There were once many adjustments that had to be made, but now it is much easier. Spellcasting. If the creature cannot move any farther, it must use their Dodge action. They also appear in 3rd edition's Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faern. Some undead are not afraid of the inevitable after a long and rich unlife, others would still be in denial of this happening. Usually he will make the host doff off the armor. Maybe even those who did not choose to be undead eventually find a strange sort of gnosis or peace in being undead and so do not wish to be resurrected for real. Incorporeal undead can simply hide from the living and only show themselves to select individuals. Tarian can move through nonmagical difficult terrain, including nonmagical plant terrain with no extra movement costs. Lady Saharel, Netherese archlich, ally of the Harpers and once a lover of Elminster. Longsword. lf she takes radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of her next turn. 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, disguise self, shield Baelnorns are elven liches who have sought undeath to become the backbones of their families, seldom-seen sources of magic, wise counsel, and guardianship. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Spartoi can re-assemble themselves after damage. In most societies, undead who co-exist with the living must hide their undead nature or face terrible consequences. 4th level (3 slots): aura of purity, banishment A transhumanist existence would become something inhuman, as much of the human condition and even human psychology and thinking involved being embodied and one with ones biological processes. Obviously it's up to your GM to accept it.. or not =). Your party comes across a small village that is very hidden in the middle of nowhere and not on the map. Despite these issues, she has proven herself a valuable asset by the descendants of those she fought alongside with and the righteous cause of Bahamut. Undead creatures under this effect may also be healed using magic that heals the living, and spells such as sleep can also work on the affected undead. The berries wither and rot away if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell. It may be the denial of growthan important aspect of life, but also the denial of cessation. At Higher Levels. [4] Abilities A baelnorn retained all memories, personality traits, and abilities from life, but had a virtual eternity to hone and develop its skills further. At 4th level, your creature type becomes undead. If you are a very rules-as-written loose DM, you might consider having an undead cleric turn the living instead! Loved ones die off, connections to the living world start to rot, years pass by like minutes. You may have also been condemned to eternal undeath as punishment for a great transgression. During her studies, Torrendra learned of a place in the Shadowfell that housed a necropolis where one could seek undeath without many of the limitations or horrendous need to feed on the living. Mr. Bodoni has a habit of spilling out skeleton puns whenever he deems necessary, which is often. Perhaps if she wasn't killed, she would have become corrupted with the evil essence of the Abyss. Nyx takes 10 radiant damage when she starts her turn in sunlight. The controlling creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC or be willing to release control over it. Example: Ezzie already has darkvision, so she found no difference in her vision. Can an evil character fool Detect Evil by doing good deeds? Becoming a wight has imbued her with a proficiency in Stealth. Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54) Let us pull inspiration from some of Roger Zelazny's work. [4] When they did venture out, or when they appeared in public to tutor or protect a family member, they wore hoods to conceal their nature. Whenever a spell is cast on you that restores hit points that specifically has no effect on undead, you may instead use your hit dice to recover hit points. Ideal: Purpose. When do you use in the accusative case? You count as an undead creature and take the resistances and weaknesses the possessing creature has. When a creature attacks a target Nyx can see within 5 feet of her excluding herself, she can impose disadvantage on the attack roll as long as she has a shield equipped. This fits with the kinds of rituals that are generally given as requirements for becoming one. It is far easier to consider deathless as a subtype of undead if you are willing to remove the conditional negative energy requirement, as was recently done for Eberron. You touch a creature with a soul and fortify it against harm. Any The gaurdian spirit can remain inside an object no larger than a 5 by 5 foot cube without taking force damage. Some members will infiltrate groups that oppose them to gain information on the acts and whereabouts of their enemies. Replace them with the undead type's resistances and immunities in addition to the basic undead immunity to poison condition and poison damage. This is why this guide exists and it is particular to D&D because many official settings can be more or less rigid about the alignment and motivations of the undead and the magic that creates them. Remember that Lay on Hands is available to oathbreakers now, so does that power really need to come from a holy oath? 4th Edition Statistics[1] Yet all those fine garments could not conceal the hideousness of the elven man's desiccated skin stretched taught over his bones, his withered hair looked brittle like straw, his glazed eyes were almost zombie-like, but had a hint that there was sentience and great wisdom in them. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +5 to hit with spell attacks). Instead of rats, cockroaches, and bedbugs being common household pets, common household pests might include carrion beetles, maggots, or even vulturesbut it is a problem can be solved with smart application of poison or necrotic energy. In some settings the negative energy that animates undead is inherently evil in nature and no matter how good an undead creature was to begin with it will eventually be driven to the dark side. This way of mediating a player character's undeath is by replacing racial traits and exchanging them for traits from undead types; that is the type of undead the player character has become if they choose to be a specific type of undead. Holy Undeath. When you sleep, you appear to be dead to attempts at close inspection without magic. How do they deal with it? *The baelnorn can effect undead creatures with this spell. Damage Resistances. Time passed, Torrendra's age started to show before even her human peers. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Statblock5e provides an easy way to display a creature statblock that looks almost exactly like the statblocks from the 5th edition D&D Monster Manual. A creature can choose to fail their role if it wishes so. Long Sword. Like all good beings, good-aligned undead can fall prey to intolerance and rigid ideology that drives them to extremes, such as one who is so vigilant about evil undead spies they wind up accusing others on a whim and even killing their friends. Most liches are foul, evil beings who are selfish and are willing to sacrifice others to prolong their presence on the Material Plane. Wiki Le Monde des Royaumes Oublis (French), Creatures with a 21 challenge rating (3e), Year of the Rune Lords Triumphant, 1487 DR, "The Searing (Dalelands, Dragon Coast)" in, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, "Watchnorns" were observers and guardians of public places or family lands, such as, "Lorenorns" acted as tutors, librarians, or students of magic or art; and. Mr. Bodoni can disattach a limb he is not using at the moment such as a leg, arm, or even just a hand, and wield it as a melee weapon that causes bludgeoning damage. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Such necropolises may be hidden in places away from the living such as in extraplanar locations or within demiplanes. Medium A powerful spellcaster may desire to become an archlich to continue pursuing arcane knowledge, but have no interest in the evil activities often associated with lichdom such as amassing undead armies. Undeath that is more reliable than other means of extension of self can be embraced to carry out long term goals and watch their legacies unfold. If an elf wished to become a baelnorn, it had to be for their clan's benefit, and the Coronal, the High Mages, and the elders of the clan had to agree. Positive energy can overwhelm and burn biological systems or even cause horrid growths and proliferate vermin and diseases. They agree to the reanimation, and to their astonishment, the adventurer is not a mindless husk, but a well-preserved and fully sentient zombie with her soul and mind intact. Torrendra was very reluctant about this option at first, she felt it would dissapoint everyone who believed her to be not evil. And once that is done, to keep being one, you have to keep feeding souls to your phylactery. His undead state seems like an anathema to nature, but his actions and habits seem to fit well within it, to the point where the natural world around him has accepted his presence and graced him with its magic. These people become undead for a purpose that extends common life and is greater than ones self, and thus is worth clinging onto life as long as one can. In addition, you aquire an additional weakness from the following table. Although vampires are commonly assumed to be weak to sunlight, it isn't always the case in folklore. Perhaps your DM would prefer, for the time being, not to add to DM workload and complications. Many class features assume that the player character is alive and would benefit from things that undead already benefit from such as immunity to poison. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. The archlich rolls a d8 and regains a spell slot of that level or lower. The reasons vary from individual to individual, and I'd like you to meet some friends I've made. He likes killing, but does so within the constraints of "but they deserved it" and won't harm someone who the 'Law' says does not deserve to die. For example, a spy for the Order who is also a member of an adventure guild focused on eradicating undead may hear of them attempting to raid and take down the lair of a good lich who has been blamed for certain problems in the area. You do not require food, drink, or air, at least not in the same way the living do. Tarian makes two long-ranged attacks when using shortbow. Turn Resistance. (They pass into a spirit trap, created by a powerful and secret 7th-level spell, and then are whisked into their next body.). The ritual isn't used often because of these limitations, and has only been used in desperation such as when a kingdom is too depleted (most likely due to the dragon) to afford adequate resurrection and more troops. Basilisk. Miroden Silverblade, baelnorn from Myth Drannor. Hit 8 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. If you are reduced to 0 hitpoints this way, you are destroyed and can only be brought back to undeath by a true resurrection or wish spell. If damage reduces the restless champion to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5+ the damage taken, unless the damage is cold or from a critical hit. There was a lively debate among them since no green elf had ever been made into a baelnorn before. [12], The relatively large number of baelnorn in Myth Drannor were credited as being the only reason many elves were able to escape duirng its fall. Melee Spell Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. After all, they are often against the status quo of the world and oppose the will of gods from multiple sides. Heavy Crossbow. The candidate for archlichdom, like those aspiring to be evil liches knows they are giving up the sensory pleasures of life such as food, but the archlich also begins much weaker than an evil lich, and looses a lot of magical power in the process of lichdom that only until much later do they regain. To do so the redeemed death knight must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. However, some go armed into battle if they possess magical weapons that cause greater damage than their touch. If a magical effect is made to exclude undead from its effects such as antilife shell, they still do not count as undead. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). More often than not, the inspiration for you homebrew comes from another source. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage, or 15 (2d6 + 8) slashing damage if used with two hands. You can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt, and you regain hit points equal to that amount of damage. Yet history has recorded the names of some very few liches of good or neutral alignment. This person died long ago. One must prepare one's mind not to fall into the pitfalls of power and immortality, and to refuse the help of evil beings who might appear to offer help to make the process faster and bolster one's magical power. 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, lesser restoration, zone of truth Undead have all the time in the world, so the pace of life might be slow and less organized much like how some think of elven society. Nyx is a 14th level spellcaster. A lich must periodically feed souls to its phylactery to sustain the magic preserving its body and consciousness. Shadow Form. In life, Tarian was a lowly, common human peasant of little status. My ancestor and I became better acquainted, and meeting him started my quest to find undead that were not the evil, single-minded monsters people believed they were. Any child who becomes a sentient undead creature must be nurtured and taken care of until they pass on to the afterlife. The baelnorn cannot send a message to the same creature for 10 minutes. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Generally, you can't do that and not end up evil in most D&D settings. If a class feature gives resistance to poison damage or the poison condition, you can swap it for another resistance or change it to poison damage immunity. Undead who are more intellectually inclined can become like vast libraries of knowledge and experience themselves. Baelnorn are usually created under pressing circumstances when an elf is needed to be immortal to continue a task such as guarding a powerful artifact or becoming a vessel of lore and knowledge. You once started as a humanoid being, but are now a hideous undead predator with a voracious appetite for flesh. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. A mummy has been gaurding the tomb of a king for thousands of years. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Baelnorn appeared largely as they did in life, though an immediate clue to a baelnorn's nature was the existence of shriveled and wrinkled skin turning slightly translucent over time. You then rise as a ghost until you are resurrected reanimated if your soul does not have an automatic destination after death such as a phylactery or clone made with the clone spell. You learn that indeed the soul of the keeper has not left the Material Plane, but any attempts to ask the ghost about the secret are only replied with a cold shoulder. You may be taking up adventuring for a number of reasons, to sate your slaughter or revenge against the necromancer who did this to you, or maybe you have had a change of heart and decide to make it up with heroic deeds. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) slashing damage, or 10(1d10 + 5) slashing damage if used with two hands, plus 18 (4d8) radiant damage. It may seem hypocritical for an undead to turn undead, but it happens (as seen with the archlich and baelnorn), and evil clerics can now turn undead as well. and our Most members are wizards and other dedicated spellcasters. They are foe to both the do-gooders who seek to vanquish all undead with extreme prejudice and those who seek to use undeath to enslave others and bring ruin to the world. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). Undead who must feed would have a more difficult time remaining unnoticed; they will have to find ways to keep their feeding a secret. Its statistics, other than its size and speed, are unchanged. While any undead creature is attuned to the amulet, they are immune to all class features, spell effects, magic items, or any other magic that specifically target undead such as Turn Undead and Holy Water. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. Some party members may be more accepting of undead--perhaps they don't see what is so evil about most undead, maybe they've had experiences with undead that were not hostile. That means that for the time being, all liches are evil subject to a DM ruling otherwise at a given table. [5] Those baelnorn who remained in the ruins were largely involved in protecting the treasures and spellbooks of their clans. When you reach 4th level you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. This may either be a diety adopting one as a porfolio or a new god rising with one. Nyx has a pool of healing power that she can use to restore a total of 70 hit points. For example, if you suffer from 3 levels of exhaustion due to blood deprivation, and must spend a Source: 5th Edition SRD Ability Scores Six abilities provide a quick description of every creature's physical and mental characteristics: Strength, measuring physical power Dexterity, measuring agility Constitution, measuring endurance Intelligence, measuring reasoning and memory Wisdom, measuring perception and insight Dexter strikes me as Lawful Evil. Cantrips (at will): chill touch, mage hand, thaumaturgy, spare the dying* Somehow they retained their original soul and eventually broke free. Some undead creatures abhor other undead creatures, so any class features such as paladin class features that give bonuses to targeting undead may not break the theme of the character. A baelnorn who served as a guardian might spend centuries laying and checking traps, always ready for a fight. Your body can now rejuvenate after death. As long as you have kept your oath to the deity granting you undeath, you are resurrected in 3d10 days as if having had the Resurrection spell cast upon you. Inhabit Object. They also do not count as undead for any spell that can be made to target undead such as magic circle. Later when the ghoul was finished, he gradually gained his self-awareness as the necromancers hold was no longer upon him. Rejuvenation. Anyone brought to unlife ought to be put down to end their misery. If this sounds ghoulish, well maybe it isnt so different from a ghoul after all? So it goes. Undead workers can work for days on end without rest. [2] Elminster once consulted with a number of these baelnorns beneath the ruins of Myth Drannor. Favored terrain Nobody is answering and if there is a cleric or paladin in your party, anyone will be even more reluctant to come out. This attack counts as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances or immunities. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Think about the character first as they were alive, build them like any sort of player character provided the race or class chosen is not already undead. Combat: Baelnorn do not project a terrifying aura as do liches, but the chill of their unlife inflicts the same touch damage (plus paralysis if the victim fails a save). Favored climate If they guard a place or an item of power, they typically spend centuries laying traps, placing items at the ready, setting spell triggers, creating or summoning guardian monsters, and formulating defensive strategies. Such undead cannot be made if the soul has already been taken by the outer planes. This can encourage more socialization among the immortal or just exceedingly very long lived; which can provide constant companionship but also still suffers from being in a circle of old ideas. The projection is capable of passing through magic barriers such as from spells such as forcecage and magic circle. My duty is to the greater cause of justice is my reason for persisting in this world. The necromancer may pay the deceaseds family, give last words to family, or some other form of payment to convince the soul to return for awhile. would more likely pursue throughout a long-running campaign, and Such a person likely has some allies who know of their undeath and are willing to do things on their behalf that are difficult to do without revealing their undeathor in the case of vampires, also during the daytimes. The subject of non-evil undead often pops up within discussions of roleplayers. Just give any generic npc statblock these changes: Resistance to either acid, cold, fire, lightning or poison. A projection can lightly interact with its environment, such as pushing a small object, drawing a message in sand, or turning the page of a book. Prerequisites. Fey Eternally Vigilant. Tarian has the following ranger spells prepared: 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, fog cloud, goodberry, hunter's mark. There are many easy ways to customize the NPCs. So here are the Skaven stat blocks I've been working on. Alternatively, the redeemed death knight can expend 5 hit points from the pool to cure a target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. Flaw: I refused to be resurrected by the clerics who offered it to me. [10] Such a request was usually granted only on rare occasions when a clan or settlement had an exceptional need for lorekeepers or guardians. Her short lifespan would prove her ultimate undoingthat is if she accepted it. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th or higher, you may also target living giants, monstrosities, and dragons. The church grim will do its best to scare and fight off intruders such as grave robbers and unscrupoulus necromancers. The only good undead is a slain one!" This is homebrew, submitted by a member of the community. Some elven good liches are known as baelnorns, they are gifted undeath by elven gods under rare circumstances should one be needed to preserve ancient lore or if one is the last of their tribe. A planetouched spirit may also have been one banished due to not assimilating to that plane. Some become archliches to become powerful, undying, and ever-vigilant vessels of good and protectors of their domain. 7th level (2 slots): project image, teleport 3. Privacy Policy. Ethical necromancers have found ways to circumvent this by either bringing back the rest of the soul parts or substituting it. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. [7] Most baelnorn stayed within the crypts, towers, ruins, or other structures which they guarded or worked in, and were rarely seen outside of them. For more information, please see our Many ancient baelnorn are also guardians and advisors to elven families who have chosen to remain in the world of the living to guide their descendants. rev2023.5.1.43405. A 'Dixie Flatline' was presented as a possible non-canon solution to this. You may consider having a character loose levels upon undeath, or start out at a lower level. Sneaky. However, despite all his undead "gifts", a baelnorn (like a lich) counts his vast intellect, his supreme mastery of wizardry and limitless time to research and plan, as his greatest resources. Rejuvenation. A necromancer is forbidden from raising armies of enslaved undead, unless said undead are completely soulless. If positive energy preserves and gives life and negative energy destroys and takes away life, then wouldnt the two be necessary to co-exist? In theory, a Lich could potentially be non-evil butit's going to be extremely complicated and require some.significant moral gymnastics. Raising the ensouled corpses or souls of children is forbidden. 3e There may be some overlap between lingering spirits of the dead and the spirits from other planes, it may involve the destiny of that soul and what the soul did in life. It soon learns to discern potential threats and eavsdrop on the conversations of visitors. None Choose an undead creature that is within 30 feet of you that is perpetually distressed, the creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC, upon failure the creature is relieved of its torment and behaves favorably to you.
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