Homebrew Arisen Mummy Species Details

 

Preserved Wrath

The long burial rituals that accompany a mummy's entombment help protect its body from rot. In the embalming process, the newly dead creature's organs are removed and placed in special jars, and its corpse is treated with preserving oils, herbs, and wrappings.These jars are usually carved from limestone or made of pottery, etched or painted with religious hieroglyphs.
As long as its shriveled organs remain intact, a mummy can't be permanently destroyed. When it drops to 0 hit points, the mummy turns to dust and re-forms at full strength 24 hours later, rising out of dust in close proximity to the canopic jar containing its heart. A mummy can be destroyed or prevented from re-forming by burning its organs to ashes. For this reason, a mummy lord usually keeps its heart and viscera in a hidden tomb or vault. Each mummy's organ has AC 5, 25 hit points, and immunity to all damage except fire.
After the body has been prepared, the corpse is typically wrapped in linen bandages. These sacred wrappings become an embodiment of the mummy's persona and thus one with its reanimated body.

The Will of Dark Gods 

An undead mummy is created when the priest of a death god or other dark deity ritually imbues a prepared corpse with necromantic magic. The mummy's linen wrappings are inscribed with necromantic markings before the burial ritual concludes with an invocation to darkness. As a mummy endures in undeath, it animates in response to conditions specified by the ritual. Most commonly, a transgression against its tomb, treasures, lands, or former loved ones will cause a mummy to rise.

The Punished 

Once deceased, an individual has no say in whether or not its body is made into a mummy. Some mummies were powerful individuals who displeased a high priest or pharaoh, or who committed crimes of treason, adultery, or murder. As punishment, they were cursed with eternal undeath, embalmed, mummified, and sealed away. Other times, mummies acting as tomb guardians are created from slaves put to death specifically to serve a greater purpose. No matter the creed or calling, however, all mummies are cursed to lose the abilities they once had in life. They must start a new with bodies twisted by necromantic magic for what ever purpose the ritual demands of them.    

Creature of Ritual 

A mummy obeys the conditions and parameters laid down by the rituals that created it, driven only to punish transgressors. The overwhelming terror that foreshadows a mummy's attack can leave the intended victim paralyzed with fright. In the days following a mummy's touch, a victim's body rots from the outside in, until nothing but dust remains.

Ending a Mummy's Curse 

Rare magic can undo or dispel the ritual that gave rise to a mummy, allowing it to truly die. More commonly, a mummy can be sent back to its endless rest by undoing the transgression that caused it to rise. A sacred idol might be replaced in its niche, a stolen treasure could be returned to its tomb, or a temple might be purified of despoiling bloodshed. More ephemeral or permanent offenses, such as revealing a secret the mummy wished kept or killing an individual the mummy loved, can't be so easily remedied. In such cases, a mummy might slaughter all the creatures responsible and still not sate its wrath. The only for sure way to end their rampage is to reduce their consecrated remains to ash. 

Undead Archives 

Though they seldom bother to do so, mummies can speak. As a result, some serve as undead repositories of lost lore, and can be consulted by the descendants of those who created them. Powerful individuals sometimes intentionally sequester mummies away for occasional consultation.

Undead Nature

 A mummy doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Mummy Names

As Mummy can be made from any living being, their names can be from any culture that practices the dark rituals necessary to create one. Typically, any surname practices are dropped and instead a part of the Death God's name that the ritual belongs to is added as a suffix. They remain attached to any titles kept in their former lives (even if such titles no longer have legitimate standing)

Male Mummy Names: Amnon-Anu, Artimis-Myr, Boldar-Mvor, Derek-Aal, Lo'Tak-Mvor, Kairon-Kelem, Markus-Kul, Malik-Ar, Zultan-Kul

Female Mummy Names: Anakis-Lovi, Bethany-Anu, Cleo-Gal, Daniella-Bha, Ell-Aal, Kallista-Kul, Maria-Ar, Orisa-Anu, Rian-Har

 

 Spoiled Rotten

Having been someone of importance while alive (at the very least, important enough to preform such a ritual to), Mummies carried with them an air of pretentiousness and arrogance that followed into their newfound undead existence. Where once was the fear that comes with mortality is now an exuberant amount of confidence that tends to swallow their every motive. This boosted ego often results in a mummy forgoing embarrassment or disappointment in favor for frustration and anger.

 

Arisen Mummy Traits

Imbued with necromantic magics, each mummy rises with a dark arsenal inherent to the ritual of the mummy.

Racial Modifiers

Your Charisma score increases by 1, and your Constitution score increases by 2. Your Strength score decreases by 1.

Languages

Once a higher member of society, you can speak, read, and write common and two more languages of your choice.

Age

An ancient corpse or freshly laid to rest, the only stipulation for a mummy is that their spirit has left their corporeal self.

Alignment

Despite the evil magics required to create such an abomination, a mummy's alignment is often guided by their former life. However, due to the strict rules required for such a powerful ritual, mummies are always along the lawful aspect of morality, tied to the demands of whatever heinous spell raised their corpse.

Size

A Mummy's size is dependent on who they were before they were raised. 

Speed

No longer comprised of living tissues, you shamble around with a base walking speed of 20 feet.

Darkvision

As result of the curses that bind you to flesh, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Poison Resistance

The necromantic energies coursing through your rotting flesh are the very essence of death and disease. There is no life left to make ill and so you are resistant to poison damage.

Dreadful Glare

The mummy targets one creature it can see within 60 feet of it. If the target can see the mummy, it must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened until the end of the mummy's next turn . If the target fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it is also paralyzed for the same duration . A target that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the Dreadful Glare of all mummies for the next 24 hours.

Dust to Dust

A mummy is capable of breaking down its material components into a fine grain. Once per short rest, you gain the ability to transport yourself as a dust of some type in the wind as a free action. You are allowed to travel anywhere not sealed in a 30ft radius.  

At level three the amount increases to twice per short rest.
At level seven the amount increases to three times per short rest.
At level fifteen you can travel anywhere not sealed in a 60ft radius.
At level twenty the amount increases to four times per short rest.

Autotomy

Your shambling body is barely held together. Only through the dark curses on your sacred organs are you capable to walk among the living. This comes with certain advantages, however. At level three you can attack any of your joints in order to sever a limb from yourself. Roll a CON save against your constitution ability score. On a roll less than the number of this score, you have succeeded. Take half of the maximum weapon damage and sever the targeted body part. On a roll higher than your constitution ability score you fail, and take the maximum weapon damage while severing the targeted body part. The removed limb is not autonomous but will wiggle and writhe for a short time, 'causing anyone who witnessed the act to be stunned for one round. The limb lost will return after a long rest.