Undead Origins

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Book of Beasts War on Yuletide

Book of Beasts War on Yuletide
Pathfinder 1e
Dirge Caroler: Dirge carolers are small, corporeal undead—the hideous remains of impoverished halflings swathed in dirty, heavy winter clothing. In life, they depended upon the generosity of their neighbors to survive the harsh winters; when that generosity waned, they starved to death.

 

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Beasts of Legend Boreal Bestiary

Beasts of Legend Boreal Bestiary
Pathfinder 1e
Green Child: Beneath the soured mires of the cold wastelands, black swamps, and chilling ice moors stir the remnants of man’s most horrific sins, the tumultuary corpses of wrongfully slain children. What force stirs their souls to unrest remains an enigma, for certainly the green children are evil creatures capable of perpetrating vengeful and sadistic acts upon the living.

 

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Cerulean Seas beasts of the Boundless Blue

Cerulean Seas beasts of the Boundless Blue
Pathfinder 1e
Cihuateotl: Cihuateotl are the undead remnants of women who drowned or died violently while pregnant.
Calcified Skeleton: Calcified Skeleton is an acquired template that can be applied to any creature killed by a brain coral’s aura.
Calcified skeletons are the remains of a brain coral’s deadly aura. Bone is pulled out through a creature’s body until it is encased in prison of its own structure.
Dread Pirate: A dread pirate is the restless, hateful body of an executed pirate.
Lich Ice: The phylactery of an ice lich must be carved from ice made from the purest possible water.
“Ice Lich" is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature, provided it can create the required phylactery.
Ship of the Damned: Ships of the damned are the slowly rotting remains of vessels that experienced an evil so great that the spirits of the dead infused into the ship itself.
Ship of the Damned Medium: ?
Ship of the Damned Large: ?
Ship of the Damned Huge: ?
Ship of the Damned Gargantuan: ?
Ship of the Damned Colossal: ?
Sinkling: Any creature killed by or within 100 yards of a sinkling swarm adds its spirit to the swarm, breaking up into as many individual sinklings as it has hit dice. Casting bless or hallow on the body within 1d4 rounds after death prevents this from happening.
Sinklings are the hateful spirits of the drowned, always wanting for the company of the living in the depths.
Snag: Any humanoid killed by a snag that touches the bottom of the waterway the snag came from within 24 hours of its death becomes a snag in 1d4 rounds.
Snags are the animated corpses of fishermen lost at sea.
Wraith Water: Any humanoid, monstrous humanoid or trueform slain by a water wraith rises as one in 1d6 hours.

Ghoul Lacedon: Any humanoid killed by a cihuateotl's energy drain ability rises as a lacedon under her control in 1d3 rounds.

 

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Remarkable Races Compendium of Unusual PC Races

Remarkable Races Compendium of Unusual PC Races
Pathfinder 1e
Timber Wight: Among the oaklings, death is often considered an inconvenience. In their emotionless pursuit of personal gain, quite a few oaklings experiment with necromancy to prolong their lives. The timber wight is the horrible end result.

 

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Creature Monthly

Creature Monthly
Pathfinder 1e
Blood Shadow: A humanoid creature with 10 HD or more, which is killed by a blood shadow becomes a lesser blood shadow under the control of its killer 1d4 rounds after its death.
While not much is known of how these creatures came to be formed, many sages speculate that they once existed as a race of wicked humanoids which were drawn into the plane of negative energy during some great calamity hundreds of thousands of years ago. Once drawn into the boarders of their new home, the foul energy of the plane consumed them slowly, turning them into the undead creatures. Their mortal forms faded into shadows, yet the darkness within them continued to be driven by the murderous lust and depravity that led them in life.
Glacial Gaunt: Any humanoid slain by a glacial gaunt rises as a glacial gaunt at the next midnight.
There are many ways in which these foul creature are created, the most common occurrence
being an evil humanoid creature succumbing to the elements of the frozen landscape. Once such a creature has died, it is only a short time before the corpse’s eyes open and a new horror is born. Tales are told of wicked druidic cults, eager to appease powerful nature spirits such as the Wendigo, capturing travelers and common folk who are then carried high into the frigid mountains and left to die.
Storm Wraith: A humanoid slain by a storm wraith becomes a lesser storm wraith 1d4 rounds after it’s death.
Winter Wight: Any humanoid creature that is slain by a winter wight becomes a lesser wight itself in only 1d4 rounds.
These are the risen remains of explorers or adventures which have died from exposure while in arctic mountains and tundras.
Over long winters or on high mountain peaks, these human remains become freeze-dried husks with perfectly preserved hair, clothes, and skin, but without any liquid remaining in their flesh. These creatures arise to wander the reaches of the frozen north in search of victims, seeking any way to relieve the pain of their frozen existence through acts of cruelty and violence.
Winter wights haunt places of avalanches, icefalls, and glaciers—places where they died and were left without a proper burial. There are many corpses that are lost deep in ice and snow, only a select few which rise as these dreaded creatures. Those unfortunate enough to perish in the ice do not always remain at rest. It is as if the ice itself claims their souls, raising them as winter wights whose only goal is to have other suffer the same violent death.

 

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Creepy Creatures Bestiary of the Bizarre

Creepy Creatures Bestiary of the Bizarre
Pathfinder 1e
Bay-Kok: ?
Bone Druid: A bone druid is most often formed when a powerful druid dies in the process of corrupting, or with a great hatred of, the natural powers she once revered.
Ectoplasmic Stalker: Created by the lich Varquil while researching the creation of what would become the obitu, ectoplasmic stalkers are hardy undead soldiers.
Feymocker: Feymockers are created by evil fey or fey-blooded sorcerers in a perverse ritual. They are infused with the twisted sense of humor natural to their creators, along with a hatred for good aligned fey.
Fleshwarper: Any humanoid killed or reduced to 0 Charisma by a fleshwarper raises as one within 1d6 rounds.
Ghoul Sovereign: It is believed that exceptionally evil and depraved humans are cursed to become sovereign ghouls after death.
Gibbering Terror: Gibbering terrors are distilled evil essence, left over from the ending of a great malevolence
Hoard Haunt:
Hoard haunts are the result of a numistian's innate connection with commerce degrading into pure greed. Once embraced by death, the mystical coins that make up the creatures blood instead coalesce into a pile of gleaming treasure. The numistian's consciousness inhabits these now purely physical coins.
Horsewraith: Any pack animal slain by a horsewraith's energy drain will rise as a horsewraith itself in 24 hours, unless the corpse is blessed.
These tragic creatures are formed from their master’s cruelty.
Despite their name, almost any domesticated pack animal may become one of these undead.
Leatherbound: Leatherbound are the twisted creations of necromantic magic. A living humanoid is bound in wet, oil and unguent soaked leather sheets, which are then twisted tight with iron rods, and left to dry. Create undead is then cast as the victim suffocates and is constricted to death.
Leatherbound Black: Wrapped in black leather inscribed with glowing arcane runes
Leatherbound Spiked:
This leatherbound is riddled with iron spikes and studs, thus increasing its combat prowess.
Corpsehanger Tree: When a tree is used for hangings over the course of decades, some of the vengeful souls that died there enter the heart of the tree, instead of heading for their just rewards. In time, with enough evil or angry spirits infesting its wood, the tree dies, and the spirits within it animate it as an undead mockery.
Undead Gang: An undead gang may be formed wherever large numbers of souls perish in anger, fear, and pain. These spirits combine into a hateful being that exists simply to destroy.
Wight Marquis: Very rarely, a wight is spawned whose will is strengthened instead of weakened with the transformation to being unliving creature. These creatures are known as marquis wights.
:Wight Shadowfang Any humanoid slain by a shadowfang wight's energy drain becomes a shadowfang wight in 1d4 rounds.
Any humanoid killed by the sword Shadowfang's energy drain rises as a shadowfang wight in 4 rounds.
Zombie Assassin: ?

Ghoul: Creatures below 5 HD within the cone of a plague dragon's deathless breath instantly die, and reanimate as ghouls under the dragon's control.
Any humanoid that is two weeks or less dead within the sovereign ghoul's aura rise as a ghoul under its complete command in one round.
Any humanoid killed by a corpsehanger's energy drain or constrict attack becomes an undead creature within 1d4 rounds, unless it is cut down and the corpse blessed. A zombie will be created 70% of the time, a ghoul 20% of the time, and a wight 10% of the time.
Skeleton: A bone druid may animate the corpses of animals with but a touch, raising them as zombies or skeletons, depending on the condition of the body.
Spectres: Creatures from 13+ HD within the cone of a plague dragon's deathless breath must make a Fortitude save or die and reanimate as spectres.
Wight: Creatures from 6-12 HD within the cone of a plague dragon's deathless breath must make a Fort save or die and reanimate as wights.
Any humanoid killed by a corpsehanger's energy drain or constrict attack becomes an undead creature within 1d4 rounds, unless it is cut down and the corpse blessed. A zombie will be created 70% of the time, a ghoul 20% of the time, and a wight 10% of the time.
Any humanoid slain by a marquis wight's slam attacks, or its aura become a wight in 1d4 rounds.
Zombie: A bone druid may animate the corpses of animals with but a touch, raising them as zombies or skeletons, depending on the condition of the body.
Any creature reduced to 0 Wisdom by a gibbering terror's babble rises as a zombie under its control in 1d3 rounds.
Any humanoid killed by a corpsehanger's energy drain or constrict attack becomes an undead creature within 1d4 rounds, unless it is cut down and the corpse blessed. A zombie will be created 70% of the time, a ghoul 20% of the time, and a wight 10% of the time.

 

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Dark Fey

Dark Fey
Pathfinder 1e
Mavka: These former dryads have been turned into vampiric monstrosities by the Black Prince of Morgau.
Mavka are Dryads who have been perverted into undead monstrosities by the vampires of Morgau. The sages of Verrayne say they are three known mavka, once sisters, originally named Mica, Anthelia and Saramantha, but are now called Murthia, Ectopia and Lucretia, respectively.
Upon his conquest of Morgau the Black Prince Lucian had the dryads and their trees killed, had raised the corpses as powerful undead, and bonded the new undead with cauchemar nightmares (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary) instead of trees as a final corruption.

 

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Demon Cults 3 The Cult of Selket

Demon Cults 3 The Cult of Selket
Pathfinder 1e
Mummy Venomous: These variant mummies are crafted by Selket’s faithful to guard their holy sites and tombs.

 

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Demon Cults 5 Servants of the White Ape

Demon Cults 5 Servants of the White Ape
Pathfinder 1e
Spellscourged Creature: In rare instances, a spellcaster that dies of the spellscourge comes back as an undead creature, its mind twisted and broken from the disease.
“Spellscourged” is an acquired template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature with the ability to cast spells or spell-like abilities.
Creatures with 9 or more hit dice that die from the spellscourge must make another Fortitude save against the disease. They retain their Constitution bonus for this saving throw. If the creature makes the save, it rises as a spellscourged creature. A failed saving throw means the creature dies of the disease and does not rise.
Spellscourged Couatl: This creature is the result of a couatl that attempted to aid victims of the Servants of the White Ape only to be attacked and repelled by the cult’s white ape warriors. Injured, it returned to its lair to recuperate but fell victim to the spellscourge that infected it during the combat with the white apes. The disease struck the couatl down, bringing it back in this tormented, undead form.

 

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Dunes of Desolation

Dunes of Desolation
Pathfinder 1e
Desperado: A hole in the desert can hold many secrets, but sometimes it cannot keep an evil soul buried in the ground. Desperados are undead gunfighters that were so mean and despicable in life that even death was not enough to end their killing ways. Desperados never rise from a grave found in any habitat other than a desert, a fact that is often attributed to the climate’s ability to naturally mummify humanoid corpses.
All desperados were once human to some degree.
Though the vast majority of desperados are evil, there are a few tales of good men rising from their graves to right an unspeakable injustice or wreak revenge on those deserving of such a terrible fate.
“Desperado” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with class levels in gunslinger.
Desperado Human Gunslinger 6: ?
El-Auren: Natural dangers claim their fair share of desert travelers every year. The bodies of most victims are forever lost beneath the dunes, but some emerge from their graves and resume their appointed tasks. These shambling cadavers are known as el-aurens.
A long, hard trudge across the scalding desert is the furthest thing in the minds of most humanoids, but for a select few individuals the windswept dunes represent one of the world’s last frontiers. These intrepid beings devoted themselves to a life of discovery and exploration in the harshest climate possible. Sadly, somewhere along the way, the very sands that they loved claimed their broken bodies as their own. However, their devotion to duty and their quest for knowledge were so strong, that they rose from their dusty graves and resumed their life’s work albeit as members of the living dead.
Spectral Rider: Spectral riders are incorporeal undead created when a powerful genie curses a sorcerer that raised its ire. They appear as hooded figures devoid of any facial features, which the genie deliberately did to punish the offender with eternal anonymity. The effect works only on a living creature that shares the same bloodline as the genie uttering the curse. It is rumored, that a djinni created the first spectral rider when an evil sorcerer with the djinni bloodline challenged him to a race aboard his carpet of flying. When the genie prevailed, the sorcerer refused to accept defeat and cast bestow curse on his competitor. Outraged by the offense, the genie cursed the sorcerer instead and consigned him to spend the rest of eternity as a spirit aboard his carpet of flying. Either out of tradition or to preserve the punishment’s novelty, the capricious genies punish other mortals in the same manner. Although a djinni is responsible for creating the first spectral rider, the chaotic marids take credit for most spectral riders wandering the desert today.
“Spectral rider” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with one of the following sorcerer bloodlines — djinni, efreeti, marid or shaitan.
Thirstmonger: These undead abominations are the risen earthly remains of those unfortunate humanoids that died of thirst in pursuit of fresh water only to be duped by an optical illusion. The desire for water is so intense that the creature joins the ranks of the undead within minutes of death; however its mission remains unchanged — it continues searching for water.
Most victims of “mirage delirium” eventually collapse and die from dehydration within sight of a mirage. Many rise from their desert graves to begin an undead existence as a malevolent thirstmonger.

Zombie Dire Rat: In the absence of fresh meat, the dire rats that frightened Lakta back into her hiding space underwent the transition from life to undeath becoming dire rat zombies.
Ghost Human Bard 3: The zither player is named Ceruth, a beggar that solicited donations by playing his zither during Iljanna’s decline. After death, the bitter musician refused to depart and became a ghost cursed to forever haunt the dollhouse.
Poltergeist: It is haunted by 4 poltergeists that are the undead spirits of those rare individuals that nearly discovered the house’s concealed basement and inner workings.
Bog Mummy: The lionweres’ residual mystical energy from her dread tome King of Beasts proved sufficient to wake the vile priestess from her eternal rest as a bog mummy and unleash her on an unsuspecting world.
Draugr: The force of her will and the corruption of her soul were so great that four unfortunate men that drowned countless ages ago also rose from the mire as 4 draugrs.
Shadow Rat Swarm: ?
Devourer: Undeterred, Thozzaggard used his magic to transport himself into the cavern behind the door. This time, the wily sorcerer would not escape the god particle’s grasp. Madness overcame him shortly before the alien substance sucked the last vestiges of life from him and hurled his ravaged soul into the void beyond reality. What later rose where his corpse now lay was an undead monstrosity that longed to spread its curse to every living creature.
Countless millennia ago, Thozzaggard also found the watery star; however he succumbed to its power and became an undead abomination.
In time, the watery star’s extradimensional properties and his own madness got the better of him transforming him into the undead abomination on the other side of the door.
Juju Zombie Desert Giant: Fazzellon ceded his land to Eyegouger in life; however he is unwilling to relinquish his claim so easily. His burning desire to rule over his fiefdom fueled his transformation into something unnatural.
After his destruction at Eyegouger’s claws, Fazzellon rose from death as a juju zombie desert giant.