Undead Things
Turning Undead

Any holy person may attempt to turn undead. To do so, they make an opposed action of Faith vs. the Willpower of the undead in question. If they succeed, the undead will be unable to approach, and are likely to go away. Failure means there is no effect. Turning generally requires some act of faith: presenting a holy symbol, speaking a prayer, etc. It always requires boldness! The faithful can attempt to turn any undead within line-of-sight.

Turned undead will not be able to attack again until the character has a lapse of faith, or some other event occurs. If attacked, automatons will cower or try to escape. Intelligent undead will get to make another Willpower roll to resist; if the second roll fails, they cannot attack.

Undead can be banished, but this generally requires some spell or ritual.

Automatons

Automatons are bodies animated by a magic spell. They are not intelligent, and are really just robots which obey orders. They will destroy themselves without hesistate if so ordered. They do not heal or regenerate. Automatons do not breathe, eat, or sleep. They are immune to the effects of climate, temperature, and poison. They do not feel pain, and suffer no penalties when Hurt or Very Hurt. Automatons are destroyed when Incapacitated.

Golden Ghost

Appearance

When they actually materialize, they look like whoever they were in life with a few changes. They always look like a noble or a rich man. They are always wearing the best clothes and have the best jewelry adorned on their bodies.

Ecology and Motivations

A golden ghost was a person who was obsessed with hoarding money for its own sake. They are restless spirits that try to attach their souls to the money they owned in life. When their money is dispersed or destroyed, they try to attach themselves to precious objects or large hoards of money. From there they try to influence people into getting more gold and more riches.

These ghosts exist for a long time. However, their power and sanity erode over the centuries. As the years pass, the ghost becomes less active and more single minded in its pursuit of wealth from beyond the grave. To model this, reduce ALL their traits by 1 level every century; after all of their traits are gone. They fade from existence.

Combat Techniques

It does not engage in combat often. It can however use a little telekinesis to move things about. They can lift a maximum of 10 pounds matter for about 1 minute. They don’t do this very often as it tires them out. Also, this ability diminishes with age. It gets weaker like all of the spirit’s traits.

Other Names

Miser ghosts, money spirits.

Options

Give the ghost a few more combat abilities and he can be a mad treasure guardian.

Campaign Use

Like most ghosts, a golden ghost needs a back story. One could be attached to the treasure that the players just “Liberated” from the dragon.

Attributes

Powers

Gifts

Faults

Skills

References

Skeleton

Appearance

Looks like an animated skeleton of the appropriate type (so a goblin skeleton looks like a twisted human, a kobold skeleton has small horns, etc). At the GM's option it might have glowing eye-sockets and clacking teeth!

Ecology

Skeletons are created by magic, using the Animate Dead spell. Once created, they obey any command given by their creator, and remain until destroyed. They have no flesh, and are very fast.

Motivations

To serve its master.

Combat Techniques

Skeletons are able to use all melee weapons and armor. The magic that animates them gives them excellent combat skills; combined with their speed and agility, skeletons are formidable fighters.

Legends

It is said that if a hydra's teeth are sown and watered with blood, they will be transformed into skeletons which will serve the sower for one day.

Options

Some skeletons can throw their fingers as bolts; they have Throwing: superb and damage +1. Some skeletons are not created, but are true undead with an attitude. These will be intelligent and malevolent, and may have any type of motive.

Campaign Use

Skeletons are typically used as tomb guardians. Remember that they were created by somebody for some reason. They are often armed with rusty swords or other hand weapons, and protected by chainmail or plate and carry shields. They are very good in combat, but somewhat fragile; blunt weapons are much more effective than sharp weapons. Skeletons are usually encountered in groups. If you are using Sanity in your campaign, fighting skeletons ought to be somewhat unsettling.

Some wizards might create armies of skeletons.

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Faults

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References

WRAITH

Appearance

Wraiths are shadowy, spectral undead with consuming hatred of the living. They appear as a spectral, ghostly form, often with a skeletal or decayed appearance, and wearing grave-clothes. They have long wicked claws and luminous eyes (sockets?)

Ecology

Their tortured souls are bound to the plane of the living (at a specific location) by a powerful spell, a strong negative magical energy, or by a cataclysmic trauma. They may be found in haunted graveyards and crypts, battlefields where the dead were left unburied, etc. They cannot stray far from the point at which they are bound.

Motivations

They differ from Ghosts in that they actively seek the murder of the living. They regard all living creatures with a mix of disdain, hatred, and jealousy.

Combat Techniques

Their form imbues them with abilities both abnormal and supernatural (hence the attributes, gifts and faults listed below). They attack with their horrible grasping claws, which cause numbing cold as well as considerable damage.

Other Names

Spirit, Haunt.

Campaign Use

Wraiths make good magical guardians. They are also typical monsters which haunt graveyards, battlefields, murder scenes... Don't forget they can move through walls, giving them a significant tactical advantage.

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Faults

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References

Zombie

Appearance

A zombie is an animated, rotting corpse. They look and smell disgusting, and little bits tend to fall (or drip) off as they move.

Ecology

Zombies are created using the Animate Dead spell. The magic keeps their flesh from entirely falling off, maintaining a state of perpetual rot. They do not breathe, eat, or sleep, and can survive any climate.

Motivations

To serve its creator.

Combat Techniques

Zombies are strong, and attack with their fists or with simple weapons (clubs, maces, aces, spears). If they can get close enough, they will attempt to grapple a victim, dragging him down through sheer numbers, and then rending with teeth and hands. Zombies cannot feel pain, and hacking at them seems to have little effect; this is simulated by giving them increased scale instead of strength. Blunt weapons have little effect, unless they can fracture or break bones.

Zombies have a built-in special attack: they stink. Anyone fighting a zombie must roll a Good Constitution each turn or gag. A gagging person cannot attack, but can dodge. Anyone gagging for two consecutive turns will vomit; while vomiting, they cannot defend themselves. Successfully wounding a zombie will release more odor, and will cause a -1 modifier to the next gagging check. (Note that this stinking attack does not apply to freshly-killed corpses; it takes 3-4 days for it to "ripen"...)

Zombie flesh is noxious and deadly poison. No animal will touch it, and anyone who accidentally ingests it (yuck) will become ill for 2-12 days, taking the equivalent of a Scratch each day. Anyone who touches a zombie must roll Good Constitution or become ill for 1-6 days; washing immediately afterwards gives a +2 bonus to this roll.

Other Names

Walking dead.

Campaign Use

Zombies are sometimes used to guard tombs, but more often used by necromancers to create armies. Facing a legion of zombies will take the fight out of most armies... They are quite different from skeletons, and require different strategies to overcome. If you are using Sanity in your campaign, fighting zombies ought to be somewhat unsettling. Zombies are already hard to kill due to scale, so think twice before giving them armor!

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Faults

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References

Cursed Zombie

Appearance

The cursed zombie is like most other zombies. It is a smelly walking corpse that seeks to destroy all who yet draw breath. However, the cursed zombie is different in that it was killed by the curse that destroyed the first empire. It has blackened skin and bones and has bright red dots in its hollow eye sockets.

Ecology

These foul undead only inhabit the cursed lands, where they were created. A cursed zombie can not venture out of the cursed lands. They do not eat or drink or sleep. They only stalk the decrepit ruins of the first empire and the desert wastelands surrounding them. They are filled with hate of all who live. The cursed zombies do not have any kind of organized society. They rarely talk to anyone but themselves even. However they will cooperate when attacking a mortal. They were denied the freedom of death when the great magical blast tore apart the first kingdom. The horrible magic cursed everything connected to the first kingdom with a horrible rotting disease called the Curse.

Motivations

The cursed zombie’s motivation in life is to make the living pay for their good fortune. They do not negotiate, they do not surrender; they just kill.

Combat Techniques

The Cursed zombie fights with single mindset, kill all. They sometimes attack in groups of 1-6 individuals.

Legends

  1. Standing near a cursed zombie will give you the curse.
  2. The cursed zombies are planning on resurrecting the first kingdom with black magic.

Campaign Use

These monsters are pretty good generic zombies if you take away their special abilities.

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Skills

References