack the summoner, fighting brutally until either spirit or summoner is dead. Each time a Soul Child is used, there is a flat 7% chance that the doll will explode, causing 5d6 damage to all within 15’ and sending the spirit howling to its final reward.

The creation of a Soul Child is almost always considered an Evil act, although the powers of the doll can easily be turned to a Good purpose; Clerics of many Lawful Immortals, however, consider them profane, and will absolutely refuse even to handle one.

This material copyright 1999 Carl Quaif, based on material copyright TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. Webmastered by Jennifer Favia Guerra.