[PBP] Calling all Ungrateful Dead

[Brother Shatterstone]

kinem, I hate to say this but I’m going to have to withdraw from being considered… My free time is draining quicker than I thought it would.

Sorry,
BS

 

[kinem]

OK BS, sorry to lose you but better now than later.

That leaves 4 players, which is fine.

 

[Nephtys]

For a ghoul, my formula would give an LA of 1+1-(2/3), or LA 1, which seems too low. It should be 3 or 4.

Let's see, a LA 3 ghoul would get:
undead type; convert HD to d12
+2 natural armor
bite 1d6+paralysis+fever and claws 1d3+paralysis
- paralysis (Fort DC 10+1/2 HD + Cha bonus negates) for 1d4+1 rounds; elves immune
- ghoul fever (Fort DC 10+1/2 HD + Cha bonus negates) incubation period 1 day,
damage 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex
- create spawn (any humanoid who dies from ghoul fever becomes a zombie next midnight, not under the ghoul's control)
- str +2, dex +4, con --, int +2, wis +4, cha +2
- turn resistance 5

I could go LA 4, but LA 3 seems about right. Undead type, unbalanced abilities, paralysis (x3, though short duration and claws interfere with weapon use), and some extras. OTOH, no DR and no special abilities that could affect other undead; the create spawn ability is fairly weak. Hmm ... OK, LA 3, CR +1

Ok, but in addition to that comes 2 undead HDs, a very weak type of HD (low bab, poor skillpoints, poor saves?) , but that's the same for most untemplated undead. It makes the Cairn Vampire and the Lich look a lot better...

 

[kinem]

No, the template does not add any undead HD. A human fighter 1 ghoul would have just 1 HD, ECL 4. I would certainly have mentioned something as important as racial HD if the template added that!

The only templates that I know of that add undead HD are the ones for mindless undead.

 

[Erudite]

Kinem, I'm going to wait until this Saturday to finish my character; I just won't have the time until then, and I want to do this right!

 

[Nephtys]

No, the template does not add any undead HD. A human fighter 1 ghoul would have just 1 HD, ECL 4. I would certainly have mentioned something as important as racial HD if the template added that!

The only templates that I know of that add undead HD are the ones for mindless undead.

That's great . I've been wanting to play a Ghoul since even before I read Piratecat's Story Hour. They're just so depraved, the ickiest of all the undead...

I'll see if I can build something effective.

Destruction retribution
Black crackling negative energy burst 10’ radius reflex half DC 15,1d6 + 1d6 / 2 HD
CR: Figure an effective EL as though another creature had been added to an encounter with the undead, of a CR’ based on the # of d6:
CR’ = ½ for 1, 1 for 2, 2 for 3-4, 3 for 5-6, 4 for 7-8, 5 for 9-10, 6 for 11-12, +1 per additional 3d6
CR = effective EL
LA: as base creature +1, buyoff: 1500 xp

What range does this ability have? How many times/day can it be used?

Btw, Do these feats take up feat-slots or are they just payed with LA or XP? Can a character gain more of these feats as they gain more levels?

 

[kinem]

What range does this ability have? How many times/day can it be used?

Btw, Do these feats take up feat-slots or are they just payed with LA or XP? Can a character gain more of these feats as they gain more levels?

It has no range, just a 10' radius. Technically, there's no limit on how many times per day, but there's a big catch: it only gets triggered when you are destroyed!

The LM corpsecrafter feats are feats that the person who created the undead has, not feats that the undead has, but they give the undead the listed abilities. Corpsecrafter is a prereq for the others.

If you animate skeletons and zombies or otherwise create undead, it might be useful to take them as regular feats, in which case they won't affect you but will affect any undead you create.

If you want to have been created by someone with these feats, I came up with the system I posted. Being corpsecrafted is +1 LA. The benefits from the other feats cost xp. In the case of Destruction Retribution, 1500 xp. Note that all PCs start from 128k xp so you have room to take such things without losing another level, but it will delay any advancement.

The only way to gain more of the benefits is to be slain, ressurected as living, slain again, and re-created as undead by someone who has more of the feats.

If you are a lich, you create your own undeath, so the only way to have the benefits is to have taken the actual feats before you became a lich. You'd still have to pay LA and xp.

BTW, just so y'know: Liches have glowing red eyes. Death knights have glowing orange eyes. No other undead has glowing eyes; if it did, the text would say so. Glowing eyes are a liability. You want 'em, cast prestidigitation.

 

[Nephtys]

Moved

 

[Erudite]

Kinem,

Final touches, and some changes, to the character today, finished product out by tonight, to your email address. You should have gotten the basics last night (not everything was perfect; there were some mistakes).

Cheers,
Erudite

Nephtys,

I think our concepts may have some intersections. Contact me at my email: eruditeredux-at-yahoo-dot-com so we can talk. Make sure to include Ungrateful Undead in the subject line.

 

[Nephtys]

Nephtys,

I think our concepts may have some intersections. Contact me at my email: eruditeredux-at-yahoo-dot-com so we can talk. Make sure to include Ungrateful Undead in the subject line.

Done.