Undead Lore (5) 1 Undead Traits. 2 Classes of Undead. 1.1 Killing the Undead

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1 Undead Lore (5) Undead are transformed spirits that harbor disturbing intentions. Some retain an ability to reason and to act upon their thoughts. Many become pawns responding to the will of the spell caster who created them. All have passed through the gates of death and linger in this world unnaturally. They prefer the shadowy lack of definition that fills the night rather than the harsh clarity of day, since Man s fear of the unknown is heightened by darkness. Ironically, the force of life feeds this terror, since often slaughter by Undead creates Undead. 1 Undead Traits Undead cannot be stunned and do not bleed. Most Undead can detect life forces and usually strive to eliminate them. Most natural undead can also drain constitution by proximity or through their touch. A being that has all of their constitution drained in this fashion will generally become an undead of a class one less than the undead that killed them. 1.1 Killing the Undead Normally Undead are not killed when given their hit total or incapacitated due to criticals. Enough hits to cause unconsciousness in a living being will cause an Undead to drop due to loss of physical structure; however hits are regenerated at a rate of one every minute, and the Undead will become active when its total rises above zero. While dropped, an undead can continue to take more hits. Enough hits to kill will cause the Undead to fragment; at this point the hits regenerate at a rate of one every ten minutes as the pieces come back together. If the pieces are separated, the process will be delayed accordingly with respect to those pieces. The most straightforward method of actually destroying an Undead is to burn the pieces of the Undead s body. Undead without solid bodies may only be destroyed by burning when their bodies have pulled together enough to regenerate at one hit per minute. Damage caused by Holy or Slaying weapons can never be regenerated, and so can be used to destroy Undead. Other methods of destruction vary based on the type of Undead. 2 Classes of Undead Undead are normally rated by class, ranging from Class I through Class VI. Minor Skeletons and Zombies are typically Class I; Greater Vampires and Liches are typically Class VI. The class of an undead determines how hard it is to create, control, turn, and destroy. A Repel Undead V spell can be used to turn five Class I undead, or one Class V, or any combination in between. Extra levels of the spell can be used to give undead a -5 modifier to their resistance rolls. Note: Class VI Undead could be more accurately considered to be Beyond Class V. Their powers far exceed those of all other undead, and only rarely can they be turned by six levels of Repel. 1

2 3 Categories of Undead 3.1 Animated Dead Animated Dead are the weakest variety of undead. Some would argue that they aren t truly undead at all, just corpses dangling on magical strings. When their necromancer stops concentrating on them, they just collapse. Any undead turning spell will automatically disintegrate a number of Animated Dead equal to the level of the spell. There are rumors of more powerful flavors of Animated Dead, but only as a preliminary step in the creation of more powerful undead. 3.2 Created Undead There are a number of different methods that necromancers can use to create undead. The simple Create Undead N spells will create a mindless ravening undead of varying power Create Undead I will result in a creature even weaker than a zombie, whereas Class VI Created Undead are super-large... in power, not in size. Some necromancers have been known to summon the spirits of dead, master them, and then bind them into the Animated Dead, resulting in a Spirit Bound Undead. Spirit Bound Undead are typically more cunning than a Standard Created Undead, but never have free will. Created Undead are affected by Repel Undead spells normally. 3.3 Natural Undead Natural undead occur through a variety of different ways, ranging from desecrated or disturbed grave-sites through dark and terrible rituals. Unlike the other varieties of undead, all but the weakest of the natural undead are intelligent. Many of the greater undead can control lesser undead, especially undead of the same type. Some powerful natural undead receive bonuses to their resistance rolls or effective Class for purposes of Repel Undead spells. 4 Specific Undead The following is a list of some of the more common, or at least the more well known types of undead. More breadth and depth is available with more ranks of Undead Lore. 4.1 Black Reavers It has been postulated that nothing short of a deity is more dangerous than a Black Reaver. A Black Reaver is the result of the possession and subsequent combination of a major Undead (Lich, Vampire, etc.) or a Greater Lycanthrope with an Ordainer or other Demon beyond the Pale. A dangerous presence emanates from these 7 9 tall beings, who hold a large hooked battle-axe of Eog. The black plate armor they wear is partially concealed by an ebony cape, 2

3 but the most fearsome part of this creature is simply its horned helm, from which two bright scarlet eyes glow forth with hellish intensity. This creature s mission is to accomplish the specific goal of its master. They are capable of flight or underwater movement at a constant rate of 120 per round. When they come upon a barrier, they are able to cut through it at the rate of 1 cubic foot per round in any material softer than Laen. They need nothing for life support, do not age, become bored, or get tired. They will not stop without fulfilling their objective. There is no easy way to kill one. They usually do not move faster than their base rate. Why hurry? 4.2 Ghosts These remnants of dead souls cling to the earth with a supernatural stubbornness, forming an insubstantial body of ectoplasm which resembles the body they wore while living. The form of a ghost can alternately be hazy, blurred, or translucent for the minor types, while the greater forms may very well bestow no visual clues as to their undead origins. Ghosts frequently masquerade as the living, often unaware of the true nature of their own existence. Ghosts are almost always tied to a focus of some sort, which prevents their souls from departing the earth for whatever awaits beyond death. Because a Ghost s form is insubstantial, magical weapons are necessary to harm it. However, if a ghost is dropped, it can not be permanently killed through burning. It can only be killed if the Ghost s focus is destroyed. Minor Ghosts are Class II; Lesser and Headless Ghosts are Class III, and Greater Ghosts are Class V. 4.3 Ghouls Ghouls are strangely transformed, putrescent corpses with teeth lengthened into fangs and nails strengthened into claws. They are horribly animate, and the stench of the grave always accompanies them in their nocturnal patrols. They seem to prefer moist, swampy areas, where they can easily burrow into the soft earth when the sun holds sway over the land. Lesser Ghouls are Class I Undead, and Greater Ghouls are Class II Undead. Those taking damage from Ghouls have a chance of becoming infected with the Ghoul Rot, a slow wasting disease that prevents any magical or non-magical healing. Those who die from the Rot become Ghouls themselves. Ghoulkings are highly intelligent Class IV Undead, and some have been known to have to to develop an impressive array of magical powers. Ghoulkings can control any ghouls with their will, and any living being coming within 10 of a Ghoulking will take A Cold criticals each round. Ghoulkings and Greater Ghouls inspire fear in those who see them. 4.4 Liches When confronted with unavoidable death, most Evil Clerics, Evil Magicians, and Sorcerers depart life with one last, dreadful curse. A few forgo this privilege to become Undead, securing immortality as Liches. A Lich brings all of its powers and possessions through this last feared portal, retaining its memories and thaumaturgic abilities along with its treasures 3

4 and its stronghold. All living beings near a Lich must resist or flee in terror, and their touch delivers the chill of the grave. A Lich is a Class VI Undead. There are two ancient and powerful rituals to transform a person into a Lich. The more powerful of these, the Ritual of Black Eternity, allows the Lich to store all of its organs in a special container which is magically sealed. If the Lich is killed in combat yet the container with its organs remains unharmed, the Lich will reform near the container in 1 5 days. 4.5 Skeletons White bones, stripped of flesh and blood but still intact, move with a darkly born animation. The bones can be from man or beast, but all are equally terrifying in their vile aspect. All skeletons are immune to puncture criticals. Minor, Lesser, and Greater Skeletons are Class I, II, and III, and have no motivation beyond hostility. Skeleton Lords are Class IV, intelligent, and can cast spells from the Physical Erosion list at will. Sovereign Skeletons are Class V, highly intelligent, and can normally cast Evil Channeling spells. Skeleton Lords and Sovereign Skeletons can control other skeletons at will, and have been known to be highly skilled tacticians and generals. Ice Skeletons are marginally intelligent Class II undead that radiate fear and generate Cold crits. Iron Skeletons are Greater Skeletons whose bones have been coated in iron, rendering them very tough to kill. Skeletons have also been known to have been made from the corpses of giants; these are far more powerful physically than their smaller counterparts, although less intelligent and magically-empowered than Lord or Sovereign Skeletons 4.6 Specters Cold white lights inhabiting the region where eyes might shine reveal the presence of these nearly invisible spirits. Terror heralds their arrival and fades with the departure of the tattered cloaks they often wrap around their non-corporeal forms. Specters require magic weapons to hit. Minor Specters are Class II, Lesser Specters are Class III, and Major Specters are Class V Undead. 4.7 Vampires Vampires prey on the blood of the living to sustain their own existence. Vampires can drain blood and constitution from their victims with a bite, and those drained to death will rise from the earth which they were buried in as a Vampire under the control of the Undead which killed it. Vampires tend to be loners, jealously defending their territories and herds from others. It is uncommon for vampires to work together, except for those under the control of a single master vampire. Vampires are susceptible to direct sunlight, cannot cross running water under their own power, and cast no reflection in a mirror. Vampires can only be harmed by magical or silver-forged weapons, as well as puncture criticals from wooden stakes or similar weapons. Magically, only RR spells and elemental water and electrical spells will harm them. 4

5 Minor forms are Class IV Undead, lesser forms are Class V Undead, and greater forms are Class VI. There are also tales of a variety of other vampiric creatures including vampiric drakes, unicorns, and werewolves. 4.8 Wights These undead appear as dark, shadowy human forms with eyes akin to faint lights. Pale white limbs appear now and again, but are immaterial and quickly hidden again beneath their shadowy raiment. When observed with the aid of magic, they take on the tattered forms of great lords and ladies with cold, cruel gleaming eyes. Wights suffer no intrusions, dealing harshly with any who might violate the tomb or its environs. Magical weapons are necessary to harm them. Wights wield with cold efficiency the enchanted weapons often buried with the dead, and cast dread spells on the living who violate their burial grounds. Minor Wights are Class IV Undead, Lesser Wights are Class V Undead, Major Wights are Class VI Undead, and Barrow-wights are Class V Undead. 4.9 Wraiths A quivering in the air, a red glow where the eyes might flash, a garment or armor housing empty air: these are the signs of a Wraith. Its corporeal structure has been so changed through foul magic that it hardly exists in the physical world. Wraiths are the creation of supernaturally evil Powers. Wraiths have available to them all the spell lists they had learned in life, and have considerable power. Their gaze delivers a True Hold spell at will, magical weapons are required to harm them, and many of them carry specially constructed slay-knives. Wraiths radiate an ill Aura, and cause Fear and Cold to all living who are nearby. Lesser Wraiths are Class IV Undead, and Greater Wraiths are Class V Undead. Rumors exist of even more powerful wraiths Zombies The rotted, shambling remains of dead men and women drip from the forms of these mindless monstrosities. Often mindless groans, sighs, and screams pour forth from these Undead husks mouths in a continuous babble of foul torment. There is little to distinguish Zombies from the standard Created Undead of low power levels. However, Zombies are not specifically created through a spell, but rather seem to animate all on their own in response to nearby sources of evil contamination. Zombies are Class I Undead. 5