Undead Origins

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Journals of Dread Book 1 Secrets of the Ooze

Journals of Dread Book 1 Secrets of the Ooze
Pathfinder 1e
Slime Zombie: Anyone who dies while infected with slime rot rises as a slime zombie in 2d6 hours.

Slime Rot: slam; save Fort DC = 10 + 1/2 the zombie’s Hit Dice + the zombie’s Cha modifier; onset 1d4 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d2 Con, this damage cannot be healed while the creature is infected; cure 2 consecutive saves. Anyone who dies while infected rises as a slime zombie in 2d6 hours.

 

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Journals of Dread Vol. II Secrets of the Skeleton

Journals of Dread Vol. II Secrets of the Skeleton
Pathfinder 1e
Skeleton: "Skeleton" is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead) that has a skeletal system.
Exoskeleton: An exoskeleton is an empty husk, an animated carapace of vermin infused with the power of a necromancer, though a few are spontaneous creations.
Animating an exoskeleton with animate dead causes it to take up twice as many hit dice from the amount you can create with a single casting of animate dead, so if you could normally make 10 skeletons, you can only make 5 exoskeletons.
"Exoskeleton" is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal vermin that has an exoskeleton.
Haunted Exoskeleton: Rarely, an exoskeleton is haunted by the lost spirit of a stubborn soul. This wreaks havoc on the spirit, wiping away most of its memories but giving the exoskeleton an Intelligence score of 10, along with all of the feats and skill ranks its Hit Dice would afford.
Bloody Skeleton: Animating a bloody skeleton with animate dead causes it to take up twice as many hit dice from the amount you can create with a single casting of animate dead, so if you could normally make 10 skeletons, you can only make 5 bloody skeletons.
Burning Skeleton: Animating a burning skeleton with animate dead causes it to take up twice as many hit dice from the amount you can create with a single casting of animate dead, so if you could normally make 10 skeletons, you can only make 5 burning skeletons.
Cackling Skeleton: Animating a cackling skeleton with animate dead causes it to take up twice as many hit dice from the amount you can create with a single casting of animate dead, so if you could normally make 10 skeletons, you can only make 5 cackling skeletons.
Crystalline Skeleton: Animating a crystalline skeleton with animate dead causes it to take up twice as many hit dice from the amount you can create with a single casting of animate dead, so if you could normally make 10 skeletons, you can only make 5 crystalline skeletons.
Further, this also replaces the material component of the animate dead spell, causing it to require glass or obsidian worth at least 25 gp per Hit Dice of the undead, instead of the normal onyx gems (though this can be mixed and matched, to create a variety of skeleton types with one casting).
Dread Skeleton: "Dread Skeleton" is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with a skeleton or exoskeleton.
Elemental Skeleton: Animating an elemental skeleton with animate dead causes it to take up twice as many hit dice from the amount you can create with a single casting of animate dead, so if you could normally make 10 skeletons, you can only make 5 elemental skeletons.
Mechanical Skeleton: Animating a mechanical skeleton with animate dead causes it to take up twice as many hit dice from the amount you can create with a single casting of animate dead, so if you could normally make 10 skeletons, you can only make 5 mechanical skeletons.
Skeleton Champion: Some skeletons retain their intelligence and cunning, making them formidable warriors.
Unlike many other skeletons, a skeleton champion cannot be animated through the use of animate dead. Instead, these skeletons are free-willed, rising up from the dead only through extraordinary circumstances, similar to those that cause the rise of ghosts, via rare and vile rituals, or through the actions of an angry deity.
"Skeletal Champion" is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead) that has a skeletal system and a minimum Intelligence of 3.
Twice-Transcended Skeleton: The twice-transcended skeletons are a particularly strange type of skeleton, who were once animated, killed, and then restored to a semblance of their old bodies, except these bodies are now only the spiritual memories of the existing body.
Animating a twice-transcended skeleton with animate dead causes it to take up twice as many hit dice from the amount you can create with a single casting of animate dead, so if you could normally make 10 skeletons, you can only make 5 twice-transcended skeletons.
Vampiric Skeleton: Animating a vampiric skeleton with animate dead causes it to take up twice as many hit dice from the amount you can create with a single casting of animate dead, so if you could normally make 10 skeletons, you can only make 5 vampiric skeletons.
This also requires the caster of animate dead to know vampiric touch and lose the spell for that day (if the caster must prepare spells each day. Otherwise they expend a single use of vampiric touch, similar to casting it normally), though this does not otherwise affect the casting of animate dead.
Black Skeleton: Black skeletons are the remnants of living creatures slain in an area where the ground is soaked through with evil. The bodies of fallen heroes are contaminated and polluted by such evil and within days after their death, the slain creatures rise as black skeletons, leaving their former lives and bodies behind.
Skeletal Drake: The skeletal drake is the animated remains of a dragon or wyvern who was killed in an area strong in necromantic magic (such as that created by unhallow), and which is left undisturbed for that time. The skeletal drake rises a year later, a mindless automation seeking only the destruction of living things.
Skeletal Master: Skeletal masters are the result of a spellcaster trying to ascend to lichdom and failing. They are exceedingly rare, as normally any spellcaster failing to become a lich simply dies or is destroyed. For the skeletal masters to happen, the spellcaster must almost succeed, only to fall at the final hurdle. Where a lich becomes more powerful if the experiment succeeds, the skeletal master is reduced to a mere shade of its former power, and it knows it.
Skeletal Tutor: Skeletal tutors are not created in the manner that other skeletons are. Instead, they arise spontaneously at the whim of the gods of the undead when one of their servants create normal skeletons with the animate dead spell.
Skeleton Noble: Skeleton nobles were once brave knights of the cold counties of the world, pledged to defend their lands. As time ravaged them, however, and they grew older, they saw younger, fitter, heroes taking their place on the front lines, and resentment grew. Eventually, they turned to dark powers to regain their vigor, pleading themselves to the lords of Hell, in exchange for eternal vigor.
Their wish was granted, and they became skeleton nobles, standing ever vigilant against younger heroes, fighting on battlefields where they no longer belong and destroying anything that they held dear while still alive.

 

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Racial Profiles Expanded Hungry Souls

Racial Profiles Expanded Hungry Souls
Pathfinder 1e
Undead: Failed save on critical from Vex.
Failed save on critical from weapon with undeath quality.

Vex: This +3 keen miasma undeath dagger was once the vile tool used by Vex, an undead necromancer, who claimed he was alive during the fall of some ancient civilization, some millenia ago, back before he became a sentient dagger of death. It's not as though anyone can prove otherwise.
This deadly looking obsidian dagger not only deals an extra 1d6 points of negative energy damage with every blow, but upon a successfully confirmed critical attack, Vex deals an additional 1d10 points of negative energy damage, forcing the target of the attack to make a Fortitude save, (DC 10 + the damage dealt by the negative energy) or become undead, the effect of which is permanent. Once turned undead they then make a Will save, (DC 10 + the damage dealt by the negative energy) or be subject to the will of the wielder. On a successful Fortitude save, the target resists the transformation and takes the negative energy damage normally.
The target of the attack gains the undead template, and gains a negative energy affinity; however this effect may be reversed by the spell remove curse.
Undead Vexaction (Su): This ability functions as the spell create greater undead, and may be used once per day while Vex is active.

Undeath (+5 Bonus): Upon a successfully confirmed critical attack, this enchantment deals an additional 1d10 points of negative energy damage, forcing the target to make a Fortitude save, (DC 10 + the damage dealt by the negative energy) or become undead, and must make a Will save, (DC 10 + the damage dealt by the negative energy) or be subject to the will of the wielder, the effect of which is permanent. On a successful Fortitude save, the target resists the transformation and takes the negative energy damage normally.
The target of the attack gains the undead template, and gains a negative energy affinity; however this effect may be reversed by the spell remove curse.
This enchantment may only be used on piercing or slashing weapons.

 

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Starjammer Core Rules

Starjammer Core Rules
Pathfinder 1e
Tardigrade Undead: ?

 

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Starjammer Core Rules (Starfinder Edition)

Starjammer Core Rules (Starfinder Edition)
Starfinder
Tardigrade Undead: ?

 

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Ultimate Evil

Ultimate Evil
Pathfinder 1e
Undead: Ultimate Cruelty feat.
Sir Gregar Berengar, Knight of Flames, Hman Graveknight Antipaldin 17: Sir Gregor Berengar is a tragic figure. He once stood as the greatest single follower of Diadem, the greatest god of duty, honor, and loyalty. He served Diadem as an absolutely faithful follower for most of his life, standing as a symbol of what it truly means to respect order and structure. Sadly, in his final years in the order he began to display signs of impending madness. He began to take the teachings of Diadem to further and further extremes, ultimately getting lost within his own twisted maze of what is order and what is duty and what the world has become when left to its own devices. He decided that order must be imposed before man destroys the greatest gift given to him, the very world man inhabits.
To this end he assumed control over the land he once served, declaring that all must follow his commands, to the letter, or be slain. The church of Diadem quickly determined that Gregor had lost his mind. They prayed extensively to Diadem for guidance and wisdom but all they gleaned was that either Gregor must be destroyed, or his will is good- that is, if he is allowed to succeed then it is the will of Diadem that he does so. The church could not allow this to happen and so formed a plot to see to his demise. Even his own children saw the monster he had become and decided to work with the church and so the plot was hatched to entrap Gregor within the temple, along with his foul steed Morgari, at which point the church would be destroyed by fire, removing all remnants of Gregor from the world.
With his dying breath, Gregor swore a new oath, that to serve Thuel until his ultimate destruction. Thuel is the god of battle, rage, anger, lust, and revenge and this more than adequately served Gregor’s needs. Thuel happily accepted Gregor’s oath and thus was born a new Sir Gregor,
Morgari: Sir Gregor Berengar is a tragic figure. He once stood as the greatest single follower of Diadem, the greatest god of duty, honor, and loyalty. He served Diadem as an absolutely faithful follower for most of his life, standing as a symbol of what it truly means to respect order and structure. Sadly, in his final years in the order he began to display signs of impending madness. He began to take the teachings of Diadem to further and further extremes, ultimately getting lost within his own twisted maze of what is order and what is duty and what the world has become when left to its own devices. He decided that order must be imposed before man destroys the greatest gift given to him, the very world man inhabits.
To this end he assumed control over the land he once served, declaring that all must follow his commands, to the letter, or be slain. The church of Diadem quickly determined that Gregor had lost his mind. They prayed extensively to Diadem for guidance and wisdom but all they gleaned was that either Gregor must be destroyed, or his will is good- that is, if he is allowed to succeed then it is the will of Diadem that he does so. The church could not allow this to happen and so formed a plot to see to his demise. Even his own children saw the monster he had become and decided to work with the church and so the plot was hatched to entrap Gregor within the temple, along with his foul steed Morgari, at which point the church would be destroyed by fire, removing all remnants of Gregor from the world.
With his dying breath, Gregor swore a new oath, that to serve Thuel until his ultimate destruction. Thuel is the god of battle, rage, anger, lust, and revenge and this more than adequately served Gregor’s needs. Thuel happily accepted Gregor’s oath and thus was born a new Sir Gregor,
Moira de Ananke, Banshee Bard 9: Moira is the ghost of a famous entertainer killed by her husband after he slit her throat so he could be exclusively with his mistress. Before she died she led a very successful career as a bard, playing for famous nobles and wealthy merchants. Since her death she has been solely focused on destroying all men whom she now sees as a curse upon the world.
Bloodknight: A bloodknight can create spawn out of those it slays with its blood drain or energy drain, provided that the slain creature is of the same creature type as the bloodknight’s base creature type. The victim rises from death as a vampire in 1d4 days, under the command of the bloodknight. A bloodknight may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own hit dice; any spawn it creates that exceeds this limit are free-willed undead. The bloodknight may free enslaved spawn to create new spawn, but can never regain control over the freed undead again. The bloodknight can elect to create a full-fledged bloodknight in place of a spawn, but rarely do so, viewing them as dangerous rivals. At most, a bloodknight may create a single of its own kind to serve as a squire.
Vampire: A bloodknight can create spawn out of those it slays with its blood drain or energy drain, provided that the slain creature is of the same creature type as the bloodknight’s base creature type. The victim rises from death as a vampire in 1d4 days, under the command of the bloodknight. A bloodknight may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own hit dice; any spawn it creates that exceeds this limit are free-willed undead. The bloodknight may free enslaved spawn to create new spawn, but can never regain control over the freed undead again. The bloodknight can elect to create a full-fledged bloodknight in place of a spawn, but rarely do so, viewing them as dangerous rivals. At most, a bloodknight may create a single of its own kind to serve as a squire.

ULTIMATE CRUELTY
By using your touch of corruption, you can bring back the dead as an undead servitor.
Prerequisite(s): Cha 19, touch of corruption, cruelty class feature.
Benefit(s): You can expend 10 uses of touch of corruption to turn a dead creature into an undead creature, as per create undead with caster level equal to your antipaladin level. You must provide the material components or choose to accept 1 temporary negative level; this level automatically goes away after 24 hours, never becomes a permanent negative level, and cannot be overcome in any way except by waiting for the 24 hour duration to expire.

 

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Alternate Paths: Divine Characters 2 Odd Gods

Alternate Paths: Divine Characters 2 Odd Gods
Pathfinder 1e
Undead: A dead body has no soul but their soul room still exists. What actually happens when a creature is turned into an undead is that their soul room is forced open and the caster is placed inside. Liches gain 1 soul room per phylactery, though they guard these with powerful magics.
Avatar class death domain Greater Godvessel power.
Sacred Dead: Sacred dead are divinely inspired undead animated not by dark magic but sacred energy. These holy dead carry on the pious task they performed in life, forever acting as servants to the divine that preserve them. Awakened from fallen or specially chosen true believers, special rites brand holy marks onto the flesh to bond the pious soul to their body. This special ritual is often used to preserve the exceptionally faithful and devout, so that they may serve the church even in death. Rarely, a deity will raise a specific individual without the use of a ritual, often to allow a follower to complete some ordained task.
As they are literally the rebirth of a pious soul, sacred dead retain the memories of their previous life, although they say it takes on a dream-like quality to them; as if it were all something that happened to a different person.

 

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Dragoon (Base Class and Lore)

Dragoon (Base Class and Lore)
Starfinder
Dragoon Silent Order, Skeletal Agent of Nita: ?
Dragoon Ravener, Thrall: In the far reaches of space lives the skeletal dragonlich Zova’bor (Zoe-va-bore). She is ancient and sorcerous blue dragon that turned herself into a lich and does not produce dragoons but instead steals them from other orders. She cannot make True Scales so instead makes “Ravener Skulls”- magic artifacts made of humanoid skulls that take over the soul of a dragoon when placed where their head should be.
However, Zova’bor can only control dragoons who stray from their oaths or have weakness in their hearts. Those that resist her temptations cannot be captured in the swayed by her in the future and any rejection wounds her soul (as rejection destroys the newly created phylactery and with it a piece of her soul).
Those under her dominion are called “Thralls” and can be easily identified by their floating skulls with ominously glowing eyes. They have no will of their own, little better than zombies, and commit terrible acts on her behalf. Some accept her willingly and seek her out. These are rewarded with a degree of independence and autonomy, though Zova’bor is always watching. These “Raveners” are her elite troops, the generals of her armies, and her confidants.
Dragoon Ravener, Elite Trooper: ?
Dragoon Ravener, General: ?
Dragoon Ravener, Confidant: ?
Undead: ?
Unintelligent Undead: ?
Intelligent Undead: ?
Zova'bor, Dracolich, Skeletal Dragonlich, Lich, Draconic Lich: In the far reaches of space lives the skeletal dragonlich Zova’bor (Zoe-va-bore). She is ancient and sorcerous blue dragon that turned herself into a lich and does not produce dragoons but instead steals them from other orders.
Lesser Lich: ?
Zombie: ?

 

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The Book of Many Things

The Book of Many Things
Pathfinder 1e
Lich: Necromancer Necromantic Epiphany power.
Humanoid Skeleton: ?
Humanoid Zombie: ?

Necromantic Epiphany (Su): The necromancer knows well what happens to the godless when they die, and he intends to avoid such a terrible fate. At 20th level, the necromancer constructs a phylactery that he then uses to turn herself into a lich.

 

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Demon Cults & Secret Societies

Demon Cults & Secret Societies
Pathfinder 1e
Arikiine, Derro Vampire Alchemist 10: ?
Jasna Veldrik, Elf Darakhul Cleric 13: ?
Kazimir Ernis, Gnome Darakhul Necrophagus 14: ?
Performance Eater, Human Darakhul Barde 2/Expert 3: ?
Darakhul: Die from Darakhul fever and fort save 31+.
Ghoul: Die from Darakhul fever and fort save 10-16.
Ghast: Die from Darakhul fever and fort save 17-20.
Dread Ghoul: Die from Darakhul fever and fort save 21-26.
Dread Ghast: Die from Darakhul fever and fort save 27-30.
Greater Festrog: Like their smaller brethren, greater festrogs are created when a creature is killed by massive amounts of negative energy. In the case of greater festrogs, those killed are typically giants
Serrin, Advanced Greater Shadow Antipaldin 6: Nikolai kept tabs on her exploits after they parted ways and was dismayed to discover that a powerful shadow creature had slain her. Unbeknownst to him, however, she had returned to unlife and started a minor reign of terror, draining travelers on the road.
Contaminant Shade: Contaminant Shade Curse.
Cosmina Holrosu, Vampire Mesmerist 13: A manifestation of Marena appeared before Cosmina and caressed her face. Overwhelmed, Cosmina swore devotion to the goddess for eternity, and Marena's hand left its mark upon her skin as a reminder of the oath. Cosmina's new existence as a vampire affirms her promise.
Darakhul Mercenary, Darkahul Fighter 6: ?
Drekkan, Human Vampire Witch 8: ?
Revenant: The creature is a former crime boss in the city who recently vanished and was assume murdered by a rival. The undead is a revenant, recently slain in one of the Sanguine Path’s blood rites, and seeks venegance on the cult leader that sacrificed it.
Mummy Venomous: These variant mummies are crafted by Selket’s faithful to guard their holy sites and tombs.
Spellscourged Couatl: This creature is the result of a couatl that attempted to aid victims of the Servants of the White Ape only to be attacked and repelled by the cult’s white ape warriors. Injured, it returned to its lair but fell victim to the spellscourge that infected it during the battle. The disease struck the couatl down, bringing it back in this tormented, undead form.
Spellscourged: The spellscourge is a terrible disease and greatly feared by those who use magic. They would fear it all the more if they knew that, in rare instances, a spellcaster that dies of the spellscourge comes back as an undead creature, its mind twisted and broken from the disease.
“Spellscourged” is an acquired template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature with the ability to cast spells or spell-like abilities.

Disease (Su) Darakhul fever: Bite—injury; save Fortitude DC 17; onset 1 day; effect 1d6 Con and 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves.
A creature that dies while infected with darakhul fever must attempt a Fortitude save (see Darakhul Fever sidebar). If the result is high enough, it rises as a darakhul rather than as a standard ghoul within an hour. A darakhul is a free-willed undead. A creature that rises as a standard ghoul or ghast is controlled by the darakhul whose fever infected it.
Darakhul fever
When consulting this table, the infected creature must attempt a Fortitude saving throw to determine how accustomed the creature becomes to its new incarnation.
Creatures that do not make at least a DC 10 do not become ghouls. The disease kills them instead. This provides the ultimate penalty for trying and failing to enter the ghoul’s kingdom as one of them, and it makes it possible for evil creatures to deliberately infect themselves, and optimize their chances with bear’s endurance, a belt of mighty constitution, and the like.
Fortitude Save Result New Incarnation
10–16 Ghoul
17–20 Ghast
21–26 Dread Ghoul
27–30 Dread Ghast
31+ Darakhul

Contaminant Shade Curse (Su) Creatures that take strength damage from contaminant shade’s lingering damage ability or who are reduced to 0 Str by the shade's touch attack must succeed at a DC 17 Will save or contract the contaminant shade curse. An afflicted creature shows no symptoms at first. However, when the creature is exposed to magical darkness, it transforms into a contaminant shade. This transformation persists for one hour after leaving the area of magical darkness, but it ends immediately upon exposure to a 3rd-level or higher spell with the light descriptor. If a creature remains transformed for four hours or longer, it must attempt another DC 17 Will save or become a contaminant shade permanently. The save DCs are Charisma‑based.
A remove disease or heal spell cast by a cleric with the Sun domain (or any of its subdomains) cures this curse. Alternatively, reducing an afflicted creature to 0 hp with a damaging spell with the light descriptor allows the creature to attempt a new Will save to shake off the curse. However, if a creature has transformed permanently, only a resurrection can restore it to its original form.