D&D General Alternatives to lich or vampire?

[der_kluge]

So, IMC, I want to make a noble lord undead. As in, part of his backstory involves him wanting to become undead, and he pays a sum of money, and then does that.

What are my options? Lich, it seems, is limited to just arcane casters and also WAY too high of a CR to be useful. Vampire could certainly work here, but also comes with a decent amount of baggage and since I'd like to be able to use this guy in the middle of the day, the whole sunlight vulnerability thing is a real bummer.

What else is there?

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Mummy Lord (Ravenloft 2nd Ed), or the necropolitan from Libris Mortis. There was a faction of Planescape about that, the dustmen.

The revenant was a PC race in 4th Ed.

 

[Mecheon]

So way I see it there's two choices

One's a Death Knight, but that may run into the same issue as previous in that CR may be an issue. Mummy also falls under this, the two having the idea of "Paid someone to turn him into a DK" or "Paid a priest of a place to mummify him"
Other's just fish out the Necropolitan template or at least the idea of it and apply as necessary

 

[Slit518]

Zombie? Revenant? Ghoul? Ghast? Just get crazy with it. Or, a Vampire Lich!

 

[Tonguez]

Mummy or Revenant?
I once had a Ghast NPC in the sewers of London

 

[der_kluge]

Lord Mommy, or the necropolitan from Libris Mortis. There was a faction of Planescape about that.

Lord Mommy? Does it attack with wire hangers?

 

[Flamestrike]

Just make it up.

What CR are you going for?

 

[Leatherhead]

Just make it up.

This is surprisingly easy to do in this edition:

Just take whatever humanoid NPC stat block you want, swap it's type to undead, then give it darkvision 60' and poison immunity (because they are undead).

You don't even have to give them special spooky powers unless there is a specific type of undead you are trying to emulate.

 

[Flamestrike]

This is surprisingly easy to do in this edition:

Just take whatever humanoid NPC stat block you want, swap it's type to undead, then give it darkvision 60' and poison immunity (because they are undead).

You don't even have to give them special spooky powers unless there is a specific type of undead you are trying to emulate.

Yep.

Condition immunities should be both exhaustion and poisoned, and damage immunity: poison

Many undead are resistant to necrotic as well. And non magic weapons starting at CR3 and above.

That's literally all you have to do. It wouldnt even affect CR.

Incorporeal undead have other things (Incorporeal movement, specific resistances and immunities) that you can just copy and paste from the Spectre stat block.

CR determines a quick and easy DC for any special abilities you wanna give it, most of which can just be copied and pasted from other monsters (frightening aura, death howl, life drain etc etc).

It's like 5 minutes work, max.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Your noble could be a ghost who is possessing the body one of his retainers.