Undead Origins

[Voadam]

Weird War Two d20: Hell Freezes Over
3.0
Vampire: According to Russian and Romanian folklore, a vampire could be created by way of improper burial, unnatural death, being a seventh son, being bitten by a vampire, excommunication, suicide, witchcraft, immorality, being conceived on certain days, birth curses or defects (tail), and leaving a corpse unburied on the windy Steppes.
Johannes Fluckinger, an Austrian medical officer in 1732 investigated a “vampirism epidemic” in the Siberian village of Medvegia. According to his report, Arnod Paole died in 1727 after falling off a hay wagon. Soon four villagers felt ill and died after Arnod Paole supposedly visited them in the night. Cattle’s blood had also been sucked. According to Fluckinger:
“They dug up this Arnod Paole…and they found that…fresh blood had flowed from eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. The shirt, the covering, and the coffin were completely bloody. The old nails on his hands and feet, along with his skin, had fallen off, and new ones had grown. And since they saw from this that he was a true vampire, they drove a stake through his heart… whereby he gave an audible groan and bled copiously. Thereupon they burned the body the same day to ashes and threw these into the grave.”
In 1731, 17 villagers died within weeks of each after having eaten the meat of the cattle attacked by Paole back in 1727. They were suspected of being vampires. All their graves were dug up and 12 of the 17 looked like Paole’s grave back in 1727. Their heads were cut off, bodies burned, and ashes thrown into a river.
Vampire, Dracula: ?
Vampire, Erzbet Bathory: ?
Vampire, Peter Plogojowitz: ?
Vampire, Arnod Paole: ?
Nachzehrer: ?
Strigoi, Dead Vampire: ?
Vrykolakas: ?
Corpse Mine, Exploding Corpse: Blood mages in Africa have passed on their techniques of making corpse mines to the blood mages assigned to the Eastern Front. Some of these same blood mages who survived the May 1943 defeat in Africa may be reassigned to the Eastern Front.
Blood mages who served in North Africa have passed on their techniques of creating corpse mines to blood mages assigned to the Eastern Front. These blood mages, working out of concentration camps, leading an Einsatzgruppen patrol or assigned to a front line combat situation, have advanced the research to create flesh hungry corpses that explode once their chemically and magically enhanced bodies absorb a certain amount of small arms fire.
Only corpses that have not lost body parts or suffered massive damage are used.
Drained of all blood and pressurized, exploding corpses are obviously bloated in appearance, pale yellow, and stink more of formaldehyde, gasoline, and glue than of rotting flesh.
Grave Bane: The Nazis often lined up undesirables (Jews, Slavs, and Gypsies for example) facing the edges of open pits and trenches and shot them in the back or head. From 1939 to 1943, efforts were often made to hide evidence of these atrocities by covering the open pits and trenches with dirt. However, during the last two years of the war, in efforts to hastily implement the Final Solution, the Nazis, in their withdrawal back to Berlin, often left mass executions unburied and exposed to the elements. A grave bane is one such open pit or trench filled and stacked with up to 100 decomposing victims that cannot achieve peace in death until justice is carried out.
Sand-Rot Mummy: ?
Ghul: ?

 

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Weird War Two d20: Hell in the Hedgerows
3.0
Hedge Fiend: The “blood hedge” has also become animate, and has already entangled several citizens of La Boulage—and soldiers of the Reich—in its thorny embrace. Once slain, these decimated corpses are infected with the hedge’s own sentience and rise to serve it as gruesome undead.
Air Wraith: Air wraiths are the undead spirits of pilots who have been damned to hell, and resurrected by means of dark magic.

Zombie: Hapless victims of the SS Blood Mage’s negative energy.
These zombies are the results of dark experiments performed by the SS Blood Mages of Schloss Fenris. They were looking into the possibilities of extracting a longevity elixir (a formula provided to Hitler by Dr. Fu Manchu, his ally in Southern China) from the bodies of local peasants. Unfortunately the process kills the donor—and turned out to be worthless as well. The result were these zombies, who the Nazis simply cast out into the woods.

 

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Weird War Two d20: Land of the Rising Dead
3.0
Hako-Iri: Hako-iri (which literally means “In a box,”) is perhaps the most advanced and hideous of the Kuromaku’s Special Projects. With their curiosity not limited by anything resembling morality, and aided by occult magic, the Kuromaku have succeeded at removing human brains and spinal columns—the unfortunate victims are vivisected while still fully conscious—and wiring them into special “braincases”: an armored box filled with preservative fluids and inscribed with forbidden runes.
These braincases are then installed in specially modified vehicles, mainly tanks, occasionally aircraft, and near the end of the war, experimental humanoid machines called tetsujin (iron men). Crewed vehicles such as tanks are fitted with autoloading cannon and other mechanical equipment that allows the hako-iri to control all of the vehicle’s functions.
The unfortunate brains that become hako-iri are all driven mad by their experience. Most become either suicidal or homicidal (if they could speak they would either only scream incessantly or beg for death), and when unleashed in battle, they either charge straight ahead seeking destruction, or simply begin to lash out at everything around them.
Shironingyo: For quite some time, the Kuromaku had been experimenting with ways to chemically enhance human beings, hoping to create a super-soldier. They hit upon a formula that caused a subject’s muscle and bone mass to increase at a fantastic rate. The process however, turned out to be so tortuously painful that the victims were driven insane before their systems gave out and they died. But this was not a failure for the Kuromaku. They found that using certain magic rituals at the moment of death kept the body alive (though the soul was gone).

 

[Voadam]

We Be Heroes?
Pathfinder 2e Playtest
Undead: ?
Whispering Tyrant: ?
Zombie Pig: Unfortunately for the couple, an undead plague recently infected the pigs. They died a few nights ago, rising the next morning as zombies before breaking through the pen and killing their owners.
Skeletal Troop: ?
Outrider: ?
Pale Horse: ?
Undead Bird: ?

 

[Voadam]

Aquilae: Bestiary of the Realm: Volume 1 (Pathfinder)
Pathfinder 1e
Undead: ?
Incorporeal Undead: ?
Allip: ?
Allip Moderate: ?
Allip Advanced: ?
Allip Elite: ?
Apostasy Wraith: ?
Apostasy Wraith Moderate: ?
Apostasy Wraith Advanced: ?
Apostasy Wraith Elite: ?
Attic Whisperer: ?
Attic Whisperer Moderate:
Attic Whisperer Advanced:
Attic Whisperer Elite:
Bakekujira: ?
Bakekujira Moderate: ?
Bakekujira Advanced: ?
Bakekujira Elite: ?
Undead Fish: ?
Undead Seabird: ?
Banshee: ?
Banshee Moderate: ?
Banshee Advanced: ?
Banshee Elite: ?
Bat Skaveling: ?
Bat Skaveling Moderate: ?
Bat Skaveling Advanced: ?
Bat Skaveling Elite: ?
Ghoul: A humanoid who dies of ghoul fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight.
Bat Sootwing: ?
Bat Sootwing Moderate: ?
Bat Sootwing Advanced: ?
Bat Sootwing Elite: ?
Baykok: ?
Baykok Moderate: ?
Baykok Advanced: ?
Baykok Elite: ?
Beheaded: ?
Beheaded Moderate: ?
Beheaded Advanced: ?
Beheaded Elite: ?
Beheaded Belching: ?
Beheaded Belching Moderate: ?
Beheaded Belching Advanced: ?
Beheaded Belching Elite: ?
Beheaded Flaming: ?
Beheaded Flaming Moderate: ?
Beheaded Flaming Advanced: ?
Beheaded Flaming Elite: ?
Beheaded Grabbing: ?
Beheaded Grabbing Moderate: ?
Beheaded Grabbing Advanced: ?
Beheaded Grabbing Elite: ?
Beheaded Screaming: ?
Beheaded Screaming Moderate: ?
Beheaded Screaming Advanced: ?
Beheaded Screaming Elite: ?
Beheaded Familiar: ?
Beheaded Familiar Moderate: ?
Beheaded Familiar Advanced: ?
Beheaded Familiar Elite: ?
Beheaded Swarming: ?
Beheaded Swarming Moderate: ?
Beheaded Swarming Advanced: ?
Beheaded Swarming Elite: ?
Berbalang: ?
Berbalang Moderate: ?
Berbalang Advanced: ?
Berbalang Elite: ?
Bhuta: ?
Bhuta Moderate: ?
Bhuta Advanced: ?
Bhuta Elite: ?
Blast Shadow: ?
Blast Shadow Moderate: ?
Blast Shadow Advanced: ?
Blast Shadow Elite: ?
Bodak: A humanoid slain by a bodak’s death gaze rises as a bodak 24 hours later.
Bodak Moderate: ?
Bodak Advanced: ?
Bodak Elite: ?
Bonestorm: ?
Bonestorm Moderate: ?
Bonestorm Advanced: ?
Bonestorm Elite: ?
Carrionstorm: ?
Carrionstorm Moderate: ?
Carrionstorm Advanced: ?
Carrionstorm Elite: ?
Chained Spirit: ?
Chained Spirit Moderate: ?
Chained Spirit Advanced: ?
Chained Spirit Elite: ?
Spectre: Any humanoid slain by a chained spirit becomes a spectre in 1d4 rounds.
Charnel Colossus: ?
Skeleton: ?
Skeleton Warrior: ?
Void Zombie: An infected creature who dies from void death disease rises as a void zombie 2d4 hours later.

Disease (Su) Ghoul Fever: Bite - injury; save Fort DC 14; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. A humanoid who dies of ghoul fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 146).

 

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Bloodguise Diredamsel (Monsters of Aquilae, Pathfinder)
Pathfinder 1e
Bloodguise Diredamsel: Some wronged women perish with their accounts unsettled, and live on in vengeful undeath.
Diredamsels are a type of undead, spawned from the corpses of murdered or suicided women, who struggled with horrible adversity or betrayal in life.
All of the various forms of Diredamsel are restless female spirits, trapped in the material plane in a kind of limbo state similar to that of ghosts, revenants, and other beleaguered undead. Unsettled scores, unfinished business, and righetous zeal are but some of the driving forces that capture the divine essence of soul for these fallow-hearted and ruthless wisps.
Bloodguise Diredamsel Moderate: ?
Bloodguise Diredamsel Advanced: ?
Bloodguise Diredamsel Elite: ?

Ghost: ?
Revenant: ?

 

[Voadam]

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium (PFRPG)
Pathfinder 1e
Revenant, Gwalachmai: ?
Lich Samsaran Timeless Warden Druid 13, Dalrik the Mad: ?
Undead Giant: ?
Mummy Priest: ?

Incorporeal Undead: ?
Ghost: ?
Ghoul: Tlaloc’s clerics count accomplished necromancers among their number, and the bodies of sacrificial victims who have been bled dry and had their hearts burned upon the jade altars are often wrapped in mud and preserved for later animation as zombies, ghouls, or wights.
Lich: ?
Shadow: Clan lore holds that the evil god Kellas, Lord of the Night, counts among his children such insubstantial horrors as shadows, specters, and wraiths.
Specter: Clan lore holds that the evil god Kellas, Lord of the Night, counts among his children such insubstantial horrors as shadows, specters, and wraiths.
Wraith: Clan lore holds that the evil god Kellas, Lord of the Night, counts among his children such insubstantial horrors as shadows, specters, and wraiths.
Zombie: Tlaloc’s clerics count accomplished necromancers among their number, and the bodies of sacrificial victims who have been bled dry and had their hearts burned upon the jade altars are often wrapped in mud and preserved for later animation as zombies, ghouls, or wights.
Wight: Tlaloc’s clerics count accomplished necromancers among their number, and the bodies of sacrificial victims who have been bled dry and had their hearts burned upon the jade altars are often wrapped in mud and preserved for later animation as zombies, ghouls, or wights.

 

[Voadam]

Cerulean Seas: the Viridian Veil
Pathfinder 1e
Frasnian Dead: The downfall of Frasnia can be traced, in retrospect, to a miraculous device that was known as an “infinity talisman.” This tool was created with a combination of psionic, arcane and technological sciences and was billed as the “final solution to aquatic life.” Wearing this talisman imbued the wearer with the ability to stave off hunger, thirst, and the need to breathe. At first, only the aristocrats and leaders were able to afford them. After a few decades they were mass-produced. By the end of the Great War, they were free and nearly everyone on Frasnia was using them.
By this time, the side effect was well known to the original nobles who kept it a secret. People suspected that the talismans could also ward off death from old age as well, because although their leaders appeared venerable, none of them were dying off. Unfortunately, something far more sinister was happening. The talismans, which contained a fair amount of untested necromantic energy, were corrupting their wearers. They worked very slow and insidiously. The longer a person wore an infinity talisman, the more evil they became. Worse, when someone who had been wearing the talisman for over a decade was slain or dies of natural causes, they rise as a terrible undead known now as the Frasnian Dead.
Infinity Talisman magic item.
Noble Frasnian Dead: These ex-nobles wore their talismans for much longer before their demise, creating a more powerful undead.
Time Wight: A time wight is created when a time lost soul gains access to a dead body through time based magic or effects, most frequently via time heal.
Time Heal spell.
Duke Karsinger: One of the first bearers of the infinity talisman, the lich-like creature that the Duke had become was powerful indeed.

Zombie: ?

TIME HEAL
School conjuration [chronomancy]; Level sharker 6,
sorcerer/wizard 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S, M (emerald wand that costs at least 100 gp)
Range touch
Target one subject
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
The subject’s body is returned to how it was 1 round previously, instantly healing damage and reversing effects that happened during the current round. If the subject was killed during the current round, the subject comes back to life, but has a 10% chance of irrevocably becoming a time-wight (see Chapter 6 of this tome). If successful, and a time-wight has not been created, the caster loses 3 Karma.

INFINITY TALSIMAN
Aura mild necromancy; CL 6th
Slot neck; Price 1,000 gp (cursed); buoyancy -1 bu.
DESCRIPTION
The talisman makes the wearer immune to hunger, thirst, and suffocation. Unfortunately, after every 3 month of use the wearer makes a Will save DC 17 or his alignment permanently slips one notch towards chaotic evil. After three failures, the wearer will rise as a Frasnian Dead when slain.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, disrupt undead, undead anatomy; Special: requires psionic attunement.
Cost 500 gp.

 

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Echelon Reference Series: Clerics (PRD Only)
Pathfinder 1e
Walking Dead: ?
Keening Spirit of the Damned: ?

Undead: ?
Skeleton: Animate Dead spell.
Lesser Animate Dead spell.
Undead Lord archetype cleric's Corpse Companion power.
Zombie: Animate Dead spell.
Lesser Animate Dead spell.
Cursed Earth spell.
Undead Lord archetype cleric's Corpse Companion power.
Bloody Skeleton: Undead Lord archetype cleric's Corpse Companion power.
Burning Skeleton: Undead Lord archetype cleric's Corpse Companion power.
Variant Skeleton: Undead Lord archetype cleric's Corpse Companion power.
Ghast: Create Undead spell.
Ghoul: Create Undead spell.
Mohrg: Create Undead spell.
Mummy: Create Undead spell.
Shadow: Create Greater Undead spell.
Wraith: Create Greater Undead spell.
Spectre: Create Greater Undead spell.
Devourer: Create Greater Undead spell.
Human Skeleton: ?
Human Skeletal Champion: ?

Corpse Companion
Su 1 Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Magic
With a ritual requiring 8 hours, an undead lord can animate a single skeleton or zombie whose Hit Dice do not exceed her cleric level. This corpse companion automatically follows her commands and does not need to be controlled by her. She cannot have more than one corpse companion at a time. It does not count against the number of Hit Dice of undead controlled by other methods. She can use this ability to create a variant skeleton such as a bloody or burning skeleton, but its Hit Dice cannot exceed half her cleric level. She can dismiss her companion as a standard action, which destroys it.

 

[Voadam]

Echelon Reference Series: Clerics (3pp)
Pathfinder 1e
Walking Dead: ?
Keening Spirit of the Damned: ?

Undead: Defile spell.
Shadow of Duty spell.
Skeleton: Animate Dead spell.
Escape the Bonds of Death spell.
Lesser Animate Dead spell.
Undead Lord archetype cleric's Corpse Companion power.
Zombie: Animate Dead spell.
Lesser Animate Dead spell.
Cursed Earth spell.
Undead Lord archetype cleric's Corpse Companion power.
Bloody Skeleton: Undead Lord archetype cleric's Corpse Companion power.
Burning Skeleton: Undead Lord archetype cleric's Corpse Companion power.
Variant Skeleton: Undead Lord archetype cleric's Corpse Companion power.
Ghast: Create Undead spell.
Ghoul: Create Undead spell.
Mohrg: Create Undead spell.
Mummy: Create Undead spell.
Shadow: Create Greater Undead spell.
Animate Shadow spell.
Wraith: Create Greater Undead spell.
Spectre: Create Greater Undead spell.
Devourer: Create Greater Undead spell.
Human Skeleton: ?
Human Skeletal Champion: ?
Vampire: ?
Skeletal Servant: Animate Skeleton spell.

Corpse Companion
Su 1 Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Magic
With a ritual requiring 8 hours, an undead lord can animate a single skeleton or zombie whose Hit Dice do not exceed her cleric level. This corpse companion automatically follows her commands and does not need to be controlled by her. She cannot have more than one corpse companion at a time. It does not count against the number of Hit Dice of undead controlled by other methods. She can use this ability to create a variant skeleton such as a bloody or burning skeleton, but its Hit Dice cannot exceed half her cleric level. She can dismiss her companion as a standard action, which destroys it.