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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Metallian" data-source="post: 1769404" data-attributes="member: 1063">Okay, how's this for an explanation:An undead creature's existence reverses the natural flow of positive and negative energy through the multiverse, because the negative energy ends up moving "the wrong way." This reverse flow, in effect, "plugs up" the system. As a result, some new souls (that are born of positive energy) find themselves unable to find purchase in their intended physical forms. Just by existing, undead cause stillbirths and/or birth defects elsewhere in the cosmos.That's why creating undead is Evil...it creates conditions that harm innocent souls.Undead creatures are almost always Evil themselves because while Negative Energy is fine when it "stays in it's place" as an impassive force for cleaning out the universe and making room for new life, its purpose (destroying life indiscriminately) is Evil once it is given form and gets out in the world.Ghosts have an obsession that can overcome the Negative Energy's life-destroying purpose. This obsession also means that ghosts can't help being ghosts, and can't just destroy themselves, so they get a free pass on the whole "blocking up the world with negative energy" thing and are allowed to be Good.  On the other hand, they still create a blockage, so it's still Good to turn/destroy them by channeling positive energy. Especially since they'll just come back later. It's best, however, to befriend Good ghosts and help them fulfill their purpose. That will get rid of the blockage permanently.As for non-Evil Mummies...let's assume that they're in the same boat as Ghosts, except for the whole "coming back" thing.I like it because I think it does not violate any of the pre-existing assumptions about what happens after you die. I don't think it has any problematic implications with respect to existing spells or other game mechanics. How souls are created and put into bodies is not well-detailed, so I figure it's easier to just make stuff up about that without breaking anything. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />On the other hand, while it does account for why creating mindless undead is Evil, it doesn't explain why mindless creatures that are incapable of independent action are Evil. I guess you could say that, in the absence of a strong will (like ghosts), they are just tainted by the act of creation? That works well enough, I think. It goes along with the idea of places and things that are "tainted by Evil."Anyway, I welcome any explanations of why (according to the Core Rules...there's no way to account for every supplement out there) this theory would not work or would cause problems. Hopefully I can refute them and make the theory stronger, but if not, at least I'll know the theory is flawed and try to come up with a new one.                                        The Metallian</blockquote>

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