Undead Origins

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Rise of the Drow: Campaign Primer
5e
Undead Virus: ?
Udodelig, Lich, Undead Progenitor: ?
Undead: ?

Pathfinder 1e
Undead Virus: ?
Udodelig, Lich, Undead Progenitor: ?
Undead: ?

 

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Road to Destiny (5E)
5e
Shirota, Vampiric Jiangshi, Vampire, Vampire Sire, Jiangshi Sorcerer: Shirota, a scion of the fifth family, had already submitted to the Dark Spirits who tasked him to spy on his family. When Shirota attempted to warn his Dark masters of his family’s preparations, though, he was caught and killed, and the family fled in the night. With no time for a proper burial, Shirota was left to rot. When the Dark Spirits came upon the abandoned estate they found Shirota’s unburied corpse. There they performed foul rituals and Shirota arose to serve them once more, now as a vampiric jiangshi, a stealer of breath and chi.
The White Wolf, Ghost: ?

 

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Rocky Cape (5e)
5e
Bog Corpse: Created by foul magics of long-dead gods, bog corpses are the remains of victims sacrificed to these otherworldly entities in times long before history began to be recorded. Cursed by the rituals that consigned them to a fetid tomb, bog corpses exist to protect the sacred places in which they died.
Those slain by a bog corpse are not entirely dead, and the bog corpse attempts to carry their victims back before the soul departs its body. Once interred in the rotting bog, the fresh corpse begins the transformation into a bog corpse.
A creature reduced to 0 HP by a bog corpse is not dead. Instead, it falls into a coma that lasts until the bog corpse that reduced them to 0 HP is slain, after which the victim becomes stable as if it had passed three death saves. If a creature in a coma caused by a bog corpse is placed in the sacred bog the corpse guarded, that creature becomes a bog corpse in 1d6 days.
Undead Feral Cat: The animated remains of the lighthouse’s four cats.
Undead Swordsman: Some skeletons retain their intelligence and cunning, making them formidable warriors.
Bog Corpse, Rotting Corpse Caught in Eternal Liminality Between Life and Death Fresh and Foul, Horror: ?
Lord of the Lighthouse, Undead Swordsman, Spirit: The lord of the lighthouse and three other spirits haunt this room. They animate as an undead swordsman and three skeletons.
Mindless Undead: ?
Ghost, True Ghost: ?
Ghost of the Rock, Lightkeeper, Ancient Ghost, Cursed Lightkeeper, Spirit of the Rock, Spirit, Haunt: Local legends tell of the Rock being haunted by the last lightkeepers who were trapped there when the bridge collapsed.
When the bridge broke, the lightkeepers were trapped. No boat could risk the rough waters and jagged rocks at the base of the cape, and no route up the sea-slicked cliff existed. Messages were sent to the mainland, but no reply came. As time passed, the lightkeepers became desperate and eventually went mad from hunger, thirst, and desperation. Their madness did not end in death; as insanity took them, they committed crimes so heinous that even the gods themselves recoiled in disgust. The lightkeepers, at least those who survived long enough to debase themselves, were cursed. This curse continues to affect the Rock; all who dwell there go mad.
Ghoul: ?
Skeleton: The remains of three lightkeepers slumber here and rise when someone enters the room. They form skeletons armed with clubs made from the ruined furniture. Some of the skeletons animate with bits of wood replacing their bones.
Skeleton, Spirit: The lord of the lighthouse and three other spirits haunt this room. They animate as an undead swordsman and three skeletons.
Minotaur Skeleton: One of the spirits resides here and animates the bones of bovines and its own corpse to create a minotaur skeleton that attacks any who enter.
Skeleton, Mindless Undead: ?
Laeca of Reme, Wight: A century ago, the wizard Laeca of Reme briefly inhabited the Rock. A graduate of the famed Arcanum Collegium, Laeca specialized in exploring the undersea world. Toward that end, she used the isolation of the Rock to perfect several useful magical items. While successful in her research, Laeca ignored the rumors of hauntings and curses and eventually the Rock claimed her, adding her vibrant spirit to the ancient ghosts that occupy it to this day.
Laeca of Reme drove back the spirits haunting the Rock, though she was unable to destroy them. Nothing save for begging the gods for mercy on the cursed lightkeepers’ behalf can do more than cause the haunting to subside for a time. Eventually, the curse took hold of her and she went mad, tearing through her laboratory and releasing powerful arcane energies in the process. When she did, she joined the ghosts of the Rock.
[A]nimated as a wight but armed with a quarterstaff.
Will-o'-Wisp: ?
Zombie: [Z]ombie-raising magic.
Zombie, Mindless Undead: ?

 

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Ro-Kalmer King of the Basilisks
5e
Undead Basilisk: Once per round by using 2 charges Ro-Kalmer can [inf]use a dead Basilisk with undead energy binding them to his will.

 

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Ruins of Symbaroum [5E] - The Promised Land
5e
Undead, Undying: ?
Mal-Rogan, The Master of Death, Rogan Gorinder, Undead Robber Chieftan, Robber Baron: The Queen’s guard Rogan Gorinder died in the war against the Dark Lords. He got an arm chopped off in combat, the wound festered and the healers were powerless to neutralize the black blood infection that coursed through his veins.
But instead of dying, Rogan arose as an undead, with puss dripping from his truncated arm and with blackened veins visible on his neck and temples. Why? No one knows, but Rogan took it as a dark sign that he had been chosen for greatness.
Lingering Undead: ?

 

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Champions of Krynn Chapter 1 The Mystery of the Lost Patrol
5e
Lord Soth, Death Knight: ?

 

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Champions of Krynn Chapter 2 Descent Into the Crypts
5e
Undead: ?
Skeleton: ?
Specter: ?
Zombie: ?
Shadow: ?

 

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S&S: Galactic Primer on Urban Sprawls
5e
Cyberlich: Cyberliches are typically the product of necromancy and full immersion networking in combination. The end result is an undead creature held together as pure data.
A cyberlich is made up of thousands of bytes of one-of-a-kind code. It can travel from network to network, duplicating portions of itself on each. This makes truly eliminating a cyberlich a monumental task. The necromancy that brought the cyberlich to life allows it to maintain a single consciousness despite its potentially divided nature.
The process of becoming a cyberlich is not well known. Extensive arcane spellcasting, including knowledge of the wish spell, is required, in addition to full immersion software and some familiarity with the network. Through an elaborate magical immersion ritual that results in a creature’s death, they are resurrected as a cyberlich. A newly-created cyberlich originates on the network it was immersed in prior to its demise.
Induction Wraith: Induction wraiths have not been widely studied, but research has shown that they can arise in a number of ways. Cyber zombies that lose their physical forms may become induction wraiths, as may people killed by malfunctioning robots or tech. In all cases, the deceased suffers at length before they die and become a wraith.
Undead, Undead Creature, True Undead: ?
Emperor Tahna Maveil I, Lich: ?
Lich: Of all the monsters written about in legends and netsoaps, the most famous is undoubtedly a lich. The concept of a humanoid achieving near immortality via necromancy is a compelling tale. Add to that the craftiness required to choose a proper vessel and hiding place for the soul to prevent their own doom, and the lich becomes even more admired.
Liches have existed in the Nacora Galaxy as long as people are willing to use necromancy in pursuit of immortality.
Wraith: Wraiths are born from those who died in pain in the dark, driven by an unfulfilled purpose. The larger the population in an area, the more common such deaths may be. In the age of technology, new varieties of wraiths have arisen.
Cyberzombie, Cyber Zombie: Induction wraiths are a particularly nasty type, known for their ability to warp a living victim’s body with necrotic cyberware. Creatures impacted this way often perish and become cyber zombies under the wraith’s thrall.
Induction Wraith's Necortic Charge Release power.

Necrotic Charge Release (Recharge 4-6). The induction wraith lets out a screeching echo that harms the living and awakens the dead. Each dead creature with cyberware from the wraith’s Induction Grasp ability within 60 feet returns to life as a cyber zombie under the wraith’s control. Living creatures within 60 feet must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) psychic damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.

 

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Sanctuary of Belches for 5th Edition
5e
Ilda, Wraith, Tall Shadowy Woman: Ilda and her most devout followers sealed themselves into these crypts a century ago. When Eltha donned Youm’s tiara, the evil deity awakened and its influence inspired other dark awakenings. Ilda and her closest followers dig their way out of their tombs as characters enter the chamber.
Putrid Haunt: Ilda and her most devout followers sealed themselves into these crypts a century ago. When Eltha donned Youm’s tiara, the evil deity awakened and its influence inspired other dark awakenings. Ilda and her closest followers dig their way out of their tombs as characters enter the chamber.
Typical Wraith: ?
Specter: Ilda's Create Specter power.
Undead Leech: ?

create specter (1 corpse within 10ft of wraith, dead no more than 1 minute, rises as specter under wraith’s control; limit 7 specters).

 

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Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos for 5e
5e
Undead, Undead Creature, True Undead: The King [in Yellow]’s footstep brings the dead to life. They can return as a wide variety of undead, from simple zombies or ghosts to more powerful creatures such as vampires.
At the start of each round, all dead bodies within the area of the influence arise as undead creatures of the King in Yellow’s choice. The sum of the challenge ratings of all undead created this way at once can’t exceed the King in Yellow’s CR (22 for the example King in Yellow), and the king can’t create an undead with challenge rating higher than 2 + half his challenge rating (13 for the example King in Yellow).
Favored One of Nyarlathotep, Mindless Wraith: The ultimate fate of Nyarlathotep’s favored worshipers is to become a mindless wraith. This is gradual and disturbing degeneration into what might seem a bleak state to some, but it is a means to attain true agelessness. All it costs is the worshiper’s body and mind.
Mythos Undead: Each Mythos undead creature is a unique manifestation of undeath, defined primarily by its abilities and nature when it lived.
In rare cases, when certain alchemical techniques are applied to an exceptionally fresh corpse (or even to whole parts of fresh corpses) who, in life, possessed a singularly powerful and focused mind, the result is in an undead creature that retains its intellect; in such a case, create the creature as a Mythos undead.
Any creature other than a construct or undead can become a Mythos undead.
If you are evil before drinking this compound [Gorgondy potion], your soul will be destroyed upon death and your corpse will arise as a Mythos undead.
Whenever a creature ends its turn linked to a Quantum Nucleus, it must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be physically transformed by Hastur’s presence. On a failed save, the creature’s Constitution score is reduced by 1d4 until restored by a greater restoration spell or similar magic. If this would reduce the creature’s Constitution score to 0, it dies instead. At the start of the next round, the creature is transformed into a chaotic evil Mythos undead under Hastur’s control. All reductions to the new undead creature’s ability scores caused by Hastur are undone.
Zyngaya spell.
Insane Dead: Certain alchemical techniques can reanimate recently slain bodies, but while these methods restore the semblance of life to the victim, the passage of death to life always results in insanity.
Yellow Sign Attendant, Mythos Undead Bard 7: ?
Deathless Wizard, Mythos Undead Mage: It made a deal with a Great Old One to never die and in exchange it serves its master faithfully.
Risen Warlock, Mythos Undead Warlock 20: ?
Grave-Gorging Undead: ?
Flesh-Eating Undead Creature: ?
Sentient Undead: ?
Intelligent Undead: ?
Mindless Undead: ?
Ancient Sentient Undead: ?
Undead Cultist: ?
Undead Horror: ?
Mummified Undead: ?
Chaotic Evil Mythos Undead: Hastur's Possession power.
Friendly Ghost: ?
Ghost, Simple Ghost, Typical Ghost: The King [in Yellow]’s footstep brings the dead to life. They can return as a wide variety of undead, from simple zombies or ghosts to more powerful creatures such as vampires.
Ghost of Ib: ?
Ghoul, Undead Ghoul, Monstrous Undead Ghoul: Becoming a Mythos ghoul through magic is rare. Certainly, curses and magical infections can cause ghouls to manifest as well, but ghouls cannot “infect” their victims like a disease or lycanthrope. Most who become cursed or otherwise transformed into ghouls meet their fate not through interaction with ghouls, but through powerful magic or curses in old tombs, from reading forbidden texts, or by taking part in blasphemous rituals. In fact, those who pursue it often find themselves accidentally turning into undead ghouls.
Spectral Frog-Like Humanoid: ?
More Powerful Creature: ?
Insanely Powerful Lich: ?
Allip: ?
Demilich: ?
Arkantos, Lich: ?
Mummy, Undead Mummy: ?
Shadow: ?
Spirit: ?
Vampire: The King [in Yellow]’s footstep brings the dead to life. They can return as a wide variety of undead, from simple zombies or ghosts to more powerful creatures such as vampires.
More Powerful Creature: ?
Vampiric Mist: ?
Will-o'-Wisp: ?
Zombie, Simple Zombie, Typical Zombie: A major disturbing discovery (such as realizing that your father was a deep one or that by activating the strange magical artifact in a dungeon you have transformed the entire populace of the city above into zombies) causes three levels of dread unless the character succeeds at a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw.
The King [in Yellow]’s footstep brings the dead to life. They can return as a wide variety of undead, from simple zombies or ghosts to more powerful creatures such as vampires.

Zyngaya
7th-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a clay pot filled with grave dirt and an onyx gem worth 200 gp)
Duration: Instantaneous
You transform a corpse you can see into a Mythos undead if the original creature’s challenge rating (or level) was 7 or lower. It is loyal to the King in Yellow. Although it recognizes you as its creator, it works with you only insofar as you serve the purposes of the King in Yellow. You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks to influence the undead as long as your interests do not conflict with those of the King in Yellow. If you are capable of commanding the undead with magic or other abilities, you may attempt to use these abilities on the undead creature as it forms.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 8th level or higher, increase the maximum challenge rating of creature you can affect by 1 for each slot level above 7th.

Possession. Whenever a creature ends its turn linked to a Quantum Nucleus, it must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be physically transformed by Hastur’s presence. On a failed save, the creature’s Constitution score is reduced by 1d4 until restored by a greater restoration spell or similar magic. If this would reduce the creature’s Constitution score to 0, it dies instead. At the start of the next round, the creature is transformed into a chaotic evil Mythos undead under Hastur’s control. All reductions to the new undead creature’s ability scores caused by Hastur are undone.