Undead

Undead share the following characteristics: They never check morale and are immune to fear (except that clerics and paladins may cause a fear-like effect by turning them, see Chapter III); they are immune to sleep, charm and hold-type effects except for any such effects that are specific to undead (for example, if the GM chooses to house-rule a magic item or spell which has the effect hold undead, this would work); they suffer 2d4 damage from vials of holy water; and if damaged—for “injured” is the wrong word—they do not automatically heal, though certain undead types such as ghouls may be able to recover hit points by consuming living flesh and others such as spectres may do so through leeching a living creature’s vital force (draining a level).

Banshee (Groaning Spirit)
(turned as type 13)

The legendary banshee is the ghost of an evil elven female. The spirit is found in remote countrysides and other lonely natural places. The groaning spirit can chill with a touch for 1d8 hp damage. It can also wail which will force all creatures within 30 ft to save vs magic or die. The mere sight of a banshee will cause fear unless the viewer saves vs spells. The banshee can wail once per day and only during the dark hours. They cannot be affected by sleep, charm or hold spells, and are resistant to cold or electrical attacks. An exorcism spell will slay the creature.

Treasure: None.

Coffer Corpse
(turned as type 7)

A coffer corpse resembles a zombie, seeming nothing more then a rotting, fetid corpse. They are the bodies of the dead who are left behind, never given a proper burial, their souls never finding rest.

Normal weapons do no damage to a coffer corpse. If they are hit for 6 or more points in a single round of combat by a normal weapon they will fall down, only to rise up the next round. All who witness this horror must save vs fear, those who fail will panic and run away. A magic weapon is needed to truly damage a coffer corpse. They are also immune to sleep and charm spells.

About 25% of the time a coffer corpse will attack with a weapon, all of the others will attack with their hands. If their attack is bare handed and they have successfully hit, they have grabbed their target by the throat causing 1d6 damage. Each successive round thereafter they cause an additional 1d6 damage as they are strangling their victim, with no addition roll needed. They will continue choking until they are destroyed or their victim is dead.

Treasure: 1d8×1,000 cp (50%), 1d6×1,000 sp (25%), 1d4×1,000 ep (25%), 1d3×1,000 gp (25%), 1d8 gems (30%), 1d4 jewellery (20%), sword, armour, or misc. weapon (10%)

Ghast
(turned as type 6)

These terrible creatures are more powerful versions of ghouls, and are indistinguishable from them save their terrible stench, released when engaged in melee, that requires a save vs poison to avoid a terrible retching and -2 to all actions, including hit and damage. They can ignore protection from evil unless it is combined with certain pure non-alloyed metals.

Ghasts share the same spell immunities that Ghouls do, and can travel the dream-realms as well, except in addition to using them to traverse the prime material, they can also enter the lower planes.

Certain entities of the higher hells use ghasts as slaves.

Treasure: 1d8×1,000 cp (50%); 1d6×1,000 sp (25%); 1d4×1,000 ep (25%); d12×1,000 gp (65%); 1d6×1,000 pp (30%); 3d8 gems (50%); 2d6 jewellery (50%); a magic weapon or armour (25%); 1d4 scrolls (50%)

Ghost
(turned as type 11)

Ghosts are the spiritual remains of extremely evil humans who have been denied the ordinarily inexorable movement of their souls to the outer planes of existence after discarding their mortal shell. This sundering of their metaphysical essence creates a foul thing, roaming dark and desolate places, existing in both the æthereal plane and the prime material, seeking to slake a thirst that can never be sated. This exigent need for living essences is what drives these spirits into contact with mortals.

Merely beholding the awfulness of the ghost requires a saving throw vs magic. Failure causes the viewer to flee in panic (for 2d8 turns) and initiates a weaker form of the ghost’s wither attack—which ages the victim 3d6 years as the ghost feasts on the life of the victim.

Clerics level 7 or greater can ignore this effect, as they have a better understanding of how to ward off such metaphysical forces, while other intelligences with 9 or more hit dice or levels gain a +3 to their saves.

Until the ghost manifests itself physically, it is immune to all attacks, spell or no, unless the attacker has a method to become æthereal. Even if the spellcaster is in this state, ghosts are still immune to many forms of spells, though no sage has recorded what those magics might be. Magical weapons used in an æthereal state against a ghost typically have to strike against AC 7 or 8.

As if these terrible powers were not enough, any creature within 180 ft is threatened by the being’s magic jar ability, as per the spell. If this fails, then the ghost will manifest itself, taking on an ectoplasmic quality. Specially forged “pure” metals, especially silver, can cause half-damage to a ghost while it is manifested in this fashion, and magic weapons can affect it normally—in either case the attacker must hit AC 0. Spells still cannot affect it in this state unless the caster is æthereal. The manifest state allows the ghost to strike victims physically, with the full power of their withering attack—causing the victim to age 7d6 years per successful attack, no save possible. Victims who exceed their allotted lifespan are forever dead, with only a wish capable of reversing this end.

Treasure: 1d10×1,000 cp (5%); 2d6×1,000 sp (30%); 1d6×1,000 ep (25%); 2d4×1,000 gp (25%); 2d6 gems (15%); 1d6 jewellery (20%); 1d3-1 scrolls (30%); 1d8 potions (40%); 1d4-1 any other magic items (25%)

Ghoul
(turned as type 3)

Ghouls are humans, who feasting on corpses and engaging in other vileness, have become undead, or in turn were killed by another ghoul without their corpses being sanctified by a cleric. Loping through the darkness with their vague canine cast and long black marrow licking tongues, they haunt graves and ruins, seeking the flesh of the dead and the living. Though their minds are warped by the transformation, and their general intellect stunted, they still retain a terrible cunning, and they attack in fearless packs to good effect, bringing down the living to feast on their remains. Any human or demihuman, save elves, attacked by a ghoul must make a saving throw or be paralysed for 3d4 turns.

Protection from evil will keep these things at bay, unless one so protected violates the circle by attacking the ghouls.

Ghouls are also said to be able travel the lands of dreams, using them as conduit to enter the waking world of men at various graveyards, and escaping without a trace. Marine ghouls are called “lacedons” and are sometimes found on ghost ships or dwelling in wrecks on the sea bed.

Description: Ghouls appear as emaciated, animated corpses with sharp teeth and long fingernails to which shreds of corpse-flesh are sometimes attached. Their voices are weird and eldritch, sometimes described as “meeping” and “glibbering.”

Treasure: 1d8×1,000 cp (50%); 1d6×1,000 sp (25%); 1d4×1,000 ep (25%); 1d3×1,000 gp (25%); 2d4 gems (30%); 1d4 jewellery (20%); magic weapon or armour (10%); 1d4 scrolls (10%)

Lich
(turned as type 12)

Liches are the remains of powerful wizard-priests who, through fell magics and sinister grimoires, have cheated death and live on beyond the grave in a decaying shell that still revels in awesome magical energies. Unholy magics and an unwavering devotion are not the only things keeping them on the prime material plane. Their souls are already traded to dark gods, but a spark of their essence remains that must be encased in a talisman of sorts. This trinket is a requirement of their Unlife, but no scholar knows how or why this is.

The lair of a lich will often be a complex underworld maze or a wickedly diseased stretch of thick wilderness, at whose black heart resides a tower riddled with magic traps and deadly guardians. Liches do not suffer the fools who would tread upon their mysteries.

Each lich will be able to cast an impressive battery of spells, and those with magic user abilities will have multiple copies of powerful spell tomes. Their magical ability, at a minimum, must be 18th, as only those mortals have travelled so far down the path of magic have even a hope of mastering the rituals of Lichdom. The mere touch of a lich will inflict 2 dice of cold damage upon the victim, and they must save vs paralysation or be held frozen to the spot for 3d8 turns. Anything below 6th level beholding a lich (even in a reflection or a projected image) must save vs magic or never return to the area again.

Often dressed in rich decaying rags that were exquisite in life, liches are now horrors to behold. They are cadaverous in appearance, with unholy pinpoints of green light emanating from the otherwise empty pits that are the eye-sockets of its fleshless skull. Diseased and leprous tatters of meat cling feebly to ancient bones, reeking with the rot of the grave.

Liches are believed to feast on Soul Worms.

Treasure: (1d4+1)×1,000 cp (30%); (d4+1)×1,000 sp (25%); 1d6×1,000 ep (40%); (1d8+1)×1,000 gp (45%); 1d4×1,000 pp (25%); 5d8 gems (55%); 8d4 jewellery (45%); any 3 magic items save potions (40%)

Mummy
(Turned as type 8)

The undead mummy exists both on the normal and negative material planes. Normally found in tombs or other burial places, they hate life and attempt to destroy any living creature they encounter.

The touch of a mummy causes a wasting and rotting disease which will cause death within 1d6 months. For each month of affliction, the victim permanently loses 2 points of charisma, and while diseased no cure wound spells will have any effect and any wounds will naturally heal at a 10% rate. The mummy rot can only be cured by a cure disease spell.

All creatures within 60 ft of a mummy, upon sight, will suffer the effects of fear and revulsion unless a successful saving throw vs magic is made. If the save fails, the victim will be paralysed for 1d4 rounds. Groups of creatures gain a bonus of +1 for their save at a ratio of six creatures for each mummy (for example: 12 creatures in sight of 1 mummy gain a +2 to save; 12 creatures in sight of 2 mummies gain a +1, and 12 creatures within sight of 3 or more mummies gain no bonus). If humans confront a mummy, then each human will gain a +2 to his or her save.

A mummy cannot be harmed by normal weapons, and magical weapons do only half damage (drop all fractions). A mummy is immune to sleep, hold spells, charm spells, and cold based attacks. Poison and paralysis have no effect on the creature. A raise dead spell will transform the monster into a 7th-level fighter unless the mummy makes a successful save vs magic (unlisted categories).

A mummy is susceptible to fire as follows: a hit from a torch will deal 1d3 hp damage, a flask of burning oil causes 1d8 hp on the first round and 2d8 hp on the second round, and magical fires deal +1 for each die of damage. Holy water inflicts 2d4 hp per vial that hits.

Any character killed by a mummy cannot be raised due to the amount of damage caused by the rotting waste unless a cure disease and raise dead are both cast on the victim within one hour of death.

Treasure: 1d8×1,000 cp (10%), 1d12×1,000 sp (15%), 1d8×1,000 ep (15%), 1d6×1,000 gp (50%), 1d10 gems (30%), 1d6 jewellery (25%), any 2 magic item + 1 potion (15%)

Poltergeist
(Turned as type 1 or 3)

Poltergeists are non-corporeal and invisible spirits of humans who have died a tragic death or were murdered in cold blood. So far as is known, all poltergeists were formerly human or at least half-human. They are only rarely encountered as a wandering monster but in such a case can be treated as a type 1 undead for purposes of turning or disrupting. More often, however, the poltergeist is in the area where it met its untimely end. The poltergeist’s bond to this area is strong and turning is much more difficult, treat the poltergeist as a turning a type 3 undead in this case.

In combat, the poltergeist can only be struck by magical or silver weapons and its invisibility will cause all attacks against it to be made at -4 (unless the attacker can see invisible). It will not cross over sprinkled holy water, though after the holy water dries it is no longer effective at warding them. Holy water does not cause actual harm to poltergeists. A cleric can strongly present a holy symbol to keep them at bay as well, but again this does not harm the creature.

Poltergeists cannot physically attack. Instead they hurl objects with a telekinetic power at their opponents, attacking as a 5 HD monster. These objects must be light enough to be thrown by a standard human; books, torches, lamps, chairs and so on. A poltergeist’s lair will include many such objects. Anyone struck takes no damage, but he or she must save vs spells or flee at top movement speed for 2d12 rounds. A fleeing victim has a 50% for dropping whatever is held in his or her hands, but not necessarily right away. When a PC succumbs to the poltergeist’s fear effect, determine how many rounds he or she will flee, then roll the dice again to determine on which round hand held items will be dropped. Once an opponent has made his or her saving throw, that individual will be immune to further fear for that encounter only and from that poltergeist only if more than 1 are present.

Treasure: None.

Shadow
(turned as type 4)

Shadows flitter about old ruins and dusty dungeons, seeking the living. Their ties to the negative material plane cause living things they hit in melee to lose a point of Str, Dex or Con. The attribute drained is random; but once determined further attacks by the same pack of shadows drain the same attribute until that statistic reaches zero—at which point the victim becomes a shadow under the control of the creature that drained the last point. Points drained, but not brought to nil, will return to the victim after about an hour, but some Shadow attacks take longer to recover from.

Due to their partial immaterialness, they can only be hit by magic weapons or certain spells. Cold attacks are useless, as are sleep, hold, and spells that affect the mind. They are nearly undetectable in their normal conditions, requiring an 18 or better on a d20 to be aware of them before they attack. Infravision does not detect them as they do not radiate heat, but magical light is sufficient to reveal these horrors for what they are.

Some shadows attack victims in their sleep, giving them night-mares from which they never wake, as their physical forms are drained of life by the shadows’ horrid ties to worlds beyond mundane reckoning.

Treasure 2d10×1,000 sp (10%); 2d6×1,000 ep (15%); 2d4×1,000 gp (45%); 1d6×1,000 pp (33%); 4d8 gems (20%); 2d4 jewellery (8%); any 3 magic items (33%)

Skeleton
(turned as type 1)

These things are the result of an evil (or neutral at best) magic user or cleric wielding magics that animate the fleshless remains of humans, demi-humans, and various humanoids. They are completely mindless, only obeying the simple commands of their animator, which is often limited by the spell itself to a score of words. Some sages speak, though, of the mere proximity to great Evil can animate the dead, resulting in armies of these horrors springing to Unlife in forgotten catacombs and foul dungeons. Though given no commands, they seek out the living and attempt to force them into the ranks of the dead.

No matter how a skeleton attacks, whether rusty blade, a stone, or its own former femur, it always deals 1d6 damage. Cold and spells that attack the mind have no affect on skeletons. They take less damage from edged and cutting weapons, typically reducing the damage by half. Most piercing weapons, like arrows and spears, do but 1 or 2 points maximum per attack. Holy water inflicts 2d4 hp per vial that strikes.

Treasure: None.

Spectre
(turned as type 9)

These fiendish shades dwell primarily on the negative material plane. Thus, when their barely-material forms come in contact with the living, they drain two levels of experience from the victim. Those reduced below zero energy levels become half-strength spectres under control of the one that stole their life-force. The living in turn can only affect spectres with magic weapons (of at least +1 value) or spells. Elemental spells and enchantments that affect the mind have no power over spectres. Liquids blessed by the gods still inflict damage upon them. If a cleric (good or evil) attempts to restore a spectre back to life via a spell or ritual, the spectre must make a saving throw or its existence is removed from the plane that fuels its Unlife and it becomes naught in the world of living.

Some sages speculate that spectres have no power in sunlight, but no one has ever proved this theory.

Treasure: 3d4 gems (50%); 3d4×1,000 gp (70%); 1 misc. magic item (60%); 1d2 potions (70%).

Vampire
(turned as type 10)

The vampire is one of the most feared of the undead. Being similar to other undead, they dwell simultaneously in the negative material and material planes. They share other undead’s immunity to charm, hold, and sleep spells. Electricity and cold does only half damage, they are unaffected by normal weapons, and they regenerate 3 hit points per round. Vampires must take refuge in a coffin or other hide-away during daylight, and must slumber on soil from their own grave once in a while to maintain their powers.

Vampires are immensely strong (18.76), and deal great blows that inflict 1d6+4 hit points of damage. These blows further reduce the victim’s life energy by two levels, which consequently reduces all other traits linked to a loss in levels (attack ability, hit dice, etc.).

Vampires may take gaseous form at will, and will be forced into this form if their hit points reach zero. They then attempt to reach their coffin to reform their bodies. If they do not reach the coffin within 12 turns and rest for 8 hours, they are unable to reform.

Further, vampires may shape change into a large bat at will, which grants them flying movement. They can summon 1d10×10 bats or rats when underground or 3d6 wolves when above. These creatures will arrive in 2d6 rounds. In addition, a vampire has a charm gaze (as the charm person spell), with a saving throw penalty of -2.

Although these items do not actually cause harm or completely repel these creatures, vampires will draw back from a lawful good holy symbol, a mirror, or garlic if they are presented with confidence. Garlic causes a vampire to cringe for 1d4 rounds, and a holy symbol or mirror will cause a vampire to take a position in which the item does not impede his or her progress or attack. A lawful good holy symbol will affect a vampire no matter what its ethos was in life. Once a person becomes a vampire, he or she is a chaotic evil undead creature. Holy water will inflict 1d6+1 points of damage per full vial which strikes.

There are few means by which a vampire may be destroyed. They take great damage from immersion in running water, and will be killed in 3 rounds (each round reduces 1/3 of the creature’s hit points). If caught in sunlight a vampire becomes powerless and will die in 1 turn. Finally, a stake through the heart, coupled with decapitation, will destroy a vampire if holy sacraments (such as wafers) are placed in the mouth after the head is removed. If a vampire is staked he or she will appear to die, but unless also decapitated the vampire will revive when the stake is removed.

Vampires create others of their kind by draining humans or humanoids of all life energy. The victim must be buried. After 1 day he or she will arise as a vampire. The victim will retain class abilities he or she had in life but will become a chaotic evil undead being. The new vampire is a slave to the vampire that created him or her, but becomes free willed if the master is killed.

There is a variant type of vampire from the east, which cannot assume gaseous form at will (but will if reduced to zero hit points), nor does it have a charm gaze. However, it is invisible and foes that cannot detect invisibility suffer –4 to strike these vampires in combat.

Treasure: 1d20×1,000 sp (10%); 1d12×1,000 ep (10%); 1d10×1,000 gp (40%); 1d8×100 pp (35%); 3d10 gems (20%); 1d10 jewellery (10%); 3 magic items (30%).

Wight
(turned as type 5)

Wights are undead corpses risen with a twisted intelligence. Their undead power is linked to the negative material plane, and thus they permanently drain a level of experience from victims when they score a hit in combat. Although they are not damaged by sunlight, they loathe the rays of the sun and do not emerge by choice from their barrows and lairs during daylight. Wights are immune to sleep, hold, cold, and enchantment spells. They take 2d4 points of damage from holy water (per vial), and are destroyed by the casting of a raise dead spell. A human killed by a wight becomes a wight under the control of its maker.

Treasure: 1d8×1,000 cp (50%); 1d6×1,000 sp (25%); 1d4×1,000 ep (25%); 1d3×1,000 gp (25%); 1d8 gems (30%); 1d4 jewellery (20%); 1 magic item (sword, armour, or miscellaneous magic) (10%).

Wraith
(turned as type 7)

Wraiths are insubstantial undead creatures that exist partially in the negative material plane, giving them the power to drain one level of experience when they score a hit upon an opponent. In sunlight, the wraith cannot drain levels. Wraiths are shadowy, man-like shapes, dark and indistinct.

Silver weapons inflict only half damage upon a wraith; magical weapons inflict full damage. They are immune to cold damage, charms, sleep and hold spells.

Treasure: (in lair only) 1d10×1,000 cp (5%); 1d12×1,000 sp (25%); 1d6×1,000 ep (25%); 1d8×1,000 gp (25%); 1d12 gems (15%); 1d8 jewellery (10%); 3 magic items plus 1 scroll (25%).

Zombie

Zombies are the risen corpses of the dead. In many cases they have been animated by a powerful spell caster, though sometimes zombies rise from other supernatural influences. These creatures shuffle slowly into combat; they are always the last creatures to attack in a melee round regardless of initiative rolls. Once they begin to attack, they never flee unless turned by a cleric. Zombies are immune to enchantments, hold spells, and any spell that inflicts damage from cold.

Monster zombies are the animated corpses of larger humanoid monsters such as bugbears, ettins or ogres. They are harder for a cleric to turn than a normal zombie.

Treasure: None

Zombie, Juju
(turned as type 9)

Juju zombies are undead specially created by evil magic users practising a little-known and universally-banned magic known as necromancy. This unholy process involves draining all the life force from the unfortunate victim, who can be a human, demi-human, or humanoid. These creatures are then completely subservient to their master, who can issue commands to them to guard, attack, or patrol an area, or other similar orders. Juju zombies are like regular zombies but are improved in virtually every way. This type of zombie moves more quickly, has an improved AC, climbs with the skill of an 8th level thief, attack as 6 HD monsters, use missile weapons such as crossbows or pulled bows, and can even use hurled weapons such as spears or javelins.

In combat, juju zombies attack with their clawed hands but they can be programmed to use weapons by their master. Due to their strong connection to the Negative Material Plane, juju zombies can only be hit by magic weapons. Magic piercing or blunt weapons do half damage owing to the undead nature of the monsters, magic slashing weapons do full damage.

Juju zombies are immune to all mind altering magic including, but not limited to: illusion, charm, hold monster, death, cold, and sleep. These monsters are also immune to poison and electrical damage, while fire or fire based magic does only half damage. Acid and holy water attacks do full damage. Juju zombies can be turned, but are more resistant to a cleric’s divine powers than regular zombies, hence harder to turn.

The appearance of a juju zombie is much the same as a regular zombie but their leathery, greyish flesh is less decayed than the standard variety. The hatred for life of these obscene creations causes their eyes to burn with a hellish red glow.

Treasure: None.