Undead Origins

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Classic Monsters

Classic Monsters
Castles & Crusades
Undead: Undead are once–living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces.
Animal Skeleton: Animal carcasses that are the target of Animate Dead are raised as animal skeletons. Anyone casting the spell solely on dead animals can gain up to twice his level in HD, as opposed to his level in HD per the spell Animate Dead. In other words, a 5th level cleric, while normally only able to raise 5HD worth of Undead, may raise 10HD worth of animal skeletons. Only small creatures can be raised as such, no bigger than a large dog.
Apparition: ?
Coffer Corpse: ?
Crypt Thing: Legends abound that crypt things were once great sages, destined to live out eternity in a constant thirst for knowledge.
Death Knight: Once loyal paladins, they were raised back into life by demonic forces to unleash mayhem on an unsuspecting world. Thankfully, very few of these creatures are known to exists
Demilich: Once a Lich (Monsters & Treasure tome, page 54) has outlived its physical form (which is many centuries), its spirit will release from its frail body and enter into the ethereal and astral planes. It will always and forever have a connection with the remains it has left behind and will guard them for eternity.
Draugr: The draugr is a type of undead, so malevolent in life that its evil ways still possess it in death. Resembling a zombie in appearance, the draugr is very intelligent, unlike the mindless, plodding zombie. Only humans can be reborn as draugr.
Only corpses that have been housed in tombs or crypts can be draugr, as the creature cannot dig itself out of a grave.
Evil Oculus of Ice and Fire: ?
Haunt: The haunt is an undead tied to the spot of its death.
In its living form, the haunt had some mission or task that needed to be completed. So great was the compulsion to finish this deed that, even in death, the creature seeks to fulfill its final task.
A haunt can be of any alignment and its task can be anything from the mundane (replace the stone in the wall thus covering the secret hiding place) to the extraordinary (travel to a distant land and deliver a message of peace, then return); from the safe (to see my son that was born after I died) to the dangerous (revenge my family by killing the ancient red dragon that murdered them all).
Huecuva: ?
Penanggalan: When a penanggalan decides to infect someone and turn them into another of her kind, she will drink only enough blood to cause the victim pain, normally only feeding for 2-3 minutes. When the victim starts waking, the undead will fly away, leaving behind a confused victim. Over the course of successive feedings, the victim will become weaker and weaker, losing a point of strength and constitution each morning. A victim, if fed upon for a full week, will become a penanggalan on the next night.
Poltergeist: The poltergeist is an invisible undead spirit that haunts a specific area. Sometimes this area is one that it was close to in life, but more often than not, the area is the place the poltergeist was killed.
Revenant: Any humans (and only humans) that have died an extremely ghastly death can arise as a revenant to exact revenge on its killer. The revenant, in life, must have had a minimum of 15 constituion, intelligence and wisdom to become a revenant. Even at that, the chances are very slim.
Shelt Lu: It is thought to be an undead version of a lurker, but this is debatable since the shelt lu is noticeable smaller, approximately six feet tall and three feet across.
Skeletal Warrior: The skeletal warrior is an undead, created by high level, evil clerics as protection and guards. All were powerful fighters in life, some being enemies of the cleric that created them.
Sons of Rhealth: The sons of rhealth were created ages ago, by worshipers of the foul Lord of the Undead.
It will also ‘attack’ with one of the putrid worms that live within it. Once per round, one of the worms will leap or fall onto the son’s opponent. The victim is allowed a dexterity check to avoid this. Success means the worm has fallen to the ground, while failure means the worm has landed on the victim. It will do this every round, meaning a victim may have multiple worms on it at any given time.
Those victims that have had a worm land on them may cease any other action to remove the worm from their body. If they do, they will automatically be successful. Starting with round two, the creature will begin to crawl towards the head. It will arrive in 1d3 rounds. Once there, it will begin boring into the ears, or crawling through the nose if the ear is covered. When this occurs, the victim may make a dexterity check (CL 3) to dislodge the worm. Failure means it has successfully entered the head of its victim. Once there, it will burst, scattering a foul, green ichor that will leak from the ear (or nose). The victim must make a constitution check (CL 5) or be stricken with a wasting disease. This disease will manifest in 2d12 hours. At first, the victim will be nauseated and will vomit and not be able to eat. After another 1d6 hours, he will begin to lose 1d4 hit points per round, growing weaker and weaker (-x on all dice rolls, with x = number of hours infected). Once dead, the creature will rise as a Son of Rhealth in one day. Only a Cure Disease spell will negate this horrific disease.
Zombie Monster: As humans can be turned into undead, so can the plethora of monsters that litter the land. Appearing much like their undead cousins, a monster zombie is a decayed living corpse of it past self. Any creature from a goblin to a giant can be transformed into a zombie and the CK must make adjustments to the statistics listed above. (For instance, a ogre zombie would do 1d6 slam + 4 for its strength ).

 

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Monsters and Treasures of Aihrde

Monsters and Treasures of Aihrde
Castles & Crusades
Undead: Undead are once–living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces.
Creatures killed and devoured by naerlulth are often cast into limbo, and their tormented spirits are left to occupy the lands the creature has devoured and laid waste. These spawn are often undead, but have no shape or form until they assume one.
Forsaken: The forsaken are creatures who have survived Klarglich, the Pits of Woe. There, Unklar bound many unfortunate victims of his reign and wreaked havoc upon their minds and bodies. His slave masters tortured them, his wizards experimented upon them, and the darkness fed upon their sanity. Most victims perished in that dark pit in the bowels of Aufstrag, but a few survived and fled the Pits.
Mison Men: Mison men are ancient mountain warriors who have returned to the world by the magic bound in the bones of dead dragons. Mison men rise up from the grave and equip themselves with the skin and bones of the dead dragon, appearing in the guise of men adorned in plates of dragon scale.
In later days, cults of priests learned how to stave off death using the power of the magic born in the dragons, but what they did not account for was the evil bound into the beasts, for as is known, the dragons all came from the goddess Inzae, and her disposition is a malicious one. Bound to the dragon and the mountain where the dragon dwelt, the mison men lingered in the lands between life and death, returned or otherwise.
Naerluthut: The naerlulthut are the spawn of the naerlulth, that dread creature of the darkness whose sole intent is to destroy the world about it. These, its children, are undead spirits whose bodies the beast devoured and whose souls were bound to it.
Soul Thief: These creatures are of the order of the Val-Austlich, created in the Days before Days by Thorax. They were shadows, cast off by the Cloak of Red, and called the rottenshuf.

 

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Of Gods & Monsters

Of Gods & Monsters
Castles & Crusades
Undead: Creatures killed and devoured by naerlulth are often cast into limbo and their tormented spirits are left to occupy the lands the creature has devoured and laid waste. These spawn are often undead but have no shape or form until they assume one.
Naerluthut: The naerlulthut are the spawn of the naerlulth, that dread creature of the darkness whose sole intent is to destroy the world about it. These, its children, are undead spirits whose bodies were devoured by the beast and whose souls were bound to it.
Civatateo: Civatateo are noble women who have died in childbirth and now roam as undead looking to punish the living
Shadow Rat: When unusually greedy dwarves die from combat, their spirits fly back to their last homes and haunt the edges of whatever metropolis they lived in last.
With every successful attack, the undead creature takes away a point of strength and then heals ten points with the power of the lost strength point. When a victim loses all of their strength, they become a shadow rat and can’t be raised back to life.
Gashadokuro: Gashadokuro are created from gathering bones from people who have died of starvation.

 

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Monstrous Menaces 2 Blade Dancer, Goblin, and Tharghul

Monstrous Menaces 2 Blade Dancer, Goblin, and Tharghul
Castles & Crusades
Tharghul: Through long experience and terrible rites, a mentally acute ghoul or ghast can rise in power and eventually attain the status of tharghûl; any such creature that retains eight or more levels when it rises again as undead rises as a tharghûl, and cannot be controlled by any master.

Ghast: If a creature dies from wounds sustained by a tharghûl’s claw and bite damage, and is not eaten by the foul creature, it will rise again as a ghoul or ghast in 2d4-1 days unless the corpse is blessed before interment. The victim rises as a ghoul if it has less than four levels or hit dice, and as a ghast if it has a four or more levels or hit dice.
Ghoul: If a creature dies from wounds sustained by a tharghûl’s claw and bite damage, and is not eaten by the foul creature, it will rise again as a ghoul or ghast in 2d4-1 days unless the corpse is blessed before interment. The victim rises as a ghoul if it has less than four levels or hit dice, and as a ghast if it has a four or more levels or hit dice.

 

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Players Handbook 6th Printing

Players Handbook 6th Printing
Castles & Crusades
Skeleton: Animate Dead spell.
Zombie: Animate Dead spell.
Ghoul: Create Undead spell caster level 11.
Shadow: Create Undead spell caster level 12.
Ghast: Create Undead spell caster level 13.
Wight: Create Undead spell caster level 14.
Wraith: Create Undead spell caster level 18.
Mummy: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 13.
Spectre: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 15.
Vampire: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 17.
Ghost: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 19.

ANIMATE DEAD*, Level 3 cleric, 5 wizard
CT 1 R 50 ft. D Permanent
SV none SR none Comp V, S, M
This spell turns the bones or bodies of dead creatures in a 25 x 25 feet area into undead skeletons or zombies that follow the caster’s spoken commands. The undead can follow the caster, or can remain in an area and attack any creature or specific type of creature entering the area. The undead remain animated until they are destroyed. Destroyed undead can’t be animated again. Regardless of the type of undead, the caster can’t create more HD of undead than the caster has levels in any single casting of the spell.
The undead remain under the caster’s control indefinitely. No matter how many times the caster uses this spell, however, the character can only control 2 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If the caster exceeds this number, all the newly created creatures fall under the caster’s control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled (the character chooses which creatures are released). If the caster is a cleric, any undead the character might command by virtue of the caster’s power to command or rebuke undead, do not count toward the spell’s limits.
A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones. If a skeleton is made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones. A zombie, however, can be created only from a mostly intact corpse. The statistics for skeletons and zombies are detailed in Monsters & Treasure; undead created with this spell do not retain any abilities the creature may have had while alive.
The material component for this spell is a bag of bones.
Preserve Dead: This reverse version may only be cast by divine spellcasters, and has two effects. First, the caster preserves the remains of the target corpses so that they do not decay, for one day per level of the caster. Doing so extends the time limit on raising that creature from the dead. The spell works on severed body parts and the like. Second, the spell permanently prevents the target corpses from being animated by an animate dead spell. If a target corpse is preserved, and then raised from the dead or resurrected, the spell ends.

CREATE UNDEAD, Level 6 cleric
CT 1 hour R 50 ft. (one) D permanent
SV n/a SR n/a Comp DF, V, S, M
This evil spell allows the caster to create one specimen of the following undead if the cleric is of the appropriate level: ghoul (11), shadow (12), ghast (13), wight (14), or wraith (18). The cleric may create a less powerful undead if desired. For example, a 14th level cleric could, instead of creating a wight, also create a ghast, shadow, or ghoul. Created undead are not automatically under the control of their animator. The caster may gain command of the undead as it forms by making a successful turning check. This spell must be cast at night.
The material component for this spell is a corpse.

CREATE GREATER UNDEAD, Level 8 cleric
CT 1 hour R 50 ft. (one) D permanent
SV n/a SR n/a Comp DF, V, S, M
This evil spell allows the caster to create one specimen of the following undead if the cleric is of the appropriate level: mummy (13), spectre (15), vampire (17), or ghost (19). The cleric may create a less powerful undead if desired. For example, a 17th level cleric could, instead of creating a vampire, also create a spectre or mummy. Created undead are not automatically under the control of their animator. The caster may gain command of the undead as it forms with by making a successful turning check. This spell must be cast at night and the caster must spend 100gp per corpse.
The material component for this spell is a corpse.

 

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Player's Handbook 4th printing

Player's Handbook 4th printing
Castles & Crusades
Skeleton: Animate Dead spell.
Zombie: Animate Dead spell.
Ghoul: Create Undead spell caster level 11.
Shadow: Create Undead spell caster level 12.
Ghast: Create Undead spell caster level 13.
Wight: Create Undead spell caster level 14.
Wraith: Create Undead spell caster level 18.
Mummy: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 13.
Spectre: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 15.
Vampire: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 17.
Ghost: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 19.

ANIMATE DEAD*, Level 3 cleric, 5 wizard
CT 1 R 50 ft. D n/a
SV none ST none Comp V, S, M
This spell turns the bones or bodies of dead creatures in a 25 x 25 feet area into undead skeletons or zombies that follow the caster’s spoken commands. The undead can follow the caster, or can remain in an area and attack any creature or specific type of creature entering the area. The undead remain animated until they are destroyed. Destroyed undead can’t be animated again. Regardless of the type of undead, the caster can’t, in any single casting of the spell, create more HD of undead than the caster has levels.
The undead remain under the caster’s control indefinitely. No matter how many times the caster uses this spell, however, the character can only control 2 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If the caster exceeds this number, all the newly created creatures fall under the caster’s control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled (the character chooses which creatures are released). If the caster is a cleric, any undead the character might command by virtue of the caster’s power to command or rebuke undead do not count toward the spell’s limits.
A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones. If a skeleton is made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones. A zombie, however, can be created only from a mostly intact corpse. The statistics for skeletons and zombies are detailed in Monsters & Treasures; undead created with this spell do not return any abilities the creature may have had while alive.
Preserve Dead: This reverse version may only be cast by divine spellcasters, and has two effects. First, the caster preserves the remains of the target corpses so that they do not decay, for one day per level of the caster. Doing so extends the time limit on raising that creature from the dead. The spell works on severed body parts and the like. Second, the spell permanently prevents the target corpses from being animated by an animate dead spell. If a target corpse is preserved, and then raised from the dead or resurrected, the spell ends.

CREATE UNDEAD, Level 6 cleric
CT 1 hour R 50 ft. (one) D permanent
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
This evil spell allows the caster to create powerful kind of undead if the cleric is of the appropriate level: ghouls (11), shadow (12), ghasts (13), wights (14) or wraiths (18). The caster may create less powerful undead than the caster’s maximum capability if desired. Created undead are not automatically under the control of their animator. The caster may gain command of the undead as it forms by making a successful turning check. This spell must be cast at night.

CREATE GREATER UNDEAD, Level 8 cleric
CT 1 hour R 50 ft. (one) D permanent
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
This evil spell allows the caster to create powerful kinds of undead if the cleric is of the appropriate level: mummy (13), spectre (15), vampire (17) or ghost (19). The caster may create less powerful undead than the caster’s maximum capability if desired. Created undead are not automatically under the control of their animator. The caster may gain command of the undead as it forms with by making a successful turning check. This spell must be cast at night and the caster must spend 100gp per corpse.

 

[Voadam]

Player's Handbook 3rd Printing

Player's Handbook 3rd Printing
Castles & Crusades
Skeleton: Animate Dead spell.
Zombie: Animate Dead spell.
Ghoul: Create Undead spell caster level 11.
Shadow: Create Undead spell caster level 12.
Ghast: Create Undead spell caster level 13.
Wight: Create Undead spell caster level 14.
Wraith: Create Undead spell caster level 18.
Mummy: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 13.
Spectre: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 15.
Vampire: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 17.
Ghost: Create Greater Undead spell caster level 19.

ANIMATE DEAD*, Level 3 cleric, 5 wizard
CT 1 R 50 ft. D n/a
SV none ST none Comp V, S, M
This spell turns the bones or bodies of dead creatures in a 25 x 25 feet area into undead skeletons or zombies that follow the caster’s spoken commands. The undead can follow the caster, or can remain in an area and attack any creature or specific type of creature entering the area. The undead remain animated until they are destroyed. Destroyed undead can’t be animated again.
Regardless of the type of undead, the caster can’t, in any single casting of the spell, create more HD of undead than the caster has levels.
The undead remain under the caster’s control indefinitely. No matter how many times the caster uses this spell, however, the character can only control 2 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If the caster exceeds this number, all the newly created creatures fall under the caster’s control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled (the character chooses which creatures are released). If the caster is a cleric, any undead the character might command by virtue of the caster’s power to command or rebuke undead do not count toward the spell’s limits.
A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones. If a skeleton is made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones. A zombie, however, can be created only from a mostly intact corpse. The statistics for skeletons and zombies are detailed in Monsters & Treasures; undead created with this spell do not return any abilities the creature may have had while alive.
Preserve Dead This reverse version may only be cast by divine spellcasters, and has two effects. First, the caster preserves the remains of the target corpses so that they do not decay, for one day per level of the caster. Doing so extends the time limit on raising that creature from the dead. The spell works on severed body parts and the like. Second, the spell permanently prevents the target corpses from being animated by an animate dead spell. If a target corpse is preserved, and then raised from the dead or resurrected, the spell ends.

CREATE UNDEAD, Level 6 cleric
CT 1 hour R 50 ft. (one) D permanent
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
This evil spell allows the caster to create powerful kinds of undead if the cleric is of the appropriate level: ghouls (9), shadow (10), ghasts (12), wights (14) or wraiths (18). The caster may create less powerful undead than the caster’s maximum capability if desired. Created undead are not automatically under the control of their animator. The caster may gain command of the undead as it forms by making a successful turning check. This spell must be cast at night.

CREATE GREATER UNDEAD, Level 8 cleric
CT 1 hour R 50 ft. (one) D permanent
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
This evil spell allows the caster to create powerful kinds of undead if the cleric is of the appropriate level: mummy (13), spectre (15), vampire (17) or ghost (19). The caster may create less powerful undead than the caster’s maximum capability if desired. Created undead are not automatically under the control of their animator. The caster may gain command of the undead as it forms with by making a successful turning check. This spell must be cast at night and the caster must spend 100gp per corpse.

 

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Black Libram of Naratus

Black Libram of Naratus
Castles & Crusades
Barrow Wight: A humanoid slain by a barrow wight becomes a barrow wight in 1d4 rounds.
Bhuta: When a person is murdered, the spirit sometimes clings to the world, refusing to accept its mortal death. This spirit possesses its original body and seeks out those responsible for its murder.
Bogeyman: Bogeymen are the stuff of legends: creatures created in the minds of parents who relayed stories about incorporeal ghosts coming to carry their children off if they didn’t go to bed when they were supposed to, didn’t do their chores when asked, and so on. The spectral bogeyman’s ties to the land of the living are a result of these stories. Often, these stories are based on the exploits of criminals, murderers, and madmen that live or have lived in the local area. By the very nature of their creation, bogeymen are evil. They are creatures born of fear and lies, delighting in the torment their fear harbors.
Brine Zombie: Brine zombies are the remnants of a ship’s crew that has perished at sea.
The spark of evil that brought them back from the ocean depths drives them to seek the living so they may join them in their watery graves.
If an entire ship sinks at sea with the loss of all hands, the ship itself and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers. The captain usually rises as a draug and his crew rises as brine zombies.
When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons.
Brykolakas: Their true origin is unknown, although it is thought a recipe in the Black Libram of Nartarus and the bodies of aquatic ghouls are involved.
Cinder Ghoul: A creature that is burned to death by magical fire may rise again as a fiery undead being called a cinder ghoul.
Crypt Thing: Crypt things are undead creatures found guarding tombs, graves, crypts, and other such structures. They are created by spellcasters to guard such areas and they never leave their assigned area.
Crypt Guardian: ?
Demilich: A demilich is an advanced lich of great power. When the animating force of a lich ceases to exist and the material body finally decays (often after centuries of undeath), the soul lingers in the area and slowly over time possesses all that remains of the lich—its skull.
Draug: The draug is the vengeful spirit of a ship’s captain who died at sea, thus being denied a proper burial. If an entire ship sinks at sea with the loss of all hands, the ship itself and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers. The captain usually rises as a draug and his crew rises as brine zombies.
When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons.
Dust Ghoul: When a humanoid creature dies on the Parched Expanse on the Plane of Molten Skies, there is a good chance it returns from the afterlife as a dust ghoul—an undead flesh-eating creature composed of dust and earth.
Fear Guard: Any living creature reduced to Wisdom 0 by a fear guard becomes a fear guard under the control of its killer within 2d6 hours. If a bless spell is cast on the corpse before this time, it prevents the transformation.
Fire Phantom: When a humanoid creature dies on the Elemental Plane of Fire, its soul often melds with part of the fiery plane and reforms as a fire phantom; a humanoid creature composed of rotted and burnt flesh swathed in elemental fire.
Hoarfrost Maiden: Believed to be the spirits of humanoid warrior-women that freeze to death either because of their own mistakes or because of some ritualistic exile into the icy wastes by their culture, hoarfrost maidens haunt the icy wastelands of the world seeking warm–blooded living creatures in which to share their icy hell.
Lantern Goat: Lantern goats are undead wanderers thought to be the coalescence of souls of people who died while lost in the wilderness. Just as normal goats sometimes drift from the shepherd’s care and fall prey to the dangers of the wild, so too do humans and demihumans often meet with a dire end while trekking alone in the hills.
Whether they die of exposure or become a predator’s meal, these lost travelers usually journey in spirit form to the afterlife. Some, however, if they perish too close to a lantern goat, find their souls drawn into the fell receptacle the creature wears around its neck. The scarred and battered lantern that descends from the goat’s neck serves to channel souls into the creature itself. As the goat moves through the hills, its lantern casts a sickening yellow glow that attracts the souls of the recently deceased.
Mortuary Cyclone: A mortuary cyclone is an undead creature born when living creatures tamper with or desecrate a mass grave (either magically or naturally).
Spectre: Any living creature slain by a mortuary cyclone’s necrocone attack (see below) or energy drain attack becomes a spectre in 1d4 rounds.
Slain creatures are deposited on the ground where they rise as undead “slaves” in command of the mortuary cyclone.
Mummy of the Deep: It is the result of an evil creature that was buried at sea for its sins in life. The wickedness permeating the former life has managed to cling even into unlife and revive the soul as a mummy of the deep.
Red Jester: Red jesters are thought to be the remains of court jesters put to death for telling bad puns, making fun of the local ruler, or dying in an untimely manner (which could be attributed to one or both of the first two). Another tale speaks of the red jesters as being the court jesters of the Demon Prince of Whimsy and Madness, sent to the Material Plane to “entertain” those whom the prince has taken a special interest in. The actual truth to their origin remains a mystery.
Shadow Lesser: According to ancient texts, masters of the arcane arts created beings of living darkness to aid and protect them. These beings, known now as shadows, were formed through a combination of darkness and evil. Other beings of darkness, lesser beings not quite as powerful as the originals were also created. These creatures became known as lesser shadows.
Shadow Rat: ?
Shadow Rat Swarm: ?
Wolf Ghoul: ?
Wolf Shadow: ?
Wolf Vampiric: ?

Skeleton: When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons.
Skeleton Pull spell.
Vampire: Typically they began their career as thrall or spawn to another vampire of greater power who was somehow destroyed or through great loneliness chose to destroy itself. The spawn of these beings typically turn upon one another like so many rats. The survivor becomes a vampire.
Lacedon: A humanoid or monstrous humanoid killed by a brykolakas rises as an aquatic ghoul in 1d4 days under the control of the brykolakas that created it.
When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons.
Zombie: When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons.
Shadow: According to ancient texts, masters of the arcane arts created beings of living darkness to aid and protect them. These beings, known now as shadows, were formed through a combination of darkness and evil.
A creature reduced to 0 Strength by a shadow wolf’s Drain attack is slain. The deceased rises again as a normal shadow within 1d4 rounds, losing all class abilities, and forever functioning as an ordinary shadow.
Vampire Spawn: If a vampire wolf chooses, it can drain the blood or energy of a human victim in such a way as to bring the deceased into unlife as a vampire spawn. This spawn is under the control of the slaying wolf. This ability is not automatic, but must be consciously used.

SKELETON PULL, Level 6 Necromancer
CT, 1 action R, 30 ft. D, instantaneous
SV, wisdom negates SR, Yes Comp (V, S, M)
A necromancer’s connection to the dark powers of the abyss allows them to simply rip the skeleton from a humanoid body killing them instantly and creating an undead servant. Any humanoid creature within 30 ft. of the caster, and visible, can be affected by this spell. The victim’s allies nearby bear witness to the necromancer’s dark power as the skeleton tears free of its flesh in a cloud of blood and gore. This awe-inspiring power, and the gory scene it creates forces a wisdom save against fear for all enemies that witness it. Those that fail flee for 5 minutes. The skeleton created is a normal 1 HD skeleton under control of the necromancer. The prudent caster uses this spell but once per day for each additional use per day stands a 10% chance (cumulative) of sending the caster’s soul straight to the abyss. A successful wisdom save resists these dark forces. The saving throw receives a bonus for each HD or level above 4. Anyone slain by this spell can only be brought back to life by a true resurrection, or a wish.
The material component of this spell is the powdered bone of a skeleton that is thrown in the direction of the victim.

 

[Voadam]

Tome of the Unclean

Tome of the Unclean
Castles & Crusades
Devil Discarnate: The discarnate are the souls and spirits of those who died in hell and were trapped there, their bodies left to rot, unburied.
Those who die in Aufstrag, remain there, their souls trapped until their bodies are laid to rest in hallowed ground. These are the discarnate.
Genitch Beetle: These beetles are found throughout all the lower planes. They spawn on the corpse of very evil creatures, living embodiments of the lingering evil of the creature itself. Usually several dozen to a hundred spawn.

Undead: Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces.
Zombie: If a victim falls to a caraton, either by loss of hit points or loss of levels, they cannot be resurrected or raised by normal methods. Short of a wish spell, they are irrevocably dead. The victim’s soul will be whisked away to the Abyss while their body will be animated as an undead using the chart below:
1-10 Zombie
11-15 Shadow
16-19 Wight
20 Wraith
Shadow: If a victim falls to a caraton, either by loss of hit points or loss of levels, they cannot be resurrected or raised by normal methods. Short of a wish spell, they are irrevocably dead. The victim’s soul will be whisked away to the Abyss while their body will be animated as an undead using the chart below:
1-10 Zombie
11-15 Shadow
16-19 Wight
20 Wraith
Wight: If a victim falls to a caraton, either by loss of hit points or loss of levels, they cannot be resurrected or raised by normal methods. Short of a wish spell, they are irrevocably dead. The victim’s soul will be whisked away to the Abyss while their body will be animated as an undead using the chart below:
1-10 Zombie
11-15 Shadow
16-19 Wight
20 Wraith
Wraith: If a victim falls to a caraton, either by loss of hit points or loss of levels, they cannot be resurrected or raised by normal methods. Short of a wish spell, they are irrevocably dead. The victim’s soul will be whisked away to the Abyss while their body will be animated as an undead using the chart below:
1-10 Zombie
11-15 Shadow
16-19 Wight
20 Wraith

 

[Voadam]

Castle Keeper's Guide to the Haunted Highlands

Castle Keeper's Guide to the Haunted Highlands
Castles & Crusades
Barrow Wight: A humanoid slain by a barrow wight becomes a barrow wight in 1d4 rounds.
Bhuta: When a person is murdered, the spirit sometimes clings to the world, refusing to accept its mortal death. This spirit possesses its original body and seeks out those responsible for its murder.
Blood Wight: Blood wights are the bloated, risen corpses of those tortured souls who have bled to death on unholy ground.
Bogeyman: Bogeymen are the stuff of legends: creatures created in the minds of parents who relayed stories about incorporeal ghosts coming to carry their children off if they didn’t go to bed when they were supposed to, didn’t do their chores when asked, and so on. The spectral bogeyman’s ties to the land of the living are a result of these stories. Often, these stories are based on the exploits of criminals, murderers, and madmen that live or have lived in the local area. By the very nature of their creation, bogeymen are evil. They are creatures born of fear and lies, delighting in the torment their fear harbors.
Brine Zombie: Brine zombies are the remnants of a ship’s crew that has perished at sea.
The spark of evil that brought them back from the ocean depths drives them to seek the living so they may join them in their watery graves.
If an entire ship sinks at sea with the loss of all hands, the ship itself and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers. The captain usually rises as a draug and his crew rises as brine zombies.
When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons.
Brykolakas: Their true origin is unknown, although it is thought a recipe in the Black Libram of Nartarus and the bodies of aquatic ghouls are involved.
Coffer Corpse: A coffer corpse is formed when a recently deceased humanoid is the victim of an incomplete death ritual.
Cinder Ghoul: A creature that is burned to death by magical fire may rise again as a fiery undead being called a cinder ghoul. The lairs of old red dragons may be haunted by many of these pathetic, angry spirits, and many a wizard that has dispatched a foe with a well-placed fireball has been found mysteriously charred to death many months after they died.
Crypt Thing: Crypt things are undead creatures found guarding tombs, graves, crypts, and other such structures. They are created by spellcasters to guard such areas and they never leave their assigned area.
Crypt Guardian: ?
Eldritch Head: These disembodied heads are the craftsmanship of fell necromancers.
Eldritch Heads have been infused with a portion of the necromancer’s arcane energies, and as such assault those who would interfere with their master’s property with magical assaults.
Demilich: A demilich is an advanced lich of great power. When the animating force of a lich ceases to exist and the material body finally decays (often after centuries of un-death) the soul lingers in the area and slowly over time possesses all that remains of the lich—its skull.
Draug: The draug is the vengeful spirit of a ship’s captain who died at sea, thus being denied a proper burial. If an entire ship sinks at sea with the loss of all hands, the ship itself and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers. The captain usually rises as a draug and his crew rises as brine zombies.
When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons.
Dust Ghoul: When a humanoid creature dies on the Parched Expanse on the Plane of Molten Skies, there is a good chance it returns from the afterlife as a dust ghoul—an undead, flesh-eating creature composed of dust and earth.
Fear Guard: Any living creature reduced to wisdom of 0 by a fear guard becomes a fear guard under the control of its killer within 2d6 hours. If a bless spell is cast on the corpse before this time, it prevents the transformation.
Fire Phantom: When a humanoid creature dies on the Elemental Plane of Fire, its soul often melds with part of the fiery plane and reforms as a fire phantom: A humanoid creature composed of rotted and burnt flesh swathed in elemental fire.
Fye: Fye are cursed, solitary, incorporeal spirits whose death took place in the vicinity of a temple of evil, or other such desecrated place.
Hoarfrost Maiden: Believed to be the spirits of humanoid warrior-women that froze to death either because of their own mistakes or because of some ritualistic exile into the icy wastes by their culture, hoarfrost maidens haunt the icy wastelands of the world seeking warm–blooded living creatures in which to share their icy hell.
Lantern Goat: Lantern goats are undead wanderers thought to be the coalescence of souls of people who died while lost in the wilderness. Just as normal goats sometimes drift from the shepherd’s care and fall prey to the dangers of the wild, so too do humans and demi-humans often meet with a dire end while trekking alone in the hills.
Whether they die of exposure or become a predator’s meal, these lost travelers usually journey in spirit form to the afterlife. Some, however, if they perish too close to a lantern goat, find their souls drawn into the fell receptacle the creature wears around its neck. The scarred and battered lantern that descends from the goat’s neck serves to channel souls into the creature itself. As the goat moves through the hills, its lantern casts a sickening yellow glow that attracts the souls of the recently deceased.
Grave Risen: Any creature hit by a claw attack from a grave risen must make a constitution save (Challenge Level 5) or contract a deviant form of blood poisoning. Those who fail, suffer 1 point of constitution damage per minute until they are cured with a neutralize poison spell or ranger special ability. Humanoids who die from this malady rise in 1d4 days as a grave risen.
These undead creatures are the cursed remainder of dwarves who were buried alive after the quake.
Mortuary Cyclone: A mortuary cyclone is an undead creature born when living creatures tamper with or desecrate a mass grave (either magically or naturally).
Mummy of the Deep: It is the result of an evil creature that was buried at sea for its sins in life. The wickedness permeating the former life has managed to cling even into un-life and revive the soul as a mummy of the deep.
Red Jester: Red jesters are thought to be the remains of court jesters put to death for telling bad puns, making fun of the local ruler, or dying in an untimely manner (which could be attributed to one or both of the first two). Another tale speaks of the red jesters as being the court jesters of the Demon Prince of Whimsy and Madness, sent to the Material Plane to “entertain” those whom the prince has taken a special interest in. The actual truth to their origin remains a mystery.
Shadow Lesser: According to ancient texts, masters of the arcane arts created beings of living darkness to aid and protect them. These beings, known now as shadows, were formed through a combination of darkness and evil. Other beings of darkness, lesser beings not quite as powerful as the originals were also created. These creatures became known as lesser shadows.
Shadow Rat: ?
Shadow Rat Swarm: ?
Skeleton Small Beast: These small skeletal creatures are typically raised from the skeletal remains of dogs, cats, wolves, coyotes and the like. Some necromancers prefer raising them up as they can get twice as many smaller minions from a single casting of Animate Dead as they would the larger humanoid skeleton stock.
Soul Reaper: ?
Spectral Hero: Spectral Heroes are the undead spirits of heroes who served well their deity in life.
Wolf Ghoul: ?
Wolf Shadow: ?
Wolf Vampiric: ?
Zombie Hulk: Zombie hulks are zombies raised from the fresh corpses of large beasts such as ogres, bugbears, trolls, and minotaur.
Zombie Plague: Beings bit by plague zombies must make a successful save vs. disease (Challenge Level 2) or lose 1d4 points of Constitution. Each hour thereafter the victim must make an additional save vs. plague or again lose 1d4 Constitution. This continues until the victim is dead.
1d10 rounds after a victim succumbs to the zombie infection, they rise as a plague zombie, intent on attacking any living creature it comes across.
Urthrasta The Greater Mummy: ?
Skeletal Cat: ?
Zombie Bat: ?
Orc Zombie: Skalnoc orders the bodies of any and all fallen orcs taken to this sector for “burial” and using the power of the Demon Eye to animate dead.
Lluvandro the Black: ?
Y'Bras the Drinker Grave Knight Vampire: ?
Lucarne the Wight Knight: ?
Jelaquin: ?
Nulsrad the Mummy: ?
Grave Lords Vampire: ?
Grave Lords Pleasure Slave: ?
Ron Riccio Human Vampire Fighter 10: ?
Miss Charity Lady of Thirst: ?

Lacedon: A humanoid or monstrous humanoid killed by a brykolakas rises as an aquatic ghoul in 1d4 days under the control of the brykolakas that created it.
When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons.
Skeleton: When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons.
Zombie: A creature reduced to 0 strength by a charnel spider’s poison dies and rises as a zombie under the charnel spider’s control in 1d4 rounds.
When a ship sinks beneath the waves, it and its entire crew may return as ghostly wanderers, especially if the captain and crew had a less than scrupulous profession (as pirates, for example). A sunken ship of this nature may undergo a transformation from the negative energy and evil surrounding it. When this happens, the ship rises from the deep, piloted by a draug and manned by skeletons, brine zombies, zombies, and lacedons.
Spectre: Any living creature slain by a mortuary cyclone’s necrocone attack (see below) or energy drain attack becomes a spectre in 1d4 rounds.
Rune of Undeath victim with more than 10 HD.
Shadow: According to ancient texts, masters of the arcane arts created beings of living darkness to aid and protect them. These beings, known now as shadows, were formed through a combination of darkness and evil.
A creature reduced to 0 strength by a shadow wolf’s drain attack is slain. The deceased rises again as a normal shadow within 1d4 rounds, losing all class abilities, and forever functioning as an ordinary shadow.
Rune of Undeath victim with less than 5 HD.
Vampire Spawn: If a vampire wolf chooses, it can drain the blood or energy of a human victim in such a way as to bring the deceased into un-life as a vampire spawn. This spawn is under the control of the slaying wolf. This ability is not automatic, but must be consciously used. An affected humanoid loses all abilities, and gains the statistics of a vampire spawn.
Vampire: Typically, they began their career as thrall or spawn to another vampire of greater power, who was somehow destroyed or through great loneliness chose to destroy itself. The spawn of these beings typically turn upon one another like so many rats. The survivor becomes a vampire as described in Monsters & Treasure.
Any being struck with the Scepter of Death rises in the following round as a vampire, ghost, or in the case of spell casters of sufficient power… a lich cursed to do the bidding of their cruel slayer.
Ghoul: This encounter is with dead huntsmen, adventurers and humanoid monsters who have run afoul of the ghoul bands which hunt the wood and have themselves been turned.
As with wights, the touch of Nartarus is ever reaching. Some of those who were buried alive crossed beyond death and became ghouls.
Ghast: ?
Wight: This burial chamber once housed the remains of four warlords of a dead line of Ugashtan clansmen. The rousing of Urthrasta and the pillaging of their tomb has returned the corpses of the dead lords as wights.
The evil of Nartarus crawls even into the strongest hearts. The gnarled reach of the unholy one’s claw is long and some who died during the quake were transformed by the will of the god of death.
Wraith: Wraiths are the angry spritits of explorers and villains who have died a horrible death within the cursed wood.
Rune of Undeath victim with more than 5 HD.
The wraiths were dwarves killed in the great quake.
Ghost: While the scorched walls of the tavern still teeter, the roof has burned away to collapse on the interior, crushing and burning the inside of the building. Hunter’s Moon was the last hiding place of a few straggling refugees and the elderly bard trying to lead them to safety. The bard’s rage lives on in the form of a ghost whose unearthly howling haunts the decrepit ruin.
Any being struck with the Scepter of Death rises in the following round as a vampire, ghost, or in the case of spell casters of sufficient power… a lich cursed to do the bidding of their cruel slayer.
Lich: Any being struck with the Scepter of Death rises in the following round as a vampire, ghost, or in the case of spell casters of sufficient power… a lich cursed to do the bidding of their cruel slayer.

RUNE OF UNDEATH: This powerful dwarven curse is reserved for only the most notable of dwarven thanes and nobles. By the activation of this rune the target must make a save vs. death (CL 7) or be instantly slain, arising in 1d4 rounds as an undead guardian of the place of defilement. Beings with less than 5 HD rise as a shadow. Beings with over 5 HD rise as a wraith, beings of over 10 HD rise as a specter.