Undead Origins

DSA2 Article Anthology
2e
Undead, Dark Undead, Undead Creature, Undead Being: I have known necromancers to suffer the delusion that upon their passing, they themselves will suffer the terrible fate of undeath.
From my experiences on Athas, the type of undead that a person becomes upon his demise depends upon the nature of the compulsion that prevented his spirit from “going to the gray”, not upon what race he is.
Of course, it cannot be denied that certain races have tendencies to fall into certain categories of undead, but this is a reflection of normal racial proclivities toward common types of motivations and behaviours. No force, natural or supernatural, determines whether a member of a given race will become a certain type of undead.
Dissolute Creature: ?
Walking Dead: “Walking dead” are either too obtuse to realise that they have died or, more often, are the tools of wicked sorcerers who have animated the unfortunates for their own nefarious purposes (something that I trust a lady of your integrity has no intention of doing).
True Undead: When a person dies, usually his spirit separates from the body and fades away. Some mystics and psionicists claim that the spirit “goes to the gray”. I assume this is simply another way of saying it fades away. Having never died, I am not certain that my assumption is entirely correct, but it seems safe.
Sometimes, however, when a powerfully motivated person dies, his spirit does not perish. Instead, it either continues to reside in the dead body (most necromancers classify such as “corporeal”), or it separates from the body and does not fade away (in which case it is classified as “incorporeal”).
This spirit refuses to accept its destruction. The body dies, but the spirit continues to strive after what it pursued in life. In essence, by an act of willpower, it defies death and enters a state that is neither life nor death.
Corporeal Undead: ?
Incorporeal Undead: ?
Most Noble Undead, : ?
Free-Willed Intelligent Creature: ?
Athasian Undead: ?
Low-Level Undead: ?
Mid-Level Undead: ?
Undead That Suffered an Unusually Violent Death: ?
Undead Warrior: ?
Conventional Mummy: ?
Skeleton, Mindless Skeleton: Skeletons and zombies are what I call “walking dead” rather than true undead. They have no intelligence and no independent will; they are always the servants of some other being and have simply been animated to serve his purposes.
Skeleton, Walking Dead: ?
Mekillot Skeleton: ?
Conventional Vampire: ?
Wraith, Vile Wraith, Former Follower: ?
Zombie, Mindless Zombie, True Zombie: Skeletons and zombies are what I call “walking dead” rather than true undead. They have no intelligence and no independent will; they are always the servants of some other being and have simply been animated to serve his purposes.
Zombie, Walking Dead: ?
Zombie Giant: ?
Dhaot: Dhaots are incorporeal undead created when an individual with a powerful love of home or some other special place dies far away. When the body dies, the spirit is overwhelmed by a desire to return home.
Dhaot, Incorporeal Undead: ?
Fael: Faels are formed when a gluttonous person dies and his spirit still hungers for the excesses he knew during life.
Meorty: When a great king of the ancients died, his body was specially preserved with salts and limes; it may or may not have been swathed in cloth. It was then laid to rest in a secret crypt with vast amounts of treasure, so that the king might continue to watch over the welfare of his realm.
The spirits of such rulers continue to abide with their bodies, sustained by the duty with which they were charged upon death.
Raaig: They are incorporeal spirits sustained by an unwavering and unshakable faith in their ancient gods – which, of course, no longer exist on Athas.
Raaig, Incorporeal Spirit: ?
Racked Spirit, Incorporeal Tortured Remnants of a Person Who Committed an Act That Violated the Basic Nature of Their Character: Racked spirits are the incorporeal, tortured remnants of persons who committed an act that violated the basic nature of their character. Their guilty spirits cannot rest even after death.
Racked Spirit, Tortured Individual, Most Dangerous of Undead: ?
Racked Spirit Dwarven Banshee: The most common type of racked spirit is the dwarven banshee, created when a dwarf forsakes his life purpose
Jo'orsh, Racked Spirit Dwarven Banshee: ?
Sa'ram, Racked Spirit Dwarven Banshee: ?
T'liz: A t’liz is created when an extremely powerful defiler dies before completing his magical studies.
Thinking Zombie, Intelligent Zombie: Thinking zombies are formed when a creature dies while under some powerful compulsion to perform a given task (such as when under the influence of a geas or quest spell). Such a creature’s spirit continues striving to complete the task assigned to it.
 

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DSE2 Dregoth Ascending
2e
Dregoth, The Dread King Dregoth, Ravager of Giants, The Dread Lord of New Giustenal, Dregoth the Saviour, Third Champion of Rajaat, Exalted Lord Dregoth, Undead Dragon King, God-King, Master, God, Lord, Dread Lord, Old Friend, Villain, Fellow Champion, Dragon, Undead Dragon, Neighbor, Sorcerer-King of Tremendous Power, Sorcerer-King, Master, Friend, Former Champion of Rajaat, Champion of Rajaat, Undead Sorcerer-King: With the exception of the undead of the Obsidian Plains, Dregoth is most likely the first to become a kaisharga of his own free will, one that is nearly 2,000 years old and no longer human.
With the aid of his high templar Mon Adderath, Dregoth is returned to life as an undead dragon king.
Badna Zombie: The badna zombie is a cursed guardian of the Star of Badna, a powerful artifact created by the late sorcerer-queen Abalach-Re. After being in possession of the Star of Badna for a period of time, the energy from the artifact turns the owner into an undead guardian.
Once the curse has taken hold, the possessor’s skin turns a wrinkled light blue in color, matching the hue of Star of Badna. The claws, eyes, and teeth of the zombie become pitch black, while its hair (if any) remains the same as in life. Embedded in the center of the creature’s chest is the Star of Badna, which can only be removed if the zombie is dead or dropped below –10 hit points. Though undead the physical form of the badna zombie does not rot, preserved by the Star of Badna.
The Star of Badna is a perfect sapphire of 200 carats. It is the size of a human fist, the largest gem of its kind ever found on Athas. The gem is most often found embedded in the chest of a Badna zombie, a guardian who is cursed with an undead existence by the magic of the sapphire.
For each month a person possesses the Star of Badna, there is a cumulative 8% chance of becoming a Badna zombie.
Grogh-En, Badna Zombie: Over the past two years, the artifact’s curse has transformed Grogh-En into a Badna zombie, and has become an undead guardian of the powerful sapphire.
When Abalach-Re was killed and rioters destroyed much of the Queen’s Hill, Grogh-En was in this chamber; the curse transformed him into a Badna zombie.
Badna Zombie, Cursed Guardian, Undead Guardian: ?
Undead, Undead Creature: Infuriated at her lack of progress, Rajaat turns research of the Inner Planes over to Qwith’s subordinates. Shortly after, an accident of unknown origins opens a gate to the Inner Planes, and obsidian flows across the land for hundreds of miles in each direction until the gate is closed by the Seventh Tree. Thousands die in the disaster. Those killed by obsidian rise as undead through a mysterious power from the Inner Planes.
Undead of the Obsidian Plains: ?
Undead Giant: ?
Powerful Thinking Undead Wizard: Infuriated at her lack of progress, Rajaat turns research of the Inner Planes over to Qwith’s subordinates. Shortly after, an accident of unknown origins opens a gate to the Inner Planes, and obsidian flows across the land for hundreds of miles in each direction until the gate is closed by the Seventh Tree. Thousands die in the disaster. Those killed by obsidian rise as undead through a mysterious power from the Inner Planes. Rajaat’s servants arise as the rulers of this land, becoming powerful thinking undead wizards and psionicists. The Dead Lands are born.
Powerful Thinking Undead Psionicist: Infuriated at her lack of progress, Rajaat turns research of the Inner Planes over to Qwith’s subordinates. Shortly after, an accident of unknown origins opens a gate to the Inner Planes, and obsidian flows across the land for hundreds of miles in each direction until the gate is closed by the Seventh Tree. Thousands die in the disaster. Those killed by obsidian rise as undead through a mysterious power from the Inner Planes. Rajaat’s servants arise as the rulers of this land, becoming powerful thinking undead wizards and psionicists. The Dead Lands are born.
Gretch, Undead Defiler: ?
Ancient Undead: ?
Caller in Darkness, Spirit Storm: ?
High Priest Absalom, Morg Dray Templar 17:
When Dregoth decided it was time to appoint a new High Priest, he chose his powerful templar Absalom, as he wanted someone special to oversee his quest for godhood. He wanted a high priest made in his own image – a dray. At the time, which was shortly after Dregoth’s death and Giustenal’s destruction, the dragon king had not yet perfected the dray transformation process. Only in death did the transformation stabilise. So to become Dregoth’s High Priest, Absalom had to die.
Absalom underwent the imperfect transformation process, mutated into a perfect dray, then was killed to halt the process from changing him further. Dregoth brought Absalom back as a morg, an undead creature similar to the greater mummies of other worlds.
Greater Mummy: ?
Wraith: ?
Thinking Zombie Giant, Bodyguard: ?
Dwarven Banshee: ?
Human Kaisharga: ?
Kaisharga: ?
Krag: ?
Lesser Kragling: ?
Racked Spirit: ?
 

DSS5 City-State of Tyr Extended Edition
2e
Undead War Beetle: Strom even once constructed an undead war beetle (see the Dark Sun Campaign Guide, page 198) as a special order for Kalak’s necromancer, Dote Mal Payne.
Undead Servitor: ?
Undead: ?
Revenant: Not long ago, a group of slaves were hidden in the undercellar away from Kalak’s ziggurat press gangs. Soon after, Migena’s business was seized (a high-ranking templar owned a similar business and this tradesperson was hurting the templar’s profits) and closed.
All of the slaves trapped in the undercellar slowly perished. Three became revenants, desiring only the death of the merchant who sealed their fate.
Alie Melco, Revenant Half-Elf Gladiator 3: Not long ago, a group of slaves were hidden in the undercellar away from Kalak’s ziggurat press gangs. Soon after, Migena’s business was seized (a high-ranking templar owned a similar business and this tradesperson was hurting the templar’s profits) and closed.
All of the slaves trapped in the undercellar slowly perished. Three became revenants, desiring only the death of the merchant who sealed their fate.
Recently purchased and removed from arena combat, hated Migena as much in life as death.
Quay of the Harp, Revenant Human Bard 5: Not long ago, a group of slaves were hidden in the undercellar away from Kalak’s ziggurat press gangs. Soon after, Migena’s business was seized (a high-ranking templar owned a similar business and this tradesperson was hurting the templar’s profits) and closed.
All of the slaves trapped in the undercellar slowly perished. Three became revenants, desiring only the death of the merchant who sealed their fate.
Quay was one of Migena’s former lovers. She stole one of his many poisons and used it on him. He spent every final moment plotting revenge.
Iamb, Revenant Mul: Not long ago, a group of slaves were hidden in the undercellar away from Kalak’s ziggurat press gangs. Soon after, Migena’s business was seized (a high-ranking templar owned a similar business and this tradesperson was hurting the templar’s profits) and closed.
All of the slaves trapped in the undercellar slowly perished. Three became revenants, desiring only the death of the merchant who sealed their fate.
Migena had promised him a chance to become a gladiator. She lied.
Ghost: ?
Kalak, Ghost: ?
Faria, Fael, Gluttonous Form of Undead That Hungers For the Excesses in Life: ?
Meorty: Deep in the bowels of UnderTyr, deeper than the ancient city’s ruins, lies the Vault of Auh. Ancient kings ruled Athas long before the coming of the sorcerer-monarchs. When these kings died, they were buried with great reverence. Opulent final resting places, resembling traditional sepulchres or minor palaces, were quarried deep within Athasian stone. Precious metals, jewellery, and objects of art were entombed with the ancient kings. These kings and queens took great pride in and held a reverent sense of duty to protect their lands and their people. Hence the spirits of these protector kings and queens did not pass on into the Gray after death. Their spirits remain in their bodies to watch and protect their realm. These spirits are called meorties.
Meorty, Ancient Undead: ?
Raaig: ?
 

Monstrous Compendium Dark Sun Appendix III Terrors of the Crimson Sun
2e
Dwarf Banshee, Dwarven Banshee: Dwarves who die before completing a major focus are often condemned to live out their afterlives as undead known as banshees.
A dwarf who dies while resolving a focus is doomed to spend the remainder of its existence as a banshee, forever wandering the wastelands in vain attempts to finish his work.
Dwarven banshees are created whenever dwarves forsake their life purpose.
Racked spirits are incorporeal undead animated by their own guilt over committing some act (or failing to complete one) that violated their basic nature. These guilty spirits suffer eternally and only gain joy and peace through acts of destruction. The dwarven banshee, created when a dwarf forsakes his life purpose, is the most common.
Undead Rezhatta: Hunting parties sent to procure rezhatta often suffer heavy casualties – the beast must be poisoned to preserve the specimen, but its thick carapace deflects most missile weapons. The common practice is to surround a rezhatta, engaging it from the front while the poisoner scrambles below to pierce the underbelly, a tactic fraught with danger.
The corpse is then loaded onto a large wagon and pulled to the site of preparation. There, workers pry the carapace off the beetle and hollow out its insides. They discard its internal organs but leave its limbs and jaws intact, so these can function normally after reanimation. The workers cut and reform the carapace's top to provide a covered upper deck and nine individual weapon ports. Inside the carapace there is sufficient room for missile ammunition, but little else.
Once ready, the entire beast is assembled and animated. Since the rezhatta is a 9 HD creature, raising it as a zombie requires an animate dead spell cast by a 10th-level priest or wizard.
Undead Watroach, Undead War Watroach: Watroaches are ideal undead war machines. Typically, an adult watroach is sought out, surrounded, and killed. A psionic kill is preferred, leaving the corpse unmarred. Once taken back to a city (usually on a large wagon), the carcass is prepared. The organs are removed, as is much of the hive material. The drones are smoked out and the proto-adult discarded. Usually, the top of the hive chamber is opened, a platform installed, and other weapons positions cut into the body sections. The beast is then raised from the dead by templar magic.
Caller in Darkness: The Caller is a multitude of spirits trapped in a supernatural storm that exists in the Ethereal Plane adjacent to Giustenal.
The people of Giustenal died in horror. Fear gave the supernatural storm its power, and the Caller seeks to replicate that terror in its victims before they die.
While the Caller consists of thousands of individual spirits, it believes itself to be a single entity. It was created from the mass carnage inflicted on Giustenal by the sorcerer-kings who killed Dregoth. The vortices which funnel the elemental powers of the sorcerer-kings produced a separate whirlwind in the Ethereal Plane adjacent to Giustenal. The spirits of the city's dead were caught in the storm, and over the centuries their powerful psionic energies have merged into a group consciousness.
Cursed Dead: The curse of the Black Waters reduces its victims to undead slaves of the oasis. These undead are either cursed dead or hungry bodies.
They are pitiful victims of the curse of Black Waters, tormented by a never-ending thirst that cannot be quenched.
Hungry Body: The curse of the Black Waters reduces its victims to undead slaves of the oasis. These undead are either cursed dead or hungry bodies.
Dhaot: Dhaots are incorporeal undead that are sometimes created when people die far away from their homes. The spirits of the deceased feel an overwhelming compulsion to return to their homes they had in life.
Many dhaots are halflings who died outside their forests.
While dhaots are solitary by nature, in rare and unexplainable cases, groups of dhaots have been spotted. They are possibly the remnants of entire caravans, halfling clans, or other groups of travellers who met their fates together.
Dregoth, The Dread King, Dragon, Undead Dragon King, God-King, God, Undead Sorcerer-King, Powerful Dragon Kaisharga, Master: Xontra was once a servant of Dregoth, the undead sorcerer-king of Giustenal. The powerful dragon kaisharga transformed her into a kaisharga using the same secret methods he had used upon himself.
Dune Runner: Dune runners are elves who died running to complete a quest or deliver an important message. They are undead, a type of racked spirit, forever trapped and forced to repeat their hopeless mission night after night.
Cursed Dead Dwarf: The demihumans of ancient Giustenal fled to the uppermost cavern beneath the city to escape the Cleansing Wars and the wrath of their sorcerer-king, Dregoth. Eventually, Dregoth discovered the place where the demihumans took sanctuary, and his troops were sent below to destroy them. The last group of defenders were the dwarves guarding the Hall of the Lion in the cavern that would come to be called the Groaning City. Dregoth personally helped defeat the dwarves, and he watched as each of them was hanged from the trees in front of the place they sought to defend. When his troops set fire to the remains of the settlement, Dregoth cursed the dwarves for defying him.
On that day the cursed dead were born.
Fael: Faels are ravenous undead beings who never quenched their need for material consumption during life. They are animated in undeath to continue their feeding.
Rich humans and demihumans are often subject to this form of undeath.
Faels are never full as their hunger is derived from their insatiable hunger for excesses they had in life. Most faels are from the upper echelons of society and most are elves or humans.
Bugdead, Bugdead Insect Swarm: ?
Bugdead Locust Swarm: ?
Bugdead Mini-Kank: ?
Kaisharga, Dead Lord: They have sought undeath, unnaturally extending their lives past the endurance of their mortal frames.
Within Ur Draxa, the Dragon confers undeath on any of its servants who prove exceptionally capable, loyal, and efficient.
Especially since the development of spells to create kaishargas, in which the kaisharga’s loyalty can be magically guaranteed, fewer morgs have been created.
They voluntarily sought undeath, believing it to be a form of immortality.
Jagmargal, Kaisharga Human Cleric 19: Jagmargal was a great hero of ages past. While he was a great priest, he was better known as an explorer. He was captured by Hrutghel, a powerful kaisharga who was Jagmargal's greatest enemy, and was transformed into a kaisharga himself.
Jagmargal, Disembodied Tortured Spirit: Jagmargal managed to escape from Hrutghel's clutches, but he is still cursed as a kaisharga and he now wanders the world seeking release from his miserable condition. He fears death in his present condition, believing he will become a disembodied tortured spirit for eternity.
Hrutghel, Powerful Kaisharga, Greatest Enemy: ?
Xontra, Kaisharga Dray Defiler 21: Xontra was once a servant of Dregoth, the undead sorcerer-king of Giustenal. The powerful dragon kaisharga transformed her into a kaisharga using the same secret methods he had used upon himself.
Naltor, Kaisharga Human Gladiator 23: Neltor was a former gladiator who was a little past his prime. He was recently transformed into a kaisharga by the Dragon, Lord of the Ring of Fire.
Krag: Krags are undead created when a cleric aligned to an element or paraelement dies in the medium diametrically opposed to his own, such as a fire cleric drowning in water. The anguish and trauma of dying to the very force he devoted his life to opposing is sometimes enough to transform a cleric into a wicked and bitter undead. The elemental lords of the new power quickly enslave such an undead cleric to their service. Krags become infused with elemental power, but are tortured by it, spending their unlives in anger, pain, and hatred.
Kragling: Kraglings are creatures who have perished from the elemental transfusion attack of a krag. Anything that dies in this manner has a 45% chance of coming back as a kragling in 1d4 days.
Any creature can become a kragling if it was killed by the elemental transfusion of a krag. Silt spawn, humanoids, demihumans, humans, and even non-humanoid monsters are all subject to the transfusion attack of a krag and thus can become kraglings. What type of kragling and how powerful it is depends on the creature's Hit Dice.
A [krag] bitten character must make a saving throw versus death, or his blood will slowly turn into the krag's element. As the blood changes, the victim suffers 1d4 additional points of damage per round. If death results, there is a 45% chance that the victim will become a kragling in 1d4 days. This infection counts as a poison or a disease for purposes of countering, so sweet water or even a cure disease spell will halt the process instantly.
Krags are able to create spawn with their elemental transfusion ability. These spawn are known as kraglings and come in greater and lesser varieties.
Kragling Lesser: Greater kraglings are created when creatures with more than 4 Hit Dice are killed by a krag's elemental transfusion. Lesser kraglings are created via the same process, though the creatures must have less than 4 Hit Dice to fall into this weaker category.
Krags are able to create spawn with their elemental transfusion ability. These spawn are known as kraglings and come in greater and lesser varieties.
Kragling Greater: Greater kraglings are created when creatures with more than 4 Hit Dice are killed by a krag's elemental transfusion.
Krags are able to create spawn with their elemental transfusion ability. These spawn are known as kraglings and come in greater and lesser varieties.
Meorty: Meorties were created long ago through the necromancies of high priests and long-lost psionic abilities for the purpose of serving as the protectors of various Green-Age domains.
Each domain selected a guardian to be turned into a meorty, thus creating a protector to enforce the laws for all time.
Meorties are undead who were once protectors of domain that vanished more than 2,000 years ago. They were placed in crypts with large amounts of treasure, so they might continue to look after their realms in death.
Proctor Drelto of Antalus, Meorty Human Fighter 20: Proctor Drelto was once a feared and powerful lawkeeper in the long-forgotten province of Antalus. He was voluntarily transformed into a meorty so he could continue to defend Antalus for eternity.
Ordella 5th Lawkeeper of Bodach, Meorty Human Fighter 15: Odrela was one of the most respected lawkeepers in the history of ancient Bodach. When the time came to select a new meorty to administer to the domain, she accepted her fate and joined the ranks of the undead protectors.
Morg: A morg is a powerful undead similar to a kaisharga or t’liz but with one critical difference: a morg cannot bring himself into the eternity of undeath. The process of creating a morg is extremely complex and requires that the subject be dead before it commences. The lore of creating morgs was developed by Gretch and passed by Rajaat to his Champions during the wars; Kalid-Ma improved the spells. How many others know the secret is unknown, but certainly very few.
Morgs’ desiccated, near-mummified features and brown-gray pallor mark them as noticeably dead. Their bodies often appear emaciated but not skeletal, for the mummification process leeches most of the liquids from the body, replacing them with spiced unguents and balms. The result is a smooth-skinned, sweet-smelling corpse, with flesh tight but not shriveled around the bones. Unlike t’lizes, which must constantly anoint their corpses with oils, morgs’ bodies are preserved fully during the initial mummification and require no further application of unguents or balms.
The process of creating a morg involves a considerable amount of time and effort. The unguents that initially preserve a morg’s body require very expensive materials, and the entire process requires an investment of personal energy from the sorcerer-king, as well as the life force of 1,000 citizens loyal to the monarch.
Morgs are most often found in the service and residences of the sorcerer-kings. Few other than these powerful defilers know the secrets of the morg-birth, and no others have the resources to bring about the transformation.
Morgs are created undead, similar to the greater mummies of other worlds. Morgs can only be created by the sorcerer-kings themselves. The creation of so powerful an undead servant requires an expenditure of personal energy by the sorcerer-king and the life forces of 1,000 loyal citizens.
Sekdo Azreg, Morg Human Fighter 14: ?
Absalom, Morg, High Priest, Awe-Inspiring Figure: When Dregoth the undead dragon king decided it was time to appoint a new High Priest, he chose the powerful templar Absalom. Of course, Dregoth wanted someone special to oversee his quest for true godhood. He wanted a High Priest made in his own image – a dray. At the time, which was shortly after Dregoth's death and Giustenal's destruction, the dragon king had not yet perfected the dray transformation process. Only in death did the transformation stabilize. So to become Dregoth's High Priest, Absalom had to die.
Absalom underwent the imperfect transformation process, mutated into a perfect dray, then was killed to halt the process from changing him further. Death was not the end. Dregoth brought Absalom back as a morg, an undead creature similar to a greater mummy of other worlds.
Morgs can only be created by the sorcerer-kings of Athas. The creation of so powerful an undead servant requires an expenditure of personal energy and the life forces of 1,000 loyal citizens. Absalom was created in this way, after being subjected to an early version of the dray transformation process.
Raaig: Eldena longs for companionship with others, but finds that she cannot be with the living for long periods of time without becoming depressed completely. She does have the power to turn a dead spirit into a raaig, but only at the moment of the person’s death, and only if the spirit is truly willing to become one.
Eldena, Guardian of the Mountain Temple, Raaig, Elf Cleric 14, great Healer: Millennia ago, Eldena was the last high priestess of the mountain temple before the great wars started that would destroy the world as she knew it. In hopes of protecting her temple, she called upon her god to transform her into one of the undead so she could always watch over the sacred place and protect it from the evils of the world.
The deities do not recognize Athas. so their was nothing resulted from her plea. Despairing, she poisoned herself. However, Eldena’s belief was so strong, that upon her death she was transformed into a raaig and remains bound to the temple.
Nameless Sentinel of the Forbidden Caverns, Raaig Human Fighter 9, Enigmatic Watchman, Guardian: ?
Varoxil Rante, Sentinel of the Forbidden Caverns, Raaig Human Cleric 10, Evil Being: ?
Racked Spirit, Evil Remnants of a Person Who Committed Acts During Their lives That Violated the Very Nature of Their Being: Racked spirits are the evil remnants of persons who committed acts during their lives that violated the very nature of their being.
Racked spirits are incorporeal undead animated by their own guilt over committing some act (or failing to complete one) that violated their basic nature. These guilty spirits suffer eternally and only gain joy and peace
Thinking zombies hold no natural place among the living and seek an end to their own existence. They cannot actively seek any other end to their existence except through completion of their assigned task. They do not rest until it is done. They might return as racked spirits because they were unable to complete their tasks as thinking zombies.
Scarlet Warden: The origins of the scarlet warden or shrouded in myth, although they seem to be of an ancient race, and they were missed during Rajaat’s Cleansing Wars.
It is possible that unlife is the natural state of dead scarlet wardens, but this is a matter for speculation.
T'liz: T’lizes are undead defilers whose spirits have outlived their bodies.
T’lizes are powerful defilers who died before completing their magical studies.
Nevarli, T'liz Human Defiler 19, Evil Incarnate: Nevarli’s love of magic was so powerful that when she found the spells and anointments that would sustain her in undeath so she could continue her magical studies, she used them.
Kedomir, T'liz Human Defiler 23, Mysterious Powerful Slaver: ?
Venger: A venger is the animated remains of some strong-willed being who suffered a great wrong in life. The wrong must have been committed by an intelligent creature who survives beyond the death of the being who will become the venger. At the moment of death, the consciousness of the wronged person is trapped by its rage and frustration within its corpse, and it rises as an undead venger 2d6 days later.
Though a venger can communicate as it did in life, the rage and desperation that have animated it usually keep it from doing more than making pained sounds.
Vengers are the animated remains of strong-willed beings who suffered a great wrong in life committed by an intelligent creature who survived beyond the death of the being who became the venger. At the moment of death, the consciousness of the wronged person is trapped by its rage and frustration within its corpse, and it rises as an undead venger to seek justice.
Unfortunately, vengers aren’t as rare as one would hope in the world of Athas. The strong will of the inhabitants that live here and the cruel injustices often inflicted upon them create several of these undead creatures every year.
Athasian Wraith: The Gray, one of the two parallel planes of existence next to the Prime Material Plane of Athas (the other is the Black), is the natural home of Athasian wraiths. In the Gray, the spirits of the dead slowly dissolve and are absorbed. Some spirits, like wraiths, don’t suffer this fate. They are sustained by a force even more powerful than the Gray – their everlasting faith in a cause greater than themselves.
All wraiths need something important from their lives to serve as magnets for their spirits. These items can be candles of faith, like in the Crimson Shrine, or brilliant gems full of life force, such as the gems used by the Dragon’s wraith knights.
Nikolo, Athasian Wraith Human Fighter 11, Wraith Knight, Gray Shade Armored in Gray Plate, Consummate Knight: ?
Zhen: The zhen came into being with the Cataclysm. Born to unlife out of the planar life-stuff contained in obsidian, they are unique and terrible creatures. Formerly humans (although there are exceptions), defilers in the service of Rajaat, they died and were transformed in fiery agony as torrents of liquid obsidian poured from the demiplane into the open gate, enveloping them. The obsidian consumed all within the proximity of the gate without regard to rank or position. Gardeners and defilers, preservers and cooks, all met the same fate.
And when it raised them to unlife, it restored most of the powers and abilities they possessed in life, although some were impaired and a few were enhanced.
The zhen are those who died in the Cataclysm that created the Dead Lands. They died and were transformed in fiery agony when liquid obsidian poured into Athas without regard to rank or position. Gardeners and defilers, preservers and cooks, all met the same fate.
Badna Zombie: The badna zombie is a cursed guardian of the Star of Badna, a powerful artifact created by the late sorcerer-queen Abalach-Re. After being in possession of the Star of Badna for a period of time, the energy from the artifact turns the owner into an undead guardian.
Once the curse has taken hold, the possessor's skin turns a wrinkled light blue in colour, matching the hue of Star of Badna. The claws, eyes, and teeth of the zombie become pitch black, while its hair (if any) remains the same as in life. Embedded in the centre of the creature's chest is the Star of Badna, which can only be removed if the zombie is dead or dropped below –10 hit points. Though undead the physical form of the badna zombie does not rot, preserved by the Star of Badna.
The Star of Badna is a perfect sapphire of 200 carats. It is the size of a human fist, the largest gem of its kind ever found on Athas. The gem is most often found embedded in the chest of a Badna zombie, a guardian who is cursed with an undead existence by the magic of the sapphire.
For each month a person possesses the Star of Badna, there is a cumulative 8% chance of becoming a Badna zombie.
Lightning Zombie, Reanimated Remains of a Templar-Wife of the Sorcerer-King Nibenay Brought Into Unlife by the Energies of the Entity Known as Zwuun: Lightning zombies are the reanimated remains of the templar-wives of the sorcerer-king Nibenay, brought into unlife by the energies of the entity known as the Zwuun.
Lightning zombies are named for the magical energies that raised them from death and for the incredible speed of their attacks.
The lightning zombies have no society – they are undead creatures raised from their eternal sleep by magical catastrophe.
Salt Zombie: The salt zombie is an undead creature born of hate (and possibly a subtle magic of the Great Ivory Plain). Resembling the common zombie, these animated corpses are much more powerful and even a little more intelligent, and are formed when a human or demihuman dies of thirst in the Great Ivory Plain.
There appear to be several areas of the Great Ivory Plain where a person who has died of thirst will become a salt zombie. (A person who dies of thirst through hit point loss does not become a salt zombie.) The sheer force of will of an individual refusing to die seems to somehow reanimate their corpse in these peculiar regions. It is unknown what sort of residual magic may linger in these areas to cause such an effect. There is a 5% chance that any person dying of thirst in the Great Ivory Plain will reanimate.
Thinking Zombie: A thinking zombie is a creature who has died and its spirit cannot rest until it has completed the task. The body remains animate and the zombie is semi-free willed, bound only by its dedication to completing its assigned duties.
Thinking zombies are easy to identify because their bodies are usually in good condition since they reanimated shortly after death. Their eyes burn with hate for all living things and a desire to complete their task and achieve final rest. Most are giants or half-giants as those creatures are often subject to the geas and quest spells that create them.
Creatures who die before completing an important task (often under the compulsion of a geas or quest spell) often become thinking zombies.
Many thinking zombies are giants and half-giants, as they are often selected for quests because of their size and strength.
Evirdel Ironhand, Thinking Zombie Templar 6: Evirdel served as a loyal templar in the service of Dictator Andropinis, sorcerer-king of Balic, until she was falsely accused and condemned as a traitor. She was tortured into a false confession before her peers, as an example, and then slain and revived as a thinking zombie.
Evirdel hates her masters and the magic that sustains her allows her no peace. She must hunt down five former templars who did actually betray Dictator Andropinis, and who were also said to be her co-conspirators.
Claktor Bloodfist, Thinking Zombie Mul Gladiator 6: Claktor was making a living as a burglar, working with a thief. The pair accidentally chose the wrong home to burglarise and were killed by the powerful defiler who lived there. The thieves were raised from the dead by the defiler almost as a joke.
The thinking zombies were sent out to find a particular preserver with whom the defiler had previous run-ins. The pair are supposed to steal one particular magical item of great power and as many other magical items as they can find and return with the items as soon as possible.
Bali Iton, Thinking Zombie Half-Giant Ranger 7/Psion 6: Beli Iton was exploring the lair of a t’liz with a group of adventurers when she was attacked and killed by rot grubs. Her party left her and intended to come back for her body, but were unable to do so, as they were forced to make a quick escape from the undead of the lair. The t’liz found the dead adventurer and transformed her into a thinking zombie. She was sent out by the t’liz to kill her friends for trespassing in the lair of the t’liz.
Levgar Giantslayer, Thinking Zombie Gladiator 8: His quest requires him to hunt down and slay all half-giants and giants of a particular lineage.
Dwarf Banshee, Racked Spirit: ?
Undead Rezhatta, Undead War Beetle, Zombie: ?
Undead Watroach, Ideal War Machine: ?
Cursed Dead, Undead Slave, Pitiful Victim: ?
Hungry Body, Undead Slave, Bloated Zombie: ?
Dhaot, Incorporeal Undead, Solitary Spirit: ?
Dune Runner, Racked Spirit, Muscular Elf, Bane: ?
Free Cursed Dead Dwarf: Occasionally, a rope breaks and a cursed dead is freed from its tree to roam the cavern.
Cursed Dead Dwarf, Racked Spirit: ?
Fael, Ravenous Undead Being, Gluttonous Undead: ?
Bugdead, Dust Storm: ?
Bugdead, Cloud: ?
Bugdead, Carnivorous Swarm of Undead Bugs, Scavengers: ?
Bugdead Mini-Kank, Speicalists at Clogging the Victim's Air Passages: ?
Kaisharga, Athasian Undead, Gaunt Wasted Human With Grayish Thinly Stretched Skin, Dreadful Creature, Powerful Undead, Lich-Like Creature, Powerful Lich-Like Creature: ?
Kaisharga, Solitary Mage: ?
Kaisharga, Advisor: ?
Kaisharga, Bodyguard: ?
Krag, Wicked Bitter Undead, Undead Cleric: ?
Silt Krag: ?
Magma Krag, Mass of Dripping Molten Earth: ?
Rain Krag: ?
Water Krag: ?
Earth Krag: ?
Air Krag: ?
Kragling: ?
Sun Kragling: ?
Rain Kragling: ?
Magma Kragling: ?
Fire Kragling: ?
Water Kragling: ?
Kragling of Low Intelligence: ?
Kragling Zhackal, Kragling of Low Intelligence: ?
Kragling With More Intelligence: ?
Meorty, Undead Guardian, Gaunt Mummified Corpse, Ancient Undead, Ancient Guardian, Undead Protector: ?
Morg, Powerful Undead: ?
Raaig, Incorporeal Undead, Incorporeal Spirit, Guardian: ?
Racked Spirit, Incorporeal Undead: ?
Lesser Spirit A being drained of all its life energy becomes a lesser spirit that has only half its former experience level and none of the racked spirit psionic powers.
Scarlet Warden, Undead Brother: ?
T'liz, Powerful Undead, Undead Defiler, Rival, Most Powerful Dangerous of the Undead, Valuable Source of Information: ?
Venger, Animated Remains of Some Strong-Willed Being Who Suffered a Great Wrong in Life, Undead Spirit: ?
Athasian Wraith, Non-Corporeal Undead, Undead Shadow: ?
Wraith Knight, Athasian Wraith: ?
Crimson Knight, Athasian Wraith, Extremely Dedicated Wraith: ?
Zhen, Unique Terrible Being: ?
Badna Zombie, Cursed Guardian: ?
Lightning Zombie: ?
Salt Zombie, Undead Creature Born of Hate, Animated Corpse, Thin Desic cated Husk: ?
Thinking Zombie, Clever Undead, Free-Willed Zombie: ?
Undead, Undead Creature, Undead Monster: The type of undead a creature becomes is based upon the motivation or event that caused the undead to resist death. While certain races are more likely to become certain types of undead, this is because members of that race often share similar motivations.
Powerful Undead: Hungry bodies desire more than anything else to become powerful undead. They believe that they can accomplish this by luring others to their end at the Black Waters Oasis and make every effort to do this.
Undead Spy: ?
Ancient Undead: ?
Undead Minion, Lesser Undead, Minion: ?
Undead Warrior: ?
Free-Willed Undead: Free-willed undead once belonged to an intelligent species and in undeath continue to think for themselves.
Controlled Undead, Walking Dead: Controlled undead are animated corpses such as skeletons and zombies that may not belong to an intelligent species.
Athasian Undead: ?
Ghoul: ?
Lich: ?
Greater Mummy: ?
Shadow, Undead Shadow: Any creature reduced to zero hit points through a psi-shadow’s life draining power becomes an undead shadow under control of the psi-shadow.
Sages theorize psi-shadows were the original cause of all undead shadows.
Shadow, Undead Servant: ?
Skeleton, Animated Skeleton: The swarms must eat rotting flesh. They di[n]e on zombies anywhere on the Black Basin to eat away the flesh. Interestingly, the attack rarely destroys the victim; they just turn into skeletons and exoskeletons after a complete loss of rancid flesh.
Produce Undead, special undead power.
Skeleton, Controlled Undead, Animated Corpse, Walking Dead, Lesser Controlled Undead: ?
Mekillot Skeleton: Larger corpses such as mekillot skeletons, undead war beetles, and zombie giants are often animated by more powerful necromancers.
Mekillot Skeleton, Larger Corpse: ?
Wight: ?
Wraith: ?
Zombie, Typical Zombie, Animated Zombie, Regular Zombie, Common Zombie: Produce Undead, special undead power.
Zombie, Controlled Undead, Animated Corpse, Walking Dead, Lesser Controlled Undead: ?
Zombie Giant: Larger corpses such as mekillot skeletons, undead war beetles, and zombie giants are often animated by more powerful necromancers.
Zombie Giant, Larger Corpse: ?

Produce Undead: The undead can produce one lesser controlled undead (animated skeletons or zombies) for each HD they have. This may be used once per day and there must be skeletons or corpses present.
 

The Incomplete Book of Books & Tomes I
2e
Undead: ?
Undead Treant: ?
Non-Corporeal Undead: ?
Apparition: ?
Crawling Claw: The text [of Art of Necromancy] contains a complete description of the secret of the relatively simple necromantic rite to animate crawling claws (v. CMM, Crawling Claw). These animated hands and claws can be raised up by any Wizard or Priest who has read the book. After the severed limbs have been assembled, up to one claw may be animated per level of experience of the creator.
Ghast: ?
Ghastly Servant: ?
Ghoul: ?
Lich: ?
Baelnorn, Elven Lich: ?
Mummy: ?
Shadow: ?
Shadowy Messenger: ?
Skeleton: ?
Skeletal Porter: ?
Disgruntled Spirit, Ghostly Guide: ?
Wight: ?
Wraith: ?
Zombie, Regular Zombie: ?
Zombie, Animated Cadaver, Animated Corpse: ?
Ju-Ju Zombie: ?
Ju-Ju Zombie Masseur: ?
 

The Incomplete Book of Books & Tomes II
2e
Undead, Undead Creature: ?
Undead Treant: ?
Ghost: Eventually, the author concludes that the main difference between the two would be that a ‘ghost’ is a semi-material entity, the soul or spectre of a dead person fueled by the Negative Material Plane and drawing essence from the Ethereal Plane to appear as a in a nebulous likeness of the deceased, while a ‘phantom’ is a wholly immaterial representation of the same (or some gruesome event), a haunting of frightening proportions that can only be affected by specific spells (e.g., Exorcism).
Ghost, Semi-Material Entity: ?
Grim Ghost: ?
Dracolich: ?
Lich: Knowledgeable individuals will know that the names of Death are often used as part of rituals to keep death at bay and that they are especially useful when one would engage in the process of becoming a lich or, indeed, immortal.
Artyrex, The Death Ascendent, Legendary Lich: Certain rare onomanomicons mention Artyeryx, the Death Ascendent, as being a legendary lich of unsurpassed and brutal power.
Ancient Powerful Lich: ?
Evil Demi-Lich: ?
Thalath, Lich: ?
Elder Mummy: ?
Phantom: Eventually, the author concludes that the main difference between the two would be that a ‘ghost’ is a semi-material entity, the soul or spectre of a dead person fueled by the Negative Material Plane and drawing essence from the Ethereal Plane to appear as a in a nebulous likeness of the deceased, while a ‘phantom’ is a wholly immaterial representation of the same (or some gruesome event), a haunting of frightening proportions that can only be affected by specific spells (e.g., Exorcism).
Specter: ?
Spectre: ?
Mythical Cannibalistic Vampire: ?
Wraith: ?
Zombie: ?
 
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The Incomplete Book of Books & Tomes III
2e
Undead: ?
Armored Undead Soldier: ?
Undead Bat: ?
Incorporeal Undead: ?
Ghast, Regular Ghast: In addition, the book [Shomsak's Ghastly Grimoire] contains a description of the ritual and concoction required to create a ghast and the recipes for creating howling incense and a candle of protection from good.
Ghast Production: The terrible ritual to create a ghast from a freshly slain man requires infusing the corpse with an unholy concoction, the whole taking one hour to prepare the body and one turn to apply the concoction and recite the necessary incantations. The resulting ghast will be under the control of its creator. Any humans killed by it will not rise as ghasts but they have their chances to be raised or resurrected reduced by 1% for each hour they are dead (e.g., 20% for one with Constitution 13 who has been dead for 70 hours). Magics like Remove Curse, Limited Wish, and a properly worded wish can remove the onus on such a corpse, allowing it to be raised as normal. If raised in any way, any subsequent raising from the dead would be allowed at that individual’s full Constitution score. A single infusion costs 400 gp and takes 2d6 days to prepare and it requires the would-be raiser to pass an NWP Alchemy check. A single individual can never have more ghasts under his control than the equivalent of half his Wisdom score (round fractions down).
Ghost: ?
Ghoul: ?
Lich: ?
Powerful Lich: ?
Vecna, Legendary Lich: ?
Adder, Arch-Lich: ?
Powerful Mummy Priest: ?
Mummified King: Manifest of Majuur Maledictions is a collection of ancient and unholy curses and chants that aim to animate and command the mummified corpses of the kings of the House of the Night Winds, the rulers of the Majuur Desert in ancient times. These curses involve calling upon the aid of various dark, heinous entities of the lower outer planes such as Set, Anubis, Zadaphiel, Mazatan, Maal-Bechiel, Nabaril, and Arat-Astrel. The curses and chants were used both for animation and controlling purposes and it can be gleaned from them that many of them were chanted in occult rituals performed after the initial animation of the corpses, perhaps by the members of a dedicated cult who would repetitively chant the names of the animated kings, evidently to ensure their continued control and existence in undeath. Since these curses and chants seem to have a distinct feel of abjuration and invocation about them, it seems that they were also necessary to prevent the mummified kings from turning on their creators and exact a terrible revenge.
Monstrous Mummy: Obloquy of Occult Obsequies is a pernicious necromantic study of the perception of death by different cultures, with extensive descriptions of their funerary rites and how they pertain to the creation of mummies. Of interest to necromancers are the extensive descriptions of different methods to embalm dead bodies to prepare them for the creation of a variety of monstrous mummies. The text describes these processes in detail and contains meticulous descriptions of the recipes of all kinds of ointments, oils, balsamums, windings, poultices, and waxes, using such ingredients as fourfold horned lamps fueled by oil of cobras, vampire wings, and tallow of the corpses of dead cannibals. Furthermore, the book describes numerous different funerary and mourning rites as practiced by different cultures from different worlds and in different times, in extensive detail and classified after way of burial rather than culture.
Mummy Production: Among the many processes required to create a monstrous mummy is one that is called mummy production, which can be performed by a high-level specialist (e.g., a Death Master of at least 8th level). It requires him to prepare a corpse with a special magical embalming fluid that costs 1,400 gp and takes 3d4 hours to prepare, as well as with special wrappings and salves. Each body takes at least six hours to prepare thusly. Once this is done, the actual animation of the corpse requires a special command word, as defined by the embalmer, which must be uttered within 24 hours of the embalming. If properly prepared, the mummy will exist and usually obey its creator until destroyed).
Shadow: ?
Spectre: ?
Vampire: ?
Powerful Vampire: ?
Wight: ?
Wraith: ?
Ju-Ju Zombie: Ju-Ju Wine magic item.
Zombie: ?
Cauldron-Born: The “cauldron-born” (v. CMM, Cauldron-Born) are zombie-like entities created by evil mages, witches, and priests, and born from boiling a large number of vile ingredients in a specially prepared brass cauldron. Among these ingredients must be enough body parts to assemble multiple cauldron-born; the brain of a human; certain nauseating mushrooms, weeds and herbs; ichors of both the shambling mound and a spectre or similar incorporeal undead; and specially prepared swamp-water. The whole process takes at least two weeks, during which the creator must dedicate himself completely to the task. Once all the conditions are met, the cauldron-born will appear from the cauldron, crawling out of the boiling liquid one by one.
Cauldron-Born, Zombie-Like Entity: ?

Ju-ju Wine
Ju-ju wine is a fragrant liquid that appears to be a dark red wine but which, in fact, is an insidious potion of poison. If even a sip is tasted by a living human, demi-human, or humanoid, the wine brings instant death (save vs. Death Magic to negate) and transformation into a ju-ju zombie, which automatically obeys the commands of the first human, demi-human, or humanoid, alive or dead, who speaks to him. The zombie can be turned and affected by magical items that influence undead but the victim cannot be restored except with Raise Dead or a wish.
Suggested XP Value: Creating the wine for the first time earns the creator 500 xp.
 

The Incomplete Book of Books & Tomes IV
2e
Undead: ?
Powerful Undead Creature: ?
Undead Dragon, Powerful Undead Creature: ?
Iniussus, Undead Lord: ?
Banshee: ?
Crawling Claw: Any Wizard studying the book [of shadows] for an appropriate amount of time will thereafter know how to raise up and animate one crawling claw for each of his levels, providing he has enough severed limbs at his disposal (v.CMM, Crawling Claw). Crawling claws created thusly will execute the simple, telepathic commands of the Wizard.
The Book of Shadows is a work of black necromancy, a thorough treatise of the Black Arts that includes all of the forbidden, baneful spells known to Black Necromancers in the time the author was alive, as well as descriptions of many of secret rites, such as those required to raise up crawling claws, to enslave evil genies, to summon fiendish familiars from the lower outer planes, and to subjugate skeleton warriors.
The text [of the book of shadows] contains a complete description of the secret of the relatively simple necromantic rite for Wizards to animate crawling claws.
The text [of the Nycoptic Manuscripts] contains a complete description of the secret of the relatively simple necromantic rite to animate crawling claws (v. CMM, Crawling Claw) as far as Priests are concerned. These animated hands and claws can be raised up by a Priest of any level who has read the scrolls. After the severed limbs have been assembled, up to one claw may be animated per level of the Priest. Once created, crawling claws can be directed by the telepathic commands of their creator but, more often, they are given duties similar to those of undead skeletons, whose intellect (or complete lack thereof) they share.
Crypt Thing, Necromantic Guardian: ?
Ghost: ?
Ghostly Balrog Butler: ?
Ghoul: ?
Lich, Full Lich: Although the book [of Gershus Koch] is right about most aspects of the process to achieve lichdom and correct in its descriptions of the spells, preparations, and rituals required, it is somewhat esoteric in its wording, which may lead to some confusion in less experienced readers. Perhaps the easiest mistake to make would be to come to understand that any Wizard – i.e., one of any level – can become a lich. Another easily made mistake could be to come to understand that the whole process involves the proffering to spirits of chants and litanies of a mystical nature, which mages of today do not recognize as having any magical value. In general, only a specialist (e.g., high-level Necromancer, Death Priest2)) or a Wizard with Intelligence 17 or more will not make these mistakes easily. A Priest or Wizard must be at least 14th level before he can become a lich, although 18th level is most common.
The Book of Gershus Koch is a combination of manuscripts that deal with the process of becoming a lich, as well as with what appears to have been part of a temple, shrine, or similar sanctuary.
Papyrus-like Pages (199; NWP Reading/Writing (Goidelic)): The first 199 pages contain a detailed description of the unholy processes and rituals a Priest- or Wizard-like individual seems to have undergone in order to transform into a lich. While profoundly religious in nature, the actual rituals and processes are described in exacting detail, down to the last droplet of essence of frog’s tongue and ichors of wing of bat.
Blueprint for a Lich
Requirements: Preparation for lichdom occurs while the Wizard (the candidate) is still alive and it must be completed before his first ‘death’. If the candidate dies anywhere along the line and is resurrected, all preparations are lost and must be started all over again. The candidate needs to know the spells Magic Jar, Trap the Soul, and Enchant an Item3) and he must have prepared a special potion (the lich potion) and a special container to contain his life’s essence (the phylactery).
Phylactery: This item must be of high quality, solid, and worth at least 2,000 gp in material value. Wooden items are never acceptable. The phylactery can contain prior magics and enchantments, although none that would be contradictory to the very essence of a lich. Any phylactery can only exist in the Prime Material Plane, the Negative Material Plane, or the Positive Material Plane.
Enchant an Item: The first step includes preparing the phylactery, which includes the candidate casting Enchant an Item upon it in one of the planes it can exist in. The whole process of preparing the phylactery requires more than 18 hours, at the end of which it must pass a saving throw vs. Spell as if it were the candidate. Failure means that it become useless for its purpose and that the process must be started anew, with a new item that is to become the candidate’s phylactery.
Trap the Soul: After the phylactery has been prepared thusly, the candidate must cast Trap the Soul on it. This spell has a base 50% chance to work for this purpose, plus 6% for each level the candidate is over 11th. A roll of “00” is always a failure, meaning that the whole process must be started again.
Lich Potion: Preparing the body of the living candidate is done by means of a specially prepared potion known as a lich potion.
This potion is difficult and time-consuming to make. It requires two pinches of pure arsenic; one pinch of belladonna; one measure of fresh phase spider venom (less than 30 days old); one measure of fresh wyvern venom (less than 60 days old); the blood of a dead humanoid infant killed by a phase spider; the blood of a dead humanoid infant killed by a mixture of arsenic and belladonna; the heart of a virgin humanoid killed by wyvern venom, well-simmered; one quart of blood from a vampire or a person) infected with vampirism; and the ground reproductive glands of seven giant moths dead for less than 60 days.
These ingredients are mixed in the order given, by the light of a full moon, and then consumed by the candidate, with results as shown in Table 1. A result of “Failure” means that the potion is inert and must be made anew. If the candidate should die as a result of ingesting the potion or as a result of a side effect and its consequences, the whole process must be started anew. Note that the side effects on a result of “Success” may have to be countered before the process can continue.
Table 1. Lich Potion Results
1d100 Result Side Effect on Candidate
01-10 Failure All body hair falls out. Another lich potion must be concocted
11-40 Success Coma for 1d6+1 days
41-70 Success Feeblemind. Can be negated with Dispel Magic but each failed attempt has a 10% chance to be lethal
71-90 Success Paralyzed for 2d6+2 days and a 30% chance of permanently losing 1d6 points of Dexterity
91-96 Success Permanently deaf, dumb, or blind. Can be negated only by a carefully worded wish
97-00 Failure Death. The candidate can start the whole process anew after Resurrection
Entering the Phylactery: When both the phylactery and the candidate have been prepared thusly, the candidate must cast Magic Jar on the phylactery so that his life’s essence can enter it. The phylactery must make a saving throw vs. Spell as if it were the candidate, with failure meaning that it has become useless for this purpose and that the whole process must be started anew.
If the spell succeeds, the candidate’s life’s essence enters the phylactery and he will immediately lose one level and the corresponding hit points and abilities, all of which are now lost to him, stored in the phylactery together with his soul.
When this is done, the candidate’s life’s essence returns to his own body and, now, he must rest for 1d6+1 days. The ordeal is so demanding that the candidate loses all memorized spells of the three highest spell levels he is allowed and that he cannot memorize or cast spells of these three levels until the rest period is up.
Death: When the candidate is fully rested, the first part of the process is completed. Now, whenever he dies next, his soul will be transferred into the phylactery. This happens regardless of circumstances, distances, or obstacles (e.g., an accident; death in another plane of existence; a cube of force, Prismatic Sphere, a lead box).
Acquiring a New Body (The Candidate’s Corpse): In order to become a full lich, the candidate, now extant only in the phylactery, must acquire a material body (the new body). To achieve this, he must have his life’s essence take control of a recently dead body – his own or that of another creature – which must be within 90 feet of the phylactery.
If the candidate can retake control of his own corpse, it may have been dead for any length of time. The corpse must make a saving throw vs. Spell at a -10 penalty, with success meaning that the attempt fails but the candidate can try again in one week, until he succeeds.
If he succeeds, the candidate has become a full lich (See below).
Acquiring a New Body (Alien Corpse): If the candidate should have to take control of the corpse of some other creature for some reason, this corpse may not have been dead for longer than 30 days. The corpse must pass a saving throw vs. Spell, adjusted as shown in Table 2, with success meaning that the candidate’s attempt fails and that this particular corpse can thereafter never serve as the candidate’s new body again.
Table 2. Saving Throw Adjustments for Alien Corpses
Corpse Saving Throw
3 HD/levels or less when alive (regardless of alignment) As a .-HD creature
4 HD/levels or more when alive and of any good alignment As in life
4 HD/levels or more when alive and of neutral, lawful neutral or chaotic neutral alignment As in life
4 HD/levels or more when alive and of neutral, lawful neutral or chaotic neutral alignment As in life at a -3 penalty
4 HD/levels or more when alive and of lawful evil alignment As in life at a -4 penalty
4 HD/levels or more when alive and of neutral evil alignment As in life at a -5 penalty
4 HD/levels or more when alive and of chaotic evil alignment As in life at a -6 penalty
A candidate who ends up in an alien corpse will henceforth function like a wight with his own Intelligence and Wisdom but
without the ability to drain levels and without the ability to speak unless the corpse could speak when it was alive, in which case the candidate can communicate telepathically. If the corpse could cast spells in life (e.g., a hobgoblin shaman), the candidate may cast the equivalents of his 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-level spells as if he were a Wizard of his own level minus one.
Because of all of this, a candidate in an alien corpse will usually do his utmost to try and take possession of his own corpse,
which he can unerringly locate as if he were under the permanent effect of Locate Object with unlimited range. If and when the candidate finds his own corpse, he must eat it, upon which the alien corpse will metamorphose into a humanoid body similar to that of the candidate’s original body one week later.
As long as the candidate has not taken possession of his own corpse, it can only be destroyed by Disintegrate (save vs. Spell as candidate when he was still alive to avoid). Even dismemberment or burning the corpse cannot prevent the candidate from becoming a lich (eventually), as he will still be able to unerringly locate its pieces or ashes, as above. Naturally it may be difficult for the candidate to obtain these pieces or ashes but that is another story. As above, one week after the candidate has located and eaten all that remains of his destroyed corpse, the alien corpse will transform into a humanoid body similar to that of the candidate’s original body.
If his own corpse should be destroyed without trace before he was able to take possession of it – i.e., disintegrated – the candidate must remain in his alien corpse until he can somehow reinstate his own corpse (e.g., by means of a properly worded wish).
Full Lich: Once the candidate has taken possession of his own corpse, he will be a full lich – a lich.
The third set of pages contain numerous notes on the processes and rituals required to achieve lichdom, which seem to be additions to those mentioned in the first set of pages. Further, these pages describe certain plans to rule an army and nation of undead.
Although a Priest aspiring to become a lich would likely be able to do so only at the behest of his deity, one that would attempt to achieve lichdom using only The Book of Gershus Koch will require the services of a Wizard for the casting of Enchant an Item and Magic Jar. In this case the phylactery makes its saving throw as if it were a Wizard of the same level as the one who cast these spells.
Kandrak, Lich: ?
Famous Lich: ?
Lich, Powerful Undead Creature: ?
Aurgloroasa, The Sibilant Shade, Dracolich: ?
Shadow: ?
Summoned Shadow Familiar: ?
Shadow, Hostile Shadow Monster: ?
Greater Shadow: Shadows will coalesce to form greater shadow.
Shadow Monster: ?
Skeleton Warrior: The book suggests that a talented and ambitious Necromancer may be able create a special soul receptacle (like a ring, perhaps) that would enable him to simultaneously control more than one skeleton warrior.
Undead Skeleton: ?
Spectre: ?
Strahd von Zarovich, Infamous Vampire: ?
Wight: ?
 

The Incomplete Book of Books & Tomes V Appendix
2e
Undead, Undead Entity: Certain rituals need to be observed before the book [Oppropbium of Orcus] can be opened safely, with failure to do so seven times in succession resulting in the perpetrator’s soul being brought to the attention of certain unspeakable servants of Orcus, Demon Prince of the Undead. These will then take great pains to ensure that his soul is properly transferred to the realm of their lord, which means that, after death, he will return as an undead entity with a number of Hit Dice equal to half his level at the moment of his death. This is effectively a curse cast at 18th level, which will require the services of a lawful good Priest of equal level to reverse, likely after the perpetrator has atoned for the misdeed. However, there are no signs that the perpetrator is affected by this curse, so it will typically have to be detected by magical means.
The nature of the rituals required to properly handle the book can be retrieved with magic (e.g., Legend Lore), although they may also be known to perhaps a handful of the most powerful servants of Orcus, Demon Prince of the Undead. The rituals require each individual who opens the book to engage in such unholy acts as chanting litanies to entreat and appease Orcus, Demon Prince of the Undead; the sacrifice of blood; and the creation and release into the world of an undead entity with a number of Hit Dice equal to the number of times the book has been opened by that same individual, plus one.
Undead Bat: ?
Undead Gray Goat: The sack is made of the skin of gray goats raised as undead after dying from a foul poison created from their own blood and hairs, a variety of unholy herbs, and venom obtained from long, snaky serpents.
Corporeal Undead Monster: When the corpse of a mortal creature is placed in the cauldron, it will emerge as a randomly determined corporeal undead monster with less than 7 Hit Dice and under the control of the cauldron’s current owner.
Banshee: ?
Ghast: ?
Ghoul: ?
Lich: ?
Vecna, Legendary Lich: ?
Mummy: ?
Shadow: ?
Skeleton: ?
Vampire: ?
Zombie: ?
Greater Zombie Colossus, Immanis: The final section sets forth the process of creating a great undead construct called a greater zombie colossus or immanis, which also contains the descriptions of the required spells (See below). The process involves gathering all corpses from a single graveyard and constructing the colossus from the harvested body parts after they have been subjected to a series of unspeakable rituals (v. CMM, Zombie Colossus – Greater Zombie Colossus).
Greater Zombie Colossus, Great Undead Construct: ?
 

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