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<blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 7482787" data-attributes="member: 2209"><p><strong>Wizards Presents Worlds and Monsters</strong></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/56955/Wizards-Presents-Worlds-and-Monsters-4e?affiliate_id=17596" target="_blank">Wizards Presents Worlds and Monsters</a></p><p>4e</p><p><strong>Undead:</strong> The Shadowfell is the twisted reflection of the world, formed of dark creation-stuff hurled aside by the primordials as they created existence. It encompasses the realm of the dead, and its necrotic energy animates the undead. </p><p>Death isn’t always the end, even for creatures that have no great destiny. Aspects that make up living creatures interact to create many possibilities for continued existence, or at least the appearance of it. Through various machinations of fate or intent, a creature can remain in the world after its death as a plague on the living—or something more.</p><p>Sentient living creatures have a body and a soul, which is the consciousness that exists in and departs from the body when it perishes. A third element also exists: the animus, an intangible bridge between body and soul that is born and that exists with the physical form. It provides vitality and mobility for the creature, and unlike the soul, it usually remains with the body after death.</p><p>If given enough power, the animus can rouse the body in the absence of a soul. It might even be able to function without the body. Such power can come from necromantic magic, another corrupting supernatural inf luence at the place of death or interment, or the connection of the Shadowfell to a locale. Strong desires, beliefs, or emotions on the part of the deceased can also tap the magic of the world to give the animus power.</p><p>Most undead, even those that seem intelligent, are this sort of creature—driven to inhuman behavior by lack of governance of a soul and a hunger for life that can’t be sated. Nearly mindless undead have been infused with just enough power to give the remains mobility but little else. Sentient undead have a stronger animus that might even have access to the memories of the deceased, but such monstrosities have few or none of the capabilities they had in life. </p><p>The source of this necrotic energy is most often the Shadowfell. Its shadowstuff can “leak” into a dying creature as that being passes away. It can be introduced by necromancy. Or it can be siphoned into areas strongly associated with death, pooling there. </p><p>Like living beings, some undead still have their souls. Rituals allow this sort of transformation. A potent destiny or a mighty will sometimes enables (or forces) a creature to transcend death.</p><p>Death knights, liches, mummies, and vampires are all created by rituals that tie the soul to an unliving form. Similar creatures could be created in different circumstances. </p><p>Early in the history of the world, Orcus learned to create undead, including the first ghouls, exercising his desire to devour life in the vilest ways.</p><p>But the bold need to understand that death is not in itself evil, and that undeath takes as many forms as the dying that precedes it.</p><p>Death touches every corner of the D&D cosmos. Even the so-called immortals aren’t immune to its icy grasp. Where death can reach, so too can undeath.</p><p>The animus is the seat of animalistic desires and survival instincts, and when coupled with shadow power in the body, it can engage in inhuman behavior.</p><p>Shadow, necromancy, strong desires, and corruption can empower the animus to rouse a corpse.</p><p><strong>Wraith:</strong> Even the dreaded wraith is simply an animus, deeply corrupted and infused with strong necrotic energy.</p><p><strong>Ghost:</strong> Sentient ghosts are the most common of the undead that manage to retain their souls without resorting to necromantic rituals. They have a purpose that fetters them to the world, even if it’s only to spread misery or wreak vengeance.</p><p>Even more rarely, a creature has a strong enough will or destiny to maintain its soul after death, spontaneously becoming a sentient ghost or revenant.</p><p><strong>Death Knight:</strong> Death knights, liches, mummies, and vampires are all created by rituals that tie the soul to an unliving form.</p><p><strong>Lich:</strong> Death knights, liches, mummies, and vampires are all created by rituals that tie the soul to an unliving form.</p><p><strong>Mummy:</strong> Death knights, liches, mummies, and vampires are all created by rituals that tie the soul to an unliving form.</p><p><strong>Vampire:</strong> Death knights, liches, mummies, and vampires are all created by rituals that tie the soul to an unliving form.</p><p><strong>Ghoul:</strong> Early in the history of the world, Orcus learned to create undead, including the first ghouls, exercising his desire to devour life in the vilest ways.</p><p><strong>Revenant:</strong> Even more rarely, a creature has a strong enough will or destiny to maintain its soul after death, spontaneously becoming a sentient ghost or revenant.</p><p><strong>Shadow:</strong> Every shadar-kai knows that to give in to the ennui of the Shadowfell is to face physical disintegration and nothingness. Those who succumb fade permanently into darkness, their soul taken by the Raven Queen while their animus remains as an undead shadow.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Voadam, post: 7482787, member: 2209"] [b]Wizards Presents Worlds and Monsters[/b] [URL=http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/56955/Wizards-Presents-Worlds-and-Monsters-4e?affiliate_id=17596]Wizards Presents Worlds and Monsters[/URL] 4e [b]Undead:[/b] The Shadowfell is the twisted reflection of the world, formed of dark creation-stuff hurled aside by the primordials as they created existence. It encompasses the realm of the dead, and its necrotic energy animates the undead. Death isn’t always the end, even for creatures that have no great destiny. Aspects that make up living creatures interact to create many possibilities for continued existence, or at least the appearance of it. Through various machinations of fate or intent, a creature can remain in the world after its death as a plague on the living—or something more. Sentient living creatures have a body and a soul, which is the consciousness that exists in and departs from the body when it perishes. A third element also exists: the animus, an intangible bridge between body and soul that is born and that exists with the physical form. It provides vitality and mobility for the creature, and unlike the soul, it usually remains with the body after death. If given enough power, the animus can rouse the body in the absence of a soul. It might even be able to function without the body. Such power can come from necromantic magic, another corrupting supernatural inf luence at the place of death or interment, or the connection of the Shadowfell to a locale. Strong desires, beliefs, or emotions on the part of the deceased can also tap the magic of the world to give the animus power. Most undead, even those that seem intelligent, are this sort of creature—driven to inhuman behavior by lack of governance of a soul and a hunger for life that can’t be sated. Nearly mindless undead have been infused with just enough power to give the remains mobility but little else. Sentient undead have a stronger animus that might even have access to the memories of the deceased, but such monstrosities have few or none of the capabilities they had in life. The source of this necrotic energy is most often the Shadowfell. Its shadowstuff can “leak” into a dying creature as that being passes away. It can be introduced by necromancy. Or it can be siphoned into areas strongly associated with death, pooling there. Like living beings, some undead still have their souls. Rituals allow this sort of transformation. A potent destiny or a mighty will sometimes enables (or forces) a creature to transcend death. Death knights, liches, mummies, and vampires are all created by rituals that tie the soul to an unliving form. Similar creatures could be created in different circumstances. Early in the history of the world, Orcus learned to create undead, including the first ghouls, exercising his desire to devour life in the vilest ways. But the bold need to understand that death is not in itself evil, and that undeath takes as many forms as the dying that precedes it. Death touches every corner of the D&D cosmos. Even the so-called immortals aren’t immune to its icy grasp. Where death can reach, so too can undeath. The animus is the seat of animalistic desires and survival instincts, and when coupled with shadow power in the body, it can engage in inhuman behavior. Shadow, necromancy, strong desires, and corruption can empower the animus to rouse a corpse. [b]Wraith:[/b] Even the dreaded wraith is simply an animus, deeply corrupted and infused with strong necrotic energy. [b]Ghost:[/b] Sentient ghosts are the most common of the undead that manage to retain their souls without resorting to necromantic rituals. They have a purpose that fetters them to the world, even if it’s only to spread misery or wreak vengeance. Even more rarely, a creature has a strong enough will or destiny to maintain its soul after death, spontaneously becoming a sentient ghost or revenant. [b]Death Knight:[/b] Death knights, liches, mummies, and vampires are all created by rituals that tie the soul to an unliving form. [b]Lich:[/b] Death knights, liches, mummies, and vampires are all created by rituals that tie the soul to an unliving form. [b]Mummy:[/b] Death knights, liches, mummies, and vampires are all created by rituals that tie the soul to an unliving form. [b]Vampire:[/b] Death knights, liches, mummies, and vampires are all created by rituals that tie the soul to an unliving form. [b]Ghoul:[/b] Early in the history of the world, Orcus learned to create undead, including the first ghouls, exercising his desire to devour life in the vilest ways. [b]Revenant:[/b] Even more rarely, a creature has a strong enough will or destiny to maintain its soul after death, spontaneously becoming a sentient ghost or revenant. [b]Shadow:[/b] Every shadar-kai knows that to give in to the ennui of the Shadowfell is to face physical disintegration and nothingness. Those who succumb fade permanently into darkness, their soul taken by the Raven Queen while their animus remains as an undead shadow. [/QUOTE]
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