Undeath

As a vile necromantic alternative to the reincarnation spell, this spell can be used to bring back individuals to the world of the living. Upon casting this spell, the caster brings back a dead character (or creature) in an undead state, whether as some sort of reanimated body or as spiritual or ghost-like form. Wicked, cruel, murderous, or so-called evil beings will often want to continue their predations in undeath, but for most beings the subject's soul is not willing to return in such a state. Most normal individuals roll a saving throw vs. Spells to avoid coming back (rolled as if they were still alive and well), and if successful the spell fails completely as the soul cannot be compelled to return. Roll on the following table to determine what sort of undead creature the character becomes. Entries marked with (FG) indicate creatures from the Basic Fantasy Field Guide Omnibus. d% Undead Form 01-25 Ghoul 26–40 Ghast (FG) 41-50 Mummy 51-55 Spectre 56-60 Vampire 61-75 Wight 76-84 Wraith 85-90 Ghost 91-00 Other (GM's choice) Since the dead character is returning in a state of undeath, all physical ills and afflictions are generally irrelevant. The condition of the remains is not really a factor so long as the body is largely intact. The magic of the spell repairs or otherwise accommodates any changes necessary to conform to the new undead state, the process taking one hour to complete. When the spell is finished, the new undead being becomes aware and active. The caster has absolutely no special control over the newly-'risen' being. Of course, subsequent spells may be cast, having completely normal effects upon the new undead. The newly-undead character recalls the majority of its former life and form. Its class is unchanged, as are the character's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma (but see below). The physical abilities of Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution should be re-rolled or determined by the parameters of the new form. The subject’s level (or Hit Dice) is reduced by 1; this is a real reduction, not a negative level, and is not subject to magical restoration. The subject of this spell takes on all the abilities, hindrances, and disadvantages of the new undead state, having either the undead creature's normal hit dice or will have hit points according to the character's reduced level, whichever is higher. In either case, the character's class abilities are available to the newly-risen form excepting any obviously contradicting situations. For instance, Climbing is probably of little importance to a ghost-like form. The spell can thus create generally-superior undead beings who often go on to lead others of their kind. The undead creature gains all abilities associated with its new form, including forms of movement and speeds, natural armor, natural attacks, extraordinary abilities, and the like, but also must confront any special tendencies of the new state. For instance, a newly-risen ghoul hungers voraciously for fetid flesh, and a new vampire thirsts for blood. The compulsions of the undead is very strong, and the behaviors will soon overcome any previous relationships with living beings, although it may experience remorse over killing its former friends. For undead such as ghouls, ghasts, wights, and similar beings, the urges to kill and feed are so strong that they can become effectively mindless (-6 to Intelligence and Wisdom scores) until the urges are temporarily satisfied. Vampires have a bit more conscious control over their hunger and do not have this penalty. For other types of undead not listed here, the GM may assign relevant behaviors that must be followed. Constructs, elementals, and similar creatures cannot become undead. The creature must have originally been a living corporeal being with some semblance of intelligence. The GM has the final say whether this spell affects any specific being. Likewise the GM decides any special situations or special manifestations that may occur from the use of this spell. Generally, any character who becomes an undead immediately becomes an NPC under the control of the GM unless he or she has made special accommodations to allow for undead player characters. Note: this spell is intended only for Necromancers, as the other spell-casting classes have access to similar types of spells (reincarnation and raise dead).