How does one create skeletal champions within the rules?
Animate undead creates skeletons and zombies of various kinds. Create Undead gives us ghouls, ghasts, mummies, and morhgs. Create Greater Undead allows us to produce shadows, wraiths, spectres, and devourers.
The lich template is pretty clear on how one can go about becoming a lich (CL 11th, craft wondrous item, lots of time and money, unspeakably evil rituals).
But no where can I find rules on turning an intelligent living creature into a skeletal champion!
I would also like to know how a character might go about creating ghosts, vampires, and wights.
Maybe they cannot be created within the rules? Or that those spells have been lost to time, or can only be gifted by pacts with greater, darker powers?
If I were to attempt it, I would Create Undead and use Leadership to take one or more of them on as a low-level Cohort, and then advance them into Fighter or Anti-Paladin. It would take some house-ruling, I think, but it might work.
I don't think player characters should be able to create ghosts, vampires, or wights. Vampires create vampires. Wights create wights (or they arise on their own). Ghosts arise through tragic circumstances.
In rare circumstances I could see vampires arising on their own, or perhaps there being an artifact that creates vampires, but I don't think their creation should be reduced to a spell or ritual. They're different from liches in that they can easily make more of themselves.
I don't think there are codified rules for making a skeletal champion. The bestiary just says they can't be made with Animate Dead and either arise spontaneously or through dark and evil rituals. (Could see there being more information provided on the rituals though. Perhaps in Undead Revisited when it comes out?)
Any other takers?
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Skeletal champions? I'd say it depends on the level of the person being raised either create undead, animate dead or create greater undead.
Ghosts I see as a product of the circumstances of death.
Wights I would say come under Create Undead at the same stage as Ghasts.
Vamps are a tricky one... I'd say that it would be a ritual or artefact that needs researching.
How does one create skeletal champions within the rules?
Animate undead creates skeletons and zombies of various kinds. Create Undead gives us ghouls, ghasts, mummies, and morhgs. Create Greater Undead allows us to produce shadows, wraiths, spectres, and devourers.
The lich template is pretty clear on how one can go about becoming a lich (CL 11th, craft wondrous item, lots of time and money, unspeakably evil rituals).
But no where can I find rules on turning an intelligent living creature into a skeletal champion!
I would also like to know how a character might go about creating ghosts, vampires, and wights.
This is a fair question, I've been looking for the answer as well. If they are created from upset spirits or self-propagating like wights/vampires that would be good to know.
From a GM perspective, I have a lich who would need to find/make a new skeletal champion bodyguard, but I'm unsure what kind of mechanic to bring into play there.
I'd rule it to be something like Create Undead of Create Greater undead, especially if you're going with the dread creatures from Green Ronin's Advanced Bestiary.
Isn't it just a variant of a skeleton? In spirit, if not in rules.
Also, I'm laughing about the thread necromancy. about necromancy.
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How fitting that a thread about undead got necro'd. ;)
The requirements for creating skeletal champions and other powerful undead types are laid out in Undead Revisited. Skeletal Champions require:
CL at least 11 and greater than the HD of the undead to be created
Create Undead
Enervation or Energy Drain
How fitting that a thread about undead got necro'd. ;)
The requirements for creating skeletal champions and other powerful undead types are laid out in Undead Revisited. Skeletal Champions require:
CL at least 11 and greater than the HD of the undead to be created
Create Undead
Enervation or Energy Drain
Beautiful, thanks! Will add that book to my collection.
Not to necro this again but anyone know where I can find the template or a guide to making ghouls?
Create Undead spell Blue. First one on the list.
Link
Was about to do that myself when I saw the topic of this thread. Things like this is why I prefer the SRD over the PRD. The SRD pulls things from books and adds them a lot better than the PRD does, and they make sure to link everything together so you can find all your information easily.
On the other hand, the SRD offers very weak transparency on what comes from where, usually due to setting copyright problems—a lot of GMs, myself included, like to know where a spell option comes from. Some, like the Summon Monster variant that allows you to summon tigers, are decidedly overpowered without the original context.
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On the other hand, the SRD offers very weak transparency on what comes from where, usually due to setting copyright problems—a lot of GMs, myself included, like to know where a spell option comes from. Some, like the Summon Monster variant that allows you to summon tigers, are decidedly overpowered without the original context.
Let the forum-dead lie in peace, you heartless monster!
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But no where can I find rules on turning an intelligent living creature into a skeletal champion!
I know, dead thread necroed by someone else, but still, to this question. As I read the entry for the skeleton chamption, it doesn't seem like something created intentionally by a spell, but more a rare occurance when they are created as an undead skeleton. So a living creature would have to die to become a skeleton champion. The Skeleton Summoner feat (AVG), can summon skeleton champions with Summon Monster 3.
I could wring the necromantic irony out of the air in here.
But no where can I find rules on turning an intelligent living creature into a skeletal champion!I know, dead thread necroed by someone else, but still, to this question. As I read the entry for the skeleton chamption, it doesn't seem like something created intentionally by a spell, but more a rare occurance when they are created as an undead skeleton. So a living creature would have to die to become a skeleton champion. The Skeleton Summoner feat (AVG), can summon skeleton champions with Summon Monster 3.
Apparently, Undead Revisited shows how to animate a skeletal champion through magic.
I'm still curious about newer undead from Bestiary 3+ though. I recall seeing plenty that didn't have any apparent means of deliberate creation listed.