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

[Tonguez]

But as I say, "what is life" is irreverent to the question of "what is undead". Lots have things have been suggested, but they have all been dismissed on the basis of being "boring". If you can't define what it means to be undead, you cannot say how it differs from life.

once you have a definition of “what is Life” you dont need to define “what is undead” as the creature type description already tells us that Undead are once-living creatures. Its not a different state just a yes/no switch.
We are further told that the “horrifying state of undeath is brought about through the practice of necromantic magic or some unholy curse*.”

We also get told there re two categories for undead being walking corpses, and bodiless spirits.

*we know too that in DnD Unholy Power is an objective thing that can affect objects (Unholy Weapons) and creatures, regardless if individuals object to the connotations of such Holy/Unholy powers existing.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

once you have a definition of “what is Life” you dont need to define “what is undead” as the creature type description already tells us that Undead are once-living creatures.

I would be fine as that as a definition. But we have been told that to say undead can't reproduce via sexual reproduction is "boring".

 

[Vaalingrade]

But what "alive" means is irrelevant. The question is, "what does undead mean?" Unless you can come up with some sort of equivalent list for undead it is useless as a descriptor.

If we're going to go down this path, let's throw out aberration, monstrosity, elemental, outsider and humanoid as well. They're just broad general categories that, would serve as keywords to play off other abilities.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I would be fine as that as a definition. But we have been told that to say undead can't reproduce via sexual reproduction is "boring".

If you can't have sex with it, what is even the point of a vampire?

 

[Tonguez]

If you can't have sex with it, what is even the point of a vampire?

Sex and reproduction arent the same thing though they do often overlap

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If you can't have sex with it, what is even the point of a vampire?

You can have sex with anything you want, but vampires cannot give birth to undead babies, since the babies would never have been alive so they cannot be undead.

That's where dhampirs come from.

 

[Vaalingrade]

We're still talking about made up magic monsters right?

There's no actual rules. Like The Forest has an undead monster that throws babies it gives birth to at you as its primary weapon because maximum edgelord.

 

[Tonguez]

. Like The Forest has an undead monster that throws babies it gives birth to at you as its primary weapon because maximum edgelord.

?? What is The Forest?

 

[Mind of tempest]

?? What is The Forest?

this.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

We're still talking about made up magic monsters right?

Sure. And the made up rule for the made up monster is "in order to be undead you must have previously been alive". So a baby born undead cannot be undead because it was never alive.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Sure. And the made up rule for the made up monster is "in order to be undead you must have previously been alive".

I don't think even all the undead in the MM follow this.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't think even all the undead in the MM follow this.

Which of course, brings us back to the question of what is undead? Does it have any meaning at all?

 

[Vaalingrade]

Look, I tried to start the ball roiling with explaining what life is and that wasn't good enough, so you're on your own now.

 

[Voadam]

Which of course, brings us back to the question of what is undead? Does it have any meaning at all?

Things animated by necrotic/negative energy works for me. This can account for things like the Avatar of Death which has no indication it was ever alive and other pure spirits of death that have shown up, while the majority are the interactions of negative energy and death. I generally treat mummies, deathless, archliches, good ghosts, and such as being negative energy powered and connected in my games.