Homebrew Ensouled Undead Species Details
We marched into the Deadlands thinking not much else about it. Our company had faced the likes of the legions of mindless undead before, it was our specialty. "Sunlight's Fist", they called us. Over a hundred men strong, an elite vanguard sent by our nation to purge the undead menace. We would have lost all of them had I not ordered a retreat.
These undead were nothing like I've ever seen before. Not like the typical skeletons or zombies or golems we've seen. When we took one down, sometimes they would just pop right back up and continue the fight. They were like us, quick-witted and clever. They used complex battle tactics, shield walls, skirmisher deployment, pincer maneuvers, you name it. We never saw a necromancer, or lich, or any kind of commanding presence. These undead were trained warriors, with who knows how many decades of experience. They chattered in an ancient language, making call outs in a tongue I couldn't understand.
But when I ordered the retreat, I saw the true nature of these "ensouled". They did not chase us, they did not hunt us down, they only wanted us off their land. They showed us mercy.
The undead are often reviled and feared by other races as once-living, now animated corpses are many people's nightmares made manifest. Unlike most mindless undead, the ensouled are blessed with having a soul of a once alive person within their body, granting them true sentience and agency. These ensouled skeletons were specially crafted undead first raised by their enigmatic death god for reasons now lost to time. Souls bound to their crafted skeletal bodies on the physical plane, the ensouled continue their un-lives, walking forward to find purpose.
Children of the Grave
Without skin, muscles or organs, ensouled are only as variable as the bones they have access to. The typical ensouled is crafted from a collection of well-fitting bones from either a single individual or multiple similar ones. Due to this unique creation, ensouled can vary in height and weight depending on the race of the bones they were assembled from. Strangely enough, ensouled often weigh almost as much or slightly less than the race their bones mostly come from, putting into question the idea of the weight of the soul. Most ensouled are created from high-quality bones, that are well preserved and kept clean prior to the soul being assigned to the body, leading to most ensouled having a clean, ivory bone color, though some unfortunate individuals have been created with less quality material.
A Bundle of Bones
Much like they were in life, the ensouled are as variable as the living. They have variable morals and personalities, depending on the person they were in life, though some react to the idea of an eternity of undeath differently. When feared by the living, the ensouled will often form their own communities, and even nations of the unliving. When accepted by others, they often stay around the place they once inhabited in life. When an ensouled finds a home, they will often defend it to the end from intruders or threats. Ensouled do not age, and can persist for potentially eternity, but will fade and decay if they do not take good care of their bones and keep them well-preserved.
Gathering of Souls
Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or a powerful secret, ensouled often seek refuge in history and what has been lost to time, such as ruins, remains of ancient civilizations, books, or artifacts. Few take being undead very poorly and seek to become living once more, while others dedicate themselves to the creation of guiding of more ensouled. Most ensouled treat death as a sacred or holy thing.
The Eternal March
Ensouled often seek purpose after they are brought into the world, and will either find it in their local community, or out adventuring. Ensouled joining an adventuring party of the living is an odd sight, as ensouled often have trouble relating to the living, if they have been undead for a significant period of time. They are often seen as uncaring or aloof by others.
Ensouled Names
Ensouled generally have names from the culture they once had when they were living, no matter the race, though many often take up a new name as an undead.
Ensouled Undead Traits
Though some often make assumptions of the ensouled due to their undead nature, they have a few traits that set them apart from your garden variety mindless dead.Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age
Undead do not usually age and continue to exist until they are destroyed or the magic animating them expires.
Alignment
Ensouled generally lean towards the lawful side. Ensouled often retain the alignment they had in life.
Size
Ensouled vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 7 feet tall depending on bone construction. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision
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 grey.
Lifeless Husk
As an undead you have the following traits. Immunity to the poison condition and poison damage, and don't need to eat, drink, or breathe. You also don't need to sleep, don't suffer from exhaustion, and for any spell effects you are considered undead.
Chosen of the Reaper
When you fall unconscious, you may make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, on your next turn, you heal for 1d6 hit points + your constitution modifier and get back up. After you activate Chosen of the Reaper, you can't use it again until you complete a long rest.
Soul Engine
As an ensouled undead, you are kept animated by a pool of negative energy (represented by your hit points). As an action, you can drain the negative energy of the recently deceased to heal 1d6 + your proficiency modifier. After you use your energy drain you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
The healing increases to 2d6 at 4th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.
Rest In Peace
When you take a long rest, you must spend at least 4 hours of it in an inactive, motionless state. You appear dead, but can see or hear as normal.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Ensouled generally retain at least one language they knew from life.
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