D&D General have we had a player race of undead?

[Voadam]

that is not a myth.

Sure, you can say that fiction, folkore, and myth are technically different, but then I am not sure what D&D undead from myth you are referencing.

Vampires are mostly from Dracula and movies. Zombies are from zombie fiction. Skeletons are not really from myth they are from things like the 1970s Sinbad movie. AD&D spectres were the Nazgul from Tolkien. Liches are mostly from R.E. Howard pulp fantasy and such. Most ghost stuff comes from ghost stories, not specific myths. Ghouls are mostly their own thing, partially a take on Lovecraft ghouls and Arabic Ghuls. Mummies are mostly from the classic Mummy movie.

There are a lot of folklore story basis for a bunch of D&D undead, such as banshees, but I wouldn't say there is a strong line between fiction and folklore stories.

 

[Tonguez]

Sure, you can say that fiction, folkore, and myth are technically different, but then I am not sure what D&D undead from myth you are referencing.

Vampires are mostly from Dracula and movies. Zombies are from zombie fiction. Skeletons are not really from myth they are from things like the 1970s Sinbad movie. AD&D spectres were the Nazgul from Tolkien. Liches are mostly from R.E. Howard pulp fantasy and such. Most ghost stuff comes from ghost stories, not specific myths. Ghouls are mostly their own thing, partially a take on Lovecraft ghouls and Arabic Ghuls. Mummies are mostly from the classic Mummy movie.

There are a lot of folklore story basis for a bunch of D&D undead, such as banshees, but I wouldn't say there is a strong line between fiction and folklore stories.

You know its now 101 years since the opening of Tutankhamuns tomb which sparked Tutmania in western media and subsequently rumours of the Curse of the Pharoah after the excavations sponsor Lord Carnarvon died 6 months later. It was that event that sparked the modern folklore of Mummys and Mummy curses and at 100 years is sufficiently antiquated to be established tradition. Ghost stories are also myth and while Romero style Zombie-Ghouls may only be 50 years old, theres no reason to discount their affect on modern disease folklore

NB in Night of the Living Dead the term Zombie isnt actually used, an in-movie news report mentions Ghouls instead

 

[Vaalingrade]

Zombie apocalypse fiction comes to mind.

Like I said, bad writing.

God, I hate zombie ghouls--they are freaking ghouls, Romero-clones-- fiction. They're such garbage monsters you have to start with them already having won so you can explain how an animal dumber than a lemming killed off an animal known for its automatic weapons.

 

[Voadam]

Like I said, bad writing.

God, I hate zombie ghouls--they are freaking ghouls, Romero-clones-- fiction. They're such garbage monsters you have to start with them already having won so you can explain how an animal dumber than a lemming killed off an animal known for its automatic weapons.

I actually hate D&D ghouls. Paralysis as their defining feature with no narrative explanation for it or folklore type basis for it and significant mechanical implications.

Claw Claw Bite for save or be paralyzed which usually means out of the fight entirely based on any one failed roll. Throw a horde of these low HD monsters against high level PCs in a confined space and a 20 to hit can come up decently quickly leading to the save or essentially die if there is a horde. Game design I really hate. 4e and 5e at least have save each round instead of just paralyzed for usually the rest of the fight.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I actually hate D&D ghouls. Paralysis as their defining feature with no narrative explanation for it or folklore type basis for it and significant mechanical implications.

No, no, I hate those too.

They're like the survivors of the antagonistic design all the way through the series.

Plus, they are another example of how D&D doesn't know what mythological monsters are and just gave powers by feel.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Sure, you can say that fiction, folkore, and myth are technically different, but then I am not sure what D&D undead from myth you are referencing.

Vampires are mostly from Dracula and movies. Zombies are from zombie fiction. Skeletons are not really from myth they are from things like the 1970s Sinbad movie. AD&D spectres were the Nazgul from Tolkien. Liches are mostly from R.E. Howard pulp fantasy and such. Most ghost stuff comes from ghost stories, not specific myths. Ghouls are mostly their own thing, partially a take on Lovecraft ghouls and Arabic Ghuls. Mummies are mostly from the classic Mummy movie.

There are a lot of folklore story basis for a bunch of D&D undead, such as banshees, but I wouldn't say there is a strong line between fiction and folklore stories.

a myth was at one point believed in, no one seriously considers zombies real.
there kind of is a difference I lack the technical term for it but folklore and fiction are not the same.
secondly, that does change my point in the slightest, zombies are nowadays seen as a disease which slowly necrotizes the body, not someone defying the laws of nature to make a terminator.

Like I said, bad writing.

God, I hate zombie ghouls--they are freaking ghouls, Romero-clones-- fiction. They're such garbage monsters you have to start with them already having won so you can explain how an animal dumber than a lemming killed off an animal known for its automatic weapons.

the point of it is it is a natural disaster with a face and can be stabbed hence the appeal it is a disaster you can stab to death.

No, no, I hate those too.

They're like the survivors of the antagonistic design all the way through the series.

Plus, they are another example of how D&D doesn't know what mythological monsters are and just gave powers by feel.

yeah the way I hear it ghouls are just robbing graveyards for food, not a death sentence by paralysis something can be a foe without being automatically death.

 

[Vaalingrade]

the point of it is it is a natural disaster with a face and can be stabbed hence the appeal it is a disaster you can stab to death.

I know that you can at least stab a blizzard to death in D&D. And that thing doesn't look deeply stupid when it runs.

yeah the way I hear it ghouls are just robbing graveyards for food, not a death sentence by paralysis something can be a foe without being automatically death.

In some traditions, they can become human again if they eat enough. Or become who they eat.

 

[Voadam]

a myth was at one point believed in, no one seriously considers zombies real.

OK, what D&D undead are you considering myth based by this definition? Possession ghosts? D&D vampires to go beyond Dracula fiction and movies to folklore ones?

I am trying to engage you on your terms about the point you raised about the myth basis of undead being evil or not.

 

[Mind of tempest]

OK, what D&D undead are you considering myth based by this definition? Possession ghosts? D&D vampires to go beyond Dracula fiction and movies to folklore ones?

I am trying to engage you on your terms about the point you raised about the myth basis of undead being evil or not.

true but the core is the blood-sucking monster of the night which has not changed never heard of a myth of undead hating the living utterly more either eating them or being angry for being wrong.

 

[Incenjucar]

We do need more cowardly skeleton comic relief characters.