A+Guide+to+Creating+Undead


 * A Guide to the Creation of Undead **

**__ Creating Undead __** **__ A general Guide __**

Any given being/soul/body can only be raised as undead once. If destroyed, it cannot be raised to undeath nor to life again.
 * __Many undead__** can be created both magically and nonmagical-ly. The nonmagical method is explained first, and the closer the chosen being is to the nonmagical ideal, the stronger it will be. Except for skeletons and zombies, which are soulless, willing, chaotic and evil beings will also initially be stronger as the soul will not war with its new nature. Eventually, however, the magic over time will corrupt the soul towards violence and evil, and the undead being will achieve full power.

Stats/Abilities of Allips.
 * __Allip:__** An allip results when a chosen person is driven to madness and suicide under the right conditions. First, the chosen must suffer great loss of whatever is dearest to it. The loss must come from a known source who deliberately wronged the chosen. The chosen must seek revenge but continually be prevented from achieving it. Then, the chosen must willingly sacrifice its soul (taken by Loviatar) in order to gain the ability to finally revenge itself. Lastly, the initial wrongdoer must somehow permanently be put beyond the reach of the chosen, so that revenge is impossible. Giving him an easy death is the usual way of achieving the last step. Should the chosen then choose suicide, it will become an allip.

Stats/Abilities of Bodaks.
 * __Bodak:__** A bodak can be created by sacrificing the chosen on an altar to Loviatar. The chosen must originally be one of good alignment who has converted to evil. It must have then committed multiple acts of great evil, such as murdering innocent, formerly loved family members using torture and/or sacrificing them on Loviatar's altar. Large scale massacres of innocent children may also suffice. Finally, the chosen must want to repent again, but feel the hopelessness of their crimes. They must die enduring great despair.

__First Moon:__ the chosen will dedicate himself to one deity, offering itself at the altar. It will then offer a blood sacrifice as well. Ability gained: cleric level 0, 1 domain ability, evil alignment. Must remain on unholy ground and drink nothing but fresh blood and eat nothing but the sacrificed flesh until the second moon. Daily rituals are also necessary. __Second Moon:__ A repeat of the First Moon Ritual of Dedication complete with another sacrifice. The chosen may only drink sacrificial blood for this whole month. Daily rituals. The chosen may leave unholy ground for 24 hours to collect his third sacrifice, if necessary. __Third Moon:__ Same as before, but the sacrifice must be of a relative/close friend/etc. to prove to the deity that the dedication is sincere. Another month of drinking blood and daily ritual. The dedicant phylactery must be created during this month. __Fourth Moon:__ After the usual daily ritual, the chosen shall lie on the altar of its deity with its phylactery in hand and sacrifice itself with a dagger blessed to its deity. If its will is sincere, it will rise at midnight as a dedicant. Stats/Abilities of Dedicant: The dedicant is now undead, and will shift one step towards its deity's alignment. Magic is now required to harm the dedicant. It shall gain +4 to STR and DEX and +2 to other stats but constitution, which is no longer relevant. Hit points are doubled or raised to a minimum of 6d12. Skin is hardened to provide an additional +4 to natural armor. Dedicants gain resist fire 5, resist electricity 10, immunity to cold, regeneration 3hp/rd, 25 hp/rd of drinking blood. and a long list of abilities and spell-like abilities. Dedicants gain special abilities from its patron deity, including becoming a cleric of that deity and more levels in the deities’ chosen profession, cleric/mage/sorcerer for Hiisi, cleric/rogue for Loviatar, and any warrior or warrior subclass for Surma. Bodies destroyed will reform at the next new moon at the location of their phylactery. Bodies may be destroyed by combat or any normal means. Destroying the phylactery will cause a dedicant to suffer a -6 to all stats and a loss of bonus levels until a new phylactery is made and dedicated at a new moon on unholy ground, complete with blood sacrifice. A dedicant is only destroyed by destroying both its phylactery and its body. A dedicant’s soul remains in contact with its body, and the body is aware of what occurs near its phylactery.
 * __Dedicant:__** A self-willed dedicant is created by a dedication process requiring a span of 4 new moons. Rituals are performed on each new moon on unholy ground.


 * __Devourer:__** Can only be created astrally.

Stats/Abilities of Ghosts
 * __Ghost:__** A ghost is the result of a being who dies while doing something (or feeling it must do something) so important that death itself cannot stop it from going about its mission. This is not usually controllable and so each case is unique. They remain as ghosts until their mission is completed.

Stats/Abilities of Ghouls/Ghasts.
 * __Ghoul/Ghast:__** A ghoul results when a chosen not just becomes a cannibal, but comes to crave the taste of its own kind, even to the point of rejecting other foods. Months even years of careful starvation with training to avoid other meats may manage to create one, but naturally occurring depravity and hatred work better. Those who have feasted on family members may later become ghasts. Casting “Create undead” on remains of such beings may create ghouls if they don't rise naturally. Any fresh corpse could possibly be raised as a ghoul, but these characteristics lower their resistance to the spell.


 * __Lich:__** Changing yourself into a lich is a very involved and lengthy process. The Process is in the companion volume: __A Guide to the Transformation to a Lich__.

Stats/Abilities of Mohrgs
 * __Mohrg:__** A Mohrg is created from the corpse of a mass murderer or similarly cursed/evil being. The chosen must die on unholy ground and have Create Undead, Slay Living, Fear, Contagion cast upon it immediately. It should also be willing to return as undead, but can be cast on the unwilling

Stats/Abilities of Mummies.
 * __Mummy:__** A mummy is created from the willing corpse of a dedicant (cleric or paladin) of one of the evil gods. After death and on unholy ground, the body is washed, treated with (unknown list of ingredients) and wrapped in long strips of cloth. The following spells must be cast on the corpse simultaneously or consecutively: Create Undead, Bull's Strength, Gentle Repose, Bless, Disease and Fear.

Stats/Abilities of Shadows.
 * __Shadow:__** A shadow is created when certain evil beings die. Generally murderers, rapists, and thieves living in isolation among a society make the strongest shadows, Such beings, upon death, may continue to prey on that society in the form of a shadow. Additionally, casting "Create undead" on any corpse or dying being may bring it back as a Shadow if the chosen is willing or fail resistance if not.

Stats/Abilities of Skeletons/Zombies
 * __Skeletons/Zombies:__** Cast Animate Dead on any corpse. Only the body rises, the soul is severed from the body and can never be rejoined again.


 * __Spectre:__** A spectre is created much like a Shadow, but the chosen must be of greater evil, well outside the norm. They must have died hating and fearing all life, and yet dreading the afterlife that awaits them, trapping them. Their bodies must be destroyed by acid or fire before midnight of their deaths, and upon unholy ground. Casting Create Greater Undead, etherealness, dimensional anchor on such a being, if willing, may succeed in changing it into a spectre.


 * __Vampires:__** See __A Guide to Creating Vampires.__

Stats/Abilities of Vampire Spawn: Vampire spawn gain the effects of being a vampire but not those yet of being dedicated to one deity. They are permanently charmed to the vampire that created them and unable to resist any suggestion that vampire makes. They cannot make other vampire spawn. Should the parent vampire die, the vampire spawn are freed from enchantment and may choose to dedicate themselves to a deity and gain full vampire status, or reject vampirism. Upon entering holy ground, the vampire spawn shall be freed from all undead effects, and their soul shall return to their deity. Only Resurrection can return the body to life.
 * __Vampire spawn:__** A vampire who kills another being may cause that being to become a vampire spawn. They do this by draining all the blood from the body, blessing it on unholy ground, then burying it just before a new moon.


 * __Wight/wraith:__** A wight is the result of a necromantic process much like a spectre. A willing, supremely evil being must be sacrificed on unholy ground and then the following spells must be cast upon it. Create Undead, dimensional anchor, slay living, Ethereal Jaunt.


 * All who read this by next session may add 2 points to "Knowledge: Undead" on your character sheets of both characters or +3 to only one.