What do undead do when they're not killing adventurers?

[random user]

Soon my players may visit the ruins of a city, where some low level undead will exist. On the order of skeletons, zombies, wights, etc. (I'm not talking about vampires or other intelligent and powerful undead.)

The problem is, why are they there? What do they do day in and day out when they aren't harrassing adventurers.

I mean, they don't need to eat, they don't procreate, I assume they don't value fine art or creating lasting works, and aren't very intelligent.

I have a reason in mind for why they exist in the broad sense (ie on the order of "some curse has befallen the city" or "some powerful evil being has raised them"), but I have no insight into what they do on a day to day basis.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!


Edit: my players stop reading this thread please!

 

[iceifur]

I mean, they don't need to eat, they don't procreate...

I don't know...ever seen the movie "Dead Alive"? When a zombified, kung-fu fighting, Catholic priest and a zombified nurse chow down on custard before doing the "nasty" (resulting in a zombie baby), you know that anything's up for grabs. Note: definitely not one of Peter Jackson's best movies.

On a more serious note, you could have them going through the motions of their pre-undead everyday lives. Might freak the players out a bit seeing Wallygor the messageboy delivering blank (dnd equivalent) newspapers to the undeads' doorsteps.

-B-

 

[Dirigible]

Short answer: they don't do anything.

Standard D&D unintelligent undead are liekly to either stand stock still, slowly decaying when not engaged in combat, or wander blindly around groaning.

However, for added coolness/creepyness: Have then reenact their lives.

As the PC's kick down a door, they see the zombie mother cradling her undead child to a necrotic bosom... when they burst in, she drops the infant and both lumber ot the attack.

An undead craftsman works on repairing a wagon wheel in the shop next door, using coffin nails and lengths of rotten wood that collaspe in his hands... but he keeps at it, relentlessly.

In the courthouse, a zombie magistrates holds law sessions with shambling, undead plaintiffs silently pleading their cases.

Skeletal gardeners maintain the bushes of dead roses in a lords estate.

Man, I've been playing waaaay to much Midnight... anyway, have fun with it, Random User.

 

[Dirigible]

Note: definitely not one of Peter Jackson's best movies.

See, you've let the fact he directed LotR spoil you... the man is a splatter/b-grade monster movie director at hear

 

[jerichothebard]

In Totentanz, an adventure from Dungeon #90, there is a whole zombie town that does that - sort of lives out their lives, and then go dancing in the streets at night.

 

[Kai Lord]

What do undead do when they're not killing adventurers?

Apparently they sing and dance, among other things...

 

[elforcelf]

They play dice games.Why did you think it was called rolling them bones?elforcelf.

 

[Alzrius]

Good question! In fact, most undead who are intelligent but lacking in power (power that vampires and liches have) probably ask themselves that a lot at first.

The problem is, there isn't much of an answer. There's little need to continue the trappings of a mortal existence, since mortal necessities no longer apply...not to mention that other mortals are unlikely to abide the presence of undead, so relocation is necessary.

What to do then? Well, since some less powerful undead seem to lose some of their mentality (hence why ghouls, wights, shadows, etc. lose all class abilities), they probably seek out the living in some twisted form of homicidal mania, or something else equally disturbing (such as ghouls eating carrion). That's probably the best answer, since these undead aren't quite "all there", IMHO.

 

[demiurge1138]

I have yet to contemplate this for all of the sentient undead, but IMC, ghouls have decently active lives. Although they are undead created by disease, they do need to eat, and worse, can reproduce. They live in smallish packs, sometimes led by a ghast, and basically live like lions; spending most of their time catatonic and going on hunting forays, either digging up corpses or feeding on living creatures. They do value the same things they did as mortals, even though they rarely create their own and prefer to steal it from the graves of their preferred food, and (in true Lovecraftian fashion) are repositories of lost lore and languages, although you'd be hard pressed to get them to cooperate.

Also IMC, wights are utterly insane, corrupted in mind by their transformation into undead monsters. They are the dead that reenact their mortal lives, often mistaking living creatures for friends or foes long since dead.

Demiurge out.

 

[Trainz]

It depends on the undead.

Skeletons and Zombies might just stay on guard, attacking living creatures that pass by.

Ghouls and Ghasts crawl about, eating carion and living creatures in a mindless hunger.

Wights and Wraiths might float about, seeking the living to drain them of their life essences.

Ghosts and Spectres might re-enact a parody of their lives, not knowing they're dead, in an insane quest for purpose and revenge.

Liches and Vampires would be about the only ones living "normal" lives, totally embracing their undead status, and scheming some evil plan for more power and riches. Often they will have fighting servants, not necessarily undead. A powerful lich might have a priestly cult following it, or wizard apprentices. A vampire might be the leader of a group of bandits, or even some lord of a town (Von Strahd).

But always use an undead encounter to kreep out your adventurers. Always introduce them as something horrific and unearthly that chills the spine by it's very existence. It is very easy for a DM to fall in the trap of playing undead just like another random monster with it's attacks, defenses, and X.P. reward.