Hey guys, my group is doing a campaign and something I really wanted to do was create a PC who is secretly undead but the other players don't know about yet. I'm going to run this by my DM for sure, but we're all still a bit new at D&D, so I wanted to get some ideas about playing a secret Undead PC to sort of give him ideas and help him out, you know? Has anyone pllayed an Undead PC before and how have you done it?
For reference, what I'm thinking is that they were revived shortly after they died, right before the campaign started. They have no memory of their life before death and their motivation is finding out how and why they died, who their family is, and if they were murdered, who killed them? I was thinking sort of like a zombie type character, but without the need for flesh, and maybe they need a magical charm to keep from rotting like may a charm that preserves their body so it doesn't rot, but also they have no body temperature?
Hey guys, my group is doing a campaign and something I really wanted to do was create a PC who is secretly undead but the other players don't know about yet. I'm going to run this by my DM for sure, but we're all still a bit new at D&D, so I wanted to get some ideas about playing a secret Undead PC to sort of give him ideas and help him out, you know? Has anyone pllayed an Undead PC before and how have you done it?
For reference, what I'm thinking is that they were revived shortly after they died, right before the campaign started. They have no memory of their life before death and their motivation is finding out how and why they died, who their family is, and if they were murdered, who killed them? I was thinking sort of like a zombie type character, but without the need for flesh, and maybe they need a magical charm to keep from rotting like may a charm that preserves their body so it doesn't rot, but also they have no body temperature?
Reminds me of the Returned in Theros. Think what if people escaped the Greek Underworld but they are sentient undead, only need to drink water to sustain themselves, and they have to wear a golden mask to hide their faces since they look very messed up. Also they got the amnesia thing going on. I was going to consider using the stats for them for your character HOWEVER
A: I'm not sure the Returned are a race you can play in a Theros DnD campaign. B: The book isn't out yet.
If it's stat wise I would use the same stats you have for whatever race/class combo you go for but use the penalties you get for a raise dead spell. Have some minuses for attack rolls, saving throws and ability checks. I wouldn't go -4 but perhaps -1? As for the keeping things fresh, sure you could either have a preserve body spell going on OR you could have the source that brought your character back prevent him/her from rotting?
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Hadgar Greystone, Lv 10 Duergar Death Cleric. Call of Cantraxis campaign, Moonshae.
DM: Imperia Regnum Ancient Rome Theros Homebrew.
Gri'im the Red, LV 7 Orc Druid Rime of the Frost Maiden Campaign.
As Gorvar mentioned, there are the Returned. The_Glimpse mentioned the MM. Even if they're not traditionally playable, the DMG mentions stuff about making PCs out of "monsters". It's something to consider with the DM.
You can also homebrew something with the DM that has advantages and disadvantages to separate the character from their living counterparts while not over/underpowering the character.
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
If I remember right there was a Revenent option for PCs in the UA "Gothic Heroes". It gives a bump to Con and gives the Relentless Nature ability, but there is the drawback that once you complete your goal, you permanently die.
Hey guys, my group is doing a campaign and something I really wanted to do was create a PC who is secretly undead but the other players don't know about yet. I'm going to run this by my DM for sure, but we're all still a bit new at D&D, so I wanted to get some ideas about playing a secret Undead PC to sort of give him ideas and help him out, you know? Has anyone pllayed an Undead PC before and how have you done it?
For reference, what I'm thinking is that they were revived shortly after they died, right before the campaign started. They have no memory of their life before death and their motivation is finding out how and why they died, who their family is, and if they were murdered, who killed them? I was thinking sort of like a zombie type character, but without the need for flesh, and maybe they need a magical charm to keep from rotting like may a charm that preserves their body so it doesn't rot, but also they have no body temperature?
Sounds like a Hollowed One from EGTW or maybe even a reduced ability Revenant from the MM.
Reminds me of the Returned in Theros. Think what if people escaped the Greek Underworld but they are sentient undead, only need to drink water to sustain themselves, and they have to wear a golden mask to hide their faces since they look very messed up. Also they got the amnesia thing going on.
I was going to consider using the stats for them for your character HOWEVER
A: I'm not sure the Returned are a race you can play in a Theros DnD campaign.
B: The book isn't out yet.
If it's stat wise I would use the same stats you have for whatever race/class combo you go for but use the penalties you get for a raise dead spell.
Have some minuses for attack rolls, saving throws and ability checks. I wouldn't go -4 but perhaps -1?
As for the keeping things fresh, sure you could either have a preserve body spell going on OR you could have the source that brought your character back prevent him/her from rotting?
Hadgar Greystone, Lv 10 Duergar Death Cleric.
Call of Cantraxis campaign, Moonshae.
DM: Imperia Regnum
Ancient Rome Theros Homebrew.
Gri'im the Red, LV 7 Orc Druid
Rime of the Frost Maiden Campaign.
As Gorvar mentioned, there are the Returned. The_Glimpse mentioned the MM. Even if they're not traditionally playable, the DMG mentions stuff about making PCs out of "monsters". It's something to consider with the DM.
You can also homebrew something with the DM that has advantages and disadvantages to separate the character from their living counterparts while not over/underpowering the character.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
If I remember right there was a Revenent option for PCs in the UA "Gothic Heroes". It gives a bump to Con and gives the Relentless Nature ability, but there is the drawback that once you complete your goal, you permanently die.
Hombrew: Way of Wresting, Circle of Sacrifice