Revenant Character Concept

[Gondram]

I'm trying to create a character who was killed by a necromancer, raised as a revenant (compelled to wander the earth searching for this Necromancer to avenge his death), and then awakened by the necromancer so he can experience the full horror of his plight. Necromancer teleports away, character starts wandering in search of his devious and daunting nemesis, runs into the rest of the party, fun and hijinks ensue.

I need an undead template to use for a Revenant. It can be most any generic undead, the compulsion to pursue the dude who killed you is a role-play thing, and can be added at will. Necropolitans are out because the DM doesn't like us using xp to buy things if it can possibly be avoided. I'd like to keep the LA low if possible, all I really want is to be bona fide undead (no con etc.).

Any ideas?

[Mr. Zolrane]

I made up a simple one for the setting I'm writing *puts a quarter in the shameless plug jar* Mind you, these are using Pathfinder rules for Undead, so d8 HD Charisma gives you HP, etc.

Ashen:

Size and Type:

The creature's type changes to undead. Size in unchanged.

Hit Dice:

Increases to d8 if not already d8 or higher.

Special Qualities:

An Ashen retains any special qualities that the base creature had and gains the following:

Untameable Mind:

An Ashen is immune to Command Undead and similar effects. An Ashen also gains a +2 racial bonus against all mind-affecting spells and spell-like abilities.

Turn Resistance:

An Ashen has +4 turn resistance

Abilities:

An Ashen has the same abilities as the base creature except he lacks a Constitution score because he is undead. If he has a racial bonus to Constitution, it changes to an equal bonus to Charisma.

The flavor is very setting-specific, but you could refluff it to fit just about any free-willed undead.

[Volos]

...why did the necromancer bother with awakening something that he wasn't using as a 'thinking' minion? I like your idea, but I can't get over this huge plot hole. That would be like a Druid awakening an animal that she didn't have any purpose for. That is a big undertaking and it isn't unreasonable for one to expect something in return for that sort of investment.

[Mr. Zolrane]

...why did the necromancer bother with awakening something that he wasn't using as a 'thinking' minion? I like your idea, but I can't get over this huge plot hole. That would be like a Druid awakening an animal that she didn't have any purpose for. That is a big undertaking and it isn't unreasonable for one to expect something in return for that sort of investment.

I think it was just to be a prick.

[Gondram]

Yeah, pretty much just to be a prick. The Necromancer just gets a kick out of knowing some poor sap he murdered is still suffering and slogging around out there compelled to kill him. No rest until it's done.

Ashen sounds pretty sweet; but I have to sell this to my DM, he'd definately prefer something from the books, or at least loosely based on it.

[Lord.Sorasen]

...why did the necromancer bother with awakening something that he wasn't using as a 'thinking' minion? I like your idea, but I can't get over this huge plot hole. That would be like a Druid awakening an animal that she didn't have any purpose for. That is a big undertaking and it isn't unreasonable for one to expect something in return for that sort of investment.

Do you by chance remember those dreadful "an hero" events that happened some years back? Sometimes people go way out of their way because they find it funny, or even just to be jerks.

Mummified template exists, but for a +4 level adjustment it's a bit high. Gravetouched Ghoul is LA +2. Both are in Libris Mortis, I think it's called. LA +4 or LA +5 seems to be the name of the game, here, I'm afraid.

[Gondram]

So it's answering my own question a bit, but I found a Revenant template in MoF. I doesn't have any LA though, just a CRof "as base creature +1"

I would assume applying this template for a +1 LA would be balanced?

[big teej]

I made a similar character using the Bone Template from BOVD

you'll have to run it by your DM, but wouldn't you anyways?

[Thurbane]

Gravetouched Ghoul (LM) is LA +2, but might work.

The official 3.5 update for MoF still lists revenant as LA -, but changes Regeneration to Fast Healing. Depending on the power level of your game, LA +1 for a PC Revenant may be a little overpowered.