Ancient Dead
Here is some of my homebrew stuff (this is not play tested) for an undead race. Like suggested above, I modified the undead type to tone it down a bit. I give races special abilities as they level (this is a low magic item campaign), so ignore that part. I also power up races slightly (humans get +2 to any single ability score, elves get +2 dex and no penalty, etc), so you might want to tone this down a bit for a standard campaign.
craftyrat
Ancient Dead
• Ancient dead are undead, risen up through exposure to powerful magic over many years. They are sentient, but remember nothing of their previous lives. Their stronghold is The Catacombs, an underground city built under the ruins of an ancient above ground city.
• Appearance: They look to be animated, ancient corpses. Skin is pulled tightly over their dried bodies. Other than that, their appearance varies widely. There is a -12 modifier to disguise checks to pass as a human.
• Medium size
• Type: Undead
• No Constitution score; use Charisma for skill or ability checks, and for modifying Fortitude saves
• Hit dice are not changed to d12, but ancient dead do get +1 hit points per hit die
• Do not eat, drink, or breathe. They do not gain any benefit from potions or other consumable magic items.
• While ancient dead do not sleep, they must spend 4 hours per day in meditation, much like elves
• Darkvision 60’
• Immune to anything that requires a normal physiology, including: sleep, poison, paralysis, disease. They are not immune to death magic, mind-affecting magic, energy drain or stunning.
• Unlike most undead, they are not immune to critical hits, sneak attacks, fatigue, exhaustion, or ability damage. They can be affected by non-lethal damage
• They heal damage through rest normally
• They have natural turn resistance of +6
• Fall unconscious at 0 hit points, destroyed at -10. Can be restored to undeath with raise dead magic. They automatically stabilize at -1 or below.
• Automatic Languages: One regional language
• 1st: Bonus racial feat
• 7th: +3 to save vs mind-affecting magic
• 11th: +1 hit point per die
• 15th: +4 Turn Resistance
• 19th: 25% Fortification (stacks with other sources of fortification, but each is checked separately; ie: an ancient dead with 50% fortification from another source checks twice to resist a critical hit, once at 25% and then if that fails again at 50%).
Racial Feats - Ancient Dead
Ghost Body
Improved Racial Toughness
Improved Turn Resistance
Incorporealness
Mummy Body
Racial Damage Reduction
Skeletal Body
Slam
Well Preserved Body
Zombie Body
Ghost Body
Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level, Ancient Dead
Benefit: Your body is somewhat (but not fully) insubstantial. You gain 25% resistance to critical hits and sneak attacks. You can only take 1 body feat.
Improved Racial Toughness
Prerequisite: Ancient Dead
Benefit: You gain +1 hit points per hit die. You can take this feat multiple times.
Improved Turn Resistance
Prerequisite: Ancient Dead
Benefit: You gain +2 turn resistance. This feat can be taken multiple times, and it stacks with other sources of turn resistance.
Incorporealness
Prerequisite: 8th level, Ghost Body, Ancient Dead
Benefit: You can become incorporeal once per day for up to 1 minute.
Mummy Body
Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level, Ancient Dead
Benefit: You were prepared for burial by being wrapped in mummy linen. You gain DR 1/-- per two levels, starting at DR 1/-- at 2nd level, up to DR 3/-- at 6th level. However, you suffer a -2 penalty to saving throws against fire. You cannot have more than 1 body feat.
Racial Damage Reduction
Prerequisite: Skeleton or Mummy Body, Ancient Dead
Benefit: Your racial damage reduction is increased by 1. You can take this feat multiple times.
Skeletal Body
Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level, Ancient Dead
Benefit: Instead of the normal appearance, you have a body composed only (or mostly) of skeleton. You gain DR 1/bludgeoning per two levels, starting at 2nd level, up to DR 4 at 8th level. You cannot disguise yourself as a human. You can only have 1 body feat.
Slam
Prerequisite: Mummy or Zombie Body, Ancient Dead
Benefit: You gain a slam attack of 1d6 plus 1.5 your Strength bonus.
Well Preserved Body
Prerequisite: Must be 1st level, Ancient Dead
Benefit: Your body is especially well preserved. You only suffer a -2 penalty to disguise yourself as a human. You gain +1 hit points per die. You can only have 1 body feat.
Zombie Body
Prerequisite: Must be 1st level, Ancient Dead
Benefit: Your body is stronger than other ancient dead, but it is also slower. You gain a +2 to your Strength, +1 hit points per die, and –2 to your Dexterity. Your speed is only 20’, but it is not reduced for wearing medium or heavy armor (it is still reduced for a medium or heavy load). You can only take 1 body feat.
Here is some of my homebrew stuff (this is not play tested) for an undead race. Like suggested above, I modified the undead type to tone it down a bit. I give races special abilities as they level (this is a low magic item campaign), so ignore that part. I also power up races slightly (humans get +2 to any single ability score, elves get +2 dex and no penalty, etc), so you might want to tone this down a bit for a standard campaign.
craftyrat
Ancient Dead
• Ancient dead are undead, risen up through exposure to powerful magic over many years. They are sentient, but remember nothing of their previous lives. Their stronghold is The Catacombs, an underground city built under the ruins of an ancient above ground city.
• Appearance: They look to be animated, ancient corpses. Skin is pulled tightly over their dried bodies. Other than that, their appearance varies widely. There is a -12 modifier to disguise checks to pass as a human.
• Medium size
• Type: Undead
• No Constitution score; use Charisma for skill or ability checks, and for modifying Fortitude saves
• Hit dice are not changed to d12, but ancient dead do get +1 hit points per hit die
• Do not eat, drink, or breathe. They do not gain any benefit from potions or other consumable magic items.
• While ancient dead do not sleep, they must spend 4 hours per day in meditation, much like elves
• Darkvision 60’
• Immune to anything that requires a normal physiology, including: sleep, poison, paralysis, disease. They are not immune to death magic, mind-affecting magic, energy drain or stunning.
• Unlike most undead, they are not immune to critical hits, sneak attacks, fatigue, exhaustion, or ability damage. They can be affected by non-lethal damage
• They heal damage through rest normally
• They have natural turn resistance of +6
• Fall unconscious at 0 hit points, destroyed at -10. Can be restored to undeath with raise dead magic. They automatically stabilize at -1 or below.
• Automatic Languages: One regional language
• 1st: Bonus racial feat
• 7th: +3 to save vs mind-affecting magic
• 11th: +1 hit point per die
• 15th: +4 Turn Resistance
• 19th: 25% Fortification (stacks with other sources of fortification, but each is checked separately; ie: an ancient dead with 50% fortification from another source checks twice to resist a critical hit, once at 25% and then if that fails again at 50%).
Racial Feats - Ancient Dead
Ghost Body
Improved Racial Toughness
Improved Turn Resistance
Incorporealness
Mummy Body
Racial Damage Reduction
Skeletal Body
Slam
Well Preserved Body
Zombie Body
Ghost Body
Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level, Ancient Dead
Benefit: Your body is somewhat (but not fully) insubstantial. You gain 25% resistance to critical hits and sneak attacks. You can only take 1 body feat.
Improved Racial Toughness
Prerequisite: Ancient Dead
Benefit: You gain +1 hit points per hit die. You can take this feat multiple times.
Improved Turn Resistance
Prerequisite: Ancient Dead
Benefit: You gain +2 turn resistance. This feat can be taken multiple times, and it stacks with other sources of turn resistance.
Incorporealness
Prerequisite: 8th level, Ghost Body, Ancient Dead
Benefit: You can become incorporeal once per day for up to 1 minute.
Mummy Body
Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level, Ancient Dead
Benefit: You were prepared for burial by being wrapped in mummy linen. You gain DR 1/-- per two levels, starting at DR 1/-- at 2nd level, up to DR 3/-- at 6th level. However, you suffer a -2 penalty to saving throws against fire. You cannot have more than 1 body feat.
Racial Damage Reduction
Prerequisite: Skeleton or Mummy Body, Ancient Dead
Benefit: Your racial damage reduction is increased by 1. You can take this feat multiple times.
Skeletal Body
Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level, Ancient Dead
Benefit: Instead of the normal appearance, you have a body composed only (or mostly) of skeleton. You gain DR 1/bludgeoning per two levels, starting at 2nd level, up to DR 4 at 8th level. You cannot disguise yourself as a human. You can only have 1 body feat.
Slam
Prerequisite: Mummy or Zombie Body, Ancient Dead
Benefit: You gain a slam attack of 1d6 plus 1.5 your Strength bonus.
Well Preserved Body
Prerequisite: Must be 1st level, Ancient Dead
Benefit: Your body is especially well preserved. You only suffer a -2 penalty to disguise yourself as a human. You gain +1 hit points per die. You can only have 1 body feat.
Zombie Body
Prerequisite: Must be 1st level, Ancient Dead
Benefit: Your body is stronger than other ancient dead, but it is also slower. You gain a +2 to your Strength, +1 hit points per die, and –2 to your Dexterity. Your speed is only 20’, but it is not reduced for wearing medium or heavy armor (it is still reduced for a medium or heavy load). You can only take 1 body feat.
