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<blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 5377174" data-attributes="member: 18280">From a folkloric point of view, the most common cause of spontaneously-formed undead should be improper burial.&nbsp; As a result, a town would probably prefer to limit its undead potential by ensuring that proper burial is an option.All those undead in modules?&nbsp; The results of improper burial.&nbsp; The ghouls were not buried in the graveyard; they came to ther graveyard from elsewhere to feast on the corpses.&nbsp; But if those same corpses had not been buried properly, there would have been a veritable army of ghouls roaming the streets.Likewise, folkloric undead have a real thing for targetting their families and close associates first -- you know, the people who should have seen to it that they can rest in peace!&nbsp; Thus, the adventurers who callously leave the thief's remains in the trap that killed him may well discover that there is a reason to not simply take his stuff and press on.Strangely, ghosts who want vengeance on their slayers are far rarer in actual folklore than undead who target their families and close associates.That is a strong motive for proper burial -- for the average inhabitant of the fantasy world, mom and dad are potentially more dangerous than some ghoul who happens to be rooting around mom and dad's graves.The gods may also demand particular burial practices.&nbsp; Where this is the case, you have to ask yourself if you are more afraid of a random encounter with a ghoul if you enter the graveyard at night, or of Pelor's divine wrath?&nbsp; The truth is, you can usually avoid the ghoul by staying out of the graveyard at night.Proper burial appeases the dead, and appeases the gods.Good luck to you if you fail to do either.RC</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Raven Crowking, post: 5377174, member: 18280"] From a folkloric point of view, the most common cause of spontaneously-formed undead should be [I][B]improper burial[/B][/I]. As a result, a town would probably prefer to limit its undead potential by ensuring that proper burial is an option. All those undead in modules? The results of improper burial. The ghouls were not buried in the graveyard; they came to ther graveyard from elsewhere to feast on the corpses. But if those same corpses had not been buried properly, there would have been a veritable army of ghouls roaming the streets. Likewise, folkloric undead have a real thing for targetting their families and close associates first -- you know, the people who should have seen to it that they can rest in peace! Thus, the adventurers who callously leave the thief's remains in the trap that killed him may well discover that there is a reason to not simply take his stuff and press on. Strangely, ghosts who want vengeance on their slayers are far rarer in actual folklore than undead who target their families and close associates. That is a strong motive for proper burial -- for the average inhabitant of the fantasy world, mom and dad are potentially more dangerous than some ghoul who happens to be rooting around mom and dad's graves. The gods may also demand particular burial practices. Where this is the case, you have to ask yourself if you are more afraid of a random encounter with a ghoul if you enter the graveyard at night, or of Pelor's divine wrath? The truth is, you can usually avoid the ghoul by staying out of the graveyard at night. Proper burial appeases the dead, and appeases the gods. Good luck to you if you fail to do either. RC [/QUOTE]

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