Undead Player Characters?

[Starspawn]

I always wanted to play an undead player character. And since we started an "Evil-Campaign" i see the first real Opportunity to do so... Now my Problem:

- I don't want to spend too many levels for just being undead. Because i just want to play an undead because of its style and not the power

- The undead should not be too obvious (Morgs, Skeletons etc) NPC's should NOT recognize him from 100 feet

Any ideas what undead template or class could be useful for my purpose?

Thanx Starspawn

 

[Infiniti2000]

What books are allowed? Do you have the Book of Vile Darkness and Libris Mortis? I think both will become staples in such a game.

 

[Goolpsy]

ehm you will have a problem about turning... if you start at a decent level you should be able to afford somekind of alter self or something that can alter your apperance more or less

 

[Child of Hypnos]

your gonna need Libris mortis to play an undead practically,
its got all the feats your gonna need to stop yourself gettin disintegrated by some religious zealot.
personally i'd go for the vampire spawn, but the ghoul or wight monster classes take as long before you can multiclass. all are 8 level classes.

 

[Voadam]

Hat of disguise, 1,800 gp. Friend to monster PCs everywhere.

Lich, LA +4 is about as low as its going to get. From the srd Lich +4, ghost +5, vampire +8.

Mythic Races (by FFG) has one with undead traits, and not much else that is really low ECL. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=36_37&products_id=483&affiliate_id=17596

 

[B4cchus]

The Necropolitan template from Libris Mortis offer you an undead character at a mere cost of 1 level. Offcourse you don't get much abilities and whatnot.. but it -is- the cheapest way to go down the undead road.

And do buy one of those cloacks of turn resistance, they're in LM too. Does the same as the feat for just little over 10k.

 

[Starspawn]

All usual D20 books are allowed.

I think alter self is quite necessary sometimes anyway. but it shouldn't be to obvious none the less.
The feat "turn resistance" will help with those nasty clerics...
Well i think an LA of +4 is quite a bit just for playing an Undead... I thought of something... Ghast-like perhaps... without the touch-attack?

 

[IcyCool]

All usual D20 books are allowed.

I think alter self is quite necessary sometimes anyway. but it shouldn't be to obvious none the less.
The feat "turn resistance" will help with those nasty clerics...
Well i think an LA of +4 is quite a bit just for playing an Undead... I thought of something... Ghast-like perhaps... without the touch-attack?

It was mentioned before, but I'll point it out again. Take a look at the Necropolitan Template in Libris Mortis. You take a level hit just as if you were killed and then raised, but the Template is LA +0.

 

[Bardsandsages]

All usual D20 books are allowed.

I think alter self is quite necessary sometimes anyway. but it shouldn't be to obvious none the less.
The feat "turn resistance" will help with those nasty clerics...
Well i think an LA of +4 is quite a bit just for playing an Undead... I thought of something... Ghast-like perhaps... without the touch-attack?

But you are not just playing undead. Often you are getting massive adjustments to stats (particularly with vampires), a half dozen immunities, and all sorts of inate powers. That has to be paid for somehow. Many undead that are playable (i.e they possess intelligence) have damage reduction and immunities to various energy attacks. Whether you want them or not, you get them.

 

[Li Shenron]

But you are not just playing undead. Often you are getting massive adjustments to stats (particularly with vampires), a half dozen immunities, and all sorts of inate powers. That has to be paid for somehow. Many undead that are playable (i.e they possess intelligence) have damage reduction and immunities to various energy attacks. Whether you want them or not, you get them.

Well, because the point of an undead is to be dead which has consequences such as not being subject to what hurts the metabolism of the living (disease, poison, critical hits...). Among the traits from the undead type, some IMO should always apply to every undead:

[sblock]No Constitution score.
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, disease, and death effects.
Not subject to critical hits, or energy drain. Immune to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities.
Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep. [/sblock]

All these are IMO already worth more some LA, but perhaps one could get away with just +1.

I don't know the Necropolitan template from LM, but it's hard to imagine that it covers less than the above.