Homebrew Awaken Undead Species Details

Skeletons are raised by curses or necromancy, usually from remains that are so old that little to no flesh or organs remain upon the bones. Without the tiresome requirements of the body’s incessant desire for food, pleasure and excretion, most skeletons awaken to find great pleasure in purpose and activity, measuring their unlife in deeds and accomplishments they never would have had the time or energy to accomplish while still alive.

Skeletons make tireless laborers, and despite their lack of a brain, some skeletons are shockingly intelligent, able to recall things about their life and times from an entirely new and detached perspective. However, traditional communication is difficult without a tongue, and not every skeleton manages to learn to discuss the finer points of existence with anyone other than fellow skeletons. These silent beings spent most of the rest of their existences carrying out their tasks in relative silence with only the occasional scrape or rattle of bones punctuating the din of a well-kept crypt.

While the lack of a tongue inhibits a skeleton’s ability speak, awakened skeletons find ways of working around this limitation.

Spells like illusory script, message, minor illusion, prestidigitation, and thaumaturgy, allow a skeleton to communicate with another creature, and given time, they might form a more complex and useful shorthand with such individuals.

Rhythmic tapping of bones, or blinking patterns with spells such as dancing lights or produce flame might also serve as sort of code to communicate with an ally.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Intelligence increases by 1.

Age. Skeletons do not age, but they do break. They can endure unlife for several centuries after they are raised, up to three times as long as the lifespan of their original species.

Alignment. Due to their undead nature, skeletons are raised to evil alignments, but as they gain independence, they often drift toward neutrality, becoming cold and detached, melancholic or droll cynics.

Languages. You can't speak, but you can understand the languages you knew in life.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages. You can understand, read and write any languages you knew in life. You can communicate telepathically with other skeletons within 30 feet of you, regardless of the languages you knew in life.

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 gray.

Skeletal Nature. You are immune to poison damage, and you can't be poisoned. You don't require air, food, drink, or sleep, but must rest motionless in order to regain abilities that may require a short or long rest.

Collapse. When you do rest, you collapse into a pile of bones, including your worn equipment. You remain aware of your surroundings, and are completely indiscernible from a corpse unless divined by magical means, such as paladin’s Divine Sense or the Detect Good and Evil spell. You can resume your normal stance and stature using your reaction.

Memory. You have advantage on Intelligence (History) checks you make to recall events from the time period in which you expired.

Sticks and Stones. You resist piercing and slashing damage from non-magical attacks.

Undead Nature. Your creature type is undead instead of humanoid.

Awaken Undead Traits

Undead powers walk the earth

Ability Score Increase.

Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Intelligence increases by 1.

Age

Skeletons do not age, but they do break. They can endure unlife for several centuries after they are raised, up to three times as long as the lifespan of their original species.

Alignment.

Due to their undead nature, skeletons are raised to evil alignments, but as they gain independence, they often drift toward neutrality, becoming cold and detached, melancholic or droll cynics.

Languages

You can't speak, but you can understand the languages you knew in life.

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 gray.

Skeletal Nature

You are immune to poison damage, and you can't be poisoned. You don't require air, food, drink, or sleep, but must rest motionless in order to regain abilities that may require a short or long rest.

Collapse

When you do rest, you collapse into a pile of bones, including your worn equipment. You remain aware of your surroundings, and are completely indiscernible from a corpse unless divined by magical means, such as paladin’s Divine Sense or the Detect Good and Evil spell. You can resume your normal stance and stature using your reaction.

Memory

You have advantage on Intelligence (History) checks you make to recall events from the time period in which you expired.

Sticks and Stones

You resist piercing and slashing damage from non-magical attacks.

Undead Nature

Your creature type is undead instead of humanoid.