Undead Origins

12 Peculiar Towers for 5th Edition
5e
The Nightreaver, Vampire, Blood Mage, Villain: ?
Ghost, Old Bearded Man in a Knit Cap and Oilskin Coat: ?
Mummy Lord: ?
Raganni, Mummy: This room is currently occupied by Asenath, who recently completed the ritual to bring Raganni to unlife. However, the formulae the glabrezu provided were incomplete. He rose as a mummy, rather than the mummy lord she was expecting.
Vampire: ?
Vampire Spawn, The Nightreaver's Assistant: ?
Vampire Spawn: A humanoid slain in this way [by the Nightreaver's bite attack] and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn under the Nightreaver’s control.
Shadow Skeleton: ?
Blood Zombie, Bloody Corpse: ?
Vampire Priestess: ?
Deathwisp: ?
 

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Across the Multiverse (5th Edition)
5e
Undead: ?
Undead Ogre: ?
Glacial Undead: ?
Ghost: ?
Ghost, Ethereal Creature: ?
Zombie: ?
Vaguely Humanoid Drone: Each day at dawn, the carnivorous ship produces up to 12 vaguely humanoid drones.
Carnivorous ships create vaguely humanoid drones from the flesh of their bodies.
 
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Adventurer's Guide to Yathuna
5e
Undead, Undead Creature: Undying Servitude feat.
Undead Elf: ?
Intelligent Undead: [Ceuhovian] Drow elves are turned into intelligent undead, leading the Frozenbrothers.
Incorporeal Undead: ?
Animated Creature: Raise Servant spell.
Ghost: ?
Ghoul: A drow that passes away within the Ceuhovian Province is raised as an intelligent form of undead - ghouls, ghasts, wights and even mummies are available as fine selections.
Ghoul, Intelligent Form of Undead: ?
Ghast, Intelligent Form of Undead: ?
Ghast: A drow that passes away within the Ceuhovian Province is raised as an intelligent form of undead - ghouls, ghasts, wights and even mummies are available as fine selections.
Queen Amessia Ceuhove IV, Lich, Lich-Queen: Decades of research led to her finding the perfect ritual to extend her life, becoming the first lich within Yathuna.
When Laner’s health began to fade to due an assassination attempt from the Prusorian Empire caused by disease, she delved quickly further into necromancy. The fear of her lover’s death and even her own had taken control of her, and she restlessly searched for an answer to prevent it. Although she was able to extend her life through the ritual of lichdom, it was too late for her husband.
Silnoch, Lich: ?
Lich: ?
Mummy: A drow that passes away within the Ceuhovian Province is raised as an intelligent form of undead - ghouls, ghasts, wights and even mummies are available as fine selections.
Mummy, Intelligent Form of Undead: ?
Skeleton: Minority races are turned into the shambling main force of the Frozenbrothers - skeletons and zombies.
Spectre: ?
Vampire: ?
Wight: A drow that passes away within the Ceuhovian Province is raised as an intelligent form of undead - ghouls, ghasts, wights and even mummies are available as fine selections.
Wight, Intelligent Form of Undead: ?
Zombie: When a non-drow dies, their body is considered forf[e]it to the family, and is raised as a non-intelligent undead.
Minority races are turned into the shambling main force of the Frozenbrothers - skeletons and zombies.
Curse of Undeath spell.
Zombie, Non-Intelligent Undead, Unintelligent Undead, Undead Warrior: ?

Curse of Undeath
6th-level necromancy (curse)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 10 feet
Components: V, S, M (a vial of the target’s blood, which is consumed)
Duration: Instantaneous
Classes: Warlock
You place a curse of undeath on one creature within range. When the creature drops to 0 hit points within the next minute, it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, your spell imbues the target with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as a zombie under your control.
You can use a bonus action on each of your turns to mentally command the zombie, having it move and use an action. If no action is given, it acts on its own accord directly after your own turn.
If the zombie would receive hit points while in this undead state, the spell ends.

Raise Servant
1st-level necromany (curse)
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a ceramic urn worth at least 10 gp, filled with the ashes of the target. The ashes are consumed)
Duration: 1 hour
Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
You attempt to bring undeath towards animals that you are familiar with by wielding the dark arts of necromancy.
You can cast this spell only at night. When you cast this spell, you must have the ashes of a Small size or smaller Beast creature, which has a CR of 1/8 or lower. The ashes coalesce into the form that the creature had in life under your control, and becomes an Undead creature instead of a Beast.
As a bonus action on each of your turns, you can mentally command the animated creature from this spell if it is within 120 feet of you. You decide the action that it will take and where it will move this turn, or a general command. If no command is given, it stands still.
If an order is given that takes longer than an action to complete but less than an hour, it will attempt to do so at the best of its ability.
The creature is under your control for 1 hour or until it reaches 0 hit points before it falls into a pile of ash.
At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd or 3rd level, the duration that the creature lasts becomes 8 hours. When you use a spell slot of 4th or 5th level, the duration that the creature lasts becomes 24 hours. When you use a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the duration that the creature lasts becomes a tenday.

Undying Servitude
Prerequisite: Undying Patron warlock
Death has no sway over you or your patron. You gain the following benefits:
Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
As a bonus action, you can bind necrotic magic to the corpse of a Medium humanoid you can see within 30 feet. The creature is Undead for 1 minute with 1 hit point, uses your AC, has a walking speed of 30 feet, and can make a melee attack against a creature within 5 feet. It uses your spellcasting ability for the attack roll and deals 1d6 necrotic damage. You can use a bonus action, including the turn to create the undead, to move it up to its speed and make one melee attack. Once you use this feature, you cannot again until you finish a short or long rest.
 
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DSE1 Dark Sun Excursions Lost Temple of Rahoon
5e
Lightning Skeleton: Lightning skeletons are mindless undead empowered with a glimmer of electrical power.
Lightning Skeleton, Mindless Undead Empowered With a Glimmer of Electrical Power: ?
Merak, Raaig: In ancient times before the devastation of Athas, Merak and Aubrae were minor nobles of House Tragus. Their devotion to Rahoon was absolute and although they focused on the well-being of their village and holdings, they dedicated most of their wealth to building a large temple complex. Merak was convinced that this act of piety would ensure his place after death. So, along with his wife Aubrae, he funded its construction and upon their deaths willingly transformed into Raaigs to protect the sanctity of the temple into eternity.
Aubree, Raaig: In ancient times before the devastation of Athas, Merak and Aubrae were minor nobles of House Tragus. Their devotion to Rahoon was absolute and although they focused on the well-being of their village and holdings, they dedicated most of their wealth to building a large temple complex. Merak was convinced that this act of piety would ensure his place after death. So, along with his wife Aubrae, he funded its construction and upon their deaths willingly transformed into Raaigs to protect the sanctity of the temple into eternity.
Raaig: In life, raaigs were devout individuals devoted to a specific faith.

4e
Lightning Skeleton: Lightning skeletons are mindless undead empowered with a glimmer of electrical power.
Lightning Skeleton, Mindless Undead Empowered With a Glimmer of Electrical Power: ?
Merak, Raaig: In ancient times before the devastation of Athas, Merak and Aubrae were minor nobles of House Tragus. Their devotion to Rahoon was absolute and although they focused on the well-being of their village and holdings, they dedicated most of their wealth to building a large temple complex. Merak was convinced that this act of piety would ensure his place after death. So, along with his wife Aubrae, he funded its construction and upon their deaths willingly transformed into Raaigs to protect the sanctity of the temple into eternity.
Aubree, Raaig: In ancient times before the devastation of Athas, Merak and Aubrae were minor nobles of House Tragus. Their devotion to Rahoon was absolute and although they focused on the well-being of their village and holdings, they dedicated most of their wealth to building a large temple complex. Merak was convinced that this act of piety would ensure his place after death. So, along with his wife Aubrae, he funded its construction and upon their deaths willingly transformed into Raaigs to protect the sanctity of the temple into eternity.
Raaig: In life, raaigs were devout individuals devoted to a specific faith.

Pathfinder 1e
Lightning Skeleton: Lightning skeletons are mindless undead empowered with a glimmer of electrical power.
Lightning Skeleton, Mindless Undead Empowered With a Glimmer of Electrical Power: ?
Merak, Raaig: In ancient times before the devastation of Athas, Merak and Aubrae were minor nobles of House Tragus. Their devotion to Rahoon was absolute and although they focused on the well-being of their village and holdings, they dedicated most of their wealth to building a large temple complex. Merak was convinced that this act of piety would ensure his place after death. So, along with his wife Aubrae, he funded its construction and upon their deaths willingly transformed into Raaigs to protect the sanctity of the temple into eternity.
Aubree, Raaig: In ancient times before the devastation of Athas, Merak and Aubrae were minor nobles of House Tragus. Their devotion to Rahoon was absolute and although they focused on the well-being of their village and holdings, they dedicated most of their wealth to building a large temple complex. Merak was convinced that this act of piety would ensure his place after death. So, along with his wife Aubrae, he funded its construction and upon their deaths willingly transformed into Raaigs to protect the sanctity of the temple into eternity.
Raaig: In life, raaigs were devout individuals devoted to a specific faith.
Incorporeal Undead: ?

2e
Lightning Skeleton: Lightning skeletons are mindless undead empowered with a glimmer of electrical power.
Lightning Skeleton, Mindless Undead Empowered With a Glimmer of Electrical Power: ?
Merak, Raaig: In ancient times before the devastation of Athas, Merak and Aubrae were minor nobles of House Tragus. Their devotion to Rahoon was absolute and although they focused on the well-being of their village and holdings, they dedicated most of their wealth to building a large temple complex. Merak was convinced that this act of piety would ensure his place after death. So, along with his wife Aubrae, he funded its construction and upon their deaths willingly transformed into Raaigs to protect the sanctity of the temple into eternity.
Aubree, Raaig: In ancient times before the devastation of Athas, Merak and Aubrae were minor nobles of House Tragus. Their devotion to Rahoon was absolute and although they focused on the well-being of their village and holdings, they dedicated most of their wealth to building a large temple complex. Merak was convinced that this act of piety would ensure his place after death. So, along with his wife Aubrae, he funded its construction and upon their deaths willingly transformed into Raaigs to protect the sanctity of the temple into eternity.
Raaig: In life, raaigs were devout individuals devoted to a specific faith.
 

Forbidden Knowledge
5e
Undead, Undead Being: There’s nothing inherently evil about the Plane of Shadow; it is one of the Transitive Planes offering passage to other realms of existence. However, this plane offers haven to evil creatures that shun the light and embrace the darkness. In some places, negative energy bleeds into the plane, giving birth to all manner of undead beings.
 


Latin American Monsters (5E)
5e
Carreta Nagua: ?
Guecubu: Often when a particularly evil criminal is executed, suspicious folk fear that the criminal’s remains might rise from death to continue to plague the living. To combat this possibility, many mobs or rural justices take to the practice of burning the bodies, grinding the bones, and scattering the remains in the wild. Yet in the case of particularly evil criminals, even these steps are in vain, for their will is enough to reassemble a body from earth, stone, roots, and plants drawn from the region into which the remains were scattered.
Huecuva, Risen Corpse of a Heretical Priest Who Blasphemed and Renounced Their Faith Before Meeting Death, Typical Huecuva: Huecuvas are the risen corpses of heretical priests who blasphemed and renounced their deities before meeting death.
Jarjacha: ?
Jinete de Tormento: ?
Llorona: They form as the result of shame and sorrow paired with a tragic drowning of a child, whether it be accidental or murderously intentional, and they want others to share in their pain and misery.
Sayona, Weeping Vampire: Stories of their origins claim that the first sayona was a vain woman who grew old and whose lover left her for a younger paramour; the woman avenged herself by bathing in the blood of her lover’s children, then killed herself. Doomed to undeath, she wanders the world crying tears of blood and preying on beautiful young women—slaying them, stealing their beauty, and transforming them into ghastly undead fiends to forever share her fate.
Sinslain Minion: ?
Tlahuelpuchi: The feared and respected tlahuelpuchi are a relative random occurrence. A humanoid that is at the cusp of adulthood might become a tlahuelpuchi within the span of days, losing their humanity and becoming dangerous and deceitful monsters that must eat flesh to live.
Tzitzimitl: ?
Zuvembie: Most zuvembies willingly performed the vile rituals to attain vengeance through unlife, but the transformation can also be wrought upon a helpless victim.
Guecubu, Undead Horror, Harbinger of Misfortune and Vengeance From Beyond the Grave: ?
Jarjacha, Curious Creature, Oversized Two-Headed Llama With Long Necks, Beast of Judgment: ?
Jinete de Tormento, Undead Spirit, Rider of Torment, Avatar of Death: ?
Llorona, Vengeful Spirit: ?
Sayona, Powerful Intelligent Undead Creature, Ghastly Undead Fiend: ?
Tlahuelpuchi, Dangerous Deceitful Monster: ?
Tzitzimitl, Immense Four-Armed Skeleton, Enigmatic Creature of Darkness: ?
Zuvembie, Withered Animated Corpse: ?
Undead, Undead Creature: ?
Ethereal Undead: ?
Forlorn Ghost of the Village: ?
Ghost, Common Ghost: ?
Ghoul: ?
Skeleton Minion: ?
Skeleton: ?
Skeletal Horse: ?
Reckless Vampire: ?
Vampire, True Vampire: ?
Will-o'-Wisp: ?
Zombie: ?
 
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Legendlore Core Rulebook
5e
Night Creature, Common Night Creature: A person slain in this way [by a night creature's bite attack] and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a night creature.
A person slain in this way [by an elder night creature's bite attack] and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a night creature.
Orb of Death artifact.
Night Creature, Evil Undead, Dark Dwelling Creature, Walking Corpse With Parchment Skin and White Hair: ?
Vicious Half-Bestial Night Creature: ?
Night Creature, Minion: ?
Vicious Night Creature: ?
Night Creature, Vicious Creature: ?
Night Creature Elder: ?
Night Creature Elder, Very Alluring Creature: ?
Skeleton: Skeletons must be summoned via necromantic sorcery, often from the corpses of fallen warriors. When summoned, the skeletons slough off whatever flesh still clings to them until only bones remain.
Army of Darkness Azothian true ritual.
Warrior Skeleton: ?
Peasant Skeleton: ?
Skeleton Minion: ?
Skeleton Knight: ?
Skeleton Assassin: ?
Skeleton, Undead Servant: ?
Zombie: Any living creature can become a zombie in theory, though very small or very large creatures seem more resistant to zombie infection. If a person dies at the hands of a zombie, and there’s anything of them left, the Game Master rolls a d100 to see if they become a zombie: the chance is 20% for Tiny people, 30% for Small or Large people, and 50% for Medium people. If the deceased is a player’s character, they may veto the roll.
Army of Darkness Azothian true ritual.
Zombie, Undead Servant: ?
Undead, Undead Creature: Unlike Earth’s black death, the black plague of Terrorek is entirely magical in nature, rotting away flesh and leaving only undead creatures where the living once stood.
The tide quickly turned on Darkoth, as Terrorek taught Thoragg the dark magic of bringing the dead back from their graves.
Unnatural Scourge: ?
Undead Orc: ?
Undead Soldier: ?
Thoragg, Terrible Undead Creature: Led by Thoragg, himself transformed into a terrible undead creature by his pact with Terrorek, this army was virtually unstoppable — the full might of Drohm was only just enough to hold it back, until Ardonia offered them an alliance to defeat Terrorek.
Powerful Undead: ?
Weakest of the Undead: ?
Major Undead: ?
Most Potent Undead: ?
Ghost: The ruins of this inland town are now half-buried in mud, caught under a mudslide created by the seemingly ceaseless rain of the Isle of Ardonous. The town’s hillside cemetery was swept into the mudslide as well, leaving the streets scattered with bones sticking out of the mud. At night, angry spirits roam the town whose name is long since lost, searching for their homes in the filth. As the residents of the cemetery perished long before the black plague came, their confused and wandering souls do not understand why their homes are gone. Confusion breeds anger, and the ghosts will take out their rage on anyone who wanders into their territory.
Angry Spirit, Confused Wandering Soul, Ghost: ?
Ghost of the Fallen: ?
Lich Queen: ?
Lich, Powerful Undead: ?
Lich: ?
Mummy Lord, Powerful Undead: ?
Undead Shadow: ?
Orc-Shaped Spectre: ?
Tormented Soul: ?
The Wailing Mother: The sobs of this creature can be heard when the wind whips through the deadened forests and dried branches screech against one another. The passage of time robbed her of her identity, and no one truly knows if the Wailing Mother is the ghost of one woman, or the amalgamation of the souls of parents who mourn for their children lost to war.
The Wailing Mother, Ghost: ?
The Wailing Mother, Amalgamation of the Souls of Parents Who Mourn for Their Children Lost to War: ?

ORB OF DEATH
Wondrous item, artifact
Forged by the demon Terrorek from solidified hate and darkness, this orb appears as a perfect obsidian sphere. It requires the sacrifice of a sentient creature, willing or otherwise, in order to function. The orb draws in their life force and corrupts it beyond repair, spewing the transformed life force back into the world as a necromantic plague.
The first victim is the sacrifice itself, immediately raised again as a night creature, before spreading to any dead within a 50-foot radius. This includes previously animated undead, such as liches or zombies, as well as corpses in various states of decay. Usually the orb is activated inside a cemetery for maximum effect.
Once it has infected the dead and converted them into night creatures, the plague begins to spread among the living. All living people within the area must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw to avoid contracting the necrotic infection. If they contract the disease, they become carriers forcing a DC 20 Constitution saving throw from all living people they encounter. An unarmed attack by a night creature also has the ability to pass on the plague; the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw for every successful attack or become infected.
While the disease itself doesn’t kill, the infected rise after their death (which, if they’re near any night creatures, might be very imminent) to become a night creature controlled by whomever holds the Orb of Death.

ARMY OF DARKNESS
3rd-level necromancy (arcane, Azothian ritual)
Casting Time: 3 hours
Range: Self (150-foot radius)
Components: V, S, M (jewelry and treasure stolen from graves and tombs totaling 750 gp, which is consumed when casting the ritual)
Duration: 3 days (see below)
This ritual allows the caster to raise a veritable army of undead servants at once. This ritual is often cast on battlefields, in charnel houses, or in graveyards to allow for maximum density of undead forces. Some particularly evil spellcasters have been known to send troops into small villages to slaughter the innocent inhabitants in preparation for the performance of this ritual.
You must cast this ritual so that it ends during nighttime. Corpses and bones of Tiny, Small and Medium humanoids within a 150-foot radius of you animate as up to 40 undead under your control, assuming enough remains are present. Bones become skeletons and corpses become zombies. Alternatively, you can assert control over uncontrolled skeletons or zombies in the area, but the maximum number of undead created and controlled remains limited to 40.
You can use a bonus action to mentally command any creature created or controlled with this ritual, as long as the creature is within 150 feet of you. To command multiple creatures at one time, you must issue them all the same command. When the duration ends, 75 % of the undead created with this ritual are destroyed and turn to ash. The remaining undead become uncontrolled. However, if uncontrolled undead have a clear task remaining when they become uncontrolled, they tend to keep performing that task.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this ritual using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the ritual’s radius and range of control doubles for each slot level above 3rd, to a maximum of 9,600 feet using a 9th-level slot. In addition, you can animate up to 10 more undead per slot level above 3rd and the percentage of undead who are destroyed after 3 days decreases by 10% per slot level above 3rd, to a minimum of 15% using a 9th-level slot.
 
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