Questions on Undead PCs

[Element Zero]

I want to play an undead character in a Pathfinder game soon, but I had a couple of questions and I thought I'd hit the forums first.

First off, what is the easiest undead creature to use as a PC?

Second...is it possible for an undead creature to channel positive energy? Even if they are good aligned?

[Keld Denar]

Um, assuming Libris Mortis (The Book of Bad Latin) is in play in Pathfinder, Necropolitan is about the easiest way. The ritual kills you and you come back to life dead, so you'd lose a level out of it, but it has no alignment restrictions and no official LA. You can afford the ritual some time around level 3, which is about the best time to do it as it results in the lowest amount of XP lost.

And yes, any creature, regardless of race or vivacious status is capable of channeling either form of energy. It depends more on your beliefs and your deity than anything else.

[Tvtyrant]

The best way to play an undead as a PC is either to take 10 levels in the Sand Shaper prestige class and become a Dry Lich or to take the necropolitan template which makes you a sort of mini-lich. Pale Master and some other prestige classes also make you into undead as capstones, but most of them have later entries then Sand Shaper.

Playing an undead does not effect which type of energy you use. That is based on alignment, so if being a certain type of undead makes you evil then it makes you channel negative but if it doesn't then you can continue to channel positive.

[Keld Denar]

Sandshaper? You mean Walker in the Waste, right? Same book, different execution.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Um, assuming Libris Mortis (The Book of Bad Latin) is in play in Pathfinder, Necropolitan is about the easiest way. The ritual kills you and you come back to life dead, so you'd lose a level out of it, but it has no alignment restrictions and no official LA. You can afford the ritual some time around level 3, which is about the best time to do it as it results in the lowest amount of XP lost.

And yes, any creature, regardless of race or vivacious status is capable of channeling either form of energy. It depends more on your beliefs and your deity than anything else.

While not explicitly listed as "LA +0," supporting text does pretty much say just that.

[holywhippet]

Second...is it possible for an undead creature to channel positive energy? Even if they are good aligned?

You can still use positive energy spells as an undead, they will just hurt you if you are caught in them.

Has your DM cleared you for playing as an undead? Are you starting the campaign as an undead (if so, starting level?) or are you looking to become one.

You might want to look at the deathless type as used in Eberron, they are basically good aligned undead who are powered by positive energy.

[Ravens_cry]

Ick, Deathless.:smallyuk: I guess it's better for the party as you can use the same healing as everyone else, but . . . it's like Ravages, changing a little variable and acting like it makes a huge difference morally. Besides, several undead have the possibility of being good, Mummies come to mind, Ghosts even more so, and that's just in Core.

[Tvtyrant]

Sandshaper? You mean Walker in the Waste, right? Same book, different execution.

Woops, yeah your right :smallredface:

Anyway, it also gives you the ability to make a cruddy mummy and a cruddier construct, but the main thing is becoming a Dry Lich. Not as good as Necropolitan, but eh.

[myancey]

You might check out Evolved Undead from Libris Mortis as well. I think it's a +1 LA and gives crazy benefits.

Fast healing 5?...I think? Best way to acquire healing for an undead PC, methinks.

Edit: And I agree on the necropolitan being a decent template. Just make sure that whoever you hire to perform the ritual has Corpse Crafter/other LM feats. Free bonuses are pretty awesome.

[TroubleBrewing]

Fast healing 3 per application of the template, actually.

What makes that template pretty solid, though, is the SLAs. Talk with your DM about them, though: as I recall it says you can either pick them as you wish, or roll randomly for them.

I think that fluff implies that the former option is for creating undead NPCs and the latter is more for PCs. Check with the DM first; being able to cast Greater Dispel Magic 1/day as a spell like ability (along with the various sundry bonuses) is worth 1 level.

[Coidzor]

On a similar note, you can get "fast healing" 1d6 (or was it 1d4?) if you just use the spell that summons black sand from Sandstorm to execute some downed-but-not-deceased enemies or slaughter some chickens or something similarly expendable. And then keep it in your boots.

[Infernalbargain]

Now only being familiar with Core, APG, and Bestiary, there's no RAW on how to do it to my knowledge. You'd have to import 3.5 stuff that others are suggesting.

[Greenish]

Sandshaper? You mean Walker in the Waste, right? Same book, different execution.Sandshaper's capstone, amusingly enough, brings you back to life.

Ick, Deathless.:smallyuk:They work okay in Eberron, where the difference between Deathlessness and Undeath is mainly cultural, and both are freaky to the general public.

Heh, most non-Aerani don't even make the distinction. :smalltongue:

[LOTRfan]

Ick, Deathless.:smallyuk: I guess it's better for the party as you can use the same healing as everyone else, but . . . it's like Ravages, changing a little variable and acting like it makes a huge difference morally. Besides, several undead have the possibility of being good, Mummies come to mind, Ghosts even more so, and that's just in Core.

As written in BoED, yeah, its bad. But keep in mind that positive and negative energy are both neutral forces, so they can be of any alignment (disregarding what a certain book's opinion on it may be :smallyuk:). Eberron goes into far more detail with this.

[Ravens_cry]

As written in BoED, yeah, its bad. But keep in mind that positive and negative energy are both neutral forces, so they can be of any alignment (disregarding what a certain book's opinion on it may be :smallyuk:). Eberron goes into far more detail with this.
Exactly. Even in Core, Inflict is not an evil spell, nor does the cosmology of the Positive or Negative planes specify that either evil. Heck, it even goes out to specifically mention that a strongly aligned plane of positive energy is just as deadly as one of negative energy.

[Coidzor]

Exactly. Even in Core, Inflict is not an evil spell, nor does the cosmology of the Positive or Negative planes specify that either evil. Heck, it even goes out to specifically mention that a strongly aligned plane of positive energy is just as deadly as one of negative energy.

Well, only if you're unarmed&not a monk or can't deal enough damage to peel away some of the temp HPs.

[Don Blake]

Dhampirs aren't undead, but they get negative energy affinity, light sensitivity, and bonuses against disease and mind effecting spells.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/humanoids/dhampir