Character Idea: Necromancer who wants to convince slaving cultures undead are more effecient

[aramis erak]

Depends a bit on what the controlling undead rules are for the system. As for intelligent undead, does the spell create an undead soul or pull the person's original soul back to their now undead form?

That varies by game. And in D&D, by edition. Note that in 5E AL play, you cannot resurrect someone who's been turned to a vampire until they've been slain. So, at least for vampires, the soul is trapped there.
I believe, but am not redoing the checks, most of the free willed undead would be like vampires - until you free them, they're stuck. And if you destroy them in certain ways, they may be gone forever.

(This was relevant in the one AD&D Dragonlance adventure I ran... the Gnome wanted to use Soul Jars on incorporeal undead, then use them to power magical machines.)

 

[Guest 6801328]

I just had this idea of creating a necromancer character skilled in diplomacy who hates slavery (yeah, raising armies of the undead is just slavery with more steps), and wants to convince slaving cultures the benefits of using undead instead of slaves. Of course, one of this character's obvious arguments would be the lower upkeep cost: you don't have to feed skeletons. What other points would be valuable to this character's arguments?

Honestly it sounds like a gimmick. I mean, it might be a great concept for the story arc in a novel (or screenplay), but in terms of a core concept for roleplaying, I think the novelty would wear off for everybody else at the table by the 3rd time it came up.

 

[Mark Hope]

The 1e adventure "Egg of the Phoenix" uses this idea. There are "perfect slaves" called slinks in use that turn out to be zombies disguised with illusion magic so they aren't all gross and stinky. They're controlled by amulets that make them obey someone wearing a matching amulet. Naturally, it's all part of a master plan to infiltrate society with zombies and then take over because of course it is. But there are some interesting aspects - local labourers resent the slinks because they think they'll lose their jobs if the slinks become widespread. Assaulting a slink is now a serious crime. And there are clerics who are sure that there's something weird about the slinks because the slinks get jumpy when the clerics do their various holy rituals around town. It forms the first part of the module but you could use it standalone as a source of cool ideas for this kind of thing.

 

[Zhaleskra]

It seems like people are repeating each other at this point. Sounds like a good place to wrap up this topic.

 

[Guest 6801328]

It seems like people are repeating each other at this point. Sounds like a good place to wrap up this topic.

If only we could control the threads we start, huh?

Dr. Frankenstein had a similar lament.

 

[Zhaleskra]

It's a bit embarrassing that we're only on page three and people are already repeating parts of other posts. on this very page. While it's likely not a fair accusation, seems a bit like "drive by" responding to me.