Undead Origins

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The Diamond Throne

The Diamond Throne
Arcana Unearthed
Undead: When the dramojh were finished with these lands, they loosed necromantic energies into Verdune. This evil magic animated many of the dead there into marauding undead who wandered the ruined cities and towns.
Undead Creature: Rot From Within disease
Rumors coming out of the Bitter Peaks tell of a horrible malady that strikes at living creatures for reasons unknown. Those affected by this magical plague, known as the “rot from within,” suddenly become undead creatures while their body still lives. Their skeleton tears away their own flesh and consumes it.
Kallethan: ?

Ghoul: Ghouls are undead that are not animated by spells but instead rise from death under a curse called “grave hunger.” Ghouls that paralyze foes also automatically infect them with grave hunger, making them want to feed on long-dead corpses (Will save [DC 20] each day to resist). When such infected victims die, they become ghouls, unless a mage successfully uses a remove curse spell before their death.
Vampire: Although undead created by animate the dead spells often resemble vampires, true vampires arise only from other vampires spreading the ancient curse/disease.

 

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Mystic Secrets

Mystic Secrets
Arcana Unearthed
Corporeal Undead: A herald of annihilation with 20 HD or more gains the corporeal undead template.

 

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Ruins of Intrigue

Ruins of Intrigue
Arcana Evolved
Xarthran Undead Mojh Magister 12: ?
The Ghost Human Incorporeal Undead Warmain 5: ?
Grothnak Blooddrinker Littorian Vampire unfettered 7: The Master of Black Rock Tower, a ruined castle in the Barrens, placed the curse of vampirism upon Grothnak,
The Master Human Vampire Akashic 25: Obsessed from a young age with learning the fundamental workings of the world, he embraced vampirism as a sure path to immortality and won his independence by destroying the monster that created him.

 

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Transcendence

Transcendence
Arcana Evolved
Undead Creature: Third style ability of the negative casting style of an evolved caster.
At the third style ability of the negative casting style of an evolved caster, the death mage has fully surrendered her body and soul to the Dark. She gains the corporeal undead template from Arcana Evolved.

 

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Monsters of Verdune

Monsters of Verdune
Arcana Evolved
Kavilljor Ur-Rathi Knight of the First Wrath Dame Drustiya Hayarn Human Champion 11: ?
Konj-Sumpor Brimstone Steed Twilight: ?
Kavilljor Ur-Rathi: Kavilljor Ur-rathi” is a template that can be added to any giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid that meets the following prerequisites.
Ride 13 ranks, Handle Animal 5 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (5 ranks), Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (any melee weapon), proficient with all martial weapons and heavy armor
Special: Knighted by The Kallethan/Kallethan or a Kavilljor Ur-rathi.
Konj-Sumpor Brimstone Steed: Konj-sumpor are the smoky remnants of intelligent steeds that, for one reason or another, are bound to a kavilljor ur-rathi.
“Konj-sumpor” is an acquired template that can be added to any mount.

 

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Conan RPG 2e

Conan RPG 2e
Conan d20 2e
Risen Dead: Raise Corpse spell.
Risen Wolf: Occasionally necromancers desperate for material will animate corpses of things other than human. The most common creatures brought to a shambling semblance of life are large dogs or wolves, or occasionally jaguars or panthers if the terrain is right.
Risen Grey Ape: Very rarely a necromancer will find the corpse of a great grey ape or other large creature and animate that, creating a mighty – if odorous – ally.
Vampire: Vampires are created when scholars elect to undergo certain transformations hinted at in the fabled Book of Skelos by courting darkness in the shadowy places beneath the Earth and seeking death willingly so as to find eternal life.
‘Vampire’ is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid creature.

Raise Corpse
(Basic Necromancy)
Power Point Cost: 1/corpse
Components: V, S
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft. per two levels)
Target: Up to one corpse/level
Duration: Concentration + 1d6 rounds
Saving Throw: See below
Prerequisite: Magic attack bonus +2.
This spell turns the bodies of dead creatures into undead zombies that follow the sorcerer’s spoken commands. The zombies can follow the sorcerer, remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific type of creature) that enters the place or perform simple actions according to the sorcerer’s commands. The zombies remain animated until they are destroyed. A destroyed zombie may not be animated again.
The zombies the sorcerer creates remain under his control for the duration of the spell. At the expiry of the spell, they become simple corpses once more, falling in lifeless heaps wherever they stand.
A zombie can be created only from the mostly intact corpse of a humanoid or animal and its statistics depend more upon the corpse it was created from than any abilities it had in life.

 

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Bestiary of the Hyborian Age
Conan d20 2e
Undead: Undead are creatures which are neither alive nor dead. Generally, a living creature which has died but is still animate – usually through sorcery of the blackest sort – is considered undead.
Ghost Haunting: Some sentient beings that are killed in times of duress or great emotional pain will cling to the last fragments of life they have in order to become a spiritual anchor to the earthly plane.
‘Haunting Ghost’ is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid creature if the Games Master feels the situation could create a ghost.
Ghost Spontaneous: A spontaneous ghost is formed when a human or other intelligent creature dies with a task unfinished, with the knowledge that a loved one is about to die, or another extremely emotional and traumatic desire in their hearts. At the moment of his death, the being may attempt a Will saving throw (DC 25, with various circumstance modifiers depending on the level of the creature’s commitment to the task or loved one) to return as a ghost.
Ghost Whale: ?
Mummy: Traditional mummies, also known as the taneheh, are reanimated embalmed corpses wrapped in specially prepared funerary materials brought back to protect the tombs of their superiors. They are granted undeath through the leaves of the dark ta-neheh plant, which are turned into a powerful elixir that must be poured into the mouth of the mummy monthly. If the mummy cannot get these leaves before the month is out, it will revert back to its inanimate state until the ritual can be fully performed again.
The ritual must be performed under the light of the full moon, and requires a Perform (ritual) check. The ta-neheh elixir requires 200 silver pieces’ worth of the plant and must be completed before the moon leaves the sky. This produces enough elixir to last 1d6 months and sustain a mummy of (the check result minus 10) Hit Dice. The ritualist does not know if his ritual has succeeded or not (Games Master makes the roll) until it comes time to animate the mummy; if the Perform check created elixir insufficient to sustain the mummy, the ta-neheh becomes uncontrolled and will relentlessly seek out more of the plant, killing any and all who stand in its way.
Mummy Living Ka Noble 5: ?
Mummy Living Ka: The ka is the part of the spirit where personality is housed and given form, sometimes leaving the dying body of a person in order to find a more suitable host of flesh. Any separated ka can find the mummified remains of a vessel and possess it if the proper rituals and conduits are performed. This requires Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (religion) skill checks at DC 25 to perform successfully with all the required funerary trappings necessary.
‘Living ka mummy’ is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or animal creature.
Risen Dead: Sorcerers and demons have been calling the recently dead to walk again and fight on their behalf for centuries, leaving teeming masses of the risen dead in temples, caverns and grave sites all over Hyboria.
Starved One: The starved ones are an ancient type of demonic spirit that can be summoned forth into a husk made from a mostly whole corpse by removing the corpse’s spirit and trapping it in its liver. The summoner can then control the actions of the starved one to a great degree. To do this, a sorcerer must have a fresh corpse at hand while casting the summon demon spell and make a successful DC 15 Heal check as part of the ritual. If the check fails the starved one is created but is fully in control of its own actions. If the check succeeds, anyone holding the creature’s removed liver can issue it verbal commands that it must obey.
Vampire Scholar 7: ?
Vampire: Vampires are created when the foolish elect to undergo certain transformations hinted at in the fabled Book of Skelos, courting darkness in the shadowy places beneath the Earth, seeking death willingly in order to find eternal life.
‘Vampire’ is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid creature.

 

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Adventures in the Hyborian Age

Adventures in the Hyborian Age
Conan d20 2e
Head Tree: A Head Tree is created when a person falls asleep under a particularly ancient tree and never wakes up, the poor traveller’s soul is trapped inside the tree’s branches and can not escape, giving the tree a cruel sentience and an unnatural mockery of life.

Risen Dead: A curse was placed upon the Khajah’s remains when he was buried, stating any who disturbed the sleep of Khajah Al’Amar would be consumed by death and then forced to serve him. Prince Asram and his followers fell to an ancient spell which released a black cloud of death, which killed them, and transforming them into Risen Dead.

 

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Betrayer of Asgard

Betrayer of Asgard
Conan d20 2e
Lesser Walking Dead: The undead servants of Logri the Binder were raised up with powerful, unholy necromancy.
Make Greater Undead spell.
Walking Dead: The undead servants of Logri the Binder were raised up with powerful, unholy necromancy.
The walking dead carry death with them – anyone slain by one of these walking dead becomes a zombie themselves. Fortunately for Asgard, only the older undead created in the swamp have this power.
Make Greater Undead spell.
Greater Walking Dead: The undead servants of Logri the Binder were raised up with powerful, unholy necromancy.
Make Greater Undead spell.
Undead Rorik Hodderson: The zombies will try to drag his body into the mud, so he can come back as a powerful undead monster later in this adventure.
Ghost Bear: These are the trapped spirits of bears, bound by Mimir’s magic.
Ghost Nymph: This watery apparition is the ghost of a drowned woman.
Skull-Faces of the Air: The Skull-Faces are made by binding an evil spirit to a framework of bone and cloth.
Make Greater Undead spell.
Ashen Ghosts: They are ghosts who have formed bodies from the ashes of those sacrificed by Logri.
Tentacled Thing: ?
Undead Manticore: ?
Undead Dog: ?

Make Greater Undead
Necromancy
PP Cost: Varies
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: Varies
Range: Touch
Effect: Creates an undead monster
Duration: Concentration +1d6 rounds or permanent
Saving Throw: None
Prerequisites: Raise Corpse, Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks, Heal 6 ranks, Magic Attack Bonus +3
This spell is a more powerful and complex form of the raise corpse spell. It can be used to create ordinary zombies or more powerful undead creatures. Each form of undead requires its own particular magical incantations and spell components and each recipe must be researched or discovered individually.
If the sorcerer spends the listed experience cost, the undead creature is animated permanently, lasting as long as the sorcerer’s magic endures. Otherwise, the creature lasts for as long as the sorcerer concentrates +1d6 rounds. The casting time for the spell varies depending on the type of creature being created.
The table below is not an exhaustive list of the monsters that can be created with this spell but it covers all the undead monsters conjured up by Logri.
Undead Notes Power Point Cost Experience Point Cost Component Cost Creation Time
Lesser Walking Dead Creates a 1HD Zombie 1 per 5 corpses 10 XP per corpse 0 1 standard action
Walking Dead Creates a 3HD Zombie 1 per corpse 50 XP per corpse 0 1 standard action
Greater Walking Dead Creates a Zombie with HD equal to its HD in life 3 per corpse 100 XP per corpse 50 silver 1 standard action
Skull-Face Conjures a Skull-Face 4 50 XP 100 silver 10 minutes

 

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Catacombs of Hyboria

Catacombs of Hyboria
Conan d20 2e
Risen Dead: A central hub at the bottom of the cavern has a strange stone or crystal that emanates a force that reanimates dead creatures and sends them outward to devour the flesh of the living.
Ras Pre-Atlantean Scholar 17/Noble 6: Bartering life eternal for endless servitude to the dark god Apophis, Ras had been transformed into an eternal being; a creature of darkness and undeath that cannot permanently be destroyed by mortal means.
Apophal Mummy: Atlanteans and the blossoming Stygians all fell to his supernatural powers, all rising to become his Apophal legion. Through the immortal actions of Ras, Apophis was creating an undead army in the world of men.
Apophal mummies are the ritually reanimated and embalmed corpses that serve the will of Ras, the eternal mummy of Apophis. They are gifted with undeath by the unearthly darkness that permeates Ras or his minions, their life force replaced with Apophal darkness. Ras also removes the heart of his mummifi ed servants, placing them in special canoptic jars that make them completely and unquestioningly loyal to him alone.
Soonai Hynang The Ghost of Tai Paun Li: The reason why so many miners were drowned or trampled to death decades ago in the mines of Tai Paun Li, Soonai was thrust into the realm of the undead to forever haunt the dark and watery graves of the employees and servants that he condemned.
Oni-Miho Demon Miner: The Oni-Miho of Tai Paun Li are hellish bound spirits created from those among the miners who were drowned that exchanged their eternal rest for vengeance upon the living.