Allip

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game an allip is an undead creature, the spectral remains of someone driven to suicide by madness in life. They are found on any land, and underground, they are solitary, and carry nothing with them, despite having the intellect of a human.^[1]

Publication history

The allip first appeared in the third edition Monster Manual.^[2] It also appeared in the 3.5 version of the Monster Manual.^[3]

Appearance

In the third edition Monster Manual, an allip is described as having the same features that it did in life, but greatly distorted. The mouth is twisted, and the eyes glow. From the waist down, it becomes much more gas-like, looking like a typical ghost- it has no legs, and trails off into 'vaporous nothingness'. It leaves a faint trail of fog behind it as it moves. The more recent Monster Manuals use the same image that was used in the earlier ones, despite it not matching the newer description.

Madness

Allips are incorporeal, and cannot deal any physical damage. When it hits a creature it deals Wisdom damage, and anyone trying to read an allip's mind, or do something similar, will take Wisdom damage as well. This is because, in Dungeons and Dragons, the Wisdom ability score is tied to sanity, and, as a creature loses Wisdom, it becomes more and more insane. Another aspect of the madness of the allip is the way that it constantly babbles incoherently. This can cause a hypnotic effect upon those who hear it.^[2]

Defenses

Being incorporeal, allips are difficult to injure using normal weapons. They are also resistant to the turn and rebuke attempts of clerics.^[3]:10

Other publishers

The allip appeared in Paizo Publishing's book Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3 (2011), on page 12.^[4]

Allips have been used as adversaries in Paizo Publishing's GameMastery Module D1: Crown of the Kobold King.

References