Ecology of the Undead

[SpuneDagr]

I want to make a comprehensive list of undead and their method of creation. For example, if someone dies with unfinished business in this life, they become a ghost.

Allip - Insanity driven to suicide. They seek out those who pushed them over the brink.
Bodak - Killed in the Abyss.
Devourer - NA (was never mortal)
Ghost - Dies with unfinished business.
Ghoul - Someone of exceptional debauchery and wickedness, also cannibalism.
Ghast - A particularly willful and evil individual becomes a ghast instead of a ghoul.
Lich - A magic-user who uses evil rites to unnaturally turn themselves undead so that they may continue their evilness indefinitely.
Mohrg - Mass murderer who dies without atoning for his or her crimes.
Mummy - A once-important individual who has been reanimated to guard a tomb or temple.
Nightshade - NA
Shadow - ?
Skeleton - Animated with magic.
Spectre - ?
Vampire - ?
Wight - ?
Wraith - ?
Zombie - Animated with magic.

 

[BOZ]

aren't all of the ones with "?" created by another creature of that type spawning?

 

[SpuneDagr]

Lots of 'em do that. How does one spontaneously become one when they die?
The first shadow had to come from SOMEwhere.

 

[BOZ]

created by evil gods? a curse? magic? i dunno...

 

[Olive]

created by evil gods? a curse? magic? i dunno...

The result of the negative energy plane seeping into the Prime?

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

Lots of 'em do that. How does one spontaneously become one when they die?
The first shadow had to come from SOMEwhere.

I think if you go with this logic, then you have to figure it out for all of them, including (and especially) the Devourer. What the heck was that thing when it was alive?!?!?

 

[Li Shenron]

I actually like your effort a lot. I don't think it's particularly flavorful if so many undead that kill you have yourself turned into the same kind of undead, although I don't think they are too many at least in the MM. That's quite traditional for a few of them (Vampire first and foremost, it's a literature classic), but I think the spontaneous rising as undead makes for a more creepy story...

Incidentally I instead just dislike the undead that have never been alive, for I think it's just not matching with the idea of undeath...

 

[Tonguez]

Below are my own personal rationales for some of the undead (only listed those where my explanation differs from your own...

Ghoul - Not true 'Undead' (ie they don't actually Die) Instead Ghouls are those of such exceptional debauchery and wickedness, that they 'lose their souls'.
Ghast - As a Ghoul gains power and mastery over its inhuman 'hunger' it becomes a Ghast. (Ghast IMC are slightly more powerful than standard)

Nightshade - When the number of Shadows spawned reaches a critical mass they combine to form a Nightshade (this gets over the theoretical problem of unstoppable Shadow plagues sometimes discussed on these boards)

Shadow - The Souls of Ghouls sucked into the Negative Energy realm

Spectre - Ghost who have willfully chosen to remain even after their unfinished business is finished!

Vampire - Liches created through a pact with the Goddess of Lust and
Murder

Wight - The Spawn of Vampire Spawn (aka Nosferatu)

Wraith - The Ghost of those who die whilst under the effects of a Ghosts 'Malevolence'

 

[jasper]

The dragon Halloween issue did Restless Dead or something similiard titled. It gave a couple of flavor things. One was along the lines of you are evil, a certain level, and how you died turned you into a zombie, going on up.
Anyone want to skim the dragon cd with the title and issue.

 

[Wicht]

In Kalamar, all servants of the God of death (ie clerics) become undead upon dying. their status as undead depends on how many they had sacrificed to their god.