Can Undead...

[Liquid Snake]

Just after seeing "Caribbean Pirates" I began wondering, can D&D undead...

• smell?
• taste?
• feel (sense of touch)?
  [/list=a]
  
  and is there any particular undead that goes against the standards?

 

[Psion]

Just after seeing "Caribbean Pirates" I began wondering, can D&D undead...

• smell?
  [/list=a]
  

• 
  
  Well, your zombies smell the most, as do ghouls. Mummies, being dried and packed with herbs have a smell too, but it's not as bad. Skeletons don't smell as much, and 3.5 liches, who seem to have gotten more skeletal, also aren't as stinky as they were before the changeover.
  
  

  
  

  • b) taste?

  
  

  
  Ug. I don't even want to think about that...
  
  

 

[doctorjeff98]

The zombies in All Flesh Must Be Eaten can have a variety of either enhanced or diminished senses. The section on creating a zombie is useful for any game (not just the Unisystem).

 

[Henry]

Henry slaps Psion with a smelly mackerel


Most mindless or skeletal undead can probably do none of these things, because their senses are tied to life and enjoyment of life, but I'll wager vampires can because (A) only blood, a life-giving substance can satiate them, and (B) Vampires ever since Bram Stoker's Dracula have always been tied to sensuality and visceral sensation. Of course, this is totally subjective, but when I meet a lich or a vampire, I'll be sure to ask.

 

[jaerdaph]

Just after seeing "Caribbean Pirates" I began wondering, can D&D undead...

• smell?
• taste?
• feel (sense of touch)?
  [/list=a]
  
  and is there any particular undead that goes against the standards?

• 
  
  I'd break it down by first asking is it corporeal or incorporeal, and if corporeal then I'd ask is it sentient (e.g. vampire, ghoul or lich) or non-sentient (i.e no Int score - the mindless undead)
  
  If it's corporeal non-sentient, then I'd say no smell, taste or touch.
  
  If it's corporeal sentient, I'd say yes to smell, taste and touch.
  
  If it's incorporeal, I'd say no smell or taste, but in some cases touch.
  
  Of course, exceptions could (and should) exist.

 

[Praeco]

I wouldn't imagine the lesser undead would even have the degree of consciousnes necessary to realize if they had these faculties. Those undead that are animated are pretty much mindless in my opinion, making anything outside their tiny motivation meaningless. After all they would probably walk into fire if so commanded.

"Free-willed" undead, however, could quite possibly have a sense of smell and such. It is clear they can see, so why not other senses? However, I think it may be an interesting plot device if a vampire or other powerful undead had lost the sense of taste and smell, and longed for the heady days of life when the world had substance.

 

[JohnRTroy]

I pretty much helped touch upon this subject for Mongoose's "Slayers Guide to the Undead". I co-wrote an area about the Undead's senses, etc.

So pick that up.

(And yes, I am not in the credits, but EGG can confirm I wrote a few bits in there. Bad Bad Mongoose.

 

[Piratecat]

Absolutely. If they couldn't taste, why would they want to eat brains?

As our own Dr. Midnight might say....

 

[Saeviomagy]

I'd have to say that mindless undead would have to have a sense of touch, or else they'd have significantly diminished dexterity scores (they'd be unable to hold objects with an appropriate amount of force, or notice they'd bumped into walls etc).

I'd agree that they'd probably lack taste and smell.

 

[TalonComics]

My zombie's breath smells like cat food.

~D