Undead taxonomy

[hong]

How people can confuse animae and animus is beyond me. The first is the plural of anima, and the second is the plural of animu. Please, people.

Why are people hijacking my thread?

Please stop hijacking my thread!

 

[Sir Brennen]

How people can confuse animae and animus is beyond me. The first is the plural of anima, and the second is the plural of animu. Please, people.

At least no one has confused it yet with anime...

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

At least no one has confused it yet with anime...

Well, I remember that I had the word anime in one of my posts, but corrected it to animus... [/hijack]

 

[AllisterH]

What would be the classic Frankenstein's monster be?

Until hit by lightning, the golem was basically just multiple bodies. Did the lighning provide an anmus to it since I've seen interpretations of Frankstein where if it doesn't get "electroshock" treatment, it eventually stops.

 

[hong]

My personal rule of thumb is that if necrotic energy is involved somewhere, that makes it undead. (This can be contrasted with the rule that the animus must be involved, which other people seem to be using.) I'd say that Frankenstein's monster would still be a golem unless the process of animating it used necrotic energy, in which case it would be something close to a wight.

 

[I'm A Banana]

This could be a borrowed idea from the Chinese Myth.

I think the direct inspiration was more Egyptian, but it's hardly a unique idea to them.

 

[Sir Brennen]

My personal rule of thumb is that if necrotic energy is involved somewhere, that makes it undead. (This can be contrasted with the rule that the animus must be involved, which other people seem to be using.) I'd say that Frankenstein's monster would still be a golem unless the process of animating it used necrotic energy, in which case it would be something close to a wight.

For 4E, a deceased creature's animus in and of itself is not enough to create undead. Necrotic energy gives the animus the boost neccessary to attain mobility, and possibly intellect (up to the level the creature had in life.) So your rule holds.

Frankenstein's Monster, however, is a unique case, similar to one I wondered about earlier in this thread. Clearly the Flesh Golem of previous editions is modeled on Frankenstein's Monster. But all golems are animated constructs, not undead, regardless of their construction material (at least in the current edition). The question then is, what force animates these types of things?

In D&D terms, I'd say Dr. Frankenstein is using Arcane power (Science!) to channel elemental energy (electricity) to give his pile of dead body parts ambulation.

Likewise, a clay golem - going back to its folklore roots - is created through Divine power awakening the elemental energy (earth) within the statue.

I don't know if 4E has given this much thought to the fluff behind animated objects vs. undead, but it'll be interesting to see if they do provide a metaphysical rationale.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

For 4E, a deceased creature's animus in and of itself is not enough to create undead. Necrotic energy gives the animus the boost neccessary to attain mobility, and possibly intellect (up to the level the creature had in life.) So your rule holds.

Frankenstein's Monster, however, is a unique case, similar to one I wondered about earlier in this thread. Clearly the Flesh Golem of previous editions is modeled on Frankenstein's Monster. But all golems are animated constructs, not undead, regardless of their construction material (at least in the current edition). The question then is, what force animates these types of things?

Didn't some flavour text imply that elementals where used to "power" golems? So it would be elemental energy...

 

[ShinRyuuBR]

But all golems are animated constructs, not undead, regardless of their construction material (at least in the current edition). The question then is, what force animates these types of things?

In D&D terms, I'd say Dr. Frankenstein is using Arcane power (Science!) to channel elemental energy (electricity) to give his pile of dead body parts ambulation.

Likewise, a clay golem - going back to its folklore roots - is created through Divine power awakening the elemental energy (earth) within the statue.

IIRC, traditionally, D&D golems are earth-elemental spirits bound by magic to sculpted physical forms. Not sure if they are all earth and all arcane, but mostly are.

 

[lukelightning]

A poltergeist sounds more like a special case of a ghost to me. Basically the ghost possesses a physical object instead of a person.

Nah, everyone knows a poltergeist is really a sullen teenager.