[PF + 3.5] Real-Life Undead Campaign

[Retech]

If this is anyone from the tavern, please stop reading right here!


So I am creating a campaign where everyone is playing "themselves." Seeing as most of us are average and not superhumans, I decided on a ten point buy, which is still low but high enough not to get destroyed and gimped.

They are starting from level one, and I have a good grasp on lower level undead, but I need to be prepared for when they level up. So what kind of interesting and flavorful undead are useful for a campaign like this?

Pathfinder material (SRD is best, as I don't own many PDFs) is best, but 3.5 stuff (especially from Libris Mortis) is great too!

[NineThePuma]

Are you using the PF point buy or the 3.5 point buy?

[Retech]

Pathfinder, which I believe is adding on (or subtracting) from 10.

[NineThePuma]

Yeah, was going to say. "Ten points is VERY VERY CRAPPY" but yeah.

No ideas, but that little bit struck me as needing to be addressed.

[Infernalbargain]

10 points is rough. Ghouls can easily last through like level 7. They become a very significant threat when you give them a burrow speed. Essentially use that to occasionally keep the party sleep deprived. If you want your melee party members to stay useful, avoid the incorporeal or ethereal undead. Sure they're good to catch them off guard.

I suggest that you stick to intelligent undead. It'll keep things fresh. So there won't be "oh joy, another 20 zombies to plow through."

[Mayhem]

So is this a 'modern' campaign or fantasy? Are the players undead themselves? What level of horror is it( or is it just bustin' zoms)?

Wights and ghouls are staple classics in my opinion. The pathfinder fast zombies, plague zombies, and void zombies are quite interesting though but as said above just keep them in limited supply.

I made 6-level undead classes out of the libris mortis mohrg, mummy, and wight if you're interested in them. My lesser mohrg makes a good miniboss since it's about as strong as the wight, controls zombie minions, and its paralysing touch has been nerfed and limited to x/day to make it the main class feature so it shouldn't be overpowering for low-levels.

[Retech]

Yeah, it was supposed to be a dystopian feel. Death is always lurking around the corner and your supplies are quickly running out (gave them 4,000 gp to start out with, but the loot for the beginning will be sparse).

On the other hand, I am giving them relatively free resurrections with only a few penalties for the beginning as they are not the kind of people to throw their characters away, especially when it is themselves.

Of course, the death of them contributes heavily to the destruction of the party, so there is still that incentive.

[Mayhem]

Sounds like fun. Alright, I guess I'll post the mohrg and sorry in advance if you didn't want it :smallsmile:.

Savage progression Mohrg 'race' and class.
{table=head] Level | Hit Die| Base AttackBonus | Fort | Ref | Will | Skills | Special
1 |
1d12 |
+0 | +0 | +0 | +2 |
(4+int)x4 | Feat, slam 1d4, +1 natural armor |
2 |
1d12 |
+0 | +0 | +0 | +2 |
- | +2 Dex, +2 natural armor, paralyzing touch 1/day |
3 |
2d12 |
+1 | +0 | +0 | +3 |
4+int | +3 natural armor, +2 str |
4 |
2d12 |
+1 | +0 | +0 | +3 |
- | Feat, paralyzing touch 2/day 1d4+1 rounds|
5 |
3d12 |
+1 | +1 | +1 | +3 |
4+int | +4 natural armor, +2 dex|
6 |
3d12 |
+1 | +1 | +1 | +3 |
- | +2 Str, create spawn, paralysing touch 3/day, improved grab |
[/table]

[B]Proficiencies: Simple weapons only.
Skills: Climb, stealth, perception, swim.
paralyzing touch: A mohrg can make a paralysing touch attack by lashing out with its tongue. Any creature hit by a melee touch attack is paralysed for 1d4+1 rounds. Fort save DC (10+ 1/2 HD + Cha mod)
create spawn: Creatures killed by the mohrg rise as a zombie 1d4 days later. They do not possess any abilities they had in life. A mohrg can control a number of zombies equal to a cleric of its HD. Zombies created in this way count toward a cleric's limit of undead, and any other class limit that can control undead as a cleric.
Improved grab: When a mohrg hits a creature in melee with its slam attack, a mohrg can make a grapple attempt without provoking an attack of opportunity.


Racial traits:

+2 str, con -
Speed: same as base race.
Darkvision 60ft
Undead racial traits
Favoured class: Barbarian


As template
+6 str, +4 dex
Type changes to undead
+3d12 HD, 4 skill points per level
+4 natural armour
slam 1d4
improved grab, 2 feats
paralysing touch 3/day 1d4+1 rounds. Fort save DC (10+ 1/2 HD + Cha mod).
Create spawn: Creatures killed by the mohrg rise as a zombie 1d4 days later. They do not possess any abilities they had in life. A mohrg can control a number of zombies equal to a cleric of its HD. Zombies created in this way count toward a cleric's limit of undead, and any other class limit that can control undead as a cleric.
CR 2( assuming only a couple zombies)

[Retech]

Perfect, thanks!

What's a Mohrg and what CR is the savage progressions type?

[Mayhem]

Mohrg here. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/mohrg) For the mohrg's zombies, use whatever zombie(or skeleton) template you want since I think they're all about the same strength.

As for the class CR, it's probably about the same as NPC classes. What's that in pathfinder, 1/2 per level? Regardless, at max level I don't think it's higher than CR2 unless it has zombie servants.

[Retech]

Thanks for your help.

It will probably end up as the mid-way miniboss, and possibly reappear in the final fight as a minion! ! !