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The Undead are false form of creation, taking that which was once alive and granting it an unnatural and unholy mockery of life. Undead creatures are categorized by a metagroup that indicates their relative state of decay rather than their original source metagroup.

Turned Undead


The Turned Undead are those created not from the powers of Necromancy, but rather from the bite of a true Vampire. Any being that is slain as a result of having their blood drained by a vampire will return to life in undeath on the night after they were bitten. This leaves only a narrow window of time to properly dispose of a body that has been killed by a vampire. The most reliable methods are to burn the body, however anointing with Holy water and some other forms of Holy Powers or rituals can also remove the vampires claim on the corpse.

The nature of turning leads some scholars to believe that the fangs of a vampire carry a specific disease of undeath that infects the body of the slain creature. Others similarly believe the the bite passes on an ancient curse from the first vampires. Whichever the case, it seems to typically only effect humanoid races of the third creation, though in very rare cases it has been known to effect beings of the second creature such as dragons.

Once the Turned Undead rise again they can take on two different forms:

Ghouls

All turned undead begin as ghouls and will remain so unless they are allowed to feed on the blood of the vampire that sired them. Their flesh quickly takes on the pallor of death and becomes eternal, never rotting or decaying, yet ever appearing dead. Ghouls also gain an insatiable hunger for the flesh of humanoids, preferring to eat it in a rotten and decayed state. This does not nourish their bodies, for they do not require true sustenance, but it does allow them to rejuvenate wounds they may have suffered. The more rotten the food source the more satisfaction it seems to give and as such Ghouls are sometimes known to hunt the living only to leave the bodies to rot before finally consuming them days or even weeks later.Read more…

Having been turned undead in such a short time period it is believed that the soul and spirit of the deceased remains trapped within the Ghoul. A fresh ghoul spawn will therefore retain is mind, will and emotions for a short time. However it is also irreversibly bound to the will of the vampire that created it and seeks to obey and appease its master. Provided the ghoul remains near its sire, it can retain some measure of its mental capacity, though the constant feeding on decayed humanoid remains tends to breed insanity. This leads to particular subspecies of Ghoul called  a Thrall, remaining in eternal servitude to its vampire master in an effort to cling to what remains of its humanity. For these Ghoulish Thralls the ultimate reward is to finally earn the right to taste the masters blood and become a vampire. However, this is a delicate matter and if a ghoul is denied a taste for too long, the masters blood may instead transform the Ghoul into the terrifying creature known as a Ghast.

Ghouls which are cast away by their masters or whose master is slain by some intrepid vampire hunter, quickly lose what remains of their soul or spirit and become little more than ravenous beasts, hunting in packs and lurking wherever death and corpses can be found in abundance. It is this form of Ghoul that is most often encountered in the wild. Though horrific to behold, there is some solace in the fact that these mindless monstrosities are not accompanied by a much more sinister vampire presence. 

Though wounds from a ghoul often fester, if they prove fatal they do not carry the ability to turn victims into more ghouls. Therefore, in most cases once a nest of Ghouls is destroyed, the local populace can rest easy.

Ghoulish Template

If using “ghoul” as a template for other creatures, apply the follow traits, modifiers, and skills:

  • Undead
  • Soulbound (3rd Creation only) or Spiritbound
  • Toughness II
  • Resistant II (Elemental)
  • Pack Hunting II (wild ghouls only)
  • Extra Sense III (Rotten Flesh)
  • Move (0), Strength (+2), Agility (+5), Stamina (-2), Intellect (-6), Wisdom (-4), Avoidance (-2), Perception (0), Resolve (+4), Initiative (-2), Charm (-9)
  • Gorge: action, target must be knocked down, immobilized, or incapacitated, deals 2d8+4 damage and converts 50% of damage dealt into HP
  • Rancid Ichor: Ghouls claws are perpetually coated in filth from the rotten corpses they eat, this causes Infected Wounds which immobilize effected targets for 1 round or 1 minute outside of combat

Vampires

There are many legends regarding the first vampires and how they came to be, but since new vampires can only be created by other vampires its difficult to say what their origin truly is. Regardless, when a vampire bites a humanoid victim and drinks or drains its blood to the point of death, it first becomes a ghoul. If that ghoul is then allowed to taste the blood of the vampire which sired it, it becomes a vampire as well.

more coming soon…

Cadaverous Undead


Cadaverous Undead are created from the bodies of the freshly dead and include Walking Corpses, Soulbound Lazar, Revenants, Necrotech, and other Cadaverous Undead Creatures. Cadaverous undead are sometimes referred to as the “New Dead” or “Freshly Dead”. In order to preserve their flesh in the most pristine manner possible, they must be raised before rot can set in. Most preferably this is done at the moment of death or shortly there after. However, care must be taken to ensure the soul has left the lifeless husk of the deceased, lest a dangerous and heinously evil Soulbound creature is brought into the world. If done correctly, these undead possess most of the benefits of undead soldiers or servants, without the unpleasant smells, appearances, or disease spreading potential of more decomposed types of undead. The New Dead also retain more of the natural agility and skill sets that they did in life, as though their bodies and muscles yet remember the tasks and roles that they fulfilled in life.

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While undeath prevents their bodies from decomposing, their flesh is still dead and unable to heal or repair itself. Cadavers that are used as soldiers often become so damaged that they begin to look little different than a zombie. Likewise their dead flesh has an unsettling pallor to it and when used as servants makeup is often used to mask this fact, though it can still do little to mask their dark and clouded dead eyes.

Cadaverous Template

If using “Corpse” as a template for other creatures, apply the follow traits, modifiers, and skills:

  • Undead
  • Mindless (lower levels), Soulbound (3rd Creation only) or Spiritbound
  • Toughness II
  • Resistant II (Elemental)
  • Sense Living III
  • Move (0), Strength (+2), Agility (0), Stamina (-1), Intellect (-6), Wisdom (-6), Avoidance (-2), Perception (-3), Resolve (+4), Initiative (-6), Charm (-8)

Zombified Undead


Zombified Undead are created from the rotten remains of the dead and include Zombies, Wights, and other Zombified Undead Creatures. Zombified undead are sometimes referred to as the “Rotting Dead” as they used corpses that have been dead for long enough that the flesh is in a significant state of discomposure. They are some of the most common forms of undead, as necromancers often struggle to gain access to freshly dead corpses and must instead reply upon digging graves weeks or months after the burial, when there is less attention being paid to the deceased. The other common source of zombified undead would be mass graves or sites of battles or massacres where bodies are left to rot under the sun. Due to the unpleasant smell and appearance, zombified dead are seldom used in the capacity of servants, and are more likely to be found in mindless hordes unleashed to distract or harry the living. In some cases entire armies of zombies may be utilized as cheap and reliable troops, the make up for their lack of fighting prowess with their relentless capacity to advance regardless of loses or morale.

Read more…

Zombified Template

If using “Zombie” as a template for other creatures, apply the follow traits, modifiers, and skills:

  • Undead
  • Mindless (lower levels), Soulbound (3rd Creation only) or Spiritbound
  • Toughness III
  • Resistant III (Elemental)
  • Sense Living III
  • Any non-magical metal weapons or armor are typically Rusted or otherwise damaged, especially at lower levels
  • Often carry diseases spread by their attacks or as an aura
  • Move (-2 lower levels, -1 higher levels, 0 or +1 if feral), Strength (+1), Agility (-3), Stamina (-3), Intellect (-8), Wisdom (-8), Avoidance (-3), Perception (-5), Resolve (+5), Initiative (-7), Charm (-10)

Skeletal Undead


Skeletal Undead are created from the bones of those long dead and include Skeletons, Living Bones, Liches, and other Skeletal Undead Creatures. Skeletal undead are sometimes referred to as the “Old Dead”, as any functionally complete pile of bones can be used to create them. necromancers will exhume long forgotten graves or scour old battlefields where the bones of the fallen lay just beneath the soil. Skeletal remains are some of the cheapest and least risky for a necromancer to rely upon, and have the added benefit of long longer reeking for rotten flesh nor carrying diseases. As such they can be utilized for a variety of roles.

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Skeletal Template

If using “Skeletal” or “Bone” as a template for other creatures, apply the follow traits, modifiers, and skills:

  • Undead
  • Mindless (lower levels), Soulbound (3rd Creation only) or Spiritbound
  • Toughness V
  • Resistant V (Elemental)
  • Immune (Fire)
  • Blind, Sense Living III, Blindsense I or II
  • Any non-magical metal weapons or armor are typically Rusted, especially at lower levels
  • Vicious I,II, or III (at higher levels, for non-weapon attacks such as “skeletal claw”)
  • Move (-1), Strength (+1), Agility (-5), Stamina (-5), Intellect (-8), Wisdom (-10), Avoidance (-4), Perception (-5), Resolve (+6), Initiative (-8), Charm (-10)

Mummified Undead


Tomb Dragon – Generated with AI

Mummified Undead are created from the preserved remains of the ancient dead and include Mummies, Royal Mummies, Tomb Guardians and other Mummified Undead Creatures.

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Most mummified undead are mindless creatures that operate under a simple compulsion to guard or protect the ancient tombs of long dead royalty or other sites sacred to them for reasons lost to time. However some mummified undead have their souls or spirits bound to their ancient mummified form. This is often the case with Royal Mummies, or other powerful mummified creatures such as Tomb Dragons. Such creatures, whose gem encrusted burial wraps bind their living mind to the lifeless undead husk within, are driven insane by a corrupted sense of will and ambition, becoming obsessed with immortality, wealth, power or authority. When the slumber of such powerful and corrupted creatures is disturbed, these creatures arise from their desert tombs and once more seek to rule over vast armies of the dead and reforge long lost empires.

The treasure hordes of Royal Mummies are sought after by many, but such treasure is almost always cursed, for the ancient dead hold tight to the wealth they possessed in life. So cursed are these creatures, that any wounds they cause fester and become very difficult to heal.

Mummified Template

If using “mummy” or “tomb” as a template for other creatures, apply the follow traits and modifiers:

  • Undead
  • Mindless (lower levels), Soulbound (3rd Creation only) or Spiritbound
  • Toughness IV
  • Resistant IV (Elemental)
  • Sensitivity (Fire)
  • Cursed Wounds (at higher levels)
  • Blind, Sense Living III, Blindsense I or II
  • Any non-magical metal weapons or armor are typically Rusted, especially at lower levels
  • Move (-1), Strength (0), Agility (-4), Stamina (-4), Intellect (-5), Wisdom (-1), Avoidance (-4), Perception (0), Resolve (+4), Initiative (-4), Charm (-4)

Disembodied Undead


Disembodied Undead are created from some remnant of the soul or spirit of the dead and include Ghosts, Wraiths, Death Knights, and other Ethereal Undead Creatures

Ghost: a soul that is forced or otherwise compelled to not pass on, usually against its will

Wraith: The soul and/or spirit of a powerful magic user that wills itself to not pass on or is kept from passing on by some function of its own magic

Deathknight: The soul of a knight or paladin whose oath (or failure to uphold it) binds them beyond the physical death of their body, latching onto the armor it wore in life as a form of psuedo body.

Ethereal: Ethereal undead are formed of the remnant spiritual energy of a creature that has lost its physical form or substance, typically one that is magical in nature and does not possess a soul (i.e. creatures of the second creation)

Read more…

Ethereal Template

If using “ethereal” or “wraith” as a template for other creatures, apply the follow traits and modifiers:

  • Incorporeal Form
  • Undead
  • Soulbound (3rd Creation only) or Spiritbound
  • Immune (Physical, non-magic)
  • Resistant VI (Elemental)
  • Blind, Sense Living III, Blindsense I or II
  • Stats vary, but are typically not much different than what they were in life with the exception of Move (+1)

Assembled Undead


Assembled Undead are created from an amalgamation of parts, stitched together by some combination of necromancy and unholy ingenuity. They are a special category that can include other versions previously mentioned, however they are formed from a variety of mismatched parts or even just a large quantity of parts and include things like Obelisks, Horrors, and Hulks.

More coming soon…

Codex of the Undead


The Codex of the Undead is the master list of all Undead creatures available for encounters and roleplaying for Realm of Strife GMs. While the framework for all known and theorized Undead exists, not all entries are currently complete. The Codex of the Undead continues to expand as designers create new entries.

If you are looking for an Undead creature that does not appear in this list please contact us and request that an entry be added to the codex and we will endeavor to publish your request in a timely manner.