Undead PC ideas

[Set]

Ghoul Sorcerer or Cleric could be one option.

My number one with a bullet would be a Necropolitan Dread Necromancer.

1/2 Dragons (and Spellscales, Dragonborn and some Kobolds) count as having the Dragon type, which interacts oddly with some undead animating spells. Check Draconomicon for details to see if that would be useful (I'm not near my books, atm.).

 

[Aeolius]

I've always wanted to roll up a Spellstitched Swarm-Shifter Lacedon (sea ghoul) Dread Necromancer, using monster levels from Libris Mortis and the Emancipated Spawn PrC from Savage Species.

 

[Dragonwriter]

Probably the way to go if you want to reach higher levels earlier is Necropolitan. They only lose a level and then another 1,000 XP with their "Rite of Crucimigration" but any humanoid can be one, and you become undead with no bad side effects or level adjustment. Otherwise, there are the undead racial classes in "Libris Mortis" which you could pursue. I think the fastest to max and then actually go for a "normal" class is the ghoul/ghast...

 

[moritheil]

Probably the way to go if you want to reach higher levels earlier is Necropolitan. They only lose a level and then another 1,000 XP with their "Rite of Crucimigration" but any humanoid can be one, and you become undead with no bad side effects or level adjustment. Otherwise, there are the undead racial classes in "Libris Mortis" which you could pursue. I think the fastest to max and then actually go for a "normal" class is the ghoul/ghast...

They really just lose a flat amount of XP. The level loss is from dying, and isn't a permanent LA.

 

[Dragonwriter]

They really just lose a flat amount of XP. The level loss is from dying, and isn't a permanent LA.

True. Remember, though that if either or both of these would reduce to less than 0 XP, they get totally destroyed.

 

[Lopke_Quasath]

I'll toss my lot in with Necropolitan.
Well worth it for a group of PCs. They get their immunity to crits and no LA to deal with.

A weakness to some other suggestions are the powers of some undead. Level drain, negative energy damage, etc. The OP said that the major villains are all undead. All the aformentioned powers/abilities means diddly when fighting against undead.

A Necropolitan (Good) Cleric, Dread Necromancer (for the control), or Ranger (FE undead) would be very cool.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

A weakness to some other suggestions are the powers of some undead. Level drain, negative energy damage, etc. The OP said that the major villains are all undead. All the aformentioned powers/abilities means diddly when fighting against undead.

So what?

Since the players will be playing undead PCs (at least, that's what I've been led to understand), the BBEGs will have the same problem- some of their powers simply won't work against the PCs.

OTOH, the PCs WILL be able to use their undead abilities to combat the living hirelings & minions of the archvillains.

 

[Lopke_Quasath]

So, the cost in LA is not worth choosing a wight, ghoul, vampire or other undead with those abilities.

The Libris Mortis gives examples of Monster classes and the basic one, the ghoul, has 5 levels.
Some stat bonuses, some natural attacks, natural armour, and paralysis/ghoul fever (useless against undead). Not bad. However, no skill points to speak of, a whopping 2D12 hp, and a +1 BAB. Ouch.

It's just not worth it, IMHO.

Necropolitan would be the way to go for undead PCs for this campaign.

 

[moritheil]

Not worth it except for style, which is hard to quantify.