# Are the Seela burning?



## marciob2 (Feb 13, 2011)

Hi Folks,

I'm running the indomitable forest and came out with some questions if you can help me.
I think there is some confusion here. The Seela seens to have some of the indomitability effects (they stats blocks show the effects and undead keyword). Are they ALL really undead? If so, are they burning? How they can think clearly to sing the song of forms if they are burning and in pain? Finally, the Tiljann stats block does not show the undead keyword. This is a mistake or she is a special case?

Thanks for the help.


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## OnlineDM (Feb 13, 2011)

I personally assumed from the fact that they have the Rekindle ability and fire immunity that they were indeed aflame. I also assumed that the Song of Forms helped them endure the pain and carry on - they've had 40 years to get used to it, after all.

None of the seela in the Fey Save encounter have the undead keyword, and I ignored that keyword in the stat blocks for the other seela in Appendix B. I didn't think of them as undead.


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## marciob2 (Feb 13, 2011)

Interesting assumptions. However I think it makes more sense keeping they as undead because they are not fully living nor dead as the rest of the forest (specially the first willow tree). This condition could potentially spawn a greater sorrow for the Seela in the hearts of the party.
The Song of Forms helping them dealing with the pain is a very nice touch and makes more sense. Thanks OnlineDM. Nice blog.


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## RangerWickett (Feb 14, 2011)

Things must be different in 4e. In 3e they were most certainly alive, and not on fire. If you knocked one out they wouldn't die, but they wouldn't get back up without healing.

The idea originally was that if you die (or rather, drop to the appropriate level of negative HP) in the fire, you get sorta possessed by the fire, and lose your mind because you're constantly burning and can't die. If you die (i.e., negative HP) for some other reason, you just linger, horribly wounded and unconscious, until eventually you heal or are magically healed.


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## UnknownAtThisTime (Feb 14, 2011)

I think of them as "Un-Alive".


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## marciob2 (Feb 14, 2011)

RangerWickett said:


> Things must be different in 4e. In 3e they were most certainly alive, and not on fire. If you knocked one out they wouldn't die, but they wouldn't get back up without healing.
> 
> The idea originally was that if you die (or rather, drop to the appropriate level of negative HP) in the fire, you get sorta possessed by the fire, and lose your mind because you're constantly burning and can't die. If you die (i.e., negative HP) for some other reason, you just linger, horribly wounded and unconscious, until eventually you heal or are magically healed.




I think in this case it's better strip the undead keyword, the fire immunity and the Rekindle ability. I've noticed that the illustrations for the Seela does not show them burning, but I didn't have the 3e text to confirm.
If they are not dead or burning, their live is much more difficult with them struggling to be alive in a burning forest. I think they could survive fishing at the lake and traveling by the river. 
As the first willow is burning, maybe the better term form them  as UnknowAtThisTime suggested is "UnAlive"...
Thanks Ryan.


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## Zinovia (Feb 15, 2011)

The Seela were most assuredly alive when I ran it, but I did my own conversion to 4E from the 3.5 module.  I saw the Seela as a type of fey bound to the forest, else they would have left it.  They aren't dryads, but rather were connected to the forest as a whole.  They looked tattered and covered with ash while the forest was burning, and became renewed after it was extinguished.  They embodied the health of the forest.

I thought the whole point of saving the Seela was that they were alive.  If they were all undead why would you want to save them?  They did not have the rekindle ability in 3.5.  Weird.  That's a change that has huge repurcussions on the plot.


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## marciob2 (Feb 15, 2011)

I will run the first Seela enconter this weekend. I will assume they are alive and connected to the forest as originally intented. Thanks erveryone for the help in clarifying this situation.


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